#bucks county batman

[haaskirby52]

Central Texas Profiles - Fredericksburg, Texas

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[zooterchet]

Marilyn Manson Buys Three People (President Brown, Agent Brady, Lieutenant Charlebois)

Reggie Brown ("Morris"): Forgery artist, presidential impersonator; lifted Barack Obama's signature to buy INTERPOL for Britain. 

Tom Brady ("Bucks"): CIA athlete, assassinated Bristol County Sheriff's Department, Dr. Golden retired.

Dave Charlebois ("Ded"): Batman posture, wrote self as Joker, mastered by Heath Ledger, sans glitz and glam; OJ Simpson incarcerated, Jesuits removed from powers of Congress.

Mutual Covers: Mayor Adam West, Mo Lewis Hit on Drew Bledsoe ("Morris"). Dr. Golden Castration with Wepner medication to prep for Muhammad Ali, Blown NY Giants game ("Bucks"). Mackelmore Election, Castrated NY GIants ("Ded").

[mmelonheadd]

FOR WHEN YOU CAN’T BE BATMAN

Because not everyone can afford a $12,000 batsuit (Looking at you, Bucks County Batman) and because not everyone who wants to be a superhero is able-bodied. Some of us are in wheelchairs. Some of us have anxiety so bad we can’t leave our houses. Most of us are dead broke.

My philosophy: life could be a comic book if we all just tried.

Can’t leave the house? If you’re reading this post, you have at least limited access to the Internet and you have a blog - so be a light for others. Be a kind word. Spread your wisdom. Speak your truth. Report the news because the revolution may be televised, but the revolution is also a victim of political spin and propaganda. Don’t have the spoons? Hit that reblog button. Share that article. And remember that taking care of yourself is important, too. Sometimes that’s all you can do, and that’s okay.

If you’re able to leave home and make a go around your neighborhood, pick up litter. All you need is a big trash bag and a sandwich bag/gloves for your hands. If you use a wheelchair, a trash picker will be an invaluable asset.

If you live in an area with a homeless population, make care packages. Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Comb. Deodorant. Sanitary products are an absolute MUST. A list of phone numbers for local homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, soup kitchens and other resources is also a great idea.

Volunteer work doesn’t always mean cleaning dog kennels at the local shelter (and as someone with sensory issues... thank goodness for that), and not every volunteering activity requires an able-bodied individual. There are even virtual opportunities out there.

When it comes to protests, not everyone can grab a megaphone and lead the crowd - and not everyone should. I know I’m not that person... but I can absolutely pass out water bottles and Clif bars. I can keep a first-aid kit on hand. I can carry a bottle of milk for mace victims.

Can’t make it to the protest? If you’re financially able, you can bail out protesters or donate supplies to Amnesty International ... but if you’re like me and living on disability, you can sign petitions online or through text messages. Call or email your local representatives.

If you’re able to - shop at black-owned businesses. Shop at Native-owned businesses. Go to restaurants owned and operated by people of color. Support your local pit bull rescue. Support outsider artists at the flea market.

NEXT UP: Looking The Part (Whatever the Hell That Means)

- Melonhead

[scaryscarecrows]

Bat-recs

Y’know, for fun! Add your favorites; we were all new to this hell at some point, maybe this could be useful for someone.

Batman: Gothic

This was actually the second one I bought; it came across my table when I volunteered at a used library books organization. Two bucks. Immortal murderer? Haunted underwater monastery? Generally freaky? Sign me up! NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THE WEE BABES, we got child murder, mentions of sexual assaults, and a literal head in the trash can. Poor Bruce. This story put him through the absolute wringer and I want to hug him.

The Cult

Also freaky! Bane says he broke Batman. Bane broke Batman a few years LATER; Blackfire...jeeze, man. (So far, two for two on the whole ‘immortal evil religious figure’. Hm.) Psychological horror out to HERE, and there’s a couple of pages that just WORK so WELL, when Robin!Jason finally finds poor Bruce. Also not for children, here there be a lotta bodies. And rats. And Bruce being...uh...well, we don’t need to talk about that now.

Scarecrow Year One

MY FIRST AND FAVORITE. (Ahh, evil religious individual! But not immortal this time.) Jonathan Crane’s backstory-one of them-with bonus Batdad content. Sean Murphy's sketchy artwork works really, really well for, well, Scarecrow, and Baby Crane is a little cutie. Protect him at all costs. Eh, if you or your kid’s a frightened type, the swarms of attacking crows might be a bit much, but there’s no corpse-stacks or child murder this time.

Li’l Gotham

Tired of everything hurting? Say no more. Tooth-rotting fluff is HERE. Batfamily getting along. Damian loves his mom and she loves him back and I am HAPPY ABOUT IT. This is what you’d think DC is like all the time, based on fic. Worth having for when they inevitably ruin something else. The same team has since done Once Upon a Crime, which is also precious.

White Knight

Did I see ‘Sean Murphy’ and smash the preorder? Yeah. Do I decree that this Ivy design is the best Ivy? Yeah. Elseworlds/Black Label, so he’s free to deconstruct Batman...and Batman’s proclivity for destroying Gotham in the pursuit of one asshole. (I feel a little called out, given my driving in Arkham Knight.) Has a sequel, and I’m waiting for the TP, but I’m sure I’ll love it just the same. Harley’s looking good here, guys; she is taking no shit AND she’s not being treated as a bimbo. She has brains and she’s not afraid to use them! Eh, mild nudity and violence, but barring Jason Todd’s standard woes, I’d rate it about the same as SYO in terms of ‘will this traumatize my kid?’

Under the Red Hood

1) No kids. There’s a bag o’ severed heads lovingly detailed like, five pages in. Red Hood ain’t Batman, a fact that he would like to make very clear.

2) THE SASS. THE SAAAAAAASS. EVERYBODY IS A SNARKY BASTARD AND I LOVE IT ALL. Well, almost all. I will grant that the animated film fixed my one big grievance with the ending. :) Seriously, though, ‘oh, my goodness gracious! I’ve been bamboozled!’ is golden and I’m WAITING for that line to make it to screen. Don’t be cowards, DC.

Haunted Knight

Everyone’s gonna rec The Long Halloween, as well they ought, but Haunted Knight-same team-is also great. Scarecrow’s design is...I’m torn between loving it and wanting to yeet it into the sun, but it works for him. This is a short story collection featuring Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, and and a Bat-ified Christmas Carol.

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth

OKAY. This is sort of like The Long Halloween in that it’s frequently considered ‘required reading’, but I do legitimately enjoy it; it’s very, very, creepy. THIS is where the Arkham Asylum game takes a lot of its inspiration; the Rogues do not go to Batman. He goes to them. This also establishes Arkham’s history. I will say that you should pick up a newer edition with the annotated script included (most of them have it now) because there’s a LOT of symbolism in the art that you might miss, and knowing it really adds to the experience. I’d totally teach this in a psych class, though. Or an English class. It’s great. Bonus for everybody having their own style of dialogue: Joker does not have speech bubbles, for instance, Bruce is  black and white. Really gives you an idea of how they talk. It’s also nice that most of the Gallery gets some page time, even if they don’t talk; Scarecrow, for instance, has no dialogue, but he doesn’t need it. His presence is enough. Hard R-rating for scary images and implied childhood sexual abuse.

The Animated Series

Yup. Start here. START. HERE. Every major rogue (and several obscure ones) gets an episode in the limelight, Bruce is at his absolute best-that perfect combo of ‘gettin’ real tired of your shit, Villain of the Week’ and the compassion that’s gone missing lately-Harley looks great (and, y’know, LIKE A HARLEQUIN), and although it is kid-friendly, it doesn’t treat the viewer like a kid, so you can enjoy it as an adult. (You’re a lying liar who lies if Baby Doll’s episodes didn’t make you teary-eyed. It’s okay. There’s no shame to be had.) Bonus: Dick Grayson is a little ray of sunshine compared to Batman, but that’s not all he is and the writers remembered that. :) And, well...

Iconic.

The Arkham Series

These are almost the animated series for a more mature audience (complete with a lot of the same voice casting!); murder is now allowed to be confirmed. If you’re intimidated by the comics, this is also a good place to start. Again, all the major rogues and a few lesser-knowns get some time to shine, the characterization is working (Bruce is not here for Joker’s shit, but he can still take a minute to calm down a panicking guard), and yeah, I love the designs.

Look at my baby. THAT is legitimately frightening. 10/10, would run from again. Bonus: not only do we get Alfred, we get three whole Robins AND Oracle. That said, while the games give you PLENTY of options to go ‘I’m Batman’, Bruce takes almost none of them, so you have to do it. You gotta. It’s the law.

EDITED TO INCLUDE

Gotham County Line

Batman deals with the psychological guilt of not being able to save everyone, and there are...zombies. Sort of. Amazingly, Scarecrow is nowhere to be seen, yet Bruce does admit, straight-up, ‘I’m afraid’. Me too, Bruce. Me, too. 

10/10 for creep factor here. I went into this unaware it was possible to be scared of Alfred. It is. It is possible. I am a changed woman now. Nothing really...comes of it...but I swear, I turned the page, and this was waiting for me:

Mommy...

Also unsettling; the hanged man in general. A+ unsettling artwork, I’m sure that guy will haunt me. Added bonus: Zombie Robin Jason popping in to save Bruce’s bacon, because he is a good boy, and Zombie Waynes being proud parents. I did not expect the Feels Crowbar...but it was a nice surprise.

[kwebtv]

Character Actor

William Boyett (January 3, 1927 – December 29, 2004)  Actor best known for his work as the low-key but authoritative Sergeant William 'Mac' MacDonald on the police drama Adam-12.

In 1954, Boyett played respected settler Jim Hardwicke in the Death Valley Days episode "11,000 Miners Can't Be Wrong". It details the competition between  Columbia and Sacramento to be the capital of California. When he informs the sheriff (Glenn Strange) that he had killed a man in self-defense,  Hardwicke is forced to stand trial. Political influence coerces the jury to find  Hardwicke guilty. His lawyer, Ed Barrett (Gordon Barnes), develops a bizarre scheme to free his client from the hangman's noose. Barrett steals from a safe in the local bank a petition with 11,000 signatures of persons who want Columbia to be the capital, rewrites the first page to call for a pardon for Hardwicke, and appeals to the governor, who is impressed that so many signed. The governor orders Hardwicke's release, but Columbia loses out to Sacramento

Boyett was often cast as a law-enforcement officer, and portrayed that role in such diverse series as Gang Busters, The Man Behind the Badge, I Led 3 Lives, M Squad, The Detectives, Sea Hunt, Batman and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

Jack Webb, the executive producer of Adam-12 selected Boyett for the role of  Sgt. "Mac"  MacDonald after several performances (such as playing Sgt. Sam Hunter) in both iterations of Webb's Dragnet. (Boyett can also be seen uncredited as a Baliff in the 1954 movie version.)  Boyett stayed with the series for its entire 1968–1975 run. Boyett also supported Broderick Crawford in 64 episodes of Highway Patrol as either Officer Johnson or Sergeant Williams.

