#Philly Heat Series 5

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Fade into the Night by Becky Flade

Philly Heat Series #5

Loved this book ~ Perfect addition to the series ~ Couldn’t put it down!

What I liked:

* Sadie Potter: forensic facial reconstructionist, professor, artist, free spirit, sister, unconventional childhood, bright, open, empathetic, good friend, protective, has a lot to deal with in this story

* Noah Danes: FBI supervisory special agent, profiler, interfaced with satellite FBI unit in Philadelphia, had a rough childhood, protective, intelligent, reserved, really liked him

* The way Sadie was able to put herself forward, state what she wanted, and communicate with others – including Noah

* The care Noah took with Sadie and how he was there for her no matter what

* The way Sadie chose to work through what happened to her and the strength she found to move forward

* The police procedural aspects of the story

* Getting to see more than one character from previous books in the series

* The setting, plot, pacing, character development, and writing

* Being able to relate to and care about the characters

* Feeling that Noah and Sadie were perfect for and with one another

* That all the threads of the story were tied up neatly at the end of the book

What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about nature, nurture, and the cause of evil

* Thinking about the pain suffered by more than one person in this book

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

A man dedicated to unmasking monsters. The woman who gives faces to the lost. Neither can see the evil hiding in plain sight. FBI Special Agent Noah Danes’ investigation into The Beltway Romeo brings him to Philadelphia and leads to a chance encounter with an old friend. Forensic facial reconstructionist Sadie Potter. She hasn’t seen Noah since the sentencing of her mother's murderer four years earlier. Seeing one another in a new light, they both dare to hope for more. But before they can explore their newfound feelings, Sadie’s attacked by The Beltway Romeo. But his fellow profilers turn their focus on Noah, threatening to reveal his deepest secrets to the world. Scarred, depressed, and afraid of losing herself along with her art, Sadie lashes out at the people she loves most…until Romeo makes it clear he hasn’t forgotten the victim who got away.

[laresearchette]

Monday, October 24, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CBC GEM BITTEN (Season 1, 2 and 3) COME TO DADDy

NETFLIX CANADA THE CHALK LINE

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 4:00pm: ALCS: Astros vs. Yankees - Game #5 (SN) 8:00pm: NLCS: Phillies vs. Padres - Game #6

NHL HOCKEY (TSN5) 7:00pm: Stars vs. Sens (SN1) 8:00pm: Penguins vs. Oilers (TSN3) 8:00pm: Blues vs.  Jets (TSN4) 10:00pm: Leafs vs. Knights (SN1/SN360) 10:30pm: Hurricanes vs. Canucks

NBA BASKETBALL (SN360) 7:30pm: Raptors vs. Heat

MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) 8:00pm: Hours before a clandestine visit by President Taft, Murdoch is entangled by Terence Meyers in an experiment gone wrong.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING (CTV) 8:00pm: Between Astrid and her sister Dawn's kids, their mother Nisha is feeling burnt out on babysitting duties; when she announces her retirement from free childcare, it falls to Astrid and Dawn to try and get her back on board for watching their kids.

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN) 8:15pm: Bears vs. Patriots

RIDLEY ROAD (CBC) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): In 1960s London, Vivien, a young Jewish hairdresser, discovers the 62 Group, an intelligence-gathering underground movement trying to stop the rise of the far right.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm: Cary Quiring is tasked with keeping crucial goods flowing; a wreck that brings three heavies out tests Jamie's new LA Rotator; Aggressive Towing tackles a sideways transport crucial to.

MYSTERIES OF HALLOWEEN (DTour) 9:00pm: Don Wildman investigates a gruesome tale of twisted love, a real encounter with the walking dead and tortured souls trapped in an antique mirror.

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE: CARRY IT ON (Crave) 9:00pm:  The film is a portrait of the life and career of Indigenous Canadian musician and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie, based in part on Andrea Warner's 2018 biography.

TOP CHEF CANADA (Food Network Canada) 10:00pm: In the Quickfire Challenge, the Chefs are tasked with making as many dishes as possible in 30 minutes. In the Elimination Challenge, the competitors must push the boundaries of plant-based cuisine and impress the Judges at a Vegan Feast.

A CUT ABOVE (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm (SEASON FINALE): In the season finale, three of the world's best chainsaw carvers face off in the ultimate final challenge to earn $50,000 and the glory of being named A Cut Above.

ALL THAT GLITTERS (Makeful) 10:00pm: The jewelers must craft perfectly identical hoop earrings before trying to impress client Zeynap with gilded lockets for the woman who saved her mother's life.

ACTING GOOD (CTV Comedy) 10:30pm: Paul attempts to win his ex-girlfriend Rose back with the promise of a big surprise; with no plan, Paul looks to Dean for help, forgetting that Dean's advice never ends well.

