#don calhoun

[odinsblog]

1993: Chicago Bulls fan Don Calhoun makes a 75 foot shot that wins him $1 million dollars. (source)

The insurance company that was required to make the payoff, American Hole 'N One Inc, voided the payment when they discovered that three years earlier, Calhoun played basketball for a junior college (a fact he disclosed and the Bulls did not have an issue with), and said it was a violation of the rules. Fortunately, the sponsors of the event and the Chicago Bulls pledged to cover the prize if the insurance company would not. As a result, Calhoun got $50,000 a year over the next 20 years.

One lasting impact was that Mr. Calhoun was able to use the winnings to help his son, Dr. Clarence Calhoun II, go to medical school.

[thebarneyfifeshow]

andy and don meet again in matlock ♡

[chipmunkfanno1love]

Knuxouge SCU Theories

Here is my part 2 to my Rouge/Knuckles/Shadow post:

This post will be focused on the relationship between Knuckles and Rouge, and my theories about how their relationship could be portrayed in the SCU.

Knuckles and Rouge's relationship in different Sonic universes:

In the Sonic games, comics and Sonic X TV series (whether you consider this TV series canon or not is debatable as the TV universes are all different Sonic universes like the movies are) Rouge and Knuckles have a tumultuous relationship as a result of Rouge often stealing the Master Emerald from Knuckles, the Guardian of the Gem. The two often bicker and get on each other's nerves, yet there has been a lot of strong suggestion of mutual attraction between them, e.g. Knuckles blushing when Rouge flirts with him. You can certainly sense the tension between these two as they struggle to catch their breath after a fight.

Parallels I hope they do:

Sonic X version of the scene:

If we get SCU parallel of this Knuxouge moment I could see the two sharing a look similar to Fix-It Felix and Sargent Calhoun's look in this Wreck-It Ralph scene, only to break-it up when they realise they're in an intimate moment and try to save their pride by pretending the other one is being fresh when they're clearly both interested in each other.

(1:17 to 1:46)

Comparisons to other media couples:

I can see a lot of the Batman and Catwoman dynamic between Knuckles and Rouge. Yes, I admit that personality and looks wise Shadow is a lot more like Batman (he does don the Batman costume in the DC crossover comic after all), but the relationship between Knuckles and Rouge mirrors Batman's relationship with Catwoman in that one is the serious, stoic protector with a strong moral code while the other is the flirtatious jewel thief who has more morally-grey principles. Both often get into fights, and the stoic protector refuses to allow jewel thief to get away with her mischief. Nonetheless there's no denying there's an obvious mutual attraction between them and the two do make a good team when they're not fighting each other.

*Warning* - Course language, violence and sexually suggestive flirtation:

Knuckles first impression of Rouge in the SCU:

I'll be referencing my post on Echidna tribe courting rituals for this part of my post:

Coming from a pragmatic and traditionalist race of aliens, Knuckles views romance as an "unnecessary distraction" for him as he's sworn to his duty of protecting his new tribe/family and the Master Emerald (wherever it is currently). He also believes that finding love and a girlfriend/mate may not be an option for him as all of the other echidnas are now dead and while inter-alien race courting and marriages did happen amongst the echidna tribe, it was incredibly rare and often frowned upon. Therefore, Knuckles does not even consider courting another female alien.... until he meets Rouge.

When they first meet, Knuckles is quick to judge Rouge as a "dishonourable thief" and "temptress" much like demo-mode Buzz Lightyear's attitude to Jessie here:

(1:31 to 1:40)

While it's not "love at first sight", let's just say that -for better and worse- the beautiful and clever bat-lady makes quite an impression on him the first time he feels the strength of her kicks. I can see him stroking his chin with an impressed and slightly dazzled expression if she gets him right in the face. The Bog King's expression after Marianne punches him pretty much sells the look I'm going for:

I can also see a moment like this scene with Chel and Tulio where Rouge playfully and flirtatiously pinches Knuckles' cheek and as she walks away Knuckles strokes the area with a slightly dazed expression, but quickly makes his face look stern and serious again once she faces him again.

(See 2:24-2:37) - *Warning* - Suggestive mature content.

Dance Fight Scene:

I could see Knuckles and Rouge having a dance-fight over the Master Emerald like Scrat and Scratte have over the acorn. I'm personally imagining Michael Buble's version of Sway playing in the background. I could see Rouge stroking Knuckles face and muscles in a seductive manner while he attempts to not let himself be distracted by her beauty and charm and tries to focus on getting the emerald out of her grasp. I can see a number of dips and catches happening as result. I can probably see Knuckles catching Rouge out of mid-air more times than the emerald, lol.

Though unintentional, I imagine the dance fight possibly reminding Knuckles of the courting rituals his tribe would partake in with potential mates, though it's something he denies noticing at first. I could see a call-back to Knuckles' "groin" line from Sonic 2 with Rouge kicking in his "weak spot" and temporarily cripples him (see 0:39 of the video below). I imagine him groaning: "Oooowww!! (he falls to the ground, covers his groin area and mutters between gritted teeth) Right in groin." As he groans in pain, Rouge takes the opportunity to snatch the Master Emerald away from Knuckles. He yells "You'll pay for this, Bat!! You'll pay for this dishonour!" Rouge replies slyly with: "I never said I'd fight fair."

Rouge bats her eyes at Knuckles as she attempts to take off to leave (0:40 to 0:49) and says, "Until next time, Handsome." Though like Scrat I imagine Knuckles pouncing on Rouge to stop her from leaving. Maybe he ends up saving her like in the famous Sonic scenes above.

Let's just say that Knuckles saving Rouge could lead to baby steps towards trust between them.

Learning to work together:

They may reluctantly agree to work together if we possibly get a Team Sonic and Team Dark team-up (maybe Team Rose as well depending on where they take Amy's character in future films). I could see a lot of belligerent sexual tension induced bickering like Diego and Shira and perhaps one of their friends points out the obvious attraction between them which they deny (1:43 to 1:54). I wouldn't be surprised if we got a scene where Rouge teases Knuckles by saying "You know, you're not as tough as you make yourself out to be, Echidna. I think your time on Earth has made you soft." and Knuckles retaliates by saying: "I'm not soft!" then maybe Amy (and/or even Maddie) comes up to him and gives him something cute that she made for him (a necklace or a scarf, etc) and/or perhaps invites Rouge to join her and Knuckles "chick-flick nights" to which Rouge admits she'd love to join and gives Knuckles an amused look. (4:13 to 4:24)

Though Knuckles is slightly embarrassed, he remains firm that he is "stronger than ever" thanks to his new tribe/family and also proudly admits that he's secure enough in his masculinity to enjoy more feminine interests with Amy, Maddie and "Mother Whipple" whenever he visits her. Rouge gives an amused "Mhm!" and admits he looks "kind of cute" in his new accessory which makes Knuckles blush and get momentarily flustered.

With time, Knuckles and Rouge learn to work together as a team and to better respect each other as allies and comrades in arms. Over time they may come to see each other as friends. Nonetheless, it doesn't calm the very obvious romantic attraction and sexual tension between them.

As Knuckles attitude towards Rouge becomes more amiable, I could see him acting more awkward and shy around her much like normal Buzz Lightyear is with Jessie. I could see Rouge as the more flirtatious and aggressive one like Jessie while Knuckles is like Buzz in that they're both warriors who are confident in battle but not so confident with wooing the ladies they have romantic affection for.

Knuxouge love confession:

When it comes to admitting their feelings for each other I could see it happening in an unexpected moment. I could see the two having an argument and in a moment of passionate emotion Rouge yells at Knuckles:

Rouge: "Face it, Knuckles the Echidna, you have feelings for me!! And don't you dare try to deny it!!"

To her surprise, Knuckles replies back passionately:

Knuckles: "ALRIGHT THEN, I WON'T!!"

Rouge reacts in shock:

Rouge: "What!?"

Knuckles sighs and calmly responds with a defeated yet affectionate expression:

Knuckles: "I won't...deny I have...feelings for you."

Rouge looks shocked but also touched and despite a quiet moment of awkwardness between them, Rouge decides to break the awkwardness by either pulling Knuckles in for a kiss or pouching on him and we hear them kissing off-screen.

Rachel and Randall relationship parallels:

If Sonic and Amy possibly mirror Tom and Maddie's relationship, I could definitely see Knuckles and Rouge's relationship mirroring Rachel and Randall's (in a way) in that their relationship is more tumultuous but very passionate, especially when it comes to sparring. While Sonic and Amy would not want to physically fight each other out of fear of hurting the other, for Knuckles and Rouge, sparring is like fun and seductive dance between them. They get a real thrill out of fighting each other.

