#can just imagine. there being a spark from early on but alex has 2 be the mature team leader older n responsible n all that

[lolexjpg]

the voices (girl!logan lolex)

[tangledstarlight]

julie’s ready for a year away from home, studying and trying to refind the magic in music. luke’s about to start on a summer tour around europe opening for a band. they meet one night, sparks fly and emotions run hight. now they’ve just got to try and see if they can maintain a long distance friendship.

days go by and seasons change (lets try again next winter)

trigger warnings!! alcohol and swearing and mentions of blood via food

also on ao3 –– [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | extras 1 & 2 ]

spring

“I still can’t believe you didn’t kiss him,” Flynn’s voice echoes through her phone where it’s propped against a book of Shakespeare’s poems and being stopped from sliding down her desk by her half eaten sandwich. Which hadn't been her best plan, because she was starving and now her sandwich was employed elsewhere.

“I’m not just going to kiss a random guy a met once,” she can see Flynn opening her mouth with a retort so jumps in to add, “I like him, yes, but I’d rather have him as a friend then an awkward one night stand situation that’s made even more awkward when I eventually run into him again because one of his bandmates is Carrie’s cousin.”

It all seems perfectly logical to her. Luke was cute, yes. And sure, she’d wanted to kiss him, but if it came down to one kiss or a new friendship? She was going to choose friendship. They’d connected more in one night then she’d connected with anyone in years. They got each other.

(What Julie hadn’t told Flynn or Carrie or anyone, was about the deal they had made. About how if by December, when she was wrapping up her year in England and they were finishing with their album and they were still talking, still felt the same, they’d try.

Julie didn’t mention it to anyone, barely even liked to think about it herself because she didn’t want to jinx it, didn’t want to spend time wondering what might happen when they tried. What trying even meant.)

“So you’re going to be friends?”

It’s pretty impressive, Julie thinks, how Flynn can convey her utter disbelief and amusement via a single eyebrow raise on a slightly blurry and pixelated facetime call. Maybe it’s the years of friendship that means Julie knows what she’s not saying or maybe it’s just Flynn’s power. Either way it has her pushing her laptop away with a sigh and picking up her phone. Scooping her sandwich up with her other hand. 

“Yes, we’re going to be friends. We can be friends. Do you not think we can be friends?” Julie furrows her brows, both in concern and how many times she’s said the word ‘friends’ in one breath.

“Of course I think you can be friends! He’d be lucky to be your friend, you’re amazing,” Flynn is quick with her reassurance, but Julie can tell there’s a ‘but’ coming and braces herself for impact. “But. The two of you spent practically the whole night together and have spent pretty much every day since talking. Plus, you’d have to be pretty blind to miss the way he was looking at you in the least friend way possible.”

Julie really hoped that the wifi connection was bad enough to hide the blush she could feel heating her cheeks at the reminder of the way Luke had looked at her. She had never really understood what books meant by ‘intensity of their stare’ before, but she was pretty sure it was whatever Luke was doing with his face and his eyes, somehow he could even do it through a facetime call. Personally, she thinks it should be illegal. His whole face. Banned. Fined every time he looked like he looked.

“Yeah, well,” Julie swallowed, tucking hair behind her ear for something to do while she tried to gather her thoughts and control her face. “We’re still going to be friends. And anyway, we’ll probably slowly stop talking before we ever meet again and he’ll find some extremely pretty girl on tour and fall madly in love and forget all about me.”

As long as she was telling herself that it meant she couldn’t be too disappointed when it came true. No point getting her hopes up.

“If you say so,” Flynn didn’t sound convinced and Julie rolled her eyes at her friend, sticking her tongue out childishly, to be rewarded with Flynn laughing.

“Now come on, enough about me and my awful love life. Tell me about this thing you're working on!”

// 

//

“Ow, crap.”

It’s not really the first thing you want to hear when you accept a phone call at 8am. Julie blinks at her phone as she pulls it away from her ear to double check the caller id and that she hadn’t imagined it ringing. But there’s Luke’s name and his slightly blurry photo staring back at her.

“Luke?” She asks, hears the sounds of a scuffle on the other end like someone juggling too many objects at once.

“Julie! Hey! Sorry, just spilt one of my coffees. Is black pudding made with blood?” Luke’s question catches her off guard. Her mind is still trying to process the mention of multiple coffees that it takes her a moment to register what he’s asking her. And it just causes more confusion to her half asleep mind.

“Are you really calling me at 8am to ask about black pudding? Why are you even awake?” She groans, collapsing back against her pillows and pulling the covers back up to her chin. It was Friday, she didn’t have class until 1pm, she was supposed to get to sleep late and he’d woken her up.

To talk about black pudding. Idly, she wondered if it was too early in their friendship to just hang up without it seeming too rude.

“Last night Reg said it was like haggis, but that doesn’t make sense, does it? Because I swear haggis is like, sheep. And you’d think blood pudding would be, y’know, blood. Given its name.” He kept talking away, apparently not at all discouraged by her lack of response.

Julie let her eyes fall shut as she listened to him talk, to his voice and not really what he was saying. He had a very nice voice, it was kind of soothing, letting his excitement and enthusiasm wash over her. How could someone be so enthused about a random food at 8am? Julie struggles to follow his train of thought and why she was his chosen person to call about the matter. But she doesn't think he really wants her input anyway. Just an excuse to call her.

She’d been guilty of a similar thing. Calling him for no real reason other than the fact she’d wanted to talk to him. At least when she’d called it had been at a reasonable hour and about something more interesting than a weird food dish.

“How long have you been up?” Julie cuts through his rant on weird British dishes, stifling a yawn against her covers.

“Er…” there’s a pause, phone line crackling as he seems to think, “Like an hour? I went out to get the boys coffee, because I’m super nice like that, but they were still asleep when I got back and I tried to wake ‘em up but Alex threatened to throw my guitar out the window so I wandered around the hotel for a while, drank my coffee, then I drank Alex’s as revenge, and then I got bored of walking around so now I’m sat in a park and talking to you. And drinking Reggie’s coffee. It’s the worst one. I hate oat milk.”

Julie can almost picture him, sitting on a random bench in a random park somewhere in Edinburgh, notebook and tangled headphones and three empty coffee cups next to him, all jittery caffeinated energy. It makes her smile and huff out a small laugh.

“You’re going to be so insufferable after all that coffee. They might kick you out of the band, abandon you somewhere in the highlands,” she teases.

“I’d just keep showing back up. Every time they tried to lose me I’d just show up again at the next venue with no explanation,” there’s a smile in his voice and Julie takes a moment to appreciate that she can tell. That they’ve talked enough now that she knows what he sounds like when he’s smiling, when he’s joking.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“Go eat something with your fourth coffee please. I’m going back to sleep.”

“Shit, did I wake you up again? I thought you had a 9am on Thursdays.” He sounds so genuinely confused and concerned that Julie tries really hard not to laugh.

“I do. But it’s actually Friday, not Thursday.”

There’s a silence on the other end of the line and for a moment Julie thinks that maybe he’s hung up on her, but then he’s letting out a breathy laugh and she relaxes back against her mattress.

“Well fuck. That explains why they guys are still asleep and got pissed when I tried to wake ‘em up then.”

“Tour life is really messing with your days of the week, huh?”

“You’ve no idea,” There’s another pause and she hears rustling and footsteps and then, “I’ll let you go back to sleep. Talk later?”

There’s a note of hesitation in his voice and it makes Julie want to smile, so she does. “Yeah, talk later. Bye Luke.”

//

Julie spins around and around underneath a streetlight, her eyes locked above her as she watches the streams of light turn with her and make stars dance across her vision. A slight breeze blows her hair around her face and Julie lets out a laugh, light and airy like how she pictures all the bubbles in the drinks she's had tonight. 

She closes her eyes against a wave of dizziness and tries to imagine the stars.

There’s too many clouds in the sky for her to see the actual stars when she opens her eyes and it makes her pout, just a little. She likes to see the stars, to try and find constellations, and when she couldn’t do that, to make up her own.

Her phone makes a chiming sound in her hands and she whips her head down to look at it, Luke’s face filling her screen with a small frown, his eyebrows drawn together and a hair sticking up. A wide smile breaks out across her face and Julie raises her phone so it’s level with her face, even as she still spins around.

“Luke! Why are you on my phone?” Distantly, Julie knows she must be almost shouting, but she’s too happy and too drunk to really care.

“Er, you called me?” Luke sounds confused, but as Julie blows hair out of her face a small understanding smile tugs at Luke’s lips and Julie’s momentarily distracted by watching as the smile spreads across his face, reaching his eyes, one of his hands appearing in frame to push his hair out of his face. She stumbles to a stop, feeling a little dizzy from all her spinning and pounding heart.

“I did?” She doesn’t remember doing that, for a moment Julie frowns, lips pulling to the side as her eyes look at the ground before she blows out a breath and shrugs, looking back at Luke’s face on her phone. “Well, hi! We went out for drinks!"

Julie watches as Luke sits up in his bed, a light flicking on next to him and lighting up the room.

(In the morning, when she remembers this, she’ll probably feel bad about waking him, knowing his sleep schedule is already a mess. But right now, standing in the street halfway back to her dorm, two of her friends chatting a short distance away and a cute guy looking at her from her phone, she can’t really find it in her to feel bad. Just a giddy type of happiness.)

“You having a good night?” His voice is a little rough with sleep she notices, adds a gravely note to it that’s not normally there. Julie really wishes she could hear him talk like this all the time, first thing in the morning, in the middle of the night when one of them wakes up, after a nap in the middle of the day.

“The best! It would be more fun if you were here, though,” the words stumble past her lips without her even realising what she’s said. And she doesn’t notice the way Luke’s breath seems to catch through the speaker or the way his eyes widen a fraction or the way his smile turns more into a smirk. Whatever he’s about to respond with is cut off by Julie’s mind returning to her original disappointment of the night.

“You can’t see the stars here.”

Luke frowns a little and Julie tilts her phone so the camera is facing up and only the top of her head and her curls are in frame.

“See? No stars, only streetlights.” She pouts, tilting the phone back towards her with an exaggerated pout on her face that makes Luke laugh and Julie pout more. “Why are you laughing!? That’s mean! I miss the stars and you’re laughing!”

“Jules, it’s not like you can really see the stars all that much back home either,” he says it gently, but there’s still that teasing tone in his voice and hearing him call her ‘Jules’ makes butterflies form in her stomach.

“I still miss them.” She mutters, blowing out a breath and conceding the point. She’s honestly too drunk to even fight it and for a moment she sways slightly in place, her eyes staring just above her phone as she gets lost in her thoughts.

About stars and cute boys with calloused fingers and her friends who made her laugh and her mom who had taught her about constellations and how tired she suddenly feels.

“When we’re both back in LA I’ll take you somewhere you can see all the stars,” Luke says softly, so softly she almost misses it, but her eyes flicker down to the screen and lets a soft smile pull at her lips.

“I’d like that.”

[gra-sonas]

I am not sure if you have been asked already if you have you can link to your answer if not what would you say you are most excited for in season 2? and then what would you say you are least excited for?

Hi nonnie!

I talked about some of it  in this post, but now that we’re closer to the S2 premiere (62 days), I tried to write down a little more (esp. about other characters than Alex *ahem*). THIS GOT LONG

Liz

Liz will have A LOT on her plate this season. She’s lost Max and got Rosa back in return. That’s some grade A emotional whiplash! It’ll be interesting to see how the new dynamic  between the sisters will be (Liz is the younger sister, but she’s the  older one now, that should be interesting!). We know from several BTS pics/vids this year (thanks, Trevino!), that Liz will work at the  Crashdown quite a bit (I wonder what that means in regards to a job in the field of biomedical engineering?). I also expect her to figure out a way to bring Max back (does she have/get a lab, will there be another underground bunker, will she work at Michael’s bunker???).

In the trailer Liz was seen with Jenna (😍) who showed her how to use a weapon. WHY IS LIZ LEARNING HOW TO SHOOT??? 😱 How is her relationship with her dad, will she tell him about Rosa (not just that she’s back, but also the bit about where Jim Valenti is Rosa’s biological dad? Or does Arturo already know???).  And what role does Liz’s mom play when she comes to visit? Oh, and how/when does she figure out how to bring back Max? So many questions, and I can’t wait to find out.

Rosa

Rosa’s return is one of very, VERY few things I liked about 1x13. I’m so excited she’s back and can’t wait to get to know her properly in S2. She’ll have a lot to deal with (”I’m a ghost.” is what she says in the trailer, that implies that she has to stay hidden, at least early on!). She’s still a recovering alcoholic and addict, and then there’s this whole thing of being alive again after a decade of… well, a decade of what? Noah put her in his pod, the same pod he said didn’t keep him in stasis properly. What does that mean for Rosa? Noah’s in a scene with Rosa in the trailer, is that a flashback? Was she ‘alive’ in the pod, or was she actually dead and didn’t feel a thing? How will her dad react? How’s her relationship with Liz going to develop? How ‘delighted’ will she be to interact with Kyle, her half-brother? I can’t wait to find out about all of that!

