Offseason moves shift regular-season expectations for many

The Nets have assembled an all-star cast (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)

Ten franchises whose expectations of success have dramatically shifted over the course of this offseason. Whether due to free agency, trade or injury, these clubs are facing a different kind of regular season in 2013-14.

CHAMPIONSHIP WORTHY

Brooklyn Nets

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has shown he isn’t afraid of the luxury tax; as things stand Brooklyn’s payroll alone stands at $101.3 million – due in part to the offseason acquisitions of Garnett, Pierce & Terry.

The Nets can now legitimately put five All-Stars on the court  – Williams, Johnson, Pierce, Garnett & Lopez – while having the likes of Terry & AK47 in reserve on the bench, creating matchup problems galore for the opposition.

Nursing their ageing cast into the Playoffs in prime health will be their regular-season goal.

In pursuing a 'win now' approach Prokhorov has dealt away the Nets’ 2014, 2016 & 2018 draft picks. What’s more, the championship window in Brooklyn isn’t going to be long, given the age of its core, further inflating expectations of immediate success.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets pulled off the biggest move this offseason, securing the services of arguably the best big man in the league, Dwight Howard. The D12-Harden pairing is projected to be one of the most dynamic duos in the league.

Houston are stacked with exciting young players, capable of running the floor and finishing at the rim and from behind the three-point line in transition. If McHale can get Omar Asik on board and on the court next to Dwight, the Rockets should be a force in the West.

Jeremy Lin will be under pressure from day one and once again under the scrutiny of the world’s media.

Indiana Pacers

The post-season emergence of both Paul George and Roy Hibbert as legitimate championship-calibre players led many to believe that with more depth the Pacers could have upset the Heat in the Conference Finals this year.

Now add Granger, Stevenson, Scola, Copeland and CJ Watson off the bench. They are serious contenders.

Los Angeles Clippers

In Chris Paul and Doc Rivers, the Clippers have secured the services of arguably the best point guard and best head coach in the league.

LAC have spent the offseason stockpiling quality perimeter players – Redick, Dudley and Bullock – perhaps as a mask for their questionable frontcourt depth.

In many ways the success of the Clippers remains stacked on the shoulders of friends and frontcourt companions Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Ultimately, the two must be capable of playing extended minutes, working deep in the post efficiently and hitting free throws.

PLAYOFF BERTH

Washington Wizards

John Wall was in beast mode towards the end of last year; he showed that when healthy he can perform like a max-contract guy. The Wizards finished the regular season playing an extended stretch of .500 basketball. 

Washington have a strong core - Wall, Beal, Porter, Nene and Okafor - as far as lower playoff-seeded teams in the Eastern Conference are concerned. On paper, they have enough to land the 7th or 8th seed.

However, behind the starting unit await few playoff-calibre players. The Wizards are seriously lacking in depth. An injury to any of Washington's key performers and their dreams of a playoff berth are in serious jeopardy.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is known for his high-risk high-reward approach to team development – see his 2011 (4^th), 2012 (4^th) & 2013 (1^st) draft selections. This offseason has been no different, signing Andrew Bynum to a two-year deal and drafting Anthony Bennett with the first pick in the draft.

In addition, Cleveland drafted Russian stud Sergy Karasev and second-round pick Carrick Felix, while bolstering their roster with the signings of free agents Jarrett Jack & Earl Clarke.

The Cavaliers now have legitimate depth. If Kyrie Irving, Andrew  Bynum and Anderson Varejao can remain on the court for the majority of the year, Wine & Gold fans will be expecting a first playoff berth since the King walked out.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons invested heavily in Josh Smith this offseason, signing the forward to a four-year $54 million contract.

Detroit now have one of the biggest, most athletic backcourts in the league. Adding Smith addresses the Pistons' need for improved defence and allows them to experiment with various rotation combinations: Smith-Monroe-Drummond/Smith-Drummond/Smith-Monroe.

Ultimately, Detroit will only go as far as their frontcourt takes them. Questions still remain about the viability of a Knight-KCP combo.

LOTTERY-BOUND

Los Angeles Lakers

It’s already been a year of firsts for the Lakers: the most damning being Dwight Howard’s decision to leave the ball club, in the prime of his career.

With an ageing roster and Kobe’s health a real concern, the Lakers are set for a rough year. Fans have already begun to set their sights on the 2014 draft and the prospect of luring LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles in next year’s free agency.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics lost three cornerstones of their franchise this offseason - Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce & Kevin Garnett – with only a rookie coach and an ageing Gerald Wallace, still owed $30.3 million over three years, to show for it. The rebuild is well and truly on.

All-Star Rajon Rondo, although recovering from a torn ACL, still holds real value, along with the likes of Jeff Green & Avery Bradley, both in terms of on-the-court effectiveness and value in future trades.

It’s going to be a tough year in Boston.

Dallas Mavericks

Yes, it’s true, Dallas found themselves in the lottery this year, but that was all part of the plan. Twelve months ago the Mavericks struck out in their pursuit of a franchise-changing free agent, instead opting to sign a host of one-year rentals – allowing them to maintain their cap flexibility heading into this year’s free-agent class. Unfortunately, Dallas once again failed to hit the jackpot in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.

Dallas’ new frontcourt of Jose Calderon and Monta Ellis, a duo on the books for at least three years and $53 million, isn't likely to be enough to help propel the Mavericks back into playoff contention. Defence is a word you won’t be mentioning much when analysing Dallas next year, unless it’s predicated by ‘distinct lack of’.

It’s set to be another year of frustration for superstar Dirk Nowitzki.

Which team's transition are YOU most looking forward to seeing? Let me know in the comments section below.

News and Notes: Saturday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, a game program from January 10, 1925 between Cornell and the University of Rochester.  Below, news and notes for Saturday...

• Get the details on the new digital Ivy League package that will allow you to watch Ivy League Men's Basketball online all season!

• Eitan Chemerinski (Cornell '13)  scored 15 points on Wednesday as his Team USA finished 4-1 in group round robin play in Israel's Maccabi Games with a dominant 141-66 victory over Ginea-Bissau.  The Americans now will move on to the semifinals/medal round.  USA as the #1 seed in Group A will face on Sunday the #2 seed of Group B, Israel.  In the other semifinal, it is Argentina (Group A, #2 seed) against France (Group B, #1 seed).  Chemerinski previously scored 3 points in the team's tournament opener on Friday, an 86-83 overtime defeat to Argentina.  But the Americans bounced back in their second game on Sunday with an 89-55 win over Germany.  Then on Monday Chemerinski notched 13 points in a USA 111-57 win over Australia followed by 10 point performance on Tuesday in an 84-31 win over Russia.   Group B consisted of Canada, Kazakhstan, France, Greece and host Israel. 

• Here is an older blog post from the Ft. Wayne Journal & Courier on Errick Peck after he committed to attend grad school at Purdue.

• Wisconsin is marketing its season ticket package with a highlight dunk against Cornell last season.

• ESPN writes about Harvard's potential and notes, "The Ivy League still doesn't have a conference tournament. The conference as a whole is just 3-14 in the NCAA tournament since 2000, and prior to Cornell's run to the 2010 Sweet 16, the Ivies were laboring under a 12-season tournament-win drought."

• NBC Sports catches up with some Ivy League coaches.

• College Sports Madness is counting down the top 144 teams in the country.

TUB 5: Huddersfield Heat

In this edition of the TUB 5 I talk to Huddersfield Heat Head Coach & CEO Eduardo Perez y Medina. We discuss grassroots hoops, the role of the EBL, offseason preparation and maintaining on-the-court success.

How much of an interest is there in basketball at grassroots level around Huddersfield and how do the Heat get involved in community hoops?

There is substantial grassroots interest in the area, and there is some good activity going on as we speak. We are looking to roll out a new community programme shortly, and one of its key aims is to engage local schools to start building a pathway for all basketball players to follow.

You’ve had many successful Heat alumni in the past, players like Chris Bigley who’ve gone on to play in the BBL. How do you view the role of EBL teams and is it difficult to have your most talent players poached by clubs in higher divisions?
I guess it depends on what your ambition is for your organisation. Some clubs, in particular in EBL 3 and 4, are quite happy to compete year in, year out and will never look to progress further than that. We want to be the best club possible, and we have objectives and ambitions to reflect that. With regard to the players: look, it happens, talented players if given further opportunities will look to progress in the same way we would as a club. As for the EBL, the UK needs a solid, well-defined structure, and each level should support the next, with the pinnacle being access to the top tier. I think we are probably some way away from that yet in this country.