He also made eight guest appearances on CBS's Perry Mason throughout the series' nine-year run, mostly in law-enforcement roles. In 1962, he played slain police officer Otto Norden in "The Case of the Hateful Hero". The defendant was his rookie partner James Anderson played by Richard Davalos, cousin of series regular Lt. Anderson played by Wesley Lau. He also played a corporate executive, Buck Osborn, in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Renegade Refugee". In the 1961 My Three Sons episode, "Fire Watch", he was a forest ranger.

Boyett appeared in a number of television programs, such as Official Detective, Navy Log, Laramie, Tales of the Texas Rangers, I Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (uncredited; "The Secret Sceptre Affair" from 1965), The Andy Griffith Show, Family Affair, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, The Rockford Files, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Rescue 8, Ripcord, Murphy Brown and Night Court. He also appeared in numerous episodes of Emergency! as Chief McConnikee of Los Angeles County Fire Department's Battalion 14. (Wikipedia)

[trenchkoat]

transgender name & gender mark change resource post.

So now that everything is said and done, I want to talk about my experience about working to get my legal name and gender marker changed. I live in Florida, so prices and locations will obviously differ. Brevard County, Melbourne thankfully as all of their legal offices together in one section, so it’s easier to travel back and forth. This is in hopes that helps people to get it done as quickly as possible, as the information I found on an official Transgender Equality site was grossly outdated. I did these at the same time after my name my hearing was complete and all I was asked for at the SSA and DMV were for the court order and the affidavit. That’s literally it. It was done in 15 minutes once we were up.

DISCLAIMER: This may not be relative to all counties, states, etc. However, this is not a controversial case and your agents under no circumstances are legally obligated to give their opinion or refuse you because you are transgender. This is an every-day thing for them. If you ever wind up with a clearly troubled agent that refuses your name changed based on your gender orientation, file a complaint, I don’t know the process, but do something, holy hell.

IMPORTANT: If you are changing your female or male name to another that is for the opposite gender (say, Debra to Michael or vice versa), you will be asked to provide an affidavit from your physician, therapist, or - if you’d had top surgery in my case, from the acting surgeon who performed this surgery. I was given it after I was checked out as a patient, I imagine others do this as well. DO NOT LOSE THESE DOCUMENTS. The affidavit will also be used as proof for your gender change.

I. Filing for the name change.

I made the unfortunate error of looking to the internet for this information instead of asking those who created it in the first place. Of course, like me, you might be turned around as well and not be aware of the many branches of the government and who takes care of what.

First of all, the Court of Clerk is responsible for all of this, and there is no charge to go or do anything, especially if it’s to ask questions! Once I was at the desk, I explained that I actually had no idea what I was doing, but this (outdated) packet told me that this is where it all began. You have to go to the one in your county that you are currently residing in and be able to provide an address of that residency.

Everything begins with the Legal Petition for Name Change, or Petition for Legal Name Change, however it may be worded. You’re allowed to ask for a copy of this and I imagine, if it’s not free, a copy of the entire thing and everything document you’ll need to fill out (you may need to ask for more information on certain points like me) would be like... two bucks? Even certified copies of documents are inexpensive.

1. You will need to visit your local sheriff department and request your prints are taken for background check. This was about $20. You don’t have to tell them what it’s for other than a background check and legal name change.

A note: At any time you can have the file actually, well... filed. It ranges from county to county, state to state, but comes to somewhere around $250 to $401. I know this sounds expensive and yes it is, but I imagine this is so their time isn’t wasted for people filing for their name to be changed to “Batman V. Superman”. This is a serious legal matter.

2. This is usually the suggested first step as the background check can take from a week to a month, maybe more. I imagine it depends on the location and what their work looks like. This will be sent electronically as a sealed document to your Pro Se agent you will have submitted and filed everything with - this agent is still at the Court of Clerk and you will be directed to them. Once this is all there, along with everything else in the document filled out, your case will be listed “complete” and ready to proceed to the next step.

Another note: Everything in the packet is pretty basic, your name and history of work, asking if you’ve ever been bankrupt, etc. You will have to (at least I did) list as many residences you’ve lived at since you were born so this is something I went to the parents for. If you do not have this access, I imagine you can ask them if you can put the last one you remember. For example, I had some missing and I said neither my mother nor myself knew where it had been; this didn’t affect anything at all for us.

II. The hearing itself.

Once everything is uploaded to your case number, including the background check which again may take longer than expected so it’s advised to get it done ASAP and file along with it, no waiting game. You will be assigned a judge, a case number, and be asked to call the judge’s secretary (not sure of the actual job title, I’m sorry, Theresa) to arrange a court date.

I was told that you will not be able to choose your day or time.

Now, as I mentioned before, in Brevard all our legal branches are in one district, rather right across from one another or on a different floor. For me, on the date of my hearing, it was on the third floor of the same building as the Court of Clerk. I signed in, waited until I was called, and went in.

They might ask you to fill out the Final Disposition form as best to your knowledge (of course not signing for the judge, that would be stupid), I forgot to because I was in a rush but that’s alright, Theresa helped me out with that.

NO THIS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE OPEN COURTROOM YOU SEE IN SHOWS AND MOVIES. Or, God, I hope it doesn’t for any of you. That would be insane. It was simply in the honor’s chambers. She came out and sat down and welcomed me. The process consisted of handing her my information and affidavit. She read everything, it all looked good, and she asked me the usual questions after I swore that I would tell the whole truth, etc. I am doing this to escape bankrupty or any legal trouble? Things like that.

When asked to give a reason, you merely have to say that you are transitioning and looking to change your name to your now preferred. If they ask for any proof regarding your “trans-ness” (and I can’t imagine that is in the least bit professional) you are not obligated as far as I know? Because that’s most likely a breach of your own privacy and overall... shitty???

Once it was all squared away, she signed and wished me a good day! Theresa made me official copies to keep, and others were e-copied to my official files.

It was done.

II. The judge isn’t responsible for the gender marker.

This comes down to the SSA (Social Security Administration), and I had been turned around by this. It apparently isn’t a “legal” matter in terms of the judge needing to be convinced, as far as my research has led me. All they require is that affidavit, as well as your court order for name change if you’re doing them at the same time and... yeah, it was easier.

Again, no questions other than if I’m doing this to avoid yadda-yadda or have malicious intent. It took about... five minutes of my agent typing before going “okay, it’s done” and handing me a paper declaring that I had this done on said date. It didn’t cost anything.

She said it would be an “overnight refresh” for the system to log this actual change to be used for the DMV, but as far as I was concerned, it was official! And very, very shocking how smoothly and just... unbiased the interaction was. 24 to 48 hours is the suggested waiting period before going to the next part...

III. The DMV, getting that license/ID.

Okay, so the DMV can be horrible sometimes but not always and in regards to this, those agents still aren’t allowed to refuse your service based on you being transgender because you literally have legal documents and the SSA to prove them wrong.

All you have to say is you’re looking to update your name and gender marker on the license, you’ll be asked to provide the infamous documents we’re all learning to love to carry back and forth everywhere and it should be set. They might ask several times to check everything to make sure there are no mistakes.

If you’re updating your address from an old one, they’ll need two kinds of proof of this address, I don’t think it matters if your older name is on there, I remember that being stated. I literally did not have anything so she offered to, no joke, give me a basic level fishing license that would have my name and the address I wanted on it. This counts as an official document they can use.

So now I can properly go off-shore fishing, I guess.

I think for my initial ID it cost $20 to print but this time it was around $37, so obviously be prepared to pay for the new one. It’s nice and shiny and please look nice when you go because oh god, I had to ask politely if I could retake. My hair was a cowlick mess.

BEFORE I FORGET: Since they’ll clip your previous card to mark it’s no longer valid, it doesn’t hurt to ask if you should hang onto it in case you need to provide further proof of your “previous identity”.

IV. Other things you will need to update ASAP.

Obviously, you should have your birth certificate “amended” but I have not reached out to do this yet as I can file for it through the mail. And you should be able to anywhere, just look up where your closes Department of Vital Statistics is, what they’re called, visit their site to see if you can do it only, through mail, or go there for an appointment if that’s easier.

Note: I went through the process of filing for the name change but it didn’t give me the option of the gender marker change there so it’s probably best, if you go through mail or in person if you get the same as me on your branch’s site.

You’ll need all your lovely files packed up and ready to go, further proof of identification (SSN, I imagine, original certificate) and that’s why I would think going in person is better. Having those very vital documents being handled and wondering if it will end up in the wrong hands... yeah. I don’t know how long this process takes and I’m not really headed for it ASAP so okay maybe this one isn’t an emergency. As far as I know, the only thing a birth certificate is used for, or the reason you would need it amended, is to update your passport with new name, gender, etc. And yeah, oh, duh, put your passport on the list if you’ve got one.

I literally have no idea if everyone just has one or only needs one for if they’ve traveled out of the country before. My father is from England so we did a lot of bouncing back and forth.

NEXT!

Okay, this one actually is very important and should be done same-day or as soon as you can. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR NAME ON YOUR BANK ACCOUNT(S). I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT THE HELL WOULD HAPPEN IF SUDDENLY YOU WEREN’T ABLE TO ACCESS IT. You will have to show everything to your bank branch to get it updated for your account, again it’s a very unbiased and easy action. I was even given an enthusiastic congratulations from the clerk, it was very nice. There was no charge, I was given temporary checks as a back-up if anyone needed proof of who owned the account.

They did not cancel my current card but a new one will be mailed to you at the address provided with it. That didn’t change for me so updating that is beyond me. I imagine it’s the same as the rest.

Less immediate things that come to mind are things like... subscriptions to delivered goods, Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, sites like that. Obviously your paypal but the name change request is pretty easy through this process since you can now just fill out the form. I haven’t done it to its entirety yet but I assume they’ll ask for the scan of your new ID.

IV. Other notes and general advice.

> If you post your exciting news online anywhere with a photo of your new license, I recommend censoring out your DOB, current address if it’s on the front, obviously, and at least most of your ID’s number. Seems small but it’s still information that strangers who past the photo can use.

> This may take longer than it did for me, but that doesn’t make it any less exhausting. I couldn’t sleep sometimes, I barely had an appetite as the days crept closer and the anxiety was pretty normal. It lingered once I got home with everything done... but it faded. What came next was PURE, UNADULTERATED EXHAUSTION. Please take whatever time off you need to recover or just regroup and let yourself breathe. I’m still waking up having no idea if the process was real or not and I am suffering from this weird disconnect of it all??

> Go crazy, celebrate! You did it!  I treated myself with ice cream and a nine-hour nap. For some this might be a mid-step or their last. I am a trans man who has yet to be on testosterone to for me, that feels like my “last” step in transitioning. There aren’t real milestones in transitioning, however, everyone goes at their own pace and does what feels comfortable to them. 

Wherever you are in your journey, I’m very proud of you.