Isobel

My girl Isobel! She’s gonna have a lot to deal with in S2. First and foremost there’s Max’s death, which - given that they are sharing a very special psychic bond - I would imagine will be super hard for her to handle. In 1x13 we also saw her ‘unlock’ a new (new to her) power. Is that something she’ll try to develop further in the hopes of bringing Max back? Will she work with Liz? Will she unlock other powers? How will she approach dealing with the severe trauma of Noah betraying and (ab)using her? Will she go to therapy? Pretend like  everything is okay and try to figure it out on her own? Go to Kyle and talk to him? Go to Alex (PLEASE, LET HER GO TO ALEX)? Is she the one who’ll identify as ‘not straight’ at the end of S2? I’m absolutely STOKED for Isobel’s journey, especially bc Lily’s the coolest who also gives Carina ideas and talks to her about Isobel a lot. This is going to be so good!!!

Maria

Maria’s the character that had the least development in S1. She didn’t have  much of a storyline of her own, and mostly served as a catalyst for other character’s stories. I hope that will fundamentally change in S2. Carina’s said that they’ll dive into Maria’s family history this season, meaning that we’ll hopefully find out more about the necklace she’s wearing, its powers, and what part her family played after the UFO crash in 1947. What’s the DeLuca family legacy, and what do they know about aliens? When will Maria find out about aliens, and how will she react - not just about the fact that aliens exist, but that everyone close to her kept it from her for so long? Will be interesting to see what they’re doing with Maria this season. 

Max

Will probably stay dead for at least some of S2, he’ll probably be brought back halfway through S2? The when and how of bringing him back is one thing, interesting will also be, how Max is. Is he the same as before? Or did the use of that much power to bring Rosa back cost him. A part of his soul? His memories? Something else? Some people mentioned dark!Max could be an option, that could be really cool.

Kyle

My boo Kyle!!! I want nothing but good things to happen to Dr. McSexy. I hope his friendship with Alex continues to blossom and grow, I can’t wait for more brilliant and hilarious one-liners and quips (Kyle had the best lines in S1, and Trevino delivered every single one to perfection!), there’s at least one Kyliz kiss in his future, and while I know they’ll never be endgame (😢), I’ll enjoy it while it lasts (here’s me shallowly hoping for some good recreational s e x for the good doctor, though I do hope he doesn’t get his heart broken.

Michael

It’ll be SO hard to see Michael spiral. :( He’s got so many things to deal with, and I’m worried how long his ‘free fall’ will last before he’s able to stabilize? Caulfield and Max’s death will be super hard on him, Iz will be busy getting her own life in order, and while I hope Liz and Michael will work together to bring Max back, it remains to be seen if Michael’s even up for it. I’m just glad to know that Alex is around, solid as a rock, not going anywhere, and I hope Michael will allow him to be there for him. ‘Only’ as a friend for now, but that’s what S2′s supposed to be about, Alex and Michael becoming friends. They still love each other (SO MUCH 🥺), they still have this cosmic bond, and I hope that despite them not being together (as ‘in a relationship), they’ll steadily move towards getting back together.

Special wish: should the ‘Alex gets kidnapped’ story line happen, I can’t WAIT for tornado!Michael to do everything in his power(s) to bring him back. And should there be a reason for Michael to put a handprint on Alex, I WANT IT!!!

Alex

Unsurprisingly, I’m most looking forward to all things Alex next season. And I really mean ALL things. Just seeing him will spark joy. I’m also prepared to worry about him. A LOT. First of all, he’ll re-enlist again. Staying in the Air Force enables him to get access to important information, which hopefully helps to keep Michael, Iz and Max safe, but what a price to pay… :/

I’m looking forward to the developing friendship between Alex and Michael, for the friendship between Alex and Kyle to grow, and I want a friendship between Alex and Isobel like almost nothing else in S2! I’m looking forward to BAMF!Alex who left nice in the Middle East and is ready to take on the fight with his father. I’m looking forward to interactions between Alex and his brothers (soooo curious about all things Manes Brothers!). I’m anxious to see how he’ll react to M/M (I really hope they won’t make him pretend it’s no big deal, or ‘forgive’ like it’s nothing that Maria went behind his back…), I hope to see Alex’s disability be more ‘visible’ again than during the latter half of S1. I wish his PTSD and what it means for him would be more visible and addressed but that might not happen. And then there’s of course BUFFYYYY! I’m prepared to sob my way through their first encounter. I’m so, so happy he gets to have her! ❤️

Buffy

I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET THIS VERY GOOD GIRL!!!!! 😍

What I hope for

A season that expands the RNM universe without losing focus of our main characters. Reveals of important alien history. Friendships developing. I hope that the influence of the large number of queer, POC, and female people working in the writers room and behind the camera will have a really positive influence on how S2 comes together.

I also hope for S2 to end on a positive/hopeful note for Malex. I hope they won’t be in relationships with other people going into S3, and I hope there’ll be a real chance for them to get back together in S3.

Despite them not being together in S2, I still hope for a kiss (OR SEVERAL, DON’T HOLD BACK ON MY ACCOUNT). I can’t go an entire season without them kissing 🥺🥺🥺

More characters  + some DNWs below the cut

Jenna

My girl Jenna! Gosh, I love her, and I can’t wait to see her again. I’m also hoping she’ll be in more than one episode. I want to know more about Charlie, I want to see more of my favorite sleuthing trio Jenna/Alex/Kyle. Just… give me aaaaaall the Jenna content!

Mimi

I hope we’ll learn more about her, her history with Jesse, and her potential history with aliens. What does Mimi know, did an alien ‘give’ her dementia? Is there a cure?

Steph

Steph (played by Justina Adorno) is a new character we haven’t met yet. According to Justina, “Steph is sassy. She is the Head of Surgery’s daughter. She’s a smart educated girl with a little sass“. So we don’t have much to work with yet, but ‘Head of Surgery’s daughter’ implies, that she might meet Kyle first (at the hospital)? Will she be in on the alien secret, or play a different role? Either way, I’m always excited for more female characters!

Grace Powell

I couldn’t be more excited about Jamie Clayton in Roswell, she’s brilliant and I want her around for more than just 2-3 episode. Hope she’s one of the good guys!

Mara & Louise

Mara (Michael’s mom) and Louise (likely Isobel’s and Max’s mom) are two characters we’ll meet in flashbacks to 1947. I’m excited to find out more about the aliens who crashed, where they are from, I hope the flashbacks will fill out some blanks. I’m also very curious to find out how they’ll incoroprate the flashbacks in general. Are these memories Isobel and Michael manage to unlock? Are there videos in the Caulfield files? Do they find old diaries in 2018 and they play out on screen?

Jesse

May he get what he deserves in S2 (AND I WANT ALEX TO BE THE LAST THING HE EVER SEES, PREFERABLY ALEX KISSING MICHAEL)

Arturo

No one, and I mean really absolutely NO ONE is allowed to mess with Papi Ortecho. (ง︡’-‘︠)ง  (ง︡’-‘︠)-o  (ง︡’-‘︠)ง Liz needs him, Rosa needs him,I need him. He better be healthy and well by the end of S2!

Jason Behr’s character

No idea who he’s going to play, probably someone from the 1947 timeline? Or someone who could be dangerous for the Pod Squad in 2018?

Wyatt Long

He’ll be in at least one episode, maybe more? What is he going to do if he ever finds out Rosa’s back???

For[r]est

Hopefully a good guy, and good for Alex. Still not eager to see this unfold on screen tho…

Manes Brothers

Ahhhhh, I’m actually super excited for Gregory Manes, and also for more Flint! I hope we’ll find out more about them, about their dynamics, who’s older/younger, how it was when they were little, and even though we won’t meet their mom this season, I hope we’ll hear sth about her (and why she left). I also hope that at least one of them will be in Alex’s corner, I’d also be in favor of a redemption arc for Flint, just putting that out there.

DNW

Any and all M/M & A/F “love” triangle stuff. I don’t want it and I wish it wasn’t part of S2. Alas, it will be and I just hope M/M will end quickly, and A/F is nothing but a fling. Ugh, I don’t want any of this 😩 My absolute nightmare would be for both ‘relationships’ to last into S3.

Extensive flashbacks to 1947 that take away precious screen time I’d rather see dedicated to characters in 2018.

Episodes that had to be edited extensively to fit 42 minutes (still mourning every little scene they had to cut from S1 episodes, even though we’ll never know what and how much got cut from each ep, it just was A LOT for some episodes)

Too much focus on the overall ‘murder mystery’ plot (or whatever we’ll get this year) . I’d much rather see the characters grow and interact with each other (more group scenes would be nice).

Another trash fire of a final episode like 1x13. Of course there will be a cliffhanger, and this time we know that we’ll definitely get another season, but still. Another season finale leaving the characters - and therefore us - in such a bad place would be the absolute worst. We’ve barely made it through this hiatus, I don’t think this fandom could handle another one with so much uncertainty, heartbreak, and dread of what’s to come in S3.

In case you’ve made it until the very end of this post, thank you, and thanks for your ask!!! Hope you’re having a great day, nonnie!  ✨💚👽

[ucflibrary]

American history is a broad and varied topic. It ranges from the native inhabitants who formed communities here thousands of years ago to the creation of a new nation of states to the dreamers who immigrate to these shores today. It is an enormous amount of information to cover, but it is important that we all learn about our past. As Edmund Burke said in Reflections on the Revolution in France, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”

The founders of the United States, beyond their faults and foibles, began this nation with a grand and noble sentiment of “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity….”

“We the people” is us. Join us this month as we explore our past to help ensure “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” applies to us all.

Click on the Read More link to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the featured titles on American History suggested by UCF Library employees. These 24 books plus many more are also on display on the 2nd (main) floor of the John C. Hitt Library next to the bank of two elevators.

11/22/63 by Stephen King On November 22, 1953, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King—who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer—takes readers on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it. Suggested by Kathleen Silva, Libraries Student Ambassador

 A History of the American People by Paul Johnson This challenging narrative and interpretation of American history by the author of many distinguished historical works is sometimes controversial and always provocative. Johnson’s views of individuals, events, themes, and issues are original, critical, and admiring, for he is, above all, a strong believer in the history and the destiny of the American people. Suggested by Allison Hilton, Libraries Student Ambassador

 A Map to the Next World: poetry and tales by Joy Harjo The poet author of The Woman Who Fell from the Sky, and new poet laureate of the U.S., draws on her own Native American heritage in a collection of lyrical poetry that explores the cruelties and tragedies of history and the redeeming miracles of human kindness. Suggested by Jada Reyes, Libraries Student Ambassador

 Alex and Eliza by Melissa De la Cruz In the pages of Alex and Eliza, #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz brings to life the romance of young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. Suggested by Kathleen Silva, Libraries Student Ambassador

 American Canopy: trees, forests, and the making of a nation by Eric Rutkow (UCF Faculty Author) As Eric Rutkow’s brilliant, epic account shows, trees were essential to the early years of the republic and indivisible from the country’s rise as both an empire and a civilization. Among American Canopy’s many fascinating stories: the Liberty Trees, where colonists gathered to plot rebellion against the British; Henry David Thoreau’s famous retreat into the woods; the creation of New York City’s Central Park; the great fire of 1871 that killed a thousand people in the lumber town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin; the fevered attempts to save the American chestnut and the American elm from extinction; and the controversy over spotted owls and the old-growth forests they inhabited. Rutkow also explains how trees were of deep interest to such figures as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Teddy Roosevelt, and FDR, who oversaw the planting of more than three billion trees nationally in his time as president. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Subject Librarian

 Americans Remember Their Civil War by Barbara A. Gannon (UCF Faculty Author) This book provides readers with an overview of how Americans have commemorated and remembered the Civil War. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Subject Librarian

 Beneath a Ruthless Sun: a true story of violence, race, and justice lost and found by Gilbert King Beneath a Ruthless Sun tells a powerful, page-turning story rooted in the fears that rippled through the South as integration began to take hold, sparking a surge of virulent racism that savaged the vulnerable, debased the powerful, and roils our own times still. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Subject Librarian

 Elizabeth Warren: her fight, her work, her life by Antonia Felix In this breakthrough biography, bestselling author Antonia Felix carries readers from Warren's hardscrabble roots in Norman, Oklahoma, to her career as one of the nation's most distinguished legal scholars and experts on the economics of working Americans. Felix reveals how Warren brought her expertise to Washington to become an icon of progressive politics in a deeply divided nation, and weaves together never-before-told stories from those who have journeyed with Warren from Oklahoma to the halls of power. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Hamilton: the revolution: being the complete libretto of the Broadway musical, with a true account of its creation, and concise remarks on hip-hop, the power of stories, and the new America by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter This book gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages and traces its development from an improbable performance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here. Suggested by Katie Burroughs, Administration