Character wise both Rouge and Knuckles have some similarities to Rachel and Randall. Yes, Rachel definitely louder than Rouge and lacks her charming personality. Plus, she's a rule follower to Rouge's rule breaker. Nonetheless, she is similar to her in that they're both strong, sassy women who know what they want and will do whatever they can to get it. Plus, they're both not afraid to get physical if you step out of line with them. Nonetheless they both have emotional and vulnerable sides which they don't often share but can be quite deep when they do share them.

While Knuckles is not as laid back or friendly as Randall is, he is similar to him in other ways. They're both muscular, athletic and honour-bound fighters who are incredibly loyal to their friends and family but also aren't afraid to tease them at times.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Knuckles has a similar romantic storyline to Randall, only with some slight differences. Randall was forbidden to fall in love as an undercover agent, while Knuckles possibly chooses not to due to his young age, duty to his new tribe/family being his main focus and because he doesn't believe that he can find the right girl for him now that all the echidna's were wiped out.

Like Randall, he's a real Amazon Chaser. Even if Knuckles doesn't say this out loud, I could see him having the same expression on his face when he sees Rouge in action. He'll definitely be thinking the same words as Randall:

In time I could see him like Randall becoming more open to the idea of falling in love after getting to know Rouge and feeling a connection with her as a fellow warrior.

If Knuckles and Rouge ever have one-on-one interactions with Randall and Rachel, I could see both Knuckles and Randall competing about who has the "best guns" (by that I mean muscles) while both Rouge and Rachel admire the two muscled men with desire and admiration.

I'm sure both pairings would make amazing battle couple duos if they ever worked together.

How will the relationship work out:

In short answer, I believe it will and possibly won't work out between them romantically. Let's just say that the romance status "It's complicated." could certainly work for these two.

I could possibly see these two having a short-lived relationship which certainly leaves a strong impression on the usually stoic Knuckles (I imagine him walking around with lip-stick marks on his face and a slightly dazed expression). I could certainly see him acting uncharacteristically love-struck and very affectionate, which makes Sonic, Tails and even Tom wonder if "Knuckles has been drinking [Tom's] Listerine again." (a little "family-friendly" reference to this scene from Friends):

It's Amy and Maddie who pick up that Knuckles is "in love" and gives "Awws!" at seeing their tough buddy/son this way. The boys find in love Knuckles to be "Scarier than his usual self." but are nonetheless happy for him and Rouge.

Unfortunately, despite a passionate and loving (for them) start, their relationship falls into some hardship when trust becomes an issue. While they do learn to work together as a team, Knuckles is still wary about Rouge's tendency to steal treasures. This is one source of conflict for them, though more so when it personally affects Knuckles. Let's just say it takes a while for them to build their trust for each other team-work wise.

More so an issue for them is that Knuckles is unsure of what the future holds for them as a couple. While he's in no hurry as he knows he has a lot of growing up to do, he does hope of someday of marrying/mating for life with a special someone and perhaps having offspring (accepting and loving them as his own regardless of what other species they also are). While he has hopes that Rouge could be that future life mate, he's unsure if that's what she truly wants as well. Perhaps Rouge finds herself "warming up" to the idea for the future but certainly isn't ready for any serious commitments yet.

Over time Rouge starts to act distant from Knuckles and perhaps dives herself into her work (whether it be treasure-hunting or her working as a G.U.N agent). Maybe she spends more time with Shadow who acts as a confidant for her at times and she does the same for him vise-versa. While Knuckles makes a strong effort to trust Rouge with Shadow as he and the dark hedgehog had an agreement that they would not fight over Rouge (if say Shadow does have feelings for Rouge), it doesn't stop him from feeling jealous of their friendship and closeness. He suspects that perhaps Rouge has feelings for Shadow as well as him, which upsets him because he doesn't want "half Rouge's heart" but the "the whole thing". Still, he promises to "keep his vow" and not let his jealousy overwhelm him.

In time Knuckles accepts that Rouge is just too restless to settle into his quiet family life (at least for now). She needs to have her own adventures and time to make trouble to truly be happy. He also accepts that Shadow needs a friend and campion in his life and knows that Rouge is his perfect companion. Knuckles accepts that as strong as his feelings are for Rouge that Shadow needs her more than he does. Therefore, he knows he has to let Rouge go with him on a long trip across the universe.

I imagine Knuckles trying to make a speech like Rick does with Ilsa in Casablanca, but I imagine a few words coming out wrong like "Shadow needs you, I don't." and Rouge has her moments of losing her temper with him but Knuckles does manage to clear things up and eventually explains things in such a way that Rouge eventually understands what he's saying. Unlike Rick though, Knuckles says he must do the honourable thing, even if it creates a great pain in his heart to do so.

Rouge rolls her eyes and says: "You and your honour (yes a little Joseph: King of Dreams reference here). Always having to do the right thing. It's so annoying! Then again...that's the reason I fell for you in the first place." She quickly tries to brush away some tears, but Knuckles beats her to it by wiping her tears gently with his knuckle.

He tells Rouge they'll always have their moment of dance fighting over the Master Emerald. To which Rouge laughs and smiles.

He makes his own version of the Rick's famous quote:

"To quote the man in the fedora from that old black and white film "Here's lookin' at you, Kid."

I also see it mirroring the scene from Glee where Finn lets Rachel go rather than marrying her because he feels it's more important that she makes her dreams come true rather than forcing her to get married while they're both still so young and immature. They could also add the line about seeing where life takes them and if they're "meant to be" someday they'll be together. Otherwise, Knuckles feels now he must "set Rouge free" and let her have her own adventures with Shadow, while he has his own tribe and family to take care of. (Video is in the Reblog). I imagine Rouge getting upset like Rachel does here and perhaps acting violent by slapping Knuckles but eventually calms down and listens to what he has to say (even if he slips up quite a bit with his words at times).

Maybe we could even throw in the scene from the ending of Puss in Boots where Rouge either steals the Master Emerald from Knuckles playfully with the hopes that he'll come back to her at least to look for the emerald and/or she later tosses it back to Knuckles and tells him to "keep it safe for her." It could be one of the few times that Knuckles could show amusement to this as well as annoyance. (Video link is in the Reblog too).

Either way I could see their relationship being left on a "what if" leaving it open for a second chance at love for Knuckles and Rouge in the future if it's what they both want (e.g. we see their future adult selves as a happy couple). It also leaves the opening for Rouge choosing to be with Shadow instead or her deciding she's better off not being in a relationship. Either way, I could see a bittersweet breakup like this happening for Knuckles and Rouge in the SCU, whether it's permanent or temporary. It's certainly beautiful while it does last though.

No pressure tags to @ficsinhistory (@redlikerosesandflowers), @lucidheart3, @iwasbored777, @the-crazy-echidna-lady, @wherearedagrapes, @lazorbeanz, @essycogany, @dollieefaerie and any other Sonic/SCU fans who'd love to share their thoughts and opinions on Knuxouge theories and/or would possibly like to share their own.

Links for Knoxouge ship:

To be continued...

[creativesnek]

An Unlikely Romance

A boisterous energy filled the pristine penthouse. Partygoers crowded the dance floor, whooping and cheering; others stood or sat by the sidelines, sipping on drinks and talking. Mario walked around the party, occasionally greeting some friends and joining in banter. Amidst the flashing lights and pulsing music, he spotted the host of this year's Halloween costume party; Felix stood in the center of a small crowd, talking excitedly about something. Mario smiled, then walked toward him, slightly giggling at his friend’s costume. 

He was wearing a white shirt with red overalls, yellow gloves, and a polka dot bow tie. On top of the entire get-up, a pair of rabbit ears were on his head. Mario waved his hand around, “Yo, Felix!”

Felix’s face lit up when he spotted Mario approaching. “Mario!” he called, extending his arms theatrically. “How’s it going? What do you think?” He struck a silly pose, tipping an imaginary hat in Mario’s direction.

Mario chuckled, taking in Felix’s outlandish costume. “You look… colorful, to say the least,” he teased. “I’m guessing you’re, uh, some kind of magician? Or maybe a… rabbit clown?”

Felix grinned and gave a mock bow. “Close, my friend! I’m Roger Rabbit!” he replied. “What’d you do this year? A werewolf?”

Mario nodded, gesturing to his false fangs and wolf ears as well as the tattered clothes. To be honest, it was all last minute since he almost forgot it was a costume party; this was what was left from the costume store. Felix burst out laughing, patting Mario on the back. “Well, you pulled it off! Honestly, the whole post-transformation werewolf looks works. It's got a charm of its own, don’t you think?”