If you see information that may be confusing, please don’t hesitate to message me personally asking for clarification and I’ll try to get back to or ask someone who may know.

If you want to include fees and locations and advice regarding your own county and state, please, please do. As I said, this was only for Brevard County in Melbourne, FL. I can’t imagine it doesn’t differ here and there.

Good luck, everyone.

[outoftowninac]

TORCH SONG

1930

Torch Song is a three-act play by Kenyon Nicholson. The original production was produced and staged by Arthur Hopkins. It starred Mayo Methot (later wife of Humphry Bogart) as Ivy Stevens, Russell Hicks, Reed Brown Jr., Henriette Kay, and Guy Kibbee. 

The play takes place in Ohio. It tells the story of cabaret performer Ivy Stevens who is having an affair with a traveling salesman. She is dumped in a 'Dear Jane' letter and finds solace by joining the Salvation Army.

The play had its world premiere at Nixon’s Apollo Theatre on the Boardwalk and New York Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  

The play opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre  (now the Gerald Schoenfeld) on August 27, 1930 and ran for  87 performances.  

At the very end of 1930, after the Broadway production had closed, a San Francisco production of the play managed to book original Broadway cast members Mayo Methot and John Junior to recreate their roles at the Alcazar.  

Meanwhile, Guy Kibbee was recreating his role in a production in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Also in December 1930, original cast member Dennie Moore went back to Atlantic City for an out-of-town tryout of Made in Hollywood. 

Under the working titles Torch Song and Complete Surrender, the film adaptation premiered in May 1931 as Laughing Sinners.  

The film was made by MGM and faced censorship for its treatment of an illicit relationship, mixed with the religious nature of the Salvation Army. 

Joan Crawford played the lead sinner, with Clark Gable replacing the originally cast Johnny Mack Brown after filming had begun. Neil Hamilton would later find fame as Commissioner Gordon on TV’s “Batman”. The only member of the Broadway cast to repeat his role in the film was Guy Kibbee. 

In an odd twist of cinema history, Marjorie Rambeau, who played one of Crawford's fellow showgirls, would play Crawford's mother 22 years later and receive an Oscar nomination for her role in a musical film called Torch Song. The two films are otherwise unrelated.

The film played Atlantic City at the Strand, on the Boardwalk opposite Steel Pier. 

During the 1930s, playwright Kenyon Nicholson moved to a farm in the Stockton, New Jersey area where a colony of actors and playwrights (Moss Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II) had begun to grow. Several of them, with Kenyon, co-founded the Bucks County Playhouse at New Hope, Pennsylvania, just across the river from Stockton. Kenyon directed many of the Playhouse's early productions. He died in 1986 in nearby Trenton, New Jersey, at age 92. 

[isobel-thorm]

I don’t have a quote or anything for a prompt but I’d love to see your take on your deputy meeting Sharky, or maybe some random crazy incident with cultists. Just general Sharky shenanigans please lol

Sharky’s Angels (The Good, 70′s Kind) 

(Putting both of my Deps in again because I need to buck up and write Grant’s fic)

After all the shit Deputies Nic and Grant go through, Sharky invites them for a night out on the town. It goes about as well as a night on the town hosted by Sharky could go: Shit’s on fire, John gets a confession, and there’s a giant chunk of the last night missing from their memory. At least one of them wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“I mean, seeing as y’all helped liberate the place, you should come out for a night. See how we really live it up in Falls End!”

For Deputy Grant Lyons and Nicolette Raylan, Sharky’s invitation for a night out was just what they needed. Their time in Hope County was a bigger clusterfuck than either of them could have anticipated, and after almost dying twice daily for the last week, they needed a fucking break, and a beer sounded great. 

They felt bad that Staci and Joey weren’t there to join them, but they hoped the others would do the same in their shoes so they accepted.

And then word got out that they were showing up to party, so nearly every single townsperson had shown up for a drink and to encourage the two deputies to unwind.

Of course, their idea of unwinding after everything was picking the corner table in the bar, nursing a couple of beers each and watching everyone have fun. They didn’t want to let their guard down, considering they had discussed that if the rumor that they were going out for the night reached the entire town, it would probably get back to John, and he’d gladly crash the party.

However, by 10pm, the only danger was Sharky nearly elbowing every single person on the dance floor as he did some odd, hilarious combination of the little jumping jig he did when they had first met him, the robot, and disco moves.

The pair of them were nearly in tears when Sharky stepped on his tenth victim’s toes, jumped back and blubbered a quick apology before getting right back into it- but not before he tried to wave them over.

They had waved and promised to get on the dance floor ‘in a little bit.’ Sharky had taken it upon himself to give them a ten-minute limit. He had come back, done a couple of shots and dragged the pair of them onto the dance floor. They had caved for his sake, danced together for a couple of songs, and then retreated quickly back to their table.

Sharky had drifted back a song later, taken another shot and declared “Shark Attack is on the prowl!”

Within minutes, Sharky had been hanging off of every third girl in the bar. Grant wasn’t sure who to feel worse for, the women or Sharky. He liked the man and considered him a friend- something both of them had very few of. But watching the man in action when all he talked about was his prowess in eating women out, well, it was... something. Once he caught a few of Sharky’s attempted conquests women giving him a pleading look with a side helping of bedroom eyes, he felt even worse.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. Nicolette had spotted a couple of them and full-on cackled. “Oh, Grant, you’ve got some admirers…”

“Shut up,” Grant elbowed her.

She didn’t. “The blonde over there is sexy.”

“If you’re into that,” Grant countered.

“I kinda am,” Nicolette replied.

Grant chuckled. “Careful, John’s liable to get jealous.”

“Shut up.”

Grant laughed. “I’m not the one giving the enemy sex eyes every time I’m in a hundred-foot radius of him.”

Nicolette opened her mouth, then shut it firmly and jabbed a finger in his face.

Grant grinned, til he realized what it meant. If he knew about any of her trysts before they arrived in Hope County, he’d give her shit, and she’d respond with something about him pining over Staci. And now out of the genuine goodness of her heart, she couldn’t bring herself to mention Staci with all the trouble he was in, miles away and in Jacob’s clutches. He forced a smile and kissed her cheek to make up for the mistake he had essentially forced on her. 

She smiled reassuringly at him, then looked at the other women who were still looking to Grant for help. She turned back to him, reached over, and finger walked from his abs to his chest and grinned that little up-to-no-good smile of hers. 

Grant smirked as he caught on and tried to look like a man very much in love with the woman beside him - which wasn’t far off. If platonic loves of someone’s lives existed, she was his. 

Still, the show worked, because the women immediately seemed to fall for the trick and disappeared back into the crowd. 

“Thank you,” Grant sighed. 

“Don’t mention it.” 

The sound of someone being slapped echoed throughout the room and they turned towards it to see a redheaded woman storming away and Sharky holding his cheek that had the visible edges of a bright red handprint on it.

“Oh, Honey…” she sighed.

“You gonna go Legally Blonde him or save him in general?” Grant asked.

“Legally Blonde,” she replied. She rose to her feet, tossed her hair and stuck her chest out- then promptly stopped in her tracks when she noticed the redhead talking to a bulky man who was easily a foot taller than Grant and a few inches wider. “Abort, abort, save him, save him now!”

Grant was already halfway across the floor before she had even corrected herself. He tossed one arm around Sharky’s shoulders to block him from view as he dragged the man through the densest crowd and slid out the side entrance before Mr. Tall and Menacing could find him.

“The fuck man?! I was just getting somewhere with Ellie May-”

“Yeah, and the last one’s boyfriend was gonna make you Sharkbait. Ya get me?” Grant hissed.

Sharky stared at him for a solid few seconds like he very much did not get Grant, but after a few added seconds, the lightbulb went off. “Man, you guys are so cool, swoopin’ in with a rescue. Like my own personal angels without the bliss. Ha, you’re Charlemagne’s Angels. But yeah, Harry’s a dick.”

Grant blinked at him. “You mean you know that guy… you know what, nevermind. I don’t wanna know.”

Sharky waved his hands, then looked around. “You know what would make this party way better? My black label.”

“Your what?” Grant asked, just as Nicolette finally rejoined the group.

“Liquor I made! I don’t even remember what’s in it or what it’s supposed to be. I just remember trying to blend whiskey, moonshine and absinthe and hopin’ for the best.”

Nicolette sighed and cupped his face in her hands. “Sharky, I love you, but how’re you not dead?”

“Will to live, disco, and pyromania,” Sharky replied without missing a beat- like he had rehearsed it.

The two deputies merely exchanged glances, but said nothing.

Sharky looked between them. “So, you in or not?”

Nicolette sighed. “Fine. Whatever. I do kinda miss letting loose.”

Sharky absolutely beamed, then looked at Grant hopefully.

Grant sighed. “Someone’s gotta make sure you two don’t fucking die.”

“YES!” Sharky jumped up and down. “Wait, goddamn it, John ruined that word. HOO-RAH! That’s your word, right Grant? Wait, Jacob ruined that one too.”

Grant immediately felt some of the buzz he had accumulated fade out at the reminded that he had the Army in common with that fucking psychopath. “Let’s just go, Sharky.”

“YEAH! … Wait-”

“SHARKY!”

“Okay, let’s go.”

——————————————-

The moment Grant came to he knew two things:

One, he was never ever drinking again.

Two, he was never ever trusting Sharky again.

He let the night sky come into focus, and prayed he had only lost a matter of hours and not days in whatever drunken stupor this clearly was. He was dimly aware of orange glows spotting the edges of his visions, but the fact that the last time he had seen this exact sight was after the fucking helicopter crash, he immediately had one giant glaring priority. “Nic?!”

There was suddenly a reassuring pat on his chest. “I’m here, but at what cost, holy shit. I can’t feel my body.”

Grant merely groaned in agreement. “Where’s Sharky?”

No idea. “I kinda want him to stay lost right now,” Nicolette supplied.

“What the fuck is on fire?” Grant asked.

“Kind of been terrified to look.”

“… On three?”

“On three.”

“One… “

“Two…”

“Three,” they said together, then awkwardly tried to help each other into a sitting position and turned towards the larger mass of orange off to their right- and promptly stared in awe as well as confusion.

Sharky was leaning casually against what they could only assume was the Telecom Tower- which was somehow rigged with burning ropes or sheets,  spelling out ‘FUCK YOU JOHN’ in giant letters that anybody within a few hundred feet of the tower could see clearly. 

The moment the man spotted them, he beamed, and they were horrified to see that he looked no worse for wear when they weren’t entirely sure they had survived the night. He jogged over. “There y’all are! Man, you two sure know how to party more than anyone expected.”

“Who…?” Nicolette asked, motioning at the sign.

“Why?” Grant cut in.

“Oh, that was a mutual decision on all our parts,” Sharky explained. “We wanted to do something that would annoy the man but not enough to get him to come and ruin the fun. Man, Grant, you scaled that thing so quick, it was some Spider-Batman shit.”

Grant gawked at him, then at the top of the tower. “I did…?”

