#i was not this high when super showcase showdown started

[acasternaut]

THIS EDIBLE SNUCK UP ON ME

[mikunology]

ok I’m gonna take the likes on that post I made as a yes so

a few of my other ideas for Vocal Android episode plots under the cut! reminder that these are only ideas, I’m not a master writer or anything-

there’s actually more than this but I wanted to put stuff where I’m actually like “ok this could be a solid premise”

“Hate It! Hate It! Huge Ego!” - Una gets jealous of Miku, Rin and Len getting asked by the Event Committee to headline the school sports festival, leading her to attract a Module that turns her into a monster.

“Turkish March -It’s Over- \(^o^)/” - Miku gets serious nerves when the group has to perform a concert for a very influential classical musician.

“A Song of Wastelands, Forests, and Magic” - After a few weeks of having no free time because of crimefighting, Miku becomes determined to make the class trip to the mountains a relaxing one, come hell or high water.

“ONLINE GAME ADDICTS SPRECHCHOR” - Rin, Len and Miku gets hooked on a new VR MMORPG game that’s hit the market, but they end up having to go inside the game itself when a mysterious virus starts holding players hostage inside the game.

“Panda Hero” - When Gumi’s school softball team starts falling behind, Gumi creates some robots to help them improve their game - except the robots go rogue and try to become the new softball team, causing her to enlist the Cryptons’ help in beating the machines.

“Ai Dee” - Miku and Luka get a chance to model for a popular fashion designer holding a show in town, Chika. However, Luka starts to notice something’s very off about Chika.

“Weekender Girl” - Miku tries every trick she can think of to get into a newly-opened club in town that doesn’t allow robots.

“Paris Cinema Girl” - A foreign exchange student named Kokone arrives on the scene and hires the Cryptons to star in a commercial for her family’s chocolate company. Meanwhile, hearing about Kokone’s upper-class status, Dex and Daina attempt to get involved.

“Nostalogic” - Miku stumbles upon a video disc in the basement of Meiko when she was a one-hit wonder teen idol. The kids then team up to convince Meiko to take the stage one more time.

“Happy Halloween” - The kids join the Kenmochi Investigation Club in a ghost hunt at the school for a supposed spirit haunting the gym.

“Dance Robot Dance” - The Crypton Crew take a trip to a robotics exhibit in town as part of Crypton’s showcase, but things go awry when Dialtone hijacks the headliner mech robot.

“Ohedo Julia Night” - The team gets a gig performing at the local obon festival, but Miku’s attempt to join the festivities before showtime becomes interrupted by Dex and Daina pulling a raid. Meanwhile, Gumi and Kokone wage battle for getting to see fireworks with Len.

“Dramaturgy” - Miku and friends visit a theater in town to learn more about musical theater and opera. Unfortunately, it becomes more of a showdown against their teacher’s snobby star student, Prima.

“Super Charge Macher” - Miku gets the opportunity to guest at a grand prix race that Rin and Len happen to be participating in, but ends up having to leap in when she realizes two rival racers are trying to run everyone off the track.

“Newly Edgy Idols” - Miku, Rin, and Luka participate as guest judges at a freelance idol contest, with the winner getting signed to a popular label. However, the girls quickly realize that the idols are acting unusually hostile to each other…

“Burenai Ai de” - Dialtone attempts to take over every screen in Sapporo with the help of some new tech during an important televised concert, causing Miku to go inside the infrastructure of Sapporo’s TV waves to save the day.

[mysmashultimate]

Creating a moveset for the Skeleton from Minecraft as a character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:

### Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Trailer

#### Trailer

The trailer opens with a blocky, pixelated Minecraft world, where various fighters are engaged in epic battles. Suddenly, arrows start flying from the shadows, and the Skeleton emerges, its empty eye sockets glowing ominously as it joins the fray in the Smash Bros. arena.

**Tagline:** "Skeleton: Master Archer of Minecraft!"

### Skeleton's Moveset

#### Special Moves

- **Neutral Special: Arrow Shot**

The Skeleton fires an arrow from its bow, with the ability to charge for increased damage and range. Can shoot multiple arrows in quick succession.

- **Side Special: Bone Toss**

The Skeleton throws a bone projectile that bounces off surfaces and damages opponents. The bone can be angled and adjusted mid-flight.

- **Up Special: Skeleton Leap**

The Skeleton performs a high jump using its bony legs, damaging opponents it hits during the ascent.

- **Down Special: Shield Block**

The Skeleton raises a shield made of bone to block incoming attacks, reducing damage and reflecting projectiles back at opponents.

#### Final Smash: Arrow Barrage

The Skeleton summons a horde of Skeleton minions armed with bows. They barrage the stage with a volley of arrows from all directions, pinning opponents down and dealing massive damage.

### Taunts

1. **Taunt 1:** The Skeleton rattles its bones and cackles menacingly, showcasing its mischievous nature.

2. **Taunt 2:** The Skeleton twirls its bow skillfully and declares, "Bones and arrows, that's all I need!"

3. **Taunt 3:** The Skeleton mocks opponents with a skeletal dance, emphasizing its undead status.

### Victory Poses

1. **Victory Pose 1:** The Skeleton stands tall with its bow aimed triumphantly, surrounded by a pile of defeated opponents.

2. **Victory Pose 2:** The Skeleton performs a victory jig, bones clattering rhythmically as it celebrates its win.

3. **Victory Pose 3:** The Skeleton leans on its bow and peers through its eye sockets, scanning the horizon for new challengers.

### Kirby Hat

When Kirby inhales the Skeleton, he gains a bone-themed hat and acquires the ability to use **Arrow Shot**.

### Defeat Pose

The Skeleton collapses into a heap of bones, momentarily defeated, before quickly reassembling and preparing for the next battle.

### Classic Mode Name

**"Pixelated Archery"**

The Skeleton’s Classic Mode route involves battling characters associated with magic and fantasy, culminating in a final showdown against Enderman in the Minecraft world.

### Stage

**"Minecraft Biome"**

A stage set in a Minecraft biome, featuring dynamic elements like falling blocks, spawning mobs, and occasional visits from iconic Minecraft creatures.

### Attributes

- **Weight Class:** Lightweight

- **Height:** Tall (due to its upright stance)

- **Speed:** Average

### Victory Song

A cheerful and blocky remix of Minecraft's iconic music, blending upbeat tones with pixelated sounds that capture the Skeleton's adventurous spirit and archery prowess.

With the Skeleton in the fray, players can harness its precision archery skills and strategic use of bones to dominate opponents in the Smash Bros. arena with blocky style and Minecraft charm!

[laresearchette]

Sunday, May 05, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY (Slice) 8:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: MARYLAND (PBS Feed)

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

DISNEY + STAR MONSTERS AT WORK (Season 2)

NETFLIX CANADA ROAST OF TOM BRADY

IIHF U18 MEN’S HOCKEY (TSN/TSN3) 7:00am: Bronze Medal Game (TSN/TSN3) 11:00am: Gold Medal Game

MLB BASEBALL (SN1) 1:00pm: Jays vs. Nationals (SN Now) 4:00pm: Atlanta vs. Dodgers (TSN) 7:00pm: Giants vs. Phillies

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4) 1:00pm: Game 7 - Magic vs. Cavaliers (TSN4/TSN5) 8:00pm: Game 7 - Mavericks vs. Clippers

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 4:00pm: Game 1 - Hurricanes vs. Rangers (SN/SN360) 7:30pm: Game 7 - Knights vs. Stars

MLS SOCCER (TSN3) 6:30pm: Seattle vs. L.A. Galaxy

RACE AGAINST THE TIDE (CBC) 7:00pm/7:30pm: The teams are forced to risk it all in an old-school sky-high sandcastle challenge. In Episode Two, emotions are running high as the teams pay tribute to someone who has made a huge impact on their lives.

CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (CBC) 8:00pm: Alliances emerge on the remote Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine Québec with the first elimination showdown looming.

PWHL HOCKEY (TSN3/TSN) 9:00pm: Ottawa vs. Toronto

GHOSTING (CBC) 9:00pm/9:30pm : Devyn Nekoda screams her way through Castle Kilbride with Luke and Matthew in Baden, Ontario as they discover its past. In Episode Two, Frankie and Hale Grande serve a sinister sentence at the infamous SDG Jail in Cornwall, Ontario with Luke and Matthew.

SULLIVAN'S CROSSING (CTV) 9:00pm: Things start to heat up between Maggie and Cal when they're forced to take shelter at Cal's cabin.

BIG BROTHER CANADA (Global) 9:00pm

THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ (Showcase) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Holocaust survivor Lali meets novice writer Heather and shares an unforgettable love story, told through traumatic and fractured memories, of meeting the love of his life -- prisoner 4562 -- when he was a tattooist in the most notorious death camp.

GILDED NEWPORT MYSTERIES (HGTV Canada) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): In 1895 a society page writer witnesses a murder while attending a ball at a mansion in Rhode Island. She soon gets drawn into the investigation when her brother is arrested.

INTO THE DARK: CULTURE SHOCK (T&E) 9:00pm: A young Mexican woman crosses illegally into the United States, only to find herself in an American nightmare.

WHEN CALLS THE HEART (Super Channel Heart & Home) 9:00pm: Hickam and Lee clash with the mayor of Benson Hills, while Gowen suggests a solution with huge implications for the town; Elizabeth and Nathan clear up a misunderstanding.

PROSPER (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm: The newly promoted Dion and Taz are under more pressure as Gascoigne moves on the Charity Tax bill.

JEOPARDY! MASTERS (CTV) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Contestants Amy Schneider, James Holzhauer, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Victoria Groce and Yogesh Raut face off to win the grand prize of $500,000.

THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND (History Canada) 10:00pm (SEASON FINALE): As winter descends on Oak Island and clues continue to be uncovered, the fellowship makes a final bold effort to find the treasure before operations cease for the winter.

BRYAN'S ALL IN (HGTV Canada) 10:00pm: Corey and Abby are ambitious entrepreneurs determined to keep their family's generational maple syrup business alive; from humble beginnings working out of a sugar shack, they're in the process of building a state-of-the-art facility.

[theriverdalereviewer]

I think I’ve got it covered except that it’s annoying that you can’t add all eps at once using this method but whatever. And yeah a list of the eps would be helpful bc the wikia isn’t exactly the most comprehensive

Omg so happy it all worked out for you anon!!! It took me and my sister a good couple hours to figure it out. And yeah the process of adding episodes can be so tedious but its worth it if youre a big fan!! And yeah anon I’ll make a list for you rn

Now you may or may not know but SHS is broken down in 5 eras so I’ll sort the episodes by era. Here’s the full list and just so you know its very long 😭 also here is the link to the walkthrough so that you don’t have to fail the episodes and play them a second time: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/iphone/979746-surviving-high-school/faqs/58319

Football Star

Football Star

Football: Big Man on Campus

Football: Halloween

Football: Valentine’s Carnival

Football King of Spring Break

The Classics

A Summer Fling

Making Some Dough

A Float Is Born

Assembling The Team

The Great Float Caper

Break A Leg

The Outcast

Surviving Europe

From Europe With Love

Skate Video

The Concert

Wrong Side of Town

Best Party Ever (episode version)

Local Ghosts

Spud the Stud

Lost Recipe

Secret Ingredient

Halloween

Writer’s Block

Flex Games

Party Fowl

Road Rules

Winter Queen

Quest Rewards

The Holiday Party

Tom Prince’s Carol

New Year’s Kiss

Prank Wars

Bootcamp Breakout

Guys Versus Wild

Proof

The Crosstown Races, Part 1

The Crosstown Races, Part 2

The Break Up

Andy Canneloni, P.I.

Fair Catch

The Cheer-Lationship

The Prince Plot, Part 1

The Prince Plot, Part 2

Prom Night

The Graduation List

When Howard Met...

Homecoming Queen (optional episode)

Hector’s Guide to Girls (optional episode)

Love Potion Fun Pack (optional episode)

The New Girl (BEST ERA HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU SKIP TO THIS ONE 🚨)

The New Girl: Cheerleading Crush

Best Party Ever (mega pack version)

Spirit Week

Love and War

Green with Kenji

Foreign Exchange

Dance Dance Revelation

Party Crashers

Sam’s Formation, Part 1

Sam’s Formation, Part 2

Surviving Pet Society

Halloween: In Colt Blood

The Quiz-aster

Twinstigators

Long Distance Relation-trip

Pranksgiving (option episode)

Denni and Raven’s Thanksgiving

The Truth About Colt, Part 1

The Truth About Colt, Part 2

A Very Tom Prince Holiday

Holiday Cheer (optional episode)

Bringing Home Christmas

New Year’s Date

School Ski Trip

The Reluctant Matchmaker

How to Fight Nerdy

The Kim-provised First Date

Valentine’s Date

Queen of Hearts

Basketball Woes

Spring Breakup

Wilson High’s Demise

The New Regime

Officer Monte’s Ridealong

Trapped in the Classroom

School Rebellion

Good Chemistry

Anger Management

Sink or Swim

Tough Guy on Campus

Justin for President

Return of the Astrid

Erik’s Date

Breaking News

Broken Promises, Part 1

Broken Promises, Part 2

Spike Must Graduate

Howard’s Summer Bummer

Fourth of July Flashback (optional episode)

Freedom Festival

Girl’s Night In

Camping Trip Visions

French Connection, Paris, Part 1

French Kiss, Paris, Part 2

French Finale, Paris, Part 3

A College Date

Hector vs. Hector

Gossip Files (optional episode)

Back to School

Homecoming Princesses

Ben’s Blowup

Big Shoes to Phil

Homecoming Short Stories (I think the file is just called Sam or Zoe or Taylor or something doesn’t matter which one you choose)

Homecoming: The Game

Homecoming: The Dance

Nerd No More

Halloween: The Second Kiss, Part 1

Halloween: The Second Kiss, Part 2

What Happened to Colt, Part 1 (optional; part 2 is a Cause of Death episode the episode is on YouTube!)

Cheerevolution, Part 1

Cheerevolution, Part 2

Double Date

Thanksgiving Surprise

Taylor the Nerd

Secret Santa, Part 1

Secret Santa Part 2

Holiday Short Stories (optional episode)

Christmas Break

Christmas Exchange

New Year’s Parties

Holiday Tales (optional; these are five separate short stories and the file names are like Dr. Pepper or something idk why)

This Is Spartan

Clash of the Immortals

Valentine’s Dilemma

A Spartan Love Story, Part 1

A Spartan Love Story, Part 2

Amanda’s Valentine’s Day (optional episode)

300s A Crowd

The Contestants

The Spartan Games, Part 1

The Spartan Games, Part 2

The Spartan Games, Part 3

Eyes on the Prize

Faceplace Zero

Real Life Hero

April fools (optional episode)

Photo Op

The Candidates

The Endorsement

The Last Straw

The Campaign Trail

Sara the TV Star

Ballot Breakup

Nice Girl Unleashed

Father’s Day (optional episode)

The New Head Cheerleader

Date Auction

Howard’s Last Day

Wilson Strikes Back

Swim Team Trip

The Island Party

Howard’s College Tour

A Kingston King

The Storm, Part 1

The Storm, Part 2

Getting Over Howard

Surviving High School, The Novel Prelude (optional)

