#david stellar erik

[strangelittlelad]

So I was thinking about it and-

[moon-blanket]

Okay hi david. i'm back, i'm on my knees and ready to listen to what you have to say :)) You have my full attention babygirl.

Omg did Asher make Angel into a Trekkie LMAO.

He's spacing out and worried and just wants to be next to Angel :(( I'm going to scream and sob.

HEAD IN LAP !!!!! NOW THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT !!!! I bet he looks So pretty. PLAYING WITH HIS HAIR !!!! WOOOOO !!!!!! Anything for my man. Anything.

----

A vampire from the House of Wright pulled David aside before the negotiation with Baz warning him about being associated with William. And the implications of what it could mean, even if there isn't anything Formal connecting the two (Darlin' and Sam being the only Real connection, as with the Quinn situation). What the Fuck !

Apparently William has a long history of surrounding himself with "less-than-stellar" people, and covering them at Length-- even if it causes harm to innocents. Is Porter one of these people ? The House of Bennett ?

But David's right, they've made a Name for themselves in Dahlia. To make it seem like House of Solaire has recently put the pack in his Pocket could spell out trouble to others. Especially after the Summit, with the House tearing at the seams.

But Vincent and Sam are still people the Pack cares about. Oh my god, Word's gotten around about Sam not considering himself to be a Solaire much longer. I thought he was going to mention Sam's choice of not living forever. I was a little worried. But Honestly ? I don't blame the guy for wanting to leave.

----

Sweetheart HAS been assigned the CloseKnit case ! That's something ! Potential Sweetheart/Milo convergence in The Balance is still on the table ! Uhoh !

David can't do much to Help them in an Official Capacity-- his only connections are for Information. And he's running out of Favors to use on Action for it, they swung big to make sure Quinn was taken care of properly for Darlin' and Sam And if he could do it over again, he would still burn the bridges he did to make sure they got Justice. I Will Cry.

----

So he just feels stuck about what to do, and he can't help anyone the way he wants :(

Even people with Magic lead boring, mundane lives-- he didn't think he'd see any of the craziness he has in the last few years. Even his dad was just a Normal Guy who ran a business, he didn't have to experience horrors right after the other-- even if he still worked his ass off for his pack and his family.

Yet David still wonders what his dad would do in situations like this :(((

HEY. I'm hoping that glitch on the word "Inversion" was Just an Audio Error !! And it didn't mean anything scary or suspicious !! Because he mentioned it earlier and it Wasn't like that !!! Please don't be mean Erik !!

And he asks how Angel is doing :(( Knowing that they're wrapped up in all of this, but still are between two entirely different worlds and can feel just as much as an outsider.

And he knows that they tend to put themselves on the back-burner for David when it comes to all of these Big Events they've experienced :((

They feel Tired after everything :(( me too Angel. David letting them know it's okay to feel it Together, and it's okay to have limits. He'll never ask them to put their own feelings aside. He wants them BOTH to be open and honest with everything they're feeling and experiencing--so they can carry each other's burdens and be a team :((( Weeping into a pillow forever about these two.

Asher's been trying to get David into Star Trek, so it's Angel's turn to try and get him into it :') Shaw Pack what if i just laid on a country road about it.

Give these two a Break !! Even when they go on vacations they're still in charge and constantly planning things !! Give them a REAL break !!!

[angevon]

podcasts I'm listening to (and not)

In 2023, I began to listen to lots of podcasts during my daily commute. Here’s a list of the ones currently in my queue. I’ve found I tend to prefer fun stories and comedy.

Murphy’s Inc. - this is about a company that owns a Time Machine and uses it to go back in time to find items for wealthy clients. The first season they’re trying to find an amulet owned by Erik the Red. My main complaint is the characters don’t seem to like each other much which detracts from the overall vibe, but it seems wholesome overall  and I'm enjoying it.

Mission to Zyxx - a sci-fi story about a misfit team going on diplomatic missions to weird planets. It's improv and there’s a big focus on special guests for each episode which never lands or works for me personally, but I love the main cast and their interactions continue to be entertaining even in season 4 where I'm at now.

No Such Thing As a Fish - a comedy podcast where people from qi.com talk about fun facts they learned during research for their other shows. 

The Mansfield Mysteries - a high-class mom and daughter duo solve murder mysteries among the upper crust of their hometown. There is a focus on distinct character voices which is hit or miss tbh.

Welcome to Night Vale - my favorite podcast of the bunch. It’s difficult to explain Night Vale, you kind of have to experience it. Essentially, a radio host talks about the news in Night Vale, but it’s always things we would consider unusual. Like, a sentient glowing cloud going over the town and dropping dead animals all over everything. A football player at the high school grew a second head. Things like that. The storytelling is well done, and the stories develop so naturally, it’s very fun to listen to it all play out. And the music direction is wonderful too. 

Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet - a comedy podcast where the hosts find funny reviews to read in a dramatic way. Just mindless fun.

Stellar Firma - A comedy sci-fi about a firm that designs and builds planets for wealthy clients. It stars Trexel Geistman, who is a self-absorbed drunk who never comes to work on time, and his long-suffering assistant, clone David 7. David 7's survival depends on the success of their designs but Trexel always has horrible and outlandish ideas. So it's kind of about how David 7 slowly grows into the role and begins to manipulate Trexel into doing better. ...Kind of.

Inn Between - short episodes about a team of adventurers, and, well, their adventures in a fantasy world. I normally don't enjoy 4th wall breakage but here it's harmless fun. I like Betty the most.

Hey Riddle Riddle - a trio of comedians go through riddle books and come up with better answers and make fun of the riddles

DUST: Chrysalis - after the apocalypse caused by an alien invasion, only one human survives. He manages to combine himself with machinery with one goal: revenge.

Mysterious Universe - two guys talk about conspiracy theories and paranormal experiences. Captivating storytelling more than anything, whether any of it's true or not never crosses my mind tbh

Finished listening to!

EOS 10 - wonderful podcast, it has a rough start but I really enjoyed it. It's about a newbie doctor assigned to space station EOS 10 and the quirky cast of characters he meets there. It does have an overarching plot but the focus is mostly the rapport between the characters, they really work well together.

The protagonist reminds me of Pleck in Mission to Zyxx and his boss reminds me of Trexel in Stellar Firma. 

 Here are some I've dropped and why.

Sidequesting - I really loved this one! It features an ace wanderer in a fantasy world, helping people whenever they can, and has a lot of queer rep. But the last few episodes in my queue focused too hard on crossovers with other podcasts and made them... not fun... so I lost interest. 

Wolf359 - This one's popular and often recommended to anyone looking for sci fi. Eiffel was really funny and plot-building was an enjoyable slow burn. However, about half-way through it dropped all the humor for total seriousness which is not what I listened to this for, so I dropped it. 

Radiation World - I just didn't like it.

Hello From The Magic Tavern - something rubbed me the wrong way in this one, even though one of the characters is the creator of Hey Riddle Riddle. I think it might've been one-too-many improv podcasts and I was tired of the format after Zyxx. I may return to this at some point, maybe when I finish Zyxx.

Pod to Pluto - while it wasn't bad or anything, my heart goes out too much to the protagonist for me to enjoy it. 

The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium - the protagonist is an asshole and that's the point, but there was dismemberment humor in ep 2 and I just can't.

The Amelia Project - love the idea (an organization that you pay to fake your death in a dramatic way) but it's already 4th wall breaking in episode 9 I guess they're already out of ideas ... ?😅

ARS Paradoxica - too overdramatic, the dialogue where person a says something, person b repeats it as a question, person a repeats it again, it's just too boring!!! I wish podcasts would Stop Doing That. Wolf359 did it a lot too which is another reason I don't feel bad dropping it.

Rabbits - it's meant to be interactive and I'm way too lazy for that. I listen to these while driving, you know?

Ghosts in the Burbs - not bad, but it was pandering so blatantly to suburban moms that I could not relate at all��😂

[doomonfilm]

Results : The 93rd Academy Award Film Nominations (2021)

After weeks and weeks of speculation, rumination over nominees, streaming service deep dives, high-priced rentals and brain-bending predictions, the moment of truth has finally arrived.  This year, despite the ceremonies being split between the Dolby Theater in Hollywood and Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, the presentation was wonderfully cohesive.  Several stars stepped up to preface each award, present the nominees and name the winners, and in-between these moments, Questlove had my dream gig as Academy Awards DJ.  For one of the first public forays in a world creeping closer to a post-COVID-19 reality, the show came off exceptionally smooth and well-presented. 

Cicely Tyson, Ian Holm, Max Von Sydow, Cloris Leachman, Yaphet Koto and many more were recognized in light of their respective passings in 2020 courtesy of Angela Bassett and a moving Stevie Wonder selection, As.  Tyler Perry and the Motion Picture & Television Fund each received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for their long-established efforts, especially those during the COIVD-19 pandemic.  Announcements were made for a Steven Spielberg-directed update of West Side Story, the long-delayed In The Heights and Summer of Soul, the directorial debut of Questlove (who also provided his DJ services for the evening).  The show even had a couple of hilarious moments, including Daniel Kaluuya embarrassing his mother on national TV and a quiz show turned censor’s nightmare involving Questlove, Lil’ Rel Howery, Andra Day, Kaluuya and Glenn Close.  Several of the evening’s awards also allowed for stars and crew to voice their opinions, concerns and wishes about cultural ills, the lack of inclusion and how we should treat our fellow man.

While we all look forward to seeing what surprises each Academy Awards ceremony holds, what we really come for are the awards.  This year, I put in the work more than ever, and even I found myself surprised by some of the evening’s outcomes.  Here are my thoughts on the evening and the winners.

Best Picture

Winner : Nomadland Prediction : Minari

While I’m not surprised that Nomadland took the top award of the night, I am a bit sad that Minari ended up having to walk away almost empty-handed in light of this, especially seeing that Another Round took the Best International Feature award.  Hopefully Minari can find an audience in light of this snub, but despite how bitter I sound, I am happy for the success that Nomadland has found this award’s season. 

Best Director

Winner : Chloé Zhao, Nomadland Prediction : Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Chloé Zhao has been the belle of the ball this award’s season, and her successful run culminated in a strong showing at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.  With her next venture being a step into the MCU via The Eternals, let’s see if she can bring her sensibility (and award-winning credibility) into the world of the popcorn flick. 

Best Actor

Winner : Anthony Hopkins, The Father Prediction : Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

As Joaquin Phoenix said so prophetically prior to handing out this award (and I loosely quote), “it’s a shame that only one person can win��.  That being said, as great as Anthony Hopkins was in The Father, it’s amazing to me that this award did not go to Chadwick Boseman.  Some might say that giving it to him posthumously would not be sincere, but cards on the table, Boseman gave a powerhouse performance that deserved continued recognition right up to the top award.  The Academy Awards has a long history of “interesting” choices, and this is one of the most memorable to date.

Best Actress

Winner : Frances McDormand, Nomadland Prediction : Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

After Andra Day upset the balance at the Golden Globes, I had my doubts that the formidable Frances McDormand would garner any awards for Nomadland, despite her stellar track record.  Viola Davis looked like the frontrunner headed into the night, as she was poised to make Oscar history, which further narrowed McDormand's chances.  Once Nomadland won Best Picture, however, it seemed like the wave had shifted, and sure enough, the statue went to McDormand.  This was a monster of a cateogry, and her win was certainly a well-deserved one. 

Best Supporting Actor

Winner : Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah Prediction : Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah

In one of the most controversial categories leading into the evening, Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield found themselves battling one another in the Best Supporting Actor category, which raised the question of whether or not Judas and the Black Messiah even had a lead.  This was further muddied by what seemed like a sure-thing victory for Chadwick Boseman in the Best Actor category (which ended up being quite the surprise category, to say the least).  With Kaluuya having the momentum coming into the night via a series of previous wins for his role as Fred Hampton, his win on the night was not a surprise victory, and his presence definitely helped make the show a memorable one.

Best Supporting Actress

Winner : Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari Prediction : Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

In what ended up being my favorite moment of the night, Yuh-Jung Youn helped save Minari from a wholly disappointing showing with her formidable victory in the Best Supporting Actress category.  Her acceptance speech was what the Oscar ceremony is all about, with her sincerity and appreciation being massively sincere, including a wonderful acknowledgement of getting to meet award presenter Brad Pitt.

Original Screenplay

Winner : Promising Young Woman Prediction : Promising Young Woman

Had Promising Young Woman walked away empty-handed, it would have been a pure travesty.  Its subject matter, however, not to mention its unforgiving approach, made it a tough choice for any of the top awards outside of Best Original Screenplay, but in my opinion, it is exactly those same aspects that made it the shoo-in win for this category.  Hollywood has a long way to go before it can be honest about the type of people it supports, but giving a film like this one a spotlight can help make that a reality. 

Adapted Screenplay

Winner : The Father Prediction : The Father

As one of the last films I ended up seeing in my pre-Academy Awards research, I was very curious to see how The Father would end up in regard to successes, and this was one of the categories that felt like a sure thing.  The passion and time spent on this play turned screenplay is evident for anyone who has seen this incredibly moving film, and while its other award of the night was definitely a shockwave of a closer, this award was certainly well-deserved and possibly expected.

Animated Feature

Winner : Soul Prediction : Soul

If there were a sure thing for the evening, this was the category.  Soul was the heavy favorite going into the night, and it did what it set out to do, which was win over everyone who had the pleasure of seeing it, including members of the Academy.

Production Design

Winner : Mank Prediction : News of the World

My curiosity of what kind of showing that Mank would have on the evening kept me in anticipation leading into the show, and while it didn’t garner any of the big awards, I am happy that the work put into capturing a bygone era was rewarded via its technical awards.  This one came as a surprise to me, but it was certainly not a bad choice.

Costume Design

Winner : Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Prediction : Emma

This award not only stood as a show of inclusion (something that the Academy has had to be aware of in the recent past), but a harbinger of possible results in the top acting awards.  Anytime that a film like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starts cleaning up in the tech spots, I start to look at it like a sort of consolation prize, and after the film’s leads not receiving awards for Best Actor or Best Actress, it seemed that this practice is still in effect.

Cinematography

Winner : Erik Messerschmidt, Mank Prediction : Erik Messerschmidt, Mank

As mentioned before, the aspect of Mank that really stood out to me was how David Fincher made his film feel authentically of the era it presents to us.  This immersion was created with the visuals and the sound, but with Sound of Metal being such a standout film centered around auditory stimulus, Mank felt like a longshot for that, but a sure shot for Best Cinematography.

Editing

Winner : Sound of Metal Prediction : The Trial of the Chicago 7

Sound of Metal had a very impressive night, and while it won the award everyone expected it to, seeing it win the Best Editing award as well only stands as a testament to how well put together the film is (no pun intended).

Makeup and Hairstyling

Winner :  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Prediction : Pinocchio 

As mentioned in my Best Costume Design thoughts, while this award was well-deserved, it felt like a possible setup for a letdown later on in the evening,  It’s tough to think of an award in terms of what it may mean for a future loss, but that’s the way the award show cookie crumbles.

Sound

Winner : Sound of Metal Prediction : Sound of Metal

If Soul didn’t exist, then this award would’ve been the one that felt like the most obvious choice.  Capturing the world of deafness in film is not only incredibly difficult, but daring as well, as audio is one of the key aspects to creating the immersion needed to appreciate a film, but the sound design of this film brought us into a world many of us may never experience directly, and for that, it deserves to be awarded.

Visual Effects

Winner : Tenet Prediction : Love and Monsters

Tenet couldn’t go empty-handed this awards season, and with much of the competition being on a different cinematic and studio level (outside of Disney’s Mulan), Tenet certainly had the highest profile.  It is cool, however, to see a film (and director) so dedicated to practical and in-camera effects win the highest award in the game.

Score

Winner : Soul Prediction : Mank

In what continuously became the most hilarious occurrence to me from award show to award show, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross once again found themselves playing second banana to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  While I have no issues with Soul winning this award, I think time may find that Mank’s incredibly period-authentic original score was overlooked in its brilliance.

Song

Winner : Fight for You (Judas and the Black Messiah) Prediction : Fight for You (Judas and the Black Messiah)

After a disappointing snub at the Golden Globes, it felt like H.E.R. my find herself walking away empty-handed for her standout work in the creation of Fight For You.  The song is not only a strong performance and recording by its own merit, but it captures the spirit and essence of Judas and the Black Messiah in a way that the other nominees fall short of. 

Documentary Feature

Winner : My Octopus Teacher Prediction : Collective

While a compelling film, I find myself baffled at the continued victories that My Octopus Teacher has racked up for the year.  Despite my lack of connection to it, it is impossible to ignore how deep and vast the film’s connection to the populous at large has been, and with an Oscar under its belt (along with the numerous other statues it has collected), it stands to likely grow a bigger and more supportive fanbase. 

International Feature

Winner : Another Round (Denmark) Prediction : Better Days (Hong Kong)

Not only was Minari robbed of wins in both the Best Picture and Best International Feature category, but the film that did win the Best International Feature category felt like a bit of a superficial choice.  With a film about bullying, a film about the failures of the healthcare system and a film about the lack of humanity during war all in the running (and all pitch-perfect films, to boot), a film about a group of entitled alcoholics being a poor influence to kids became leader of the pack.  Categories like this one are a chance to broaden American awareness of international art and culture, but this award feels like one of the bigger missteps of the evening.

Animated Short

Winner : If Anything Happens I Love You Prediction : Genius Loci

While Genius Loci was the more moving piece to me, If Anything Happens I Love You is certainly a film with a nuanced and artistic approach to an American epidemic that is public shootings (a school shooting, in this case).  While my heart feels the loss of this choice, my head is happy that such a moving and heartfelt film may get the chance to touch the lives of a broader audience.

Documentary Short

Winner : Colette Prediction : Do Not Split

First and foremost, all respect to Colette for the story it tells and the spotlight it puts on both its titular figure and the way that people of multiple generations dance around facing the Holocaust head on.  All that being said, Do Not Split was way too important of a film to go unawarded, especially in light of rising violence against members of the Asian-American community.

Live-Action Short

Winner : Two Distant Strangers Prediction : Two Distant Strangers

Definitely one of the categories that got the winner absolutely right.  Sadly, the film becomes more and more relevant with each passing day, with several Police-based shootings having taken place since the George Floyd trail conclusion.  Bravo to Joey Bada$$ and company for making such a brave and bold piece of art.

I ended up predicting of 9 the 23 films correct, which is not nearly as good in comparison to how confident I felt going into the night.  There were lots of surprises throughout the evening, especially in the final stretch, and I’m sure these decisions will be debated heavily for the next few weeks.  Luckily, we’ve got ourselves plenty of months to start taking in the 2021 releases, and with two-thirds of the year left to look forward to, it’ll be fun when we all reconvene to do this again in 2022.

[365days365movies]

January 23, 2021: The Fast and the Furious (Epilogue)

So, this movie was FAR different from the most recent entry in the franchise, not that I’m complaining! Not the greatest movie in the world, but I did still like it! So, OK, how’d it do in my little rubric? Shall we? 

Review

Cast and Acting

This is the role that Vin Diesel’s best known for, and I will argue that it was the role he was born to play. It ain’t Brando from On the Waterfront or anything, but it’s definitely a Diesel role. And honestly, he feels far more genuine than he does in the last movie. Paul Walker also plays the pretty-boy undercover cop role well enough, although, again, it ain’t Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (I assume, I haven’t seen it yet). But, yeah, for an unercover cop “gone native,” he serves his role well. And everybody else? I mean...yeah. They’re cool, I guess. Jordana Brewster is the only one amongst them that really stands out, because she also plays her role well as conflicted little sister. Look, what I’m saying is...you get what you expect here. The performances are never really distracting, but they aren’t Oscar-worthy either. So...6/10? Serviceable, but not stellar.

Plot and Writing

It’s Point Break. That’s the plot. It’s Point Break with cars instead of surfing. Yyyyyyup. Nothing for to see here, move along folks. That said, though, I really like Point Break, so I’m not complaining. This just isn’t an original plot, Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist, and...David Ayer. Like, Suicide Squad David Ayer? Huh. Y’know, actually, that makes sense. This movie is kinda Suicide Squad-y. But, yeah, not the most original plot, although still entertaining. As for the writing? It’s fine, not overly dramatic or inefficiently superfluous. It sits solidly in the average, to be honest. So, for this category, another 5/10.

Directing and Action

Absolutely the star, at least in terms of the action. The driving sequences in this movie are absolutely stellar, and credit to the many stunt drivers who most certainly worked on this movie. They don’t have quite the same bombast that the franchise showcases these days, but they’re certainly still entertaining! How about the direction at large, though? Again, this was fine. Still learning how to properly judge direction, but it’s not much to write home about, other than the action sequences. Rob Cohen, you did well, even though it’s not the best directing I’ve ever seen. Still, 7/10 ain’t bad.

Production and Art Design

Set and filmed in the ever-enigmatic Los Angeles, this movie’s look is surprisingly memorable. They take advantage of the setting appropriately, and it all looks good. And, of course, the cars! The cars look fantastic, seriously. Understandably, they take the cake here. Not to mention the time-period authentic costumes and the general 2001 atmosphere here, and this category gets some good scores! 8/10!  

Music and Editing

Ja Rule not only makes a cameo for this movie, but also sings its end credits song which is OK. But, outside of the guest songs, this movie’s soundtrack comes in two parts, LITERALLY. It’s so large, two albums were released for it. The first contains songs by Ja Rule, Armageddon, Ashanti, Black Child, Boo $Gotti, Caddillac Tah, DMX, Faith Evans, Fat Joe, Funkmaster Flex, Limp Bizkit, Method Man, Nate Dogg, N.O.R.E, O-1, Petey Pablo, Redman, R. Kelly, Scarface, Shade Sheist, Tank, and Vita. YEAH. YEAH. These mostly play in the credits, and form the backbone of the diegetic background music. As for the non-diegetic score, you’re headed towards the second soundtrack album, which contains songs from Saliva, Injected, Hoobastank, Primer 55, Machine Head, Roni Sie, Digital Assassins, Greenwheel, Benny Cassette, Molotov, and FINALLY, the film’s ACTUAL COMPOSER, Brian Wayne Transeau, better known as BT. And in case you’re wondering...it’s good music, and while it isn’t my personal taste, it’s definitely playlist download worthy. I mean, look at that LIST; somebody good’s in there. So, high marks for this one.

As for editing, there are some fantastic shots here, and the composition of the movie doesn’t drag...too much. It does drag a little bit, but it isn’t too bad. So, with all of this taken into account, let’s give this one a 7/10. A lot of effort went into this movie’s music, and it deserves it for that.

At a 66%, this isn’t exactly a crown jewel. BUT...

It is still a lot of fun! I understand why a franchise was made of this film, and I’m tempted to watch the rest of these at some point. We’ll see what happens there.

For now, though, I’ve got one more day of Car Action Weekend left! So, let’s finish it off with a movie that’s good? Bad? the reaction is mixed, but I’ll be making my own decision on this one, obviously. Go, go, go...

[cryptocoinguides]

Top 10 Alternative Coins For Ethereum

Top 10 Alternative Coins for Litecoin The good thing about having so many different cryptocurrencies on the market is that you can always pick and choose the best of them to put your money into. While Litecoin is a great peer-to-peer cryptocurrency, it may be that there are other cryptocurrencies worth considering. In this content, we tell you the top ten alternative coins for Litecoin. We tell you their histories, their basic functionalities, and how they match up against Litecoin. Before we dive into the content, please make sure to like, subscribe and turn on post notifications.

Our content is always interesting and engaging, and you wouldn’t want to miss a single content. Now let’s get started:

10. Stellar First on this list is Stellar, which was launched six years ago in 2014. It is an open-source, decentralized protocol for low-cost transfers between fiat currency and digital currency. Similar to Polkadot, which is another cryptocurrency, the idea here is to also have the ability to interoperate between various currencies. With a supply limit of 50 billion, Stellar currently trades at 0.33 of a dollar.

9. Polkadot What’s great about Polkadot is that it is intended to provide interoperability between all the various cryptocurrencies. If ever it catches steam, such functionality would be incredible. What Polkadot does is that it creates parallel blockchains functions between all the various cryptocurrencies.

These allow operations to translate from one to the other. Co-founded by Gavin Wood, who also helped create Ethereum, it currently trades at 23 dollars a unit. This interoperability is a huge advantage Polkadot has over Litecoin.

8. Monero Monero is a private, untraceable cryptocurrency that was released in 2014. Despite its focus on privacy, the codebase is open source. To protect the identity of its users, Monero uses an obfuscated ledger system. This way, no outside observer can tell the source, amount or destination of transactions. Monero currently trades at 252 dollars. For individuals who can benefit from its privacy, it’s a good enough digital currency to try out. Unfortunately, Litecoin does not offer the same degree of privacy.

7. Cardano Launched in 2017 by Charles Hoskinson, Cardano is a public blockchain platform that can facilitate peer-to-peer transactions using its internal cryptocurrency, Ada.

The team behind Cardano used extensive research to create the platform to have the absolute best functionality as a digital asset. Cardano has been dubbed the “Ethereum-killer”, giving its rigorous infrastructure. Ada currently trades at about 1.4 dollars, which is way cheaper than Litecoin.

6. Chainlink Developed by Sergey Nazarov, Ari Juels and Steve Ellis, Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that bridges the gap between smart contracts and data outside of it. Blockchain functions themselves cannot connect to external applications in a trusted manner. However, Chainlink’s decentralized oracles allow smart contracts to communicate with the outside data to execute contracts based on that data. For example, smart contracts could be used to monitor water supplies for pollution or illegal siphoning going on in certain cities.

Additionally, sensors would be set up in key places along the pipeline and an oracle was made to track this data and feed it directly into a smart contract. The contract could then be set up to execute fines, release flood warnings to cities, or invoice companies using too much of a city’s water based on incoming data from the oracle. This would be an extraordinary and revolutionary application of blockchain tech in the “real world.” Chainlink currently trades at around 23 dollars.

5. Neo Designed in 2014 by Da HongFei and Erik Zhang, Neo was formerly known as Antshares. Since rebranding in 2017, this altcoin has persevered in the crypto marketplaces and trading exchanges.

Like Litecoin, Neo has a limited supply, capped at 100 million coins. Currently, one Neo lies just beneath 60 dollars. Not only is neo a cryptocurrency, but it is also a platform intended to facilitate the decentralized exchange of digital assets. Neo’s functions are similar to Ethereum. And so, if for some strange reason Ethereum doesn’t suit your needs as a Litecoin alternative, you could try Neo.

4. Dogecoin Dogecoin has a rather fascinating history. Developed by genius programmers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, it started as a joke, born out of their cynicism for cryptocurrency in general. In recent years, spurred on by communities such as Reddit and Twitter, dogecoin has risen in popularity and value. In fact, Tesla and Space-X CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has personally championed dogecoin ever since dumping bitcoin. Unlike Litecoin, Dogecoin is far less environmentally taxing to mine, although it isn’t necessarily the most sustainable cryptocurrency. Presently, there are about 130 billion doge coins in circulation, trading at 0.388 dollars.

3. Ripple or XRP Originally authored by Arthur Britto, David Schwartz, Ryan Fugge in 2012, Ripple is a real-time payment protocol and currency exchange network built upon a distributed open-source protocol that supports tokens representing traditional currencies, cryptocurrencies, and other commodities or assets.

This means that ripple is more of a marketplace than a regular cryptocurrency.

Regardless, real-world assets can be converted to crypto tokens within the platform. Currently, those XRP tokens trade at about 0.88 of a dollar. For those wary about Litecoin, Ripple might prove a safer alternative to trading in the digital world. Even though the company has had a brush with the law before, their crypto tokens are now recognized as legitimate altcoins.

2. Ethereum After bitcoin, Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. It was initially released in July 2015 by Vitalik Buterin and Gavin Wood, following a crowdfunding campaign. Although this isn’t unique to Ethereum, one of the biggest drivers of this cryptocurrency is decentralization.

Ethereum also has a host of other applications in the field of decentralized finance. In addition, unlike Litecoin, Ethereum has no supply cap, although it does require some level of mining. Though Ethereum can be as environmentally taxing to mine as other cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, there are plans in place to shift the framework onto a much more sustainable infrastructure. Currently, the price of Ethereum hovers just beneath 3,000 dollars.

1. Bitcoin Even though all other Alt Coins rose to prominence as viable alternatives to bitcoin, it only makes sense that bitcoin could also be an alternative to its replacements like Litecoin. Although bitcoin hasn’t been trading so well lately, it still has a lot going on for it. Bitcoin remains the most popular, most traded and most expensive cryptocurrency. It leads the charge ahead of other coins by a considerable margin. With the price for bitcoin the lowest that it has been in a while, now might actually be an excellent time to buy in.

The price hovers around 40,000 dollars at the time of this content. As we come to the end of this content, we hope you have learned about important alternate cryptocurrencies to Litecoin. As great as Litecoin is, and as much potential as it has, it’s always worth exploring alternatives.

Read More: How To Buy Safemoon and Price Prediction

The post Top 10 Alternative Coins For Ethereum appeared first on Crypto Coin Guides.

via Top 10 Alternative Coins For Ethereum

[athlonsports]

10 Best NFL Draft Quarterback Classes Since 1980

Five quarterbacks could be taken with the first 10 picks in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. While some quarterback classes have produced all-time greats, there have been plenty of others in the draft’s long history that have disappointed (to put it mildly). Here are the best quarterback classes since 1980. By the way, one Hall of Famer combined with a bunch of busts does not make for a great class.

— Written by Aaron Tallent, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Tallent is a writer whose articles have appeared in The Sweet Science, FOX Sports’ Outkick the Coverage, Liberty Island and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter at @AaronTallent.

10. 2008 – 13 Quarterbacks Drafted

Pro Bowlers Matt Ryan

Notables Joe Flacco Chad Henne

Rest of the class: Brian Brohm, Kevin O’Connell, John David Booty, Dennis Dixon, Josh Johnson, Erik Ainge, Colt Brennan, Andre Woodson, Matt Flynn, Alex Brink

Ryan’s play as the Atlanta Falcons’ signal-caller – most notably his superb 2016 MVP season – has been stellar, while Flacco was MVP of Super Bowl XLVII. Surprisingly, Flacco has never been to a Pro Bowl.

9. 1999 – 13 Quarterbacks Drafted

Pro Bowlers Donovan McNabb Daunte Culpepper

Notables Shaun King Aaron Brooks

Rest of the class: Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade McNown, Brock Huard, Joe Germaine, Kevin Daft, Michael Bishop, Chris Greisen, Scott Covington

Five quarterbacks were taken in the first round. Three of them – Couch (No. 1 overall pick), Smith (No. 3) and McNown (No. 12) – did not pan out, but McNabb (No. 2) and Culpepper (No. 11) went on to have great careers.

Read the full story on Athlon Sports

[highbuttonsports]

Calgary vs Ottawa (2021) flames senators - Bing images

Resilience

Like a bad Vietnam flashback, the Calgary Flames must have been sitting in the dressing room with pools of sweat on floor wondering what just happened after Thursday nights game against the Ottawa Senators. Things couldn’t have gone much worse on a night where optimism was trending up coming into it. After taking 3 of a possible 4 points to the division leading Maple Leafs the previous 2 games in Toronto, the Flames were feeling good about the direction their game was heading. Sure, it wasn’t a perfect couple games by any means but given what transpired Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers it was a huge improvement. The Oilers took it to the Flames to a tune of 7-1 and handed them, what at the time was thought to be, their worst loss of the season. That loss left everyone frustrated and wondering how to move forward. Well, they answered that by going into Toronto and shutting out the high-powered Leafs 3-0 behind the stellar goaltending of David Rittich. Big Save Dave was pressed into action after starter Jacob Markstrom couldn’t play due to an upper body injury. That remained the case the following game against Toronto, as Rittich and the Flames would try to carry that momentum into it.

Like the previous game, Calgary’s game plan appeared to be focussed on using tight defence to manufacture offence in transition. It was just as successful as they minimized scoring chances even while having to kill too many penalties. A problem they had all season as they have been short handed the 3rd most times in the league. Thanks to a PK that is operating at 80% (13th in the NHL), they were able to kill all 4 Toronto powerplays. That made for 11 straight successful PK’s against them which usually isn’t a good recipe for success especially when facing the 4th best PP. Of course, to have a good PK it usually comes down to the goaltending. Rittich once again closed the door on everything the Leafs threw at him. The Maple Leafs fired 39 shots and he was up to the task on all of them...almost. David was a minute and a half away from his 2nd consecutive shut out versus them when it all fell apart. With a 1-0 lead on a late period Mangiapane goal, Toronto pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. It almost backfired, but half a puck width is what stood between them and a 2-goal victory. The puck hit the post of an empty net and stayed out giving the Leafs hope. That unfortunate event turned into a game tying goal by William Nylander and forced overtime. It was Willy who scored again and won it in the extra frame for Toronto. That was such a disappointing way to end what was a successful 2 games to build off of. Sometimes those losses hurt more than the blowouts because the team was so close to winning. It can truly feel like something was taken from them or they let it slip away. The key is to not dwell on that missed opportunity and instead focus on all the positives that lead to being so close to victory.

Well, maybe the Flames took the sting of that loss with them to Ottawa the following night. In what can only be described as the worst loss of the season, the whole team decided not to show up for the game. At least that’s what it looked like. They seemed to get beat to every loose puck, lose every puck battle, and couldn’t generate any offence whatsoever. Every time they entered the offensive zone they were pressed to boards and unable to get any separation for a meaningful shot. Even David Rittich couldn’t bail them out as he was forced into playing back-to-back games with Markstrom missing another game. On top of that, all the same issues that plagued Calgary before popped up again. They started slow in finding themselves down 2-0 less than 10 minutes into the game as the Sens scored goals in 1:42. The Flames were yet again playing catch up facing a 1st intermission deficit. The shots on goal heavily favoured the Sens too as they held a 13-5 advantage. It was an awful start against what was suppose to be an inferior opponent that struggles to score. Ottawa is 24th in the NHL in goals for per game at 2.59 while they are the worst at giving up goals at 3.86/game. Calgary is actually worse at scoring coming in at 2.44 goals/game. Yet in the views of the hockey world, they are supposed to be the team more poised for success right now. There they were playing comeback hockey though. The Flames came out better to start the 2nd period, with Lucic scoring 1:41 into the period. It was his 1st goal in 9 games as he continues to drag that $5.25 million cap hit around with him. That put them back in the game, but it was short lived. 3 minutes later Lucic got stripped of the puck by Connor Brown to make it a 2-goal hole again. In fact, Lucic was responsible for giving the puck away on all 3 Ottawa goals. That doesn’t take any blame away from the listless effort of the whole team though. At the halfway mark of the game, they had only 6 SOG! It doesn’t matter how many goals the other team scores if you aren’t going to put any pressure on the opposing goalie. Things went from bad to worse from that moment on. The Sens took a 4-1 lead on what appeared to be a shoot in from just over center ice by Erik Brannstrom. At least that’s what Rittich thought. He tried cheating behind the net to intercept it, only to be fooled with a direct shot on net that he was unable to scramble back into position to stop. That was an ugly was the end an ugly night for him. After a coach’s timeout and then a t.v. timeout, Coach Ward mercifully pulled the frustrated tender. After 2 stellar performances Rittich was unable to make up for all the short comings of the team on this night. It was obvious he didn’t take that lightly either, as he could be seen walking down the tunnel towards the dressing room and smashing his stick. That about summed up the mood of the team and any fan watching this debacle. The only positive from this game is back up goalie Artyom Zagidulin got to see his 1st career NHL action. It’s not how he wanted to see it I am sure, but a nice moment for him regardless. He did give up a couple more goals to make it a 6-1 final, but by that point the game was out of hand anyways. Yes, the goaltending was bad giving up 6 goals on 31 shots but there was enough blame to go around. From the goaltending to the D to the forwards, there just wasn’t enough compete all around. There wasn’t any intensity either in what was billed as the meeting of the Tkachuk brothers. The game featured no penalties, which is a rarity in the modern NHL where penalties are assessed for the simple placing of a stick against the arm of the puck carrier. Maybe that’s exactly how Ottawa wanted to play it. Maybe it was the result of the Flames playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Maybe they took the Senators for granted. Maybe it was just one of those games. Regardless, how they would answer that performance the next game would show what this team really is all about. If they came out flat once again and lost, the vultures would start circling.

It’s odd to say that after 21 games the Flames were at a point where the next game could decide how the next 35 would go, but here they were. Coming off their worst loss of the season, it was about character and resilience. It was about showing the fight the team had left in it. It would be easy to roll over and feel sorry for themselves. It would be easy to look at the standings and see the gap between them and the top as insurmountable. That’s not what a team with the leadership of captain Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk does though. With 3 of the next 4 against the same Sens an opportunity still presented itself to pile up some points and jump back into a playoff spot. The team ahead of them, in the Montreal Canadiens, was having their own set of problems. There was still plenty of time to turn things around and cause havoc in the divisional hierarchy. However, that had to start the next game.

In Ottawa and without top netminder Jacob Markstrom for a 4th straight game, that would be a challenge. They brought him in for situations just like this. To be the guy to stop the bleeding and right a struggling team. With him out, it’s a lot to ask of backup Rittich to be that guy for long stretches. Even though he had shown back in Toronto he could do it, the team needed to come together. As well, Coach Ward decided to shake the lines up to give the players a fresh look and feel. He moved Lindholm from center to the right side of Monahan and Gaudreau. Backlund moved up to the second line between Tkachuk and Mangiapane. And Same Bennett was moved back to his more natural center position with Lucic and Dube. Those moves paid quick dividends as less than 5 mins into the game it was 2-0. They scored those 2 goals in a span of 37 seconds on the backs of goals from Valamaki (1st of the season) and Backlund. That was just the start they needed to gain confidence and quickly put the doubts seeded from last game behind them. They didn’t let up either, extending their lead to 3-1 after 1 period and a 6-2 lead after 2 periods. The newly formed Tkachuk-Backlund-Mangiapane seen this biggest boost in accounting for half of the goals and 7 points between them. With that type of offensive explosion, I expect these lines will carry forward to the next few games at least. The game was never in doubt from the drop of the puck, but even so Rittich was good when he had to be in stopping 31 of 34 shots. There is hope that Markstrom will be back for Mondays rematch the Ottawa, but if not Rittich will certainly be back between the pipes for a fifth straight start.

So, at .500 and 1 point behind the struggling Canadiens, Calgary would love nothing more than to end their 5-game eastern road trip with another win. That would give them a 7 of a possible 10 points on the trip, turning what was a low mark 6-1 loss during it into a success. Such is the highs and lows of an NHL season. The key is not to get too high on the highs and too low on the lows. It is critical for a team to remain even keeled. If they don’t it can unravel pretty quick and a couple losses can turn into a half dozen. Those types of losing streaks must be avoided in a season where the standings can swing dramatically one way or the other. Much like the way the outlook of this Flames team swung from Thursday to Sunday. Where in the former all seemed lost, now in the latter resilience and hope spring forward.

*all stats provided by NHL.com

By: Jaymee Kitchenham

[strangelittlelad]

God bless Phantom of the Opera 1991 for giving us one (1) Pharoga scene

They're gay your honor

[bigyack-com]

DealBook: Winners and Losers of the Trade Deal

Good morning. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.)

What the agreement means for the U.S. and China

President Trump and Vice Premier Liu He of China signed a long-awaited phase-one trade deal at the White House yesterday. Here’s who benefited from the agreement — and who was left out in the cold.Winners:• Mr. Trump. He is claiming a political victory for negotiating a deal that he says his predecessors couldn’t do. (Even if the pact falls short on his earlier promises.)• President Xi Jinping of China. It eases trade tensions at a time when the Chinese economy is weakening.• Financial companies. American banks can now take control of their joint ventures in China, while credit-card processors advanced their quest to operate in the country.• American farmers. They’ll resume exporting to China, after being the biggest casualties of the trade war.Losers:• American farmers. China’s commitment to buying U.S. agriculture products is only for two years, and Beijing is vague about what will come after that.• Chinese exporters. They remain subject to tariffs on $360 billion worth of goods that won’t be lifted until a phase-two deal is reached.• China hawks in the Trump administration and elsewhere. The deal doesn’t address Chinese state subsidies, cybersecurity or Beijing’s technology policies.The deal stabilized U.S.-China relations somewhat and shifted American thinking on Beijing. “There is now a wide consensus in the United States to challenge China on its worst actions,” Heather Long of the WaPo writes.But there’s at least one unintended consequence, James Politi of the FT writes: The U.S. “is arguably more dependent on trade with Chinese government-backed entities than it was before Trump’s trade war began.”____________________________Today’s DealBook Briefing was written by Andrew Ross Sorkin in New York and Michael J. de la Merced in London.____________________________

The deal that still haunts Goldman

Goldman Sachs had a profitable 2019. But it’s still grappling with fallout from an eight-year-old bond sale that the bank ran on behalf of 1MDB, a now-controversial Malaysian investment fund.Thirteen percent of Goldman’s profits were reserved for legal costs related to its involvement with 1MDB. The Justice Department has accused the bank of overlooking corruption at the Malaysian government fund, which is now insolvent. (The bank is expected to settle the U.S. investigation for about $2 billion.)“We are working hard to bring closure to this matter as quickly as possible,” David Solomon, Goldman’s C.E.O., told analysts yesterday.1MDB is a costly distraction to Goldman at a time when it has other challenges, too. The bank is trying to beef up its consumer operations, where it trails far behind JPMorgan Chase (which reported record profits this week).

Jeff Bezos makes big India pledge amid opposition

The Amazon chief yesterday vowed to invest an additional $1 billion in his company’s India operations to help small businesses on its platform, the WSJ reports. It’s meant to blunt growing opposition in an important market. Things have grown tougher for Amazon in India recently:• A top regulator this week ordered an inquiry into whether Amazon (and Flipkart, which Walmart bought control of in 2018) broke antitrust laws and hurt mom-and-pop retailers.• The Indian government is weighing stronger regulation of data storage in the country.• And a union of small retailers, the Confederation of All India Traders, is planning protests against Amazon in 300 cities across the country.Amazon says that it is helping small businesses and that its investment pledge furthers that goal. “We’re making this announcement now because it’s working,” Mr. Bezos said.Some critics appear unswayed. “Mr. Bezos is creating a false narrative of empowering small retailers,” Praveen Khandelwal of the Confederation of All India Traders told the BBC.Why the Indian market matters: The country has 1.3 billion people, many of whom are only now coming online. Mr. Bezos said yesterday that he thought the 21st century was “going to be the Indian century.”

Why a great labor market may be bad for your health

U.S. employment continues to rise to near-record highs. That could make flu season worse, Aimee Picchi of CBS News writes.• Workplaces are becoming more crowded, making it easier for the flu virus to spread.• Each percentage point increase in the employment is correlated to a 16 percent rise in flu-related doctor visits, according to Erik Nesson, an economics professor at Ball State University.• “It seems to be a place where higher economic activity is detrimental to people’s health,” Mr. Nesson told CBS News.

The next phase of the streaming rivalry

NBCUniversal is scheduled to unveil Peacock, its streaming service, today, joining the online video battle royal. Now the hard part begins, Alex Sherman of CNBC writes.Peacock will go up against Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Hulu, CBS All Access and others.Rolling out the service will be the easy part. The task now for NBCUniversal and other old-school media companies is to figure out “how these services interact with each other and traditional bundled pay television,” according to Mr. Sherman.An ad-free version of Peacock is expected to cost $10 a month. Subscribers to Comcast, NBCUniversal’s parent company, would get free access to Peacock’s content with limited ads, which would cost $5 per month for nonsubscribers. A free version will have limited content and lots of ads. NBCUniversal and Comcast seem to be betting that “the transition from pay TV to streaming is best for NBCUniversal if that movement is as slow as possible,” Mr. Sherman concludes.

‘Will you say, “Thank you, Mr. President,” at least?’

At the trade deal signing ceremony yesterday, President Trump aimed a few quips at business leaders, many of whom were in attendance, Max Abelson of Bloomberg notes.• To Mary Erdoes, the head of JPMorgan Chase’s asset management unit, he said he deserved some credit for the bank’s stellar earnings report. “They just announced earnings and they were incredible,” Mr. Trump said. “Will you say, ‘Thank you, Mr. President,’ at least?”• Mr. Trump looked for Ken Griffin, the head of the huge hedge fund Citadel. “Where the hell is he?” the president asked. “He’s trying to hide some of his money.” (Mr. Griffin wasn’t in the room.)• And to Raymond McDaniel, the C.E.O. of the credit ratings agency Moody’s, Mr. Trump asked, “Are you giving us good ratings, Raymond, please?”

The speed read

Deals• Final arguments in a lawsuit by 13 states to block T-Mobile’s proposed $26 billion takeover of Sprint were made yesterday, leaving the deal’s fate in a federal judge’s hands. (WSJ)• The logistics company XPO said it was considering spinning off some of its businesses, unwinding an empire built on M.&A. (WSJ)• KKR has raised $2.2 billion for its second fund dedicated to investments in later-stage tech start-ups in North America, Europe and Israel. (KKR)• An investment company run by Thomas Farley, the former head of the New York Stock Exchange, and backed by Dan Loeb’s Third Point is reportedly close to buying Global Blue, a payments company, for about $2.6 billion. (WSJ)Politics and policy• The Treasury Department’s watchdog is investigating opportunity zones, a tax break that was meant to help low-income areas but became a windfall for wealthy investors. (NYT)• The Justice Department’s antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, plans to focus on drug pricing and agreements among companies not to poach one another’s employees. (WSJ)• Elizabeth Warren to Bernie Sanders: “I think you called me a liar on national TV.” (NYT)Tech• Twitter will probably never let users edit tweets, Jack Dorsey says. (Verge)• Goldman Sachs sold its stake in Uber late last year. (CNBC)Best of the rest• The Virgin Islands sued the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, alleging that the financier trafficked hundreds of young girls from his Caribbean private island as recently as 2018. (NYT)• Yamaha warned musicians not to climb into cases for musical instruments after reports that Carlos Ghosn was smuggled out of Japan in one. (Reuters)• The World Athletics sports federation is reportedly considering restrictions on the use of Nike’s Vaporfly running sneakers. (Guardian)• Climate change could spell the end of Alpine skiing. (Bloomberg)Thanks for reading! We’ll see you tomorrow.We’d love your feedback. Please email thoughts and suggestions to business@nytimes.com. Read the full article

[thepoolscene]

The Pool Scene - Alex Calderone, Bret Harlan, David Staten, Erik Renteria, Ernesto Bayaua, Jerry Alvarez, Joel Acevedo, Kenneth Price, Kevin Frauenberger, Roberto Gomez, Ronny Yeagy, Seth Gonzalez, Shelby Green - Poison Lone Star Tour

New Post on https://thepoolscene.com/?p=55340

Gomez and Alvarez Ace Poison Lone Star Tour Finale

Roberto “Superman” Gomez defeated Alex Calderone in overtime to win the 61-player, open 9-ball division, and Jerry Alvarez went undefeated in the 64-player, amateur 9-ball division, conquering Erik Renteria in the final set, at the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour, season finale 9-ball event. These were first-time wins for both Gomez and Alvarez.

On October 12th-13th, 2019, Tour title sponsor, Poison by Predator Cues, sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls, APA of North Harris County, Vapor Fiend, Outsville Billiards, Southern Streaming, and venue, Big Tyme Billiards, facilitated a phenomenal, season finale, for the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour. The 9-ball bar table tournament, held at Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, Texas, garnered well over one hundred players, including thirty-six, Gulf Coast Tour Women, and paid out $10,657 in prize money. The event drew notables Roberto Gomez, Alex Calderone, Ernesto Bayaua , Doug Young, Blaine Barcus, and featured a two-day, live stream, produced by Mike Fabacher of Southern Streaming. The Tour would like to thank room owners Billy Sharp, Deborah Sharp, Mark Avery, and Jim Henry, for hosting another stellar event. Big Tyme always provides a pleasant atmosphere, the best equipment, and an attentive staff, which makes for a very enjoyable, tournament-going experience. The Tour will return to Big Tyme Billiards in 2020!

In the open 9-ball division, on his way to the winners’ side, final four, Robert Gomez overwhelmed Bart Green, 7-0, Jerry Alvarez, 7-0, Kenneth Price, 7-5, and Ricky Hughes, 7-0. Erik Renteria booked wins over Dennis Zavala, 7-4, Jimmy Weeks, 7-1, Leon Contreras, 7-4, and J.C. Torres, 7-6, while Ernesto Bayaua defeated Bart Bowman, 7-0, Marshal Ward, 7-3, Seth Gonzalez, 7-1, and Chad Hart, 7-1. Rounding out the final four, Alex Calderone denied Ken Laney, 7-4, Blaine Barcus, 7-2, Joel Acevedo, 7-0, and Alan Myers, 7-0. On the west side,  Alvarez won six matches, including victories over Joey Bourgeois, Jr., Steve Lenz, 5-3, Gonzalez, and finally, Richard “Black Diamond” Stuart, to reach the final twelve. Joel Acevedo eliminated Shelby Green, and Price dust off John Braud, by the same score, 5-3. Chad Reece was on a roll, securing five wins, ending with a shut-out against Barcus, to reach the final twelve. On the winners’ side, Bayaua dealt a blow to Calderone, 7-4, and Gomez overtook Renteria, 7-1. Winding down on the one-loss side, Alvarez ended Torres, 5-2, while Acevedo sent Hughes packing, 5-3. Price slid by Myers, 5-4, and Reece locked in a sixth win with Hart, 5-4. Back on the winners’ side, hot seat action saw Gomez annihilate Bayaua, 7-0, sending the 2018 Tour Champion to the west side of town. Battling it out to stay alive, Alvarez eliminated Acevedo, 5-0, but fell to Calderone, 5-2. Price stopped Reece, 5-2, but lost to Renteria by the same score. At this point, Calderone was on fire, taking out Renteria, 5-0, and Bayaua, 5-0, earning himself a shot at Gomez, and the title. The final match between Gomez and Calerone was a real crowd pleaser. Calderone came out swinging, dealing Gomez his first loss, 7-5. In overtime, Gomez regrouped, pulling out a 5-2 victory against Calderone, to claim his first, open division win on the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour.

In the amateur 9-ball division, Jerry Alvarez began his trek with wins over Bart Green, 5-2, Charles Williams, 5-1, Seth Gonzalez, 5-1, and J.C. Torres, 5-2. Ricky Hughes bested Scott Solomon, 5-4, Chad Reece, 5-2, Chuck Adams, 5-1, and Ronny Yeagy, 5-2. In contention for this year’s Tour Champion award, Joey Bourgeois, Jr. ousted Eric Gauthier, 5-4, Shelby Green, 5-3, Jimmy May, 5-1, and Leon Contreras, 5-1, while Erik Renteria overcame Richard Stuart, 5-4, Adam Ramirez, 5-3, Chard Hart, and Victor “Champion” Belmares, 5-2. On the west side and in the money, Gonzalez eliminated Kevin Frauenberger while Shelby Green sent home Bret Harlan, by the same score, 5-4. Will Felder ended Joel Acevedo’s four-game winning streak, and Kenneth Price dusted off David Staten, 5-0. In the next round, Gonzalez fell to Contreras, and Belmares ended Green, 5-4. Felder booked his fifth win, ousting Yeagy, 5-4, while Torres cashed out Price, 5-2. Back on the east side, final four action was heating up, as Alvarez owned Hughes, 5-1, and Renteria slid by Bourgeois, Jr., 5-4.

In this first-ever, hot seat match- up, Alvarez proved too much for Renteria, sending him west, 5-2. Back on the one-loss side, Contreras was on a roll, eliminating Belmares and Hughes, by the same score, 5-4, while Felder tagged Torres, falling in turn to Bourgeois, Jr. Contreras logged his fourth win against Bourgeois, Jr., 5-4, but lost to Renteria, 5-3. With that win, Renteria earned himself a rematch with Alvarez. In the final, Alvarez denied Renteria once again, 5-3, going undefeated to win his first, Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour, amateur division.

Congratulations to Will Felder, the 2019 Tour Champion in the open 9-ball division, and Joey Bourgeois, Jr., the 2019 Tour Champion in the amateur 9-ball division.  Both players fought hard for these accolades, dedicating themselves to competition, attending more than half of the events during the 2019 Tour season. For their efforts, they each received $500 in MSRP product, including Poison Cyanide3-2 playing cues, Cyclop Pool Ball sets, and Championship plaques. Will Felder also earned “Most Improved Player”, building on his amateur, 2018 Tour Championship title, to capture the open division Tour Champion title, this year.

The Tour would like to welcome all the new players who attended the season finale, and thank all of the players who attend events, year-round. Congratulations to Luis Acosta who took home a Poison VX5 Pink Ribbon Break/Jump Cue in the silent auction, and newcomer Mark Stuart who scored a brand new set of Cyclop Pool Balls in the weekend raffle.

Mark your calendars! The next event is slated for January 4th-5th, 2020, in Houston, Texas. The venue has not yet been determined. For more information about the Poison Lone Star Tour, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com.

Open Payouts – Total $4,385

1st Roberto Gomez $600/$900

2nd Alex Calderone $425/$600

3rd Ernesto Bayaua $300/$400

4th Erik Renteria $180/$225

5th-6th Jerry Alvarez, Kenneth Price $90/$120

7th-8th Joel Acevedo, Chad Reece $50 ea

9th-12th Chad Hart, Ricky Hughes, J.C. Torres, Alan Myers $35 ea

13th-16th John Braud, Shelby Green, Richard Stuart, Blaine Barcus $25 ea

 Amateur Payouts – Total $4,610

 1st Jerry Alvarez $550/$1,000

2nd Erik Renteria $345/$710

3rd Leon Contreras $250/$420

4th Joey Bourgeois, Jr. $155/$280

5th-6th Ricky Hughes, Will Felder $75/$140 ea

7th-8th Victor Belmares, J.C. Torres $45/$70 ea

9th-12th Shelby Green, Kenneth Price, Ronny Yeagy, Seth Gonzalez $35 ea

13th-16th Bret Harlan, Kevin Frauenberger, Joel Acevedo, David Staten $25 ea

[uneminuteparseconde]

Des concerts à Paris et autour

Octobre 09. Project Pitchfork – Petit Bain 10. Carbon Sink + Belmont Witch + Gauchoir + Sissifioul – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) (gratuit) 10. Futuroscope : cinéconcert sur des films du Bauhaus (fest. des cinémas différents) – Grand Action 12. Casio judiciaire – Chair de Poule (gratuit) 12. Peter Kernel & Their Wicked Orchestra + Tiny Feet + Adam H. – Petit Bain 12. Mlacoler Culkin + Rouge Gorge + Passenger of Shit + Tabatra$h (Serendip Lab fest.) – Les Nautes 12. Techno Thriller + Axel Larsen + Svezia Inferno + Haydée – La Java 13. Heimat + Stakattak + Marietta + Moyo + Iueke – La Station 13. Zëro + Heliogabale – Batofar 13. Part Chimp – La Mécanique ondulatoire 13. Urs Graf Consort + Marius Loris & Blanca Camell Gali + Grammata – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 13. Shifted + Artefakt + Giorgio Gigli – Concrete 14. Apulati Bien + Accou + Radiante pourpre + O.Xander + Théo Muller b2b Calcuta – La Station 14. Forest Swords (Biennale Nemo) – Badaboum 14. Wardruna + Dayazell – La Cigale ||COMPLET|| 14. Elsiane + Jad Wio – La Java 14. The Pilotwings + Goto80 + Constance Chlore + Bill Vortex + Tryphème + Franck Gérard + Sauk from Mélodies souterraines (Serendip Lab fest.) – Les caves Lechapelais 14. Eloïse Descazes & Eric Chenaux + Le Fruit vert – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 14. Totorro + Faire + Julien Gasc – théâtre Antoine-Vitez (Ivry/Seine) 14. Bas Mooy + Clouds + Verset Zéro + Yan Kaylen + Paulie Jan + Terdjman – La Machine 14. UVB + Yann Cook + Anthro + Run X b2b Herrmann + Kuss – tba 15. Daikiri : cinéconcert sur "Epileptic Seizure Comparison" de Paul Sharits (fest. des cinémas différents) – cinéma Le Grand Action 16. Micah P. Hinson – Point FMR 17. Les Hôpitaux + None – L'International (gratuit) 17. Robedoor + Chicaloyoh – Olympic café 17. Unsane + Pamplemousse – Petit Bain 18. Soft Kill + Minab + Dead – Supersonic (gratuit) 18. Richard Francès & Konpyuta + Cycloptik + Sneakhead (Serendip Lab fest.) – La gare XP 18. Loth + Ave Tenebrae + Le seul élément – Olympic café 18. Red Axes + Poison Point – La Station 18. Me Donner + Andcl + Otim Alpha & Leo P – L'Époque 19. Nosfell – Café de la danse 19. Pharmakon + Ensemble économique + Deeat Palace – La Station 19. Robin Fox & Sean Baxter + Thomas Ankersmit (Biennale Nemo) – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 20. Avenir + Affreux Beat – Le Zorba (gratuit) 20. Marylou Guerra + Gaël Segalen + Blason – Le Génie d'Alex 20. Gary Numan – Trabendo 20. Mattias Aguayo & The Desdemonas + La Mverte + Casse Gueule – La Maroquinerie 20. Otto Von Schirach + Distorsion tropicale + DJ Diamond 999 (Serendip Lab fest.) – Petit Bain 20. Bogdan Raczynski – Batofar 20. Bader Motor – Doc 21. Hypnobeat + Josh Cheon + LAAM + CIA débutante (Serendip Lab fest.) – L'Esplanade 21. Jarboe + Father Murphy – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 21. AZF + Von GDK + Waldman – Sacré club 21. Codex Empire + Pär Grindvik + Parfait + Setaoc Mass + Shed – Dock Eiffel (Aubervilliers) 23. Sly and the Family Drone + Grid – Olympic café 23. Mogwai – Grand Rex 24. The Dream Syndicate – Centre Barbara FGO 24. Kenny Larkin & Erik Truffaz jouent Miles Davis + Gui Boratto & Ksenija Sidorova jouent Astor Piazzolla + Marc Romboy & Tamar Halperin jouent Henry Purcell + Arnaud Rebotini & Céline Scheen jouent John Dowland + Maud Geffray & Lavinia Meijer jouent Philip Glass – La Cigale 25. Gazelle Twin + Vatican Shadow + Powell (Biennale Nemo) – Gaîté lyrique 25. Lite + Bennasr Alghandour – Olympic café 25. Rinji Fukuoka & Michel Henritzi + Trou aux rats + Yves Botz & Bruno Fernandes + William Nurdin – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 26. N.M.O. + Aufgang (Biennale Nemo) – Hasard ludique 26. King Dude + The Ruins of Beverast + (D O L C H) – Petit Bain 26. Cent ans de solitude + The Dead Goldfish Ensemble + Club Dilletante (Serendip Lab fest.) – Gare XP 26. Sete Star Sept + Maria Bertel & Mariachi – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 26. Uriel Barthélémi & Mathieu Sanchez : We are Stellar (Biennale Nemo) – Le Générateur (Gentilly) 26. Alexandre Bellanger & Marek Jason Isleib (fest. En chair et en son)  – Le Cube (Issy-lès-Moulineaux) 27. The Breeders – Gaîté lyrique 27. MoE + Dead + Chafouin – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 27. Don Vito + La Confraternita del Purgatorio + Bob Cooper – La Comedia Michelet (Montreuil) 27. David Fenech & Tamara Pitzer (fest. En chair et en son)  – Le Cube (Issy-lès-Moulineaux) 27. SNTS + W.LV.S (The Driver vs Electric Rescue) + Minimum Syndicat + Hemka – La Machine 27. Paula Temple + Blawan + Len Farki + Thurman b2b Julian M. + Avalon Emerson + SHDW & Obscure Shape + Madben + Maxime Dangles + Mark Höffen + Präri (Big Bang fest.) – Les Docks de Paris (Saint-Denis) 28. Peter Hook & The Light – Le Trianon 28. Bo Ningen – La Maroquinerie 28. Jerusalem in my Heart + Oiseaux-Tempête, Mondkopf & G.W. Sok – Centre Barbara-FGO 28. Big Brave – Gare XP 28. Delacave + Ventre de Biche + Le Prince Harry – Gibus 28. UVB76 + Omega Point + Vox Low... (fest. Rou(x)-teur) – Mains d'oeuvre (Saint-Ouen) 28. BlackNox + Cocoon + Paradis Noir + Super Stoned (Biennale Nemo : Optical Sound) – Le Générateur (Gentilly) 28. Spacelex + Waterproof + Botine + Musique chienne (Serendip Lab fest.) – Wonder/Liebert (Bagnolet) 28. Tommy Four Seven + VSK + Oake + Stephanie Sykes – Concrete 29. Omar Di Bongo + Raymond IV + Sacré numéro + Couloir Gang + OKO dj + Opaque (Serendip Lab fest.) – Wonder/Liebert (Bagnolet) 30. Boss Hog – La Maroquinerie

Novembre 01. La Cabine : cinéconcert sur "Mimesis" + Hélas – La Station 02. The National + Ride + Chassol + This is the Kit + Moses Sumney + Mina Tindle + Ethan Lipton & his Orchestra + Kevin Morby (Pitchfork fest.) – Grande Halle de La Villette 03. Jungle + Kamasi Washington + Polo & Pan + Isaac Delusion + Sylvan Esso + Cigarettes after Sex + Andy Shauf + HMLTD + Rejjie Snow + Tommy Genesis (Pitchfork fest.) – Grande Halle de La Villette 03. The Residents : In Between Dreams – Centre Pompidou 03. Skullflower + Kleistwahr + Jean-Marc Foussat – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 03. Amelie Lens + Anetha + Präri – Rex Club 04. Run The Jewels +  Talaboman + Badbadnotgood + The Blaze + Bicep + Sigrid + Princess Nokia + Jacques + Loyle Carner + Tom Misch + The Black Madonna + Sônge (Pitchfork fest.) – Grande Halle de La Villette 04. Toumani Diabaté + Memo + Gaspi – Cabaret sauvage 06. John Maus – La Maroquinerie ||COMPLET|| 07. Godspeed you! Black Emperor – Elysée Montmartre 07. Max Cooper (Biennale Nemo) – Gaîté lyrique 08. Vincent Epplay (fest. FAME) – Médiathèque musicale de Paris|Forum des Halles (gratuit) 08. Zola Jesus – Point FMR 08. The Wedding Present plays "George Best" – Petit Bain 08. The Horrors – Trabendo 09. Annabelle Playe (Biennale Nemo) – Le Cube (Issy-lès-Moulineaux) 10. Red Zebra + Pour X raison – Supersonic (gratuit) 10. Golden Oriole + Lotte Anker + Réservé aux insensés (fest. Coax) – Centre Barbara-FGO 11. Keith Fullerton Whitman + Chris Watson [+ Biosphere : ANNULÉ] + Éliane Radigue (diff.) – Maison de la radio 11. Rien virgule + Mette Rasmussen & Julien Desprez + Sarah Terral (fest. Coax) – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 13. Liars – La Maroquinerie 14. Shannon Wright – Gaîté lyrique 14. BJ Nilsen + Thomas Tilly + Les Acharnistes – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 15. Igorrr – La Maroquinerie 16. NSDOS + Watchin' with Milesdavisquintet ! (Biennale Nemo) – La Dynamo (Pantin) 16/17. Kristoff K.Roll : A l'ombre des ondes (fest. d'Automne) – La Pop 17. Trisomie 21 + The Saint-Cyr + Rendez-Vous – La Machine 17. Dälek – Batofar 17. Up-Tight + France – Instants chavirés (Montreuil) 17. Transglobal Underground feat. Natacha Atlas + Asgaya – Le Tamanoir (Gennevilliers) 18. Mr D & The Fangs + Nick Grey & The Random – Supersonic (gratuit) 18. Max Richter : Sleep – Le Studio|Philharmonie de Paris ||COMPLET|| 18. Essaie pas + Nova Materia + Colombey – La Maroquinerie 18. Kristoff K.Roll : A l'ombre des ondes (fest. d'Automne) – La Pop 18. Operant + Verset Zero – Olympic café 19. Ulver – La Machine 19. Agnostic Front + Bishops Green – Gibus 19. Thurston Moore – Café de la danse 21. Sun Kil Moon – Gaîté lyrique 21. Metz + Decibelles + Drahla – Trabendo 21>24. Pierre-Yves Macé & Joris Lacoste (festival d'Automne) – Espace Pierre-Cardin 22. Annabelle Playe & Hugo Darcier + Robert Piotrowicz + Floris Vanhoof (fest. Bruits blancs/Biennale Nemo) – Anis Gras (Arcueil) 23. Carl Michael Von Hausswolf + Julien Ottavi + Jean Philippe Gross (fest. Bruits blancs/Biennale Nemo) – La Muse en circuit (Alfortville) 24. Ensemble Ire (Kasper Toeplitz & Franck Vigroux) + ErikM + Benjamin De la Fuente (fest. Bruits blancs) – Anis Gras (Arcueil) 23. Sophia + Dead Horse One – Espace B 23. Clan of Xymox + My Great Blue Cadillac – Bus Palladium 23. Modeselektor (dj) + Tijana T + Simo Cell – Rex Club 24. Emma Ruth Rundle – Espace B 24. Laibach – Trabendo 24. Arnold Dreyblatt + Prescott + Borja Flames (BBMix fest.) – Carré Bellefeuille (Boulogne-Billancourt) 24. Zombie Zombie + Aufgang – Le Tamanoir (Gennevilliers) 25. Stranglers – La Cigale 25. Mount Kimbie – Trianon 25. Mark Lanegan – Café de la danse 25. Protomartyr + Pierre & Bastien – La Maroquinerie 25. Etienne Jaumet, Peter Kember & Céline Wadier : La Monte Young Tribute + Colleen + Accident du travail (BBMix fest.) – Carré Bellefeuille (Boulogne-Billancourt) 25. Dynatron + Christine + Mlada Fronta – La Clef (Saint-Germain-en-Laye) 25. Phase fatale & Silent Servant – La Machine 26. Quator Tana joue "Mishima" de Philip Glass – Collège des Bernardins 26. Ropoporose + Die!Die!Die! – Batofar 26. James Holden & The Animal Spirits + Groupshow (Andrew Pekler, Jan Jelinek & Hanno Leichtmann) + Paalma (BBMix fest.) – Carré Bellefeuille (Boulogne-Billancourt) 27. Marilyn Manson – Bercy|Arena 28. Chapelier fou – Le 104 28. John Zorn & Abraxas + Autoryno + Garth Knox – New Morning 28. Totorro + La Jungle – Badaboum 30. Simon Fisher Turner : The Picture from Darkness (Biennale Nemo : Optical Sound) – Le Cube (Issy-lès-Moulineaux) (gratuit)

Décembre 02. Carl Craig + Bambounou + Chloé + Fabrizio Rat (fest. Marathon!) – Gaîté lyrique 02. Frustration + Komplikations + Plomb – La Clef (Saint-Germain-en-Laye) 03. Depeche Mode – Bercy|Arena 08. Punish Yourself – La Maroquinerie 09. Plug (Biennale Nemo) – Le 104 (gratuit) 09. Pascal Comelade, Ivan Telefunken & Charles Berberian + Sophie Agnel & Jérôme Noetinger (dessin) (Semaine du bizarre) – théâtre Berthelot (Montreuil) 10. Chocolat Billy & Sam Mary (Semaine du bizarre) – théâtre Berthelot (Montreuil) (gratuit sur résa) 12. Snap + Martin Messier (Biennale Nemo) – La Dynamo (Pantin) 12. Zayk + Hyperculte – Centre culturel suisse 12. Le Club des animistes (Vincent Epplay & Ravi Shardja) (Semaine du bizarre) – théâtre Berthelot (Montreuil) (gratuit sur résa) 14. Diemo Schwarz : musique pour "Wolfson" d'Anne Ropers (Semaine du bizarre) – théâtre Berthelot (Montreuil) 15. Jessica93 + Bryan's Magic Tears – La Maroquinerie 15. Déficit des années antérieures + TWVSTCG (Semaine du bizarre) – théâtre Berthelot (Montreuil) 15. Oiseaux-Tempête – Paul B. (Massy) 15/16. Éléonore Auzou-Connes, Emma Liégeois & Romain Pageard jouent "Musiques de table" de Thierry De Mey – La Pop 16. Ensemble électron (Semaine du bizarre) – théâtre Berthelot (Montreuil) (gratuit sur résa) 16. Marius Loris + Les Hôpitaux (Semaine du bizarre) – théâtre Berthelot (Montreuil) (gratuit sur résa)

2018

Janvier 23. Uriel Barthélémi (Biennale Nemo) – Le Générateur (Gentilly) 26. Alex Augier + Paul Jebanasam & Tarik Barri + Daniele Ghisi + Rune Clerup + Alexander Schubert (Biennale Nemo) – Cité de la musique|Philharmonie 30/31. Pierre-Yves Macé & Joris Lacoste (festival d'Automne) – L'Apostrophe (Cergy-Pontoise) 31. Doplereffekt & AntiVJ : "Entropy" (Biennale Nemo) – L'Avant-Seine (Colombes)

Février 02. Uriel Barthélémi, Gaspar Claus & Maude Trudet (Biennale Nemo) – Le Générateur (Gentilly) 03. Nils Frahms – Yoyo|Palais de Tokyo ||COMPLET|| 15. Franck Vigroux & Laurent Gaudé : "Le Chant des ombres" – L'Ecam (Le Kremlin-Bicêtre) 16. Radian + David Rothenberg & Scanner (Biennale Nemo) – La Dynamo (Pantin)

Mars 07/08. Ryuchi Sakamoto & Shiro Takatani (Dumb Type) : "Dis.Play" – Maison de la Culture du Japon 23. PurForm + TRDLX (Biennale Nemo) – Grande Halle de La Villette 23. Pierre Henry + Anabelle Playe + John Chantler + Bill Orcutt + Anthony Child (Présences électronique) (Présences électronique) – Maison de la radio|Studio 104 24. Alva Noto & Anne-James Chaton : Alphabet (Biennale Nemo) – Grande Halle de La Villette 24. Else Marie Pade + :such: + Bellows + Phonophani + The Caretaker (Présences électronique) – Maison de la radio|Studio 104 25. Jacques Lejeune + Chris Corsano + Ben Vida & Marina Rosenfeld + Mads Emil Nielsen + Gravetemple (Présences électronique) – Maison de la radio|Studio 104

en gras : les derniers ajouts / in bold: the last newsDes concerts à Paris et autour

[doomonfilm]

Nominations : The 93rd Academy Awards

Every yearly award season comes to an official end with the Academy Awards ceremony, where the highly coveted Oscar trophies are handed out to memorable speeches and candid moments.  The year marks an important step for the Academy, as this year’s awards (which take place on ABC the evening of Sunday, April 25) will be followed up with the official public opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (on Friday, April 30th, respectively).  Like many awards shows this season, the attendance will be limited, with all auxiliary events cancelled and only presenters, nominees and invited guests convening in-person.

While it is nice to see nominations trending towards the traditionally unrecognized and underrecognized, it also marks how far behind the times the Academy is.  Seeing actors and directors of Asian descent being nominated for the first time is bittersweet, and seeing Viola Davis become the most celebrated Black actress with a grand total of four nominations speaks volumes.  A handful of films nominated have me a bit embarrassed as a film fan that I’ve not yet seen them, Promising Young Woman, Minari, Sound of Metal and Emma sitting at the top of the list.  

At some point during the week of the ceremony, I will be posting my predictions for each category so that we can reconvene the following week and compare numbers.  As per usual, I have a small list of films to catch up with, but that’s nothing new, and is even more understandable in light of how COVID-19 has wiped theater attendance off the map.  This article serves to present readers with a list of all categories and nominees, as well as my immediate thoughts in regard to each category.

NOMINEES

Best Picture

The Father Judas and the Black Messiah Mank Minari Nomadland Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7

After all of the controversy surrounding the Golden Globes handling of the Minari nomination, it is nice to see the Academy not only recognize it as a domestic film, but to place it in the ranks of the year’s best films.  Promising Young Woman and Sound of Metal have both been on my queue for a while, so now is definitely the time catch those.  I am unfamiliar with The Father, but it will definitely be going on my watch list too in order to make an informed opinion. 

Best Director

Lee Isaac Chung, Minari Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman David Fincher, Mank Chloé Zhao, Nomadland Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round

Chloé Zhao has been having a monster of a run this awards season, and her nomination for Best Director marks the first nomination for a woman of color in the category, which is both an amazing achievement and a statement on inclusivity in Hollywood.  Lee Isaac Chung also gets redemptive praise in light of the unfortunate oversights in previous award shows, especially considering the weight that comes with the Oscars name.  Mank made the list as I predicted, but with a seemingly changing tide occurring this year in terms of nominations and wins, the days of Hollywood awarding itself for reflecting on itself may be coming to a close.

Best Actor

Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Anthony Hopkins, The Father Gary Oldman, Mank Steven Yeun, Minari

Chadwick Boseman will more than likely culminate his bittersweet posthumous run by capturing an Oscar for his visceral performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.  Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman continue their status as Oscar mainstays, and continue to raise their already legendary careers into the realms other actors can only dream of.  The efforts towards inclusivity continue with the nominations of Riz Ahmed and Steven Yeun marking the first two nominations for actors of Asian descent (English-Pakistani and Korean, respectively).

Best Actress

Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman Frances McDormand, Nomadland Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

In what may become one of the bigger stories of the 2021 Academy Awards, Viola Davis became the most nominated Black actress with the fourth nomination of her career, and the only Black woman to be nominated more than once for Best Actress (with her win in Fences being her other Best Actress nomination).  Andra Day is coming in hot off of a Golden Globes win, and Frances McDormand is always a favorite for a Best Actress award.  With all of the praise that Promising Young Woman has garnered with its nominations, the win count has been low, so perhaps the Oscars will be the moment of redemption for the film, and a moment of celebration of Carey Mulligan.

Best Supporting Actor

Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami Paul Raci, Sound of Metal Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah

In perhaps the biggest snub/oversight of the 2021 Academy Awards, we find Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield both nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah, which begs the question of whether or not the film even has a lead in the eyes of the Academy.  Outside of this awkwardness, it is awesome to see the category be an example of proper cross-cultural representation while also signifying the recognition of the top actors for the category in the year.  

Best Supporting Actress

Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy Olivia Colman, The Father Amanda Seyfried, Mank Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

The Maria Bakalova story has truly been one for the books, with an over the top and purposefully polarizing role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm being recognized in award show after award show right up to the top statue.  For fans of Mean Girls, it’s pretty awesome to see Amanda Seyfried up for such a prestigious award.  Minari also continues to set itself up for Oscar-based redemption with another acting nomination to go with its other numerous nods.

Original Screenplay

Judas and the Black Messiah Minari Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7

Anytime that Aaron Sorkin is nominated for something, he is the clear-cut favorite, and the weight of having the story connected to The Trial of the Chicago 7 in an era of cultural and racial unease will only sway the odds further in his favor.  That being said, Minari and Sound of Metal look like contenders for an upset, not to mention the continuing groundswell of support for Promising Young Woman. 

Adapted Screenplay

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm The Father Nomadland One Night in Miami The White Tiger

I find the nomination of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm in this category odd, as to my knowledge, the film is not adapted from previous material (although it is centered around a character created for television).  Nomadland will more than likely continue its march towards owning the 2021 awards season, though One Night in Miami is also one worth keeping an eye on.

Animated Feature

Onward Over the Moon A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Soul Wolfwalkers

I still haven’t seen anything outside of Soul in this category, but honestly, will any of these other films give Soul an honest run for its money in this category?

Production Design

The Father Mank Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom News of the World Tenet

Tenet and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom both have very immersive production looks, albeit it from completely different ends of the spectrum.  I’ve only seen commercials for News of the World, but that one looks pretty solid as well.  Mank has been curiously quiet this award season, so maybe they’ll slide David Fincher a consolation prize in the form of a Production Design award.

Costume Design

Emma Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Mank Mulan Pinocchio

Everything in this category seemingly has a chance to win, so it really just comes down to looking at traditional winners in this category.  Three of the five films are period pieces, and Emma being a British period piece always carries some weight.  While Mulan was basically panned across the board, perhaps Disney can campaign for a bit of personal redemption in the form of a Costume Design award that they can use to refer to Mulan as “award-winning” in the future.

Cinematography

Sean Bobbitt, Judas and the Black Messiah Erik Messerschmidt, Mank Dariusz Wolski, News of the World Joshua James Richards, Nomadland Phedon Papamichael, The Trial of the Chicago 7

This is probably the toughest category to call, with all of these films doing extremely interesting things visually (that I am aware of, as I have yet to see News of the World).  Judas and the Black Messiah gets us uncomfortably close to revolutionary actions, Mank emulates an old film to the point that it could be mistaken for a lost bit of media from the period it covers, Nomadland is a dramatic film that looks like a genuine documentary, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 manages to stay stimulating despite being overwhelmingly located in courtrooms and offices.  Of all the awards being handed out on the night, this one will definitely be the hardest earned.

Editing

The Father Nomadland Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7

I will reserve my hardline thoughts for my prediction post, as I need to see Sound of Metal, but my initial thoughts are leaning towards The Trial of the Chicago 7 running away with this category, specifically due to the way that footage from Medium Cool is folded in seamlessly. 

Makeup and Hairstyling

Emma Hillbilly Elegy Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Mank Pinocchio

I could see Hillbilly Elegy pulling off a surprise victory hear, in spite of some stellar work from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Mank.  I’m going to have to throw Emma a watch as well, as Anya Taylor-Joy has owned the year in her own way (even though she didn’t do the makeup and hairstyling for the film).

Sound

Greyhound Mank News of the World Soul Sound of Metal

While Soul could possibly steal this one away from the pack, I’ve heard nothing but the highest praise for Sound of Metal.  Mank also does some very distinct things with its sound design, but it may be so subtle that it will not be recognized.

Visual Effects

Love and Monsters The Midnight Sky Mulan The One and Only Ivan Tenet

Mulan being nominated is hilarious to me, I’m not going to lie... one of the biggest complains about the film was turning Mulan into a superhero, so awarding the film for the very aspects that allowed this seems odd to me.  The reverse work done for Tenet was pretty amazing, and for a Netflix film (I hate to have that as a qualifier), The Midnight Sky had a big budget look to it.  After I get the chance to watch Love and Monsters and The One and Only Ivan, I can make an informed prediction. 

Score

Da 5 Bloods Mank Minari News of the World Soul

Soul feels like a shoo-in for this category, as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have made themselves a force to be reckoned with over the past decade or so.  Funny enough, their work for Mank stands as the biggest threat to Soul.  The nomination of Da 5 Bloods is interesting, and I’ll have to go back and rewatch the film for a reminder of how the score sits among the rest of the film.

Song

Husavik (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) Fight for You (Judas and the Black Messiah) Lo Sì (Seen) (The Life Ahead) Speak Now (One Night in Miami) Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Lo Sì (Seen) shocked everyone at the Golden Globes with its win, as Fight for You had a ton of momentum going into that awards ceremony.  We will see if lightning strikes twice, but it feels like Fight for You will walk away with this one, if it doesn’t find itself surprised by Speak now.