[thebridgeofdeaths]

Fade Into the Night

Philly Heat Series Book 5 by Becky Flade Genre: Romantic Suspense   Evil hides in the shadows.   Fade Into the Night Philly Heat Series Book 5 by Becky Flade Genre: Romantic Suspense A man dedicated to unmasking monsters. The woman who gives faces to the lost. Neither can see the evil hiding in plain sight. FBI Special Agent Noah Danes’ investigation into The Beltway Romeo brings him to…

[irisblobel]

#BookTour "Fade into the Night" by @BeckyFlade @SDBookTours

Fade Into the Night Philly Heat Series Book 5 by Becky Flade Genre: Romantic Suspense A man dedicated to unmasking monsters. The woman who gives faces to the lost. Neither can see the evil hiding in plain sight. FBI Special Agent Noah Danes’ investigation into The Beltway Romeo brings him to Philadelphia and leads to a chance encounter with an old friend. Forensic facial reconstructionist Sadie…

[therealimintobooks]

Fade Into the Night by Becky Flade @BeckyFlade @SDBookTours #blogtour

  Evil hides in the shadows. Fade Into the Night Philly Heat Series Book 5 by Becky Flade Genre: Romantic Suspense A man dedicated to unmasking monsters. The woman who gives faces to the lost. Neither can see the evil hiding in plain sight. FBI Special Agent Noah Danes’ investigation into The Beltway Romeo brings him to Philadelphia and leads to a chance encounter with an old friend. Forensic…

[scullz1013]

After Philly I went out to Maryland where the final games in the Summer Series were going to be played. This was one of the big reasons I decided to come on this trip, because it gave me the chance to see friends I haven't seen in a very long time.

Jayme and Lauren and I did a lot of fun stuff - $5 margs while watching USA v. Netherlands in the womens world cup, lots of shopping for Jayme and I - the town they live in has a beautiful downtown area with nice architecture and a nice mix of vitage and kitschy shops with cool stuff in (including a beautiful beaded jacket that I strongly considered, despite the $380 price tag).

We also went to see the Barbie film which was so funny and good and the cinema had special Barbie themed drinks and s'mores popcorn (the popcorn had choc chips and marshmallows in it)!

They love doing escape rooms, something I have never done before and I really enjoyed it - the one we did had a carnival / funfair theme and we completed it with 17 minutes to spare so I think we did a good job for a group with two complete beginners in it.

They are close to the Gettysburg battlefield so we decided to do a tour that you download on your phone and then drive around at your own pace. It worked brilliantly because the narrator was really informative and we could get out and look more closely at whatever we wanted to without being out in the heat for two long.

There are 1, 328 monuments across the battlefield. My faves were the peace one which had an eternal flame (pics 1 and 2), the memorial to Sally the dog (pics 3 and 4) who actually had to do drill with her unit, which seems like a big ask for a little dog and the Pennsylvania state memorial (pics 5 and 6) although a lot of the state memorials were very cool. We all enjoyed the experience and learned a lot, we even took a picnic to eat in the car. I think it was a great way to tour a big site without having to worry about the excessive heat outside.

We were also able to spend time hanging out with Evan and Nic and making pizzas (veggies and coconut milk cheese for me) and then we went to the two games on Sunday where we were swamped in a sea of Chelsea flags but still managed to enjoy ourselves despite a poor result - still, it's only pre-season and it's been an exciting and high-scoring tournament overall.

It was so wonderful to see everyone and be able to spend an extended period of time with them, next stop - The Lone Star State.

[phillipcole]

Post-AGT Appearance 1248: The Doug Gottlieb Show May 16

The Cardinals won 4-3.  The Celtics won games 6 and 7, so my agent would decide I needed one more interview before the start of the next round.  He would choose today on the Doug Gottlieb Show, second segment, first hour.

Gottlieb: Welcome back.  We have a guest on the line.  It’s Phil Cole of Phillip and Cole’s Variety Team.  Phil how are you?

PBC: Doing well.

Gottlieb: It’s been about 6 years since you were on the show with me.

PBC: Time flies.

Gottlieb: I understand you picked the Celtics to win the NBA championship, and you picked the other day when they were down 3-2 to do it.

PBC: No, I picked them months ago and happened to say in an interview last week that if they could beat Philly they would go all the way.

Gottlieb: Gutsy call; anyway the Miami Heat beat the Knicks rather quickly.  Shouldn’t they be tough to handle?

PBC: Ordinarily I would pick any team that won in 5 over a team that just took 7, but Boston has momentum and tradition.

Gottlieb: What about the Lakers.  That’s quite a tradition too.

PBC: A tradition that includes losing to the Celtics in the finals.

Gottlieb: too true.  Now in the past you based your predictions on snowfall, primaries, anything like that this year?

PBC: No, I heard the Celtics got off to a fast start and figured they had the inspiration other teams don’t have.

Gottlieb: Did you hear that Lebron James broke Jabbar’s scoring record?

PBC: Yes, is he getting close in field goals too?

Gottlieb: A ways to go yet.

PBC: Jan Stenerud is hard to crack.

Gottlieb: Stenerud ha ha ha.

PBC: You get 34 points for a field goal in football, but only 2 in basketball.  They decided to even the score.

Gottlieb: Ha ha ha now uhh, I know you only have a few minutes to spend with us.

PBC: I’ve got lots of time.  My agent doesn’t want me to talk too much.

Gottlieb: I see, now the other night American League umpire Don Denkinger passed away and you said because he missed a call in a world series that didn’t involve the Red Sox or Yankees you don’t care.

PBC: That’s right!  I was a passionate Red Sox fan for 30 years and I don’t want the Yankees to win even a spring training game for the next few hundred years at least.

Gottlieb: Wow!  So, for 7 years now you’ve been telling us which recently dead celebrity is not the one who makes Phillip sick.

PBC: It’s 9 years.

Gottlieb: My mistake; do you ever get tired of doing that.

PBC: Yes.

Gottlieb: Do you ever wish you hadn’t started that running gag the first place?

PBC: No!  Without that I might still be stocking shelves at Target.

Gottlieb: Good, one minute left; tell us about your upcoming movie.

PBC: It’s called Demon Dress, out August 25.  In the 1960s an artist on LSD watches a horror movie at the drive in, puts paint on a little black dress.  He stumbles through a career as an artist.  When he dies his daughter auctions off his unsold products.  A fashion designer buys the dress and every woman who puts it on becomes a crazed killer.