  Historians on Hamilton: how a blockbuster musical is restaging America's past edited by Renee C. Romano and Claire Bond Potter Historians on Hamilton brings together a collection of top scholars to explain the Hamilton phenomenon and explore what it might mean for our understanding of America’s history. The contributors examine what the musical got right, what it got wrong, and why it matters. Does Hamilton’s hip-hop take on the Founding Fathers misrepresent our nation’s past, or does it offer a bold positive vision for our nation’s future? Can a musical so unabashedly contemporary and deliberately anachronistic still communicate historical truths about American culture and politics? And is Hamilton as revolutionary as its creators and many commentators claim? Suggested by Katie Burroughs, Administration

 John Marshall: the man who made the Supreme Court by Richard Brookhiser In 1801, a genial and brilliant Revolutionary War veteran and politician became the fourth chief justice of the United States. He would hold the post for 34 years (still a record), expounding the Constitution he loved. Before he joined the Supreme Court, it was the weakling of the federal government, lacking in dignity and clout. After he died, it could never be ignored again. Through three decades of dramatic cases involving businessmen, scoundrels, Native Americans, and slaves, Marshall defended the federal government against unruly states, established the Supreme Court's right to rebuke Congress or the president, and unleashed the power of American commerce. For better and for worse, he made the Supreme Court a pillar of American life. Suggested by Larry Cooperman, Research & Information Services

 Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen Americans have lost touch with their history, and in Lies My Teacher Told Me Professor James Loewen shows why. After surveying eighteen leading high school American history texts, he has concluded that not one does a decent job of making history interesting or memorable. Marred by an embarrassing combination of blind patriotism, mindless optimism, sheer misinformation, and outright lies, these books omit almost all the ambiguity, passion, conflict, and drama from our past. Suggested by Emily Parente, Libraries Student Ambassador

 My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams In this collection Justice Ginsburg discusses gender equality, the workings of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution. Throughout her life Justice Ginsburg has been (and continues to be) a prolific writer and public speaker. This book’s sampling is selected by Justice Ginsburg and her authorized biographers Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams, who introduce each chapter and provide biographical context and quotes gleaned from hundreds of interviews they have conducted. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 News for all the people: the epic story of race and the American media by Juan Gonzlez and Joseph Torres From colonial newspapers to the Internet age, America’s racial divisions have played a central role in the creation of the country’s media system, just as the media has contributed to—and every so often, combated—racial oppression. This acclaimed book reveals how racial segregation distorted the information Americans have received, even as it depicts the struggle of Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American journalists who fought to create a vibrant yet little-known alternative, democratic press. Suggested by Jada Reyes, Libraries Student Ambassador

 Shade: a tale of two presidents by Pete Souza Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. Here, more than one hundred of Souza's unforgettable images of President Obama deliver new power and meaning when framed by the tweets, news headlines, and quotes that defined the first 500 days of the Trump White House. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Team of Rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president. Suggested by Joan Reynolds, Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery Services

 The Book that Changed America: how Darwin's theory of evolution ignited a nation by Randall Fuller Creating a rich tableau of nineteenth-century American intellectual culture, as well as providing a fascinating biography of perhaps the single most important idea of that time, The Book That Changed America is also an account of issues and concerns still with us today, including racism and the enduring conflict between science and religion. Suggested by Christina Wray, Teaching & Engagement

 The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill Veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 The Devil in the White City: murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America by Erik Larson Erik Larson—author of #1 bestseller In the Garden of Beasts—intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction. Suggested by Rachel Edford, Teaching & Engagement

 The Dictionary Wars: the American fight over the English language by Peter Martin Peter Martin recounts the patriotic fervor in the early American republic to produce a definitive national dictionary that would rival Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary of the English Language. But what began as a cultural war of independence from Britain devolved into a battle among lexicographers, authors, scholars, and publishers, all vying for dictionary supremacy and shattering forever the dream of a unified American language. Suggested by Christina Wray, Teaching & Engagement

 The Field of Blood: violence in Congress and the road to civil war by Joanne B. Freeman Joanne B. Freeman recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated by mortal threats, canings, flipped desks, and all-out slugfests. When debate broke down, congressmen drew pistols and waved Bowie knives. One representative even killed another in a duel. Many were beaten and bullied in an attempt to intimidate them into compliance, particularly on the issue of slavery. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Subject Librarian

The Law by Frederic Bastiat The Law was originally published as a pamphlet in 1850 by Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850). Bastiat wrote most of his work in the few years before and after the French Revolution of 1848. The Law is considered a classic and his ideas are still relevant today. The essay was published in French in 1850. Suggested by Allison Hilton, Libraries Student Ambassador

The Truths We Hold: an American journey by Kamala Harris By reckoning with the big challenges we face together, drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, Kamala Harris offers a master class in problem solving, in crisis management, and leadership in challenging times. Through the arc of her own life, on into the great work of our day, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values. In a book rich in many home truths, not least is that a relatively small number of people work very hard to convince a great many of us that we have less in common than we actually do, but it falls to us to look past them and get on with the good work of living our common truth. When we do, our shared effort will continue to sustain us and this great nation, now and in the years to come. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. Suggested by Emily Parente, Libraries Student Ambassador

[vamytas]

A (Very Rough & Ready) Guide to Alex’s Tattoos

I’ve been putting this off for a LONG time because I like to be meticulous especially with character visuals but with the amount of tattoos Alex has, especially on his expansive canvas of a 6 foot body, trying to find a pictoral example for EVERY bit of ink is... YEAH lmfao.

* As a guiding note, the indicating ‘left’ & ‘right’ etc. is from HIS left and right. All heart designs are typical cartoon shape unless stated as (anatomical).

NECK //

Underneath his ear lobe, on the left side of his neck is a hand holding a needle -- designed to look as if it’s pierced through his skin. At the top of the needle is a red thread which curves semi-loosely around the back of his neck and wraps around a red heart below his right earlobe.This can only be seen if you lift (or pull) up his hair since he never, if rarely ever, ties it back high enough. 

LEFT ARM // 

FINGERS: Simplified red rose gradually blooming from little to index finger, from bud to full bloom. This is just below the top of his knuckles, below them (closer to his nails) on each finger is a stem with thorns.  HAND: Bull face, directed towards viewer -- lineart with minimal black shading. FOREARM: Basically a flash tattoo / pork-chop sheet mixture (see here & here  -- middle pic). Omitting anything explicitly religious (apart from a cross or two) and culturally appropriative. Includes a range of panthers, snakes, skulls, hummingbird with beak in flower, handcuffs, full figure Betty Boop, inkwell and heart wrapped in barbed wire. All interspersed with Felix the Cat faces and little stars to fill blank spaces. Very clear linework and simple shading, only using bright colours: red, green, blue and yellow. Some of these are done by Alex himself, his first tattoo on his own body being an ouroboros snake.  UPPER ARM: Much of the same as above, except with the addition of a Sailor Jerry style pin-up with blonde hair in a corset and heels. Also a chain band just below his shoulder. SHOULDER: Lucifer from Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. First tattoo with complex colour-shading, done by his first employer in London who he worked with as apprentice. 

RIGHT ARM //

FINGERS: Skeleton anatomy on the full-length of his middle finger and knuckles, the rest of his fingers (near nails) and his thumb are blocked with plain black. HAND: Continues with skeleton anatomy. Entire design is clearly inked style shading (as in nothing that looks anatomically realistic) like this. FOREARM: Contemporary & post-modern designs. Inner forearm is covered with praying mule from And the Ass Saw the Angel book cover. Outer forearm is design pictured on the left here, picture was taken at an exhibition which I have the guide to and artist credit but .. whoever edited it  helpfully didn’t align credit with the picture so I need to manually look up each artist listed to HOPEFULLY find the one who did it.  UPPER ARM / SHOULDER:  Literally cannot describe but is piece by Jef Palumbo. Due to technique being incredibly skilled, I am taking full advantage of fictionality and tattooist with these mad skillz existing in early nineties for Alex’s sake... let him have this ..

CHEST / TORSO //

The largest / most expansive singular piece on his body. His chest and torso are fully covered with a design I lifted off a Jean Paul Gaultier add and tried editing onto his bawdy for promo graphic a while ago -- unlike graphic, the tattoo would still be in the same colour as Gaultier ad, but yellow of skull would be red instead -- less tribal texture and more lined mark-making like the skull featured in me blog background to the left of Alex’s head (I can’t find the pic in my folder..)

BACK //

UPPER BACK: This is where a little imagination is required as I’ll just be listing a bunch of images but they’re all collaged in a cohesive/overlapping way like Duncan X’s back -- pic taken by Liam Sparkes. So;  Saint Sebastian by Myles Karr down Alex’s spine. On the left: text from this photo by Tish Murtha complete with exposed brick effect -- in black and white. On the right: text from this, including a stencilised Pauline Boty rendered in Lichtenstein-ish comic print style, with matching Lichtenstein bright colour scheme. These three images together and with a certain scaling form an arc shape across his upper back, and the thread mentioned earlier on the back of his neck hangs an inch above the Saint Sebastian’s hands. Spaces in between filled by Jemma Jones style flash tattoos. LOWER BACK: I’m getting lazy so again, just imagine in style of Sparkes tattoos summat like this mixed with this on the left and again more flash tattoos imposed between and over blank spaces.

HIPS //

Handprints on each harr harr.

ASS // 

🙊 Only his partners know ... unless you attend classes where he poses for life drawing

LEFT LEG // 

THIGH (FRONT): Entire leg is surrealist/dadaist themed. Whole front of thigh is coverd by this collage by Otto D’Ambra. THIGH (BACK): Under his butt: Eliott Lane. Under that, another Otto D’Ambra. Around them, these (1, 2) by Caleb Kilby, and top middle illustration by Kathryn Kirk. KNEE: Left eye of Siouxsie Sioux, (right eye on his right knee). I’m imagining these are also embellished around the edges by a circular labyrinth symbol pattern to fit the shape of his knee joint.  SHIN: Fish-head man by Kerry-Anne Richardson, black and white. CALF: Hannah Hoch collage, but in black and white -- rendered much like D’Ambra tattoo on the front of his thigh (semi-realistic pointilism shading for woman’s face, simplified basic outline for images surrounding it). ANKLE: Smoking bunny by Sarah Whitehouse. * Spaces between these main pieces are filled by flash tattoos in style of Liam Sparkes. Entire leg is only black ink.

RIGHT LEG // 

THIGH (FRONT): Entire leg mirrors left arm in a mixture of classic tattoo designs/styles with pop-culture & illustrative character leanings. Multi-eyed devil (??) piece by Kerry-Anne Richardson. Full colour. Fishnet leggies by Just Jen on inside of thigh. THIGH (BACK): Skull emerging from chrysanthemum by Ben Shaw, underneath that: crescent moon by Kerry-Anne Richardson. KNEE: Aforementioned Siouxsie Sioux eye in labyrinth. SHIN: Wolf in sheep’s clothing by Iain Sellar.  CALF: THIS!!!!!!!! by Charissa Gregson. He hasn’t got a name yet.. suggestions welcome. Below him, more Iain Sellar stuff. ANKLE: Peachy-keen, piece by Holly Ashby. * Spaces in between main pieces on thigh are filled by Dennis the Menace & Peanuts panel. Out of sheer self-indulgence I’m adding this lady. Every other blank space refers back to Sparkes and Jemma Jones flash tattoos.

He doesn’t have any on his feet because he’s ticklish there..

[the-dj-is-asleep]

One Night: Chapter 5

AO3

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4

Lena makes a face that Kara can’t quite decipher.

“You thought I was going to die and that sparked an adrenaline rush that reignited your powers conveniently so that you could jump off that cliff and save me?”

“I didn’t actually know that they’d come back when I jumped,” Kara says.

“You… you jumped off a cliff on the off-chance that your powers were back to save me but you didn’t know for sure?”

“I mean, I hoped. And to be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about whether I had my powers or not. I just knew that I had to save you. I’ve probably gotten a little too used to jumping off of things without thinking about it.”

Lena just stares at Kara for a very long time. Her expression can only be described as dumbfounded. Suddenly, Lena straightens, her spine pointing in a direct line up to the sky and her chin raised.

“Why didn’t you save him?” Lena asks.

“I told you. I could only save one of you. Lena, I would have chosen you no matter who was on the other side.”

Lena frowns.

“He could be dead.”

“I know,” Kara says. “But I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that sometimes I can’t save everyone. I learned that very early on.”

“I sense a story there.”

Kara swallows and looks up at the sky to see that it is getting truly light out. She itches to feel the sun on her skin because even with her powers back, she still feels drained having not seem the sun in days.