Mario laughed sheepishly, scratching at the fake fur collar. “Glad it passes for charm instead of… lazy,” he admitted. “Wait, if you’re Roger, where’s Jessica?”

“Tammy went to get a drink. And yes, she’s wearing the Jessica costume. It took some convincing but she decided to join us for Halloween this time.”

Mario threw his head back in laughter. Imagining the Sergeant Calhoun in a glittery red dress and makeup was hilarious; he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it. Whatever bargain Felix proposed had to be good, because the military woman would have never agreed to it if it wasn’t. They shared another laugh before spotting Tammy making her way back to them, balancing two drinks with surprising grace given the glittering red dress, high heels, and the dramatic makeup. Mario nearly choked on his laughter as he saw her approach, looking every bit the Jessica Rabbit character but with an intensity that only Calhoun could pull off.

“Alright, alright,” Tammy said, handing Felix a drink and raising an eyebrow. “Get it out of your system now, because I’m only doing this once.”

While Mario leaned on his knees in wheezing laughter, Felix looked up at his wife lovingly and complimented her outfit; the comment slightly erased the scowl on her face. She wrapped an arm around FelIx, “All right, furball. That’s enough,” she said. “Where’s the other one? I assume you’re doing a twin costume thing?’

Mario wiped his eyes. “Oh, not this year. He’s going to do a couple costumes with his girlfriend.”

The couple turned to him in shock. Mario himself had been somewhat surprised; not surprised that someone saw his brother’s greatness. More surprised at the person who noticed him. She was uh…  something all right. Mario couldn’t shake off the sense that she didn’t like him very much. Felix raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Tammy before looking back at Mario. “Wait, wait—Luigi has a girlfriend?” he asked, genuinely surprised but clearly delighted. “When did this happen? And who’s the lucky lady?”

Mario chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, it’s a recent thing. She’s, uh… well, let’s just say she’s not what you’d expect. A bit intense, yeah. She’s got this… strong personality.”

Tammy’s curiosity was piqued, her scowl replaced with interest. “Define intense. Like, does she like, I don’t know, setting stuff on fire for fun?” she joked, nudging Felix.

Mario laughed, though part of him wondered if that wasn’t too far from the truth. “Well, she’s um… It’s hard to explain. You’ll see when she gets here.”

.

.

.

The sound of chalk sliding across a surface echoed through a candlelit room. The sound of chalk sliding across a surface echoed through a candlelit room, each stroke steady and deliberate. Shadows danced on the stone walls, cast by the flickering flames, revealing Luigi’s face. He studied a neary book before continuing to write the symbols on a circle, humming slightly to himself. Luigi dropped the chalk then stepped back, allowing the magic of the summoning circle to take hold.

As Luigi stepped back, he watched with wide-eyed fascination as the symbols he’d carefully drawn began to pulse with a faint, eerie glow. His humming trailed off, replaced by a mix of anticipation and nervous excitement. The symbols shimmered brighter, and tendrils of light started to rise from the chalk lines, spiraling up and swirling around the circle. A faint hum filled the air, resonating with an otherworldly energy. It smelled like ash and brimstone.

For a moment, nothing happened, and he felt a pang of doubt. Maybe he’d drawn the symbols wrong, or maybe he’d mispronounced a word in the chant. But before he could second-guess himself any further, a figure began to materialize within the circle. Swirling mist coalesced into a solid form, revealing the outline of a towering, familiar shape—spikes on the back, horns atop the head, a powerful frame. Then it shifted and undulated, reaching a more humanoid form.

The light faded. Luigi quickly stood and raised the light intensity slightly. A muscular woman with flaming red hair sat within the circle, sharp horns glistened on her head. Green scales dusted her shoulders and collarbone. She drowsily rubbed her eyes; Luigi smiled, “Welcome to Earth, belleza!”

A sharp-toothed smile creeped into Bowsette’s plump lips. “Anything to see you and take a little vacation away from the Darklands.”

She lifted his chin up with a sharp claw, causing the human to blush. Luigi took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I-I hope the Great Demon Queen will be pleased with tonight’s plan?”

“Hmm… A night where humans dress up and try to scare each other? Color me intrigued, considering you humans tend to be so skittish.”

She playfully tapped his nose before standing up. Luigi rushed to a nearby closet and retrieved a purple gown. Given Bowsette’s current form, hiding her horns and dragon tail would be rather easy; after all, anyone would assume that it was part of a costume. It was super unlikely that anyone would assume that the woman dressed as a Demon Queen was actually a Demon Queen. Plus, Luigi loves her horns and tail; they have an otherworldly charm that should not be hidden.

Bowsette put on the gown and snapped her fingers; spiked bracelets appeared on her biceps. And to complete her look, she wore black boots; the heel looked like a golden maw full of sharp teeth. Luigi grabbed a nearby crown and set it on her head, nestled perfectly between her horns. She smiled then gestured to his costume, “What exactly are you supposed to be? It’s not particularly frightening,” she said.

Luigi was wearing an all-black bodysuit with a green bandana. He wore a black mask across his face, making his usually blue eyes look white; a green cap with a black, inverse L covered his brown curls. Luigi gave her a playful grin, adjusting the green bandana around his neck. “I’m… your mysterious shadow, lurking in the night!” He struck a stealthy pose, though his bright smile betrayed the attempt at looking ominous. “Or, well, maybe just your mischievous counterpart.”

Bowsette raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. “Mischievous, huh? Well, Shadow Luigi, I hope you can keep up.” She adjusted her crown and flexed her arms, showing off the spiked bracelets. “I don’t have time to babysit a sneaky sidekick.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Luigi replied, adopting a confident tone. “I would never do anything to slow my dark queen down.”

Bowsette snorted smoke, an unmistakable blush on her face. “Enough of that. Let’s go, we’re already late for the party.”

.

.

.

When Mario said Luigi’s partner was intense, no one in the party expected a nearly seven feet tall goth woman. Felix and Tammy were shocked Luigi would pair with someone with such an ominous air or dark sense of style. As Bowsette entered the room, the chatter of the party hushed for a moment, all eyes turning to the striking woman beside Luigi. Her tall, commanding presence, dressed in a gown that looked like it had been spun from shadows, demanded attention. Felix’s jaw dropped slightly, his eyes widening as he took in Luigi’s partner. He nudged Tammy, who was equally wide-eyed, muttering, “I thought Mario was kidding when he said intense…”

Tammy whispered back, “I mean, he wasn’t wrong. I feel like we’re looking at the queen of the underworld or something.” She glanced at Luigi, who was standing by Bowsette’s side, looking uncharacteristically confident as he waved to his friends with a relaxed grin.

They had to admit—he looked perfectly at ease, as if he’d finally found someone who matched him in spirit, if not in appearance. Mario approached them, chuckling at his friends’ reactions. “Not what you expected, huh?” he teased. “That’s Bowsette. She’s new in town.”

Bowsette glanced around, picking up on the whispers and awestruck expressions. She smirked, leaning down to murmur in Luigi’s ear, “Quite the impression we’re making, wouldn’t you say?”

Luigi looked up at her, his cheeks a bit pink but his smile genuine. “Yeah… they’re probably shocked by just… everything about you.”

Bowsette shook her head, placing a clawed hand on his shoulder. “More like they’re in shock that you, of all people, somehow managed to bring someone like me here. ” she said with a wink. “Their loss. Maybe if they hadn’t wasted time, they would have seen your excellence before a certain demoness swept you off your feet.”

Luigi’s confidence grew at her words, and he laced his fingers with hers. He looked around the room and noticed his brother with his friends. The couple headed toward them; a smile on his face, but a forced grin on Bowsette. She’s still very wary of his brother. But, that’s nothing a little time won’t fix. 

After slightly tense introductions, they joined everyone else in the party. Mario did his best to remain in the queen’s good graces (with a small level of success) and had fun. Luigi stayed closely by his beloved’s side. Partly because he was just happy to see, but also she would help seamlessly cover up the true story of this unlikely romance. Together, they all continued enjoying the night, laughter and conversation filling the room, with Luigi and Bowsette at the center of it all, feeling more at home than ever.

[thenixart]

Wrote a short Tracey (Blue Beetle) story following @rjalker 's suggestion of 'alien encounter'

---

Paper Trail

“Mrs. Kord you have a letter from El Paso City,” Angie walks into her office briskly, face grim as she hands Tracey the letter. The secretary stands there with concern in the eyes behind the pink tinted lenses of her glasses until Tracey dismisses her. The other woman is right to be concerned about the letter, given the last time the capes and mask crowd resorted to using actual paper communication the world was ending.