The Super New Girl (optional)

The Super New Girl: The Floating Isle (optional)

The Super New Girl: The Sinking Schools (optional)

The Super New Girl: Return of the Dyre (optional)

A New Start (fyi in between this era and the New Girl, the SHS novel was released so there might be some confusion about certain changes. also somewhere in between episode 36 and 40 of this era, the second SHS novel came out)

A New Start Season 1 (all 5 of the episodes are contained in this one pack)

Novel Bonus Chapter (optional)

Howard’s Return

Swim Team Retreat, Part 1

Swim Team Retreat, Part 2

Howard’s Secret

Psych Project, Subject: Owen

Psych Project, Subject: Paige

The Halloween Dance, Part 1

The Halloween Dance, Part 2

Basketball Tryouts

The Dance Dilemma, Part 1

The Dance Dilemma, Part 2

Paige’s Thanksgiving Party

The Snow Ball, Part 1

The Snow Ball, Part 2

A Fallon Family Christmas

Howard’s Holiday/Paige’s Nightmare After Christmas

Full Court Pressure

Showcase Sabotage, Part 1

Showcase Sabotage, Part 2

Girl Trouble

Paige and Owen’s Valentine’s Outing

Anti-Valentine’s Day

The Art Showcase

Sectionals

The Conned Artist, Part 1

The Conned Artist, Part 2

The Play

Casting Call

Paige Against the Machine

The Show Must Go On

Owen’s Eleven

Perfect Paige

The Debutante Dance, Part 1

The Debutante Dance, Part 2

Ready, S.E.T., Go

Cheer Off

This Friday Night

The Newest Cheerleader

Talent Search

Talent Show

Graduation Stories

Summer Beginnings

Admit Weekend

Sorority Showdown

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Smashers

College Stories

Game of Cones

A Clash of Queens

Romeo & Juliet (optional)

Magic School Book 1 (optional)

Magic School Book 2 (optional)

Magic School Book 3 (optional)

OMG St. Patrick’s Day (optional)

Troublemakers

Troublemakers

Dog Days

The Fashionista

Spencer’s Story

The Breakup

The Pumpkin Farmer’s Daughter

The Float

The Unusual Suspects

College Scavenger Hunt

The Tutors

Homecoming Kiss

A Troublemakers’ Thanksgiving

Nate’s Revenge

Getaway

Christmas Stories

The Date

Pyramid Scheme

The Secret Life of Owen Harris

Exposed

Spencer Betrayed

The Winter Dance

Heart to Hart

Hart Attack

The Kimi Dates

Just the Four of Us

Kimi Strikes Back

Prom

Series Finale

Magic School Homecoming (optional)

Battle of the Schools Guy (optional)

Battle of the Schools Girl (optional)

Sierra’s Challenge (optional)

Lauren’s Story (optional)

Peter’s Challenge (optional)

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

Been having a weird/off week. But you know what’s made it better?

Spending some more time in Midvale with Supergirl Ep. 6x06, “Prom Again!”

Spoilers!

So! Last week was the fun shenanigans/set-up, THIS WEEK we get the emotional pay-offs and oooooh. So good. So good.

Historically, Supergirl kinda struggles to stick its landing when it comes to paying off its set-ups, but I think this episode is really solid in that regard.  

And thus, we begin! With the forest showdown! And I love it. Love every part of it. Love Kara flying in and freeing Nia and Brainy with her heat vision, love that one of Kenny and Kara’s go-to plays is called ‘Speed Racer’, love Brainy’s whole, ‘my buddy’s gonna BLAST YA if you don’t cooperate’ and Kara just. Threatens the bad guys from the shrubbery.

She’s supposed to be scary and intimidating with the heat vision eyes but dagnabbit...it’s just kind of cute.

Last week I completely forgot to mention how much I love that Kenny and Kara have go-to plays WITH NAMES. (NERDY names at that!) And also that Alex is so exasperated by it.

JUST YOU WAIT, KIDDO. 

Fast forward to the Fortress and everyone’s happy! The day is saved! The timeline is restored! Alex apologizes for being a bit of a grouch!

*cough* understatement *cough*

And Brainy doesn’t get the fist bump, d’awwwww. XD

Nia has a lovely chat with Kara wherein SHE is the elder hero who inspires the youths. Nice. NICE.

And THEN, the first of some good Danvers Sisters scenes...we’ll call this one ‘the mini-van chat.’ 

Kara apologizing about the ‘Zookeeper fight-y thing’ and the GLASSES FIDGET.

Shout out to the writers, who were ON-POINT with the dialogue for both parts, and shout out to the young actresses as well. It’s...honestly uncanny, how well they nailed playing Kara and Alex. 

(I mean, we knew this already, of course, but GOSH. What a wonderful showcase. So, so glad, that we got such a large Midvale story in the final season.)

Right, so, another dialogue highlight from the mini-van chat (but like, not in a silly way. More in a, ‘oh wow that’s very sweet’ way) Alex, to Kara about her choice: ‘It’s the right one because you made it.’

THESE KIDS.

Then we go to Nia and Brainy on the Legion Cruiser!

Nia’s outfit? Outstanding. Brainy’s mask? Admittedly a little distracting because it didn’t look like it was fitting quite right.

But A+ song choice for their dance, show. 

(Really, A+ song choices across the board. You can tell they were absolutely LOVING getting in all those needle drops.) 

And then we discover--ALL IS NOT WELL! THE TIMELINE IS STILL BROKEN!

Cat Grant has released the aliens! And she has been captured! And yet she remains heckin’ fearless!

Love that she calls Mitch ‘Mr. Blue Sky.’

It took me a while to warm up to this ‘new’ version of Cat Grant but this episode really gave her some fun stuff to do and yep, I dig it. Great stuff. 

Meanwhile, back at the prom...

I'm taking this moment to applaud the Supergirl folks for their very nice workarounds for ‘crowded’ locations this season thus far. The episodes have never felt like, overtly obvious in terms of Covid protocol impacts (I mean there are a few scenes here and there where you’re like, ‘oh, yeah, this is set up in this specific way to probably account for some production changes) but I’ve never felt that the episodes are losing anything, you know?

Case in point! Two episodes, set in a crowded high school! But most of the stuff takes place before/between classes, or outside!

(Specifically enjoyed all the outdoor stuff and natural lighting. It’s not quite the same as that LA sunshine, but. Still nice.)  

Anyways, in “Prom Again!” the action/discussions are set in the hallways/classrooms outside of the actual Prom. Inobtrusive! Makes sense for the story! Doesn’t compromise!

Gold stars for everyone. 

Kara and Kenny are BOTH unrelentingly cheesy--Kara even says as much--and it’s wonderful.

‘Hey Stargazer.’ Kara, you smooth operator you.

Shout out to Kenny’s bowtie, it’s great.

...Shout out to Kenny in general.

(Like, Will is great, but he’s got a lot to live up to, now.)

So FURTHER PROOF THAT THE TIMELINE IS BUSTED: Kara is going to stay in Midvale!

:O

Me, knowing full well that Kara has to go to National City, but also being...just a liiiiittle bit team Kenny: 

And then...THE METEOR!

That Kara just. Body-slams.

It reminded me of another Danvers, who also body-slams some space stuff:

But UNLIKE Kara’s cross-company cousin, this particular move does not end well!

Because there’s KRYPTONITE! And also, a CLOAKED SPACESHIP, BLOCKING THE FALLING METEOR DEBRIS! And, you know, ALIEN HUNTERS THREATENING HIGH SCHOOLERS! And Kenny SACRIFICES HIMSELF FOR KARA!

(Well, okay. It’s tonight but you get the idea.)

