Likewise resourcefulness that Nelson would come by kids through the school of hard knocks.

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Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution says the School of Hard Knocks has brought Rice around to this more realistic approach to the Middle East.

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Ireland is indeed sitting a rather long and uncomfortable class at the school of hard knocks and tough surprises, its children may be playing truant and heading for the private tuition of Canada and Australia but the lesson will be remembered.

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John's coach Steve Levin called it just another day at the Big East school of hard knocks.

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However, his parents instead enrolled him at the China Drama Academy, a talent school of hard knocks with a draconian regime that included training in music, acrobatics and martial arts that lasted 18 hours a day.

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