“When Myriad happened, Non, the guy in charge, took control of James, Winn, and a co-worker from CatCo whose name was Kelly. I was friends with Kelly, not as close as James and Winn, but I liked her and she was always nice to me. Non made all three of them jump off of the balcony of the top floor.”

Lena watches Kara with slightly parted lips.

“I couldn’t save all three before they hit the ground and I chose James and Winn because… they were my friends, my best friends. Because I loved them both more than Kelly.”

It hurts to say those words, to quantify her love, to say it as if Kelly was any less deserving of saving because of her personal connection to Kara. It shouldn’t have mattered. It should not have made a difference. But, of course, it did. Kara couldn’t stand to see James and Winn die. She couldn’t. So she’d let Kelly go.

“I made that choice again today,” she says to Lena. “And I am sorry, but I don’t regret it.”

Maggie accidentally plants the idea in Kara’s brain and Kara can’t let go of it.

Kara had bailed on game night again. The week that she’d spent at Lena’s after the shooting had changed their relationship. It was neither better nor worse, just… more intense and Kara found that she wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. So when Lena called her last minute on Saturday night to hang out, Kara had immediately sent a text in the group apologizing and telling them she’d make it up to them.

She got varying degrees of disappointment from the boys followed by a simple, snarky message from Maggie.

i can’t believe you’re ditching us for your girlfriend again. make sure to give her a big kiss from me

Kara hadn’t thought much of the message at the time but when she’d seen Lena that night, she’d joked about it.

“Maggie was making fun of me for ditching them,” she said. “She said I should give you a big kiss from her.”

Lena’s eyes had widened slightly at that and then narrowed playfully.

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

That had left Kara a sputtering mess but she’d recovered enough to press her lips gently to Lena’s cheek.

And now she can’t stop thinking about it. Because Lena’s skin had been soft and her heart had raced and she’d smelled really nice. Kara found herself suddenly picturing what it would be like to kiss her for real, on her lips. She can and simultaneously cannot imagine how her lips must feel (soft, warm, comforting but also something more that Kara can’t put a word to). And the word ‘girlfriend’ plays on repeat in her head. Kara had never really pictured herself with a girlfriend before but the idea of dating Lena isn’t that weird. In fact, after everything they’ve been through, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

So, Kara does the mature thing and avoids Lena. Alex is overjoyed that her little sister is spending time with her again (Kara almost says that now she knows what it feels like, being forgotten for another girl, but she’s afraid of drawing any sort of parallels between Maggie’s relationship with Alex and her own with Lena). That lasts only about a week though, before Alex comes marching into Kara’s apartment with pot stickers in one hand and a pint of ice cream in the other. She sits Kara down on the couch, points a spoon at her menacingly and says, “Talk.”

“About what?” Kara replies, genuinely at a loss because she’s not sure what brought this on.

“Lena Luthor and why you’ve been avoiding her.”

“What? I haven’t… I have not been avoiding her. You were all complaining that I was spending too much time with her and not enough time with you… so here I am.”

“Okay, so the boys would have believed that lie. I, on the other hand, know you very well, and I don’t believe it for a second. Why are you avoiding Lena?”

“I…”

Alex looks at Kara pointedly, eye-brows raised and lips pursed. Kara should tell Alex. Alex would understand. Alex would support her and love her no matter what. But, Kara doesn’t want Alex to have to support her anymore. All Alex has ever done is support Kara and now she’s happy, she’s got her own life with Maggie. She doesn’t need Kara piling more stuff on.

“It’s nothing, Alex. Don’t worry about it.”

“Kara, I worry about you. Always. So tell me what’s up.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Kara says.

“What?”

“You shouldn’t have to worry about me all the time,” Kara says. “It’s no big deal. I can take care of myself.”

Alex frowns and her eyes dance in confusion. Somehow Kara’s words served only to make Alex look even more concerned.

“Kara, hey,” she says, her voice tending towards comforting. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing Alex. Really,” Kara says, trying to reassure her sister that she truly is fine.

“Did I do something? Are you mad at me?”

“What? No! Of course not!”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

“I don’t want to bother you.”

Alex’s face falls and she jars back a little in surprise.

“Why would… Kara is this because of when I came out and you felt like everything was about you and we didn’t talk about me enough? Because we’ve been talking about me plenty in the last few weeks and I still want to hear about you. I always want to hear about you. Please Kara, tell me what’s going on.”

Kara searches Alex’s face for any sign that she doesn’t mean what she’s saying. But, no, of course not. Alex really cares. Kara feels a bit like an idiot for forgetting that before Maggie, before Lena, before James and Winn and Mon-El and J’onn, it was just the two of them. And at the end of the day, everyone else might leave, the others might find other people they care about more, they might move on, but not Alex. Alex will be there with Kara till the end and nothing could ever change that.

“I think I like Lena,” Kara says quietly. “Like as in… y’know like."

Alex’s eyes go wide and surprised and she sits back a bit to process.

“Like you want to date her?”

Kara nods again.

“And… like… kiss her?”

Kara blushes up to her ears but nods again.

“Huh,” Alex says thoughtfully. “I guess, maybe I should have seen that coming. Maybe. You’ve never been into girls before.”

“I mean… neither had you,” Kara says.

“Touche.”

“Plus, I’m still into guys. I definitely liked James. But I also, pretty definitely like Lena.”

For some reason, that makes Alex’s smooths into a smile. She reaches up and plays gently with a strand of Kara’s hair.

“I’m glad you found her then,” Alex says gently. “But that doesn’t explain why you aren’t hanging out with her. Unless… you panicked. Geez Kara… did you panic?”

Kara pouts and wants to shake her head petulantly even if Alex is right. Well, partially right. It had taken Kara two days to come to terms with the fact that she was into girls. Or rather into a girl specifically. But the part she’s still struggling with is the other part. The part where Lena only knows about half her life.

“No… I just… how can I date her if she doesn’t know I’m Supergirl? I’ve already been dying to tell her about it. I want to tell her about my life, and not just the Kara Danvers parts. I want to tell her everything. And what if I do tell her I’m Supergirl and she decides that she doesn’t want to date an alien? Or even be friends with an alien? What if I ask her out and she says no?”

“You should tell her.”

“I… What? I thought it was your job to talk me out of this.”

“Oh, it definitely is, but I care about your secret identity less than I care about you being upset, and you’re clearly upset. Also, Lena has proven herself to be more than trustworthy. So tell her. And if she decides that she doesn’t like that you’re an alien I’ll kick her ass and then Maggie will kick her ass and James and Winn will probably kick her ass too. Well maybe not Winn but he can hack her or something. We’ve all got your back, but I don’t think you’ll need us.”

Kara looks up at Alex hopefully.

“Really?”

“Yeah Kara. Lena looks at you like you’re the fucking sun. She adores you. A small detail like the fact that you’re from another planet shouldn’t change that.”

“You’re sure Alex?”

“Positive sis.”

Kara looks at Alex and it strikes her not for the first time, exactly how amazing Alex is. Even as she sits here on Kara’s couch in a worn henley and munching on a potsticker she looks like Artemis embodied. She is strength and grace and wisdom. And Kara trusts her implicitly. So when Alex says that she has a chance, Kara doesn’t hesitate to believe her.

“I…” Lena starts and then she pauses. “I wish you could have saved him.”

“I do too,” Kara replies earnestly.

“Do you?”

“Yes, I never want anyone to die. Not like that,” Kara says. “If I can save someone, no matter how bad they are, no matter what they did to me, I will. I might throw them in jail right after, but I will try to save them.”

Lena looks down at her the white sneakers they had her put on when they caged her. They aren’t so white anymore, now flecked with dirt and grime. It feels symbolic. Nothing is as simple as it used to be.

“I’m supposed to hate you,” Lena says. “That’s what he taught me and that’s what she taught me and I didn’t believe them. You were so good and I couldn’t believe them. But when you left him… I thought, for a second that maybe they were right all along and you were exactly like the rest of them.”

Kara flinches. Like the rest of them. Of all the hurtful things that Lena has been throwing her way over the course of the last few hours, this one, the only one said without intention to hurt, stings the most. ‘Exactly like the rest of them’ like Kara is the exception. It feels like Lena is confirming all of her worst fears and, for a second, Kara feels sick. She ducks her head and takes a second to compose herself.

“I understand,” she says. “We should be getting back to the city. Is it alright if I pick you up?”

Lena’s eyes widen at Kara’s tone and Kara can see the gears turning in her head, replaying her words and Lena immediately tries to backpedal.

“Kara-“

“We’re kind of in a hurry Lena. Can I pick you up or not?”

“I-yes, of course.”

So Kara sweeps Lena up into her arms. She clenches her jaw and pushes up into the sky and tries to ignore now even now, her heart speeds up having Lena close to her like this.

Chapter 6

[joementa]

Week Of May 1, 2017.

This week was the kick-off of what I have deemed Emo Fest 2K17, consisting of four consecutive (for me) Ryan Adams/DRA shows.  I won’t complain about that.  Although after four DRA shows in a row, my emotions might be doing some complaining. Night 1 of Emo Fest 2K17 was at the Beacon Theatre in NYC.  Alex Edelman, a stand-up comic, opened the show.  I really enjoyed it.  I’ve always felt a connection with stand-up comics.  Not because of humor (I like to say that I TRY to be funny.  I don’t necessarily think that I AM funny), but because I think stand-up comics face one of the loneliest and most naked positions you could ever be in.  And a part of me has felt that way my entire life.  DRA’s show was fantastic, of course.  He was in a great mood, and was very funny, too.  The songs sounded great.  They ROCKED. The crowd was really great, too. They were locked into it, and everyone stood for the entire show.  That was nice, because as I said, this was a rock show.  

If you go to a lot of shows, you know that NYC always brings a great crowd.  And that’s emphasized more when a musician or band has a connection to the great city, which DRA does.  He played “New York, New York” solo acoustic, right up at the front of the stage, and you could hear a pin drop during that performance.  I was really happy that he played “Kim”.  It’s one of my favorite songs of his, from his great self-titled album.  “When The Stars Go Blue” was of course absurdly beautiful.  He also included a cover of “Wonderwall”, solo on electric guitar. What a performance.

Emo Fest 2K17 Night 2 was back at the Beacon, another sold out show.  One thing that was different from the previous night – I had a FRONT ROW ticket.  Pretty tough to beat that!  The show of course was great – both the band and the crowd rocked.  There’s nothing like an NYC crowd.  This show had TWO solo acoustic performances, and they were truly acoustic – no plugging in at all.  It was just DRA with an unplugged acoustic guitar, singing into the microphone.  Unlike the previous night, “New York, New York” was played full-band.  This may have been even more powerful than the night before.  There’s something very moving hearing DRA sing that great song in that great city.  I’ll never get tired of seeing shows in this city.  

After the show, two people approached me and told me that I was fun to watch.  They said it looked like I was having a lot of fun.  I actually have had many people over the years tell me this after shows, and my response is always, “Thank you.  And, if it looked like I was having fun, well that’s because I was!”  I can’t help but express myself when I’m at a show.  Often to a fault, music is my main form of communicating.  A feeling comes over me at a show, ESPECIALLY at a rock show, that is almost out of my body and mind.  I am singing and dancing and clapping and doing my signature finger pumping (those who have been with me at a show before know what this is).  I am completely lost in a higher place. That’s why I go to the shows.

Night 3 of Emo Fest 2K17 was at the Tower Theatre, outside of Philly.  I’m a big fan of that venue and have seen a bunch of great shows there over the years.  DRA’s show this year was a little weird.  The band, of course, was awesome.  DRA probably interacted with the crowd even more than in NYC.  He told a funny story about how a vending machine took his money in high school, so he shook it to get his candy and it fell on him, breaking his pinky.  He topped it off by saying that a high school friend said he was a member of Rage Against The Vending Machine.  That’s so cheesy that it’s hilarious.  

Although the story was funny, I come to these shows to feel it from the band and the crowd.  Like Bruce says, “in the crowd I feel at home.” I did not feel at home in this crowd. All of DRA’s main set was played with an electric guitar, and as I’ve said before, this was a true ROCK show.  At most rock shows, I am on an emotional journey, both internally and externally.  And you would think that a Saturday night crowd in Philly would have some sort of external reaction in a rock show.  Guess again.  Almost nobody stood up during this show, and for the few of us who did, we were verbally attacked by the crowd for doing it.  To top it off, DRA closed the show with “Come Pick Me Up” in the encore, which he traditionally plays.  This version was solo acoustic.  Guess what the crowd did.  If you guessed that they sat in their seat like they did for all of the rock songs, you would be wrong.  They stood and sang during the entire song.  Then the show was over.  Oh well. I still enjoyed the show.  I just had to enjoy it internally.