Poor, sweet Kenny. Who feels WAY out of his depth as he’s imprisoned alongside Cat on the alien ship...but it does bring us one of her patented ‘tough love pep talks.’ Wherein she calls Kenny brilliant.

And also, Kendall.

Never change, Cat. Never change.

Also, “Go, go.”

Okay, some more rapid fire specifics that I enjoyed so that this list doesn’t get...too? Long? ...No promises.

Smol Kara squaring her shoulders in that classic Kara Super Pose! 

Alex being able to pick a lock!

Kara using the reflected sunlight from the moon to heal!

‘That’s an 80% failure rate’ ‘Oh yes it’s terrible.’

The scene where the police have Kara, and Alex comes rushing out all, ‘that’s my sister!’ and Kara’s gonna just RISK EVERYTHING to fix this?

100/10, excellent, love to see that Danvers Sisters angst in the Worst Timeline. Also? Alex’s desperate little headshake, silently pleading for Kara to NOT DO THE THING???? Devastating. In the best way.

‘The world will know that name...Keira.’ 

No Plutonian Landshark sightings!?!? Not even a graphic on a computer screen? FOR SHAME!

(Personally, I’m imaging that they look like Jeff, pictured below.)

Kara stowing away on the Cruiser, and her very cute, ‘Don’t be mad!’

Her entire speech about her future--She’s just seventeen! She doesn’t have her driver’s license yet! Eliza’s only let her do the laundry once! She’s not even sure she can make rice!

(Eliza, I love you, but for Pete’s sake, let your kid do her own laundry.) 

Brainy and Kara trying to play it cool upon being discovered by Kenny and Alex! 

Their story involving an excess of formal wear!

Nia inspiring Cat to start CatCo, and telling her she’s CAT FREAKIN’ GRANT!

“If you say Lois Lane I will expire.”

Wait, did I mention the lucid dreaming power yet? ...Nia’s lucid dreaming power!

The entirety of Kara and Kenny’s talk in the gym!

Kara in the Worst Timeline tell Alex, ‘you don’t have to shout’. And then in the Fixed Timeline: ‘inside voice please.’

And she quotes Monty Python that lil GOOBER.

THE WHOLE EPISODE(S) was a GOSHDARN DELIGHT, I TELL YA. (Did I say that last week? I might’ve said that last week, but I don’t care.)

And now, some slightly more in-depth, overall thoughts:

So, How ‘Bout Them Danvers: Not surprisingly, the girls end up in, if not the exact same place as the end of “Midvale”, then pretty darn close. I’m trying to avoid, like. All of fandom, these days, but unfortunately, the bad takes are numerous, and often untagged. So I did see a bunch of people insisting that Kenny living ‘ruined the Danvers’ relationship’ and that the show is ‘taking away everything that makes Kara Kara’

To which I say:

In the broadest terms, what needs to happen by episode’s end to match up with “Midvale”, and prep the kiddos for the stuff that happens in the Pilot - Kara needs to put the aspirations of super-ing on the backburner, and Alex needs to like. Not hate Kara, but also be committed to helping Kara keep her secret, you know...secret. 

All of these things are set up. I repeat: All. Of. Them.

And Kenny didn’t have to die!

(I will admit, I chuckled that they so blatantly teased an untimely demise for him...because I know it will annoy select corners of fandom.

Muhahahahaha.)

But anyways, back to those key ingredients for making a ‘Danvers Sisters in the same emotional place they were in @ Midvale’s end’ soup: Alex deals with that simmering resentment. Seeing Kara handle herself well in a super-ing context gives her that little, ‘hey, this isn’t so bad!’ outlook.

BUT INTERESTINGLY, in the Fixed Timeline, Alex and Kara don’t have that chat in the supply room, where Alex is like. ‘You CANNOT reveal your powers, BAD THINGS will happen if you do.’ 

That is saved for the Pilot!*

MEANWHILE. The Kara ingredients! She puts super-ing on hold. 

Her chat with Kenny functions as a replacement for her chat with J’onn-as-Not!Alura, in the sense that it’s here that she reveals that she didn’t choose to come to Midvale, she didn’t choose these powers. 

(...I can already sense fandom using those lines to prove their end-of-series theories and like. Ugh. Ugh.) 

But anyways. It’s also here that we get shades of Pilot!Kara, what with the season one conflict of being Super vs. being normal. 

It’s ALL THE SAME STUFF.

Fandom needs to like. Chill. 

And their (fake) concern for Kara’s characterization is entirely misplaced, because this was a really wonderful showcase for Kara in particular.

Like. The first episode was really Nia’s time to shine, and we still got solid Brainy and Nia action in this episode!

But man. That good Kara content.

THE CONTENT I CRAVE!

So speaking of good Kara content in particular, I LOVED Kara’s prom dress. It's got both a SKIRT. AND PANTS!

Amazing.

I know nothing of fashion, but it was very cute, very girly, and okay. Though I hate the comic, the one thing I actually liked about Future State is Kara’s costume. This was similar!

(Thank goodness it looked nothing like the prom dress from Rebirth. That...was a bit of a train wreck.)

(Look, not all comic artists are great clothes designers, it’s just how it is.)

We see the empowerment theme come up with Kara inspiring Kenny; he describes her as ‘an amazing light in a world of darkness’ and tells her that, ‘you changed me, Kara Zor-El.’

We love to see it. 

They also agree that stargazing and Monty Python make for the perfect prom these absolute NERDS I love them.

*Quick wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey note WRT making this episode ‘fit’ with the Pilot: I’m not saying that it 100% does. There’s already the change with the Kryptonite, and the added info/awareness of the DEO. 

Those little changes, though, don’t really impact the overall arc of Kara and Alex, the way the emotional stuff might. 

Thus! The ‘Pilot’ of Earth Prime, and in fact, the ENTIRETY of the show’s run thus far most likely involved little differences throughout, but the emotional core is very close, if not the exact same.

BUT EITHER WAY, it doesn’t matter, because our Kara and Alex are still our Kara and Alex thanks to the multiple sets of memories! 

(So all of fandom’s freaking out is for naught. As it almost always is.) 

I bring this up because, again, as much as I talk about setting stuff up for where we find Kara six years from now--this Kara is a little different! She comes across as more confident, something Izabela Vidovic mentioned in an interview, when discussing her approach to playing Kara this time around. 

And now, Alex: Admittedly, she gets less focus as like, a solo-entity in these episodes--she really is there to serve the more Kara-centric plot. Personally, it didn’t bother me too much because outside of these flashback episodes, Alex has had some solid development and screen time, so. It balances out.

And the scenes we did get with those 2? Solid. Top tier. There was even a couch scene! Like, technically. Because there was a couch in the supply room. XD  

Spotlight on Kenny: fandom kinda loves to insist that all the men on Supergirl are trash, because, ya know. 'Feminism’ or whatever. It’s ships, it’s always ships. But, in fact! The dudes on Supergirl? Are actually wonderful! And Kenny is another example of a guy who isn’t afraid to be emotionally vulnerable, who 1000% supports Kara, but is also like. His own person. 

GOOD JOB, SHOW. GOOD JOB.

Brainy too, had some really nice stuff in terms of dealing with his emotions!

And it’s Brainy who gives us our closing line, as Nia asks him how he’s feeling now that they’ve accomplished their mission:

“Hopeful.”

NOICE.

In conclusion! “Prom Night” and “Prom Again!” were EXCELLENT! They had heart! They had stakes! They had the promised time-travel do-over alluded to in the titles! Outstanding performances from the entire cast! Tthe ‘young’ versions of characters in particular! And I WILL be watching these episodes on repeat throughout the three-month hiatus! XD

But before the Super Friends take their break: NEXT WEEK! The Quest for Kara Concludes!!!

