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    Orioles observations: Zach Britton dodges damage in ninth – Baltimore Sun - April 14, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Zach Britton stranded the winning run on second base in the ninth inning Thursday night, walking a tightrope through a wild final frame. But he still managed to convert his 53rd straight save opportunity in the Orioles 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

    The Orioles closer allowed a one-out single to Troy Tulowitzki and then walked Russell Martin before both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

    Britton induced a weak groundout from Kevin Pillar a ball that Britton pursued but retreated on because shortstop J.J. Hardy had a play at first to keep the runners idle. Britton then got former Oriole Steve Pearce to fly out to center for the final out.

    Been there enough to where its been easy, its been hard, Britton said. I know that if I just make a pitch, I can get out of it. So that is really all Im thinking about. Its been a little easier obviously the more experience I get. But youre one pitch away most of the time and you just have to keep that in your mind.

    I think you just slow the game down. You dont make it a bigger deal than it is. A rollover through the hole from Tulowitzki. So, OK, ground ball. Close pitch to Martin. Good at-bat by him. So just make a pitch.

    The save was Brittons fourth of the season and gives him the third-longest consecutive saves streak in baseball history, trailing only Tom Gordon (54) and Eric Gagne (84).

    For the second time in this young season, Britton had to retire lefty masher Pearce with the game on the line. Britton converted his first save of the season on April 5 by getting Pearce to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded to seal a 3-1 win.

    Ive seen him hit quite a bit now and faced him quite a bit now, Britton said. He hits lefties well, so make good pitches. He had a good at-bat right there, got a ball elevated; just hit a ball right at [center fielder Adam Jones].

    The Orioles (6-2) tossed three scoreless innings in relief of starter Kevin Gausman, who allowed one run on five hits. Darren ODay, coming off back-to-back rocky outings, tossed a perfect seventh and right-hander Brad Brach retired all three batters he faced in the eighth.

    Lefty improvement: One of the Orioles offseason priorities was improving against left-handed pitching, and facing Blue Jays starter Francisco Liriano on Thursday in their first game at Rogers Centre since last years American League wild-card game offered a quick reminder.

    It was then, with Liriano in the game, that Orioles manager Buck Showalter turned to Ubaldo Jimenez instead of Britton in the 11th inning, playing for the long haul in a game that soon ended on Edwin Encarnacions walk-off homer that inning.

    Over the seasons opening days, the Orioles have faced their share of lefties, with Liriano the fourth left-handed starter in eight games.

    While its a small sample size, the Orioles have done just enough damage against lefties while fielding a batting order with more platoon bats, but its far from a marked improvement.

    That was the case Thursday. All four left-handed starters have thrown quality starts against the Orioles Liriano (6 2/3 innings, two earned runs, five hits, two walks, 10 strikeouts) and J.A. Happ, CC Sabathia and Drew Pomeranz before him.

    The Orioles scraped up just enough offense against Liriano, producing some timely hitting in the fifth inning on run-scoring hits by second baseman Jonathan Schoop and Hardy.

    Schoop slugging: After going 2-for-19 in his first six games, Schoop had his second straight multihit game Thursday with a pair of doubles.

    Schoop had the Orioles first hit of the night against Liriano with a one-out double in the third and then followed back-to-back singles by Welington Castillo and Trey Mancini in the fifth with an RBI double.

    Castillo scored on the play, but Mancini was thrown out at home.

    There wasnt much margin for error today and Jon squared a ball up, Showalter said. Liriano didnt make many mistakes. There was such a small margin for error and most times you are not going to come out on the winning end of a game the way Liriano was pitching. But Kevin was a tad better.

    Hardy followed with an RBI single to score Schoop, capping a run of four straight hits off Liriano to lead off the inning. The Orioles entered the fifth with just one hit off Liriano.

    Gentry struggles: Craig Gentry, one of the clubs platoon additions to play against left-handed pitching, made his third start in the past four games and was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

    Gentry, whose playing time has increased with outfielder Joey Rickard on the disabled list, is hitless in 12 at bats and is 0-for-10 against left-handers.

    eencina@baltsun.com

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    Orioles observations: Zach Britton dodges damage in ninth - Baltimore Sun

    Pike Road author finds recipe for success – Montgomery Advertiser - April 10, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    PAUL SULLIVAN, Special to the Advertiser 7:30 a.m. CT April 10, 2017

    Southern chef Stacy Lyn Harris of Pike Road is the bestselling author of three books , founder of the popular Game and Garden blog, and co-host of The Sporting Chef on The Sportsmans Channel.(Photo: Contributed)

    Sales of Stacy Lyn Harris first book are being overwhelmed by her third work that is now out and doing well on Amazon, the Pike Road author says.

    Her reputation also has grown leading to her taking part in an April 22 panel of authors during the Book Festival at Old Alabama Town.

    My first book went very well, especially in the outdoor community, she said. But this book is knocking that one out of the water."