Gottlieb: Wow!  When is it due?

PBC: In theaters everywhere August 25.

Gottlieb: Thanks, Phil.  It’s been great.

PBC: My pleasure.

Gottlieb: That’s Phil Cole.  I’m Doug Gottlieb.  I’ll be right back.

[mindofawriter22]

NBA Playoffs ‘23

It’s the best time of the year

The time has returned, with season 76

Doesn’t get any better than this

Nonstop action for 2 months, add that to your list

Where anything can and will happen

Gotta try to catch one on the road

Bright lights you better not fold

Or soon it’ll be win or go home

From the tip top to the bottom

Every squad can go coast to coast

Second to none, a game of runs

Turn to 20 points leads, better keep it close

Let’s take it out to the East side

With the best record in the league

In Milwaukee, try ya luck with the Bucks

And you can get hit with that Heat

Bean town where they get down

NBA Finals runner up in the Celtics

Tryna make it back, in 7 games flat

But not if the Hawks can help it

Up in Philly PA, with the league’s MVP fave

The critical city of Brotherly Love

You can bet, with the swishes of the Nets

This series can get really tough

In the Land for the first time in years

A 4-5 seeded matchup so don’t fear

Unless you’re in the Garden, where stars poppin’

And fans got the whole place rockin’

Shifting out West with the best

Mile High City with altitude even colder

It’s cruel if you’ve ever seen Wolves

Eat 10 piece Nuggets with a Sota

Perhaps the most intriguing battle of em all

Young guns against the more seasoned

Take LA on anyday in this series

To psychologically defeat the Grizzlies

Heavy is the head who wears the crown

But they can only be the Kings of Sac

Road struggles have kept them at Bay

But Warriors say they’re ready to run it back

The dry deserts of Arizona, from out the slums

Led by the Suns Slim Reaper

Bring back the PG to LA’s Clippers

Or they’re liable to go and sweep ya

The ‘23 playoffs ready to get underway

Make your predictions, watch and see

It’s a long journey to hoist that trophy

Between 16 teams who will it be?

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

A Safe Place by Becky Flade

Philly Heat #6

Excellent ~ Hooked on the first page and couldn’t put the book down till the last page was read ~ Great addition to the series!

What I liked:

* Kat Anderson: lost her grandmother/guardian, runaway from foster home, murder witness, waiting for her brother, survivor, bright, resilient, typical teenager, loving, kind, caring, has a great future

* Maddie O’Hara: social worker, grew up in the foster system, guarded, puts clients first, trust issues, bright, caring, protective, bonds with Kat, attracted to Nate

* Nate Anderson: Kat’s older brother, Army CID in reserves, protective, caring, kind, loving brother, gentleman, strong, lethal, attracted to Maddie

* Bravo: retired military K-9, German Shepherd, came home with Nate, protective hero there to help throughout the book

* Grandmother: recently deceased, took Kat and Nate in when their parents died, excellent role model, loving, kind, strong…someone to admire

* Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid: grandmother’s neighbors, close as family, good people

* Simon Kinsey: Detective, professional, intelligent, feels something for Maddie, protective, good at what he does, wonder if he will star in book seven

* The look into social work and how emotionally draining it must be

* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing

* The twists, turns, tension, and surprises

* That I was invested in the story and cared about the outcome

* That the bad guys were all caught, and no loose strings were left hanging

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about the situations social workers encounter

* Thinking about what Maddie’s life in foster care probably was like

Did I like this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

5-year-old runaway Kat Anderson witnesses a gruesome murder. Social worker Maddi O’Hara is called in to provide emergency housing for the flight risk teen. While Maddi works to reunite Kat and her brother, Nathaniel, it becomes clear the man the police are looking for is hunting Kat. As the danger escalates, Nate finds himself falling in love with the woman protecting his little sister. Tragedy and betrayal are everywhere. Does Maddi have the courage to accept the chance at the family she’s being offered? Or will a murderer make the decision for her?

[laresearchette]

Monday, March 18, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: AN OPRAH SPECIAL: SHAME, BLAME AND THE WEIGHT LOSS REVOLUTION (ABC Feed) PHOTOGRAPHER (Premiering on March 24 on Nat Geo Canada at 9:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CBC GEM ROAD TO THE JUNOS CONCERT SERIES (5 episodes, new episodes released daily)

CRAVE TV FLEE

NETFLIX CANADA YOUNG ROYALS FOREVER (SE)

MLB SPRING TRAINING (SN) 1:00pm: Phillies vs. Yankees

CURLING (TSN/TSN5) 1:00pm: BKT Tires World Women's Curling Championship: Canada vs. Norway

THE THUNDERMANS RETURN (YTV) 7:00pm: The superpowered family the Thundermans begins a new era of superhero crimefighting, but when one save goes awry, the family is sent back to Hiddenville.

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 7:30pm: Pistons vs. Celtics (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 7:30pm: Heat vs. 76ers (TSN/TSN4) 10:00pm: Knicks vs. Warriors (SN1) 10:30pm: Hawks vs. Lakers

MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) 8:00pm: After a woman is stabbed in her university dorm room, Crabtree and Watts suspect another student is responsible.

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 8:30pm: Capitals vs. Flames

BELGRAVIA: THE NEXT CHAPTER (CBC) 9:00pm: Emily confronts Clara about the painting, worried about the potential scandal for their family; Frederick moves forward with his investment in the silver mine, but Ross begins to grow suspicious of the Marquise.

FLEE (Crave) 9:00pm: On the verge of marriage to his long-time boyfriend, a successful academic in Denmark is confronted with a secret from his past.

SIGHT UNSEEN (CTV) 10:00pm: The sensational disappearance of two influencers who travel the country posting their van life adventures has Tess and Matt tracing their trail on an epic road trip - with Sunny riding shotgun on the car speakers.

INTERVENTION CANADA (T&E) 10:00pm: Examine the guilt, shame, and shared trauma that has turned Brooks, Taryn, and Joel's childhood home into a hellish drug den where death is a constant threat. Watch a deeply wounded family try to save these vulnerable brothers in their hour of need.

TIMBER TITANS (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm: A rotten bridge forces a logging crew to move to another section, but the road is still under construction. Other loggers are on track to finish loading by the end of the day, but operator error threatens to shut them down.

DARK SIDE OF THE RING (Much) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): In 2007, wrestling superstar Chris Benoit murders his wife and 7-year-old son, then ends his own life; those closest to the tragedy never speak openly until now.

[nhlandotherimagines]

Up All Night-Travis Konecny

@natbarzal @anastasiyaigorevnadobrodevskaya @jonnytoews19 

Wow I can’t believe how amazing you’ve all been! Thank you so much for your continued support, I’m having a lot of fun writing them!

So here we go: Blurb number 5 of the Up All Night series! I wrote this before I found out the TK is going to be a dad and it feels a little weird now but oh well! I hope you enjoy!

It feels like we've been living in fast forward, another moment passing by. The party's ending but it's now or never. Nobody's going home tonight.

Travis loves nights like this. Good music, beers, and just being with his friends. Tonight is the perfect example of Travis’ personal paradise. The stars out, a fire burning, and all his friends being together worry free for the night.

It is nearing 2 am, but no one seems to be in a hurry to leave. In fact Travis is sure he will just crash here, as will most of the guests. You however, are just arriving. Having worked late, you weren’t even sure you were going to show up at all. Though when you received a snap from your best friend a few hours ago with a certain someone smiling in the background, you knew you had to go.

You haven’t seen Travis since last summer, and this is nothing new. He comes home a couple months a year, and spends the rest of it in Philly. Yet every year when Travis shows up, so do your feelings for him. Not that Travis knows it, but it kills you every time you see him. What can you say? You’re a sucker for punishment. So when Travis’ eyes meet yours across the yard and he smiles brightly at you, you know you aren’t going home tonight.

Katy Perry's on replay, she's on replay, DJ got the floor to shake, the floor to shake, people going all the way, yeah, all the way

Katy Perry is blasting through the speakers, and the base shakes the deck beneath you. “Who is in charge of the music anyway? What is this 2012?” Travis grumbles beside you, and you can’t help the giggle that escapes you. Travis smirks proudly at his ability to pull that sound from you. It is one of his favourite sounds, and he hates how long it’s been since he’s heard it.

“Trav, not everyone thinks every song needs to be about hunting, fishing, and women.” You chirp, and he laughs shaking his head. He is leaning against the railing beside you, looking out over the party. As he takes a sip of his beer, you can’t seem to pull your eyes away from him. He’s beautiful, in the most chaotic way. Turning his head, Travis catches you staring and winks at you. Your face immediately burns in embarrassment, and you turn away from him quickly pretending to be interested in the party happening around you. You don’t notice the smile that spreads across Travis’ face, and now he’s the one that can’t take his eyes off you.

“Why is it that every one of these parties ends up like this?” You sigh, face scrunching in disgust. Travis sends you a curious look, obviously not understanding what you’re talking about. “At a certain point every time, everyone seems to pair off with someone and stick their tongues down each other’s throats. It’s repulsive!” You complain, and Travis laughs loudly.

You send him a glare, and he throws his hands up in defence. “They’re just having fun Y/n/n.” He says, and you scoff at him rolling your eyes. “Oh I see! Someone’s jealous.” The smirk that seemingly never leaves his face, grows even more.

“Of what? Meaningless hookups? Absolutely not!” You roll your eyes sighing dramatically and falling into the deck chair behind you. Travis nods, dropping into the chair next to yours.

“I don’t know. Is it really meaningless?” He mutters quietly, and you shrug at him.

I'm still wide awake. I wanna stay up all night, and jump around until we see the sun

“Shouldn’t you be going to bed?” Travis chirps you after listening to you yawn for the tenth time in as many minutes.

The simple answer was absolutely. You were exhausted after a long day at work, but you didn’t want to leave Travis. Who knows how long it’d be before you got to spend time with him again? So instead you answer teasingly, “And miss out on the party? I think not! Besides, then who would you have to keep you entertained?”

“Good point. But I’d survive, don’t stay up for me.” He smiles softly over at you.

“I’m not staying up for you!” You lie, cheeks heating up again. “I’m staying up to see the sun!”

I wanna stay up all night, and find a girl, and tell her she's the one

“You ever wonder what life would be like if you hadn’t become an NHL star?” You ask after another few moments of sitting in comfortable silence. Travis turns in his chair so he’s facing you, as his face twists in contemplation.

“I’ve thought about it yeah.” He says after a moment. You smile at him, ignoring the urge to slide into his lap and just stay there.

“And what does that look like?” You ask, turning to face him leaning forward and resting your elbows on your knees. Travis chuckles at the level of excitement in your eyes.

“Well, I imagine I’d be here and not in Philly. Doing this exact thing I’m sure, partying with all my friends, but I could do it all the time instead of just over the summers. I’d like to have a nice home, a nice job, and settling down with ‘the one’. Y’know?” You’re so lost in him that you almost didn’t even realize he stopped talking. The truth is you did know. You knew exactly what he meant, because it’s what you wanted.

“That does sound ideal.” You nod, and before you can even stop yourself you ask him the question you’re dying to know the answer to. “So what are they like? ‘The one’ I mean.”

Travis’ eyes bore into your own with an intensity that the two of you have never shared. It’s like he’s trying to communicate the answer without speaking, but you just can’t quite grasp it. “Well,” he speaks after a moment, eyes dropping to where he picks at the label on his beer bottle. “I always pictured they’d be caring, hardworking, and smart. They’d have y/e/c eyes, and y/h/c hair. Oh and how could I forget they’d have my favourite laugh in the whole world.” Travis is blushing now, and your eyes are watering. He couldn’t be talking about you, Travis didn’t think about you that way. Right?

Hold on to the feeling, and don't let it go, 'cause we got the floor now. Get out of control

“I see you over thinking.” Travis says after a moment of you just sitting there in silence, and he smiles when he hears some stupid country love song coming through the speakers. He stands up holding his hand out for you. “Let’s just dance, and hold onto tonight. We don’t get to spend time together very often, and I don’t want to waste it okay?”

You nod, placing your now shaking hand in his. He grins down at you as he pulls you up to your feet and into his chest. You try your best to fight of the giddy feeling in your stomach, because you know this can’t last. In a few short weeks Travis will be gone back to Philly, and this, whatever this is, will be over. So you place your head on his shoulder as the two of you sway back and forth to some stupid country song.

You stay like that until you can see the first signs of the sun making it’s appearance for the day. “I lied you know.” You whisper, and Travis leans back slightly, so he can look down at you. “Earlier when I said I was staying up to see the sun and not you. I lied, I was staying up to be with you.”

[glassleaks-blog]

MR VOORHEES Q&A PART 3: The Past, Present, and Future of Voorhees Glass.

The glass industry has grown exponentially over the last 5 years, with new artists, new techniques, and new colors. We felt it was necessary for the glass community to have some insight on the artists, and what drives their creative engines. It was always in my interest to learn more about an artist that has always had my attention, respect, and admiration. Mr. Voorhees has developed some of the most aesthetically pleasing, and incredibly functioning glass to date. He has never remained static, always pushing the boundaries of his work, and exploring multiple mediums to express his art. We were delighted to have the chance to ask him some questions about the past, present, and what we can expect from his future!

I feel like a good place to start would be simply how did you get into glassblowing, was it a window for your street art and paintings or did you start with a different medium such as graffiti, sketching, etc?

VRHS: I started making glass in 2004 with the help of Adam G who gave me the opportunity to try it out.. since I was a little kid, my dad was always drawing and painting and naturally I wanted to be like him.. that’s where my drive to be an artist came from.

That’s awesome! So where were you born n raised, where did you start and where are you currently blowing glass?

VRHS: I was born and raised in Michigan, that’s where I started.. now I’m in Southern California, been here for the last few years.

So how did you begin the heads? were they originally modeled after anyone in particular?

VRHS: I always drew and painted faces of different types and when I started gathering the skills to sculpt glass it just started happening.. I was super inspired by the pieces I was seeing from Bearclaw and the faces he was making at the time also.. I give a lot of credit to him for the direction my glass went in the beginning. I was also very inspired by the work I saw from Martin Janeky and Ross Richmond, two amazing dog glass sculptors.

That’s an excellent insight! My next question then would be how did you develop function and your line of pieces? The HIB function is iconic.

VRHS: Honestly the function was something that I didn’t even consider.. I was in Philly working at Krushmore and saw Slinger insert a perc through the bottom.. I always wanted to see the head inside the glass, watching Slinger opened that door.

Slinger and you do a lot of work together, who are some of your other favorite artists to work with?

VRHS: Pretty much every one of the people I’ve done collaborations with have been a blast to work with, I’m definitely looking forward to working with Peter Muller again for our show at Piece Of Mind OC in September.

I have to ask for all the vrhs collectors, will the classic HIB series end at 100?

VRHS: That is correct. The solo HIBs will be done at 100. I’ll still do a couple variations (recycler, doublestack) and will make collaboration HIBs for now.

Besides the development of HIB1 What do you think was the most challenging solo HIB to complete, and among all variations of the HIB do you have a favorite? (submitted by IG: @namastay_heady)

VRHS: Oh man, I don’t really know.. learning how to now break the first few was a challenge. It seemed like I was breaking three to get one finished without any problems, after I got my timing down with my moves and the heat they became much easier. My favorites change so often, right now I’m excited to make these last few as nice as I can and end the series with a bang.

You have made the head iconic in your work and yet have reached in so many directions with astounding work such as the abstracts, full bodys, bags, painted techs, and now the new murini stack style. Do you plan on moving forward with all these styles, or do you like to retire some?

VRHS: I get bored really easily, I enjoy the process of making glass and the infinite things you can do with it.. the murini stack pieces are something I’m having the most fun with at the moment, the things you can do with this style of work never ends. It’s making me think about glass in a different way than I ever have before.. I’m definitely planning on moving forward with all styles, combining some and refining them.

Thats really an honest an inspiring approach! I can tell you after speaking with Bump, Chef and from my personal experience with other VRHS collectors, the blend of old and new is something really exciting. It’s not often you see an artist also span multiple mediums so fluidly, I know I myself am dying for the next drop of paintings! Can we expect to see more paintings, clothes, and accessories?