There were a bunch of new albums that came out this week that I need to check out, but because of Emo Fest 2K17, I’ve only had a chance to check out a couple of them.  In particular, I love the new Afghan Whigs album In Spades.  This should not be a surprise to anyone who knows me, because I love that band.  Their lead singer, Greg Dulli, is one of my favorite singers.  He does a fantastic job of combining a variety of genres and emotions in his voice.  I saw him live once, but unfortunately have not yet seen The Afghan Whigs live.  That will change this year, as they just announced a fall tour in the US, which I will not be missing.  The tour dates are right here.  I cannot give their show my own stamp of approval since I’ve never seen them, but I can’t imagine that they would put on a bad show.  I’m really looking forward to those shows later this year.

There are a lot of reissues coming up, and I think all of these are worth being excited for.  

A bunch of Iron Maiden vinyl reissues are slated for this summer.  Below is the schedule.

May 19

Fear Of The Dark

No Prayer For The Dying

The X Factor

Virtual

June 23

A Matter Of Life And Death

Brave New World

Dance Of Death

Rock In Rio

July 21

Death On The Road

En Vivo!

Flight 666

The Final Frontier

Purple Rain is being reissued on June 23, and there is a lot to be excited about here. There are a variety of options, but the Deluxe – Expanded Edition is the way to go, in my opinion.  Disc one is the original album (obviously), the second disc is 11 songs from the vault including 6 never before heard songs, and a third disc all of the singles and B-sides from the Purple Rain era.  Plus it comes with a DVD of Prince and The Revolution live on March 30, 1985.  No word yet on whether or not this is coming out on vinyl, but count me in either way!

One of my favorite albums ever is Exodus by Bob Marley.  It turns 40 years old this year, and not surprisingly, they are doing a massive reissue to celebrate.  There are a few different versions that will be released, which you can read about right here. I’m particularly excited about the super deluxe reissue version.  It includes FOUR vinyl LPs (including the original album, a “restatement” version that includes previously unused and unheard vocals, a live show), plus a bonus 7” with a previously unreleased version of “Waiting In Vain”.  Apparently the “restatement” version of “Turn Your Lights Down Low” is really good, and has an R&B vibe.  I’m excited to hear that one.  “Turn Your Lights Down Low” is my favorite Bob Marley song.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released 50 years ago this year, and they are celebrating it in a big way.  One again, there are a variety of options.  The double vinyl release includes a new stereo mix of the album for disc one, and a full disc of complete early takes from the Sgt. Pepper’s sessions in the same sequence as the album proper.  More music from The Beatles that has never been heard before. I will not complain about that. This comes out May 26.

Warpaint by the Black Crowes is being reissued on June 16

Here is a list of some of the music I’ve been listening to the past week.  Format: musician – album title, or musician – “song title” (album title).  As you can see by the list below, I listened to a lot of Bruce this week.  I’m still riding high from his storytellers discussion in NYC last week, and to keep it going, I had to listen to a lot of his music.  I usually do that when I see one of my favorite musicians.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of DRA on this list next week.

The Counting Crows – “A Long December” (Recovering The Satellites)

The Gaslight Anthem – “Mae” (Handwritten)

Bruce Springsteen – Greetings From Asbury Park, New Jersey

Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle

Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Bruce Springsteen – The River

Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen – “Save My Love” b/w “Because The Night”

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band – Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/08

Karen Elson – Double Roses

Iron & Wine – Archive Series Volume 3

Lady Gaga – “The Cure”

Prince – Prince

Prince – “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” (Sign O’ The Times)

The Afghan Whigs – In Spades

Chris Stapleton – From A Room, Volume 1

The Afghan Whigs – Black Love

The Afghan Whigs – “Faded” (Black Love)

Maren Morris – Hero

Ed Sheeran – Divide

Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark

D’Angelo – Brown Sugar

[a-alex-hammer]

Podcasts in SERPs: Is Audio SEO the Next Frontier?

One of the many bits of news from Google I/O 2019 was that Google would soon start displaying podcasts in search results. “Soon” turned out to be very soon, as we’re already seeing these results surface. Here’s one from a search for our own podcast, MozPod:

While the feature itself is interesting, and the fact that the main result goes to Apple while the episodes go to Google is entertaining, the talk out of I/O suggested something much more intriguing – that Google would soon be indexing podcast content and returning audio clips in search results.

Can Google transcribe audio content?

Is this currently possible? In a word: yes. We know that Google has offered a speech-to-text service as part of Google Cloud Platform since 2017, which has already undergone a few iterations and upgrades. Earlier this year, Android Police spotted source code changes which suggested that Google was proactively transcribing some podcasts on the Google Podcasts platform.

We see evidence of this capability in the broader Google ecosystem. For example, here’s an automatic transcript on my Google Pixel phone for a recent call …

We even see evidence of this capability in search results, but in a different medium. As early as April 2017, Google was testing suggested clips in YouTube videos. Here’s a current example from a search for “how to swim butterfly”:

Note the “Suggested clip” highlighted in the blue box, and starting at the 2:30 mark. What’s interesting is that variations on this search not only produce different videos in some cases, but different clips within the same video. Here’s the result I got back for “how to swim the butterfly” (adding only the definite article “the”):

Now, the suggested clip is 101 seconds long and starts at the 1:54 mark. It’s clear from some suggested clips that the feature is still in its infancy, but it’s difficult to imagine Google being able to implement this feature dynamically without create a transcript of the audio portion of these videos.

Why start with video? For Google, it just makes bottom-line sense. YouTube is a planetary system to the pleasant suburb of Google Podcasts and has an immensely powerful infrastructure backing it. If Google can return results based on the audio portion of a video, it’s only natural they can do the same for audio files.

How will audio surface in search?

The obvious starting points will be extensions of the podcast engine, including automatic transcription and full-text (full-audio) search – both of which already seem to be in the works. Once you can search within Google Podcasts, though, expect that search capability to broaden to general Google searches.

One big question is whether Google will return audio content directly or will use transcribed text. In some cases, returning audio clips may be a better match to searcher intent. If you’re searching for a movie clip or something you heard in a podcast, returning the original is a richer experience than returning plain text. The big advantage, though, will be to voice devices, such as Google Home. Returning audio would fill a content gap for voice devices and provide a direct bridge into full podcasts and other non-text content.

How many podcasts should I start?

We do seem to be in the midst of a minor podcast revival, and audio search may spark that revival. As always, though, expect Google to release changes gradually and test them for weeks or months. If you’re already producing a podcast and want to make it accessible to search, make sure you’re part of the Google Podcasts ecosystem and are entering and updating the currently available meta data.

Other than having clean audio in a format Google can process, there’s probably nothing specific you’ll have to do down the road to get that content transcribed. It may be worth thinking about how your audio content is structured. Completely free-form content, while it certainly has a place, may be harder for Google to evaluate. Is the theme of your podcast and each episode evident? Is there a structure where a machine could potentially parse questions and answers. Are there concise takeaways – maybe a summary at the end of each episode?

Ultimately, audio SEO will mean treating our audio content in a more structured and deliberate way. The broader evolution of Google across many devices also means that we need to be more aware of what type of content best fits our audience’s needs. Is the searcher looking for text, video, or audio? Each modality fits a different need and a different device (or set of devices) in the broader search ecosystem.

Source link

Source/Repost=> http://technewsdestination.com/podcasts-in-serps-is-audio-seo-the-next-frontier/ ** Alex Hammer | Founder and CEO at Ecommerce ROI ** http://technewsdestination.com

[funnythingshere0-blog]

What's so funny?: 25 singers cracking up at their own songs

New Post has been published on http://funnythingshere.xyz/whats-so-funny-25-singers-cracking-up-at-their-own-songs/

What's so funny?: 25 singers cracking up at their own songs

Singers laugh for various reasons, not all of them sincere. Take, for instance, the laugh that closes out Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi”—a giggle some people find so fake, they made their own fan edits just to cut it out. There is intentional laughter, layered in to create a wild, maniacal atmosphere (“Thriller,” “This Is Radio Clash,” “Master Of Puppets”), or tossed off before a hip-hop verse to convey we’re having a champagne-popping good time. There is the spliced-in laughter that captures musicians as buddies, just cuttin’ loose in the studio (Beastie Boys’ “Heart Attack Man,” Spoon’s “Back To The Life,” the Pixies’ “I’m Amazed”). There are in-character laughs deployed as part of the lyrics (Morrissey’s mocking laugh in “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful,” Lou Reed’s euphoric one in The Velvet Underground’s “Heroin”). In the case of Young Jeezy and Jadakiss, the laugh acts as a sort of catchphrase.

But the rarer kind of laughter is the spontaneous crack-up, the studio gaffe in which the facade briefly drops and the singer is suddenly amused by their own lyrics, or a bum note—or who knows what—and the moment thereafter becomes part of their song. Here are 25 examples.

1. Bob Dylan, “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream”

There’s plenty of funny wordplay in this wild, surrealistic satire from Bringing It All Back Home, but the laughter at the beginning is over something far more ordinary: Dylan starts the track and his band misses its cue, causing both the singer and producer Tom Wilson to bust out laughing. The 1965 album marked Dylan’s first dabbling with electric rock, to some fans’ dismay, so perhaps there’s something symbolic there in his briefly starting “115th Dream” in his usual, acoustic guise, then laughing at it. But mostly it’s just a glimpse of that loose, funny Dylan seen laughing and snarking in interviews, here finally freed from the yoke of playing the somber, socially conscious folkie all the time. [Sean O’Neal]

2. Pavement, “Summer Babe”

Between the release of its final Drag City single and its Matador debut, Pavement spit-shined its 1991 song “Summer Babe” into the remixed “(Winter Version),” but it left one ramshackle detail intact: Stephen Malkmus’ guffaw around the line “Daily drop off the first shiny robe,” Malkmus losing his Lou Reed-aping cool as he dishes out some word salad. It’s the perfect introduction to Slanted And Enchanted, a seminal album made by two California kids goofing around in the garage with their hippie burnout drummer. “Its flaws are a big part of what makes it good,” Malkmus has said, and the “Summer Babe” laugh is one of the album’s most endearing—and judging by its presence on both versions, most essential. [Erik Adams]

3. Geto Boys, “Trophy”

Geto Boys’ We Can’t Be Stopped closes with “Trophy” and Willie D going scorched-earth on the bullshit, rap-averse, awards-industrial complex: “I sold a lotta records and a lotta people know me / Now where’s my goddamn trophy?” he howls, amid interludes of a corny “host” doling out awards to George Strait, Reba McEntire, and the like. By song’s end, Willie D is handing out his own award to Geto Boys for “Most ‘Fuck Words’ In A Song,” before he finally collapses in laughter over his giving the “lip-sync goddamn motherfuckin’ Grammy to those punk motherfuckers, Milli Vanilli.” It’s an unexpectedly loose moment from the group, though, sadly, it’s still no joke: Geto Boys have zero Grammy nominations to Macklemore’s four. [Clayton Purdom]

4. Okkervil River, “You Can’t Hold The Hand of A Rock And Roll Man”

On 2007’s The Stage Names, Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, having newly broken through with 2005’s Black Sheep Boy, took a self-deprecating jab at a life path that’s been romanticized as a grand, debaucherous adventure, yet is mostly mundane. “You Can’t Hold The Hand of A Rock And Roll Man” starts as another ode to the drudgery of touring before it morphs into a stoned imagining of rock-star opulence, all leading to the singer enjoying a glamorous romance and, inevitably, bitter divorce. But the earnest Sheff can’t keep up the ruse: He breaks character during his final, mocking diatribe about his imaginary ex-wife, suppressing a telltale chuckle as his band plays him off. [Matt Gerardi]

5. R.E.M, “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”

Amid the dark, mournful introspection of Automatic For The People, “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite” offers a moment of levity—almost too light, guitarist Peter Buck would say later. Still, “Sidewinder” does provide a break in between the solemn “Try Not To Breathe” and “Everybody Hurts,” particularly at the moment Michael Stipe audibly breaks on “a reading by Dr. Seuss.” It’s a silly lyric to begin with, though supposedly Stipe was laughing at his inability to stop pronouncing it as “Zeus” after repeated attempts. Like “Sidewinder” itself, his goofy chuckle serves as a necessary release. [Sean O’Neal]

6. The Flaming Lips, “I Can Be A Frog”

It’s barely 40 seconds into The Flaming Lips’ minor-key musing “I Can Be A Frog” before Wayne Coyne breaks, finally cracking up at Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O as she runs the gamut of animal impressions (roars for a bear, mewling for a cat, awkward laughter for a bat). As Coyne later explained to Flavorwire, the two were actually doing a vocal session for “Watching The Planets” when “she started to make all these crazy noises,” inspiring Coyne to turn them into a whole separate song. It’s around the line “She said, ‘I can be a wolf’” that Coyne gives in, laughs slipping out amid the syllables, with “I Can Be A Frog” going from dark and downbeat to truly delirious. [Alex McLevy]