    Her first work, Tracking the Outdoors, was meant to help those who liked to garden and harvest their own food and cook using fresh ingredients.

    Since the learning curve was incredibly huge in cooking wild foods, it was in my heart to help those just starting out. I pored over ancient recipes and found that they all had the common thread of pairing certain kinds and cuts of meat with cooking applications, Harris said. The vegetables in the book are straight forward and perfect to pair with just about every meal. The recipes were based on family recipes and old ancient ones.

    Stacy Lyns Harvest Cookbook came out recently, and sold out the first day on Amazon, Harris said. I was floored. Its a very good problem to have to be sure. Southern Living chose the book as Top Pick of the Week. Its been really fun, she said.

    Southern chef Stacy Lyn Harris of Pike Road is the bestselling author of three books , founder of the popular Game and Garden blog, and co-host of The Sporting Chef on The Sportsmans Channel.(Photo: Contributed)

    Recipes and Tips for Sustainable Living was actually Harris second book, but she wanted to make additions to that piece, leading to her current effort.

    I added several chapters and 15 more how tos in the book. Many of my friends, family, and people who had bought my first book were asking for more. I also wanted to share more basic tips that would make it simpler for people to cook amazing food and to garden, she said. My recipeshave to meet a three-part criteria: family friendly, that is easy, with simple ingredients, fresh, and tasty.

    Included are 15 how-to articles sprinkled throughout the book that offer steps for cooking and eating in any setting, including container gardening, how to save seeds, preserving, foraging, composting and more.

    Harris will be joined by Marty Duncan and Robert Moss at the Book Festival on April 22. The Festival takes place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.at Old Alabama Town, located in downtown Montgomery near the Biscuits ballpark.

    We are cookbook authors and television guest chefs, and Robert is a spirits expert, Harris said. Well be answering questions and signing books after the event.

    Southern chef Stacy Lyn Harris of Pike Road is the bestselling author of three books , founder of the popular Game and Garden blog, and co-host of The Sporting Chef on The Sportsmans Channel.(Photo: Contributed)

    She says becoming an author has changed her life as well as that of her family.

    Ive had to learn how to be more organized, that is for sure. Weve grown closer as a family, working toward one goal. Its amazing how much the kids selflessly give and help, she said. Its really cool seeing the kids light up when they do an amazing job at recreating a dish that I need to take to an event while Im studying or writing new recipes.

    It took Harris three months to write her first book, which came about at the urging of her husband.

    We were on a family trip to Tennessee and Scott said, You should write that cookbook youve been talking about writing. So all the way in the car traveling back to Montgomery I outlined the entire book. We ordered a good camera, learned how to use it and cooked for 12 weekends in a row. I wrote in between cooking and photo shoots and that was that, she said The second and third book were much much easier. I understood the process, understood my camera, the lighting, the food design, organizing the pictures and recipes, and I spread the writing out throughout the year. It wasnt nearly as intense. Ive definitely got the bug. I cant wait to do it again.

    She says she wants the writing endeavor to teach her children a lesson that can last a lifetime.

    I hope my kids learn how incredible it is to have a spouse who supports and helps you in all you do, she said.

    Southern chef Stacy Lyn Harris of Pike Road is the bestselling author of three books , founder of the popular Game and Garden blog, and co-host of The Sporting Chef on The Sportsmans Channel.(Photo: Contributed)

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    AFC North Offseason Overhaul: Ravens get makeover – NFL.com - April 10, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    The Pittsburgh Steelers prioritized locking down their own stars this offseason, inking Antonio Brown to an extension and franchise tagging Le'Veon Bell. Aside from ancillary additions and subtractions, the Steelers mostly stood pat. Despite relative inactivity (and Ben Roethlisberger's little-believed dalliance with retirement), Pittsburgh remains the class of the division on paper. Keeping their stars healthy all season will again be the biggest hurdle to another playoff appearance.

    Coming an Antonio Brown touchdown short of swiping the AFC North last season, the Baltimore Ravens underwent an offseason overhaul. Ozzie Newsome watched Steve Smith Sr. and young playmaking linebacker Zach Orr retire. He cut Elvis Dumervil. He traded starting center Jeremy Zuttah and D-lineman Timmy Jernigan to move up a grand total of 37 spots on two draft picks. And he lost right tackle Ricky Wagner, defensive end Lawrence Guy, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and receiver Kamar Aiken in free agency. Newsome made splash free-agent signings of safety Tony Jefferson, running back Danny Woodhead and corner Brandon Carr, and handed nose tackle Brandon Williams a big-money contract. The Ravens still need to hit on several playmakers in the draft to wrestle the division back from the Steelers.