[elusive-lamb]

Was Adam nerfed?

There have been ‘concerns’ about consistency and I’m bored so I went on an adventure.. tldr: minor V5 to V6 inconsistencies but the answer is no. No he wasn’t

BLACK TRAILER

First combat appearance. He and Blake beat up a bunch of shitty robots and look cool while doing it. Neither of them are challenged at all in this fight -- the robots are so shitty that one of them dies to a gunshot, which is practically unheard of in RWBY. Only things to note are how versatile he is with using the hilt of his sword to attack and that he repeatedly sheaths and unsheaths the sword as part of his fighting style.

Big boi droid shows up. It hits both Blake and Adam and neither of them are able to inflict any significant damage. Blake suggests that they “get out of there,” indicating that they should retreat. The laser knocks them out of that train compartment and Adam has Blake distract it to he can absorb an entire laser blast with his sword. Unleashing this energy, he’s able to slice the droid in half.

Throughout the trailer, Adam and Blake seem equally competent. Only Adam’s semblance gives him the advantage of being able to destroy the droid -- without this, a retreat would have been necessary.

Adam’s strengths as a combatant: speed, versatility with his sword, SEMBLANCE

Weaknesses: not explored in this fight, but it’s worth noting that their plan was never challenged and he remained in control throughout. Even with the droid, they only took a couple hits before the laser revealed an easy way to beat it.

Next up! BEACON

Once again, Adam is completely in control during this “fight.” He catches Blake off guard and verbally abuses/intimidates her. Blake barely fights back because she’s so emotionally unstable and freaked out. Not to mention tired and out of aura from fighting all night. Yang reacts emotionally and lunges at Adam with no knowledge of who he is or his semblance. 

We only see Adam absorb a couple gunshots from Blake but as others have noted, he almost definitely absorbed power earlier in the fight as this showdown occurs late. Also, he is never challenged during the entirety of the Battle of Beacon, so most likely never released any of that energy until Yang’s arm came along to take it.

Strengths: not really explored.. This “fight” is not really a fight so much as a confrontation. Adam spends more time talking at Blake than fighting. But again, the semblance comes back as his most powerful tool. Consistent so far.

Weaknesses: not explored. Still fully in control. However, his emotional instability when it comes to Blake is starting to become apparent.

Next up! HAVEN

Again, not really a fight. But it is the first time we see Adam in a situation that isn’t going according to plan. He reacts emotionally and stupidly, throwing a fit and falling for Blake’s semblance in a spectacular fashion to set up a major concussion.

I can see how people could say this outcome was stupid, and I’ll admit that the amount of damage he takes from Blake whacking him seems kind of extra (did he not have his aura up??). But again, this is The First Time we’ve seen him attempt to fight in a situation where things go awry. Saying his reaction was out of character is pretty impossible given the amount we know at this point about his character. And especially given the amount we know at this point about his character in unfavorable situations (essentially zero).

We get a very short (like, 5 seconds) of him fighting Sun and Blake before he escapes. Worth noting that he gets zero hits in and takes a whack from Sun’s staff. So he’s not great in a 2-v-1 unless he has other advantages (one person incapacitated; fully charged semblance; etc.)

Strengths: not explored

Weaknesses: gets stupid when angered and not in control. Low durability (on ground for a while after Blake gets him)

Interlude! ADAM TRAILER

Fighting-wise, basically confirms what we saw in the Black trailer. He fights some villagers, shitty robots, and rather poorly trained soldiers and looks cool doing it. Showcases the same strengths as the Black trailer -- honestly remarkable consistent given how much changed animation-wise in the show between the two releases. Again (running theme) he is fully in control, never challenged, never gets angered or upset by anything.

Strengths: speed, versatility with sword. Consistent with Black trailer

Weaknesses: not explored

Next up! THE BIG ONE

First part is Adam v Blake. He still exhibits the same speed and versatility as previous fights. He swings a bit more wildly and misses more often, but that’s because he’s now driven by anger and Blake is 100x better at dodging than the canon fodder he got to fight previously. He’s still stronger and faster than Blake and beats her. Consistent so far!

Second part is Adam v Yang. They’re pretty evenly matched, with may seem like he got nerfed until you remember he just got run over by a motorcycle. If anything, he seems buffed from Haven... nary a scratch on him from a bike to the face. And he gets a few decent hits in! 

Final part is Adam v Blake and Yang. He starts out struggling, similar to the brief fight with Sun and Blake but taking even more hits. But he’s able to break Blake’s aura in spite of that, showing how strong he is [Note: this is consistent across multiple fights -- he is physically stronger than Blake and always manages to throw her off when their swords clash]. With Yang alone, he gets her on her heels. She gains some focus from seeing Blake is okay, but still doesn’t land any hits until the end when she grabs his sword. 

This is the FULL FORCE of Yang’s semblance and depletes the last of her aura. This is Yang “Destroyed an Atlesian Paladin in One Punch” Xiao Long. *insert that’s a lotta damage meme.* Adam runs out of aura but is fine otherwise, which is honestly staggering. And we know how it ends from there.

Strengths: speed, versatility with sword. STILL CONSISTENT. Not as on display because he isn’t fighting shitty horde enemies. Doesn’t get as many hits because Blake and Yang know how to dodge and block. Also, this is the only fight he has EVER been in that wasn’t either a super short confrontation (Beacon and Haven, barely count as fights) or against enemies that were literally made for him to look good (Black and Adam trailers).

Another strength is high durability. Not really consistent with the confrontation in V5 -- unless he didn’t have aura up or he decided to stay on the ground for an extra couple seconds just to be dramatic (totally possible).

Weaknesses: get’s stupid when angry. Motorcycles hitting him in the face.

Tangent: BUT WHAT ABOUT HIS SEMBLANCE IT GOT NERFED

Not really. He just uses it stupidly because of his anger. Remember he absorbed a full laser beam from the droid in the Black trailer before slicing it. At Beacon, he had a day’s worth of absorbed energy and also used his sword to cut off Yang’s arm. In the Adam trailer, he kills a super weak villager with unknown amounts of absorbed energy (but not a real impressive feat regardless). In this fight, however, he unleashes energy at least 4 times -- once to break Gambol Shroud and three (3) times to send an unfocused blast of energy (no sword) at Yang. This is just his “stupid when angry” weakness in another form. He doesn’t use his semblance well because he keeps losing his cool with Yang and attacking with it wildly. It’s still extremely powerful though, even unfocused and not fully charged it inflicts significant damage to her hella tough Atlas-grade prosthetic. 

Another tangent that should probably be a separate post: BUT THEY WASTED HIS CHARACTER TO BE A PLOT DEVICE

...Nooot really. Observe Adam throughout all the scenes he gets. It’s not a lot of time, but they actually do develop his character. It just isn’t a positive character development. At the start of the Adam trailer, there’s maybe a tiny bit of hope that he could be redeemed if someone steers him off of the death and destruction path. Unfortunately, Sienna becomes a not-so-great role model for him and he starts a creepy and abusive relationship with Blake. In all of his later appearances, he is consistently shown to care about two things: having ownership of Blake and having power in the White Fang. After Blake leaves, you can see him unravel and become obsessed with her. By Haven, he’s succeeded in taking over the White Fang. Blake is his last piece of unfinished business. But the obsession leads to him losing everything, which is exactly why it’s the only thing driving him in V6.