“Hell yeah you did! Nic tied the shit together and stayed on the ground to run damage control in case John did show up and she could and I quote ya, Nic, for the record- ‘take one for the team like Addie suggested and get us out of it.’”

Nicolette gripped Grant’s arm tight enough that the man knew he’d have a bruise. He pried her hands off of him.

Sharky looked between them again, then grinned. “Hoooolllllly shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. You guys don’t remember shit, do you? That’s hilarious.”

“It’s really not,” Nicolette objected.

Sharky waved at her dismissively. “Whatever. I got you guys to unwind. You’re welcome.”

After ten seconds of dead silence and Sharky shrugging, announcing he had to take a piss and leaving the area to do so, Grant finally spoke. “… … I’m gonna kill him.”

“I might actually help yo-oh my god, don’t turn around.” Nic cut herself off and reached for him.

“What, you see his dick?”

She sighed. “The other thing that was on fire, you idi- NO I SAID DON’T-”

But Grant had, and stared as he saw smoke billowing out of the windows of what used to be an orange pickup truck.  “IS THAT MY TRUCK?! BOSHAW!”

Nicolette flinched, not willing to see whatever carnage was about to occur when Grant stood up and faced Sharky. 

“What?! You were insistent that ‘fuck you John’ needed an exclaima- fuck you run fast for a big guy with a hangov- OH GOD.”

Nicolette winced harded at the sound of the pair of them hitting the ground, Sharky yelping a couple of times, and then the familiar sound of Hungover Grant Regretting All His Life Choices. Well, Sharky was spared- for now. They just needed to find a new truck. Wouldn’t difficult in the long run.

The radio at her hip clicked on, and she reached for the transmitter. “Fuck off, John.”

“… I understand the sentiment entirely, but I ain’t him.”

Mary May. “Fuck. Sorry. Flight Captain Asshole’s been really adamant about talking to me lately.”

“Honey, you were kinda adamant about talking to him last night,” Mary May cut in.

“Funny thing about that is that I don’t remember any of it so I can willfully deny it,” Nicolette countered. 

“Plead the fifth. Charming.”

“Plausible deniability,” she corrected.

“God, Nic, do you remember anything?” Mary May asked.

“Should I?” she replied.

Mary May was silent for a moment, then laughed. “Aaaand another victim falls to Sharky’s black label. We’ve all been there.”

“Should. I?” Nicolette repeated. “… What the fuck did I say to John?”

“Oh, nothing to him, thank God. You just kinda tried to yell at him through us because ‘he always does it to you and it’s annoying as fuck’,” Mary May replied. “My personal favorite was ‘John I’ve got a confession for you. I confess to thinking you’re a little bitch.’ But that was really early in the night. Was that other message to John at the tower your doing too?”

“Apparently.”

“Shit, you really don’t remember. Well, turns out y’all took a bunch of pictures  before you disappeared.”

Right, so this was probably going to be their version of The Hangover. Fantastic. “Please tell me I’m fully clothed in all of them.”

“Uh, well, it looks like you are in the latest few, but now I’m afraid to check.”

“We’ll be back at your place in ten.” Her body throbbed at the mere implication it was going to have to move soon. “Make that twenty.”

“I’ll expect you in half an hour.”

“Thank you. Love you.”

“See ya later, Nic.”

Nicolette switched the radio off, groaned and then leaned back again, only to hit her head on something. She glanced to the side and saw some sort of liquor bottle. She picked it up, opened it and gave it an experimental sniff. The resulting full-on assault of her sense of smell confirmed that it was whatever this Black Label was. She could dimly hear Grant snoring in the distance- the very stuff in the bottle she was holding had provided a hangover that could knock people back unconscious. It was a damn mess. She swore, then after making a quick, all-life-choices-questioned decision of her own, took a quick pull. Hair of the dog that bit you seemed like a smart idea if it ended that bad after a bender. She regretted it immediately since every part of her body burned as it went down and it left an abhorrent aftertaste.

“Hey! Nic! You still with me?!” Sharky called after a moment.

“Yeah, still with ya!”

“Awesome! Woman outlasts the fucking man, good for you!”

She merely groaned again. “Sharky, I hate you. So much.”

“No, ya don’t.”

“Kinda wanna right now.”

“As if you could ever. You got this far, you’re stuck with me. Ride or die, Darlin’!”

“Ride or die,” she chorused. She cracked one eye open, and as much as it pained her to admit it, his answering ear to ear grin made the whole entire fiasco worth it.

[hermanwatts]

Sensor Sweep: Howard Days, Derleth Christmas Card, Tolkien Society Seminar

Robert E. Howard (Orthosphere): Considering that he died at thirty, Howard’s literary accomplishments can only impress.  Stylistically, he operates at a level many ranks above that of the typical pulp writer.  His vocabulary includes a rich lode of Latin and Greek derivations and likewise of English archaisms.  Brought up, from age thirteen, in the small and isolated Texas town of Cross Plains, in Callahan County, in the middle of the state, Howard almost miraculously overcame a lack of educational resources and acquired a reserve of knowledge in history, literature, myth, and folklore that would shame the modern holder of a college degree in any of those subjects.

Science Fiction (Wasteland & Sky): Ever since the Pulp Revolution started, the main kickback has always been from the older set who think it exists to erase their past when it exists for the exact opposite. The whole reason the movement sprung up was because of those who began looking into the past and were finally discovering what Fandom was actually doing was rewriting and destroying what came before. They were doing it for their own gain, chasing out anyone who wanted what they had mere years earlier.

Gaming (Monster Hunter Nation): I talked about this in the last blog post about the Yard Moose Mountain Mega Shooting Weekend, where I had shooters from all over the country coming to my place for three days of pistol training, about how one night I ran a one off RPG session for 17 of them, and by some miracle it actually turned out good. When this got posted about on Facebook right after, a whole bunch of gamers asked how the hell do you run a game that big and not have it suck, so here’s how we pulled it off.

Tolkien (Breitbart): “The Tolkien Society has announced that the theme of its 2021 Summer Seminar, held July 3 – 4, will be ‘Tolkien and Diversity,’” reports the Daily Wire. Here’s a sampling of what Woketard Tolkien Fanboys  can expect — you know, those whose lives are so empty, this is how they choose to spend a weekend: Gondor in Transition: A Brief Introduction to Transgender Realities in The Lord of the Rings. Pardoning Saruman?: The Queer in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The Lossoth: Indigeneity, Identity, and Antiracism.

Robert E. Howard (Adventures Fantastic): This past weekend was the 2021 Robert E. Howard Days. After last year’s cancellation, it was a much needed gathering. And while many of the regulars weren’t able to attend, the number of first time attendees made up the difference. The gift shop sold out of almost all the books they had in stock.

Awards (DMR Books): John Bullard is a good guy doing Crom’s work over at the Robert E. Howard Foundation (REHF). The other day, John sent me the list of REHF award recipients for 2020 and 2021, which were announced at Howard Days in Cross Plains a week ago. I should note that Corona-chan canceled last year’s Howard Days, so the 2020 awards were handed out this year. Check ’em out below. I’ll post my comments below that.

Fantasy (Goodman Games): Linwood Vrooman Carter was born on June 9th, 1930 in St. Petersburg, Florida. In the august company of his fellow Appendix N authors, Lin Carter is a figure both of high esteem and some controversy. As an editor and critic, he is indispensable, most notably for his role in editing the landmark Ballantine Adult Fantasy series (BAFS), which ran from 1969-1974 and re-introduced such luminaries as Lord Dunsany, William Hope Hodgson, and Clark Ashton Smith to the fantasy-reading public.

Pulp (Pulpfest): Today we celebrate the 125th birthday of TIME magazine’s “dean of science fiction writers,” William Fitzgerald Jenkins — a.k.a. Murray Leinster. An avid inventor who also happened to have a knack for writing wonderful speculative science fiction, his career spanned much of the 20th century.

Fiction (Realms of Night): In the early 1980s, Zebra Books published a four “issue” anthology series bearing the title Weird Tales and the stylized logo familiar to fans of the pulp greats who were published in The Unique Magazine. Weird Tales has been called the magazine that never dies, but most would agree it’s had a largely beleaguered existence since the late 1950s. It has appeared at various times in a newsstand digest format, a full-size traditional magazine format, and — perhaps the most successful post-Golden Era run of the magazine — a very nice perfect bound magazine during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Comic Books (National Review): How can you not know who Neal Adams is? He gave the world the modern Batman and Joker! Revived Green Arrow and the X-Men! Created the first Black superhero for DC, the John Stewart Green Lantern!

Robert E. Howard (Dark Worlds Quarterly): “The Fire of Asshurbanipal” (Weird Tales, December 1936) by Robert E. Howard is the point at which adventure fiction and horror meet. The story was found in a trunk with a note to be sent to Farnsworth Wright in case of the author’s death. This is according to Glenn Lord who published the first version of the story in The Howard Collector #16 (Spring 1972). Lord gives us a little preamble with:

RPG (Modiphius): We’re delighted to announce that Conan The Adventurer arrives in print! This latest sourcebook for the Conan Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of RPG is available now on Modiphius.net and coming soon to a retailer near you. Here are the details on this fascinating new sourcebook which is also available in PDF format on Modiphius.net and DriveThruRPG.com.

Comic Books (Arche-arc): Upon completing my viewing of the FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER streaming series, I’m moved to comment on some of the parallels between Kevin Feige, founder of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Stan Lee, the founder of Marvel Comics in its crucial sixties incarnation.

Comic Books (Irmonline): I have gone into the first series run of What If? by Marvel from 1977 to 1984, with 47 issues. The title series continues to find numerous use over the years with Marvel. There is a second series that starts in 1989 and ends in 1998, with 115 issues including a #0. After that, Marvel releases a few mini-series, or one-shot stories, that go under the title What If?.

Fiction (DMR Books): I like Vikings, specifically Viking fiction. I certainly have an interest in the history, and the sagas make for dense but fascinating reading, but my first love is pure, heart-pounding adventure. I remember first learning about Vikings back in grade school, when we briefly covered the Viking explorations of the New World, the discovery of Greenland, Vinland and Viking settlements on the Canadian east coast long before that Italian explorer came along and spoiled everything.

Gaming (Game Rant): Skyrim is packed full of references to the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Its last DLC, Dragonborn, saw the inhabitants of the isolated town of Raven Rock fall under a mysterious trance-like state that was leading them to build strange obelisks, with only the faintest memory of doing so. While some The Elder Scrolls quests are full of surface-level Lovecraft allusions like this, the series’ metaphysical lore makes the connection explicit. The same can be said for Obsidian’s upcoming first-person fantasy RPG, Avowed.

Cinema (Talking Pulp): Beyond the Black Rainbow. I really dug Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy, a film that sort of came out of nowhere a few years ago that in some ways, boosted and reignited Nicolas Cage’s acting career. I don’t think that it was long-lasting but his role in Mandy proved that the dude can still bring it and excel when given the right part in a movie. Cosmatos only has one other film and, at this point, it’s already over a decade old. It’s been in my queue since I saw Mandy, however, so I felt like checking it out was long overdue.