    Once owning one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, offseason attrition continues to hurt Cincinnati. The loss of offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler could prove crippling if the young replacements don't improve (more on this later). Watching Swiss Army Knife running back Rex Burkhead leave for New England damages backfield depth and special teams. Even with A.J. Green returning healthy, the erosion on the offensive side of the ball for the second straight offseason could doom Andy Dalton.

    The Browns bolstered the offensive line, adding Zeitler and JC Tretter. Cleveland's roster remains full of holes, but let's be honest, the Browns' offseason overhaul doesn't really begin until draft day. We can revisit Year 2 of Sashi Brown & Co.'s long rebuild later this summer.

    BIGGEST ADDITION:Tony Jefferson, safety. Old team: Arizona Cardinals. New team: Baltimore Ravens.

    It might not be the sexiest addition in the NFL, but the Ravens snagging Jefferson -- for cheaper than what the Browns were offering, no less -- provides Baltimore with potential for the best safety pairing in the NFL. Eric Weddle and Jefferson offer the Ravens needed flexibility on the back end that will immediately upgrade both the run and pass defense. That flexibility will come in mighty handy when matching up against Bell, Brown and the dual-threat Steelers offense.

    BIGGEST LOSS (tie):Andrew Whitworth, tackle and Kevin Zeitler, guard. Old team: Cincinnati Bengals. New team: Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns.

    Despite being 35 years old, Whitworth remains one of the best pass blocking left tackles in the NFL. Over the past three seasons, Whitworth has allowed just eight sacks and 44 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. His loss alone would be a big blow to Cincinnati. Couple that departure with Zeitler's defection up I-71 to Cleveland, and the Bengals head into 2017 with a precarious protection situation in front of Dalton. Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher, 2015 draft selections, will be asked to man the tackle spots, but neither has proven reliable -- Ogbuehi was a turnstile last season. Andre Smith returns as a veteran option should one of the younger tackles implode, but he was disastrous last season in Minnesota.

    SLEEPER ADDITION:Danny Woodhead, running back. Old team: Los Angeles Chargers. New team: Baltimore Ravens.

    No one is sleeping on Danny Woodhead, but for all the additions this offseason, the shifty running back could end up providing the most bang-for-buck of any addition in the AFC North. Assuming he's healthy after missing most of last season with a torn ACL, Woodhead is a perfect fit in the Ravens' backfield. Baltimore's offense frustrated fans and analysts alike last season with its insistence on abandoning the running game. With offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg returning, we should expect a similar short passing game approach this season. If that is indeed the case, at least Woodhead's presence provides a threat out of the backfield and a willing pass blocker. The pint-sized runner owns elusiveness in space and toughness between the tackles, a true dual-threat the Ravens have missed.

    Baltimore Ravens: The secondary additions shouldn't end Baltimore's quest to upgrade the defense. An edge rusher to replace Dumervil and become the heir to Terrell Suggs remains a need. Linebacker help to take Orr's spot could also come in the draft. With Breshad Perriman yet proving he can be a true No. 1, Baltimore will need to add to the receiver corps. Replenishing the offensive line is also a big need, which could be aided by the potential signing of Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold.

    Cincinnati Bengals: End Carlos Dunlap and defensive tackle Geno Atkins need help along the Bengals' defensive line. Adding a pass rusher in a deep draft at the position should be a priority after Michael Johnson's play deteriorated over the course of the past two seasons. The O-line questions remain an issue, but with little answers in this year's draft, praying the changes work might be all Cincy fans can do.

    Cleveland Browns: As it has been throughout this millennium, quarterback remains the biggest need in Cleveland. Yet, with no sure thing in this year's draft class, it's a need that Sashi Brown and Hue Jackson might wait a year to fully address. The Browns are expected to take pass rusher Myles Garrett No. 1 overall, which would fill a big need. The defense requires upgrades at every level, but weaknesses in the secondary are especially glaring after whiffing on Tony Jefferson and watching Joe Haden's career devolve.

    Pittsburgh Steelers: Letting Jarvis Jones walk in free agency came as no surprise, but it underscores the continuing need for an edge rusher in Pittsburgh. James Harrison can't play forever (or can he?). Inside linebacker depth to replace Lawrence Timmons' snaps alongside Ryan Shazier could come in the draft. Martavis Bryant's possible return from a yearlong suspension would be huge for Ben Roethlisberger and a passing game that struggled to replace the deep threat last season. Finding an eventual heir to Big Ben continues to be a need. As has been the case the past two years, Landry Jones is not the answer.

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    AFC North Offseason Overhaul: Ravens get makeover - NFL.com

    Can This Man Revive the Yankees? – New York Times - April 10, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    New York Times
    Can This Man Revive the Yankees?
    New York Times
    Continue reading the main story. Even so, the Yankees' farm system fortified by the additions of Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield and Dillon Tate now ranks second in overall talent, according to Baseball America. There are no ...