It’s not like he doesn’t care at all about the White Fang and his twisted version of the Faunus revolution. It’s that he’s burned all those bridges and has no way of accomplishing his old goals. The only thing left for him to fixate on is Blake, and it’s the culmination of a downward spiral that we’ve seen since V3, with build up starting in the Black trailer. He never says that Blake is the only thing that hurt him, just that she hurt him in a *different* way. And at this point, this is the only vengeance he’s in a position to go after. Hence the stalking across a continent, constant anger, and lashing out at Yang. By all means be disappointed if Adam’s arc wasn’t what you wanted. But he is much more than a “wasted character” turned into a plot device. His negative character development is a frighteningly close to real life case of how obsession and spite can destroy people.

[end-of-pizza]

Weird Anime Night Redeemed

guys, can I please talk about Hi Score Girl

I have talked about this in the past, but there is a really big soft spot in my heart for romance anime. I love romance anime, I will occasionally jump from show to show for a while, just wallowing in the stuff. I think its the drama of them, but also like, usually they’re about falling in love in middle school, and trying to make it work, and I’ve been dating the same girl since i was 13 so like, that shit resonates with me on a deeeeeep level. figuring out how you feel about girls, while also trying to figure out how you feel about A girl, beauty. 

I also have talked about how I have a deep deep love of arcade fighting games, like a mild addiction to arcade fighting games, like I build fighter pads, 

and for a hot minute I also made a few super guns so I could play LEGIT versions of those games at home. (for the uninitiated super guns look like this)

that cable is a JAMMA harness, that connects to the JAMMA edge on an arcade board, and the box is for you to plug in controllers, and plug it into your tv.  its an arcade game console....I have since mostly moved over to a MAME console built off of a raspberry pi and my dreamcast, because collecting arcade boards is a very expensive hobby to have, and have since sold off most of my boards....I also had a consolized MVS, and had a couple of neo geo games, but I quit that fast, 150 bucks for a dang cartridge is stupid, no version of king of fighters is worth that 

OKAY SO ABOUT THE ANIME

__________________________________________________________

THIS IS A ROMANCE ANIME ABOUT TWO-ish KIDS WHO FALL IN LOVE AROUND AND BECAUSE OF ARCADES IN EARLY 1990′S JAPAAAAAAAAAN

AND BECAUSE JAPAN IS LIKE 5 YEARS AHEAD OF AMERICA THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE ARCADES THEY PLAY IN FEEL LIKE THE ARCADES I GREW UP IIIIIIIIN

I 100% remember when I first played street fighter alpha and wondering when the fuck 3 would come out just like the protag in this did. okay okay jesus I am rambling about this show too much 

WIKI SAYS The story revolves around the life of gamer Haruo Yaguchi, the coin-op gaming scene, and the changes that develop within both over time. Known as a ’90s arcade romantic comedy, the series is notable for its unique art style, and thoroughly accurate depictions of the multitude of gaming software, hardware, and even culture that are featured. 

our main dude is Haruo Yaguchi a young man who is dismal in various facets of life: He's not academic, not athletic, and not very attractive. The only thing he's got going for him is an insane amount of mad gamer skills. He rules the arcade scene as "Beastly Fingers Yaguchi ", until he meets his match during a fateful encounter with Akira Oono while playing Street Fighter II. Undeterred, he seeks to challenge and one day out play her, considering her his rival.While he starts off as a snarky brat with an ego bigger than any winning streak he could rack up in Street Fighter, he eventually grows out of it. However, he never abandons his dedication and love for gaming, which almost borders on unhealthy obsession. On the bright side, this pure passion for gaming is what leads him to finding some of his closest friends. and then theres the main love interest Oono 

The daughter of the Oono zaibatsu, Oono is rich, popular, and multi-talented -- the polar opposite of Haruo. However, in attempt to escape the strict educational regimen she faces at home, she sneaks away every so often to play in game centers where she showcases her exceptional gaming skills.She initially encounters Haruo during a match of Street Fighter II, and from then on bonds with him over their mutual love for gaming. She never talks, and communicates solely through gestures and facial expressions.

I will say the fact she doesnt talk is kinda problematic to me personally, but hey, no story is perfect, and her being silent is offset byyyyyyyyyyy

Koharu Hidaka,

who is the left leg in the love triangle, and IMHO a much stronger character than Oono, but....well we’ll get to that later. 

She’s a girl in Haruo's class throughout junior high. Goes to an all-girl school with Onizuka throughout high school. Previously an introverted girl who spent much of her time studying alone, she develops into a more sociable person and develops an interest in gaming after spending time with Haruo over a new Neo Geo MVS that gets installed in front of her family's store.She has a natural instinct for fighting games, which transforms her into a powerful force to be reckoned with as both a gamer, and a rival for Haruo's affections. After a fateful showdown at her and Haruo's usual stomping grounds, she developed a bit of a sadistic side whenever Haruo's around. This frightening skill garnered the attention of the "Mizonokuchi Force" leader, Nikotama, who helped Koharu truly awaken her love for fighting games.

she sort of gets side tracked by some stuff in highschool, and takes a weird turn...but again we’ll get to that

so this show is fucking amazing

I binged it in one night, and I loved it so much, that I actually went out and read a bunch of scanulations of the manga because the show pulls A GOD DAMN INUYASHA and just stops at the half way point. i havent hunted down the manga side of a show to finish it since Suzuka, another love triangle romance anime....hmmmm

the entire show is on netflix as an original series and its animated in this really cool CGI/ cell shaded look that feels like oldschool anime, but also like an old mmo or something, its weird, but so so so so good. 

please stop now and go watch every moment of it, trust me you will love it

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ OKAY SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT

wowowowowowowow some spoilers ahead yall wowowowowowowowow

so I want to talk about the second half, which I experienced via manga, manga from less than great websites, and because....my experience is via scanulations and sometimes those are less than reliable, anyway, they fall into some sort of gang arcade scene in shibuya in the second half, which is weird, and its painted pretty weird in the manga, but I think the show will sort it out more when the OVA comes out in march, yes netflix is going to finish it with 3 OVA’s which I assume are going to be like 45 minutes to an hour each

anyway, in the manga I dont really like what they did to Hidaka once they get into the gang stuff, she got really angry, and sad, and sadistic, which I mean....she didnt do anything to deserve that heel turn. but hey, this show is amazing, and the manga is amazing and the ending IS FUCKING WORTH IT and I have eaten up about 40% of your dash, really sorry phone users, but hey. I do what I do in the name of good animes, and I feel like I had to make up for that sack of crap I gave you all the other night

please go watch hi score girl, its amazing. 

[rochellespen]

Watching Doctor Who Season 37 (Series 11), Episode Four

Ok, I’m going to have to say it: Doctor Who has a checkered past in regards to spiders.

I mean, I understand the temptation to go with arachnid-like monsters. Spiders often creep people out, so giant, mutant spiders should have an even greater horror vibe to them. Unfortunately, it seems arachnids of all sorts never fare well when appearing in Doctor Who. 

Thus we have comically stiff spiders with goofy voices in Planet of the Spiders. We have genuinely threatening, but also drama-queen diva spiders in the meh  The Runaway Bride. And then you have  what could have been truly creepy spider-like creatures in Kill the Moon which were wasted by being featured in a dire episode like Kill the Moon.

So when I saw the title of this one, I had to resist the temptation to roll my eyes. And not just because we got another music pun/reference in an episode title (first Bowie and now the Sex Pistols...). I figured we could be in for some very first class cheese with this one.

All that said, I decided to give Arachnids in the UK a go with as open of a mind as possible.

As usual, spoilers from here onward....

Episode Thoughts

This episode went back to the season opener’s structure of having things happen that appear unrelated at first, but quickly fit together into a main plotline well before the episode ends. It’s a smart technique as it can help to cover any thinness to the plot. 

We start with Robertson, a guy who is suspiciously similar to another hotel-owning, multi-millionaire businessman with a crass, harsh personality who decided to run for president. Seriously, not since The Happiness Patrol have we been given such a painfully obvious reference to a real-life political figure on Doctor Who.

 And wait, is that Chris Noth? Why yes, yes it is. That’s something I seriously did not expect and it’s fun to see him in this. XD

Anyway, Citizen Robertson here rants about a possible threat to his political future and fires a random employee for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This actually turns out to be not so random later on....

(Side note: They do name drop Trump later in the episode with Robertson mentioning that he can’t stand the guy. I guess that’s one way to deflect the obvious....XD)

Meanwhile, the Doctor actually manages to get her companions back to their correct time and place and soon appears to regret her efficiency. Fortunately for her, Yasmin is up for inviting everyone to tea which everyone immediately accepts.

After wonderfully awkward moments with Yasmin’s family and some poignant moments alone with Graham, we finally get to the spiders. Well sort of. We just get one spider to start out with, but there was plenty of foreshadowing before that to let us know that it won’t just be one spider.

Soon, the plot ties together when we realize that it was Yasmin’s mother who got fired and a neighbor of Yasmin’s family has a friend/co-worker/? who is a specialist in regards to spiders and who is worried that she hasn’t shown up for a few days. This eventually leads to a showdown in the lavish, recently finished hotel between humans and arachnids. 

Some more quick side notes....

The hotel they chose for the principal location is a good one. It has the right Overlook Hotel vibe to it which is perfect to accentuate the horror in this episode.

Ok, having Yasmin’s mom be the one who got fired by Robertson is a solid way to tie the plot together. Having an arachnid expert be friends with someone who lived in the same building as Yasmin’s family and having her show up just as the Doctor starts to investigate teeters dangerously toward deus ex machina territory.

But on a much funnier note, did anyone else notice someone (Ryan, I think?) making shadow puppets in the background while the Doctor and McIntyre were talking about Serious Spider Stuff in McIntyre’s lab? That’s the sort of offhand detail that I just love...

Now, back to the rest of the episode...

As can be expected with someone like Robertson, all of his employees are taken out by the spiders leaving the Doctor, her companions, Yasmin’s mom, Naija, and our new friend, Dr. McIntyre to find out that there’s is both abandoned coal mines underneath the hotel (which is niffty for the spiders to get around) and a toxic landfill that was very poorly managed.

Ok, at this point I need to stop to consider something that’s bothering me about the plot. 

I think we can all agree that Robertson is a terrible person and was horribly negligent in allowing the landfill to combine stuff willy nilly. But if we’re going to assign blame for the mutant spiders, shouldn’t some of it be placed on McIntyre and her lab? These scientist are manipulating spider DNA and apparently not being careful enough in making sure the specimens are dead before disposal. Even if Robertson didn’t have an unusually toxic landfill mutating these spiders further, those half-dead “super spiders” could have wrecked havoc on local ecosystems. Thus, I hardly think McIntyre should be acting like she’s on some sort of moral high ground compared to Robertson.

In the end, it’s decided that it’s more humane(?) to suffocate/starve all the baby spiders in Robertson’s panic room and drive the huge mother spider out of the hotel...to where, I don’t know. However, Robertson clearly wanted a chance to kill something and thus, shoots the giant spider before it can asphyxiate. 

This leads to another little issue I have. The Doctor and McIntyre were just going to watch that giant spider slowly suffocate and die. Robertson shot it once and put it out of its misery quickly. I guess I’m at a loss as to how Robertson’s solution in and of itself is crueler than a slow death. 

And the thing is, I think the writers missed an opportunity here. Having Robertson clearly show no remorse for what he did was chilling enough. But I think we could have added an even more sinister edge to his character if it was made clear that his decision to shoot the spider would be considered merciful and correct by many and that it wasn’t a black and white decision. 

That way, the horrifying aspect of his character would not have been what he did but instead the mindset and motives of why he did it. Few things are more evil that someone who hides their malevolence under the guise of good intentions. 

After that painfully abrupt ending, the Doctor prepares to leave and discovers, much to her surprise and delight, that Graham, Ryan and Yasmin aren’t ready to say goodbye to her and traveling through time and space. 

So did Arachnids in the UK avoid the usual trap of tacky spider themed episodes? Well.....

The thing is, there are several things this episode did right. The number one was a wonderful mix of humor and lowkey scares. We get moments like Ryan and Graham’s two man comedy act leading up to a terribly creepy shot of several giant spiders skittering toward them. The atmosphere of the hotel and some well placed jump scares are balanced by the hilarious sight of mutant spiders gravitating a energetic grime tune (actually listened to it again while writing this, and it really set the mood). 

The problem for me has to be the easy out the plot took. I get wanting to keep this an Earth-bound problem (and making an eco-statement). But the separating of the so-called “good guys” and “bad guys” wasn’t neatly done and the ending felt far too much like the writers couldn’t think of a good solution in the time they had left. 

Thus, this episode works far better as a showcase for humor, atmosphere and characterization than it does as a carefully plotted story.

Character Thoughts

So how about that characterization then?

Two things were well defined in this episode. 

The Doctor is going to continue to be socially awkward, high-energy goofball.

This Doctor is not one who wants to brood by themselves somewhere even for a few moments. She clearly is one of those Doctor who vastly prefers to travel with companions.

Continuing in the tradition of each Doctor often being a “reaction” to the previous one, Thirteen is certainly far less prickly and much more openly social than Twelve. She seems to thrive on the “family” environment a crowded TARDIS creates. The only Doctor I can compare that to is probably Five who also seemed very invested in traveling with a group although there is far, far more harmony on Thirteen’s TARDIS than there ever was on Five’s. 

Myself, I’m enjoying a return to the idea of the Doctor being warmer and more familial as I never thought being difficult and prickly were necessary solely to create a sense of “otherness” about the Doctor. Whittaker still manages this with Thirteen’s scattershot, quirky approach to experiencing new places, people and events.

A lot of the humor in this episode was pulled off nicely by Whittaker whether it’s the cringing moments of awkward around Yasmin’s family or her sudden thought that The Spider Mother in the Ballroom could be “the best novel Edith Wharton never wrote.” 

Meanwhile, Ryan and Graham also have some wonderful bits together as they (very reluctantly) keep having to go out on spider-related missions in the hotel. The two of them continue to be a fun team who are slowly trying to figure out this family “thing” they have been thrust into.

Funnily enough, while on the surface this could look like an episode that would focus more on Yasmin since we are spending time with her family....it really doesn’t. The most we get is some insight as to why she wants to travel with the Doctor: because she loves her family, but clearly doesn’t always get along with them that great. I think this is another opportunity the writers missed as we could have gotten a bit more insight into how her family played a role in the person she became. Instead, their presence seems to mainly service the plot (Naija) or try to add to the humor (the rest of her family). 

The Last Word

I’m afraid Doctor Who may never have a completely solid episode featuring spiders....even with this effort. This is episode is a fun ride most of the time with some great moments of humor and characterization, so it manages to not be truly cringe-y. However, it would have been nice if the writers had put more thought into how to end the main plotline and found more interesting ways to develop Yasmin’s family and by extension Yasmin herself.

[frontproofmedia]

Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley Media Workout Quotes And Photos

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Published: August 26, 2021

Renowned Content Creator and Unbeaten Pro Boxer Paul and Former UFC Champion Woodley Show Off Skills Ahead of SHOWTIME PPV Headliner This Sunday, August 29 from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland

CLEVELAND – Renowned content creator and unbeaten pro boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley kicked off fight week on Wednesday with an open to the public media workout before they headline on SHOWTIME PPV this Sunday, August 29 from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

The media workout also featured fighters who will be competing in undercard action, including Puerto Rican star and WBC/WBO Featherweight World Champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, who will enter the ring in the PPV co-feature, former world champion Ivan Baranchyk and unbeaten Cleveland-native Montana Love, who meet in a 10-round attraction, plus U.K. stars Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois and Tommy “TNT” Fury, who compete in separate PPV undercard bouts.