Star Wars (Tor): The Star Wars movies are notable for spinning off into a wide variety of other media and related products, including TV shows, books, comic strips, comic books, radio dramas, toys, housewares, and other products. Since the series was largely modeled on the old Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials, this is no surprise, as both of those properties were also adapted into a variety of formats and merchandise, something George Lucas certainly noticed and emulated. Today, I’m going to look at two of the first Star Wars tie-in books, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye and Han Solo at Stars’ End.

Pulp (Fantasy Literature): The Universe Wreckers initially appeared as a three-part serial in the May, June and July 1930 issues of Hugo Gernsback’s Amazing Stories magazine, the first publication to dedicate itself solely to science fiction. This legendary magazine started publishing in 1926, the same year that Hamilton’s very first story, “The Monster-God of Mamurth,” appeared in Weird Tales, when its author was 22. The Universe Wreckers would then, sadly, go OOPs (out of prints) for over 80 years, until Haffner Press resurrected it for inclusion in one of its mammoth Hamilton anthologies.

Gaming (Arkhaven Comics): Last month, IGN decided that the hill to die on this week was Palestine.  They printed some article on giving aid to Palestinian Children* that I didn’t care about and didn’t read because I haven’t read anything from IGN for years and I wasn’t starting now.  However, IGN Israel did read it and screamed at the corporate owners. Ziff-Davis roused itself from its dreamy lassitude and made the accurate but surprising decision that this article had nothing whatsoever to do with gaming or popculture and spiked it.

Fiction (Allied Authors): Years ago on this Allied Authors website in “A Derleth Christmas Card,” I touted an unexpected find I made in a local antique store: a series of unique Christmas cards issued by Wisconsin’s famous author — and close friend of Allied Authors — August Derleth. Unexpected, because even in his home state, Derleth’s proverbial backyard, such finds are fewer and farther between, with his fame continuing to grow.

Comic Books (AE Index): An excellent representation of EC original art in an inexpensive format. Along with full-page scans of original art, this features an introduction by Annie Gaines Ashton, exhibit introduction, and twelve short essays or personal recollections from noted EC fans. There are also four double-page enlargements of art, three successful and one blurry. The scans are mostly clear with a few soft or blurry issues.

Review (Rough Edges): There’s no sophomore jinx for the second issue of MEN’S ADVENTURE QUARTERLY. It remains one of the most impressive, beautifully designed publications available today. The theme this time around for this oversized trade paperback is Espionage. It features a lot of vividly reproduced artwork, including both covers and interior illustrations, from a variety of the Men’s Adventure Magazines published in the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies, along with seven stories (mostly fiction, even the supposedly true ones) from those magazines.

Cinema (Neotextcorp): When Rhodesian writer Daniel Carney’s unpublished novel The Thin White Line ended up in the hands of producer Euan Lloyd, it fit perfectly with his ambitious plans to make a grand-scale star-studded war adventure film in the vein of Where Eagles Dare. The novel toyed with the rumor about a mysterious 1968 plane landing in Rhodesia allegedly carrying a mercenary force, and when screenwriter Reginald Rose adapted it for film, director Andrew V. McLaglen was hired to bring it to life based on a decisive recommendation from the great John Ford. The cast was loaded with heavy-hitting names such as Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Krüger, Stewart Granger, Jack Watson, Frank Finlay and many others.

Sensor Sweep: Howard Days, Derleth Christmas Card, Tolkien Society Seminar published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

[nightmare-afton-cosplay]

Pennsylvania Mansion Built for Joan Rivers Is This Week’s Most Popular Home

realtor.com

Once upon a time, Joan Rivers had a quixotic dream. The trailblazing comedian wanted to build a Beverly Hills-inspired celebrity enclave in Bucks County, PA—and make a fortune in the process.

A remnant of Rivers’ vision wound up as this week’s most popular home on realtor.com®. A report in March in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the one-of-a-kind home and the odd confluence of Pennsylvania and Hollywood yielded a wave of clicks.

Folks were eager to check out the residence built for Rivers and her husband, Edgar Rosenberg. Rosenberg died in 1987 at age 61, and Rivers died in 2014 at age 81. Though Rivers never moved in and her planned community never materialized, the curious saga spurred interest in the home, which is now on the market for the first time since 1989.

The other most popular homes this week included an immaculate mansion in Tennessee being sold by former University of Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones, the “Ivy House” from Season 5 of “Fixer Upper,” and a double A-frame, also in Tennessee, known as Twin Peaks.

This week’s list of the 10 most popular homes from around the country has a little something for everyone. Take a look!

10. 15835 Feeny Ct, Charlotte, NC

Price: $1,195,000 Why it’s here: Live everyday as if it’s a vacation! This waterfront home has a pool, hot tub, floating deck, fire pit, outdoor kitchen, and just about everything a person would possibly need to unwind.

Built in 2006, the four-bedroom home has plenty of room for entertaining indoors as well. Upgrades include wood ceilings, a wet bar, and separate living quarters with an additional kitchen and bath.

Charlotte, NC

realtor.com

———

9. 7368 Hart St, Mentor, OH

Price: $230,000 Why it’s here: This charming four-bedroom Colonial was built in 1880 and is a short drive from Lake Erie. It’s on a large corner lot, and highlights include a lovely wraparound porch, detached garage, and hot tub.

Mentor, OH

realtor.com

———

8. 42 Barnfield Ln, Gorham, ME

Price: $975,000 Why it’s here: This custom-built Colonial Revival is on the market for the first time since it was built in 2013.

The 2.5-acre lot includes the 6,000-square-foot main house, a two-car garage, and a “car barn,” which can house five cars or any number of outdoor toys.

Lush landscaping surrounds a pool and large patio.

Gorham, ME

realtor.com

———

7. 1821 Old Bay Springs Rd, Laurel, MS

Price: $229,000 Why it’s here: Although it wasn’t touched by Ben and Erin Napier, this cute cottage with a yellow door is in the heart of “Home Town” country.

Built in 1961, the three-bedroom home underwent a recent top-to-bottom makeover, including a new yard and new roof. If you’d like to follow the crowds to Laurel, this is a turnkey opportunity.

Laurel, MS

realtor.com

———

6. 1642 S. Mountain View Rd, Sevierville, TN

Price: $54,900 Why it’s here: Lovingly called “Twin Peaks,” this distinctive residence is actually two attached cabins. Each has its own great room and kitchen, bathroom, and loft.

It’s an ideal property for use as a rental or in-law unit. Each cabin also has decks in front and back, with gorgeous mountain views.

Sevierville, TN

realtor.com

———

5. 6271 Batman Rd, Zionsville, PA 

Price: $595,000 Why it’s here: This place will make your dollar stretch—it’s an actual mansion for only $49 per square foot.

The original stone farmhouse dates to the 1850s, but an addition in 2004 boosted the home to a jaw-dropping 12,000 square feet.

Out back, you’ll find a custom, carved-wood entertainment venue. The entire property measures 6 acres.

If you don’t want this much space for yourself, the listing suggests that the home could be turned into a spa, healing center, or wedding venue.

Zionsville, PA

realtor.com

———

4. 1945 Oakleigh Way, Knoxville, TN

Price: $3,795,000 Why it’s here: No more Vols. Former University of Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones is selling this huge, six-bedroom mansion situated on 4 wooded acres in a gated community.

Highlights include a circular front drive, screened porch, and lush backyard.

Knoxville, TN

realtor.com

———

3. 334 Ridge Ave, Newtown, PA

Price: $1,499,999 Why it’s here: Designed for entertainment, this home boasts an indoor gym and home theater, spa room, and music room.

Built in 1990, the five-bedroom home measures 8,000 square feet.

Outside, the grounds include a putting green, fieldstone patio, fire pit, and beautiful views.

Newtown, PA

realtor.com

———

2. 401 Elmwood Rd, Woodway, TX

Price: $549,900 Why it’s here: The Gaines effect strikes again! This 1960s-era ranch appeared on Season 5 of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” and was transformed into the “Ivy House,” a chic rustic coastal retreat in the middle of Texas.

Joanna Gaines‘ signature touches run throughout the four-bedroom home, from the sliding barn door in the dining room to the shiplap in the office.

Other features include the double-sided stucco fireplace, archways, and custom pergola outside.

Woodway, TX

realtor.com

———

1. 29 Beverly Hills Rd, Warminster, PA 

Price: $2,695,000 Why it’s here: 90210 meets Bucks County? Custom-built for Joan Rivers, this palatial estate on Beverly Hills Road was intended to be a centerpiece of a master planned luxury development dubbed “Two Ponds.”

The 10-acre property boasts a main house with seven bedrooms, seven-plus bathrooms, and 12,500 square feet of living space.

It was built in 1989 by a developer, Thomas Pileggi, who was Rivers’ partner in the planned development. Rivers never moved in, and Two Ponds never came to be, after an intense, prolonged zoning battle with the local community.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the estate was eventually purchased by a non A-lister. It’s now back on the market for the first time since it was finished.

The only remnant of the original Two Ponds vision is the home’s aspirational address.

For a buyer in search of home with a backstory, this huge house deserves top billing.

Warminster, PA

realtor.com

The post Pennsylvania Mansion Built for Joan Rivers Is This Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/pennsylvania-mansion-built-for-joan-rivers-most-popular-home/

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The durable Mr. Broad | Cricbuzz.com

Broad endures even as the scrutiny over him seldom subsides. ©Getty

There’s a yarn Graham Said likes to tell about Stuart Broad’s time at Hoppers Crossing CC, a club situated about half an hour’s drive from Melbourne. In between opening the batting and bowling for the club during the winter of 2004, Broad helped out with Said’s handyman business to earn a few extra bucks.

One day, Broad was mowing lawns on the side of a hill. He had just completed a section and walked over to ask Said something. But Broad had forgotten to secure the lawnmower. He and Said watched aghast as it rolled down the hill, perfectly bisected the gap between two parked cars and kept rolling across a busy road before coming to a halt on the other side. Remarkably, no damage was done.

It’s a good job, then, that Broad made it as a cricketer. He probably wouldn’t have cut it as a gardener.

Sixteen years after his winter at Hoppers, Broad is England’s second highest Test wicket taker with 485 wickets. He will almost certainly become only the fourth fast bowler ever to pass the 500-wicket mark. Some of the most iconic and extraordinary spells of English Test match bowling have come from Broad’s right hand and his union with James Anderson has resulted in one of the greatest bowling combinations in the history of Test cricket.

But despite a record that puts him in the rarefied company of Glenn McGrath, Courtney Walsh and Dale Steyn, Broad’s exploits are often underappreciated. Firstly, there’s the Anderson problem. In any other era, Broad would have been the undisputed star of England’s show. Instead, he’s often portrayed as the Robin to Anderson’s Batman, judged not on his own merits, but in light of those of his opening partner.