Following on from that, how do the Heat go about scouting and recruiting players? If there’s a young baller out there wanting to showcase their skills in the EBL, what’s the best route for them to take?

We are establishing quite a wide scouting and recruitment network, in particular in Spain, so I would say our hard work results in us finding the very best players each year for our resources. In terms of a young player, well I would say it depends on the club in the first instance. Some, such as Bristol or Manchester, have very good junior development programmes and those are great pathways for young players to join. Other clubs will host trials, or even give individual trial periods to players who contact the club directly, so it really does vary. In our case, although we recruit, we will always get back to anyone who contacts us about potentially playing.

You had a brilliant season last year, finishing with a record of 19-3 in Group North of the EBL Div 3. How can you maintain that level of play heading into the 2013-14 season? How has the club spent the offseason?

The club has been working hard on and off the court over the summer, to further our plans. We have a major project in the pipeline which will go fully public around September, hopefully, which will be big news for basketball in the UK; a lot of hard work is going into that at the moment. We've also been putting the finishing touches to the new roster for the next season and, based on the quality and level of players we have been able to sign up, if we work as hard as we did last year, and show the same attitude, we will be fine this coming season.

You’re set to face the reigning BBL champions Leicester Riders in a pre-season friendly. Aside from a great game of basketball for the fans, what are you hoping to gain from the experience?

I think it sets a marker for our progress. We want to be the best we can be, and what better test than to play what is in my opinion the top club in the UK at this moment. We're going to be up against great players and a great coach, but we welcome that kind of challenge. All my guys are really looking forward to this, and it's really got them excited about the coming season now.

The Matrix Reloaded Bluray 720P (2003)

Sobat Zero's Berhubung saya admin baru di blog ini, post pertama yaitu salah satu film kesukaan saya loh :D
Nah Daripada penasaran mending langsung aja ke TKP

Synopsis  :

"6 bulan setelah peristiwa yang digambarkan dalam The Matrix, Neo telah terbukti menjadi pertanda baik bagi manusia bebas, karena semakin banyak manusia yang dibebaskan dari matriks dan dibawa ke Sion, kubu satu-satunya Perlawanan. Neo sendiri telah menemukan negara adidaya itu termasuk kecepatan super, kemampuan untuk melihat kode dari hal-hal di dalam matriks dan tingkat tertentu pra-kognisi. Tapi sepotong jahat berita hits perlawanan manusia: 250.000 penjaga Mesin menggali ke Sion dan akan mencapai mereka dalam 72 jam. Sebagai Sion mempersiapkan untuk perang akhir, Neo, Morpheus dan Trinity disarankan oleh Oracle untuk menemukan Keymaker yang akan membantu mereka mencapai Sumber. Sementara itu mimpi berulang Neo menggambarkan kematian Trinity ini telah mendapat dia khawatir dan seolah-olah itu tidak cukup, Agen Smith telah entah bagaimana lolos penghapusan, telah menjadi lebih kuat dari sebelumnya dan tetap memiliki Neo sebagai target berikutnya."

Nama           : Matrix Reloaded
Release Date : 15 may 2003
Genre           : Action , Sci-Fi
Rating IMDB  : 7.1/10 IMDB
Source         : Google Drive
Quality          : Bluray 720P 
Size              : 899MB

Link Download Via Google Drive

Single Link : Download Here

Would You Watch 90 Minutes of This?

Below, an extended music video for Biting Elbows' "Bad Motherfucker." The premise: "What if a 'Transporter' sequel was 4 1/2 minutes long and seen entirely from first-person perspective?" Okay, fun enough - really hate 0:25, but that's a taste thing.

In any case, this is "news" because the video's director has been hired to turn the concept into a full feature, with Sharlto Copley apparently set to star. I can't help get the sense that this is the sort of idea that sounds good until you actually see it, but what do I know?

Here's Another Awful-Looking Thing We Can Blame Kevin Smith For...

Hey! Have you by chance been in one of those hypersleep pods from "Prometheus" since around 1998 or so and thus might still find jokes about dweeby White kids with a charmingly-naive fixation on Black culture really funny? Well, then "American Milkshake" - an indie pickup from the new Kevin Smith Movie Club imprint - is the movie for YOU!

PED scandal reportedly linked to several unidentified NBA players

Ryan Braun was recently suspended for PED use by the MBL

The performance-enhancing drug (PED) scandal linked to the Florida Biogenesis clinic, which has already tainted the MBL and led to the suspension of Ryan Braun and possible suspension of Alex Rodriguez and others, is now being linked to several yet to be identified NBA players.

ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’ reported the allegations after speaking to former Biogenesis Clinic employee turned whistle-blower, Porter Fischer.

“Fischer said he and associates have identified athletes from the NBA, NCAA, professional boxing, tennis and MMA, in addition to other professional baseball players who have not yet been identified. As far as he knows, Fischer said, Bosch had no clients from the NFL or NHL.”

As noted in Dime Magazine, “the NBA tests for PEDs, but they don’t yet have a blood test in place for Human Growth Hormones (HGH), and David Stern said that negotiations with the NBPA to implement HGH testing have been put on hold until the Player’s Union gets a new executive director.”

Back in March, TUB raised the question of basketball and PEDs.

There have been plenty of other examples of minor drug use in basketball, from leagues spanning the length and breadth of the globe, but as yet there has been no high-profile scapegoat in the NBA. Odd, if you stop and think about the sheer volume of players that have graced an NBA court. Could there really be a league-wide cover up? Maybe, I don't know. What I do understand is that a sport, particularly its legacy, thrives on a clean and wholesome reputation. Once that's gone, it's hard to claw back. 

The real question is: why don't we hear more dialogue when it comes to hoops, its players and anti-doping?

Escape to The Movies: "The Wolverine"

Good enough.

Intermission: "World's Finest."

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : The Wolverine

Young NBA stars show out at USA Basketball Showcase

Carried by Kyrie Irving's 23-point performance, Team White beats Team Blue 128-106 in USA Basketball's Showcase in Las Vegas. Check out some of the highlights below. 

Kyrie Irving poured in 23 points and dished out 7 assists, as well as going home with the Win!

Anthony Davis was impressive in Thursday's Scrimmage, affecting the game in a variety of ways. The face of the Pelicans left with 22 points and 7 rebounds in a losing effort.

John Wall shows off his hops with this crazy two-handed dunk.

Earlier in the game, Harrison Barnes missed what would have been an impressive dunk. He made it up to the crowd with a throwdown over Ryan Anderson!

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 3 : Dog Days BRRip 720P (2012)

Sobat Zero's ini adalah lanjutan ke 3 / dari film diary of a wimpy kid dan Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2 : Rodrick Rules gak afdol rasanya kalo belom nonton yang ke 1 ama yang ke 2 :D

Cekidot

Synopsis : 

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” menceritakan tentang Greg Heffley yang berpura-pura memiliki pekerjaan di sebuah country club ritzy. Tapi rencananya gagal dan ia terjebak pada hari anjing di liburan musim panas, termasuk kecelakaan di kolam renang umum dan perjalanan berkemah yang tidak beres

Nama             : Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3 : Dog Days
Release Date   : 3 Agustus 2012
Genre             : Comedy , Family
Rating IMDB  : 6,1 / 10 IMDB
Source            : PutLocker
Quality            : Bluray RIP 720P
Size                 : 548 MB

Link Download Via Putlocker

Single Link : Download Here

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 : Rodrick Rules BRRip 720P (2011)

Sobat Zero's film ini Lanjutan dari yang pertama yaitu diary of a wimpy kid :D

Cekidot

Synopsis : 

Setelah satu tahun lamanya berada di bangku kelas enam, akhirnya Greg dan Rowley (Robert Capron) menginjak tahun ajaran yang baru yaitu kelas tujuh, alias SMP kelas satu. Bukan berarti berada di tahun ajaran baru, masalah tidak akan berkurang namun semakin bertambah seiring dengan bertambahnya umur kedua sahabat karib itu, utamanya Greg (Zachary Gordon). Mulai dari gangguan Patty, teman sekelas Greg yang sok berkuasa, murid perempuan baru pindahan dari sekolah lain bernama Holly Hills (Peyton List) yang ingin didekati Greg, persaingan dengan Chirag dan hubungan Greg yang selalu tidak harmonis dengan kakak laki-lakinya, Rodrick (Devon Bostick).