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    Can This Man Revive the Yankees? - New York Times

    Tewaaraton Announces Second Round Watch List … – Lacrosse News – LaxPower - April 10, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    WASHINGTON, April 6 The Tewaaraton Foundation has announced the second round of additions to the 2017 Tewaaraton Award Men's and Women's Watch Lists, presented by Under Armour. The lists include the top players across all three divisions of NCAA lacrosse and highlight the top contenders for this year's Tewaaraton Award.

    "It's been an amazing season so far, and we're excited to add these talented players to our 2017 watch lists," said Jeff Harvey, chairman of the Tewaaraton Foundation. "We look forward to the finish of the regular season and can't wait to see who our selection committees nominate for this year's Tewaaraton Award."

    The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are comprised of premier college coaches and are appointed annually by the Tewaaraton Foundation.

    Men's Additions Jack Concannon, Hofstra - Jr., Goalie Tom Moore, Binghamton - Sr., Attack

    Women's Additions Vanessa Budd, Franklin & Marshall - Sr., Defense Ela Hazar, North Carolina - Jr., Midfield Ryley Weber, Adelphi - Sr., Defense

    This year's initial watch lists were announced Feb. 28, with the first round of additions coming on March 16. On April 27, the field will be narrowed to 25 men's and 25 women's nominees. Nominees can be players on the watch lists or players not on the watch lists, effectively allowing for a third round of additions. Five men's and five women's finalists will be announced on May 11 and invited to the ceremony. The 17th annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C., on June 1.

    2017-04-06

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    Tewaaraton Announces Second Round Watch List ... - Lacrosse News - LaxPower

    Football Outsiders’ early 2017 NFL projections – ESPN - April 10, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Ezekiel Elliott, left, and Dak Prescott headline a Cowboys team looking for a second consecutive NFC East title.

    Things change rapidly in the NFL. A team that was bad one season is sometimes much better the next season or vice versa. But dramatic year-to-year changes actually happen less often now than they used to. From 1999 to 2008, a dozen different teams turned things around and went 11-5 or better after a season in which they were 5-11 or worse. Since 2009, only three teams have done the same thing.

    The decline of parity is reflected in this first round of Football Outsiders' 2017 team projections. Eleven of the 12 teams that would make the playoffs based on mean projections are teams that made the playoffs in one of the past two seasons. Nevertheless, there will be some new blood in contention, and in particular, a new city. Both the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers rank seventh in their respective conferences in this initial forecast, meaning there's a good chance one of the two teams will give Los Angeles playoff football for the first time since 1993.

    Our projection system starts with Football Outsiders' Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) ratings for the past three seasons, although last year's ratings end up about six times as important as either 2014 or 2015. (You'll find last year's final ratings here.) Offensive projections also incorporate a separate projection for the starting quarterback done independent of the team. After that, we account for general regression trends and incorporate a number of other variables that measure everything from turnover ratios to personnel and coaching changes on both sides of the ball.

    Each team has a forecasted record but also, for those of you wanting more detail, a more exact "mean projected wins" number. We also list strength of schedule based on average projected DVOA of next season's 16 opponents, ranked from the hardest (Dallas is No. 1) to the easiest (New England).

    When considering these numbers, remember that this is not the final, official Football Outsiders forecast for 2017. Numbers will change over the next few months because of personnel moves, including the NFL draft. We also might work on improvements to our forecast system, and that would alter our 2017 projections.

    Also note that stat projections naturally consider a wide range of possibilities. There's a lot of randomness in the NFL: Player development is difficult to predict; injuries have a huge impact; and even the better team on an individual day might not win because of the arbitrary bounce of a fumble or a tipped pass. A team projected to go 7-9 could realistically end up anywhere between 3-13 and 11-5. Taking the average of so many possibilities, all teams end up grouped more toward 8-8, with very few teams listed with double-digit wins or losses.

    We've tweaked the results slightly to get a more realistic spread of win-loss records, but nonetheless, the numbers published below don't mean that we expect the 2017 season to end with no team below 5-11.

    Here are the results:

    1. New England Patriots: 13-3 (13.2 mean wins; strength of schedule: 32) 2. Buffalo Bills: 7-9 (6.9 mean wins; SOS: 23) 3. Miami Dolphins: 6-10 (6.3 mean wins; SOS: 18) 4. New York Jets: 6-10 (6.3 mean wins; SOS: 25)

    If you're sick of seeing the Patriots at the top of the AFC year after year, I have some bad news for you: New England has a top-five projection in all three phases of the game. On top of that, we also project the Patriots with the easiest schedule in the NFL for 2017. We're forecasting decline for many of their out-of-division opponents, including Atlanta, Denver and Kansas City. Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC East comes in under .500, although this initial Dolphins projection seems a bit over-pessimistic. The Dolphins' 10-6 record last season was built on an easy schedule, but Miami wasn't a bad team that lucked into a playoff spot, just an average one. On the other hand, the offensive projection is driven by the quarterback, and Ryan Tannehill has finished 24th and 27th in QBR over the past two seasons.

    To check out where Football Outsiders projects all 32 teams for the 2017 season, become an ESPN Insider today.

    Magazine subscribers:activate your Insider account.

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    Football Outsiders' early 2017 NFL projections - ESPN

    3 Top Movies and Television Stocks to Buy in 2017 – Madison.com - April 10, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    American families spend a little more than $3,000 on entertainment each year, or about what they shell out at restaurants.Two of the biggest line items are costs associated with accessing TV and movie content, which helps explain why companies are aggressively targeting these profitable niches.

    Many will fail to turn their content portfolios into sustainable competitive advantages. ButNetflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Disney (NYSE: DIS), and Scripps Networks (NASDAQ: SNI), appear poised to soak up market share over the coming years and deliver strong returns to investors along the way.

    Image source: Getty Images.

    Internet television is replacing traditional broadcast TV, and there's no single company better positioned to capitalize on this shift than Netflix. But before you take one glance at its stratospheric price-to-earnings valuation and decide to pass on the stock, here are two good reasons to believe the streaming video king's best days are ahead.

    First, 2017 is the year in which, just as CEO Reed Hastings and his team promised, profits start to flow back to the business. After years of costly expansion spending, operating margin is set to reach 7%, or almost double the 4% Netflix managed in each of the last two years.

    Second, this will be the year that Netflix passes 100 million global subscribers, and that means a lot in a business that rewards scale and favors companies with worldwide reach. While most of Netflix's base still resides in the U.S., the growth story increasingly has a global character. International additions made up the biggest portion of the company's 19 million subscriber gains last year to keep its awesome streak of accelerating annual member growth alive.

    Data source: Netflix. Chart by author.

    Disney recently closed the books on an incredibly successful year at the movies. Thanks to key contributions from each of its biggest studios -- Pixar, Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm, Disney Animation, and Marvel -- the entertainment giant led the industry with a record $7.5 billion of box office revenue in fiscal 2016.

    In part because of that unusually strong result, fiscal 2017 is likely to include a minor step backward. After all, there will be no surge in ticket sales or consumer products revenue that's comparable to 2015's relaunch of the blockbuster Star Wars franchise.

    However, Disney has already achieved impressive early box office wins with Beauty and the Beast, Moana, and Rogue One. In addition, investors can look forward to another blockbuster global event -- that lifts both ticket sales and consumer products revenue -- when the company releases Star Wars: Episode 8 in December.

    Scripps Networks' latest operating results demonstrate that solid sales and profit growth are still possible in an era of declining TV subscriber figures. Against that stiff industry headwind, the company grew ratings across its portfolio of channels last year, with the biggest gains coming from its core HGTV and Food Network properties.

    As a result, ad sales spiked 10% in the sluggish U.S. market to pass $2 billion for the first time yet. HGTV finished the year as the third-ranked cable network for adults, and that channel, along with DIY Network and Cooking Channel, had its most watched year ever.

    Scripps Networks has a strong pipeline of new content that executives hope will help it continue to attract an expanding pool of the demographics that U.S. advertisers most covet. Bold bets on international expansion, meanwhile, should start paying off soon, especially now that the Polish TVN network is benefiting from the recent HGTV launch onto the service. Executives believe global sales growth will speed up to a 6% pace in 2017 from 4% last year -- not bad for a stock that's valued at just 15 times trailing earnings.

    10 stocks we like better than Netflix

    When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

    David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Netflix wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

    *Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017

    Demitrios Kalogeropoulos owns shares of Netflix and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Netflix and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Scripps Networks Interactive. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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    Farewell ‘Teen Wolf’: Everything We Want To See In The Final Season! – moviepilot.com - April 10, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    MTV's Teen Wolf has been on air for six whole years, blessing us not only with a bevvy of brilliant characters, but with the supernatural activities and nuisances that come with living in Beacon Hills. The show's had a pretty great run, and amassed quite a following, but as with all good things, they must eventually come to an end. Though we'll be sad to see it go, there's still one half left of the final season, and it has the power to give us fans full closure on everything Teen Wolf.

    It's widely thought among fans that the last actually good season of Teen Wolf was Season 3. You'll recall Void Stiles tugging at our heartstrings, whilst the impending deaths of many fan favourites kept us hooked until the very end. If the show can get back to that level of story-telling for its finale, it'll bring everything full circle for a brilliant end. There's quite a few things myself and other fans would like to see before Teen Wolf ends, so keep reading to see if you share my thoughts on what needs to happen in its final run on air!

    Teen Wolf started its run with a focus on a few core characters. Scott, his best friend Stiles, Scott's crush Allison, her best friend Lydia, her boyfriend Jackson, and the creepy dude who kept hanging around the school, good old Derek. As the show progressed, naturally the core line-up changed a little, with some departing and new additions joining the line-up. Naturally, for the show's final season we're looking for closure on the stories of the original and core characters. We know that the second half of the final season will pick up with a new story and new threat, but by that 20th episode, we want to be sure about the fate and future of our core cast.

    Teen Wolf's Adults - Argent, McCall, Stilinski and Martin!

    Though the original gang consist of the show's teens, part of that original core cast also include the adults of Teen Wolf, i.e their parents. Whilst Daddy Argent (aka Allison's dad!) has been privy to the world of the supernatural his entire life (hailing from a long line & family of hunters), and likely always will, it's still important we see what the adults get up too once the kids move on from Beacon Hills. Papa Stilinski, and Mama McCall (Stiles' dad and Scott's Mom!) have been dragged into the supernatural world at Beacon Hills by association, with Mama Martin soon joining the fray. But once their kids graduate and go on to college, will they still be around to help the next generation of Beacon Hills Supernaturals? (i.e, the younger crowd. Liam, Hayden and co.)

    Honorable Mention

    Danny Mhealani appeared in the first three seasons of Teen Wolf, a member of the Lacrosse Team and fan favourite on the show. He had a brief fling with Alpha Twin Ethan, before revealing at the end of Season 3 that he knew all about Werewolves in Beacon Hills. Shortly after that, he was mysteriously never seen or talked about again. It seems more like a case of Keahu - the actor who played him - having never been asked to return, and thus the mystery of Danny's whereabouts remains.

    Teen Wolf added some pretty good characters to its main line-up during its run, and with the addition of these characters to the story, comes the desire to see their stories completed. Kira, Malia, Ethan, Aiden and Isaac were all welcome additions to the cast, and although we're sadly left without Aiden, we still need their stories to be wrapped up. Most notably Kira, Ethan and Isaac, since Shelley Hennig (Malia) is confirmed for the final season, and the other's aren't. After Season 3B ended, Ethan and Isaac both left Beacon Hills, with Isaac travelling to Paris to mourn Allison's death along with her father, and Ethan being unable to remain in Beacon Hills after the death of his twin.

    Unlike Jackson, we weren't updated with the narrative or whereabouts of these two characters as the show progressed. When Daddy Argent returned, he didn't have much to say on where Isaac was or what he was doing, and since Ethan largely kept to himself, no information on him popped up either.

    Kira, unlike Isaac and Ethan was far further developed as a character. She'd been on the show solidly since Season 3 right through to Season 5, when the show suddenly decided it no longer wished to continue with Kira's story, and failed to secure Arden Cho for the sixth and final season. It's a real nuisance to myself and other fans of Kira, since after Allison's death, a strong female character and fighter like Kira was a welcome addition to the show. Kira was shy, a little reserved, 100% awkward and a complete and total badass. As the show continued it became obvious that the writers had no idea what to do with such a physically strong character.

    Unfortunately, they resigned Kira's story to the Skinwalkers (with little explanation on the background of the Skinwalkers), and proceeded to leave her there in an open ending of sorts, that gives us no real closure on her character at all. Though we know the brilliant and beautiful Arden Cho won't be returning as Kira, a line or two about Kira's future or even a text convo between her and any of the core characters, would go a long way in attempting to properly tie up the mess that is the end of her story.

    Teen Wolf has had a tonne of storylines during its run, and even more characters. Unfortunately, not every new character has been as well written and developed as we would like. Corey's relationship with Mason developing has been cute but separate of his relationship with Mason all we know of Corey is that he's a Chimera, and a little shy. Similarly with Hayden, we've not seen much of her character and who she is outside of her relationship with Liam and being a Chimera turned fully-fledged Werewolf.

    Theo Raeken, on the other hand, is somewhat of a pet peeve for me since his motives for absolutely everything are almost constantly unclear. Not in a mysterious way like, say, Peter or Gerard, but in a sloppy way that suggests his character makes the decisions that he does, just because. I'm hoping that the final few episodes of #TeenWolf really bring his story full circle and give him the development and motivation that as a character, he deserves.

    Of course the gang are a little younger, and perhaps the writers find it hard to maintain an overall tone to the show with two different age groups of core characters. The show ending, however, presents the perfect opportunity to develop this young batch of Supernaturals, in an ending that alludes to their future in Beacon Hills. After they've had their juice boxes and afternoon naps, of course. Kids, eh?

    The Hellhound

    In addition to this younger batch of Supernatural's not developed properly, is Deputy Jordan Parrish - aka The Hellhound. Parrish's Hellhound storyline is probably one of the most confusing. While he is the Hellhound, he also sort of isn't, and rather than he himself being a supernatural creature, he appears to have just been possessed by the entity known as The Hellhound and gained its abilities. Though the show made his powers a huge part of the first half of the final season, it failed to really answer any lingering questions surrounding his abilities.