7. Art Brut, “The Replacements”

Art Brut’s Art Brut Vs. Satan is full of songs about stuff singer Eddie Argo likes: “DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshake,” the songs “Twist And Shout” and “The Passenger,” etc. Among those odes is “The Replacements,” in which Argos spends the entire track beating himself up because, “I can’t believe I’ve only just discovered The Replacements” so late in life. Argos sings the whole thing on the verge of cracking up, but he finally lets loose with a laugh as he consoles himself with the fact that “Secondhand records are cheaper / Reissue CDs have extra tracks.” [Matt Gerardi]

8. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, “Hiding All Away”

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds’ 2004 double album, Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus, finds Cave embracing his gothic preacher persona while backed by members of the London Community Gospel Choir. It’s them you can hear laughing near the end of “Hiding All Away,” which grinds through a dozen verses of increasingly outlandish lyrics about being beaten by a judge’s gavel and basted with butter by a cook, before a line about the butcher’s “fist up your dress” around 4:30 finally sparks some uncomfortable titters. As Cave later explained, most of the Christian singers were just hearing the words for the first time, adding, “We left it in because the song was heading toward its fairly grisly revelation, and I thought it benefited enormously.” [Gwen Ihnat]

9. Low, “Open Arms”

Journey’s cheesy ’80s power ballad is a staple of semi-kidding karaoke covers, but Low made the rare move of actually laying its own down in the studio—a bit of blowing-off-steam that eventually surfaced on the rarities collection A Lifetime Of Temporary Relief, amid other renditions, in various degrees of jokiness, of songs by the Bee Gees and The Smiths. But the sadcore group’s rendition of “Open Arms” stands out for the laughing fit around 3:09, where Alan Sparhawk’s voice cracks trying to mimic Steve Perry’s tremulous keen and Sparhawk finally busts up at the stadium-sized, schlocky earnestness of it all. [Sean O’Neal]

10. Dessa, “Shrimp”

It’s unclear what prompts Dessa’s brassy laughter at the end of “Shrimp,” another entry in the rapper’s résumé of dextrous lyricism and individualistic-yet-universal feelings. Is she pleased with herself for the closing twist she puts on an old cliché? Is it the delight of someone who knows they happened upon the perfect conclusion to a near-perfect little track? Or is it just the sound of joy emanating from an artist doing what she loves, at the top of her abilities? Whatever the cause, the effect is endearing. [Alex McLevy]

11. David Bowie, “The Laughing Gnome”

Fake laughter is woven into the lyrics of David Bowie’s notorious early novelty single, a children’s ballad that’s also groaning with awful “gnome” puns, farty brass, and the sped-up chipmunk voice of its titular character. But around the 2:30 mark, Bowie’s “Ha ha ha / hee hee hee” gives way to something much more genuine, the sound of a man having a what-the-hell-am-I-doing? moment of self-awareness. It’s enough to—briefly—make you want to laugh along. [Sean O’Neal]

12. Mewithoutyou, “Orange Spider”

Christian-ish rock band Mewithoutyou imbues its songs with heavy symbolism and religious allusion, which invites plenty of scrutiny. But the explanation for why singer Aaron Weiss laughs during this track from 2006’s Brother, Sister is a little less heady: According to the band’s manager, former guitarist Chris Kleinberg recorded some backing vocals with “ridiculously inappropriate alternate lyrics,” which Weiss heard for the first time during tracking. Those backing vocals didn’t survive, but Weiss’ barely-suppressed chuckles do, giving this weird little animal song a very human heart. [Sean O’Neal]

13. Outkast, “Ain’t No Thang”

Over six minutes of crackling menace and hard-knock Organized Noize drums, Outkast’s Big Boi and André (pre-3000) each break off two verses in Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik’s “Ain’t No Thang,” with the latter in an uncharacteristically tense, antagonistic mood. But after waving .357s and Berettas around, André’s tough front finally collapses with, “You can sway with André / I’ll take it to the Ho-Jo,” a shout-out to the Howard Johnson hotel chain he caps with a laughing, “Just to let you know.” Even on this violent, shit-talking track, André’s raw joy is palpable. [Clayton Purdom]

14. The Police, “Roxanne”

The beginning of “Roxanne” features a laugh so straightforward, it’s hard to imagine it wasn’t deliberately added as an affectation. But the official history swears that, during the opening moments of the session, Sting accidentally backed his ass up into the piano, producing the fleeting dissonant notes heard in those first few seconds. A moment later, Sting’s laughter rings out through the speakers. The rest of The Police were so delighted by the mistake, they left it in as a fun, lighthearted beginning to their song about a guy who falls in love with a prostitute. [Alex McLevy]

15. Frank Zappa, “Muffin Man”

Frank Zappa’s zaniness was delivered with such a straight, occasionally hostile face, this mostly spoken-word track from 1975’s Bongo Fury feels like a significant crack in the facade. While reading through his own typically twisted logorrhea, Zappa is finally bested by the line “Arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas snoot of a fully charged icing anointment utensil, he poots forth a quarter-ounce green rosette,” with Zappa giggling and insisting, “Let’s try that again.” “Muffin Man” became a staple at his live shows, sans laughing, but the explicit rib-nudging in that flubbed recorded version is what made it a fan favorite. [Sean O’Neal]

16. Elvis Presley, “Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Laughing)”

Elvis was performing to a sold-out Vegas crowd when he changed up the lyrics—something he often did to amuse himself—on “Are You Lonesome Tonight?,” swapping in the line, “Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair?” And he was already chuckling at his own improvisation when, according to legend, a man in the audience took off his toupee and started waving it around. This is supposedly what caused Elvis to lose it; he starts laughing in the second verse and never stops. As he wraps up, Elvis self-deprecatingly tells his audience, “That’s it, man, 14 years right down the drain.” But naturally, even the King’s screw-ups were successful: The so-called “laughing” version of “Lonesome” became a hit on the British charts in 1982. [Gwen Ihnat]

17. Billy Joel, “You’re Only Human (Second Wind)”

A jaunty little tune about teen suicide, “You’re Only Human (Second Wind)” finds Billy Joel stressing that, hey, life is hard and everyone makes mistakes—a point he illustrates by screwing up “sometimes that’s all it takes” around 3:55, prompting him to crack. Joel’s laugh sounds a bit too practiced—he even works it into the truly weird, It’s A Wonderful Life-themed video—which prompted some contemporary critics to suggest maybe it wasn’t so spontaneous. But Joel angrily insisted it was, saying both Paul Simon and Christie Brinkley heard him screw up in the studio and urged him to leave it in as a way of underlining the song’s overall message. Besides, its cheesiness fits right in as well. [Sean O’Neal]

18. The Beatles, “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”

It’s easy to miss the fleeting chuckle Paul McCartney delivers in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” a song the other Beatles routinely complained about and John Lennon later disparaged as “more of Paul’s granny music.” But this genial, goofy ballad about a young man who murders people with a hammer contains a moment where even McCartney seems to recognize the daffiness of his own lyrics, suppressing a laugh during the line about Maxwell’s teacher making him stay after class, “Writing 50 times I must not be so, oh oh oh.” Various apocryphal explanations have been offered over the years (Lennon mooned him; McCartney was just high), but whatever the real explanation, it’s a nice moment of spontaneity in a song that, by the other Beatles’ admission, was so laboriously fussed over. [Alex McLevy]

19. New Order, “Every Little Counts”

For all his talents as a guitarist, songwriter, and, sure, a singer, Bernard Sumner penned some pretty insipid lyrics—even if they weren’t being compared to the gloomy poetry of his predecessor, Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Even Sumner seems to realize his own lack of a muse on Brotherhood’s closing track, which finds him giggling through the first verse couplet of “I think you are a pig / You should be in a zoo,” then singing through an audible smile thereafter. “The words were so bad,” Sumner would tell Q magazine years later, even for him. Still, his laugh excuses the leaden verse, and it redeems the whole thing, offering a little ray of sunshine from a band that was breaking away at last from its deathly serious origins. [Sean O’Neal]

20. Bruce Springsteen, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”

Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band’s live rendition of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” is a perennial Christmastime radio favorite because of the huge amount of energy it brings to what is one of our dullest Christmas carols. Drums, saxophone, and Springsteen’s crowd-pleasing audience engagement bring some spirit to the 1930s standard—never less so than in the charming back-and-forth between Springsteen and the late Clarence Clemons, whose hearty, deep-voiced “ho ho ho”s set Springsteen to laughing not once, but twice during the chorus. [Caitlin PenzeyMoog]

21. The Fall, “Dr. Bucks’ Letter”

The Fall’s Mark E. Smith had a sense of humor, though it was as caustic and sometimes inscrutable as he was. Still, there’s an implied, impish sort of laughter behind many of his songs—and some literal chuckles in a few of them, like this track from 2000’s The Unutterable. As Smith is reading off his “checklist I never leave home without,” he cracks up at the line “I think it’s my P.A.’s computer,” then can barely get through “AmEx card / They made such a fuss about giving it to me / But I spend more time getting it turned down.” His reading suggests Smith was just pleasantly surprised by the drollery of his own lyrics, which would also square with his persona. [Sean O’Neal]

22. Ben Folds, “Bitch Went Nuts”

It’s a little tricky to gauge the sincerity of Ben Folds’ quick guffaw in this lively breakup song—not least because the album it features on, 2008’s Way To Normal, has a distinct layer of comedic artifice. But as the story goes, Folds and his bandmates spent a free day together crafting a collection of “fake” songs with names like “Bitch Went Nutz” (note the extra Z) that they then hosted on their Myspace page. Then they recorded a “real” version of “Bitch Went Nuts,” changing the POV from a Republican lawyer to a brokenhearted college guy, but keeping the same freewheeling energy—particularly when Folds briefly loses it over the line, “Holy fucking shit.” [William Hughes]

23. The Beach Boys, “Barbara Ann”

It was a toss-up as to whether to include anything from Beach Boys’ Party! on this list, as so much of the 1965 album is fake. The record purports to capture the band performing at an informal gathering of friends, but—as those scare quotes around “live” on the cover give away—the whole thing was actually done in the studio, with “party” chatter layered in like any other track. Fake as the presentation is, though, there seems to be genuine laughter running through the album’s breakout hit cover of The Regents’ “Barbara Ann.” As The Beach Boys, backed by Jan And Dean’s Dean Torrence, begin their second verse around 1:20, they stumble over those loving shout-outs to ’50s girls names—some sing “Peggy Sue” when they should be singing “Betty Lou”—then chuckle at their mistake as they plow on. It’s possible this part was just as scripted and rehearsed, but it sounds like a rare moment of actual spontaneity. [Sean O’Neal]

24. Janet Jackson, a lot of songs

Despite having found its way onto nearly two dozen tracks, there’s nothing canned about Janet Jackson’s laughter. Her mirth always pairs well with her music—there’s a giggle, titter, and chuckle for every mood and song. On “When I Think Of You,” Jackson’s full-throated laughter is a form of incredibly suggestive release. In “He Doesn’t Know I’m Alive,” they bubble before the halfway mark, brought on by nerves. Joyful tracks like “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” and “All For You” are accompanied by Jackson’s crescendoing giggle. The laughs that float out on “Rollercoaster” and “Bathroom Break (Interlude)”—and six other Janet Jackson tracks with “interlude” in the title—all have a conspiratorial air, giving the impression she’s hanging out with friends. Less frequently, Jackson will direct her laughter at others. On “No Sleeep,” the chuckle is the equivalent of an “Oh really” in response to J. Cole’s posturing come-ons, while there’s the appropriately rueful chortle in “Got ’Til It’s Gone,” a song about lost love. And her crack-up on “Doesn’t Really Matter” is almost self-referential: When Jackson observes, “I’m always doing that,” she could be talking about breaking mid-song. [Danette Chavez ]

25. Kesha, “Woman”

Like Janet Jackson, Kesha has a habit of laughing in her songs, a natural outgrowth of the drunk-party vibe of her music and her proudly “hot mess” persona. The slightly sinister chuckle that opens “Blow,” as well as the closing laugh that precedes the ad-libbed, “I like your beard” on “Your Love Is My Drug” are both prime examples of this zero-fucks-given attitude. But few of Kesha’s laughs have felt more significant than the one that arrives midway through Rainbow’s “Woman”: The song kicks off with some wild studio laughter that sounds like the tail end of some goofing around, and that energy carries over to the part just past the minute mark where Kesha loses it on the line “Loosey as a goosey and we’re looking for some fun.” The song was released as Kesha emerged from a prolonged legal battle with former collaborator—and her accused assailant—Dr. Luke, Kesha finally, triumphantly just having fun again. Her laugh says it all. [Sean O’Neal]

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Bruins Blast Sens; Ovi and Backstrom Lead Caps; Forsberg; Sprong – December 31

Daniel Sprong was recalled by Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon. Sprong has 18 goals and 28 points as a 20-year old in the AHL this year, a year after averaging over a goal per game in the QMJHL last year. You can ready his Dobber Prospects profile here.