Well, a red sky Crisis event at least. Apparently an alternate universe Lex Luthor had tried to remake the universe to be something more his liking, uncaring of who or what had to be destroyed or transformed for it to happen. Part of the fucker’s plan involved a murderous spy satelite created by Batman spying on the whole costumed adventurer crowd through every piece of electronic technology imaginable. Hence, the need for physical letters.

Tracey gets up from her desk, Teddy’s desk really that he’ll reclaim whenever he wakes up, to close the blinds. Even if Brother Eye got destroyed, who knows if anyone else set up any spy satellites in the year since then. Thinking about the Crisis boils Tracey’s blood. How her Ted almost died, would have died if not for her and Calhoun and BERT managing to retrieve his body before it got incinerated. Hell, would still have died if not for the magic scarab– Khaji Da– using its power to keep his soul tethered to his flesh even with a bullet through the brain and lungs full of his own blood.

And then Batman had the nerve to lose Ted’s successor in space for a year! WIthout informing the kid’s parents!

“I should have sued that edgelord furry for more,” Tracey grumbles under her breath as she returns to the desk and opens the letter.

It’s from Jaime, the new Blue Beetle, and it's rather short and to the point. The Reach are actually hostile and working a slow burn invasion plan. Very slow burn but a tangible threat according to the kid. He has a plan but needs back up, especially for his family because the enemy knows where he lives.

Hmm… Fighting bad guys isn’t her style and Calhoun is a pacifist. But Jaime is a good kid and Ted would help out if he wasn’t in a magic healing coma. So, she’ll see if she can get their head metallurgist to don the heat proof tights again and help out.

……

Days later Tracey’s in the experimental bug-suit that Ted had made for her years ago, boots magnetized to the hull of the Bug with Sparkles, Ted’s bedazzled minigun, braced against her hip and she shoots down Reach soldiers that managed to avoid getting plowed into by the Bug teleporting and zipping around the battlefield. Twin battle cries from Angie and Dan Garrett’s upstart granddaughter ring through the Bug’s speaker as they pilot her.

Somewhere on the ground is Calhoun using his metahuman strength and heat generation abilities to protect the kids while the other adults tackle the rest of the Reach’s forces. Other superheroes, Ted’s friends from his time in the Justice League and the Question join the fray quickly.

Fighting bad guys is not really her thing, but Tracey can see the appeal. It’s exhilarating.

[cuterpixels]

welcome ♡

my name is sleeper, and this is my selfship blog! i'm 20, my pronouns are he/it, and i'm gay and trans. this is a sideblog, so i interact from @bobbysox!

this blog is strictly 18+. i'll be suggestive, and maybe downright nsfw. i don't want minors here, sorry!

i'm not new to the selfshipping scene, but it's been roughly two or three years since i've been here! i have been anxious to make my return...

my list of f/os are:

the once-ler (the lorax 2012) (main)

trevor philips (gta5)

bubba sawyer (texas chainsaw massacre)

shane (stardew valley)

sterling (stardew valley mod)

barney calhoun (half-life)

herobrine (minecraft)

don lothario (the sims)

red guy (don't hug me i'm scared)

these are all romantic, but i of course have familial and platonic f/os! i'll list them later!

i'm excited to be back! <3

[white-collar-cannibal]

do yew have like Any half life thoughts at all about any of rhe characters. at all. your ideas r always so cool. cavalier barney calhoun

alyx the don alyx the dean alyx supreme the swamp ruler. anyway. i love all of the xen creatures they're so silly i love speculative anatomy. i WISHHH mossman had more ideology i love her as an idea but from what i've seen like. the misogyny vapors.... she could be so good and so awful we could have it all. i love gordon getting turned into a symbol and a saint instead of a man he is So to me. alecto coded fr. barney calhoun cavalier of all time.

[marcmarcmomarc]

Kingdom Hearts IV predictions: Game Central Station (Wreck-it Ralph)

Takes place after the movie.

Is visited by Donald and Goofy.

The inhabitants are thrilled to see Donald and Goofy again, but are sad to hear about Sora’s sacrifice.

Starring the voices of:

Wreck-it Ralph: BRIAN T. DELANEY

Vanellope Von Schweetz: SARAH SILVERMAN

Fix-it Felix Jr.: JACK McBRAYER

Sergeant Tamora Calhoun: JANE LYNCH

Mr. Stan Litwak: ED O’NEILL

Mayor Gene: RAYMOND S. PERSI

Taffyta Muttonfudge: MELISSA VILLASEÑOR

Kohut: BRANDON SCOTT

Sour Bill: RICH MOORE

Tapper: MAURICE LaMARCHE

General Hologram: DENNIS HAYSBERT

Mary: GREY DeLISLE

Roy: SKYLAR ASTIN

Nolan: DON FULLILOVE

Deanna: RACHAEL HARRIS

Don: JESS HARNELL

Nell: JEN BROWN

J. Norwood: JASON DOUGLAS

Lucy: PAMELA ADLON

Meg: GREY DeLISLE

Candlehead: KATIE LOWES

Rancis Fluggerbutter: JAMIE ELMAN

Wynnchel: ADAM CAROLLA

Duncan: KEITH FERGUSON

Jubileena Bing-Bing: JOSIE TRINIDAD

Crumbelina Di Caramello: CYMBRE WALK

Snowanna Rainbeau: BELLA BLANDING

Swizzle “The Swizz” Malarkey: JAEDAN WHITE

Gloyd Orangeboar: SAWYER COLE

Minty Zaki: SUZIE YEUNG

Adorabeezle Winterpop: ROMI DAMES

Citrusella Flugpucker: JOSIE TRINIDAD

Torvald Batterbutter: SUZIE YEUNG

Sticky Wipplesnit: SUZIE YEUNG

Nougetsia Brumblestain: ROMI DAMES

Sugar Rush Announcer: TUCKER GILMORE

Surge Protector: PHIL JOHNSTON

[bittersweetresilience]

sunny's year half year in review

because i am all about that self celebration 👏

achievements

🏅 joined a fandom 🏅 got married (🌖) 🏅 made friends (🏮🌺🌋🍜🍀🕊️🦌🧬💤🦎🦭☄️✍️🪨🪶🦚💝🎞️🪄🍞) 🏅 learned new things (📸🪡📑) 🏅 sunnyscrambles

creations

an ongoing amélie dissertation in sentitwin soulmate au. next chapter will be posted on new year's day and will feature art from @moonieratty!

félix and amélie webweaves. my favorites that i've made! all literature is from my graham de vanily reading lists.

ladynoir amv. so many episodes in this. my storage space...

multifandom webweave. the first one i made and still very important to me!

i entered a feverish haze after @nemaliwrites's remixes introduced me to a softer world and the result was Feelings.

my favorite fic i wrote this year. mind the trigger warnings.

recommendations

running in the shadow

i cannot describe how much this fic means to me. i left hundreds of messages during my liveread and i wept all through my comment and my reblog and still it's not nearly enough. it's one of my favorite gifts, one of my favorite fics, and one of my favorite works of art i've ever seen. thank you to @wackus-bonkus-maximus for being a role model, an inspiration, and my first fandom friend.

i love you (for senti-mental reasons)

as the head of the as time goes by pr team, i would be remiss not to recommend something from this series! félix in this universe makes me turn into dynamite. second recommendation is betcha on land (they understand). i'm a big fan of @redundant-lava, you see.

i know there's been pain this year (but it's time to let it go)

what's there not to like about @ninadove's sentitwins? her christmas fic blew me away. i love her creative costume designs, her references to classics and video games, and her accompanying fic art. honorable mentions to la nuit, tous les chats sont gris and everything i did (i did for you).

bon voyage

one of the original highlights of my summer. the dream sequence in chapter four blew my mind. the way this fic was planned to end drives me nuts in the best way.

bell the cat

the single most amazing fantasy au i've read. i'm regularly awed by how incredible it is, and awed by @heartfulselkie's writing, art, and person in general. if i learned how to bind books, this would be at the top of my list. i keep saying it because it's true.

thirteen

our monthly dosage of pain, exquisite backstory exploration, and gorgeous @anna-scribbles prose. i'm always a sucker for pre-canon and this is The fic for adrien pre-canon fans. christmas félix will make me explode.

a rose by any other name

i love everything @asukiess makes but shoutout to loveybug au for being such a fun and creative time for the lovesquare fandom. this fic also comes with the loveyvelours art of all time. the other day i started thinking about kuro neko unprompted. autumn is in my brain...

phoenix félix

this isn't a fic, but i'll never miss a chance to scream about art by @luckychatons. phoenix félix is immortalized in my discord profile picture. i'm blessed to receive secret félix doodles and catsona designs on the down low!

moonie

just scroll through their entire art account. everything they make is an eye feast, and they haven't even posted the half of it. my partner and creative inspiration. the moon to my sun. buy them a coffee for always supporting dead girls club.