    If he is indeed merely possessed by the Hellhound, then does he have any control (however small) over his own body when in Hellhound form? He's been shown to blackout and not remember that he was hiding the bodies of the Chimera's yet, when the pack specifically asked for "the other Parrish", he was able to turn it on so to speak, and help out. Will there come a time when The Hellhound moves on to a new body? Will that be the death of Parrish?

    I'm hoping the latter half of Season 6 really gives Parrish the development he deserves on his own, and possibly (definitely, I totally ship it!) with Lydia. He's been a really brilliant addition to the cast and narrative, and I would hate to see his storyline just fizzle out like Kira's or Braeden's - who won't be in Season 6B due to Meagen Tandy's work commitments!

    Fan of Supernatural TV? Check out these posts!

    Overall, though we'll all be sad to say farewell to Teen Wolf, I think there's definitely an opportunity here for this show to go out with a bang. It has the potential to tie up a lot of loose ends, and give fans the satisfying end to life in Beacon Hills that we deserve.

    Teen Wolf's final season returns in June 2017.

    Be sure to fangirl with me on Twitter and on Tumblr!

    Continue reading here:
    Farewell 'Teen Wolf': Everything We Want To See In The Final Season! - moviepilot.com

    Trifecta Stocks: ‘No Man’s Land’ Week Adds to Seasonal Intrigue – TheStreet.com - April 9, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    The following commentary is an excerpt from the Weekly Roundup to Trifecta Stocks subscribers originally sent on March 10. Click here to learn more about this dynamic portfolio and market information service.

    The first week of the second quarter was rather different than the start of the first quarter, with the majority of major U.S. market indices finishing in the red. Only the Dow Jones Industrial Average was relatively unscathed, essentially flat week over week. Given the preponderance of economic data, including today's far weaker than expected March Employment Report, we are not surprised by the market action this week, one that is essentially a "No Man's Land" ahead of corporate earnings season. We'll touch on this more below, but the wide miss in the jobs number was just the latest data point confirming the slowdown of the domestic economy in the first quarter. It's also something that should make for a more than interesting quarterly earnings season after the Easter holiday.

    Trifecta had mixed performance this week, but year to date the portfolio is up in nearly every position. Big winners remain AMN Healthcare (AMN) , Facebook (FB) , and Amazon (AMZN) . We had no new additions to the portfolio, but shed CVS Health (CVS) when the shares broke the $77 level.

    Next week will be a shorter one as domestic markets are closed for Good Friday. Nevertheless, there will be more economic data to be chewed through and some earnings reports as well before we get to next weekend's candy. Among the reports we'll be watching will be the February JOLTS report for our position in AMN and the March Retail Sales report given our Amazon, Alphabet GOOGL and Foot Locker (FL) holdings.

    Also on tap next week are inflation indicators for March, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index and consumer sentiment indices. Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari will speak on Tuesday. Considering the data we've been getting over the last several weeks and then today's jobs report, we would have liked to have heard the views of more than just one Fed head next week to decipher when the central bank may next boost interest rates. One month does not make a trend, but the vector and velocity of 1Q 2017 and another month of weaker-than-expected economic data could push talk around the Fed's next interest rate hike into the second half of the year.

    With another negative revision in the AtlantaFed's GDPNow forecast for 1Q 2017 to just 0.6%, following today's employment news, we think it will be a volatile earnings season over the coming weeks. For context, GDP in 4Q 2016 was recently revised up to 2.1% and the expectation for President Trump's fiscal stimulus initiatives continue to get pushed out rather than pulled in. We expect companies to reflect all of this in their comments and expectations in the coming weeks. But we think a return of volatility will allow us to buy shares in quality companies at better prices.

    While we have no companies reporting next week, we'll be paying attention to quarterly results and guidance from Fastenal (FAST) , Citigroup (C) , and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) as well as Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) given our position in Applied Materials (AMAT) .

    In sum, we see the potential for first quarter-earnings season to be a volatile one that is likely to lead to negative revisions to earnings expectations for at least the current quarter. As such, we will keep our inverse ETF positions in play. We also have ample cash in the portfolio, which we can use to our advantage should such market volatility return in the back half of April.

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    Trifecta Stocks: 'No Man's Land' Week Adds to Seasonal Intrigue - TheStreet.com

    Mentor Matchworks building back in business with new restaurant, artist studios – News-Herald.com - April 9, 2017 by Mr HomeBuilder

    When industrial jewelry artist Brandon Holschuh was considering a home base for his studio, he had a dilemma.

    The Concord Township resident wanted a family friendly commute along with a hip and trendy spot.

    He said he took a risk in November, when he signed a long-term lease for a second-floor corner of the historic Matchworks building in Mentor. The post-and-beam architecture and exposed brick walls provided the aesthetic he wanted, but, at the time, the few other occupants were professional office uses.

    Shortly after, however, more like-minded tenants began to follow suit.

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    I thought, you know what? I think something cool is about to happen here, he said. Now weve got artists, galleries, all sorts of cool. If something cool is happening in Lake County, I want to be in on it.