Then there’s the questioning of his place, the assumption that others could do better, which has bubbled under the surface of his entire career. If you Google ‘Stuart Broad should be dropped’ you will see a host of former players who have, at one time or another, called for him to be left out.

Even now, his place continues to be under pressure. Despite a stellar 2019, there was a chance that he could be left out for the second Test in South Africa this winter after a quiet opening game of the series. The scrutiny on Broad has rarely ever let up.

And yet, he has endured, for 138 Test matches and counting. How has he done it, and as the end of his career draws ever nearer, what will his legacy be?

***

Broad was just 18 when he played at Hoppers the winter before he made his first-class debut. Hoppers’ Mark Craig had played for Edgerton Park in Melton Mowbray, Broad’s junior club, a couple of years before as part of an exchange agreement between the two clubs. “Broady was probably about 5′ 9″ then, tubby, bowled fourth change and wanted to be a batsman,” Craig remembers of his time in the UK. “Two years later, when he arrived at Melbourne airport, he was 6’4″. With that extra height he was really sending them down.”

On the pitch, Broad had a decent, if unspectacular, season in Australia but he remains in touch with many at the club, including Said and his wife Sue. Unbeknown to the players, he went back to watch the first XI during one Ashes tour. When the short-leg called for a helmet, Broad put one on and ran it onto the pitch. The players all wondered who this random bloke was in jeans and a shirt, until Broad took off the helmet, handed it to the short-leg and ran back off the field.

“He hasn’t changed,” Craig says. “For who he has become, a worldwide name, he still remembers these people. There’s not one person who has ever had a bad word to say about him.”

A few months after arriving home from Australia, Broad made his Championship debut for Leicestershire. Ottis Gibson, who would go on to become England’s bowling coach on two separate occasions, was opening the bowling for the midlands county. “He was a tall, skinny guy who wanted to bowl fast,” Gibson remembers. “His action was all over the place. But he steamed in.”

Broad had come late to fast bowling, seeing himself as a batting all-rounder even when he first signed for Leicestershire. But gradually, his bowling became his strongest suit. “The one thing that I was always quite impressed with was how hungry he was to learn stuff,” Gibson says. “He was quite ambitious, even from that young age. He would tell me he wanted to play for England.”

His Test debut came two and a half years later, in Colombo, but his first two years in international cricket were a struggle. After 21 Tests he was averaging in the high 30s with the ball and had taken more than three wickets in an innings just twice. The final Test of the 2009 series against Australia, at the Oval, was therefore a vital game both for Broad’s immediate Test future and, with the series tied at one apiece, England’s Ashes hopes.

Coming on fifth change, Broad took five wickets in four overs to decimate Australia’s first innings, setting up an Ashes reclaiming victory. It was the first of Broad’s magic spells. It would not be the last.

The Oval Test of 2009 – a turning point for Stuart Broad. ©Getty

In all, Broad has taken five wickets or more in a single Test spell seven times. No other seamer in his generation comes close to matching this feat. Since Broad’s debut, Anderson has done it four times, while the likes of Steyn – who is known for his ability to change a match – has three five-wicket spells in that time.

“On one of those rolls, the surprise is not that (Broad) takes wickets but the deliveries that don’t,” says Mike Selvey, the former England seamer who has watched most of Broad’s career as a journalist. “I’ve seen no other England bowler do that so consistently and perhaps only Curtly Ambrose beyond that.”

It has become a cliche to say that Broad is having one of his days when he runs in, kicking his knees up high like pistons in a steam engine. But the knees do have a bearing. “We always talked about attacking the crease,” Gibson says. “When he gets too stretched out in his run-up, he starts to reach for the crease and that’s where his front arm tends to sweep him out of his action a little bit.

“When he keeps his running nice and compact and he stays centred at the crease, stays tall, that’s when he gets the best out of himself. When he’s picking his knees up, he’s actually beautiful to watch from side on and he really gets his action right.”

David Saker, England’s bowling coach from 2010 to 2015, picks out Broad’s 6 for 22 in 9.3 overs during the Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street in 2013 as his most memorable spell. “He was just charging in,” Saker says. “He had the crowd behind him and he was like the ringleader of the circus. He was just in control of the game.”

Gibson chooses Trent Bridge in 2015 when Broad took eight Australian wickets for 15 runs before lunch on the first day. It was an Ashes spell for the ages that almost didn’t happen. Broad wanted to bat first if England won the toss. “I am looking around thinking, jeez I’d love to be bowling in these conditions,” Gibson laughs. Thankfully Alastair Cook won the toss and bowled.

Five months after his Trent Bridge heroics, Broad took 6 for 17 at the Wanderers against South Africa, which included a spell of five wickets for one run, to essentially decide both the match and series. Find a clip of the ball that dismissed AB de Villiers. Woof. Of all his famous spells, Broad regards the Wanderers one as his most satisfying.

***

Amongst those magic spells, however, have been difficult matches and difficult series. That is no surprise during such a long career and by Broad’s own admission, some of the criticism directed his way has been justified.

He struggled badly in the early Tests of the 2011 home summer against Sri Lanka, for instance. Perhaps it was a hangover from the disappointment of being ruled out of the previous winter’s Ashes tour after just one and a half Tests. Broad was bowling well at the time. Australia’s Brad Haddin reckoned Broad’s spell with Anderson on the third afternoon at the Gabba as the toughest bowling he had ever faced. But then a side injury struck and Broad had to deal with sitting out the business end of an historic overseas victory.

Eighteen months later, on the 2012 tour of India, Broad played another bit part in England’s first win in the country for 27 years, dropped after two wicketless Tests. His relative lack of control at that stage of his career had been exposed. “That’s probably the only time I’ve ever seen Stuart really struggle with his confidence,” Saker says. “He’s a pretty confident guy but for the first time he seemed a little bit down on himself, he was trying to look for answers why it wasn’t working.”

A few years later, Broad had a barren run of 26 Tests without a five-wicket haul between early 2016 and March 2018. The magic spells had gone AWOL. He struggled on the 2017-18 Ashes tour, averaging close to 50, and admitted to being at a career cross-roads. “I never felt like he had a shocking tour actually,” Shane Bond, England’s bowling consultant for that series, says. “I thought he bowled consistently. I couldn’t fault Stu’s attitude, the way he ran in, tried stuff. Sometimes it just doesn’t go for you.”

Do these quiet periods prove Broad has inherent fallibilities as a bowler? Or does his reaction to them prove that he is a champion cricketer? After all, following nearly every setback he has faced, Broad has come out fighting.

When the jury was out on him as a Test bowler in 2009, he came up with an Ashes winning spell. He steamrollered India in 2011 to the tune of 25 wickets in four Tests – which included a hat-trick at Trent Bridge – following that poor series against Sri Lanka. After the disappointment of the tour to India at the end of 2012, he took 62 wickets the following calendar year from just 14 matches.

The ‘celebrappeal’ comes out when Broad’s on a roll ©

In the two years since the poor 2017-18 Ashes tour, Broad has shortened his run-up, worked on his action and wrist position and taken 86 wickets in 24 Tests at an average of 24.66. Such resilience is the preserve of the very best players.

“There’s a reason why you bounce back and it’s that attitude,” Bond says. “That’s what stood out about Stuart for me and why he’s been a brilliant bowler for so long. He has got that competitive nature, he keeps coming in and he doesn’t give up.”

“He seems to be very good at coping with pressure,” Luke Fletcher, a longtime teammate at Nottinghamshire, adds. “He doesn’t speak about it but I think he knows. That’s when he steps it up. He’s got that drive to step it up, some other people would struggle. It’s almost that he likes to be in that position weirdly. It gets the best out of him.”

***

Competitiveness is a word that crops up whenever you talk to people who know Broad. He loves nothing more than being centre stage, taking on the responsibility to try and make a difference. “In the 2015 World Cup, I know we got beaten quite heavily in the first game against Australia, but the one man that stood up with the ball, big crowd, big occasion, was Stuart,” Saker says. “He just seemed to always rise to those big occasions.”

He’s the same in county cricket. “His competitiveness is what puts him above the rest,” Fletcher says. “He has bowled spells where I have thought it doesn’t seem like he’s bowling any different to any other county bowler. But then in the same game, when it’s on the line, he will have a spell where he completely rips a team out. He’s always close to doing something remarkable.”

A number of Broad’s most memorable Test spells have come when a series or match is up for grabs. The Oval Test was the first example. The 8 for 15 at Trent Bridge was another, coming at a crucial juncture in that Ashes series; England were two-one up but Australia, who had won the second Test by 405 runs at Lord’s, were far from out of it. “We said we needed one or two wickets early to claim the initiative,” Gibson remembers. “Stuart ended up getting eight early ones.” The spell at the Wanderers a few months later had a similar impact on that series.

The competitive spirit that has driven these performances has sometimes put people’s noses out of joint. His ‘celebrappeal’, where he begins celebrating a perceived wicket without turning to the umpire, has irked a few purists. In 2010, he recklessly threw the ball at Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider and was fined. Following that incident, Broad worked with England’s psychologist to develop a tactic for when he gets angry or frustrated. Now, he will look out of the ground to settle himself down.

Famously not walking in the first Ashes Test of 2013, when he edged the ball to slip via a deflection off the wicket-keeper, enraged the Australians. It prompted Darren Lehmann to say that he wanted Australian spectators to make Broad cry on the 2013-14 tour to Australia which followed. “We are not playing for a cheese sandwich,” Broad said at the time. “We are playing in an Ashes series.” Tellingly, Broad performed outstandingly well on that subsequent tour of Australia despite a five-nil defeat and constant abuse from the Australian crowds.

Sometimes Broad has bristled at the criticism sent his way. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said Broad should be dropped during the 2018 home series with Pakistan, prompting Broad to call Vaughan and have it out. “I’m very open to criticism and I’m not going to hold a personal grudge, particularly if I feel like I deserve it, but I didn’t feel like I deserved that,” Broad said at the time.

Age has mellowed him but he is still feisty, as a few verbals with Faf du Plessis in the fourth Test against South Africa earlier this year showed. But which fast bowler worth their salt isn’t? Broad would be half the bowler without his competitive edge.

***

Anderson, Botham, Willis & Broad: The pantheon of England’s fast-bowling greats ©Getty

For the first few years of his career, Broad was a genuine quick. Fletcher remembers a match against Somerset in 2010 in which Broad bowled the quickest spell Fletcher has ever seen live. “It was absolutely rapid,” he says. “He got a five-for in a spell. He was hitting people in the face, gloving people off.”

Broad still has the ability to bowl quick and aggressively – indeed Saker thinks he should bowl his bouncer more – but he has reigned things back in search of greater control. “He didn’t have quite the control of a top class fast bowler like a Glenn McGrath,” Saker says of when he first worked with Broad. “If you watch him now, his control and the ability to manipulate the ball wherever he wants is quite amazing. He’s learnt that.”