[kwebtv]

Season 5 Episode 8

Private Secretary - Her Best Enemy - CBS - December 9, 1956

Sitcom

Running Time: 30 minutes

Written by Leonard Gershe

Produced by Jack Chertok

Directed by Oscar Rudolph

Stars:

Ann Sothern as Susan Camille "Susie" MacNamara

Don Porter as Peter Sands

Ann Tyrrell as Violet "Vi" Praskins

Jesse White as Mickey "Cagey" Calhoun

George E. Stone as Ben Moss

Known in syndication as "Susie"

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

RICHARD DAVIS, LE CONTREBASSISTE QUI DANSAIT AVEC LES ÉTOILES

‘’He found freedom in the bass by pivoting between the earth and the stars.”

- Jason Moran

Né le 15 avril 1930 à Chicago, dans les Illinois, Richard Davis a grandi dans le South Side. Sa mère ayant perdu la vie en lui donnant naissance, Davis avait été adopté par Robert et Elmora Johnson. Davis avait amorcé sa carrière musicale aux côtés de ses frères, en jouant de la contrebasse dans le trio vocal familial qui était dirigé par un de ses cousins. Davis s’était rapidement familiarisé avec le jazz grâce à l’impressionnante collection de 78-tours de sa mère qu’il écoutait sans arrêt.

Mais malgré son intérêt pour la musique, ce n’est pas avant l’âge de quinze ans que Davis avait ressenti le besoin de fixer son choix sur un instrument en particulier. Davis étant plutôt timide et introverti, il n’était pas vraiment attiré par des instruments de premier plan comme le saxophone ou la trompette. À l’âge de quinze ans, Davis avait finalement fixé son choix sur la contrebasse, un instrument qui l’avait toujours fasciné. Davis expliquait: “I was just enthralled by the sound. The bass was always in the background and I was a shy kid. So I thought maybe I’d like to be in the background.”

Au DuSable High School, Davis avait étudié sous la direction du légendaire capitaine Walter Dyett. Très sévère, Dyett avait dirigé le Eighth Regiment Infantry Band dans la Illinois National Guard, ce qui en avait fait un farouche partisan de la discipline. Même s’il était très strict, Davis avait été très influencé par Dyett, qu’il avait décrit comme “the kind of teacher you dream about.” Même s’il avait formé de grands noms du jazz comme Nat King Cole et Dinah Washington, Dyett avait incité Davis  à ne pas se limiter au jazz et à s’intéresser à tous les styles de musique. À Chicago, Davis avait également eu comme mentors les contrebassistes Wilbur Ware et Eddie Calhoun.

Au DuSable High School, Davis avait eu comme camarades de classe le futur saxophoniste Clifford Jordan et le futur chanteur de blues Bo Diddley (alors connu sous le nom  d’Ellas McDaniel). Comme contrebassiste, Davis avait été particulièrement influencé par Oscar Pettiford, Jimmie Blanton, Slam Stewart et Milt Hinton.

Parallèlement à ses études, Davis avait été membre du Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (connu à l’époque sous le nom de Youth Orchestra of Greater Chicago). Davis avait d’ailleurs participé au premier concert de l’orchestre à l’Orchestra Hall de Chicago le 14 novembre 1947.

Après avoir décroché son diplôme du high school, Davis s’était inscrit à la VanderCook School of Music, où il avait éventuellement obtenu un baccalauréat en éducation musicale.

Parallèlement à ses études, Davis avait appris son métier ‘’sur le tas’’ en se produisant dans les clubs et les bars de Chicago. C’est d’ailleurs en jouant dans les clubs que Davis s’était lié d’amitié et avait commencé à travailler avec le pianiste Sonny Blount, qui se ferait bientôt connaître sous le nom de Sun Ra. Lors de leur premier rencontre, Blount avait dit à Davis: “I’m not gonna take you to the moon because you’re not ready yet.” Cette déclaration avait ouvert les yeux de Davis, qui n’avait pas tardé à découvrir que Blount était un mystique qui entretenait une vision très spirituelle de la musique. Blount avait d’ailleurs eu une influence déterminante sur l’évolution ultérieure de Davis. Ne délaissant pas pour autant ses études, Davis avait poursuivi son apprentissage de la contrebasse avec Rudolf Fahsbender du Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIERE

En 1952, Davis s’était joint au trio du pianiste Ahmad Jamal, avec qui il avait joué durant deux ans. Après s’être lié d’amitié avec le pianiste Don Shirley, Davis s’était installé à New York en 1954. Il avait d’ailleurs enregistré avec Shirley un album en duo intitulé Tonal Expressions. Davis avait fait équipe avec Shirley jusqu’en 1956, lorsqu’il s’était joint au Sauter-Finegan Orchestra.

Au début, Davis avait trouvé la ville de New York plutôt intimidante. Il expliquait: “There was so much talent, and I was always feeling that a bass player who was already established in New York would see me carrying a bass and say, ‘Where you going, boy?’” Mais en dépit de ses craintes, Davis n’avait pas tardé à conquérir le Big Apple. Son habileté de contrebassiste et la facilité avec laquelle il pouvait lire la musique l’avaient rendu très populaire comme accompagnateur.

Très en demande dans les années 1960, Davis avait travaillé avec plusieurs petits groupes de l’époque, dont ceux d’Eric Dolphy, Jaki Byard, Booker Ervin, Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones et Cal Tjader. Il avait aussi collaboré à l’enregistrement de plusieurs albums-phares du jazz, dont Out to Lunch d’Eric Dolphy, Black Fire et Point of Departure d’Andrew Hill, Dialogue de Bobby Hutcherson, In ‘N Out de Joe Henderson, Essence  de John Lewis, Let My Children Hear Music de Charles Mingus, A Night At The Vanguard  de Kenny Burrell, Life Time de Tony Williams, The Song Book de Booker Ervin et Rip Rig and Panic de Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Après un bref séjour avec le Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, sur la recommandation du batteur Roy Haynes, Davis s’était joint en 1957 à la section rythmique de la chanteuse Sarah Vaughan, avec qui il avait enregistré quatre albums (dont  Swingin’ Easy, qui comprenait le classique “Shulie A Bop’’) et voyagé en tournée jusqu’en 1960. Davis, qui avait énormément apprécié son séjour avec la chanteuse, avait déclaré au cours d’une entrevue qu’il avait accordée en 2014:

“You could say I went to the University of Sarah Vaughan. She was so musically skilled. And playing with her brought me to play with her accompanist Jimmy Jones, whose knowledge of chords was phenomenal. Sarah was so musical she could improvise beautifully along with the changes he would play. And the great percussionist Roy Haynes was in that band too, and he had such an amazing concept of rhythm… Once you’ve proven yourself with musicians at that level, other vocalists start to call you, because they figure you must know something.”

Davis avait été particulièrement redevable à Vaughan de l’avoir aidé à améliorer son jeu à l’archet. Il expliquait: “Some of the first bass players used the bow to play the walking bass line. And I heard all of that coming up as a kid. Therefore, when you start to study books of bass methods, you start out with the bow no matter what your intentions are, so there must be some intertwining of what I heard as a kid, what I heard working with Sarah Vaughan, wanting to imitate those vocal sounds.”

Mais après avoir joué durant trois ans avec Vaughan, Davis avait ressenti le besoin de relever de nouveaux défis. C’est alors que Davis avait été contacté par Eric Dolphy, qui était alors l’étoile montante du jazz d’avant-garde. Davis raconte comment Dolphy l’avait approché: “He said, ‘What are you doing next week?’ I said, ‘Nothing.’ And he said, ‘Why don’t you go down to the Five Spot with me?’” Passionné par la musique classique contemporaine, Davis n’avait pas tardé à se lier d’amitié avec Dolphy, un multi-instrumentiste qui excellait tant au saxophone alto qu’à la clarinette basse et à la flûte.

Après s’être joint au groupe de Dolphy, Davis s’était immédiatement senti attiré par le free jazz (ou ‘’New Thing’’, comme certains l’appelaient à l’époque). Comme Davis l’avait expliqué au cours d’une entrevue accordée en 2001: “Limiting yourself to a particular set of notes and chords is in a sense being a slave to the powers that be. We were resisting being imprisoned by chord changes, trying to free ourselves from the restrictions of scales and rhythms. Some people call this free music. Some of us called it our music. Unrestricted, indefinable, and free.”

Davis avait enregistré deux albums avec Dolphy: Iron Man (1963) et Out To Lunch!  (1964), un album qui est aujourd’hui considéré comme un classique du jazz d’avant-garde. Dolphy, qui ne tarissait pas d’éloges pour l’originalité de Davis, écrivait dans les notes de pochette de l’album: “Richard doesn’t play the usual bass patterns. He plays rhythm with his lines. He leads you somewhere else.”

En plus des deux albums déjà cités, on peut entendre Davis sur les albums live de Dolphy enregistrés au club Five Spot, ainsi que sur différentes sessions publiées après la mort tragique de ce dernier en 1964. Un coffret publié récemment sous le titre de Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions comprend un enregistrement de la pièce “Iron Man”, une pièce que Dolphy avait composée en l’honneur de Davis. Le coffret inclut également des pièces que Dolphy et Davis avaient enregistrées en duo, dont le classique ‘’Come Sunday’’ de Duke Ellington. Au cours de cette période, Davis avait également travaillé avec d’autres musiciens d’avant-garde comme le vibraphoniste Bobby Hutcherson, le batteur Tony Williams, et surtout le pianiste Andrew Hill, avec qui il avait enregistré sept albums de 1963 à 1969, dont le classique Point Of Departure (1964).

En 1966, Davis avait été un des membres fondateurs du Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, dont il avait fait partie jusqu’en 1972 et qui se produisait tous les lundis soirs au légendaire Village Vanguard de New York.

Commentant le travail de Davis sur la pièce “Three and One’’ que Jones avait arrangée spécialement pour mettre en valeur les talents du contrebassiste, le chef d’orchestre et compositeur Darcy James Argue avait précisé:  “Davis plays the nimble melody along with the horns, before dropping into steady, buoyant walking lines to drive the sax soli and horn solos. Then, Davis solos with gestural abstraction, like a Jackson Pollock action painting come alive.” Au cours de cette période, Davis avait également joué avec Don Sebesky, Oliver Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Johnny Hodges, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson et Ahmad Jamal. 

Mais le jazz ne nourrissant pas toujours très bien son homme, Davis avait été contraint d’accepter certains contrats ‘’alimentaires’’ afin de pouvoir assurer sa subsistance. Il avait même conçu des jingles publicitaires et travaillé sur des dizaines de projets ‘’mainstream’’, enregistrant notamment avec la chanteuse de R & B Ruth Brown et le percussionniste de jazz latin Willie Bobo. Il avait également enregistré avec plusieurs musiciens pop et rock. Davis avait notamment fait des apparitions sur les albums Smile de Laura Nyro, Watertown de Frank Sinatra, Something So Right de Paul Simon, Astral Weeks de Van Morrison, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. et Born to Run de Bruce Springsteen et At Seventeen de Janis Ian.

Le succès que Davis avait remporté avec l’album Astral Weeks lui avait d’ailleurs apporté d’autres contrats avec des artistes comme Rickie Lee Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Judy Collins, Buffalo Springfield, Carly Simon et Barbra Streisand. Commentant l’enregistrement de l’album, Davis avait précisé: “Some people are real disillusioned when I tell them about making the record. People say, ‘[Morrison] must have talked to you about the record and created the magic feeling that had to be there….’ To tell you the truth, I don’t remember any conversations with him. He pretty much kept to himself. He didn’t make any suggestions about what to play, how to play, how to stylize what we were doing.” De son côté, le producteur Lewis Merenstein avait déclaré: “[F]or me, it was Richard all the way. Richard was the soul of the album.” Quant au critique Griel Marcus du magazine Rolling Stone, il avait qualifié le travail de Davis de ‘’greatest bass ever heard on a rock album.”

En 1967, Davis était devenu un artiste de premier plan en enregistrant Heavy Sounds, une collaboration avec l’ancien batteur de John Coltrane, Elvin Jones. L’album avait permis à Davis de déployer toute l’étendue de sa virtuosité, notamment dans le cadre d’une remarquable version du standard “Summertime’’ de George Gerswhin. Mais il avait fallu attendre encore deux ans pour que Davis enregistre un premier album comme leader, Muses For Richard Davis, une session de jazz post-bop enregistrée pour l’étiquette allemande MPS. Mais s’il avait fallu du temps à Davis pour enregistrer un premier album sous son nom, il s’était bien repris depuis et avait gravé trente albums comme leader ou comme co-leader de 1967 à 2007.

À la fin des années 1960 et au cours des années 1970, Davis avait également été membre du New York Bass Violin Choir. Dirigé par le contrebassiste Bill Lee (le père du réalisateur Spike Lee), le groupe comprenait également d’autres virtuoses de cet instrument comme Ron Carter, Milt Hinton et Sam Jones.

Durant sa carrière, Davis avait aussi joué de la musique classique avec des chefs d’orchestre de renommée mondiale comme Igor Stravinsky (qui le considérait comme son contrebassiste préféré), Leonard Bernstein, George Szell, Pierre Boulez, Leopold Stokowski et Gunther Schuller. Davis, qui détestait les étiquettes, avait commenté ainsi son habileté à se produire dans différents types de musique: “Duke Ellington always said there’s no difference between jazz and classical. He didn’t classify any genres. To him, there were only two kinds of music: It’s either good or bad. I’m with Duke Ellington on that.”

DERNIERES ANNÉES

Après avoir vécu à New York durant vingt-trois ans, Davis était déménagé au Wisconsin en 1977 pour devenir professeur à l’Université de Wisconsin–Madison, où il avait enseigné la contrebasse, l’histoire du jazz et l’improvisation durant plus de quarante ans. Parmi ses étudiants, on remarquait William Parker, David Ephross, Sandor Ostlund, Hans Sturm, Alex Kalfayan, Ryan Maxwell et Karl E. H. Seigfried. Davis explique comment il avait été approché pour enseigner à Madison: “I got a call offering me a job at the university in Madison because they didn’t have a bass teacher on campus.’’ Davis n’ayant jamais entendu parler de cette université, il avait interrogé son entourage pour savoir où l’université se trouvait. Il précisait: “I asked around if anyone had heard of the place because this school kept calling me. Martin Luther King, Jr. talked about the importance of teaching others, and I had always wanted to teach young people. I thought maybe it was time.” 

En raison de son travail d’enseignant, Davis avait dû réduire sensiblement le nombre de ses sessions d’enregistrement et de tournées. À l’instar de son mentor Walter Dyett, Davis avait rapidement acquis la réputation d’être un professeur très sévère qui accordait également d’importance à la discipline. Il expliquait: “I teach character. That’s the most important thing for me — follow-through and hard work. The world is not waiting on you, and there’s tons of talent out there.” Décrivant sa passion pour l’enseignement, Davis avait précisé: “I love teaching. I believe you should share what you have.” Le premier étudiant diplômé de Davis, Peter Dominguez, avait commenté ses débuts dans l’enseignement de la façon suivante: “He came from New York and he had that heavy New York accent – and it was hard to understand him – but he’d always do this thing where he’d grab your bass, anything that you were playing, and he would immediately tear it up. I mean, he would just play it flawlessly and he’d hand it back to you. He’d always say, ‘Yeah, and I don’t even know your bass.’ And you’d just go, ‘Oh…’ How do you respond to that? But it really taught me that I had to get down to business.”

Parallèlement à son travail de professeur, Davis s’était également distingué pour son implication sociale, notamment en participant à la création d’institutions combattant le racisme. L’engagement de Davis dans la lutte contre le racisme était directement lié à la discrimination qu’il avait vécue lors de ses tentatives visant à s’établir comme musicien classique. Davis expliquait:

“My environment with race issues started the day I was born. You’re born with dark skin, and that itself brings on attitudes of other people who are not dark-skinned to see you as someone to be oppressed and not to be given equal chances in society. So that is something that is permanent [...]. I was 18 years old and I could play any and all of the European classical music, but you weren’t allowed to participate in the symphony orchestra because there were racial issues and prejudices. They didn’t want to see you.”

En 2000, Davis avait fondé le chapitre local de l’Institute for the Healing of Racism, un organisme dont il avait été le président et qui avait pour but de favoriser l’harmonie interraciale par l’entremise d’échanges entre les différentes communautés culturelles.