    Indeed, it appears that the landmark structure at 8500 Station St. is amid a renaissance.

    About 80 percent is now occupied and includes soon-to-open The Fourk restaurant and Stellas Art Gallery, the only working gallery of its kind on Clevelands east side. The March 31 grand opening drew an estimated 700 visitors.

    The shift began when Lake County businessman Marc Wertenberger bought the ailing icon in foreclosure in late 2015.

    We have invested a significant amount of money on building renovations, which were years overdue, he said. We are aggressively seeking new tenants that want to be in the historical Matchworks building and be part of the building revitalization.

    We are owner-occupied and looking to make the Matchworks building a destination for years to come.

    >>PHOTOS: View photos from the new Matchworks building here

    From the beginning, the 50,000-square-foot broad brick building has had a history of reinvention.

    It originated in 1868 and is believed to be Mentors first factory. There were numerous users over the years, including Mentor Knitting Mills, the Columbia Match Co. and Production Machinery Corp., which gutted and renovated the building, making way for the first of many restaurants.

    Commercial office spaces were created in the late 1980s.

    In recent years, the building had fallen out of favor as an office location, said Ronald M. Traub, Mentor economic & community development director. His office was instrumental in bringing Stellas Art Gallery to the site.

    The first restaurant was the Perfect Match, which opened in 1984. It was followed by La Sorella, Blue Tip Grill, Wallabys, Cabanas, Match Works Tavern and Harrys Hofbrau House, which closed in January.

    The interesting fact about the building is not that it has housed so many uses, but its staying power, said Traub, noting that the tower added in the early 1900s is among the most prominent and interesting features on the citys landscape.

    We hope to continue to be a partner in the evolution and repurposing of this city architectural treasure.

    The Fourk is scheduled to open May 1 and will be steered by executive chef and business partner Ryan Scanlon, whose experience includes Burntwood Tavern.

    It is described as a family friendly American Tavern serving classic food with a twist. Adult offerings are to include cocktails, microbrews on tap, a full wine menu and more.

    We will have well over 6,000 square feet inside and a 4,000-square-foot patio, Wertenberger said.

    The patio is to launch June 1. The plan is to seat 235 indoors and employ roughly 35 people.

    Workers are busily transforming the interior with sleek and modern touches like polished concrete countertops, while incorporating original brick and stone into the design.

    This is the first restaurant venture for Wertenberger, who grew up in Willoughby Hills and owns an electronics company tied to the fast-food industry.

    If this takes off, well immediately start the second one, he said. He is eyeing Lyndhurst or Chagrin Falls for an offshoot to be named Fourk & Pepper.

    Wertenberger has redeveloped other real estate and had been watching the Matchworks property for a few years.

    When we took it over there was nothing on the first floor, he said. Now its 100 percent occupied. As people come in, we do the renovation for them.

    Stellas Art took 2,000 square feet of the main floor and has studio spaces still available on the third floor.

    The gallery offers an appealing array of art mediums on wall space rented by local artists and within individual studios used for work or display. Items ranging from oil paint and pottery to repurposed records and decoupage are for sale.

    But its not just a place to market their wares. The business, begun by mother-daughter team Carol Pitts and Danielle Klein, also provides a venue for observing local artists creating on the job. In addition, it will host workshops and classes, and juried art shows for outside artists.

    Our gallery uses an integrated business structure with artists working together towards a common goal: to build community where artists can sell, create and teach art, said Pitts, of Concord Township, who frequented the building when it housed The Perfect Match restaurant. The pair searched three years for the right spot, she said.

    Opening day drew guests from as far Rocky River and Conneaut. Many of them had to wait in line to get in.

    The gallery will keep later hours on Fridays and Saturdays to serve those who may want to browse before or after dinner next door. The neighbors also intend to collaborate on wine and art nights.

    Stellas artists will make a mural for one of The Fourks walls as well.

    If weve got businesses here, wed like to use them any way we can, Wertenberger said. Keep it in the family.

    Another relatively new tenant likely to benefit from cross traffic is Sparkle & Shine Makeup Studio, opposite the gallery. Glass walls enable building visitors to view Karen Siat and other makeup artists on the job.

    Since my space would be small, I knew I didnt want to be in a room that felt like I was boxed in and looked plain, Siat said. The lobby space with the windows sold me for sure. It has so much character, not to mention I wanted to have my business in Mentor, close to my home.

    Wertenbergers goal to have all floors at full capacity within 90 days seems well within reach.

    Our No. 1 complaint was, We didnt know you had office space available, he said.

    >> Chamber group plans business-after-hours event April 20 in Willoughby

    >> Drove for Uber? Rented out your home? Here are some tax tips

    >> Nexus Software of Kirtland appoints director of consulting services

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    Mentor Matchworks building back in business with new restaurant, artist studios - News-Herald.com

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