VRHS: Absolutely, I’m always working on paintings here and there, I’ll probably release some this summer along with some new shirts and a hat hopefully, a couple other items too.

Thats exciting news! Are there any artists you havent collabed with yet that you would specifically like to?

VRHS: Too many to name.. There’s artists I’ve been friends with for most of my career that I haven’t worked with yet, and there’s a lot of people that are of the “newer generation” that are making such beautiful and unique work.. the list of people I’d like to collaborate with seems never ending.

I feel that! As a collector myself I’ve noticed how detail oriented you are. I often search VRHS rigs that I meet for UV glazed eyes, or small CFL pieces. I think that its a very dynamic part of your work.

Your work is definitely one of a kind, and regarded as both aesthetically pleasing and of the highest quality function, I just want to say thank you for giving us some insight on your work and Im sure the entire VRHS community thanks you keeping it so real. I know the community is excited as hell for the Muller show and for whats in store for the future of your art! You’re definitely appreciated!

VRHS: I just want to make nice work, nice glass that is sturdy, functions well and looks good.. There are so many boro colors out there, the possibilities are endless. I want to say thank you to my collectors, shops/gallery’s and fellow artists for all the love over the years.. I really appreciate you giving me the chance to speak on my work.. and all the kind words.

Voorhees was such a pleasure to talk to, and I know we are ecstatic to see what he brings to us in the future. At the top pictured is a very early head sculpt, HIB #0, an abstract owned by IG: jahfyahson, the first VRHS I saw in person owned by IG: gucciglob, the blue dream recycler “Doug” owned by IG: heady_bj, his new style “murini stack”, a blend of two new styles “Painted tech” and the new “MIB in a bottle”, some of his paintings, and my personally owned, Head in a Bag #2! Thank you again for all readers! Let us know who you would like to learn about next @glassleaks on Instagram!!

[beersfromthebleachers]

2019 Top Ten Fantasy Baseball Draft – Show Me the Money Edition

This is a year that my fellow leagues and I took a different approach and started analyzing roto-style along with head-to-head formats for fantasy baseball this year. We also took into  consideration the players that had huge incentives from their season last year, so the favoritism’s are to the players that received an award or had a big payday over the offseason. A lot of these names are superior in their position in players, and it is not a coincidence that some of these players are going to be drafted in the selection of the top ten averaging at the exact draft position. Let’s see if your draft ends up the same way this season.

1. Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels) Outfield – No matter how many times you start over or join a new league, Mike Trout is number one pick in EVERY single fantasy baseball draft BECAUSE he is the GREATEST baseball player alive. Trout capitalizes his 2019 campaign with a brand new contract estimated at $430 million over the next twelve years; if that payday does not tell you that he is the best player in baseball, and then let the numbers talk for you. Trout hit 39 home runs, had a .312 batting average, and crossed home plate over 100 times doing it for the sixth time in his career. Trout is on pace to have the highest career WAR in the WAR-stat baseball era, and we hope we never see him take a tumble in the greatness he has yet to achieve.

2. Mookie Betts (Boston Red Sox) Outfield – The franchise torch officially was passed down from David Ortiz to Mookie Betts. His campaign in 2018 was a huge step up from the year prior bringing a World Series championship to Boston along with an American League MVP. Betts is a necessary draft. It is not a rare circumstance to see him go before Trout in most draft formats. Realistically, he has a more complete team built around him compared to Trout. Betts led the league in runs (129), batting average (.346), and slugging percentage (.640) which gave him full merits for his MVP title. Expect the same great expectations for Betts as he defends both titles for the 2019 season.

3. Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals) Pitcher- Scherzer is the only man on this list that does not have an incentive from a big payday or an award for the 2018 season. However, do not let that dismiss the fact that he is the wealthiest pitcher in the game still being paid by the Washington Nationals.  Scherzer led the league in strikeouts with 300 and in innings pitch with 220 in his losing bid for a Cy Young to Jacob deGrom; which was snapped after winning it two season in a row. Scherzer this season will go against more difficult hitting in his division with all stars like Robinson Cano to the Mets or J. T. Realmuto to the Phillies, even more interesting that he will face his old teammate, Bryce Harper. Strategically, he is a great long-term pick to have and building a team around great pitching starts with the best pitcher in the game.

4. Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers) Outfield – Enter the National League’s current reigning MVP champion. Christian Yelich took advantage of the heated competition in his first year of his new division after being traded from the Miami Marlins, and he is just getting started in Milwaukee. After rallying the Brew Crew to stealing the division from the Cubs in Game 163, Yelich displayed a fantastic resume of production after finally sealing his right as an All Star. He led the National League in batting average with .326, slugging with .598, and a perfect on base percentage with 1-flat. Yelich is comparable to Mookie Betts and where he is in his position; he has all the right pieces around him that makes him a better player, and even more effective as a leader on and off the field. An alumnus of the United States’ first WBC Championship team, he looks to also bring the Brewers first World Series title to the franchise; that makes him a true champion.

5. Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox) Pitcher – Chris Sale just earned a huge payday with an extension with the Boston Red Sox for five more years at $145 million to keep him as the ace of that rotation. He also recorded the last out the 2018 World Series and earned his first championship and is aiming to earn more if he is looking to stay in Boston until 2025. The only issue is that lingering injuries kept Sale from finishing the season strong and cost him another chance of winning a Cy Young award. In his age 30 season, perhaps we might see some minor regression from what Sale does on a regular basis for the 2019 campaign. Hopefully he has enough in the tank to actually grab that Cy Young he has had his eyes on for some time now.

6. Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies) Third Base – The Rockies have chosen the face of their franchise with Nolan Arenado. Right after Manny Machado was given his grand payday, Arenado was extended thru 2025 with a $260 million contract. The four time All-Star and Silver Slugger has finished close to the top five in the MVP races over the past three seasons in the National League. Full of youth and power, Arenado is seizing the ranks of becoming the best third baseman in the game. In his four All-Star resume building years, he has collected over 100 RBIs, leading the league in his 2015 and 2016 seasons. He has everything you need to build a quality team around him, do not sleep on this pick if he falls into your lap.

7. Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) Outfield – Welcome back to my top ten drafting list for fantasy baseball, Bryce Harper. May I also welcome you to the “City of Brotherly Love” as you prepare to lead a team that will be ready to win big in the near future. The young phenom is coming off one of his best career years since his MVP winning season in 2015. Harper leaves the Washington Nationals after collecting 100 RBIs, 137 hits, and 34 home runs, not to mention winning the Home Run derby in his former park last season during the All-Star break. With a fresh new league talent and a supporting cast of seasoned veterans on the Philadelphia Phillies, Harper has his eyes set on his next goal: World Series. After all, getting paid $330 million for thirteen years will give you all the ambition in the world to do so.

8. Blake Snell (Tampa Bay Rays) Pitcher – A new face that has all the right stuff to be competing with names that have graced this list before. The 2018 AL Cy Young winner displayed an insane year with a Tampa Bay Rays that were robbed short of competing in the playoffs last season. Snell led his league with a 1.89 ERA and complimented that with 211 strikeouts. He also led the entire majors with 21 wins in 31 starts out of all pitchers. Snell’s well-deserved Cy Young also gained him a payday of $50 million over the next five years until 2023. A tough notch pitcher that took everyone by surprise last season will be more than willing to display the same stuff this season in a more than competitive American League East. We will be keeping a watchful eye on Snell over these next few years to see if his stuff will give him even a bigger contract down the road,  maybe even with a more prestigious ball club.

9. Manny Machado (San Diego Padres) Third Base/Shortstop – The other All-Star following Harper that was expected to have a big pay day. Manny Machado felt a more comfortable presence in the National League West and signed a huge long term contract with the San Diego Padres valued at $300 million over the next ten years. Following his performance with the Los Angeles Dodgers and their deep run into the playoffs, Machado decided not to stay on an over crowded and talented Dodgers with a team that is on the rise of being competitive in the short time coming. Machado will serve along side a former World Series winner Eric Hosmer and the Padres number one prospect, Fernando Tatis Jr. Tatis’ position is at shortstop, so it is in expectation that Machado will be playing more games at third base. With the utility asset at two positions, Machado will be ringing in a new era with the San Diego Padres.

10. Jacob deGrom (New York Mets) Pitcher - This is reaching, but you cannot pass on the 2019 Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom after the season he had last year. In 32 appearances for the New York Mets, deGrom had the lowest ERA in the Majors last year leading all pitchers with 1.70. He also got paid before the season began with an extension with the Mets worth $137.5 million over the next five years. In the past, I have had his team mate in the rotation, Noah Syndergaard on this list some years before, however injury has riddled this rotation over the past few seasons . Still, deGrom has made his way back into being a commanding leader of this pitching staff and team. The Mets have made some interesting moves for a supporting cast to help deGrom gain more wins than he did last season. Expect another dominating year from deGrom and the New York Mets.

[anthonybwilson]

Sunday News/Sports TV for 5/29/2022

Sunday News/Sports TV for 5/29/2022

- [ ] 2:00am: 2022 Roland-Garros Tennis (TENNIS) - [ ] 4:30am: DP World Tour: Dutch Open 2022 (GOLF) - [ ] 5:00am: Velshi (MSNBC) - [ ] 5:30am: PGA: Charles Schwab Challenge (ESPNPLUS) - [ ] 5:55am: Formula 1: Monaco Grand Prix (ESPN) - [ ] 6:00am: Good Morning Arizona (KTVK) - [ ] 6:00am: State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash (CNN) - [ ] 7:00am: Fareed Zakaria GPS (CNN) - [ ] 7:00am: The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart (MSNBC) - [ ] 8:00am: Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter (CNN) - [ ] 8:00am: IndyCar Series Pre Race (NBC) - [ ] 8:00am: MLB Sunday Leadoff: Giants at Reds (PEACOCK) - [ ] 9:00am: Alex Witt Reports (MSNBC) - [ ] 9:00am: Golf Central Pregame (GOLF) - [ ] 9:00am: WNBA: Mercury at Dream (CBS) - [ ] 9:30am: 2022 Indianapolis 500 (NBC) - [ ] 10:00am: PGA: Charles Schwab Challenge (GOLF) - [ ] 10:30am: MLB Mix (MLBEXTRAINNINGS) *DTV720 - [ ] 10:30am: MLB: MLB Baseball (MLBN) - [ ] 10:30am: MLB: Guardians at Tigers (BSDET) *DTV730 - [ ] 11:00am: CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield (CNN) - [ ] 11:00am: Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (MSNBC) - [ ] 11:00am: PGA: Charles Schwab Challenge (CBS) - [ ] 11:00am: MLB: Brewers at Cardinals (BSMW) *DTV736 - [ ] 11:00am: USFL: Stallions vs Maulers (FOX) - [ ] 12:00pm: PGA Champions: 2022 Senior PGA Championship (GOLF) - [ ] 12:30pm: DBacks Live Pregame (BSAZ) - [ ] 1:00pm: CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta (CNN) - [ ] 1:00pm: Symone (MSNBC) - [ ] 1:00pm: MLB: Dodgers at DBacks (BSAZ) - [ ] 1:00pm: PGA Champions: 2022 Senior PGA Championship (NBC) - [ ] 1:30pm: MLB: MLB Baseball (MLBN) - [ ] 2:00pm: PolitcsNation (MSNBC) - [ ] 2:00pm: NASCAR RaceDay (FOX) - [ ] 3:00pm: CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown (CNN) - [ ] 3:00pm: American Voices with Alicia Menendez (MSNBC) - [ ] 3:00pm: Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown (ESPN2) - [ ] 3:00pm: NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 (FOX) - [ ] 3:00pm: USFL: Stars vs Gamblers (PEACOCK) - [ ] 3:30pm: LPGA: Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play (GOLF) - [ ] 4:00pm: Sunday Night Baseball: Phillies at Mets (ESPN2) - [ ] 4:30pm: NBA Countdown (ESPN) - [ ] 5:00pm: The Mehdi Hasan Show (MSNBC) - [ ] 5:30pm: NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics at Heat (ESPN) - [ ] 6:00pm: Ayman (MSNBC) - [ ] 11:00pm: CNN Newsroom Live (CNN)

[junker-town]

Charles Barkley’s criticism of Joel Embiid is unwarranted and unfair

Charles Barkley thinks Joel Embiid played poorly because he didn’t win MVP and not because his face is fractured.

Joel Embiid missed the first two games of the Philadelphia 76ers’ second round series against the Miami Heat in the 2022 NBA Playoffs after suffering a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion. Embiid was already playing through torn ligaments in his right thumb in the first round against the Toronto Raptors even before Pascal Siakam’s elbow broke his face in the final minutes of Philly’s decisive Game 6 win.

The fact that Embiid is playing at all right now is both incredibly admirable and probably medically foolish. When Embiid suffered this exact same injury on the left side of his face in 2018, he missed three weeks before returning in the playoffs. This time, he was only out for one week before returning to face the Heat in Game 3 of the series.

Philly went down 0-2 to Miami without Embiid. When he came back, the Sixers promptly took the next two games at home. When the teams met for a pivotal Game 5 in Miami on Tuesday night, Embiid had a rough night and so did the Sixers. Miami ran away with a 120-85 victory to take a 3-2 series lead going back to Philly.

At one point in the first half, Embiid was hit hard in the head by the ball while fighting for a rebound with Dewayne Dedmon. Embiid laid on the floor in pain for a minute or two, but of course he got up and returned to finish the game.

It’s remarkable that Embiid is playing at all right now through a broken orbital bone and torn ligaments in his thumb, not to mention the recent concussion symptoms. Yet, when the TNT halftime show started, Charles Barkley criticized Embiid for being too distracted by not winning MVP.

"When you're mad about something, it can work both ways. It's working the wrong way for Joel Embiid tonight." Chuck sounds off on Embiid's first half performance in Game 5. pic.twitter.com/0vg0cspWaG

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 11, 2022

Here are Barkley’s comments:

Joel Embiid is so distracted, in my opinion, by this MVP thing. He’s not there tonight. He’s got six points, but he’s not being aggressive. He’s throwing the ball away. I wonder who on that team will say yo man “you the MVP. We know you’re the MVP. Now go out and prove it.” When you are mad about something, it can work both ways. And it’ working the wrong way for Joel Embiid tonight. He is so distracted.

Yes, Embiid was having a rough half (he finished the night with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting). It just feels like that can be explained much more by the injuries than by “being distracted from not winning MVP.”

TNT’s sideline report Chris Haynes repeated similar comments during the broadcast as the sideline reporter.

TNT really pushing this narrative that Embiid may be just moping and sulky from Jokic winning MVP. No sources cited but some consistent spec. pic.twitter.com/293U5w8dee

— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) May 11, 2022

Days earlier, Haynes reported that Embiid couldn’t even look at his phone because of his concussion symptoms:

Chris Haynes just said on @NBAonTNT that Joel Embiid has had trouble with light and hasn’t been able to use his phone until yesterday Doesn’t sound like a “mild” concussion to me

— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) May 5, 2022

If this was any other time of the year, Embiid would be out right now. There’s no doubt about that. Instead, he’s showing incredible toughness and resolve just by taking the floor, and helping the Sixers climb out of an 0-2 hole to have a real chance in this series.

Embiid was asked about Nikola Jokic winning his second straight MVP after the game, and he had an answer prepared.

Here's Embiid's full quote on the MVP decision, voters on the award, and focusing on the bigger picture: pic.twitter.com/1H14Rc30qm

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) May 11, 2022

Was his play in Game 5 really affected by not winning MVP? That seems incredibly hard to believe. It’s a baseless claim that also discounts what the Miami Heat defense did in Game 5.

Former players like Barkley should be the only ones who understand how difficult it is to play through a broken face like Embiid is right now. Shaq noted on the set that no one is going to feel bad for Embiid since he’s playing, but it should the goal of the halftime show to educate viewers on what someone like Embiid is going through just to take the court.

“Inside the NBA” was otherwise wonderful as always:

Kenny and Chuck had a photo finish for their race. Who do you think won? pic.twitter.com/lGwlAa6RMy

— SB Nation (@SBNation) May 11, 2022

The criticism of Embiid just doesn’t hold water. At least Barkley was clear that this was just his opinion. Embiid simply deserves better than for such comments to be made to a national audience when he’s putting his body on the line and playing through immense pain for the good his team.