Documentary Feature

Collective Crip Camp The Mole Agent My Octopus Teacher Time

I often run into a tough time trying to watch the Documentary Feature nominations, but I am intrigued by Crip Camp based solely on the title.  My Octopus Teacher won at the Globes, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it repeat.

International Feature

Another Round (Denmark) Better Days (Hong Kong) Collective (Romania) The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia) Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

I do not have enough experience with these films to provide an informed opinion, but hope to see what I can prior to the awards ceremony so that I can provide predictions.

Animated Short

Burrow Genius Loci If Anything Happens I Love You Opera Yes-People

I do not have enough experience with these films to provide an informed opinion, but hope to see what I can prior to the awards ceremony so that I can provide predictions.

Documentary Short

Colette A Concerto Is a Conversation Do Not Split Hunger Ward A Love Song for Latasha

I do not have enough experience with these films to provide an informed opinion, but hope to see what I can prior to the awards ceremony so that I can provide predictions.

Live-Action Short

Feeling Through The Letter Room The Present Two Distant Strangers White Eye

I do not have enough experience with these films to provide an informed opinion, but hope to see what I can prior to the awards ceremony so that I can provide predictions.

[gadgetsrevv]

Sterling, De Bruyne stellar in City’s VAR-tainted draw with Spurs

– ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now! – VAR in the Premier League: Big calls explained

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City were denied another late goal against Tottenham by the VAR as Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium. Gabriel Jesus thought he had scored a stoppage time winner but saw the goal chalked off after the video assistant spotted Aymeric Laporte‘s handball in the build-up. It was a similar story in the Champions League tie between the two teams last season when Raheem Sterling‘s late clincher was also ruled out by the television ref. It was Sterling who put City ahead this time with a back post header that beat Hugo Lloris. Erik Lamela equalised before Sergio Aguero‘s clever finish put the hosts 2-1 up at half-time. Substitute Lucas Moura scored a second Tottenham equaliser from Lamela’s corner just after half time before the late drama denied City a winner and ended their run of 15 consecutive Premier League wins.

Positives

Kevin De Bruyne only made 11 Premier League starts last season and City were still able to hold off a Liverpool team who racked up more than 90 points. But if anyone needed proof that Guardiola’s team are better with the Belgian in it, he delivered it here. You won’t see a better cross that the one he planted on Sterling’s head for the first goal. His assist for Aguero was also pinpoint — whipping the ball into the near post from the right. He should have had a hat-trick of assists before half-time and the only thing missing after his drilled pass into the penalty area just before half time was Ilkay Gundogan‘s finish.

Negatives

Guardiola will be disappointed with Tottenham’s goals, both of which came out of nothing. Lamela found himself in acres of space on the edge of the area to make it 1-1 and the second equaliser after half time came from a corner that should have been cleared. City defended well for the majority of the game but two lapses cost two goals and two points.

Manager rating out of 10

Pep Guardiola, 6 — There aren’t many many managers who would make four changes after a 5-0 away win but Guardiola isn’t most managers. Back came Gundogan, Aguero, Bernando Silva and Nicolas Otamendi while Jones Stones, a starter against West Ham, was left in the stands. It looked odd to replace Aguero with the score at 2-2 but the decision to throw on Jesus almost paid off when the Brazilian found the net in injury time only for the goal to be ruled out.

Raheem Sterling was on point again against Spurs but ultimately a VAR decision saw City drop points in the early season clash.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Ederson, 6 — Hit one sublime pass the length of the pitch to Oleksandr Zinchenko. Might feel he could have done better with Lamela’s goal.

DF Kyle Walker, 6 — One burst past Davinson Sanchez created an early chance for Sterling. Out-jumped by Moura for Tottenham’s second goal.

DF Oleksandr Zinchenko, 7 — Didn’t do much wrong at left-back. Covered a lot of ground and was left struggling with cramp by the end of the 90 minutes.

DF Aymeric Laporte, 6 — Good on the ball but should have got out quicker to Lamela when the Argentinian equalised for Spurs from the edge of the box.

DF Nicolas Otamendi, 7 — Left on the bench last week and didn’t waste his chance against Tottenham. Helped keep Harry Kane quiet and the Spurs striker barely had a kick.

MF Rodri, 7 — Careful and composed in front of the back four. Saw a stinging effort saved by Lloris before being sacrificed for David Silva as City chased a winner.

MF Ilkay Gundogan, 6 — Brought back in at the expense of David Silva. Should have made it 3-1 before half-time when De Bruyne cut the ball back across the box.

MF Kevin De Bruyne, 8 — Two beautiful crosses from the right created two goals in the first half. City’s best player and looked dangerous anywhere near Tottenham’s penalty area.

FW Bernando Silva, 7 — Back in the team after his surprise omission against West Ham. Deserves a lot of credit for creating spaces on the right for De Bruyne to set up both of City’s first half goals.

FW Raheem Sterling, 7 — After scoring a hat-trick against West Ham, his stooping header at the back post put City a goal up.

FW Sergio Aguero, 7 — The Argentinian had not scored in his previous seven league games against Tottenham but he ended the run with a clever near post finish from De Bruyne’s cross.

Substitutes

FW Gabriel Jesus, 7 (for Sergio Aguero, 65) — Looked bright before seeing VAR take away his would-be winning strike. 

MF David Silva (for Rodri, 78) — N/A

FW Riyad Mahrez (for Bernando Silva, 80) — N/A

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[gussiemiller]

Repost from @snsreleases using @RepostRegramApp - SSR2003900 This first dance music remix set on S&S Records amplifies Miller’s new single “The Last Page” from the forthcoming CD “My Name Is Gussie” and follows up his auspicious debut CD “Forever Plan”. His amazing 4 octave range vocal work with stellar musicians Gino Vannelli, Mindi Abair, Marcus Miller, Keb Mo, David Garfield and many others will captivate your ears. A sought after session singer, his songs & voice have been used in numerous commercials like DuPont, Certs, and McDonalds and in network TV shows like “Doogie Howser MD”, “Family Matters”, “Cop Rock”, “Everybody Hates Chris“ and “The Singing Bee” and in major movies like Chris Rock’s “I Think I Love My Wife”. You’ve heard him sing for years without even knowing it. Now you know. This S&S remix project featuring Steve Silk Hurley, Eddie Amador, DJ Skip & Zonum is a must have for all dance music enthusiasts. CREDITS: Artist: Gussie Miller Title: The Last Page (S&S Remixes) Written By: Anthony Starble, Alan Roy Scott, Trevan McClure, Alex Alessandroni Jr. , Gussie Miller Produced By: Gussie Miller Remixed by: Eddie Amador, Steve “Silk” Hurley, DJ Skip, Zonum Studio: Pro Audio LA, Capital University Music Tech Dept, S&S Studios. Cover Photo: Ali LeRoi Engineers: Erik Zobler - Recording Gussie Miller - Recording Barry Rudolph - Recording & Editing Jack Ellis- Asst Engineer MOTU 8PreES 96k Interface Technician – Matt LaPoint David Isaac – Mix Engineer at Titan Music & Filmworks Pete Doell – Mastering at AfterMaster Studios Remix Engineer/Producers – Eddie Amador, Steve Silk Hurley, Shannon "Skip" Syas, Joan Muñoz, Zonum Musicians: Alex Alessandroni Jr. - Keys Steve Jenkins - Bass Tony Pulizzi - Guitar Herman Matthews - Drums Shawn “Thunder” Wallace - Sax Steve Silk Hurley - Keys Gussie Miller - Lead & Backing (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP9vc_yLZjT/?utm_medium=tumblr

[siphen0]

Today, Crunchyroll announced the latest round of guests and panels for Virtual Crunchyroll Expo. Guests include manga artist Junji Ito, guests from “The Rising of the Shield Hero,” and “One Piece” among many others.

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo Announces Junji Ito, Alongside 20 Additional Guests 

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is announcing today another massive lineup of guests including the legendary horror artist Junji Ito, a lineup of professional athlete anime fans, the creative staff and voice actors from “The Rising of the Shield Hero,” and “One Piece,” among many others.

Junji Ito will attend V-CRX to give fans a glimpse into the lives of Yon & Mu, the beloved cats of the horror manga artist.

Crunchyroll also revealed the stellar lineup for the “Professional Athletes of Anime” panel, which will be hosted by Jacki Jing and will include Aries Merritt, Olympic Gold Medalist for Team USA in track and field, Cole Anthony, rising star in the American basketball scene, playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels and Miro, streamer and professional wrestling champion (appearing on WWE under the name Rusev). Headshots and bios for each athlete available upon request.

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo will also feature a discussion with the creative staff behind “The Rising of the Shield Hero” including Keigo Koyanagi (Series Composition), Masahiro Suwa (Character Design), and Junichiro Tamura (Producer). The panel will feature special messages to fans from voice actors Sarah Emi Bridcutt (voice of Myne), Kaito Ishikawa (voice of Naofumi Iwatani), Asami Seto (voice of Raphtalia), and Rina Hidaka (voice of Filo), along with a very special announcement!

Crunchyroll Expo is also bringing fans an exciting “One Piece” panel from Toei Animation, featuring Japanese voice actors Mayumi Tanaka (voice of Monkey D. Luffy), Kazuya Nakai (voice of Roronoa Zoro), Ikue Otani (voice of Tony Tony Chopper) and Hiroaki Hirata (voice of Vinsmoke Sanji).

Crunchyroll Games will also be bringing a slate of special guests to V-CRX including Masayuki Yamaigishi (Yama-P), the NextNinja CEO and producer of Crunchyroll Games title “Grand Summoners,” Erik, Global Lead of “Grand Summoners,” Kensuke Mita, Producer of “NARUTO X BORUTO NINJA TRIBES” from Bandai Namco Entertainment, and David Cai, Co-Founder of Gaudium, the studio behind the upcoming Crunchyroll Game, “Grand Alliance,” which is coming soon from Crunchyroll and VIZ Media.

Additional guests being formally announced today include character designer Miho Tanino (“Tower of God”), voice actress and singer Minori Chihara (“The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” and “Violet Evergarden”), and musician TeddyLoid.

The complete schedule for Virtual Crunchyroll Expo can be found here.

Panels will be available to stream live in the Theater District at Virtual Crunchyroll Expo, and will be uploaded to the V-CRX On-Demand section periodically throughout the weekend to ensure fans can catch up on any of the action they might have missed.

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo will have a series of districts available for fan enjoyment: the Theater District will house panels, premieres, and screenings; the Super Arcade will house fan activations and activities (including the “Onyx Equinox” scavenger hunt, MAPPA gallery tour, and Yuzu’s Cat Cafe, among others); the Anime Arts District will be home to the V-CRX artist alley, and the Central Shopping District will house the exhibitor hall.

International registration for V-CRX is open at crunchyrollexpo.com. The global anime community is encouraged to sign up for a free pass for this year’s event to catch all the action, announcements, guest panels, and more.

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is a digital take on Crunchyroll’s yearly flagship convention that brings together the anime community to celebrate the best and brightest in Japanese animation. The event will be streaming from September 4-6 only on crunchyrollexpo.com.

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Virtual Crunchyroll Expo Announces Junji Ito, Alongside 20 Additional Guests! Today, Crunchyroll announced the latest round of guests and panels for Virtual Crunchyroll Expo. Guests include manga artist Junji Ito, guests from “The Rising of the Shield Hero,” and “One Piece" among many others.