With the Pens at the bottom of the league in five-on-five shooting percentage – which is hard to fathom – they are clearly looking for a scoring spark. Maybe he can provide it? Without PP1 time, he won’t be otherworldly in fantasy, but we are just a season removed from Conor Sheary putting up 23 goals and 53 points in 61 games in a similar situation. If you have room on your bench, it’s worth the shot. If he can draw into that top-six, and the team starts heating up, there’s serious upside here. It looks like he’s starting in the bottom-six, though:

Just to be completely accurate here: Forwards in black: Crosby, Guentzel, Kessel, Hornqvist, Hagelin, G. Wilson Gold/yellow: Sheary, Sheahan, Sprong, Kuhnhackl, Rowney, Reaves

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) December 30, 2017

*

The story of late for Boston has been depth scoring and that trend continued Saturday night in Ottawa. Ryan Spooner scored twice and goals added by David Krejci and Noel Acciari helped cement their 5-0. The other tally was by Patrice Bergeron.

Tuukka Rask wasn’t really asked to do much but did save all 25 shots he faced. After his awful start to the year, Rask is now sitting at a very solid .923 save percentage. Anyone that bought low on him, kudos. Anyone that sold low on him, sorry?

*

Sean Kuraly came incredibly close to having a very bad gash across his face or neck:

*

Christian Djoos had a goal and an assist in the first half of the first period in Washington’s game against New Jersey on Saturday night. Scoring a goal as a third-pair defenceman is nice and all, but it was the assist that was his highlight:

DJOOS FINDS WILSON, WILSON FINDS NET! 2:26 IN AND THE CAPITALS LEAD! pic.twitter.com/3epJo87inb

— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) December 31, 2017

Just the confidence to shake the oncoming Devils player, get down low, and find Tom Wilson is something special. Sometimes with a rookie blue liner, he will make it a point (often at the direction of his coach) to “keep it simple.” Rather than floating a puck on net, Djoos created a goal out of nothing. He’s impressive.

Djoos won’t have fantasy value this year; he just doesn’t play enough. Moving forward beyond this year, though, this is a guy I would be trying to acquire in dynasty leagues.

*

It was a banner night for Washington’s top line as Alex Ovechkin had three assists and Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and two assists. It was actually Ovechkin’s third three-assist game this season. He had one such game over the previous six seasons. John Carlson also had a goal and two assists, with the goal being of the power-play variety. 

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This came up during the Caps game. Does anyone double-check these?

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André Burakovsky was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game.

This was inevitable after he played fewer than nine minutes in each of Washington’s two games coming out of the holiday break, but it’s still disheartening for those hoping he’d carry fantasy value. He’s shooting a lot less this year (13.08 shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five compared to 16.14 last year). The coaching staff is obviously unhappy with his play, but hopefully this wakes him out of his funk.

*

Connor Brickley scored Florida’s first goal of their game against Montreal. He also eventually joined the second line early in the second period, skating alongside Vincent Trocheck and Denis Malgin. Evgenii Dadonov was moved down to the third line.

At times this year, the Panthers have used Brickley in their top-six. He never showed much of a scoring touch in the AHL, so I doubt this is anything long-term. For Dadonov owners, though, the continued demotions should be a little worrisome. Before he was injured in late November, when he was skating on the top line and top PP unit, he was playing just a shade under 20 minutes a game, and had 18 points in 22 contests. Since returning from injury on December 12th, he’s playing a full three minutes less per contest, and has zero goals. Is he still injured? Maybe the league is catching up with him? Whatever it is, he’s looking less and less of a draft-day steal.

*

James Reimer was the story in Sunrise as he made 35 saves for the 2-0 shutout win. Reimer finishes the December with a .932 save percentage for the month with two shutouts and seven wins. Not a bad 30 days.

*

Outside of Reimer’s performance, the Panthers/Habs game was rather dull. There was this little nugget from intermission, though:

On Hockey Night, @RealKyper says Bergevin is actively shopping Pacioetty, seeking to get a top goal-scorer in return.

— Evan Sporer (@ev_sporer) December 31, 2017

It seems to me that trading one of the top goal scorers over the last half-decade who is on a very team-friendly contract for another top goal scorer is dumb, but that’s just me.

Regardless, this could be good news for fantasy owners. Pacioretty is going to bounce back regardless of where he plays, but imagine if he ends up with Ryan Johansen, or Anze Kopitar, or Brayden Schenn as his centre?

*

St. Louis went with 11 forwards in this game. By the end of their 3-2 win on Saturday night, Scottie Upshall was with Tarasenko/Schenn, Berglund stayed on a line all game with Brodziak and Steen while Stastny was between Tage Thompson and Vladimir Sobotka, until late in the game when Paajarvi joined Stastny and Sobotka. It seems Schenn/Tarasenko is the only sure thing up front right now. 

Parayko and Thompson, by the way, were moved to the top PP unit for the game with Steen and Pietrangelo moving to the second unit. If Thompson can maintain his top-six slotting with top PP minutes, he can carry some redraft value. Again, however, this seems like a situation that can change quickly. 

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Lucas Wallmark scored his first career goal for Carolina. You can read his Dobber profile here. 

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Bad news, sports fans:

The Predators have placed Filip Forsberg on injured reserve. https://t.co/H0trFE5yOJ

— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) December 30, 2017

During the first intermission of the Kings-Canucks game, Nick Kypreos said at least two weeks. There's more news to come on that front, but that's the baseline for fantasy owners to know. 

Calle Jarnkrok started the game Saturday night with Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson, keeping the Kyle Turris line together. He also took Forsberg’s spot on the top PP unit. Jarnkrok is a good two-way player, but I’m not sure he’ll stick around long on the top line. We’ll see. He did have two assists in their game, so, good start. 

Juuse Saros, by the way, got the shutout for the Preds in their 3-0 win, making 29 saves along the way. It’s his second shutout of the year and he now has a .925 save percentage. Craig Smith had five shots on goal, a night after putting up 11 shots. He had 51 shots on goal in 12 games. Yowza. 

*

It’s New Year’s Eve and with just six games on the docket for Saturday night, I thought it would be a good time to go over the year that was 2017. These are just some random facts and stats from the previous 365-ish days that are of importance to fantasy hockey owners. These stats will be taken from Dobber’s Frozen Pool, Corsica, Natural Stat Trick, and NHL.com (at my own peril). Today will be forwards, tomorrow will be defencemen and goalies. Reminder that these were all tallied before Saturday night’s action.

Shot Leader

It is Evander Kane (4.11) and not Alex Ovechkin (4.02) that leads the league in shots on goal per game since January 1st. Everyone knows that Kane shoots a lot, but surpassing the guy who has typically been the far-and-away leader since the 2005 lockout in this regard puts him in another stratosphere. With the way things are going in Buffalo, and the fact that Kane’s contract is up after this year, he’ll probably be on the move by the trade deadline. Imagine that shot volume on a good offensive team?

  Power-Play Goals

Over his last 83 games, Tomas Tatar has as many PP goals (11) as Sidney Crosby, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and David Pastrnak. I suppose the reason this doesn’t get talked about very often is that he has just 14 total power-play points. That lack of assists really hurts in leagues that just count total man-advantage production. In fact, going back further, he has just four PP assists over his last 119 games. There is a chance he may not crack 40 total points this year, though an increase in power-play scoring from his teammates could go a long way in buoying his overall production.

  David Pastrnak Is Really Good

I’m basically just a David Pastrnak fanboy now. As far as power-play production goes, the 21-year old Czech is tied for fourth in 2017 with Claude Giroux at 31 points. Beyond that, he’s on a very short list of players to have accomplished the following: 30 goals, 40 assists, 240 shots on goal. The others on this list are Nikita Kucherov, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, John Tavares, and Patrick Kane. Say it loudly enough for the people in the back: Pastrnak is on the short list for elite wingers in the NHL, and he hasn’t hit his prime yet.

  Goal Scoring

There were four players to score at least 40 goals in 2017 and they are as follows: Nikita Kucherov (51), Anders Lee (44), Brad Marchand (44), and Alex Ovechkin (40). It is stunning just how good Lee’s year was. His 44 goals tied him for second in the league, his 73 points were as many as Vladimir Tarasenko, and his 23 power-play points were more than Patrick Kane. Over his career, he’s now averaging 30 goals every 82 games. Of course, the big shoe to drop is what happens with John Tavares in the offseason. Not that I would advocate outright trading Anders Lee in keeper leagues, and if Tavares does leave, maybe he fits as well with Mathew Barzal. All that said, his value will never be higher than it is right now.

  Squealer For Ehlers

Of the 19 players with at least 30 goals, 30 assists, and 200 shots on goal since the calendar turned, Nikolaj Ehlers is the fourth-youngest behind Eichel, Matthews, and Pastrnak. I suppose as far as the 2017-18 season is concerned, people could have been hoping for more than 60-65 points from Ehlers, but it’s worth noting he’s on pace to soar past 30 goals, and maybe crack 35. The issue with Ehlers is that Bryan Little and Patrike Laine – his line mates most of this year – have just 11 goals at five-on-five. With Ehlers playing the second PP unit the majority of the year, it hasn’t allowed him to rack up the assists. Stay patient, my friends. This is a top-end offensive talent.

  Do The Bartman

Ok, not Bartman, but Hartman. As in Ryan Hartman. In calendar 2017, there were five forwards who managed 20 goals and 80 penalty minutes: Evander Kane, Wayne Simmonds, Patrick Maroon, Milan Lucic, and Hartman. It should be noted, of course, that he’s done this in way less ice time per game (12:51) than anyone else (next closest is 16:26, and three of the five are over 17 minutes). Anyone who reads my Ramblings regularly knows I’m a big Hartman fan, though with Joel Quenneville’s proclivity for going all Boggle on his lines it’s hard to rely on him for consistent top-six minutes even if he lines up there for a game or two. Regardless, in deeper leagues, Hartman contributes across the board, and he can be viable in shallower formats if he ever gets a bigger permanent role. 

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Not really fantasy-relevant, but in an interview with TSN during Canada’s semi-final Spengler Cup contest, René Fasel (President of the IIHF) said that NHL owners have already committed to sending NHLers to Beijing in 2022. This obviously fits with the NHL’s strategy of increasing coverage in China, but it’s still infuriating for anyone that was hoping they’d go to South Korea for 2018. I suppose, if anything, we’ll get Sidney Crosby in a grizzled-and-aging veteran’s role as a third or fourth liner, which is an incredibly weird thought to have. They grow up so fast.  

from All About Sports http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-bruins-blast-sens-ovi-and-backstrom-lead-caps-forsberg-sprong-december-31/

[ryanrazors-blog]

FaMniversary IV Reivew (Spoilers...Obviously...Scrubs <_<)

Alright… wait what am I doing and where is my webcam.. Wait what… I can’t do a live reaction?? Then how the fu- *sighs* forget it I guess I’ll just type… *sighs*

Hello there whomever is reading this. I have a lot of names in this community but for the sake of it just call me Ryan as I will be reviewing “The Biggest Show in WWE Games yet” FaMniversary IV. First off you really have no idea how pissed I was that I couldn’t watch this live let alone live react to it I haven’t done one since Survival but hopefully by CyberFaMday that’ll change but I guess if I can’t do what I do best might as well do the 2nd best thing and that’s write a whole review of this 5 hour extravaganza… that may or not come out before the Fammy Awards. But in all seriousness keep your hands and feet in the ride at all times as a bit of a disclaimer if I come across rude or bashing or “hating” I’m giving my genuine opinion of the show as a fan of the overall show and probably couldn’t even fathom the work that goes in to make a show like this from graphics, matches promos, etc. Its insane what you guys have managed to pull off and keep going. So if I say something that either didn’t really clear up any questions you may have had as you read or just feel like hitting me up and share your own opinions on the show you can reach me on twitter @RyanRazors2k16 depending on the timing I may answer it asap or after a day or 2.

Alright no more distractions! LAdies and Gentlemen This is the FaMniversary 4 Review!!

Kicking off the show with the Tag Team Turmoil match now going into it I thought it was just the 4 teams Britmen, Skilled Foundation, The Mafia, and the Resurrgence but come to find out the were other teams which I didn’t mind at all although it was obvious the 3 teams were the main focus on but adding Bryan Vore again was hilarious and letting the Review competition winner apart of it as well was a nice touch for the guy. Once The SF came in that’s where I believe “business picked up” with the story telling aspect and tag team psychology with The SF targeting Mexi’s leg which would come in handy later on to bite him in the ass as they were able to eliminate the Skilled Foundation but then had to deal with The Britmen and that was a freaking clinic after the regular performance we’ve seen out of the tag division since the Fammy Awards I knew it was going to amazing performance out of the Resurrgence if only it was a legit tag match between them it would’ve been even better but I hope there’s a rematch between the 2 teams sometime soon Mexi’s leg came back to bite him and they were just spent so of course Arik and AC would pick up the win but damn it was a hell of a fight. I usually do ratings but I’ve never really rated FaM shows before so I’ma just leave that be and if someone wants my rating yall can just DM me or something.