His consistency comes from an action that repeats but there are plenty of tricks in Broad’s bag too. He can seam and swing the ball. He can bowl cutters – see the deliveries to Ricky Ponting at the Oval in 2009 and de Villiers at the Wanderers – and wobble seam deliveries. He changes his pace subtly. Over the past year, he has bowled a fuller length, bringing strong returns.

Broad has also become the best in the world at bowling round the wicket to left-handers. He spent two days during the 2015 Ashes working on it with Gibson after losing the ability to swing the ball back into the left-handers from over the wicket. For England, Selvey reckons only Fred Trueman has been as proficient as Broad is at that line of attack. After last summer’s Ashes, when he was dismissed seven times by Broad, David Warner would probably agree.

Even now, Broad continues to want to develop. England players who face him in the nets notice how he always asks them how the ball is coming out, explains what he is trying to do so they can give him feedback. Broad often posts videos of bowling drills on Instagram as he grooves his technique. He is open-minded with coaches but will question and challenge if he doesn’t agree. He wants to be shown why. “Players who continue to keep an open mind, develop, try stuff, they’re the ones who have continued success,” Bond says.

At 34-years-old, Broad is arguably bowling as well as he ever has done. He played a crucial role in England’s series victory over South Africa this winter and should be an automatic pick for the upcoming series against West Indies. He has spoken about wanting to play on until next winter’s Ashes. If he keeps up his current form, and his body holds firm, there is no reason why he can’t get there.

Nonetheless, Stuart Broad is in the final straight of a storied career. He has time yet to add a final flourish or two – going out with an Ashes win would be nice – but his place in history is already secure. A bowler of great spells, yes. But a truly great Test match bowler as well.

© Fame Dubai

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[lou-tom-tram-collectibles-art]

Letting this #1stappearance Violator SPAWN number 4 and Spawn number 3 go for just 8 Bucks or a trade, plus just check out the Cover on the Supreme Powere Issue I show... I just love it! The Supreme Power Issue is NFS, but I do have an almost COMPLETE 2nd Full Run of ALL the Supreme Power Titles by MAX. Like the Stracynzki ones, etc., available for Sale &/or Trade 🙏🤩 Plus, I show 1 of My Bizarre/Rare 1st Appearances that I've found from 4 Comic Book boxes that I have just opened for the FIRST TIME ever- since I received them in the Full Comic Book PC Inheritance I got in the 2nd grade-which includes another 50 Boxes I still have never opened, lol. It's just a lot & I spend years going through the last time I opened a bunch of My Unopened Longboxes! That's another reason why I'm always looking for help with organizing, labeling, & just picking up/moving, My PC- If You're Willing to Help, I ALWAYS give many Comic Books to whomever helps, including key issues, plus it's always FUN talking Comics & going through bunch of Comoc Boxes not knowing what Great Books you'll find*** Please, LMK if you're interested in helping out 🙏🤩 I'm in NY Long Island... & just ask @0ldmangomez , My Collection may be massive & always in need of organizing because, I'm always bringing more of it out, but you'll always find something cool, that I had no idea I had & it's a lot of fun. The Bizarre 1st & I think, ONLY Appearance Issue at the end of this Video Clip features "The Batman-Superman" of Earth-X! It's Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen number 93, it's AWESOME! #lou_tom_tram_collectibles #SPAWN #1stappearance #theviolator #violator #Image #MAX #dccomics #Superman #JimmyOlsen #BatmanSuperman #EarthX #SilverAge #GoldenAge #KeyIssue #CollectibleCOOL #ComicBookCulture #KeepCalmAndCollectOn #igcomicbookfamily #CollectWithRespect #igcomics #igcomicbooks #igcomicbookfamily #igcomic #LOUnacyComics #comics #COOL #AWESOME #Collector #TrueCollector #LongIslandSektion8 #truecollectorshelptruecollectors (at Nassau County, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/Byv4V6Ah9Z-/?igshid=h5t9lkpkt2xv

[tobacco-rock]

The IV Pak or VI Pak, What’s It Gonna Be?

By Jack Garrett of https://www.garagehangover.com

Have you ever been to Ruffin, N.C.? Probably not, but if you traveled there around 1967, you just might have heard the sounds of a psychedelic/soul band that managed to play together with the same personnel for 6 years.

The band is remembered today as the IV Pak and the mystery surrounding the elusive group begins with their name. The group, whose psychedelic rave-up “Whatzit?” appears on numerous garage comps (Signed DC, Teenage Shutdown #8, Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things #3), has gone under the radar screen for decades because they never performed under that name. A label misprint on their lone 45 mistakenly lists the artists as the IV Pak, instead of the VI Pak. Bassist Anthony Hodges explains that the four-piece group had recently expanded to include trumpet and sax players and the members decided they would “just be the VI Pack, like a six pack of beer.”

The group started in 1965 as the Challengers and included Mike Carter on guitar, first-cousin Frank Carter on keyboards, bassist Anthony Hodges and drummer, Brandon Cardwell. The quartet performed for two years as the Challengers, then briefly as the Recks before adding sax man Lonnie Bowes and trumpet player Sidney Vernon and christening themselves as the VI Pak. They were based on the borders of Caswell and Rockingham Counties in North Carolina, with half the members at Bartlett-Yancey High School in Yanceyville and the others attending Ruffin High School.

Brandon lived nearby but was much younger than the others. He joined the Challengers at age 10, but was already an accomplished drummer.

Sax man Lonnie Bowes recalls that the school band had just started a year or so prior to the group’s formation and the members all knew each other through school. He explains that “Mike had a good ear for music and Frank could read music real well (so) we just all fell together pretty good.”

Mike and Frank were the unofficial leaders. The cousins both started on guitar and a shared Silvertone amp purchased at Haynes Pawn Shop in Danville for $70. Frank quickly gravitated to keyboards and his dad bought him an inexpensive Italian organ. Anthony and Brandon were recruited and the line-up was set. The four shared a love for the Animals, Stones and the Beatles, although Brandon admits vocals were a chore, since “we didn’t have anybody (who) could sing like John or Paul.”

After learning “Wooly Bully” and “House of the Rising Sun”, the Challengers performed live for the first time in Oct. of ’65 for a dance at the Casville Volunteer Fire Department in Caswell County, N.C. More gigs followed at parties, pizza parlors, church socials, VFW posts and the local Moose and Elk’s lodges. Within months, the band competed in a battle of the bands at Williamsburg Elementary School in Reidsville, losing out to the better-equipped Checkmates.

The bass player’s father ran the local music store and provided their Fender Showman amps. Another early performance was in the tiny town of Quick, where the Challengers played for Pam Hodges’ 15th birthday party. Hodges would go on to marry legendary bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice.

The group played once in Danville as the Recks before adding horns and becoming the VI Pak. The addition allowed the band to play a mixture of rock and soul, opening doors on the North Carolina beach circuit.

It was 1966 and the members of the VI Pak were anxious to get into the studio and record. Anthony had written a mid-tempo rocker, “Love My Babe,” and a crude recording was made at Danville’s House of Sound Studios after the bassist and guitarist approached producer Frank Koger at the local K-Mart, where he worked his day job running the electronics department. A half-dozen copies of an acetate were pressed featuring the original song and the band’s theme, an instrumental which borrowed heavily from “Wipe Out” and “Batman.” It was their first time in the studio and Brandon was nervous, kicking the song off at breakneck speed. The band kept pace, with Mike serving up a blistering guitar solo and Brandon bashing away on the drums.

The demo was played a couple of times on the local Top 40 station, but it would be the following year before the VI Pak would get the break they needed to actually press a record.


That break came in the summer of ’67 during a two-day battle of the bands at Ballou Park Shopping Center in Danville. Hosted by popular deejay Glenn Scott, some of the best bands in the region competed on three flatbed trucks in the shopping center’s parking lot. At the end of the first day’s competition, the VI Pak had won the preliminary round and a free recording session at Koger’s Raven Records. The grand prize went to the Fabulous Generals of Martinsville, Va., who wore matching suits and were fronted by a pretty (and talented) female vocalist, Debra Carol Crowder.

At 17, Frank Carter was the oldest member of the band and remembers selecting a Booker T. and the MG’s song, “Boot-Leg,” to record because it featured the brass and “had a neat little organ part in the center of it, that Booker T. did.” It also helped that the band knew the soul song and performed it regularly. Frank recalls that the band had originally planned to record at Robin’s Records in Greensboro, “but they wanted more money over there.”

The House of Sound studio was located on Piney Forest Road in Danville, in the same building that Mike’s uncle — E.C. Gerringer — owned and used for a piano and furniture company.

The guys crammed all of their instruments and amps into the trunk of Frank’s ’63 Chevy and headed for the studio. Frank remembers it as a “pretty neat little studio (with) multi-tracking and cubicles so “that each one of us had our own little box to play in. It wasn’t like playing in one big room, everything was sort of sectioned off for the drummer and for the guitarist and the horns and myself.”

“Boot-Leg” was knocked out in short order, but the band wasn’t prepared when Koger said:

“Well, what are you gonna put on the other side of this?”

The band decided to record another cover as the flip and had attempted several takes before Koger threw up his hands in frustration and called for a different number. Brandon explains that the band “did ‘Boot-Leg’ and we knew that was gonna be the A-side and that turned out really decent and we had planned on putting ‘Ferry Across the Mersey’ by Gerry and the Pacemakers on the B-side.” Brandon says the band “did it as good as we’d ever done it and I don’t know what happened but right near the end of the song our trumpet player — who was playing the lead in it — hit a sour note. And we were doing it instrumental… and he hit a sour note, so we were just blown away. Not that we didn’t have any more studio time, but we just messed around with ‘Whatzit?,’ which was a takeoff on ‘Psychotic Reaction,’ of course, and we just wound up putting that on the record instead.”

Frank recalls that the band hadn’t played “Psychotic Reaction” more than a couple of times, but Koger suggested that they rework it for the session.

Anthony, who sings the lead vocal, sat down and penned a couple of quick verses before the tape started rolling.

She had a cute mini-skirt with a little bit o’ tease, you can see six inches above her knees. I’m just like a man, can’t stand the attraction. She leaves me with a psychotic reaction. Looks so good I’d like to eat her, psychotic reaction every time I meet her. Five-foot-two and built for action, 98 pounds of psychotic reaction.


Frank explains that, like Psychotic Reaction, “we had to do something in middle of this thing. So, that’s when we just put this organ sound in the center of it and I was using an old Sears Silvertone amplifier with a Doric organ. And the (effect) on it was just sort of cheap reverb I guess you’d say. Anyway, it sounded very sort of outer space. So we put that in it.”

Brandon dropped a beat as he was coming back from the break but recovered, although Frank says he “had to do a little bit of catching up.” He believes Koger “had to edit out maybe a drum beat or so in the process, but anyway that turned out to the song that people played.”

