#Vance is a fast runner

[f1inl3ey]

Vance has unintentionally trained himself to run extremely fast. The rest of the phone boys only realise this when they see him running from the cops after beating the shit out of someone.

[staggersz]

Yo , you think you're able to rank the least to most fast runner of them ? Love your writing btw👍

AAAAA i love ranking questions and TYSMMMM I LOVE WRITING THESE ALL OUT i love seeing people enjoy my posts i just like entertaining and the compliments are the best thing imo <33 SO THANK YOUUUUU 🫂

I feel like the slowest runner would be Robin, imo (if this surprises yall then so be it 😞) he just. doesnt seem like the type of kid would be fast, plus he doesn’t do sports. he may be strong and can throw a punch but he’s not a runner

Amy doesn’t seem like a fast runner either, she doesn’t seem like a sporty person, but she’d probably do gymnastics. Running is probably one of her least favorite things 😭

Donna wouldn’t really be that fast at running. She does good in like gym class when it’s time for the mile but besides that running is something she would not enjoy

Vance doesn’t give fast runner vibes. He speedwalks guys it’s just canon /hj But like genuinely he just doesn’t seem fast. Like Robin, he’s strong, not fast

Gwen is a somewhat fast kid and that’s practically canon. I think she would do sports and would be a fast runner

Billy is a fast kid also. He seems like the kid that would go on runs with his dog :') I think he’d like being fast and he seems like he was an energetic kid

Bruce is also fast. I don’t think he’d be a HUGE fan of running but he uses it to his advantage. He only runs when he doesn’t hit a home-run since getting to home base isn’t guaranteed!! But he only tries when he HAS to

Finney is like second fastest. In my au mf had to run from the grabber AGAIN so he’s gotta GO GO GO he may have asthma but he’d be fast as fuck

Last but definitely NOT least I think Griffin would be the fastest out of all of them. He’s small and fast like some kinda critter /j He does track, so he’s gotta be fast :)

[eazy-group]

Tamara lost 196 pounds

New Post has been published on https://eazydiet.net/tamara-lost-196-pounds/

Tamara lost 196 pounds

Transformation of the Day (Update): Tamara lost 196 pounds. She first shared her journey with us in 2015 after losing 105 lbs. Shortly after, she was hit by a car and regained 70 lbs over the course of 2 1/2 years. She shared with us how she reclaimed her health and got back on track.

Social Media: Facebook: Tamara Perry-Vance Instagram: @Happay_ness TikTok: @tadesa93

Here it is! I was in the grand scheme of things back in 2015 after losing 165 pounds. Then boom, bam, thank you, Mam… life happened! I got hit by a car in February 2016!

Now I thought I was on top of the world because I had just sent my before and after photo to BWLW a couple of months before! Guess what?! I am so glad I was hit by a car because I found out after losing all that weight I didn’t like myself! I found out that weight loss is a mental game! I found out I had other traumas and addictions to deal with!

Before/After photo from 2015

After essentially regaining 60 lbs (or a little bit more, I had to get all the inside junk out of me! The weight of validation, the weight of numbing myself with alcohol and pain pills! It became a whole different journey for me! With that being said! I started the Happayness Journey!

This journey allowed me to heal while losing the weight that I had put while being on my back for two years! I went back to long-distance running, loving myself, and adding weight training (oh boy, my love-hate relationship). Did I say love me, and having boundaries like no other? 

So, I’m back to say you can win, lose, and come back as a bigger winner! Never stop the process! Get better, not bitter! Always remember to Be. The. Best. You!

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take? I started my journey in 2014. I had Gastric Sleeve surgery. I found out it was only a tool. It was not THE tool. I found out nothing can save you but you. You are the tool.

As I said, I was hit by a car in 2016, and on my back on and off in pain for 2 1/2 years. I regained 70 lbs during that time. I got the courage to get back up and lose the 70 lbs, plus an additional 40 lbs.

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up? My motivation was me! I decided that me vs me. When I looked in the mirror, did I like me? No one else. If I could like myself in that mirror, then I could mirror that to the world and build up my confidence, stamina, and longevity for the love of LIFE.

How did you change your eating habits? I drink my breakfast. I heard that long ago, and it took me some years to apply it to my life. I do this primarily on Monday-Friday. If I feel like I had a “bad day or bad days,” I squeeze in some Fasting moments.

What is your workout routine? I’m a runner, but I must confess: I hate weights. I read a David Groggins book, and after reading it, I added repetitious weight training. The truth is I still hated it, but this is the reason why I’m toned!

How often did you work out? I work out at least 15 minutes a day for my mind. Weight lightlessness is all mental!

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight? My start weight was 350 pounds. Today, I weigh 154 pounds with the bumps and bruises of life! Remember, it’s harder maintaining it than releasing it.

What is your height? 5’7″

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far? You must listen to your mind, not the outside world.

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight? Do it for you. It’s you vs you. You are with you 24 hours a day, and you don’t want to live with a miserable person every day.

Read more about Tamara’s journey

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[favorjtecrime]

Tired

vance hopper x yamada!reader

one | two | three | four

Soft blue orbs stared back into your (e/c) eyes. He knelt down in front of you with bloody knuckles and sweat that seemed to glisten in the moonlight. You tried sitting up, but the moment you attempted to move, pain shot through your body which suggested for you to stay down. “don’t move idiot, obviously it’s going to hurt” Vance said while watching you lay back down with your head facing the sky. It hurt to even move your face from the amount of punches you had took but you were able to get out a pained ‘thank you’ while he scoffed. “take this” he took off his iconic jean vest that he wore everywhere and layed it over your beaten body. It didn't warm you up as much as you hoped it would, but the thought counted. “I need to go home” you sat up, still in pain but going slow not to cause too much struggle. “Can you help me get up?” Vance stared at you with an angry stare after your question “are you stupid? There's no way you can walk three blocks down in your condition.” You were a bit surprised by his sudden protectiveness. Vance and you havent spoke in months, you two were the same age and had been in the same class together for years. You knew how he looked in first grade with his two front teeth fallen out and you remembered buying slurpee’s with him in your freshman year when your date had suddenly abandoned you at the grab-n-go which left you sobbing next to the pinball machine. But despite your many encounters, the two of you weren't close, Vance was a rogue. He was always in some sort of trouble with the law and had a reputation that warned everyone in America to stay away from him while you were one of the town’s golden girls, a dream girl who excelled in cheer and held a high popularity status. The only thing that truly connected you two was the past summer. Bruce, Amy and your parents had driven out of town to stay at a family friend’s house for a few weeks while you stayed in town because you were working and weren't exactly itching to go. But when you stayed home, the house felt off. The living room that normally had the overlapping of Amy with her dolls and your fathers baseball games that always got him riled up and screaming, was now quiet. You couldn't even sleep in your room either, you were used to falling asleep to Bruce’s loud radio that blasted through the thin walls that separated your rooms, but now the dead silence only makes you stay up longer than sleep faster. It would take you hours to sleep which really made you regret not asking for at least one week off of work to go on the trip with the rest of your family. Being at home alone gave you a sense of newfound dread, which is how you found yourself on a park bench at 4 am eating a slim jim you had found hidden away in Bruce’s desk. You sat in silence while taking small bites of the meat stick before hearing fast footsteps. Your head moved to see who the stranger was, and that's when you saw Vance hopper. He had a bloody nose and seemed to be beaten up more than usual, especially considering he was normally the fighter and not the runner. He stopped for a second before huffing and turning his head to meet your eyes. “Oh, hey..” you said, feeling awkward that you were caught staring at him. “Shut up” “sorry” the two of you exchanged another glance before you went back to staring at the slim jim. “Hey dipshit, get up” he limped a bit towards you as you hurriedly got off the bench that he sat down on. “Are you alright?” he looked hurt, and normally vance hopper was not the one to show pain like this. “Dont ask stupid questions like that” he responded, you looked down to see a deep cut in his left arm. “Oh, my god” your words came out louder than you wanted but it was too late. “Didn't I tell you to shut up! Just get out of here before I do the same shit to you.” you flinched at his harsh words before stuttering to get your words out “house.. My house it's j xy ust down the street. I promise it's not too far of a walk, and i- and I can bandage you up. My family is gone so you won't have to worry about anyone else seeing you, please”

[jennamacaroni]

hacks appreciation week - day 3, favorite joke(s) and/or quote(s)

fave joke:  i think its ep2? (primm) when ava and deborah are in the study and deborah pulls her readers down her nose and studies ava over them:  “are you a lesbian?” then ava goes off as she does, girl is a fucking freight train, just dropping casually about sometimes needing penetrative sex with a dick to cum to her brand new boss (wtf girl seriously whats wrong with you [a lot]).  “anyways, i’m bi” with this shit eating grin at deborah like there, you happy?  did i answer your very invasive and highly inappropriate question well enough?

and you can tell she’s trying to throw deborah off but d isn’t bothered in the slightest??

yall the way i laughed the first time... its never left me.  when i think of my favorite joke its the always the first thing that comes into my head (ty @soulofacircus​ for finding me the gif you gem)

runners up include all hand-related jokes, especially “you look like a ball girl at the US open.  and not one of the fast ones” (deb you’re literally stoned off anesthesia and still killing it) and “nice catch! not surprised...”

fave quote:  have to go with the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to deborah vance.  she’s so moved, the moment so intimate, that she literally has to look away and hide her tears!  i simply PERISHED when i watched that moment.  perfect delivery from hannah, it’s so earnest and soft and i cant write anything else coherent about it go read everyone else’s words instead bc now i need to lie down

[rodpupo2]

Research: Project Finish

Tim Sale

Tim Sale is a famous comic book artist, who had worked in several titles along with the writer Jeff Loeb, including Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Daredevil, and many others.

Tim Sale was born in may of 1956, in New York, where he studied visual arts, spent a good time of his life in Seattle, and today he lives in California.

For some years he drew his art privately, only to please himself. When he found himself working at a fast food in his late twenties, however, he decided to try to sell some of his work. This led to an association with Thives’ World Graphics, a fantasy anthology series, where he illustrated stories.

What most marks his work is the dramatic aspect that he manages to obtain in the characterization of his characters and in the scenarios he creates, making the stories unique and immortalizing the characters.

The union of Sale’s art with Loeb’s engaging narrative has become the perfect marriage for mysterious plots.

One of the most striking characters worked by Sale was Batman, which he drew “The Long Halloween”, “Dark Victory” and “Halloween”. He was able to fully transfigure the dark aura of Gotham and his Dark Knight. He also worked with Superman in the saga “ Superman for All Seasons”.

Both of The Long Halloween and For All Seasons are what is known as “Year one” comics. These works take their heroes back in time to their earliest days of crime fighters.

His main tool is watercolor, which he uses with mastery. Sale's palette of colors is something really impressive, always drawing and painting his characters very delicately, and calmly. His style is very cartoonish, although this does not diminish his art in any way, on the contrary, his style is very unique and characteristic.

Pedro Franz

Is a Brazilian comic book artist, who was born in Santa Catarina and has a degree in design.

He has been publishing several comic books and participating in exhibitions in Brazil and abroad. As an illustrator, he has published works several magazines and books, and regularly collaborates with the Piauí magazine. As a graphic designer, he is a contributor to the Par (Ent) Esis platform. He has comics translated and published in English and Spanish, and has good international recognition, thanks to his publications.

But what is most impressive in Pedro's art, perhaps is his intensive use of colors. Mixing various shades of different colors, mixing different compositions. In addition to sometimes using characters from pop culture, with his elaborate style.

Despite liking traditional comics, he has always published and worked for national publishers, often with authorial works.

Perhaps his best known work, which was even published in the United States is the comic “Suburbia”.

Suburbia tells the story of Conceição, a girls daughter of enslaved rural workers, who flees to Rio de Janeiro in the early 1990s. In the city, Conceição begins to work as a cleaner and to get involved in the world of funk, slums and poverty.

His drawings are extremely surreal, not exactly following a traditional way of making comics, with several images spread across the page, with different shapes and sizes, with extremely strong colors, mainly valuing blue, purple, yellow and red, as his main colors.

Richard Corben

Richard Corben was one of the contributors of elevating the comics to the category of Art, and of its unparalleled style of great influence among many current artists.

Richard Vance Corben was born in Missouri, United States on October 1940, in a family of farmers in the middle west ( where he started reading comics), and lived in Kansas City. There he studied Fine Arts, got married, had a girl and started working in local cinematography animation company. At the same time, he started to create and publish some underground fanzines. From the begging it was clear that he was interested in science fiction, eroticism, and total rejection of institutions ( the Army, the Church, etc), mixed with a lot of humor.

At a young age, Corben was an aficionado of bodybuilding, just like everyone who was interested in a persons aesthetics. The first character that he created, was Rowlf, a dog who took on a human form. In the beginning of the 1970s he amplified his work ( and his fame) in some underground magazines. And in 1971 he started working for the Heavy Metal publisher where he created one of his most famous characters, Den a large muscular man, who was always naked, and always after some adventure.

Corben has a very particular style, with unsettling mixture of caricatured, often satirical grotesque and intense,convincing realism. Never before had such wildly cartoonish worlds proved so convincing.

Also he can handle an exponentially higher standard because of his ability to use colour to show the effect of light on whatever he’s depicting. The way that he mixes light and colors in certain panels to differentiate those elements from each other, is something to admire.

Corben worked in a few mainstream comics, he always preferred to work with authorial works or working in specific themes like fantasy and science fiction comics and not so much on superheroes.

But probably the most famous mainstream comic that ever worked was the character Hellboy, along with writer Mike Mignola.

Hellboy is a series of comics that has a lot of mysticism, Norse mythology, horror and monsters. Something Corben certainly agreed to do, without thinking twice.

Richard Corben is one of my favorite artists, with a style that is perhaps not as realistic as an Alex Ross for example, but the humor and beauty that he puts in his characters is very unique.

Corben died on December 2, 2020, leaving a great legacy, for the world of comics and arts, with a very unique style and extremely stunning worlds.

Charlie Allard 

Charlie Adlard is a British comic book artist, who have worked on the comic industry for over 25 years. He spent the majority of his time since 2003 working in The Walking Dead along side with writer Robert Kirkman , until the last issue on 2019 He started reading comics when he was very young, and he said that he was very lucky to have influences of American comics and the more high art, such as Asterix and Tin Tin. He was fascinated by European comic books artists like Moebius, Alberto Uderzo and Herge. He started his career as many British artists and writers, working on 2000 AD, with characters such as Judge Dredd, Armitage and eventually Savage. In the United States he started working with the X Files, Astronauts in trouble, and of course The Walking Dead. Adlard started in The Walking Dead from issue 7, and brought a slightly different style, from the previous artist. Adlard's art is very cartoonish, but the universe of The Walking Dead still doesn't get silly because of it. Quite the opposite, the dirt and rot that Adlerd puts on his characters and the world, only sustains what a horrible world it is to live in. Many readers complain about Adlard's style, being very simple, that his characters are very similar, and sometimes it is difficult to identify them. But I believe that although his style does not vary much, when it comes time to show a horde of zombies, a devastated city, people feeling despair, and extremely disturbing scenes, Adlard manages to excel. Adlard's main tool is ink. All The Walking Dead magazines are in black and white, and he manages to give a lot of depth to the scenarios and characters using only a few ink stains. Today Adlard is doing some comics, mainly for DC, but says that he does not intend to work with Kirkman and zombies again, because he wants to explore other themes, and to innovate his drawing skills.

Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid was one of the most important and well known figures in contemporary architecture and design. With a singular trajectory, marked by a versatile, bold and out of the box style, she was the first woman to receive Pritzker Prize for architecture and was also the only female representative honored by the Royal Institute of British Architects with a golden medal. Zaha Hadid was born in Iraq, more precisely in the city of Halloween, in Bagdá, in the year 1950. Her family was of high class, her father being an important politician and her mother an artist. Still young, she traveled and studied in other places of the world, like London and Switzerland, but it was in her native land the she got her first formation, when she graduated in mathematics. At the age of 22, in 1972, she enrolled in one of the most famous independent schools of architecture in London, and there she gave the starting point to her career by studying and creating an important connection with the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, a figure that encouraged her and opened the doors for opportunities. Later in the 1980s, Zaha Hadid decided to open her own office. This, Zaha Hadid Architects was born, which made her name and talent recognized worldwide. Known for her works with futuristic lines, clean and pure forms, as well as the fragmentation of architectural design. Her projects and discussions raise issues that put architecture and its future to the test. This is because the architect seeks in her works to interrelate design, architecture and urbanism. I knew Hadid and some of her works, but it was the recommendation of my teacher Lauren, that I should look for this architect. As my project takes place in the future, she recommended that I look at some works by Zaha Hadid to get inspiration when creating the scenario for the comic. I find it very interesting how her works have this futuristic aesthetic , because it reminds me of science fiction films like Blade Runner with those skyscrapers and buildings with different shapes and sizes that are extremely imaginative that could only exist in films. With unique works and projects, famous for their exuberance, futuristic elements, curves, non linear shapes, distortions and fragmentations, Hadid inspired and generated fascination both for her constructions around the world.

Syd Mead

Syd Mead was a designer, best known for working on films such as Aliens, Blade Runner, Tron and Star trek. Mead was born in Minnesota, United States, on July of 1933, but five years later he moved to a second house in the western of United States prior to graduating from High School in Colorado in 1951. Some years later, he did the Art Center School in Los Angeles, where he graduated with great distinction in 1959. He was immediately recruited by  the Ford Motor Company. At Ford he worked in the advanced styling department, creating futuristic concept car designs. But his imagination went beyond cars and he began to imagine clothes, helmets, buildings and scenery from hyper advanced civilization. After Ford, he also worked in other big companies like Chrysler, Sony and Phillips. After that he started migrating to the concept art world of movies. Mead is really important for generation of writers of science fiction, because many of them were influenced by Mead’s colorful paintings. Mead never wrote a novel or short story. He imagined the future in his mind and turned that imagination into illustrations. In 1979 he designed the extraterrestrial spaceship for the first film “Star Trek” in the cinema. Ridley Scott called Mead to design the buildings and flying cars of the futuristic Los Angeles “Blade Runner” in 1982. In 1986 he was hired to design the space station and vehicles of the movie Aliens directed by James Cameron. Almost at the same time, the designer created the electronic world of “Tron” for Disney studios. The same ones who hired him in 2014 to design the futuristic city of “Tomorrowland”. Mead died in 2019 after three years of lymphoma, he was 86 years old. He was a great influence for many designers and science fiction writers and illustrators, due for his creative worlds and automobiles , Elon Musk quotes Mead as one of his major influences, on visions of the automotive future and design in general.

Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson 

Transmetropolitan is a comic written by the British writer Warren Ellis and the American illustrator Darick Robertson, published by the Vertigo label, and falls within the cyberpunk genre, and the problems that rampant technology will cause us.

Throughout the 60 issues of Transmetropolitan, Ellis and Robertson build a chaotic and brilliantly alive future, presenting a sci-fi society with a peculiar mix of elements of cyberpunk, political dystopias, bioengineering and transhumanism, sexuality, economics and much more.

In a dystopia, in a not so distant future, the journalist Spider Jerusalem is isolated for fiver years in a hut in the forest, but he has to return to the city to earn some money.

Throughout the comic, amid a nihilistic aura that humanity has no salvation, the author- Warren Ellis - criticizes the consumerism and futility. The illustrations, of Darick Robertson, is full of excesses as the environment should be, a brand of the style of the 1990s.

The search for the truth is the central theme of this work, and in the midst of all this we found ourselves in a investigative odyssey that involves the lowest scum of that society ( thieves, murderers and rapists) until reaches the highest of the scum ( the presidency).

This background allows the work to touch on the most profound social themes, and without fear of saying what needs to be criticized, this is where Transmetropolitan shines, and provoke deep reflections on issues such as racism, the influence of media, the power of religions, the education, and many other themes.

In short, Transmetropolitan dissects and criticizes everything, it points out the flaws, the lies and the hypocrisy of each one. It’s a study about the problems of democratic society in the 21th century.

Jon Mcnaught 

Jon Mcnaught was born in 1985, London, England. He work with drawing comics, and work as an illustrator, printmaker and lecturer. After spending several years on the Falkland Islands during his childhood, which will inspire his second book, Pebble island. The book pass years after the war, where he tries to recreate his childhood, with aspects of his curiosity, when he was exploring abandon bunkers, where it was just part of landscape, or somewhere where he could play. His work has essentially been landscape print-making (often situated in the city), but with quite simple intention of capturing the sense of space, light, time etc. His work is mostly about that, places that he was interested in depicting, and trying to reproduce the visual. He want the characters to feel like elements of a landscape or an environment ( he preferes to focus more on the background, than the characters itself). But usually he uses figures and postures to suggest expressions rather than close ups showing facial features. What I like about Mcnaught's work is that they are simple designs, but the colors are very vivid. The way he constructs the scenarios is very invective, because it doesn’t need to be extremely detailed, he just needs a few lines to show what he is talking about.

[cayde-6]

@pretty-meekish I have done you question thing.

Guardians name: Atlas

Age: 26

Race: Human

Call signs/alias: N/A

Pronouns: He/him

Class: Titan

Preferred subclass(es): Solar

Ghost's name: Drachen

Their Vanguard: Zavala

Fireteam name: Last Words

Fireteam teammates: Faire, Deimos, Ruin-1, Ardyn-2

Favorite legendary weapon: D1: The Devil you know. D2: The Vow

Favorite exotic weapon: D1: Patience and

Time/Gjallarhorn. D2: Ace of Spades/Sweet Business

Favorite exotic armor: D1: Sunbreakers Mark. D2: Armamentarium

Favorite ornament armor set: Virtuous set (Season of Dawn's set)

Favorite weapon ornament: Last Hand/Salute to the Colonel/Big Blind

What stats do they focus on: Resilience and Recovery

Are they offense, defence, or support: All three but mainly offense, he switches around if the situation calls for him to do so.

Do they prefer being close, mid, or long range: Close so he can punch things and set them on fire.

Do they lean more "Element of Surprise" or "Upfront and Aggressive": Upfront and Aggressive, he's a Titan.

Strikes, Gambit, or Crucible: Strikes although if Mayhem is in then he's heading for that.

Who was their mentor(if they had one. If it is a character you created, tell us about them!): A solar Titan named Chad Lucky

What ship do they have: Saint's Invocation with Reflection Effects for the transmats effect. Shader is Lighthouse Sun.

What is their Sparrow: Atlas Runner

Favorite Ghost shell: Tie between Kill Tracker Ghost, Kitbash Shell, and Atlas Shell.

(Although I do own the irl Kill Tracker Ghost so he leans towards this one, but Kitbash's description is a mood.)

Favorite shader: Sulfur Burnish (it's from D1 and I am too lazy to Google it)

Favorite color: Colors of fire

Favorite food: Apples

Favorite piece of Pre-Collapse tech(if they've seen any): N/A

Favorite Pre-Collapse music(if they've heard any): Rasputin by Bobby Farrell and this is only because he likes to blast it to annoy everyone or he knows others will start singing it.

Favorite place in The Last City(if it's a place you created, give a little description!): Shaxx's area

Favorite NPC(s): Shaxx, Zavala, Ikora, Cayde-6, Saint-14, Osiris, Banshee-44, Amanda, Lord Saladin, Lady Efrideet, Failsafe, Asher, Eva, Tyra, Arcite, KADI 55-30.

Favorite patrol location: Nessus

5 things your Guardian likes(can be anything): Sleep, his husband Shaxx, his friends, his Ghost, his Sparrow, when someone finally calls him a veteran. (I missed the transfer date by 3 months and I still am angry that I missed it.

Least favorite food: Rhubarb (My dad and his dad hate it so decided to give him it)

Least favorite shader: Anything related to his enemies and the Reef/Dreaming City, EX Reefmade.

Least favorite patrol location: Europa

Least favorite Pre-Collapse tech(if they've seen any): N/A

Least favorite NPC(s): The Sovs, The Brays, Executor Hideo, Brother Vance, The cult of Osiris, Variks.

Least favorite weapon ornament: All In, this is because it makes the Ace look like a completely new gun.

Least favorite ornament armor set: Legatus, Valkyrian, Hardy's.

Least favorite legendary weapon: (I really haven't thought of it.)

Least favorite exotic weapon: Any of them that people use to be dicks in Crucible like Jöttun because that means he only gets kills if he uses those guns.

Least favorite exotic armor: Ashen Wake

5 things your Guardian dislikes(this can be anything): The Sovs, The Brays, Executor Hideo, being awake, anyone being rude to his loved ones. (Looking at you Drifter)

Your Guardian has to rest. What is their living space like: Clean and tidy as they live with Shaxx.

Does your Guardian have any casual wear?(Y'all remember Polyvore? The website URSTYLE works very similar if that helps!): A T-shirt and black pants along with basketball shoes. [Literally what I wear]

What hobbies and/or skills does you Guardian have: Sewing, crocheting, knitting, reading.

What would your Guardian's lore book be called: Atlas's Wild Ride

Where was your Guardian reborn?(If you created the location, give us a little description!): Old America

What were they wearing when they were reborn: Gold and red shirt, black pants and basketball shoes.

What was their reaction to being reborn: Complete confusion

What was their reaction to their first rez: "What the absolute fuck!"

After being reborn, did they meet friendlies first or hostiles: Friendlies

Who was the first other Guardian they met?(Same thing! If you made them, give a little description!): Fireteam Hide and Reap. They're mine but I don't really feel like going into detail with all 6 members.

Did your Guardian get reborn with, or find, any indication of their past life? If so what do they have/found: He only knows that he entered a death trap so others could escape the Fallen.

How did your Guardian get their name(if they didn't rez with past life momentos): Since he was holding up a gate in the death trap his Ghost decided to give him the name Atlas due to how similar he looked to the pictures of the ancient Greek Titan.

Going back to your Guardian's lore book, what would be some quotes or passages from their book: "I punched an echo of Oryx to death!"

Does your Guardian have a significant other: Warlord Shaxx

Did your Guardian go explore first before going to The Last City? If so, where to: No

What was their reaction to first seeing The Last City: "That's huge!"

Is your Guardian a part of a clan: No but I am part of one.

Does your Guardian's clan have a back story? If so, what is it?(if you want to or able to share): N/A

If your Guardian would have a quote as a flavor text for a weapon and/or piece of armor, what would they be: "Hang in there my fellow Guardian."

If your Guardian has had any interactions with any civilians (The Last City/The Farm), Eliksni, Cabal, Vex, Hive, Taken, Scorn, Rouge Lightbearers, or Iron Lords/War Lords(if your Guardian is an Old Light) tell us about it!: I honestly don't feel like doing this one.

Does your Guardian have any unconventional allies or connections(By Vanguard standards): Drifter and Spider, he hates both but understands he needs them to do things.

How does your Guardian feel about themselves or others using Stasis: "I was unwillingly brought back from the dead so I'll use whatever power I please."

Did they run The Last Wish raid? How did they react to seeing a live Ahamkara a.k.a Riven: N/A

Did they run The Deep Stone Crypt raid? How did they react to the Crypt and seeing Exo Eliskni: N/A

Is your Guardian from D1? How did they react to seeing Taniks alive once again: "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO HIT HIM WITH MY HAMMER, JUST STAY FUCKING DEAD!"

Where did they go and what did they do during The Red War: He went to the Farm and made or fixed clothes as well as class items.

Here are some characters that are either polarizing or have created a strong enough mass emotion within the community. What opinion does your Guardian hold on each of them(These are only a handful of characters!)>>>

Osiris, First Warlock Vanguard, originally exiled: Bird grandpa 1.0 needs to go see his husband Bird grandpa 2.0 for love.

Eris Morn, Bane of the Swarm: Who doesn't love Creepy space mom!

Cayde-6, Sixth Hunter Vanguard: SPACE VODKA MOM I MISS YOU!

Ikora Rey, Second Warlock Vanguard: Space mom is very deadly, she needs sleep and relaxation

Commander Zavala, Second Titan Vanguard: Space dad is deadly too, he also needs sleep and relaxation.

Saint-14, legendary Titan, First Titan Vanguard: Bird grandpa 2.0 please go hug Bird grandpa 1.0!

Lord Saladin, Iron Banner handler, One of the last remaining Iron Lords: Wolf Grandpa!

Lady Efrideet, part time Iron Banner handler, Guardian hippie, One of the last remaining Iron Lords: Wolf Grandma will throw Titans at you if she's angry!

Lord Shaxx, Crucible handler, Hero of Twilight Gap, living megaphone: MY HUSBAND!

The Crow, New Light, Ex-Enforcer to The Spider: This is my begrudgingly adopted son who I co-parent with Faire.

Shaw Han, random Hunter vendor for the Cosmodrome: This is my dumb son I adopted.

The Spider, The Shore's Only Law, founder of "House" Spider: "Fuck off or I'll kill you with fire!"

Uldren Sov, Prince of the Reef, Master of Crows: Fucky, Fucky, Fucky you!

Mara Sov, Queen of the Reef, Queen of the Awoken, Ex-Kell of Wolves: Fucky, Fucky, fucky you. Also SHAXX IS MINE NOW SO FUCK OFF, I'M A GOD SLAYER AND I FUCKING PUNCHED ORYX TO DEATH!

Variks, the Loyal, founder of House Judgement: "I didn't trust you in the Reef but now I hate you for the Prison riot and not just because Cayde died, the Scorn are unholy creatures that shouldn't have been able to be created."

Mithrax, the Forsaken, Kell of Light, founder of House Light: "You try anything and I WILL END YOU!"

The Exo Stranger/Elizabeth "Elsie" Bray, Granddaughter of Clovis I and Sister to Ana Bray: "Ew a Bray."

Eramis, of House Salvation, Kell of Darkness: "YOU BETTER STAY FUCKING FROZEN!"

Taniks the Scarred, the Perfected, the Abomination, the Shadow Thief: "WHY DON'T YOU STAY DEAD!"

The Darkness is fast approaching. How is your Guardian handling it: "Well shit."

And finally, does your Guardian have any advice for any New Lights:

"Hang in there and don't do anything that will make my unstable ass come after you because YOU WILL DIE. Also for the love of the Light RESPECT THE ELDER GUARDIANS LIKE ZAVALA OR IKORA!"

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE BANK OUTING BASEBALL GAME

September 16, 1949

“The Bank Outing Baseball Game” (aka “Baseball”) is episode #54 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on September 16, 1949.

This was the third episode of the second season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 43 new episodes, with the season ending on June 25, 1950.  

The date this episode first aired, a Gallup Poll listed Bob Hope as America's most popular comedian. Milton Berle finished second while Jack Benny, Red Skelton and Fibber McGee and Molly rounded out the top five. Coincidentally, a few years before this episode aired, Hope had become partial owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball team. 

Synopsis ~ Liz is determined not to be left out of the baseball game at the Annual Bank Outing, so she persuades her neighbor Mr. Wood to teach her how to play the game.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George's boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Coope.  The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father's garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) was considered the front-runner to be cast as Ethel Mertz but when “I Love Lucy” was ready to start production she was already playing a similar role on TV’s “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” so Vivian Vance was cast instead. On “I Love Lucy” she was cast as Lucy Ricarodo’s spinster neighbor, Miss Lewis, in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in early 1952. Later, she was a success in her own show, "Petticoat Junction” as Shady Rest Hotel proprietress Kate Bradley. She starred in the series until her death in 1968.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph aka Rudy Atterbury) had worked with Lucille Ball on “The Wonder Show” on radio in 1938. One of the front-runners to play Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy,” he eventually played Alvin Littlefield, owner of the Tropicana, during two episodes in 1952. After playing a Judge in an episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1958, he would re-team with Lucy for all of her subsequent series’: as Theodore J. Mooney in ”The Lucy Show”; as Harrison Otis Carter in “Here’s Lucy”; and as Curtis McGibbon on "Life with Lucy.” Gordon died in 1995 at the age of 89.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz, a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

GUEST CAST

Hans Conried (Mr. Benjamin Wood) first co-starred with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). He then appeared on “I Love Lucy” as used furniture man Dan Jenkins in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) and later that same season as Percy Livermore in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13) – both in 1952. The following year he began an association with Disney by voicing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. On “The Lucy Show” he played Professor Gitterman in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1). He was probably best known as Uncle Tonoose on “Make Room for Daddy” starring Danny Thomas, which was filmed on the Desilu lot. He joined Thomas on a season 6 episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1973. He died in 1982 at age 64.

Although his first name is not mentioned here, it will be in future episodes. 

THE EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “Come with us to the quiet little town of Sheridan Falls and let’s look into the brown house at 321 Bundy Drive where the Coopers live. They’re entertaining George’s boss, Mr. Atterbury, and his wife. And the subject under discussion is the forthcoming annual bank outing.”

The episode opens with Liz and Iris discussing what to wear to the bank outing. George disapproves of Liz’s new play suit. 

LIZ: “George thinks it’s too daring. He says there’s too much play and not enough suit.”

It is typical for George to disapprove of Liz’s revealing wardrobe choices, although the conversation generally revolves around swimwear. Iris wonders if she should wear her new blue slacks.

RUDY: “Why do they call them slacks? I’ve never seen any in them.”

George and Rudolph imitate the girls by feminizing their own wardrobe predicament, another comedic tact the boys have done before. George and Rudolph reveal that they have been named team captains. Iris says she’ll get a bottle of Absorbine Junior. 

Absorbine Jr. is a fast absorbing, deep penetrating topical pain reliever. It provides relief from sore muscles and cramps as well as athlete’s foot. The Absorbine company was established in 1892 as a lineament for horses. A version for humans (Absorbine Jr.) was introduced in 1903 and is still sold today.

Rudolph and George tell their wives that they won’t be playing at all, because the teams are comprised of husbands and wives, and they have no confidence in them on the baseball diamond. The girls beg to be allowed to play, despite knowing nothing about the game.

RUDOLPH: “Forget it, DiMaggio.”

Joe DiMaggio (1914-99) was a professional baseball player who played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He was nicknamed “Joltin’ Joe” and “The Yankee Clipper” for his batting skill. The summer of 1949 was when DiMaggio shined the brightest. He batted .381 against the Red Sox that year, with six homers through 13 games.The Yanks would eventually win the World Series in 1949, the first of a record five straight. 

Joe DiMaggio was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy is Enceinte” (ILL S2;E10), Fred gives Lucy a signed baseball for his future ‘godson’. When he asks Lucy to read out the signature, she at first says “Spalding,” the ball’s brand name, but then finds it is signed by Joe DiMaggio. In “Ragtime Band” (ILL S6;E21), Little Ricky asks Fred, “Who’s Joe 'Maggio?”

George rhapsodizes about his college baseball career, telling a story they’ve all heard before.

GEORGE: “There’s a certain group of spectators who will never forget the afternoon of August 25, 1933.” 

This date was actually Lucille Ball’s 22nd birthday. 1933 was Ball’s first year in Hollywood, and the year her first four films were released. 

After George does a dramatic play-by-play of his big college game victory, Liz says:

LIZ: “Thank you, Ted Husing.” 

Edward ‘Ted’ Husing (1901-62) was among the first to lay the groundwork of sports reporting on television and radio. In 1946, Husing left CBS sports to pursue a career as a disk jockey and was succeeded by Red Barber. “The Ted Husing Bandstand” ran from 1946 to 1954.

The scene ends with the wives begging to play, and the boys uniformly shouting “no”!  That night in bed, Liz wakens in tears about being left out of the baseball game, feeling she is being left out.  

Next day, Liz tells Katie the Maid she’s decided to learn how to play baseball. Iris drops by with books about how to play baseball. Katie reads out the rules. The doorbell rings. It is the Cooper’s neighbor, Mr. Wood (Hans Conried), who is lonesome, despite having eleven children. He volunteers to teach the girls baseball. After all, he saw a World Series game once. He mentions Babe Ruth. 

George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (1895-1948) was a professional baseball player whose career spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "The Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat", he began his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame playing with the New York Yankees.  

Ruth was mentioned on a 1963 episode of “The Lucy Show” when Lucy and Viv’s sons join Little League. [Desi Arnaz Jr. played billy Simmons in the show, and Ball posed for this publicity still with her son.] 

It is here that the episode starts to vaguely resemble “The Golf Game” (ILL S3;E30) in 1954. In it, Lucy and Ethel decide they want to play golf with their husbands, despite the boys saying they known nothing about the game. In fact, they don’t, so they fall for whatever ridiculous rules the boys make-up. Coincidentally, this sport-themed episode was filmed on Hans Conried’s 37th birthday. The Little League-themed “Lucy Show” mentioned above was first aired on Conried’s 45th birthday! 

Using the living room as their baseball diamond and sofa cushions as bases, Mr. Wood attempts to teach the girls the finer points of baseball.  

In “Lucy and the Winter Sports” (TLS S3;E3) in 1964, Mr. Mooney attempts to teach Mrs. Carmichael how to ski without ever leaving the living room. Needless to say, the results are equally disastrous. 

This is not the last time Mr. Wood (played by Hans Conried) will teach Liz an outdoor sport in her own living room. In June 1950 Conried returns to the series to play Mr. Wood, who teaches Liz to swim - without ever getting wet! 

Mr. Wood’s frantic lesson turns into a loosely familiar version of the famous “Who’s On First” comedy routine perfected by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. 

LIZ: “Who’s on third?” MR. WOOD: “Abbott and Costello!”

Although the routine had been around in different forms since vaudeville, Abbott and Costello first put their baseball spin on the routine in 1938. In 1999, Time Magazine named the routine Best Comedy Sketch of the 20th Century.  In 1945, Lucille Ball played herself in their movie Abbott and Costello in Hollywood. 

Mr. Wood gives up on his coaching, but Liz reveals that she’s already signed them up for the game!  

A bank outing will also be the subject of “Lucy and Clint Walker” (TLS S2;E24) in 1966. Lucy and Clint win the balloon race, but baseball is not on the agenda. The day of the Bank Outing, Liz and Iris are enjoying hot dogs. Iris orders a second hot dog with pickle, mustard, chili sauce, ketchup, lettuce, butter, salt, pepper, and a dash of horseradish!  

RUDY: “Iris, at least give the hot dog a fighting chance.”

Iris’s voracious appetite is a character trait that was later ascribed to Ethel Mertz. Baseball and hot dogs are classic Americana. The two were combined when Lucy Ricardo pretends to be a hot dog vendor to get a message to Bob Hope at Yankee Stadium in the “I Love Lucy” season six opener.   

George has worn his old college baseball uniform. Mr. Wood is acting as umpire. George’s strategy is to keep Liz on the bench till the team gets in a tight spot. 

RUDY: “Iris is up first. Has anyone seen the old bat? Oh, there it is on the ground.”

Miraculously, Iris hits a ball out of the park!  Shocked, she doesn’t run the bases.

Later, the score is ten to nothing with the Cooper side down but when the score quickly ties and Liz is still on the bench. At batting practice, George accidentally hits himself in the head with a bat!  George passes out and Liz is up at bat!  Liz starts out facing the catcher!  With two strikes, Liz hits the ball! 

Later, George revives and Liz tells him that they won by one run - made by her! Rudy reveals that they won by default when Liz got hit by the ball, forcing the runner at third to walk home and win the game!  

MORE BALL AT BAT!

In addition to the episodes cited above, Lucille Ball also suited up in 1963′s “Lucy and Viv Play Softball” (TLS S2;E3).  

Lucy Carmichael’s son got to meet Jimmy Pearsall of the Los Angeles Angels in the very first episode of “The Lucy Show” to take place in California. 

In real life, Lucille Ball batted for Wildcat on the Broadway Show League in 1961. Julie Andrews of Camelot was catcher, and Joe E. Brown was umpire! 

The year before this episode of “My Favorite Husband” aired (1948), the great Babe Ruth signed a game-used baseball that was then also signed by Lucille Ball and Rod Carew. 

Batting practice for Kathleen (Lucille Ball) in The Dark Corner (1946). 

Putting her Best Foot Forward for a pitch in 1943. 

Like mother, like daughter! In 2011, the New York Yankees invited Lucie Arnaz to throw out the first pitch to mark Latin Heritage Month.  

[lgbtveggietales]

Tell us more about Vance 👀

Oh man what do you want to know anon??Well?? A list of things abt Vance:- his full name is Vance Augustus Vanderbilt (yes really)- no his family isn’t rich, even with a name like that lolol- he’s 15, almost 16- he’s the quarterback of the JV football team- he’s really short, thin, and light, so he’s a super fast runner.- i’m talking SMALL, at least for a leek. tiny boy. itty bitty- his incredibly luscious hair is super soft bc it’s well taken care of- his nickname on the football team is The Viper and nobody remembers why- he’s a member of the glee club (or show choir as most people call it, because they sing and dance)- he has one older brother named Tobias- his parents, Bishop and Delaney, are still together (and they’re super cute)- his 3 closest friends are also on the football team with him, their names are Andy, Clay, and Martin- he has a pretty chill personality and is able to let things roll off his back- he has a good handful of crushes and dates around quite a bit, as most teenagers do, but he’s not a player about it.- one of the people he dates for a brief period of time is his friend Andy (don’t worry they’ll still be friends!!)- he’s suuuuper bi and not ashamed of it !! at least not anymore.and one thing i can’t tell you in full detail: he’s going to be dealing with a mad crush on one of the main characters in his debut episode

[grigori77]

2018 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 1)

30.  MANDY – easily the weirdest shit I saw in 2018, this 2-hour-plus fever dream fantasy horror is essentially an extended prog-rock video with added “plot” from Beyond the Black Rainbow director Panos Cosmatos. Saying that by the end of it I was left feeling exhausted, brain-fried and more than a little weirded-out might not seem like much of a recommendation, but this is, in fact, a truly transformative viewing experience, a film destined for MASSIVE future cult status. Playing like the twisted love-child of David Lynch and Don Coscarelli, it (sort of) tells the story of lumberjack Red Miller (Nicolas Cage) and his illustrator girlfriend Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough), who have an idyllic life in the fantastically fictional Shadow Mountains circa 1983 … at least until Mandy catches the eye of Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache), the thoroughly insane leader of twisted doomsday cult the Children of the New Dawn, who employs nefarious, supernatural means to acquire her.  But Mandy spurns his advances, leading to a horrific retribution that spurs Red, a traumatised war veteran, to embark on a genuine roaring rampage of revenge.  Largely abandoning plot and motivation for mood, emotion and some seriously trippy visuals, this is an elemental, transcendental film, a series of deeply weird encounters and nightmarish set-pieces that fuel a harrowing descent into a particularly alien, Lovecraftian kind of hell, Cosmatos shepherding in one breathtaking sequence after another with the aid of skilled cinematographer Benjamin Loeb, a deeply inventive design team (clearly drawing inspiration from the artwork of late-70s/early 80s heavy metal albums) and a thoroughly tricked-out epic tone-poem of a score from the late Jôhan Jôhannsson (Sicario, Arrival, Mother!), as well as one seriously game cast.  Cage is definitely on crazy-mode here, initially playing things cool and internalised until the savage beast within is set loose by tragedy, chewing scenery to shreds like there’s no tomorrow, while Riseborough is sweet, gentle and inescapably DOOMED; Roach, meanwhile, is a thoroughly nasty piece of work, an entitled, delusional narcissist thoroughly convinced of his own massive cosmic importance, and there’s interesting support from a raft of talented character actors such as Richard Brake, Ned Dennehy and Bill Duke.  This is some brave, ambitious filmmaking, and a stunning breakthrough for one of the weirdest and most unique talents I’ve stumbled across a good while.  Cosmatos is definitely one to watch.

29.  THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB – back in 2011, David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s runaway bestseller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo became one of my very favourite screen thrillers EVER, a stone-cold masterpiece and, in my opinion, the superior version of the story even though a very impression Swedish version had broken out in a major way the year before. My love for the film was coloured, however, by frustration at its cinematic underperformance, which meant that Fincher’s planned continuation of the series with Millennium Trilogy sequels The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest would likely never see the light of day. Even so, the fan in me held out hope, however fragile, that we might just get lucky.  Seven years later, we have FINALLY been rewarded for our patience, but not exactly in the fashion we’ve been hoping for … Fincher’s out, Evil Dead-remake and Don’t Breathe writer-director Fede Alvarez is in, and instead of continuing the saga in the logical place the makers of this new film chose the baffling route of a “soft reboot” via adapting the FOURTH Millennium book, notable for being the one released AFTER Larsson’s death, penned by David Lagercrantz, which is set AFTER the original Trilogy. Thing is, the actually end result, contrary to many opinions, is actually pretty impressive – this is a leaner, more fast-paced affair than its predecessor, a breathless suspense thriller that rattles along at quite a clip as we’re drawn deeper into Larsson’s dark, dangerous and deeply duplicitous world and treating fans to some top-notch action sequences, from a knuckle-whitening tech-savvy car chase to a desperate, bone-crunching fight in a gas-filled room.  Frustratingly, the “original” Lisbeth Salander, Rooney Mara, is absent (despite remaining VERY enthusiastic about returning to the role), but The Crown’s Claire Foy is almost as good – the spiky, acerbic and FIERCELY independent prodigious super-hacker remains as brooding, socially-awkward, emotionally complex and undeniably compelling as ever, the same queen of screen badasses I fell in love with nearly a decade ago.  Her investigative journalist friend/occasional lover Mikael Blomkvist is, annoyingly, less well served – Borg Vs McEnroe star Sverrir Gudnasson is charismatic and certainly easy on the eyes, but he’s FAR too young for the role (seriously, he’s only a week older than I am) and at times winds up getting relegated to passive observer status when he’s not there simply to guide the plot forward; we’re better served by the supporting cast, from Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out, Sorry to Bother You) as a mysterious NSA security expert (I know!) to another surprisingly serious turn (after Logan) from The Office’s Stephen Merchant as the reclusive software designer who created the world-changing computer program that spearheads the film’s convoluted plot, and there’s a fantastically icy performance from Blade Runner 2049’s Sylvia Hoeks as Camilla Salander, Lisbeth’s estranged twin sister and psychopathic head of the Spiders, the powerful criminal network once controlled by their monstrous father (The Hobbit’s Mikael Persbrandt).  The film is far from perfect – the plot kind runs away with the story at times, while several supposedly key characters are given frustratingly little development or screen-time – but Alvarez keeps things moving along with typical skill and precision and maintains a tense, unsettling atmosphere throughout, while there are frequently moments of pure genius on display in the script by Alvarez, his regular collaborator Jay Basu and acclaimed screenwriter Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Locke) – the original novel wasn’t really all that great, but by just taking the bare bones of the plot and crafting something new and original they’ve improved things considerably.  The finished product thrills and rewards far more than it frustrates, and leaves the series in good shape for continuation.  With a bit of luck this time it might do well enough that we’ll finally get those other two movies to plug the gap between this and Fincher’s “original” …

28.  ISLE OF DOGS – I am a MASSIVE fan of the films of Wes Anderson.  Three share placement in my all-time favourite screen comedies list – Grand Budapest Hotel, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and, of course, The Royal Tenebaums (which perches high up in my TOP TEN) – and it’s always a pleasure when a new one comes out.  2009’s singular stop-motion gem Fantastic Mr Fox showed just how much fun his uniquely quirky sense of humour and pleasingly skewed world-view could be when transferred into an animated family film setting, so it’s interesting that it took him nearly a decade to repeat the exercise, but the labour of love is writ large upon this dark and delicious fable of dystopian future Japanese city Megasaki, where an epidemic of “dog flu” prompts totalitarian Mayor Kobayashi (voiced by Kunichi Nomura) to issue an edict banishing all of the city’s canine residents to nearby Trash Island. Six months later, Kobayashi’s nephew Atari (newcomer Koyu Rankin) steals a ridiculously tiny plane and crash-lands on Trash Island, intent on rescuing his exiled bodyguard-dog Spots (Liev Schreiber); needless to say this is easier said than done, unforeseen circumstances leading a wounded Atari to enlist the help of a pack of badass “alpha dogs” voiced by Anderson regulars – Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray) and Duke (Jeff Goldblum) – and nominally led by crabby, unrepentantly bitey stray Chief (Bryan Cranston), to help him find his lost dog in the dangerous wilds of the island.  Needless to say this is as brilliantly odd as we’ve come to expect from Anderson, a perfectly pitched, richly flavoured concoction of razor sharp wit, meticulously crafted characters and immersive beauty.  The cast are, as always, excellent, from additional regulars such as Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel and F. Murray Abraham to new voices like Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Ken Watanabe and Courtney B. Vance, but the film’s true driving force is Cranston and Rankin, the reluctant but honest relationship that forms between Chief and Atari providing the story with a deep, resonant emotional core.  The first rate animation really helps – the exemplary stop-motion makes the already impressive art of Mr Fox seem clunky and rudimentary (think the first Wallace & Gromit short A Grand Day Out compared to their movie Curse of the Were-Rabbit), each character rendered with such skill they seem to be breathing on their own, and Anderson’s characteristic visual flair is on full display, the Japanese setting lending a rich, exotic tang to the compositions, especially in the deeply inventive environs of Trash Island.  Funny, evocative, heartfelt and fiendishly clever, this is one of those rare screen gems that deserves to be returned to again and again, and it’s definitely another masterpiece from one of the most unique filmmakers working today.

27.  VENOM – when Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man saga came to a rather clunky end back in 2007, it felt like a case of too many villains spoiling the rumble, and it was pretty clear that the inclusion of bad-boy reporter Eddie Brock and his dark alter ego was the straw that broke that particular camel’s back.  Venom didn’t even show up proper until almost three quarters of the way through the movie, by which time it was very much a case of too-little-too-late, and many fans (myself included) resented the decidedly Darth Maul-esque treatment of one of the most iconic members of Marvel’s rogues’ gallery.  It’s taken more than a decade for Marvel to redress the balance, even longer than with Deadpool, and, like with the Merc With a Mouth, they decided the only way was a no-holds-barred, R-rated take that could really let the beast loose. Has it worked?  Well … SORT OF.  In truth, the finished article feels like a bit of a throwback, recalling the pre-MCU days when superhero movies were more about pure entertainment without making us think too much, just good old-fashioned popcorn fodder, but in this case that’s not a bad thing.  It’s big, loud, dumb fun, hardly a masterpiece but it does its job admirably well, and it has one hell of a secret weapon at its disposal – Tom Hardy. PERFECTLY cast as morally ambiguous underdog investigative journalist Eddie Brock, he deploys the kind of endearingly sleazy, shit-eating charm that makes you root for him even when he acts like a monumental prick, while really letting rip with some seriously twitchy, sometimes downright FEROCIOUS unhinged craziness once he becomes the unwilling host for a sentient parasitic alien symbiote with a hunger for living flesh and a seriously bad attitude.  This is EASILY one of the best performances Hardy’s ever delivered, and he entrances us in every scene, whether understated or explosive, making even the most outlandish moments of Brock’s unconventional relationship with Venom seem, if not perfectly acceptable, then at least believable.  He’s ably supported by Michelle Williams as San Francisco district attorney Anne Weying, his increasingly exasperated ex-fiancée, Rogue One’s Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, the seemingly idealistic space-exploration-funding philanthropist whose darker ambitions have brought a lethal alien threat to Earth, and Parks & Recreation’s Jenny Slate as Drake’s conflicted head scientist Nora Skirth, while there’s a very fun cameo from a particularly famous face in the now ubiquitous mid-credits sting that promises great things in the future.  Director Ruben Fleischer brought us Zombieland and 30 Minutes Or Less, so he certainly knows how to deliver plenty of blackly comic belly laughs, and he brings plenty of seriously dark humour to the fore, the rating meaning the comedy can get particularly edgy once Venom starts to tear up the town; it also fulfils the Marvel prerequisite of taking its action quota seriously, delivering a series of robust set-pieces (the standout being a spectacular bike chase through the streets of San Fran, made even more memorable by the symbiote’s handy powers). Best of all, the film isn’t afraid to get genuinely scary with some seriously nasty alien-induced moments of icky body horror, captured by some strangely beautiful effects works that brings Venom and his ilk to vivid, terrifying life.  Flawed as it is, this is still HUGE fun, definitely one of the year’s biggest cinematic guilty pleasures, and I for one can’t wait to see more from the character in the near future, which, given what a massive success the film has already proven at the box office, seems an ironclad certainty.

26.  SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – the second of Disney’s new phase of Star Wars movies to feature in the non-trilogy-based spinoff series had a rough time after its release – despite easily recouping its production budget, it still lost the $100-million+ it spent on advertising, while it was met with extremely mixed reviews and shunned by many hardcore fans.  I’ll admit that I too was initially disappointed with this second quasi prequel to A New Hope (after the MUCH more impressive Rogue One), but a second, more open-minded viewing after a few months to ruminate mellowed my experience considerably, the film significantly growing on me.  An origin story for the Galaxy’s most lovable rogue was always going to be a hard sell – Han Solo is an enjoyable enigma in The Original Trilogy, someone who lives very much in the present, his origins best revealed in the little details we glean about him in passing – but while it’s a flawed creation, this interstellar heist adventure mostly pulls off what was intended.  Like many fans of The Lego Movie, I remain deeply curious about what original director duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller could have achieved with the material, but I wholeheartedly approved Disney’s replacement choice when he was announced – Ron Howard is one of my favourite “hit-and-miss” directors, someone who’s made some clunkers in his time (The Da Vinci Code, we’re looking at you) but can, on a good day, be relied on to deliver something truly special (Willow is one of my VERY FAVOURITE movies from my childhood, one that’s stood up well to the test of time, and a strong comparison point for this; Apollo 13 and Rush, meanwhile, are undeniable MASTERPIECES), and in spite of its shortcomings I’m ultimately willing to consider this one of his successes. Another big step in the right direction was casting Hail, Caesar! star Alden Ehrenreich in the title role – Harrison Ford’s are seriously huge shoes to fill, but this talented young man has largely succeeded.  He may not quite capture that wonderful growling drawl but he definitely got Han’s cocky go-getter swagger right, he’s particularly strong in the film’s more humorous moments, and he has charisma to burn, so he sure makes entertaining viewing.  It also helps that the film has such a strong supporting cast – with original Chewbacca Peter Mayhew getting too old for all this derring-do nonsense, former pro basketball-player Joonas Suotamo gets a little more comfortable in his second gig (after The Last Jedi) in the “walking carpet” suit, while Woody Harrelson adds major star power as Tobias Beckett, Han’s likeably slippery mentor in all things criminal in the Star Wars Universe, and Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke is typically excellent as Han’s first love Qi’ra, a fellow Corellian street orphan who’s grown up into a sophisticated thief of MUCH higher calibre than her compatriots.  The film is dominated, however, by two particularly potent scene-stealing turns which make you wonder if it’s really focused on the right rogue’s story – Community star Donald Glover exceeds all expectations as Han’s old “friend” Lando Calrissian, every bit the laconic smoothie he was when he was played by Billy Dee Williams back in the day, while his droid companion L3-37 (voiced with flawless comic skill by British stage and sitcom actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge) frequently walks away with the film entirely, a weirdly flirty and lovably militant campaigner for droid rights whose antics cause a whole heap of trouble.  The main thing the film REALLY lacks is a decent villain – Paul Bettany’s oily kingpin Dryden Voss is distinctive enough to linger in the memory, but has criminally short screen-time and adds little real impact or threat to the main story, only emphasising the film’s gaping, Empire-shaped hole.  Even so, it’s still a ripping yarn, a breathlessly exciting and frequently VERY funny space-hopping crime caper that relishes that wonderful gritty, battered old tech vibe we’ve come to love throughout the series as a whole and certainly delivers on the action stakes – the vertigo-inducing train heist sequence is easily the film’s standout set-piece, but the opening chase and the long-touted Kessel Run impress too – it only flags in the frustrating and surprisingly sombre final act.  The end result still has the MAKINGS of a classic, and there’s no denying it’s also more enjoyable and deep-down SATISFYING than the first two films in George Lucas’ far more clunky Prequel Trilogy.  Rogue One remains the best of the new Star Wars movies so far, but this is nothing like the disappointment it’s been made out to be.

25.  AQUAMAN – the fortunes of the DC Extended Universe cinematic franchise continue to fluctuate – these films may be consistently successful at the box office, but they’re a decidedly mixed bag when it comes to their quality and critical opinion, and the misses still outweigh the hits.  Still, you can’t deny that when they DO do things right, they do them VERY right – 2017’s acclaimed Wonder Woman was a long-overdue validation for the studio, and they’ve got another winner on their hands with this bold, brash, VERY ballsy solo vehicle for one of the things that genuinely WORKED in the so-so Justice League movie.  Jason Momoa isn’t just muscular in the physical sense, once again proving seriously ripped in the performance capacity as he delivers rough, grizzled charm and earthy charisma as half-Atlantean Arthur Curry, called upon to try and win back the royal birthright he once gave up when his half-brother Prince Orm (Watchmen’s Patrick Wilson), ruler of Atlantis, embarks on a brutal quest to unite the seven underwater kingdoms under his command in order to wage war on the surface world.  Aquaman has long been something of an embarrassment for DC Comics, an unintentional “gay joke” endlessly derided by geeks (particularly cuttingly in the likes of The Big Bang Theory), but in Momoa’s capable hands that opinion has already started to shift, and the transition should be complete after this – Arthur Curry is now a swarthy, hard-drinking alpha male tempered with a compellingly relatable edge of deep-seeded vulnerability derived from the inherent tragedy of his origins and separation from the source of his immense superhuman strength, and he’s the perfect flawed action hero for this most epic of superhero blockbusters.  Amber Heard is frequently as domineering a presence as Atlantean princess Mera, a powerful warrior in her own right and fully capable of heading her own standalone adventure someday, and Wilson makes for a very solid and decidedly sympathetic villain whose own motivations can frequently be surprisingly seductive, even if his methods are a good deal more nefarious, while The Get Down’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is more down-and-dirty BAD as David Kane, aka the Black Manta, a lethally tech-savvy pirate who has a major score to settle with the Aquaman; there’s also strong support from the likes of Willem Dafoe as Curry’s sage-like mentor Vulko, Dolph Lundgren as Mera’s father, King Nereus, the ever-reliable Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s father Thomas, and Nicole Kidman as his ill-fated mother Atlanna.  Director James Wan is best known for establishing horror franchises (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring), but he showed he could do blockbuster action cinema with Fast & Furious 7, and he’s improved significantly with this, delivering one gigantic action sequence after another with consummate skill and flair as well as performing some magnificent and extremely elegant world-building, unveiling dazzling, opulent and exotic undersea civilizations that are the equal to the forests of Pandora in Avatar, but he also gets to let some of his darker impulses show here and there, particularly in a genuinely scary visit to the hellish world of the Trench and its monstrous denizens.  It may not be QUITE as impressive as Wonder Woman, and it still suffers (albeit only a little bit) from the seemingly inherent flaws of the DCEU franchise as a whole (particularly in yet another overblown CGI-cluttered climax), but this is still another big step back in the right direction, one which, once again, we can only hope they’ll continue to repeat.  I’ll admit that the next offering, Shazam, doesn’t fill me with much confidence, but you never know, it could surprise us.  And there’s still Flashpoint, The Batman and Birds of Prey to come …

24.  THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI – filmmaker brothers Martin and John Michael McDonagh have carved an impressive niche in cinematic comedy this past decade, from decidedly Irish breakout early works (In Bruges from Martin and The Guard and Calvary from John) to enjoyable outsider-looking-in American crim-coms (Martin’s Seven Psychopaths and John’s War On Everyone), and so far they’ve all had one thing in common – they’re all BRILLIANT.  But Martin looks set to be the first brother to be truly accepted into Hollywood Proper, with his latest feature garnering universal acclaim, massive box office and heavyweight Awards recognition, snagging an impressive SEVEN Oscar nominations and taking home two, as well as landing a Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Picture.  It’s also the most thoroughly AMERICAN McDonagh film to date, and this is no bad thing, Martin shedding his decidedly Celtic flavours for an edgier Redneck charm that perfectly suits the material … but most important of all, from a purely critical point of view this could be the very BEST film either of the brothers has made to date.  It’s as blackly comic and dark-of-soul as we’d expect from the creator of In Bruges, but there’s real heart and tenderness hidden amongst the expletive-riddled, barbed razor wit and mercilessly observed, frequently lamentable character beats.  Frances McDormand thoroughly deserved her Oscar win for her magnificent performance as Mildred Hayes, a take-no-shit shopkeeper in the titular town whose unbridled grief over the brutal rape and murder of her daughter Angela (Kathryn Newton) has been exacerbated by the seeming inability of the local police force to solve the crime, leading her to hire the ongoing use of a trio of billboards laying the blame squarely at the feet of popular, long-standing local police Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson). Needless to say this kicks up quite the shitstorm in the town, but Mildred stands resolute in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, refusing to back down.  McDormand has never been better – Mildred is a foul-mouthed, opinionated harpy who tells it like it is, no matter who she’s talking to, but there’s understandable pain driving her actions, and a surprisingly tender heart beating under all that thorniness; Harrelson, meanwhile, is by turns a gruff shit-kicker and a gentle, doting family man, silently suffering over his own helplessness with the dead end the case seems to have turned into.  The film’s other Oscar-winner, Sam Rockwell, also delivers his finest performance to date as Officer Jason Dixon, a true disgrace of a cop whose permanent drunkenness has marred a career which, it turns out, began with some promise; he’s a thuggish force-of-nature, Mildred’s decidedly ineffectual nemesis whose own equally foul-mouthed honesty is set to dump him in trouble big time, but again there’s a deeply buried vein of well-meaning ambition under all the bigotry and pigheadedness we can’t help rooting for once it reveals itself.  There’s strong support from some serious heavyweights, particularly John Hawkes, Caleb Landry Jones, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish and Manchester By the Sea’s breakout star Lucas Hedges, while McDonagh deserves every lick of acclaim and recognition he’s received for his precision-engineered screenplay, peerless direction and crisp, biting dialogue, crafting a jet black comedy nonetheless packed with so much emotional heft that it’ll have you laughing your arse off but crying your eyes out just as hard.  An honest, unapologetic winner, then.

23.  RED SPARROW – just when you thought we’d seen the last of the powerhouse blockbuster team of director Francis Lawrence and star Jennifer Lawrence with the end of The Hunger Games, they reunite for this far more adult literary feature, bringing Jason Matthews’ labyrinthine spy novel to bloody life.  Adapted by Revolutionary Road screenwriter Justin Haythe, it follows the journey of Russian star ballerina Dominika Egorova (Lawrence) into the shadowy world of post-Glasnost Russian Intelligence after an on-stage accident ruins her career.  Trained to use her body and mind to seduce her targets, Dominika becomes a “Sparrow”, dispatched to Budapest to entrap disgraced CIA operative Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) and discover the identity of the deep cover double agent in Moscow he was forced to burn his own cover to protect.  But Dominika never wanted any of this, and she begins to plot her escape, no matter the risks … as we’ve come to expect, Jennifer Lawrence is magnificent, her glacial beauty concealing a fierce intelligence and deeply guarded desperation to get out, her innate sensuality rendered clinical by the raw, unflinching gratuity of her training and seduction scenes – this is a woman who uses ALL the weapons at her disposal to get what she needs, and it’s an icy professionalism that informs and somewhat forgives Lawrence’s relative lack of chemistry with Edgerton.  Not that it’s his fault – Nate is nearly as compelling a protagonist as Dominika, a roguish chancer whose impulsiveness could prove his undoing, but also makes him likeable and charming enough for us to root for him too.  Bullhead’s Matthias Schoenarts is on top form as the film’s nominal villain, Dominika’s uncle Ivan, the man who trapped her in this hell in the first place, Charlotte Rampling is beyond cold as the “Matron”, the cruel headmistress of the Sparrow School, Joely Richardson is probably the gentlest, purest ray of light in the film as Dominika’s ailing mother Nina, and Jeremy Irons radiates stately gravitas as high-ranking intelligence officer General Vladimir Andreievich Korchnoi.  This is a tightly-paced, piano wire-taut thriller with a suitably twisty plot that constantly wrong-foots the viewer, Lawrence the director again showing consummate skill at weaving flawlessly effective narrative with scenes of such unbearable tension you’ll find yourself perched on the edge of your seat throughout.  It’s a much less explosive film than we’re used to from him – most of the fireworks are of the acting variety – but there are moments when the tension snaps, always with bloody consequences, especially in the film’s standout sequence featuring a garrotte-driven interrogation that turns particularly messy.  The end result is a dark thriller of almost unbearable potency that you can’t take your eyes off.  Here’s hoping this isn’t the last time Lawrence & Lawrence work together …

22.  WIDOWS – Steve McQueen is one of the most challenging writer-directors working in Hollywood today, having exploded onto the scene with hard-hitting IRA-prison-biopic Hunger and subsequently adding to his solid cache of acclaimed works with Shame and 12 Years a Slave, but there’s a strong argument to be made that THIS is his best film to date. Co-adapted from a cult TV-series from British thriller queen Lynda La Plante by Gone Girl and Sharp Objects-author Gillian Flynn, it follows a group of women forced to band together to plan and execute a robbery in order to pay off the perceived debt incurred by their late husbands, who died trying to steal $2 million from Jamal Manning (If Beale Street Could Talk’s Brian Tyree Henry), a Chicago crime boss with ambitions to go legit as alderman of the city’s South Side Precinct.  Viola Davis dominates the film as Veronica Rawlings, the educated and fiercely independent wife of accomplished professional thief Harry (a small but potent turn from Liam Neeson), setting the screen alight with a barely restrained and searing portrayal of devastating grief and righteous anger, and is ably supported by a trio of equally overwhelming performances from Michelle Rodriguez as hard-pressed mother and small-businesswoman Linda Perelli, The Man From UNCLE’s Elizabeth Debicki as Alice Gunner, an abused widow struggling to find her place in the world now she’s been cut off from her only support-mechanism, and Bad Times At the El Royale’s Cynthia Eriyo as Belle, the tough, gutsy beautician/babysitter the trio enlist to help them once they realise they need a fourth member.  Henry is a deceptively subtle, thoroughly threatening presence throughout the film as Manning, as is Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya as his thuggish brother/lieutenant Jatemme, and Colin Farrell is seemingly decent but ultimately fatally flawed as his direct political rival, reigning alderman Jack Mulligan, while there are uniformly excellent supporting turns from the likes of Robert Duvall, Carrie Coon, Lukas Haas, Jon Bernthal and Kevin J. O’Connor.  McQueen once again delivers an emotionally exhausting and effortlessly powerful tour-de-force, wringing out the maximum amount of feels from the loaded and deeply personal human interactions on display throughout, and once again proves just as effective at delivering on the emotional fireworks as he is in stirring our blood in some brutal set-pieces, while Flynn help to deliver another perfectly pitched, intricately crafted script packed with exquisite dialogue and shrewdly observed character work which is sure to net her some major wins come Awards season.  Unflinching and devastating but thoroughly exhilarating, this is an extraordinary film (and if this was a purely critical list it would surely have placed A LOT higher), thoroughly deserving of every bit of praise, attention and success it has and will go on to garner.  An absolute must-see.

21.  JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM – Colin Trevorrow’s long-awaited 2015 Jurassic Park sequel was a major shot in the arm for a killer blockbuster franchise that had been somewhat flagging since Steven Spielberg brought dinosaurs back to life for the second time, but (edgier tone aside) it was not quite the full-on game-changer some thought it would be.  The fifth film, directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible, A Monster Calls) and written by Trevorrow and his regular script-partner Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed and JW, as well as Warner Bros’ recent “Monsterverse” landmark Kong: Skull Island), redresses the balance – while the first act of the film once again returns to the Costa Rican island of Isla Nublar, it’s become a very different environment from the one we’ve so far experienced, and a fiendish plot-twist means the film then takes a major swerve into MUCH darker territory than we’ve seen so far.  Giving away anything more does a disservice to the series’ most interesting story to date, needless to say this is EASILY the franchise’s strongest feature since the first, and definitely the scariest.  Hollywood’s most unusual everyman action hero, Chris Pratt, returns as raptor wrangler Owen Brady, enlisted to help rescue as many dinosaurs as possible from an impending, cataclysmic volcanic eruption, but in particular his deeply impressive trained raptor Blue, now the last of her kind; Bryce Dallas Howard is also back as former Jurassic World operations manager turned eco-campaigner Claire Dearing, and her His Girl Friday-style dynamic with Pratt’s Brady is brought to life with far greater success here, their chemistry far more convincing because Claire has become a much more well-rounded and believably tough lady, now pretty much his respective equal.  There are also strong supporting turns from the likes of Rafe Spall, The Get Down’s Justice Smith, The Vampire Diaries/The Originals’ breakout star Daniella Pineda, the incomparable Ted Levine (particularly memorable as scummy mercenary Ken Wheatley) and genuine screen legend James Cromwell, but as usual the film’s true stars are the dinosaurs themselves – it’s a real pleasure seeing Blue return because the last velociraptor was an absolute treat in Jurassic World, but she’s clearly met her match in this film’s new Big Bad, the Indoraptor, a lethally monstrous hybrid cooked up in Ingen’s labs as a living weapon.  Bayona cut his teeth on breakout feature The Orphanage, so he’s got major cred as an accomplished horror director, and he uses that impressive talent to great effect here, weaving an increasingly potent atmosphere of wire-taut dread and delivering some nerve-shredding set-pieces, particularly the intense and moody extended stalk-and-kill stretch that brings the final act to its knuckle-whitening climax.  It’s not just scary, though – there’s still plenty of that good old fashioned wonder and savage beauty we’ve come to expect from the series, and another hefty dose of that characteristic Spielbergian humour (Pratt in particular shines in another goofy, self-deprecating turn, while Smith steals many of the film’s biggest laughs as twitchy, out-of-his-comfort-zone tech wizard Franklin).  Throw in another stirring and epic John Williams-channelling score from Michael Giacchino and this is an all-round treat for the franchise faithful and blockbuster fans in general – EASILY the best shape the series has been in for some time, it shows HUGE promise for the future.

[alltimebestbooks]

Every One Should Read 100 Books

1. Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds 2. The Secret 3. Rich Dad Poor Dad 4. The 5 Love Languages 5. The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women 6. The Power of Positive Thinking 7. Think and Grow Rich 8. Psychology of art 9. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 10. The Magic 11. The Magic of Thinking Big 12. The One Thing 13. Sapiens 14. Eat That Frog 15. Unlearn 16. Influencear 17. How to Win Friends and Influencear People 18. The Six Pillars of Self Estreme 19. Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt 20. Originals by Adam Grant 21. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 22. Endurance by Alfred Lansing 23. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling 24. Romeo and Juliet, by William shakespeare 25. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck 26. Mini Habit 27. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger 28. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life 29. The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi 30. Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 31. Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama 32. Abraham Lincoln 33. The Monk Who Sold Feerari 34. My husband and other animals by Janaki Lenin 35. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford 36. David and Goliath by malcolm gladwell 37. Richest Man in Babylon 38. Willpower 39. Deep Work 40. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 41. The Power of Positive Thinking 42. Confidece 43. 1,000 Books to read before you die/Mustich 44. Mindset 45. The Law of Human Nature 46. The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks 47. The E-Myth Revisited 48. The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith 49. Feynman's Lectures on Physics 50. Atomic Habit 51. Educated 52. A Long Walk to freedom 53. Dear Stranger, I know how you feel 54. Thinking Fast and Slow 55. The Greatest Story Ever Told...So Far 56. Why evolution is true by Jerry A. Coyne 57. The Age of reason by Thomas Payne 58. Batman 59. Mastery 60. The Alchemist 61. Awaken the Giant Within 62. The Game 63. The way of the superior man 64. Eleven minutes 65. The pilgrimage 66. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win 67. Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David, PhD. 68. So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport. 69. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss. 70. The Compound Effect 71. The Power of Habit 72. Good to Great 73. The subtle art of not giving a fuck by mark manson 74. The 80/20 principle by Richard koch 75. GRIT 76. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday 77. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown 78. Mans Searching For Meaning 79. The Power of Subconsious Mind 80. The Intaligent Invester 79. You Can Win 80. The 4 Hours Work Week 81. You Are a Badass 82. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living 83. Start With Why 84. Lifes Amazing Secret 85. Flow 86. 5 AM Club 87. Miracle Morning 88. Unfuck Yourself 89. Make you Bed 90. Stop Doing that Sh*t 91. The Millionare Fastlane 92. Steve Jobs 93. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda 94. THE KITE RUNNER 95. TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE 96. FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN 97. Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool 98. Security Alanysis 99. Spin Selling 100. Business adventures

[iwritestuffsometimes]

another Tag thing (thanks Autumn)

Highlight the true statements in bold (brackets are personal comments)

I am 5'7 or taller

I wear glasses

I have at least one tattoo

I have at least one piercing

I have blonde hair

My abs are somewhat defined (not on purpose. just how i’m shaped) 

I have or have had braces

I love meeting new people

People tell me I’m funny (they’re liars) 

Helping people with their problems is a big priority to me

I enjoy physical challenges (within reason. I ain’t out here doing military drills.)

I enjoy mental challenges

I’m playfully rude to people I know well

I started to say something ironically, now I can’t stop saying it

There is something I would change about my personality

I can play an instrument (a lot of em. Its a southern family. we play music for fun. cause we’re too broke for other forms of entertainment) 

I can sing well (Used to at least. I can carry a tune.)

I can do 30 pushups without stopping

I’m a fast runner

I can draw well

I have a good memory (semi-eidetic. Words and visual things are easiest for me)

I’m good at doing maths in my head

I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute

I have beaten at least two people in an arm wrestle 

I can make at least 3 meals from scratch (poor folk can slap together meals outta nothin yo)

I can throw a punch (14 brothers and sisters. not a lotta money. we played music or we beat each other up.)

I enjoy sports

I have learned a new song in the past week

I’ve gone running at least one week in the summer (Because I had nothing else to do, a private trail to explore, and a lotta steam to blow off. not because I like physical exertion. cause i dont.) 

I work out at least once a week

I have drawn something in the past month

I enjoy writing

I have done martial arts

I have had my first kiss (i have regrets™)

I have watched an entire season of a TV show in one sitting (I’m on my 3rd time this week. Falling Skies. Watch it. Its intense) 

I have had alcohol

I have scored a winning goal in sports

I have been to an overnight event

I have been in a taxi

I have been in hospital/er in the past year

I have beaten a video game in one day

I have visited another country

I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts (Hawk Nelson, Foy Vance, Big Time Rush x2, Dan+Shay x3, Hunt x3, Ed x3, Skillet x3, Heffron Drive, Jason Dunn, Hoodie Allen) 

I have at least one person I consider a best friend

I live close to my school

My parents are still together

I have at least one sibling

I live in the US

There is snow right now where I live

I have hung out with friends in the past week.

I have a smartphone

I have at least 15 CD’s

I share my room with someone

I have a crush on a celebrity (SO MANY. ITS UNHEALTHY HOW MANY)

I have a crush on someone I know

I have been in at least 3 relationships

I have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them

I get crushes easily

I have had a crush for over a year

I have been in a relationship for over a year

I have had feelings for a friend

I have break danced

I know a person called Jamie

I have made a new friend in the past year (do internet friends count?) 

I have eaten a waffle today

I have had a teacher with a last name hard to pronounce ( most of my professors were foreign. I dont even remember their names.) 

I have dyed my hair

I am listening to a song on repeat right now

I know what to do with my life

I have punched someone in the past week (again, we either play music or we beat the crap out of each other.) 

I have known someone who has gone to jail (Hahahahahahhahaha) 

I have broken a bone

I speak at least two languages (speak is relative. I read french. I understand some conversational spanish. I use Sign language on a fairly frequent basis. But I dont speak anything except English) 

[pneumostelos]

O meme mais rapido da Terra

!‘Terminator nunca marchará nos Champs-Elysees’:   Ministro da defesa francês contrário aos ‘robôs letais’ em combate

Aos Memeógrafos!

         Memeadores, memeoreiros, memeoristas,  memeificadores, memeistas, memeoteiros, outeiras, e memeistificadores!

O Papel das Ferrovias no Combate (trecho)Por Edwin A. Pratt, Autor de The Rise of Rail-Power in War and Conquest.

A Teoria da "Guerra Através dos Horários da Ferrovia", de A.J.P. Taylor

Ferrovias e a mobilização para guerra em 1914

A Iª Guerra Mundial não teria sido a mesma sem as ferrovias

A Teoria dos Horários de Ferrovia, de AJP TAYLOR   (como ponto de partida para a Iª Guerra Mundial)

O Papel das Ferrovias da Iª Guerra Mundial 

Trens a Vapor Eram as Superarmas do Século 19

No pasarán! (passarin?)

Est’ce cassava?  

Holberg knew that the satirical content of the novel would cause an uproar in Denmark-Norway, so the book was first published in Germany, in Latin. He thus got a broader audience than he would have gotten in his homeland. The novel made him widely acclaimed across Europe. Danish, German, French, and Dutch translations were also published in 1741.

The book is significant in the history of science fiction, being one of the first science-fiction novels in history along with:

Johannes Kepler's Somnium (The Dream, 1634),

Cyrano de Bergerac's Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon (1656),

Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726), and        

Voltaire's Micromégas (1752). 

The Road to Science Fiction, Volume 1: From Gilgamesh to Wells.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Klim%27s_Underground_Travels#Influence

https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_viaxe_subterr%C3%A1nea_de_Niels_Klim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Science_Fiction#Prominent_Golden_Age_authors 

Prominent Golden Age authors

A number of influential science fiction authors emerged in the early Golden Age (1938–1946), ...

             Asimov said that "The dropping of the atom bomb in 1945 made science fiction respectable" to the general public.[13] He recalled in 1969 "I'll never forget the shock that rumbled through the entire world of science fiction fandom when ... Heinlein broke the 'slicks' barrier by having an undiluted science fiction story of his published in The large, mainstream companies' entry into the science fiction book market around 1950 was similar to how they published crime fiction during World War II; authors no longer could only publish through magazines.[5] Asimov said, however, that[13]

Space opera examples

y así nos gusta a "hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn, spaceship yarn".[8]

Short stories

collection of stories (1939-1962)[20]

Hal Clement, " James Blish, "" (1952), (Book 3 of [NB 1]

Tom Godwin, " Isaac Asimov, " Poul Anderson, "Kyrie" (1968)[21]

Frederik Pohl, "Day Million" (1971)[21]

Larry Niven, " and " Greg Bear, "Tangents" (1986)[21]

Geoffrey A. Landis, "A Walk in the Sun" (1991)[25]

Vernor Vinge, "Fast Times at Fairmont High" (2001)[25]

Novels

Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Robert A. Heinlein, (1952)

Hal Clement, Harry Martinson, (1953)

Fred Hoyle, James Blish, Jack Vance, John Wyndham, Stanisław Lem, Arthur C. Clarke, (1968), The Jagged Orbit

Michael Crichton, Poul Anderson, Tau Zero (1970)[23]

James Gunn, Bob Shaw, (1975)[24]

The Two Faces of Tomorrow

Robert L. Forward, Steven Barnes and (1982)[26]

Michael Crichton, Robert Silverberg (editor), Kim Stanley Robinson, The Green Mars

Ben Bova, series (1992–2009)

Nancy Kress, Linda Nagata, The Nanotech Succession (1995–1998)

Greg Egan, Alastair Reynolds, Paul J. McAuley, (2008)

James S. A. Corey, (2011)

Neal Stephenson,

Films

Frau im Mond (1929)

(1968)[31]

(1970)[32]

(1971)

Silent Running (1972)[31]

(1972)[31]

Dark Star (1974)[31]

Blade Runner (1982)[33]

(1984) – sequel to 2001

(1997)[31]

The Man from Earth (2007)

(2009)[31]

Robot & Frank (2012)

Europa Report (2013)

(2014)

Ex Machina (2014)[34]

Television

Men into Space (1959–1960)

Star Cops (1987)

(2004–2008)

(2015–present)

Anime / Manga

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)

2001 Nights (1984, 1986)

They Were Eleven (1986)

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987)

Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993)

(1999, 2004)

Pale Cocoon (2006)

Dennō Coil (2007)

Rocket Girls (2007)

(2007–present)

Eden of the East (2009)

Visual novels

(1994)

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World (1996)

[artesiant]

Tag meme

tagged by the wonderful @the-noble-idiot

Rules: BOLD the statements that are true for you!

APPEARANCE:

I AM 5'7" OR TALLER I WEAR GLASSES I HAVE AT LEAST ONE TATTOO (i want one tho) I HAVE AT LEAST ONE PIERCING (four actually) I HAVE BLONDE HAIR I HAVE BROWN EYES I HAVE SHORT HAIR MY ABS ARE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT DEFINED ( *laughs flatly* ) I HAVE OR HAVE HAD BRACES (the dark times of my teenage years)

PERSONALITY:

I LOVE MEETING NEW PEOPLE (nothing personal, I just suck at socializing) PEOPLE TELL ME THAT I’M FUNNY HELPING OTHERS WITH THEIR PROBLEMS IS A BIG PRIORITY FOR ME I ENJOY PHYSICAL CHALLENGES I ENJOY MENTAL CHALLENGES I’M PLAYFULLY RUDE WITH PEOPLE I KNOW WELL I STARTED SAYING SOMETHING IRONICALLY AND NOW I CAN’T STOP SAYING IT THERE IS SOMETHING I WOULD CHANGE ABOUT MY PERSONALITY

ABILITY:

I CAN SING WELL I CAN PLAY AN INSTRUMENT (solo toco el timbre) I CAN DO OVER 30 PUSHUPS WITHOUT STOPPING I’M A FAST RUNNER I CAN DRAW WELL I HAVE A GOOD MEMORY I’M GOOD AT DOING MATH IN MY HEAD I CAN HOLD MY BREATH UNDERWATER FOR UNDER A MINUTE I HAVE BEATEN AT LEAST 2 PEOPLE IN ARM WRESTLING (I’m stronger than I look) I KNOW HOW TO COOK AT LEAST 3 MEALS FROM SCRATCH I KNOW HOW TO THROW A PROPER PUNCH

HOBBIES:

I ENJOY PLAYING SPORTS (some of them yes, other.... HELL NO) I’M ON A SPORTS TEAM AT MY SCHOOL OR SOMEWHERE ELSE I’M IN AN ORCHESTRA OR CHOIR AT MY SCHOOL OR SOMEWHERE ELSE I HAVE LEARNED A NEW SONG IN THE PAST WEEK I WORK OUT AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK *laughs nervously* I’VE GONE FOR RUNS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK IN THE WARMER MONTHS I HAVE DRAWN SOMETHING IN THE PAST MONTH I ENJOY WRITING FANDOMS ARE MY #1 PASSION I DO OR HAVE DONE MARTIAL ARTS

EXPERIENCES:

I HAVE HAD MY FIRST KISS I HAVE HAD ALCOHOL I HAVE SCORED THE WINNING GOAL IN A SPORTS GAME I HAVE WATCHED AN ENTIRE SEASON OF A TV SHOW IN ONE SITTING I HAVE BEEN AT AN OVERNIGHT EVENT I HAVE BEEN IN A TAXI I HAVE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL OR ER IN THE PAST YEAR (ugh don’t remind me) I HAVE BEATEN A VIDEO GAME IN ONE DAY I HAVE VISITED ANOTHER COUNTRY I HAVE BEEN TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE BAND’S CONCERTS

RELATIONSHIPS:

I’M IN A RELATIONSHIP (HA! you’re funny) I HAVE A CRUSH ON A CELEBRITY I HAVE A CRUSH ON SOMEONE I KNOW I HAVE BEEN IN AT LEAST 3 RELATIONSHIPS (only once) I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP I HAVE ASKED SOMEONE OUT OR ADMITTED MY FEELINGS TO THEM I GET CRUSHES EASILY I HAVE HAD A CRUSH ON SOMEONE FOR OVER A YEAR I HAVE BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP FOR AT LEAST A YEAR I HAVE HAD FEELINGS FOR A FRIEND (normally I will only have romantic feelings if I’m friends with that someone first)

MY LIFE:

I HAVE AT LEAST ONE PERSON I CONSIDER A “BEST FRIEND” I LIVE CLOSE AT MY SCHOOL MY PARENTS ARE STILL TOGETHER I HAVE AT LEAST ONE SIBLING I LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES THERE IS SNOW RIGHT NOW WHERE I LIVE I HAVE HUNG OUT WITH A FRIEND IN THE PAST MONTH I HAVE A SMARTPHONE I HAVE AT LEAST 15 CD’S (only ten...) I SHARE MY ROOM WITH SOMEONE

RANDOM SHIT:

I HAVE BREAKDANCED (yeah right...) I KNOW A PERSON NAMED JAMIE I HAVE HAD A TEACHER WITH A LAST NAME THAT’S HARD TO PRONOUNCE (we just called him by his first name or “Profe”) I HAVE DYED MY HAIR I’M LISTENING TO ONE SONG ON REPEAT RIGHT NOW (Your mess is mine — Vance Joy) I HAVE PUNCHED SOMEONE IN THE PAST WEEK I KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS GONE TO JAIL I HAVE BROKEN A BONE I HAVE EATEN A WAFFLE TODAY I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE (*shrugs*) I SPEAK AT LEAST 2 LANGUAGES (Spanish, English and German) I HAVE MADE A NEW FRIEND IN THE PAST YEAR

I tag @megatraven @lancemclaen @nalciel​ @hotintrovert​ @flyby-anon​ @baedrien-agreste​ mmmmmm and anyone who wants to do it honestly

[itsworn]

Giant Photo Gallery: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the NHRA Gatornationals

Over 270 Photos of Cars, Stars, and the Sights of 50 years worth of drag racing from Gainesville Raceway

Opened in 1969, Gainesville Raceway has long been a favorite on the NHRA Mello Yello tour, attracting fans from across the globe for a multitude of events, including popular Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals. This year, NHRA and Gainesville Raceway teamed up to celebrate the Gatornationals Golden 50th Anniversary of the famed event.

Considered one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit, Gainesville Raceway has produced the first 260-, 270- and 300-mph Top Fuel runs. In 2019, the Gatornationals thrilled once again with record-setting performances and a host of specialty events.

T.J. Zizzo put on a great show, wheeling his Top Fuel Dragster to a best of 3.75 at 328 mph and scoring a semi-final finish.

The schedule was packed with Stock Eliminator, Super Stock, and the full list of sportsman classes, including Pro Stock Bike, Pro Stock, Funny Car and Top Fuel. Highlighted categories included the SAMTech.edu Factory Stock Showdown, E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod, Top Fuel Harley, and the “Unfinished Business” match race showcasing legendary drivers of the sport.

The Unfinished Business line up included Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, Warren “The Professor” Johnson, Joe Amato, Shirley Muldowny, Terry Vance, Ed “The Ace” McCulloch, Kenny Bernstein, and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. The eight drivers battled in 14-second Toyota street cars and the racing was intense. In the end, “The Professor” took the Fuel drivers to the mat, dropping them one by one until he was crowned champion.

Craig Bourgeois climbed the mountain in Comp Eliminator, taking the title with his super-cool A/ND (A/Nostalgia Dragster). Bourgeois nailed a perfect light in the final and out ran Comp veteran Randy Daniels for the win.

Pro Stock bike saw the debut of 3-time time NHRA champion Angelle Sampey on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and 200 mph runs from the two-wheelers. Sampey clocked a 6.81 and a top speed of 198.47 mph in qualifying to lock into the 6th slot, meanwhile, Matt Smith and Eddie Krawiec produced 200 mph runs. On Sunday it was an all-Vance & Hines final, with Andrew Hines beating Krawiec (6.75/199.17 mph to 6.75/198.90 mph) for the gold Wally.

Excitement continued in each and every class, but had our spotlight on the SAMTech.edu Factory Stock Showdown (you can read the fully FSS story on HotRod.com). This is the newest NHRA heads-up category showcasing Cobra Jet Mustangs, Chevy COPO Camaros and Dodge Drag Pak Challengers. These modern warriors go to battle with in a production-based supercharged steel cage match full of horsepower, burnouts, wheelies, and 7-second, near 180 mph performance—all from factory-built cars that run on 9-inch tires!

Jason Line readies his Summit Pro Stocker with a sweet burnout.

Former Pro Stock racer Drew Skillman was the class of the field in Gainesville, running a class record 7.71 at 176 mph and scoring his first FSS win. Skillman has previous wins in NHRA Stock, Super Stock, Pro Stock, and now he adds a FSS victory to his resume.

The action didn’t stop there. We witnessed insane Pro Mod runs, high flyers in Stock and Super Stock, and after four days, hard work paid off for teams who took home the commemorative Gold Wally trophies. It was great to watch former Car Craft magazine feature car owner Randi Lyn Shipp win Stock Eliminator in her ’67 Pontiac Firebird, then, her fiancé, Bo Butner took home gold in his Pro Stock Camaro. We could go on and on about the winners and hard chargers, but it’s way more fun to dig into the photo gallery. So kick back and check out the color, horsepower, and amazing action at the 50th Anniversary NHRA Gatornationals.

Funny Car is a fan favorite in Gainesville. Robert Hight scored the win with his AAA-backed Fuel Coupe running 3.86 at 331 mph to beat Tim Wilkerson in the final.

Scott Gove made the tow from Maine count, qualifying his wicked ’93 Dodge Daytona on the Super Stock pole. Gove ran an impressive 7.90 with his small-block, five-speed combination.

NHRA drag racing is all about horsepower, and the SAMTech.edu Factory Stockers make tons. This is the pole-setting ’plant of Bill Skillman, a Holbrook Racing Engines creation that propelled his 2014 Cobra Jet to a 7.74 and a top speed of 177.14 mph.

Former HotRod.com feature car owner, Randi Lyn Shipp outlasted the field in Stock Eliminator to take home the Gold 50th Anniversary NHRA Wally trophy. Her fiancée Bo Butner followed suit, winning Pro Stock.

Jeff Harrington was the top qualifier in Stock Eliminator with his all-motor 5.0L Cobra Jet. Harrington’s CJ wears a throwback Platt & Payne Ford Drag Team scheme.

Todd Tutterow qualified second in E3 Spark Plugs Pro Modified with a 5.67 at 250 mph. the pole was set by “Fast” Stevie Jackson (5.66/253 mph) and the bump was an amazing 5.75.

Drew Skillman made the move from Pro Stock to Factory Stock count, winning in his debut race.

Former Super Stock winner Anthony Bongiovanni lasted until the semi-final with his powerful Cobra Jet.

Nitro Harley has to be one of the wildest classes in all of drag racing. Here, Doug Vancil powers his Vance & Hines mount to a 6.18 at 237 mph in qualifying.

NHRA drag racing is an international sport with drivers from all around the globe. In fact, there were quite a few from Sweden, including Mikel Lind, who is a regular with his sharp ’71 Vette. Lind ran as quick as 10.52 and lasted a few round in Stock.

Adam Strang, of Jericho, Vermont, made the long tow down the east coast and qualified his ’68 Firebird in the 11th spot, running 10.45 in C/Stock. Strang lasted four rounds with his four-speed Bird before losing to Slate Cummings.

Former world champion Eddie Krawiec ran over 200 mph on his Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Street Rod motorcycle.

Fan favorite Leah Pritchett competed in Factory Stock Showdown and Top Fuel.

John Gray competed with his retro-painted AA/SA ’69 Camaro. Gray ran 9s with the big-block Chevrolet.

You’ll see just about every type of muscle car at an NHRA event from old to new. In Gainesville we spotted Chuck and Steve Comella’s real-deal Hemi Dart. Yes, this is one of the originals and it’s still making trips down the quarter-mile. Driver Steve Comella nearly made it to final, but a -0.001 red light got him in the semis.

The Gatornationals is four days (and nights) of pure American muscle.

Another fun runner is Shelia and Stan Holt’s small-block, four-speed Chevy II. Stan handled the driving duties in Florida, running a best of 10.23 in GT/M.

The post Giant Photo Gallery: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the NHRA Gatornationals appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/giant-photo-gallery-celebrating-50th-anniversary-nhra-gatornationals/ via IFTTT

[jasonheart1]

Common Ground: Rush attack critical on road

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The statistics widen eyes. 

As much as any time in the last 15 years, the NFL has become a passing league. Quarterbacks own 11 400 yard games through the first quarter of the season. Scoring is up. Ratings are up. Star slingers are upright.

Then there's the Broncos. They are a dial-up connection in this wireless world. Their offensive identity through four weeks remains a physical running game. They have found common ground with rookies Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman. The pair has combined for 486 rushing yards and four touchdowns. 

When listing reasons why this team should be better on the road, it starts with a gas-guzzling ground attack. 

"It all goes back to our offensive line doing a great job, moving people," Lindsay told Denver7. "We have to be ready to be physical and bang."

The Broncos are running because they can -- and must. The passing game continues to struggle through clumsy moments. Case Keenum has thrown 20-plus passes in three straight games without a touchdown. The last Broncos quarterback to do that was John Elway in 1986.  His six interceptions rank tied for second most. 

So it's no wonder, the run game remains paramount. Denver ranks top three in yards per game (148.3), yards per carry (5.59) and touchdowns (six). 

"We are built to win on the road, because we can run the ball and that's huge. We can stop the run and we can rush the passer," coach Vance Joseph said. "Rushing the passer is huge on the road. It's just a matter of when we get in tight games being detailed in our assignments."

Or as cornerback Chris Harris Jr. put it, "We are just a better team than last year, and it should pay off."

That sounds good. But validation is required in the standings, not press conferences. Denver has won only one road game in its last nine attempts. The Broncos have been outscored in their losses by an average of 13 points. That is a truth they can't run from, unless, of course, they run like hell this week against the Jets (They allow 108.3 yards per game).

"I think they're both fast, their both powerful inside and outside runners," Jets coach Todd Bowles said. "Both are great receivers as well."

Footnotes

Punter Marquette King, whose job security has come into question because of lacking performance, missed practice with a thigh injury. Others out were Adam Gotsis (knee), Jared Veldheer (knee and appears unlikely to play at this point) and Todd Davis (shoulder). ... Cornerback Adam Jones was excused for personal reasons. .... Harris Jr. said he suffered a full body cramp during the Chiefs game. He received two IVs, and finished with his feet cramping. "That's the worst I have ever felt," Harris said. ... Joseph said he helped with the defensive play-calling last week, insisting it's no different than a year ago. However, he never revealed last season that he was involved with the gameday play-calling. 

Enjoy this content? Follow Denver7 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and download the Denver7 app on iOS and Android devices for continual access to breaking news, weather and sports. Want Broncos news? Denver7 Broncos insider Troy E. Renck is your source. He talks to the players, covers the games and reports scoops on Denver7 and the Denver7 app. He is a CU grad who has covered pro sports in Colorado since 1996, including 14 years at The Denver Post. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and TheDenverChannel.com’s Broncos page. Troy welcomes most of your emails at Troy.Renck@kmgh.com.

from Local News https://www.thedenverchannel.com/sports/broncos/broncos-believe-road-work-will-pay-off