The Next Match was Darren Dastardly vs Frisco and personally this was a match I felt needed to be really really good considering the Rumble match felt extremely weird and rushed to the finish I really felt this needed to be a banger… aaaand it was good, better than the first match but it still felt a bit off to me because the match itself was mix between not just these 2 trying be full fledged member of FaM and also the overall rivalry between these 2 while I do think they did a decent job on trying to balance those two stories in the match I still felt more could’ve been done and I feel there could’ve been a better finish than what that was. In a ladder match it gives you the opportunity to use the ladder as uniquely as possible and I felt the finished could’ve been more creative and this match stood out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the matches on the card except the 7 on 7 between Cushnie and G&P & The Straight Edge Triple Threat hopefully something will change in the future I put those guys matches on a certain standard because of the matches I’ve seen from in past outside of FaM and knowing that FaM is whole other beast when it comes to matches I thought the matches in FaM would be even better but so far it’s felt either rushed or just not doing enough to make feel that excitement I get when I watch FaM. But again this is just my thoughts most probably liked it for what it was but from knowing these guys I know they’re capable of doing better. But good job nonetheless on the match.

Moving on to The Straight Edge Triple Threat match it was decent match. It had a typical psychology of a triple threat and had some really great moments especially with Sanders, Andy winning was too easy of a guess but it made sense at the same time so not much to be said on that.

We move on to the next match that I believe kinda revived the show for me a bit after the last 2 matches and that was Pandurhino vs Roberto match was just perfect to me honestly sparked back my excitement for the show is just what we needed and the match was just insanely entertaining by the way shout to who edited that fucking dive of the stage that was fucking insane. I like how after all that carnage from that match Darren found a loop hole and practically stole the Hardcore belt like a real heel. So that was a nice touch.

The Next Match on the board to follow up that awesome match is 1 of my FaM favorites Anarchymus vs Element. This match looked to be very interesting from the jump. Element being well.. Let’s be honest Diesel if he had quads and Anarchymus Russian Strong Style Cesaro I expected this match to be strong hitting and a little bit of big man little man psychology and it was exactly that with some early on targeting of the leg of Element and alot of hard hitting moves from Element in response this was really a Superman vs Superman match up that I enjoyed alot definitely a rewatchable match and I’d even say Title Match OTY for FaM in my opinion My personal favorite match of the show so shouts to them.

Alright soo the next match was… something else to say the least Darin vs Sean Nova… for a number of reasons I say this. First of the little intro for NoVa’s entrance was actually pretty cool. Now the match itself… I can’t lie I was caught off guard I was actually expecting a more drawn out match but nah I got Goldberg vs Brock at Survivor Series with the overall match being (and I timed it) 1:02.99 like holy damn I wasn’t even mad just like Goldberg and Brock I was laughing my ass off so yeah that was a cool moment glad to see NoVa confirmedly back in FaM now holding technically the equivalence to the IC title he held in the Cyber FaM Championship

Next Match on the board is GuNNz vs Rafazo now this story sparked my entrance from moment GuNNz returned and made Rafazo look like a “PUSSY” (If you read that in his voice Cool points for you) anyways I liked the rookie vs vet concept between these 2 and that finish was perfect honestly because in the sense Rafazo didn’t beat GuNNz but GuNNz beat himself.

Now this next match’s result was highly predicatable due alot of what was going on not only in FaM but outside of it from what I’ve heard and honestly as far just FaM concerned it didn’t surprise me since I’ve said from the jump Gin was going to be a big over character due to the fact of the character is unique and stands out it's obvious fans of FaM would be highly invested in Gin. Vikel has been champ since the title arrived so it was obvious in my opinion that she was going to lose it regardless of that little thing that happened with Vikel on twitter or whatever that situation was. Eve… honestly I don’t know why Eve couldn’t get the belt besides again Gin is arguably more over but even then in my opinion I wish Elle would’ve got in to this match because I felt it would’ve been a good culmination for Elle to become champ after all she’s went through but apparently there was a “bigger picture” that we would learn a little later. Now to talk about the actual match I actually enjoyed it the flowed well and there wasn’t really any dud moments to make it look bad also quick nit pick if you go to 2:51:19 on the show IN MY OPINON I think that crossbody edit could’ve been done a bit more clean I’m just saying that’s probably my one and only nit pick as far as editing for the show that I saw that bugged me. But anyways the match was great the finish was alright like how Vikel was protected and didn’t get pinned. Again only wished the result wasn’t predictable but it is what is. I have nothing against Gin always been a friend of mine so congrats on becoming Diamonds Champ.

Next Match is definitely in my opinion The Match Of The Night Black Heron vs 2 Twisted Merk now I had a good idea of how this match would go at least the ending because I had a feeling Eve would play a factor but they teased what I was thinking so well played there. Every moment felt like it had purpose

And it was definitely crazy shit implemented into this long drawn out story between these 2 and show how much they would torment each other putting the match stipulation “I Quit” on a whole other level. It was the perfect match to me from start to finish. Absolutely loved it if you could imagine my face / reaction to when BH kicked his eardrum in you would’ve been dying of laughing because I was hyped as hell shouts to my B-day twin Alex and shouts to 2TM and whoever else involved with making that match awesome.

The Next match I’m not gonna lie I didn’t really care too much for this was filler for me to settle and process the BH vs 2TM match the 7 on 7 between Team Cushnie vs G & P just didn’t get my attention. I watched it but it was just more of a “*shrugs* It’s there” type of match for me although I did get a kick out of that finish with Wrestle Talk honestly if you ask me G & P should just be apart of the tag team division I’d be a lot more entertained if they were doing their shenanigans for something that matters instead of little feud with Cushnie.

Now… The Co-Main Event for the FaM Championship The Rematch… Bury The Hatchet Part 2 Nic Virtue vs Cameron Bash. Now before I get into this I just want to say this. I’ve never considered Bash as babyface. Ever. Its nothing against Bash himself its just how I feel about the Bash character. It just seems more bluntly obvious he’s playing a character that you want to cheer but not exactly transferring that way that is considering how much you know about the CAW history and whether you’re a casual or hardcore fan / observer of the overall community. Nic on the other hand outside of twitter disputes has always looked like a babyface in his matches and the few shows he was on. The thing that made BTH so interesting was the fact that the story was so heated and from my point of view Bash was the heel in this and Virtue was the babyface. The thing with this match was that there wasn’t much story draw to the match besides just giving people a rematch that people wanted to see and that they respected each other but I feel they missed an opportunity to have a turn specifically for Bash because going back to my last few statements I’ve never looked at Bash as babyface and at this point Bash feels like a forced babyface so for him to have turned during those time periods of building up to FaMniversary but again this is just how I feel about it.

The match itself was for sure amazing without a doubt definitely was match to remember with the psychology the story the were telling but honestly I wished Virtue won only because after everything I think it was obvious Nic was brought in for this but my question would be why not give him the belt. Outside of him not wanting it or just wanted to get that match out of the way to “retire” or continue just on a new chapter for him. Who knows there’s a lot of unanswered questions with that finish which might’ve been the point for all I know for it to get answered some time later. But regardless it was a hell of a match Great work.

Now The Main Fucking Event… Rom vs Ranik. First off… Holy. Mother. Of Shit… that fucking match was brutal as fuck There was a lot of story going into this match and after seeing Ranik vs BH and then following it up with Rom winning the rumble and knowing everything that was in stake for this I really didn’t want to see Rom lose but it was really up in smoke to where this would really go and I’m glad Rom won and the match itself was just fucking insane in every way of the term being used with this match. The crazy no selling, the actual selling, the crazy reversals and edits I think me and the guys always described Ranik like a Big Boss you’d face in the Final Battle and every match he’s been in has felt that way. So when Ranik finally went down it meant alot towards the overall power grip story for Rom for the last 3 years. So with that being said Awesome Main Event. Even afterwards the moments where Rom collapse and couldn’t get back up was just perfect after a match like that.

Now to talk about what transpired after all of that… this AWOL thing I’m not against it at all as long as its now another power struggle story mainly because it’s been an ongoing story for 3 years so I would hope we’d go on a different direction basically looking to be a big tweener group and I only say tweener because they had babyfaces and heels attacking heels and babyfaces so its now 100% clear on which side their on if anything it seems like they’re on their own side hence why I say tweener. They attacked BH, GuNNz,Andy and Eve whom are safe to say are face now attacked Vikel, Rafazo, Ranik Sanders and Killswitch who have been the heels sooo it’s clear the agenda and it seem to be in affect just have to wait and see at this point where that goes Cameron being the head honcho of it doesn’t surprise as again I’ve never seen him as a babyface and if this is the closest I can get to him being heel then for now so it shall be.

If you manage to make it all the way to this point you are a hell of a person and must be a good reader or took lots of pauses and or skimmed through but regardless thank you for reading as I shall return someday to my Live Reactions I will leave you with this lengthy review of FaMniversary IV did you agree or disagree with anything I had to say comment or dm me my twitter is @RyanRazors2k16 and if you’re fascinated with the way how I think of shit like this you might like my podcasts on my youtube channel I’ll be sure to leave a link for that somewhere but anywho Shout out to everyone that worked on the big ass show definitely worth watching over and can’t wait to see what happens with the product from here. And on that note I’m Out! Peaces!

~RyanRazors2k16

[junker-town]

NFL power rankings 2017, Week 3: Hope is high in the AFC West

The race between the Chiefs, Broncos and Raiders is going to be a fun one.

It’s still plenty early enough to be overreaction season, but after only two weeks there are a few teams that are running out of room on the hype train and others that look like they’ve already run off the rails.

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t even wait until the end of September to make their first firing of the year, ditching offensive coordinator Ken Zampese after a 13-9 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday. He was the first coordinator fired in the middle of a season in the Bengals’ 50-year history.

But other teams are feeling much better than the Bengals. The ones feeling the very best after two weeks all happen to come from the same division.

Riding high

Kansas City Chiefs

All aboard the hype train.

I talked about the Chiefs last week too after they beat the Patriots, but how can I not talk about them again? Kansas City is the epitome of a team riding high after two weeks.

If Alex Smith keeps playing this way, the Chiefs are going to be near the top of our hope rankings for a while.

Denver Broncos

Wait ... is Trevor Siemian actually good?

After two weeks he has a passer rating of 106.9 and he’s tied with Matthew Stafford for the league lead in touchdown passes. Surely, that’s going to slow down, right?

The Broncos are supposed to be the team with a dominant defense that carries a subpar offense. Who’s going to stop them if the offense can score five touchdowns like it did Sunday?

Oakland Raiders

It’s AFC West week here in the hope rankings.

The Raiders’ win in Week 2 was the least impressive of the three in the race for the title in the NFL’s best division, but that’s just because it was against the New York Jets. Still, Oakland had the biggest margin of victory of the week and Marshawn Lynch had the time of his life. That alone is worth huge bonus points.

I can’t imagine being cranky enough to not love that guy.

Low spirits

New York Giants

The Giants can’t run the ball and can’t protect Eli Manning. The combination has made for a terrible offense that’s dragging down a good defense.

Fans let Ben McAdoo hear it for most of the night with boos and some poignant thumbs down

The Giants still couldn’t rely on Odell Beckham Jr. much in Week 2, so maybe he’ll provide a spark when he’s 100 percent. But there are problems in New York that Beckham just can’t fix.

Jacksonville Jaguars

From one of the most hopeful last week, to one of the least hopeful a week later. Yep, they’re still the Jaguars.

At least they came to their senses and signed a veteran quarterback who’s capable of immediately giving the team the boost it needs to take advantage of a good defense and powerful running back. Oh wait, no, it’s just Ryan Nassib.

Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers

This is a two-for-one special because the Bengals and 49ers were lucky enough to join the 2016 Rams as the only three teams in the last 10 years to get through two games of regular season play without scoring a touchdown.

The Rams finished No. 32 in both scoring and offensive yards last year, but there can only be one champion of offensive futility in 2017 and there are two early frontrunners battling neck and neck.

One is reportedly close to benching Andy Dalton and the other doesn’t really have an option after Brian Hoyer. Tune in next week to see if either can join the 1976 Buccaneers as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to go three weeks without a touchdown.

Full hope rankings

Weekly disclaimer: These aren’t your average power rankings and are instead an attempt to measure the current state of mind — or “hope” — for each team.

There will be weeks where a bad football team can come away feeling good about their future, or a good team will show serious weaknesses that damper spirits — like, say, the Cowboys this week.

If you’re looking a ranking of who would beat who, this isn’t always going to be the best gauge: