Who deserves some early awards?

Atlanta's Beachy a Cy Young contender, while Wright's bat carrying Mets

Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images

Mets slugger David Wright is flirting with .400 during the first third of the season.

ANALYSIS

By Tony DeMarco

NBCSports.com contributor

updated 11:59 p.m. ET May 24, 2012

Tony DeMarco

Memorial Day weekend means the season's rapidly rolling along ? the one-third mark rapidly is approaching. In other words, general managers have had enough time to know what they have on their rosters, and more importantly, what they still need in what surely will be wide-open playoff chases.

And, we've had enough time to make the following observations that have gone beyond the it's-still-early category:

AWARD LEADERS

AL MVP: When you're a couple of batting average points from having a Triple Crown winner, this one is obvious. Josh Hamilton is the best player on what clearly has been baseball's best team. Not to ignore the great starts for Paul Konerko and Adam Jones, though. Konerko actually led Hamilton in batting average and on-base percentage through Wednesday.

NL MVP: It was unanimously Matt Kemp in April. Then he slumped, went on the disabled list and the Dodgers won six in a row without him. So at this point, we'll go with David Wright, who through Thursday had the remarkable slash line of .405/.500/.628 in leading the surprising Mets.

AL Cy Young: Nothing mysterious here ? Justin Verlander is first or second in the AL in innings, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP and wins. Much more surprising are the great first two months of Jake Peavy, Derek Lowe, Brandon Morrow and Chris Sale.

NL Cy Young: The statistical difference between favorite Clayton Kershaw and still-unknown Atlanta pitcher Brandon Beachy boils down to Kershaw's better strikeout-walk ratio (4-1 to 3-1). Which makes Beachy's story all the better: Undrafted free agent out of Indiana Wesleyan University, signed for $20,000, started his minor-league career in the bullpen, and four years later, a Cy Young-caliber starter.

AL Manager of the Year: It can only be Buck Showalter, as the Orioles were a near-unanimous spring choice for another last-place finish in the AL East. Nobody knows how long they can hang around, but there are enough positive signs throughout the organization for legitimate optimism. This also could be the year Manny Acta gets his due, while Joe Maddon remains the most interesting manager in the world.

NL Manager of the Year: Nobody was paying attention when the Dodgers turned the corner last August and went 34-20 down the stretch. But everybody is aware of Don Mattingly's team now, as it sat 30 games over .500 at 64-34 in its last 98 games through Wednesday.

It's who Mattingly is winning with that makes his case. Kemp, Mark Ellis, Juan Rivera, Juan Uribe, Jerry Hairston Jr. currently are on the disabled list, Dee Gordon was benched then dropped to eighth in the order, and James Loney's power struggles continue. Yet the wins keep mounting with lineups including Jerry Sands, Justin Sellers, Elian Herrara, Scott Van Slyke and Ivan DeJesus.

AL Rookie of the Year: He's no rookie, of course -- not when it took over $100 million to get him out of Japan. But Yu Darvish is eligible for the award and gets it at this point. But Mike Trout is making it interesting, isn't he?

NL Rookie of the Year: We know where this likely is leading as the season unfolds -- Bryce Harper. Especially when this isn't a particularly strong year for NL rookies. Wade Miley, Yonder Alonso, Zack Cozart and Kirk Nieuwenhuis are off to nice starts.

Best surprise team: Given what's written above in the NL Manager of Year category, the Dodgers shouldn't be a huge surprise. But they have built a solid lead in both the division and wild-card races, and new ownership will add at the trade deadline.

Also, the Nationals have risen to the top of the NL East behind great starting pitching ? and without Michael Morse (expected back in June), Drew Storen (expected back in July) and Brad Lidge (expected back in June).

Most disappointing team: Tie: Angels and Tigers. Albert Pujols has been far from alone, as Erick Aybar, Ervin Santana, Dan Haren and Peter Bourjos also have underachieved. Injuries/losses of Chris Iannetta, Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells have been costly. The bullpen had to undergo a reconstruction and appears to be settling. The infusion of Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo in the every-day lineup has lit some recent offensive sparks.

As it's turning out in Detroit, Miguel Cabrera playing third base has been less of an issue than Prince Fielder playing first base. The offense's problems lie with the supporting cast ? with the obvious exception of Austin Jackson. The bullpen could be bolstered by the trade deadline, but there is hope for the rotation with Doug Fister's return and the expectation that Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello will lower current 5-plus ERAs.

The two-month All-Stars
AL? 1B: Paul Konerko, 2B: Robinson Cano, SS: Derek Jeter, 3B: Adrian Beltre, OF: Josh Hamilton, Austin Jackson, Adam Jones, C: Joe Mauer, SP: Justin Verlander, Closer: Jim Johnson.

NL ? C: Carlos Ruiz, 1B: Brian LaHair, 2B: Omar Infante, SS: Rafael Furcal, 3B: David Wright, OF: Matt Kemp, Melky Cabrera, Ryan Braun; SP: Clayton Kershaw, Closer: Jonathan Papelbon.

Biggest disappointments: 1B: Albert Pujols; 2B: Rickie Weeks; SS: Erick Aybar; 3B: Pedro Alvarez; OF: Jeff Francouer, Logan Morrison, Peter Bourjos; C: Nick Hundley; SP: Tim Lincecum, Clay Buchholz, Francisco Liriano; RP: Carlos Marmol, Francisco Cordero.

By the numbers: How much better are the Rangers than the rest of the AL?: Through Wednesday, they led the majors with a +79 run differential. The next-highest AL team was Toronto at +35, and no other team was better than +17.

How much worse are the Twins than the rest of the AL? Through Wednesday, they sported a -69 run differential. Next worse in the AL were the Royals at -22.

Which surprise team is least likely to sustain its current winning percentage? Taking nothing away from the job Terry Collins has done in a very tough situation, the Mets had a 24-20 record despite a -29 run differential through Wednesday.

With the exact same run differential, the Brewers were 18-26. And the Rockies were 16-27 with a -27 run differential. How have the Mets gotten there? They're 9-5 in one-run games, but have lost by scores of 8-2, 14-6, 9-3, 6-1, 7-2, 18-9, 8-1, 8-0 and 14-5.

? 2012 NBC Sports.com? Reprints

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More newsTom Szczerbowski / Getty Images

Who deserves some early awards?

DeMarco: David Wright's hot bat ? he's hitting .405 ? makes him the pick for NL MVP thus far. But that's just for starters in our feature.

Padres' offense busts out in win vs. Mets

NEW YORK (AP) - Will Venable hit a pair of RBI doubles and Cameron Maybin had two run-scoring singles as the San Diego Padres broke out the offense after a long rain delay and beat the New York Mets 11-5 Thursday night.

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Sentencing set for NY bride who faked cancer

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Veteran rocker Allman engaged to 24-year-old

By Rolling Stone

Gregg Allman revealed in an interview on CNN Tuesday night that he is now engaged to a 24-year-old woman named Shannon. Allman confirmed the engagement in an interview with Piers Morgan, who questioned the Allman Brothers Band musician about the relationship on camera.

The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Allman Brothers Band

When asked what his fianc?e thought of becoming his seventh wife, Allman replied, "That's not what she's becoming. She's becoming wife Number One. I don't have a wife, I haven't had one for years." Allman later told Morgan that "this time, I am really in love," and said that he was only in love with two of his previous wives, though "they didn't reciprocate."

100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Gregg Allman

You can watch a clip of Allman revealing his engagement on Morgan's show below.

Congrats to the happy couple! Think it can work despite the age difference??Tell us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest.

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How to Improve Spanish Vocabulary in an Effective Way?

While a learner beginning to learn Spanish may feel comfortable with grammar, as the concepts of Spanish grammar are limited and straightforward, he may find it tedious to learn Spanish vocabulary, due to the vastness and depth of vocabulary.

Learning vocabulary requires you to grasp the precise meaning of the word, its synonyms, its varied meaning in the context ? which means that learning vocabulary is about deep understanding of each word.

Here below are few tips which will help you learn and improve your Spanish vocabulary effectively.

Have a commitment to regularly learn new words: Vocabulary, making up the biggest part of learning a language, needs more commitment and time towards learning it. Especially if you are a Spanish beginner, it is essential for you to adopt a consistent and dedicated approach towards building vocabulary.

The good thing is, after developing a large vocabulary, you will continue to learn new words from practical usage, whether you work at it continuously or not.

Learn words along with their pronunciation and context of usage: Words exist in context. Words are used to get your ideas and thoughts across effectively. The meaning of words vary from context to context. Further, knowing the exact meaning of a word is no way beneficial when you do not know how to use it. Therefore, learning vocabulary is not about blindly memorizing the exact meaning of the word; it's about learning it along with its context.

While learning words, learn them completely ? learn both the pronunciation and know the context of usage. Both of these aspects of a word make it easy for you to use them in your everyday communication, either in the form of speech or in writing.

Get to know the most commonly used words first: Though the dictionary has a wide variety of words and every word in the dictionary is useful at one point or another in your life, don't rush to learn all the words in the dictionary at once.

The right approach towards building Spanish vocabulary is to learn the most commonly used Spanish words first, as they are generic, simple and easy to remember due to their high frequency of usage. They can also be quickly learned as you can put them to use immediately as you learn ? this helps with retention. Equipped with commonly used words, you will be able to communicate in Spanish at the basic level and then gradually advance to the next levels.

Listen and read through varied Spanish resources: Listening and reading through varied resources, you will encounter more new words and also get exposed to different usages of words. Don't just limit yourself to Spanish text books or novels; try your hand at reading Spanish magazines, newspapers, comics, etc., and also listening to public lectures, radio broadcasts and news in Spanish. This sharpens your general and subject-specific vocabulary.

Also, reading through varied Spanish resources facilitates explicit and implicit learning. Various instances, conversations and thoughts help you to learn the new words either explicitly (by stopping while reading and getting to know the meaning of the word through standard resources) or implicitly (by deriving the meaning of the word from the context while continuing with the flow of the reading).

Read quality writing: Instead of directly hitting the dictionaries or vocabulary books, first read through quality written works. Quality writing is simplified writing. It is characterized by the right usage of a word. It is common for people to show off their word power by using esoteric, large and complex words irrespective of their need or context, but the quality of writing is not judged by its complex word usage, but by the usage of every word (big or small) in the right context.

Learn vocabulary based on themes: Learning vocabulary based on themes can greatly help you in accumulating a greater number of Spanish words in your memory.

Various themes exist such as travel, home, business, animals, history, biology, astronomy, etc. And every theme has a set of Spanish words which are relevant and connected to each other and to the theme. For instance, take the theme of familia (family). The various Spanish words that can be grouped under this theme are madre (mother), padre (father), hijo (son), hija (daughter), hermano (brother), hermana (sister), etc.,

Learn cognates and false cognates in English and Spanish: Learning cognates and false cognates in Spanish and English is also an easy way to remember words. As both Spanish and English are evolved from Latin, they have many words which are common in structure and meaning called cognates (Eg: ?original? is the same in both Spanish and English). Exemptions are called false cognates (Eg: 'carpeta' may look like a typical English word, carpet, but in Spanish it means ?folder?).

Make use of flash cards - play vocabulary games: Flashcards are the most common tools used to learn vocabulary. One can use flash cards in different ways ? writing the textual meaning of words or by drawing pictures or by using various colors for various themes of words.

Vocabulary games are the most fun, interactive and interesting way to learn vocabulary. They are educational and intriguing and help in learning the meaning as well as the right and different usages of a word. Some good vocabulary games are crosswords, puzzles, word jumble, scrabble, anagrams, antonyms, etc.

Start your blog or join writing groups: Personal relevance is an effective way of remembering a word as this helps relate the learned words to the respective situations in our life. So stop blindly memorizing the words and start speaking your views in friends' groups or start your blog or join writing blogs.

Building vocabulary is not just about how many words you know - it is about how well you know the words. Don't learn Spanish words for the sake of learning but so that you can properly express yourself.

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Barbados holds consultation on international business | Antigua ...

By CMC - Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012.

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Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, May 23, CMC ? Prime Minister Freundel Stuart will deliver the feature address at the one-day International Business Stakeholders? Consultation on Friday.

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The consultation will address the challenges being encountered by the international business sector, and ideas to chart the way forward and to ensure Barbados is positioned as the jurisdiction of choice.

It is being hosted by the Ministry of International Business and International Transport, which said that the aim is to obtain valuable input from key stakeholders on the challenges facing the sector, and develop a plan of action to ensure that Barbados is strategically positioned as the regional jurisdiction of choice for doing international business.

In addition, the forum will also seek to develop policy recommendations and associated action plans for the future direction of the local international business sector, the organisers said.

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Holy Motors! Minogue, Mendes in madcap Cannes movie

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Cars talk, a man is married to a monkey and Kylie Minogue contemplates suicide in "Holy Motors", easily the oddest movie in competition at the Cannes film festival screened so far this year.

Directed by French film maker Leos Carax, the story follows Mr. Oscar, a man who spends each day living 10 different lives, each mapped out for him in a dossier left in the back seat of the stretch white limousine he travels in.

In the morning he is a rich businessman leaving his luxury home for work. Next he dresses up as an old woman beggar on the streets of Paris.

Each hurried change involves elaborate costume changes and make up in the back of the limousine, and leave Oscar, played with superhuman energy by Denis Lavant, increasingly exhausted as the day wears on.

As to its meaning, critics and journalists struggled to agree.

"What the heck does it all mean?" wrote Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw in his five-star review, before proceeding to seek to unravel the enigma of Holy Motors.

Carax, whose last full-length feature was "Pola X" in 1999, declined to answer when asked at a press conference what the movie meant, and merely shook his finger.

In response to a question about the different movies referenced in his film, he said, speaking in French:

"Obviously if you decide to live in that little island which is cinema, it is a beautiful island that has a big cemetery. So sometimes you go to the cemetery."

NEARLY NOT MADE

Holy Motors, loudly cheered at the press screening ahead of its official world premiere in Cannes on Wednesday, nearly did not make it to the big screen.

Carax's reputation with film financiers suffered in the early 1990s when his "The Lovers on the Bridge", also starring Lavant, ran dramatically over budget.

"There were some bad memories that lingered in terms of banks and bankers," said producer Martine Marignac.

"The banks didn't want to follow through and the film nearly did not get made. We thought that 20 years down the road this situation would not arise again, but the difficulty in financing this kind of film hinges on the fact that these films are not viewed as commercial."

Oscar's most shocking character is "Monsieur Merde", half-man half-beast who bursts in on a photo shoot at a Paris cemetery with U.S. actress Eva Mendes and carries her to his underground lair where she comforts the naked, aroused monster.

In another segment Australian pop star Minogue plays a melancholy air hostess who is contemplating suicide, and she performs a song for her lost love.

The singer and actress, a major celebrity throughout the world, admitted she was "slightly terrified" at the thought of appearing in the movie, but added:

"Basically I banned my entourage from coming with me, I kind of stripped myself of being Kylie and wanted to go back to being as basic as possible and pretty much be a blank canvas for Leos."

Towards the end of Holy Motors, limousines parked in a warehouse talk to each other before lights out, and later Oscar returns home to his wife and children -- all of them monkeys.

For a look at Cannes 2012 lineup, click here: http://link.reuters.com/vav28s

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Private supply ship rockets toward space station

The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket lifts off from space launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., early Tuesday, May 22, 2012. This launch marks the first time, a private company sends its own rocket to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket lifts off from space launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., early Tuesday, May 22, 2012. This launch marks the first time, a private company sends its own rocket to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? A first-of-its-kind commercial supply ship rocketed toward the International Space Station following a successful liftoff early Tuesday, opening a new era of dollar-driven spaceflight.