The drummer’s recollection is a little different. He wanted to re-record “Whatzit?” because “there was a major mess up on my part about middle ways into the song… it was just a real bad off time thing I did and luckily I stumbled right back into beat. I really didn’t like that cut because of that.” In retrospect, he doesn’t know why the band didn’t just stop and take it from the top. And when they listened to the playback, Brandon says he couldn’t understand “why we even kept it on the tape, because Frank Koger would back it up and record over the same tape usually… didn’t do it that time.” He says the consensus was that the song was only a B-side and no one would ever hear it.

With the song in the can, a title was needed. The band had just composed it and had no idea what to call the tune. After a short discussion between the band and Koger in the control room and after listening to the tape together, Koger said: “I don’t know what it is, so why don’t we just call it ‘Whatzit!'”

Anthony believes his vocal part was double-tracked by Koger, although Mike insists he sang in unison with the bass player. Either way, the snarling vocal makes the record. Both sides were recorded in about two hours.


Now that the sessions were complete, Koger approached the band about a label. Frank remembers the producer wanted an extra $20 to release it on Raven Records, explaining that the Soulmasters were riding high on the success of their first single, “I’ll Be Waiting Here.” The members were listening to the playback in the control room and “between us we might’ve had 10 bucks that night, because we really hadn’t planned on doing anything extra and we were scared to death we might not come out with anything” after paying Koger their $50 in prize money. The band balked and insisted on their own label, choosing Hippie Records because, as Anthony explains, “We all wanted to be hippies back then (and) grow our hair long.”

The master tapes were sent off for pressing and the band was in for another surprise when their records arrived. Somewhere along the way, the Roman numerals had been inverted and the VI Pak had become the IV Pak. With 500 mislabeled copies, the band began distributing the 45. Mike went by the studios to retrieve the records and recalls that “each box had 20 or 25 records and I believe each one of us received about four boxes. We would just take those and try and sell them individually. And if we knew of anybody at a radio station we could take them to, we’d do that, but I don’t remember anywhere I distributed them to except at school and relatives.”

The band’s name wasn’t the only bone of contention. Rather than credit Anthony Hodges as lyricist, Koger listed himself as songwriter, although he spelled his name backwards. Anthony remains unhappy about the slight to this day, but rationalizes that “it didn’t go anywhere, so he didn’t get much money from it.”

Frank recalls hearing the song played in Reidsville and on WYPR and WBTM in Danville and believes there may have been a second pressing.

The record’s release led to more bookings but also confusion about how the band should bill itself. Most promoters knew the band as the VI Pak, but the attention generated by the record resulted in more requests for the IV Pak to play parties, The Black Horse Cellar and Torch clubs, and even the coveted Coke plant dance in Danville, which attracted hundreds of teens every weekend.

The group soldiered on as the VI Pak another three years, performing throughout their home state and Southside Virginia and expanding their repertoire to include numbers by Eric Clapton, Vanilla Fudge and the Rolling Stones. Performances were more sporadic after 1968, with Frank, Sidney, Anthony and Lonnie away at college. The group parted ways in ’71 when Anthony joined the Air Force and several of the members married.

A brief reunion followed in 1989, when the band came together for a one-off performance at Ruffin’s Whistlestop Jubilee in late November. As fate would have it, it snowed that morning and the concert was cancelled.

Trumpeter Sidney Vernon died in 2008 at the age of 59. After graduating from high school, he attended Western Carolina University and discovered pottery. Sid and his wife later moved to Virginia Beach, where he taught ceramics and started Vernon Pottery, making 1/12th scale reproductions of 19th century salt-glazed stoneware. He was acknowledged by the International Guild of Miniature Artisans for his skill as a potter and awarded “Fellow” status. His work has been featured in numerous magazines and found its way to collectors around the world.

While in the Air Force, Mike Carter played in the Hands of Time, then joined the Ed Irvin Band and Patchwork. He spent eight years as guitarist for the Atlantis Band, where he wrote the song “Shagging By The Seaside,” which the group recorded for Pyramid Records in Charlotte in 1986. He took an 18-year hiatus before returning to music in 2006 with the Not Dead Yet Blues Band. He currently performs with bassist “Wild” Bill Moore in A Cup of Blues.

Lonnie Bowes played in several bands after the VI Pak but is semi-retired and hasn’t touched his horn in years. He now runs a small DMV office in Yanceyville, N.C.

After the VI Pak, Anthony Hodges did a tour of duty in Vietnam. On his return stateside, he went to work for the N.C. Department of Corrections. He has since retired from prison work and music, although he sings in his church choir and still lives in Ruffin.

Brandon Cardwell is still active in music and plays classic rock and country every weekend in the house band at the Barn Dance in Julian, N.C. His drumming is also featured on 80’s albums by The Paul Roberts Band and Lady and the Gamblers. He then played with Kerry Michaels and the Mitch Snow bands through the mid-90s, followed by a stint with Bob Collins and the Fabulous Five. His day job was at Burlington Industries.

Frank Carter traded his Doric organ for a Vox, which he still has today. He likes to record on his Korg M3 and is currently working on a musical on Judas Iscariot and the plot to kill Jesus. He worked for a number of years in television and as a public school teacher before earning his Master’s and teaching photography and communications at Alamance and Cape Fear Community Colleges. Frank retired as chairman of the Humanities and Fine Arts Department at the Wilmington college in May of 2012. His wife is a doctor and a drummer.

The surviving members all live in North Carolina and still keep in touch. They reunited in Spring, 2013 and Mike hopes to record the band in his home studio.

Via https://www.garagehangover.com/iv-pak/

[graphicpolicy]

Around the Tubes

Check out comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup #comics

The weekend is almost here! What geeky things will you all be doing? Sound off in the comments below! While you decide on that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Daily Herald – Woodbury Art Museum delves into realm of comic books with interactive exhibit – This sounds really cool.

The Philly Inquirer – Bucks County Batman fights petty crime in a $12k…

[megsorick]

It is the love of books that made me want to write one of my own. While it’s true that I don’t have the time to read as much as I used to –and mostly because of writing and its associated tasks– I still enjoy spending my free time with a good book. Each year for the past several, I’ve participated in the Goodreads Reading Challenge in which I set a goal of reading from a list of books within the year. My goal was to read 20 books in 2017 –a modest amount for a woman who used to read a book a week before becoming an author herself!

I am happy to say that I surpassed my goal and read 25 books! Here is my list:

W.B. Yeats and the Muses – Joseph M. Hassett

A Farewell To Arms – Ernest Hemingway

Too Loud a Solitude – Bohumil Hrabal

Loving – Henry Green

The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

Norse Mythology – Neil Gaiman

Heartbreak Hotel – Jonathan Kellerman

Princess Margaret, A Biography – Theo Aronson

The Complete Works of William Blake

Pills – Jack Binding

Camino Island – John Grisham

Storm Of Steel – Ernst Junger

X – Sue Grafton

The Whistler – John Grisham

Regeneration – Pat Barker

Crowned and Dangerous – Rhys Bowen

Speaking In Bones – Kathy Reichs

The Obsession – Nora Roberts

Time To Lie – Phil Taylor

The Human Factor – Graham Greene

Batman and Psychology – A Dark and Stormy Knight

Black Chalk – Christopher J. Yates

Don Quixote – Miguel Cervantes

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Bistro – Roger Moore

As you can see from the list, I don’t only read novels. The list includes two collections of short stories, two biographies, two non fiction books and a collection of poetry. Choosing a favorite from this group is difficult. Comparing books of different genres is like comparing apples to oranges, but I’ll share some of the standouts in the list, for better or worse.

I was fascinated to read the perspective of a German officer during World War One in Storm of Steel. My research on the Great War had been, with the exception of All Quiet On the Western Front, written from the standpoints of Belgium, France, Britain and the rest of their allies. Ernst Junger presents an enthusiastic (without being unrealistic) narration of his experiences as a soldier in the German Army. This is a marked contrast to the reluctant soldier (a character with whom we highly sympathize) in Erich Remarque’s All Quiet On the Western Front.

Watching season one of The Crown on Netflix made me curious about the romance between Group Captain Townsend and the Princess Margaret. Her biography was intriguing and sad. The book paints a story of a woman who embraced her royal status as much as she rebelled against conformity –quite the tale of two women. The thwarted love affair with Townsend is especially interesting and ironic considering the latest “Meg” to join the royal family is divorced, American and of mixed race. My, how times have changed! (For the better, at least in these kinds of situations.)

Black Chalk was the standout favorite of all the novels on the list. It is a psychological thriller with an unreliable narrator telling the story of a group of friends who begin a game in college which has consequences that grow ever more serious as time goes by –even to the extent of ruining lives. It was awesomely chilling!

And the biggest disappointment of the group was The Bell Jar. This is one of those books that I was ashamed to admit I had never read. Well, I finally crossed it off my to-do list but I can’t say I’m any more enriched for the experience. And I know many of you will say ‘what is wrong with you?’ when I tell you this but I was bored with the story. Bored and worn out with all the similes. The curtains didn’t just flutter in the breeze, they fluttered like the wings of half dead moths (or some such thing). Descriptions like that were stacked one top of another and it got tiresome. I also kept wondering what I was missing. This is supposed to be a life-changing book. I didn’t get it.

The previous year (2016), I failed my reading challenge thanks to an overly aggressive writing and blogging schedule and I realized I didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t taking in as many stories as I was putting out. I strongly believe that a good writer must be an avid reader. That means something different to everyone, as we all have busy lives. Most of us are carving out time from our ‘day’ jobs and our family and friends to make time for writing. How does one find the time to read as well?

My reading time is divided two ways: I read a little before bed every night and I listen to an audiobook while I exercise (nearly) every day. I may read research material for a project I’m working on as well. In 2018, I’m setting my goal at 25 books and we shall see if I can manage it with my writing goals for this year. Here’s what I have on my list, what’s on yours?

Cannery Row – John Steinbeck

The Catcher In the Rye – JD Salinger

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

The Man In the High Castle – Philip K. Dick

The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way – Bill Bryson

The Conspiracy Against the Human Race: A Contrivance Of Horror

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love – Raymond Carver

The Quiet American – Graham Greene

Siegfried Sassoon: Soldier, Poet, Lover, Friend – Jean Moorecroft Wilson

Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman

The Obituary Writer – Ann Hood

Madame Bovary – Gustav Flaubert

Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty

Y – Sue Grafton

In Cold Blood – Truman Capote

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell – Nadia Hashimi

The Art Forger – B.A. Shapiro

Testimony – Scott Turow

The Complete Works Of Percy Bysshe Shelly

Into the Water – Paula Hawkins

The Breakdown – B.A. Paris

Ghostwriter – Alessandra Torre

Moonglow – Michael Chabon

Party Going – Henry Green

Artemis – Andy Weir

And if you want to read any of my books, The Bucks County Novels, you can find all four (soon to be five) on Amazon. For a preview, visit The Bucks County Novels page on my blog.

Reading Challenge 2017 – What books did you read this year? It is the love of books that made me want to write one of my own. While it's true that I don't have the time to read as much as I used to --and mostly because of writing and its associated tasks-- I still enjoy spending my free time with a good book.