Comme Davis l’avait expliqué au cours d’une entrevue qu’il avait accordée en 2010: “One of the big problems here is racism — racial profiling, racism, from other students towards black students and teachers and administrators alike. And I couldn't live with myself if I would not intervene and do something, and that’s what I’ve got. I had a daughter of 28, and I was setting a role model for her to do something.” En 1998, Davis avait également fondé le Retention Action Project (RAP) afin d’améliorer le taux de graduation des étudiants de couleur. Au cours des années, le R.A.P. avait réussi à faire venir à l’université les plus grands conférenciers et activistes, dont Peggy McIntosh, Jane Elliott, Francie Kendall, Nathan Rutstein, Victor Lewis, Hugh Vasquez et Allan G. Johnson. Davis avait aussi animé des ateliers. Un de ses ateliers avait pour titre ‘’Racial Conditioning: The Oneness of Humankind.’’

Davis avait aussi encouragé une plus grande diversité parmi le corps enseignant, qui était composé à 97% de professeurs blancs au moment où il s’était joint à l’université en 1977. Très intéressé par le développement de la relève, Davis avait également co-fondé en 1993 avec son ancien étudiant Peter Dominguez la Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists. La fondation attirait annuellement une centaine de jeunes musiciens de trois à dix-huit ans.  Très impliqué dans la promotion de la justice sociale, Davis était toujours prêt à partager sa vision, sa résidence et ses ressources de façon à créer un environnement permettant à chacun de vivre dans la paix et la dignité. Davis avait également fondé à Madison un chapitre de l’Institute for the Healing of Racism, Inc. Davis a pris sa retraite de l’enseignement en 2016, même s’il avait continué d’être impliqué dans sa fondation.

En 1986, Davis s’était produit au légendaire club Sweet Basil de Greenwich Village avec un groupe qui comprenait le batteur Freddie Waits. Dans son compte rendu du concert, le critique Robert Palmer du New York Times avait commenté: “The relaxed, slightly behind-the-beat swing typical of so many jazz rhythm sections is not for them. Their accents fall right up on top of the beat, and they vary their springy forward momentum with rhythmic whirlpools and rapids and an explosive sense of dynamics.” À la fin des années 1980, Davis avait également fait partie des membres fondateurs du groupe New York Unit, un trio qui comprenait le pianiste John Hicks et le batteur Tatsuya Nakamura. Le trio avait enregistré huit albums pour des compagnies japonaises jusqu’en 1998.

En mai 2000, Davis avait publié un CD intitulé The Bassists: Homage to Diversity. Enregistré au Japon, l’album avait pour but d’exprimer l’unicité de l’humanité.

En 2016, Davis s’était rendu à Paris, en France, afin de participer à un hommage à John Coltrane avec Archie Shepp. Faisant le bilan de sa carrière en 2019, Davis s’était dit satisfait du travail accompli. Il avait précisé: “I’ve done some great things. I’ve had some phenomenal associations with some great composers, conductors, colleagues and the whole bit.”

Richard Davis est mort le 6 septembre 2023 à Madison, au Wisconsin, à l’âge de quatre-vingt-treize ans. Très malade, Davis avait été hospitalisé durant deux ans dans une maison spécialisée pour personnes âgées. Les causes exactes de sa mort n’avaient pas été précisées. Davis laissait dans le deuil une fille, Persia. Au moment de sa mort, Davis travaillait sur la rédaction de son autobiographie. C’est sa fille Persia qui avait annoncé le décès de Davis dans un communiqué. Remerciant la communauté de Madison de son soutien, Persia avait commenté: “We appreciate all the love and support the community has shown him over the years.’’ Persia, qui avait créé une page web en hommage à son père, avait ajouté: ‘’Richard touched the lives of thousands and will be missed by friends, family, fans, students, and colleagues around the world.”

À la demande de Davis, il n’y avait eu aucun mémorial ni funérailles publiques. L’animateur de jazz Chuck France avait rendu hommage à Davis le 20 septembre sur les ondes de la station de radio WORT.

Rendant hommage à Davis après sa mort, le pianiste Ethan Iverson avait déclaré: “The room became much larger when Richard Davis unpacked his instrument.” Un autre collaborateur de Davis, le pianiste Jason Moran, avait salué “the way he found the space in the bass line. Instead of ‘walking’ a bass line, Davis seems to ‘chart’ it. Like an astronomer charting the sky.’’ Moran avait ajouté: “In that way, he found freedom in the bass by pivoting between the earth and the stars.” Le dernier  album de Davis,  un enregistrement en duo avec le pianiste Junior Mance, était intitulé Blue Monk. L’album avait été publié exclusivement au Japon en 2009.

Lauréat de nombreux prix, Davis a été élu ‘’Jazz Master’’ par la National Endowment for the Arts en 2014. Davis a également remporté un Hilldale Award pour souligner son travail d’enseignant. Le prix lui avait été remis par l’ancienne chancelière de l’Université Madison, Donna Shalala. En 2000, le Club Rotary de Madison avait aussi décerné à Davis un Manfred E. Swarsensky Humanitarian Award. L’année suivante, le gouverneur de l’État du Wisconsin lui avait attribué le Governor’s of Wisconsin Arts Award. En 2003, Davis avait également remporté le Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. Décerné annuellement par la Cité de Madison, le prix lui avait été remis par la mairesse Susan J.M. Bauman dans le cadre du 18e anniversaire de la mort de King. En 2008, Davis s’était également vu attribuer un prix MAMA  (Madison Area Music Award Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award). L’année suivante, l’Université de Madison avait attribué à Davis un Exceptional Service Award. La même année, la Wisconsin Historical Society lui avait décerné un Spencer Tracy Award for Distinction in the Performing Arts.

Davis est également récipiendaire de plusieurs doctorats honorifiques, dont un du Edgewood College de Madison, en 1998. En 2018, la Cité de Madison a aussi renommé une rue en son honneur. Davis avait également remporté le titre de meilleur contrebassiste dans le cadre de sept sondages consécutifs des critiques du magazine Down Beat de 1967 à 1974. Quant au magazine Rolling Stone, il avait classé Davis au 34e rang des 50 plus grands bassistes de tous les temps.

Davis a collaboré à plus de six cents albums au cours de sa carrière, en plus d’en diriger une douzaine comme leader, dont le classique Heavy Sounds, enregistré avec le batteur Elvin Jones en 1967. Davis a travaillé avec de nombreuses sommités du jazz au cours de sa carrière, dont Eric Dolphy, Sonny Stitt, Oliver Nelson, Ahmad Jamal, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Johnny Hodges, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Milt Hinton, Bobby Hutcherson, John Hicks, Tony Williams, John Lewis, Jaki Byard, Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Jason Moran, Roy Haynes, Booker Ervin, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones et Cal Tjader. Davis s’est également produit dans les plus grandes salles à travers le monde, que ce soit au Japon, en Europe, en Russie, en Amérique du Sud, en Europe, à Hong Kong ou en Israël.

Commentant la polyvalence de Davis comme musicien, le contrebassiste et professeur Rufus Reid lui avait rendu hommage en ces termes: “Richard has played in every musical setting you could imagine. Whether it be performing in a symphonic orchestra, recording jingles, recording jazz records, and then playing until dawn in a club in the bowels of The Village in New York… and he might be doing all of that in one day.” Saluant la contribution de Davis au monde du jazz et à la lutte contre le racisme, le directeur éditorial de WISC-TV, Neil Heinen, écrivait dans le magazine Spectrum:

“As one of the world’s premier bass players, Davis’s music has touched the lives of countless fans, and his teaching has inspired generations of students in the classroom as well as with the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists, Inc., which provides musical instruction for financially challenged youth. While the jazz master and professor could’ve ended his renowned biography there, his passion for social justice, for the healing of racism, has changed the lives of those who have accepted his invitation to open their hearts, minds and spirits to the history and pathology of racism within.”

Le contrebassiste William Parker, qui avait étudié avec Davis au cours de sa jeunesse à New York, ne tarissait pas non plus d’éloges au sujet du talent de son collègue. Parker avait déclaré: “Richard Davis was a beautiful musician and human being. He reminded me of an African king, regal and strong. I praise him not because he could play both classical and jazz. I applaud him because the brother had a big, poetic sound full of freedom.” Décrivant Davis comme un musicien et professeur très exigeant qui incitait ses collaborateurs à élever la qualité de leur jeu et à toujours donner le meilleur d’eux-mêmes, le batteur Victor DeLorenzo avait précisé: “And, I’ll never forget, Richard was talking with me one time and he said, ‘Victor, I’m glad that you’re a part of this group, but I have to ask you…what is it that you do?’ He was referring to me playing on stage because I was playing with brushes and it was kind of quiet – what I was doing – and he couldn’t really hear me. Because there was another drummer and another percussionist featured in the group. So, he was honestly asking, ‘What is it that you do?'”