The SpaceX company made history as its Falcon 9 rocket rose from its seaside launch pad and pierced the pre-dawn sky, aiming for a rendezvous in a few days with the space station. The rocket carried into orbit a capsule named Dragon that is packed with 1,000 pounds of space station provisions.

It is the first time a private company has launched a vessel to the space station. That's something only major governments have done ? until Tuesday.

"Falcon flew perfectly!!" SpaceX's billionaire founder, Elon Musk, said via Twitter. "Dragon in orbit ... Feels like a giant weight just came off my back."

The White House quickly offered congratulations.

"Every launch into space is a thrilling event, but this one is especially exciting," said John Holdren, President Barack Obama's chief science adviser. "This expanded role for the private sector will free up more of NASA's resources to do what NASA does best ? tackle the most demanding technological challenges in space, including those of human space flight beyond low Earth orbit."

Launch controllers applauded when the Dragon reached orbit nine minutes into the flight, then embraced one another once the solar panels on the spacecraft popped open. Many of the SpaceX controllers wore untucked T-shirts and jeans or even shorts, a stark contrast to NASA's old suit-and-tie shuttle team.

This time, the Falcon's nine engines kept firing all the way through liftoff. On Saturday, flight computers aborted the launch with a half-second remaining in the countdown; a bad engine valve was replaced.

The real test comes Thursday when the Dragon reaches the vicinity of the space station. It will undergo practice maneuvers from more than a mile out. If all goes well, the docking will occur Friday. Musk will preside over the operation from the company's Mission Control in Hawthorne, Calif., where he monitored the liftoff.

The space station was zooming over the North Atlantic, just east of Newfoundland, when the Falcon took flight.

NASA is looking to the private sector to take over orbital trips in this post-shuttle period; several U.S. companies are vying for the opportunity. The goal is to get American astronauts launching again from U.S. soil. SpaceX officials say that could happen in as little as three years, possibly four.

Until their retirement last summer, NASA's shuttles provided the bulk of space station equipment and even the occasional crew member. American astronauts are stuck riding Russian rockets to orbit until SpaceX or one of its competitors takes over the job. Russia also is making periodic cargo hauls, along with Europe and Japan.

Musk, a co-creator of PayPal, founded SpaceX a decade ago. He's poured millions of his own money into the company, and NASA has contributed $381 million as seed money. In all, the company has spent more than $1 billion on the effort.

Hundreds of SpaceX and NASA guests poured into the launching area in the wee hours of Tuesday, eager to see firsthand the start of this new commercial era. The company had a single second to get its rocket flying, and that's all it needed.

Everyone, it seemed, was rooting for a successful flight ? even Musk's rivals.

"The shuttle may be retired, but the American dream of space exploration is alive and well," said Mark Sirangelo, chairman of Sierra Nevada Corp.'s space systems, which is developing a mini-shuttle to carry space station crews in another few years.

The six space station astronauts were especially enthusiastic; the crew beamed down a picture on the eve of the launch, showing the two who will use a robot arm to snare the Dragon.

In December 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to launch a spacecraft into orbit and retrieve it. That test flight of a Dragon capsule paved the way for this mission, which also is meant to culminate with a splashdown of the capsule in the Pacific.

This newest capsule is supposed to remain at the space station for a week before bringing back experiments and equipment. None of the other types of current cargo ships can return safely; they burn up on the way down.

SpaceX and NASA officials stress this is a demonstration flight and that even if something goes wrong, much can be learned.

"Whatever happens today, we could not have done it without (at)NASA, but errors are ours alone and me most of all," Musk said via Twitter right before Saturday's launch abort. The company will try again no matter what; two more Dragon supply missions, in fact, are planned this year.

Musk, 40, is the chief executive officer and chief designer for SpaceX. He also runs Tesla Motors, his electric car company.

NASA retired its space shuttle fleet last summer. The three remaining shuttles ? Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis ? are now relegated to museums.

___

Online:

SpaceX: http://www.spacex.com

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/home/

Associated Press

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