Nama             : Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 : Rodrick Rules
Release Date   : 25 maret 2011
Genre             : Comedy , Family
Rating IMDB  : 6,3 / 10 IMDB
Source            : Google Drive
Quality            : Bluray RIP 720P
Size                 : 413 MB

Link Download Via Google Drive

Single Link : Download Here

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1 BRRip 720P (2010)

Sobat Zero's film ini adalah request dari teman teman di FB ,, bagus sih menurut saya :D

Cekidot

Synopsis :

Masa peralihan dari anak-anak ke masa remaja memang adalah saat-saat sulit buat kebanyakan anak. Masa-masa ini pula yang biasanya akan menentukan kehidupan mereka ketika menginjak masa remaja. Seperti juga kebanyakan anak, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) juga mengalami masa-masa sulit ini. Apalagi Greg bukan termasuk anak yang cool di antara teman-temannya.

Buat Greg masa-masa sekolah di SMP adalah masa terburuk dalam hidupnya. Hampir setiap hari Greg jadi bulan-bulanan teman-temannya termasuk Rodrick (Devon Bostick). Greg memang tak bisa berbuat banyak. Ia tak mungkin melawan Rodrick dan semua anak di sekolahnya dan tak ada cara lain buat Greg selain melampiaskan kekesalannya pada buku harian miliknya.

Nama             : Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Release Date   : 19 maret 2010
Genre             : Comedy , Family
Rating IMDB  : 6,1 / 10 IMDB
Source            : Putlocker
Quality            : BRRip
Size                 : 450 MB

Link Download Via PutLocker 

Single Link : Download Here

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Below, news and notes for Thursday...

• The Pittsburgh Post Gazette blog, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune, Panther Digest and the Valley News Tribune all have coverage of the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Summer Pro Am awards.  The News Tribune writes:

Big summer

Plum grad Nolan Cressler made a strong bid for regular-season MVP of the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro-Am summer league in addition to being named to the All-Pro-Am team.  In six games against top college and semi-pro competition, the Cornell sophomore guard finished second in scoring at 23 points per game, behind Pitt forward Talib Zanna (27.2).  He scored 38 in one game.  Cressler led the league in 3-point field goals, hitting 25 of 49 (51 percent).  In addition to shooting 56 percent from the field, he also averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.  His brother, Andrew, who plays for Pitt-Johnstown, averaged 11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He shot 59 percent from the field (29 for 49).

• Eitan Chemerinski (Cornell '13)  scored 15 points on Wednesday as his Team USA finished 4-1 in group round robin play in Israel's Maccabi Games with a dominant 141-66 victory over Ginea-Bissau.  The Americans now will move on to the semifinals/medal round.  Chemerinski previously scored 3 points in the team's tournament opener on Friday, an 86-83 overtime defeat to Argentina.  But the Americans bounced back in their second game on Sunday with an 89-55 win over Germany.  Then on Monday Chemerinski notched 13 points in a USA 111-57 win over Australia followed by 10 point performance on Tuesday in an 84-31 win over Russia.  The other preliminary group of competing countries which qualified for Men's Basketball include Canada, Kazakhstan, France, Greece and host Israel.

Fallingwater

View Fallingwater in a larger map

Visit our Tour Destination: Pennsylvania page to see the entire tour of the state’s Save America’s Treasures sites.

Fallingwater.
Photo courtesy of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Fallingwater

1491 Mill Run Road

Mill Run, PA

Website:  Fallingwater

The Treasure:  A Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, Fallingwater is his iconic house on the waterfall—a sublime embodiment of Wright’s belief in “organic architecture.”

Accessibility: Advance ticket purchase is essential for all tours at Fallingwater. From April through November, the site is open daily (except Wednesday). Check the website for limited hours in March and December. The house is closed for tours in January and February, although Grounds Passes may be available, weather permitting.

First view of Fallingwater from the trail.
Photo by Lisa Price.

Background:  Fallingwater is nestled deep within a tranquil Appalachian oak forest. The beauty of the wilderness is enhanced by the Bear Run stream that cascades over ledges of Pottsville sandstone, creating picturesque waterfalls. As you approach, you can hear the falling water before you see the house. Fallingwater is a multi-sensory experience.

The wealthy owner of Kaufmann’s Department Store in Pittsburgh, Edgar Kaufmann (1885-1955) and his wife Liliane (1889-1952) were attracted to this rustic getaway, located in the mountains southeast of Pittsburgh, for its beauty and cool mountain air. In 1916, they altruistically fashioned the property as a weekend retreat, first offering it to their female employees and later extending the invitation to the men as well. At the Kaufmann’s summer camp, the air was clean, the pace was relaxed, and there were opportunities for hiking, swimming, fishing, and horseback riding.

In the 1930s, with the Great Depression severely decreasing use of the retreat by his employees, Kaufmann began to consider other uses for the property. Dedicated to early principles of land conservation, he was committed to keeping the primal Appalachian splendor of the land intact. But he was open to new aesthetic ideas, too. His son, Edgar Kaufmann jr., introduced his father to architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s revolutionary ideas. Wright’s concept of “organic architecture,” harnessing local materials to create modern buildings in harmony with the natural landscape, deeply appealed to Kaufmann. In 1934, he commissioned Wright to build his family a weekend vacation house showcasing the view of a particularly beautiful thirty-foot waterfall.

Kaufman pictured his new house facing the waterfall, so Wright’s proposal came as a surprise: he placed the house immediately above the falls, with decks cantilevered from a rock ledge and the stream’s water perpetually falling underneath the residence. In Wright’s vision, the house wouldn’t be a place for viewing a beautiful scene—it would be an essential new component of the beautiful scene. To their credit, the Kaufmanns thoughtfully considered and then embraced Wright’s approach. Both in its interior and its exterior, Fallingwater was conceived as a part of its environment.

When the main house was completed in 1937, Fallingwater was swiftly promoted to fame by a January 1938 Timecover story. Now 70 years old, Wright capitalized on his renewed fame with vigor and imagination—there were more astonishing masterpieces in him, including New York City’s famous Guggenheim Museum.

Reflecting on his work at Fallingwater, Wright later said:

“Fallingwater is a great blessing—one of the great blessings to be experienced here on earth. I think nothing yet ever equaled the coordination, sympathetic expression of the great principle of repose where forest and steam and rock and all the elements of structure are combined so quietly that really you listen not to any noise whatsoever although the music of the stream is there. But you listen to Fallingwater the way you listen to the quiet of the country…”

Frank Lloyd Wright

Talk to the Taliesin Fellowship

May 1, 1955

Interior view of the Hatch looking toward the west terrace.
Photo by Robert P. Ruschak,
courtesy of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Notes from the Editor:  Fallingwater was the grand conclusion of my family’s Chicagovacation a couple of years ago. First, we visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Parkand enjoyed their walking tour of Wright-designed buildings in the area, including Unity Temple. Then on our trip back to New Jersey, we spent a lovely day at Fallingwater.

The editor at Fallingwater.  Photo by Lisa Price.

Other Recommended Sites:  There’s another acclaimed Frank Lloyd Wright building less than seven miles from Fallingwater. One of the last residential homes to be completed by Wright, Kentuck Knob complements Wright’s earlier work at Fallingwater. Perched near the summit of a 2,050-foot mountain, it simultaneously celebrates and blends into the landscape of Pennsylvania’s beautiful Laurel Highlands.

View of the living room at Fallingwater, looking south.
Photo by Robert P. Ruschak, courtesy of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Tour America's Treasures Itinerary

Thursday:  Johnstown Flood National Memorial

© 2013 Lee Price

Wall & Wizards close on five-year $80m extension; here's what you could have bought...

Wall is soon to be a Max guy (Getty Images)

John Wall is reportedly on the verge of signing a five-year $80 million contract extension with Washington. A lot of money by any measurement, but what could it buy you outside the NBA?

Washington is close to locking up the future of their franchise for the next five seasons.

According to multiple reports, John Wall and the Wizards are near agreement on a five-year, $80 million extension that would make Wall the franchise's designated player.

The Wizards and Wall have until Oct. 31 to agree on an extension before the former No. 1 overall pick would become a restricted free agent. The team and Wall opened negotiations a few days ago and have been steadily progressing towards an agreement.

Whether or not Wall is worth $80 million over five years, in the context of NBA basketball, is debatable. However, outside of basketball, it’s undeniable that $80 million can buy you an awful lot. Below is a list luxury items with equal value to Wall’s soon-to-be signed contract extension. So would you rather have Wall or…

Celine Dion's mansion

Supersonic Business Jet

Private island in the Bahamas 

200ft Yacht

5 cm DVDRip (2012)

Sobat Zero's Film persahabatan dari indonesia nih menurut saya , pasti udah pada tau kan ? :D

Cekidot

Synopsis :

Genta, Arial, Zafran, Riani, dan Ian merasa “jenuh” dengan persahabatan mereka dan memutuskan untuk berpisah, tidak saling berkomunikasi satu sama lain selama tiga bulan lamanya. Selama tiga bulan mereka bertemu kembali dan merayakan pertemuan mereka dengan sebuah perjalanan penuh impian dan tantangan. Sebuah perjalanan hati demi mengibarkan sang saka merah putih di puncak tertinggi Jawa pada tanggal 17 Agustus.

Nama             : 5 cm
Release Date   : 12 Desember 2012
Genre             : Drama
Rating IMDB  : 7,8 / 10 IMDB
Source            : Putlocker
Quality            : DVDRip
Size                 : 497 MB

Link Download Via PutLocker 

Single Link : Download Here

"Fruitvale Station" Director to Write/Direct Seventh "Rocky" Installment. For Real.

Ryan Coogler is having the dream year of an indie filmmaker. His devastating debut, "Fruitvale Station" was already racking up accolades before it was yanked into the spotlight by tangential association to the Trayvon Martin story ("Fruitvale" is a fact-based account of a police shooting of an unarmed black youth.) Now he's lining up his first studio gig, and it's anything but what you'd expect...


"CREED," which Coogler will write and direct as a star vehicle for his "Fruitvale" lead Michael B. Jordan (whose also supposedly on the shortlist for The Human Torch), is a spin-off/continuation of the "ROCKY" franchise. The story will center on the grandson of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers' character from the first four films) opting to follow his grandfather's footsteps into professional boxing; with a returning Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa for a trainer. Why did it take so long for someone to think of this??



I don't know if "Rocky" means the same thing to audiences who didn't grow up in the late-70s/80s - watching the series gradually transition from Oscar-winning throwback melodrama to bombastic action-hero fantasy - but I did, so I'm intrigued as hell by this. My one concern would be whether or not Stallone (who didn't just play Rocky, but created the character and wrote the original screenplay) can be part of the production without trying to assert control on a "green" young filmmaker. On the other hand, he was very much where Coogler was once, so maybe he'll have a certain amount of respect.

I hope this works out... and not just because I'd like to maybe find out what happened to Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago and Tommy Gunn in "Creed II, III," etc. (Lang was at one point supposed to appear as a ringside commentator in "Rocky Balboa," which would be amazing.)

NBA 3X Manchester | Gallery

A collection of stunning images that reflect all the action from the NBA's 3X event in Manchester. The two days were a perfect blend of youth, grassroots hoops, challenges and NBA star power. Tag yourself in the comments section below if you were there or see yourself in a picture!

All images are courtesy of Jack Hinds Photography, a Manchester-based photographer and friend of TUB - go check out his site for many more examples of his fine work! Click on the images to view them full size.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Serge Ibaka was on hand to congratulate all the challenge winners.

Watch every bucket from the Champion of the Court challenge here

Check out how Serge Ibaka & Fabrice Muamba faired as they took to the court and showcased their hoops skills 

Relive all the action from the U18, Women's & Men's 3X finals, including Nathan Schall's HUGE slam

For a complete recap of day 2, including a breakdown of all the events, click here

Al Horford and the Atlanta Hawks will play the Brooklyn Nets at The O2 on January 16th as part of the NBA Global Games 2014. Tickets go on sale in October. For more information go to NBA UK Facebook and follow @NBAUK