De l’avis de DeLorenzo, si Davis était un aussi grand musicien, c’était parce qu’il cherchait constamment à apprendre et à s’améliorer. DeLorenzo avait ajouté: “He was a gifted musician in that he was a very studied musician and had a great knowledge of the jazz idiom. But also, he was known and respected as a musician that could play with any other musician. He just had that wide-open kind of a personality.”

En plus de sa carrière de musicien et de son travail de professeur, Davis était également un grand passionné d’équitation. Davis avait commencé à s’intéresser aux chevaux à l’âge de neuf ans lorsqu’il avait obtenu un travail à temps partiel dans une écurie de Chicago aux côtés de son camarade de classe Bo Diddley. Davis avait même participé à un concours de dressage.

©- 2025, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

FORDHAM, John. ‘’US jazz bassist who worked with Van Morrison and Sarah Vaughan and later became a professor of bass at Wisconsin University.’’ The Guardian, 27 septembre 2023.

HENKIN, Andrey. ‘’Richard Davis, Gifted Bassist Who Crossed Genres, Dies at 93.’’ New York Times, 11 septembre 2023.

‘’Richard Davis.’’ Wikipedia, 2024.

[docrotten]

BLUE MONKEY (1987) – Episode 277 – Decades of Horror 1980s

“I wonder if we’ll find anything down here? I bet we’re going to find a big blue monkey.” Or maybe you won’t. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Jeff Mohr, and guest Ralph Miller III – as they do their best to find the blue monkey in Blue Monkey (1987). It’s Canadian horror, ay.

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 277 – Blue Monkey (1987)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

Synopsis: Detective Jim Bishop and Dr. Rachel Carson must find a way to stop a giant monstrous insect before it procreates and spreads a deadly infection it’s carrying. Meanwhile, it’s eating people in Dr. Carson’s quarantined hospital.

Directed by: William Fruet

Writing Credits: George Goldsmith (written by); Chris Koseluk (story editor)

Executive Producers: Sandy Howard, Tom Fox, Michael Masciarelli

Special Effects by: Steve Neill (creature maker: Sirius Effects (uncredited) / creature supervisor: Sirius Effects (uncredited))

Selected Cast:

Ivan E. Roth as The Creature

Steve Railsback as Detective Jim Bishop

Gwynyth Walsh as Dr. Rachel Carson

Don Lake as Elliot Jacobs

Helen Hughes as Marwella Harbison

Sandy Webster as Fred Adams

Susan Anspach as Dr. Judith Glass

Bill Lake as Paramedic

Peter Van Wart as Oscar Willets

Don Ritchie as Orderly #1

Stuart Stone as Joey

Marsha Moreau as Marcy

Nathan Adamson as Tyrone

Sarah Polley as Ellen

Joy Coghill as Dede Wilkens

Cynthia Belliveau as Alice Bradley

John Vernon as Roger Levering

Philip Akin as Anthony Rivers (as Phillip Akin)

Laura Dickson as Desk Nurse #1

Robin Duke as Sandra Baker

Joe Flaherty as George Baker

Jane Dingle as Desk Nurse #2

Dan Lett as Ted Andrews

Michael J. Reynolds as Albert Hooper

Michael Caruana as Technician

Gina Wilkinson as Nurse Michelle

David Clement as Surgeon

Ursula Balzer as O.R. Nurse

Les Rubie as Rollo Jordan

Reg Dreger as Policeman

Karen Scanlan as ISO. Nurse

Ralph Small as Security Guard

Harry Booker as Bill Clemmins

Jo Bates as Lobby Nurse (as Jo Anne Bates)

Walker Boone as Johnson

Rob Wilton as Orderly #2 (as Robert Wilton)

Alan Rosenthal as Dr. Steinberg (as Allan Rosenthal)

Ken Quinn as Patient

The 80s Grue-Crew and guest Ralph Miller III take a trip to a hospital in Canada to diagnose Blue Monkey (1987). This one features the beginnings of an epidemic, some ludicrous laser shenanigans, an extraordinary amount of green goo, and a freaky larva that magically metamorphoses (we think) into a giant insect that begins killing patients in the now quarantined hospital. All of this is accomplished with some generally good effects work and an abundance of pseudo-sciencing. Steven Railsback, Gwynyth Walsh, Don Lake, Susan Anspach, and John Vernon jump into the fray, accompanied by Marwella and Dede, a pair of golden girls getting drunk in the background, and Robin Dukes and Joe Flaherty having their first baby. Ah, yes. Canadian horror has such a unique flavor. As you can tell, there’s plenty of material for our talkabout… even though there’s no actual blue monkey.

At the time of this writing, Blue Monkey (1987) is available to stream from Tubi and multiple PPV sources. 

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Jeff, will be Angel (1984), starring… wait for it… Rory Calhoun! Joining him are Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Dick Shawn, Susan Tyrrell, and John Diehl, all cavorting on the strip. Unfortunately, there’s a serial killer on the prowl.

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans – so leave them a message or comment on the Gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the Gruesome Magazine website, or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.

Check out this episode!

[thebarneyfifeshow]

back to the future!don knotts style!

[g2web]

If you know me, you know I love ❤️ celebrating 🙌 birthdays 🎂

I saw this and had to share because why?

Sharing is caring! Give yourself one point for each person you know, heard of or saw in concert!

My score is only 5. 😔

I bet I have friends (possibly a husband Michael Glanton ) that have a score of 20!

Happy Birthday 🎂 JULY 22nd

1907 - Perry Botkin

1924 - Bill Perkins

1924 - Margaret Whiting

1928 - Keter Betts

1930 - Ray Pohlman

1936 - Don Patterson

1937 - Chuch Jackson

1940 - Thomas Wayne

1941 - George Clinton

1943 - Bobby Sherman

1944 - Estelle Bennett

1947 - Don Henley

1947 - Terry Clements

1951 - Richard Bennett

1953 - Brian Howe

1953 - Jimmy Bruno

1954 - Al DiMeola

1956 - Mick Pointer

1964 - Wil Calhoun

1967 - Pat Badger

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉

[ia-wrestle]

2025 1A IHSAA State Wrestling | Quarter-final Matchups

2025 1A IHSAA State Wrestling | Quarter-final Matchups

(Rankings being added in real time)  1A-106 – Quarterfinal Matchups #1 Kaiden Belinsky (Don Bosco) vs. #6 Karson Wuebker (South Central Calhoun) #7 Jaxson Page (Alta/Aurelia) vs. #2 Conner Morrow (Akron-Westfield) #5 Ethan Humphrey (West Branch) vs. #11 Jack Gogel (Lisbon) #4 Ian Maize (WACO, Wayland) vs. #3 Crosby Yoder (Logan-Magnolia) 1A-113 – Quarterfinal Matchups #4 (at 120) Nic Brase…

[raybizzle]

"Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault" (1996) is a biographical drama directed by Eric La Salle based on the life story of Earl Manigault. This film was a TV movie that originally aired on HBO and starred an excellent cast of veteran actors. Led by the respected Don Cheadle, "Rebound" is a gripping story of many that were like him. He had all the potential, but outside influences are sometimes difficult to overcome.

There are so many familiar faces in this movie, so while watching it, you're constantly pointing out someone you know that played in some movie or TV show. This film was also La Salle's directional debut in a movie. He directed several TV shows over the last 25 years.

I highly recommend this movie for viewing.

Director: Eriq La Salle Writers: Alan Swyer, Larry Golin

Starring Don Cheadle, James Earl Jones, Michael Beach, Loretta Devine, Glynn Turman, Monica Calhoun, Colin Cheadle, Michael Ralph, Daryl Mitchell, Nicole Ari Parker, Tamara Tunie, Clarence Williams III, Eric La Salle, Forest Whitaker

Storyline He is the greatest basketball player who never made it to the big time. But Earl Manigault is a living legend on the streets of New York. REBOUND is his story. Shooting hoops in the playgrounds of Harlem, young Earl, nicknamed "The Goat," discovers he has an exceptional talent for the game, high-speed, high-flying agility that soon makes him a champion slam-dunker.

As a high school star, he reaches the top by pitting himself against future greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but staying at the top proves harder. Seduced by his friends into an easy lifestyle of parties and drug abuse, Earl soon finds himself slipping from the top. But, unfortunately, his battles are just beginning. Confronted by a team consisting of harsher realities- a brutal coach, a pregnant girlfriend, and a drug habit that won't let go-"The Goat" is about to discover that it will take all his energy and talent if he is to break free and REBOUND. https://www.daarac.ngo https://www.daaracarchive.org/.../rebound-legend-of-earl...

Available on DVD, but it's out of print. You can find it on streaming services as well.