Rounding out the participants on Wednesday was 2016 U.S. Olympian and Cleveland-native Charles Conwell, who will enter the ring for an undercard showdown prior to the PPV.

The Cleveland-native Paul will be looking to thrill his hometown crowd on Sunday night topping a stacked night of action as he takes on the toughest test of his burgeoning boxing career in the dangerous and accomplished Woodley.

Tickets starting at $25 are still available via RocketMortgageFieldHouse.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from Public Square in Cleveland:

JAKE PAUL

“I couldn’t have thought about a moment like this. I couldn’t have dreamt it. That’s why I was just looking around. I was like, ‘how am I here?’ This is the city that made me and to bring this one home is the perfect crescendo to my boxing career that’s just starting out. Looking around and seeing friends and family, seeing this beautiful city, I’m just having fun. I’m trying to soak it all in because you don’t get moments like this twice in life.

“Tyron said he’s training like he’s fighting Mike Tyson. Floyd Mayweather is training him and you can tell he’s in shape. He’s got the six-pack back. He’s looking good. He’s not messing around. This is his biggest fight ever and the whole MMA community is counting on him to represent them and to get the ‘W’. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. And when I beat him, there will be no excuses because he was being trained by Floyd Mayweather. Because Jorge Masvidal said he was going to knock me out. Because he took this camp and had a 14- week camp. He has no excuses.

“I love boxing. I fell in love with it. There’s something about knocking someone out and cracking someone in the face. My whole life has been a fight. I never got anything handed to me so I feel like I’m at home. I feel like I was put on this earth to fight. And I like challenges. I’m driven by challenges.

“Boxing is a 24-7 job. The training camp – sleep, eat, recovery, no partying, no distractions – all of that type of stuff makes it the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. Plus, the promotional side of it. I’ve probably done 75 interviews in the past three weeks. It’s non-stop.”

TYRON WOODLEY

“All camps have highs and lows. You have to fight through adversity. With me mentally it was a lot easier when we were having fun. It was passionate and you had people watching your every move and monitoring your every step. I’m just very grateful to all my coaches. To me, this is just a lot of fun. I haven’t had fun in a long time, to be real. I loved this training camp. It was one of my most fun ever.

“I don’t have any issue with Jake Paul. Only issue is he signed the contract. He’s trying his very best to play the mind games. But I’m a man. I don’t play kids’ games.

“There’s a lot of things in MMA you can get away with. In MMA you can make excuses like, ‘Coach, I’ve got to watch out for a kick or get ready for the take takedown.’ So we make all these excuses. None of those excuses are allowed.

“The times I worked with Floyd [Mayweather], he was very vocal. You couldn’t do nothing wrong. And that’s what makes him so great. In MMA we over-do it a lot, but it doesn’t always transition into power. It doesn’t always transition into accuracy. He gave me the foundation of how he beat everyone he did.”

AMANDA SERRANO

“Jake Paul is the main event, but he’s not the main attraction. I am going to make sure I steal the spotlight from him and entice people to enjoy female boxing and to understand that women can fight and put on shows, and showcase that we’re deserving of this opportunity.

“It's a Puerto Rican champion versus a Mexican champion. That’s enough said. She’s young and hungry and wants my titles, but I’ve worked super hard for those titles and it’s not going to be an easy task to take them away from me.

“I bring excitement, knockout power, skills, and a great chin as well. I’ve been boxing since I was eighteen years old. Boxing is all I have known. I’ve dedicated and sacrificed my whole life to the sport of boxing.

“I fight for the sport of women’s boxing. It’s not for me, it’s for the future girls coming into the sport.”

IVAN BARANCHYK

“I’m excited. I’m hungry and I’m ready for the next challenge. He’s never fought anybody like me. He’s never been ten rounds. I’m ready for a long-distance fight.

“Of course he’s going to try to move around a lot and box me. But this is no problem for me. I’ve changed my style a little bit. I will try to show everybody the new Ivan Baranchyk.

“We will see what’s next for me. Right now, I just need to fight Montana Love. We will see what happens after that.”

MONTANA LOVE

“There’s a lot of motivation from fighting in my hometown. I’m very excited. I’m happy to be in this position. It’s very rare that these kinds of events come to Cleveland. I hope there’s more to come. It’s a dream come true to fight in front of thousands of fans. My friends, my family. I get emotional at times being here and having this opportunity is great.

“I just have to be myself on Sunday night. I’ve been doing this since I was five years old. I just have to pull everything out of my arsenal. Hopefully, Ivan pushes me. I think he will push me so that I can show the next level.

“I’m just focused on this fight that’s in front of me. My only goal right now is to be victorious on Sunday night. After that, we’ll look to do a title eliminator after that and then I’ll fight for a world title.

“I’m expecting Ivan Baranchyk to be wild, aggressive, strong. With him, it’s not about his skill or anything like that. We expect aggression and wildness.”

DANIEL DUBOIS

“I want to show that I’m all action. I’m not a man of many words, but when I get in that ring, they’re going to see that I’m the real deal. It’s going to be a devastating performance.

“I’m 23, so with that loss, I have just gotten stronger. I’ve had to learn to tighten up my game and that I have flaws, so I’ve just been working on that. This is going to be like my debut.

“I’m full of confidence and I’m ready to go right now. I can make this fight as easy as I want it to be in my opinion. I’m the next one coming through. I’m destined to be a world champion, that’s my goal.”

TOMMY FURY

“This is my first fight in the U.S. But I'm used to it, it’s not my first rodeo because since I was a young kid I watched Tyson fight Klitschko and I’ve always been there on fight week and watched how he handled himself on fight week and thought when my time comes, which is now, I’m going to do the exact same thing. So I flew my team out here and we do what Tyson did, and it’s easy work.

“To be a Fury you grow up to be a fighter, and there’s nothing else. It’s fight, fight, fight. As a kid, you don’t do nothing else. It’s fight, fight, fight. And that's all I've done my entire life. I’ve been around fighters. Everyone in my family does it and now it's my time.

“I don't feel one bit of pressure because there's only pressure when you try to live up to somebody. I’ve said this time and time again there will never ever be another Tyson Fury. No one will ever come close. I’m only trying to do the best I can do. And as long as I'm being the best version of Tommy Fury, I don’t care about anything else. I’m only trying to do the best that I can do.”

CHARLES CONWELL

“I’m doing this in front of my family and my friends and want to thank everyone for supporting me. It’s going to be a major event.

“[Juan Carlos Rubio] is an undefeated fighter, 18-0. That means 18 have tried and not succeeded. But on Sunday night it’s a whole different story as he’s fighting a whole different type of fighter he’s never experienced before. There are levels to this boxing game and this one is just going to take me to the top.

“Yeah, I think every fight is a level-up fight at this point in my career. I keep getting to fight on bigger and bigger stages.

“I just want to show the fans what good boxing is and to put on a performance that they can remember me for. Whatever that has to be and if it’s a knockout, I'm going to go out there and do it. I'm going out there and risking everything, just like he is.

“The local support is amazing for me. I have a lot of people here supporting me. I’m looking to steal the show, every time. I know there are a lot of great fights on this card, but I’m looking to put on a show.”

(Featured Photo: Amanda Westcott/Showtime)

[aion-rsa]

The Most Intense Better Call Saul Moments

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At the beginning of the month, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk picked up his fourth Golden Globe nomination for his lead role in the Breaking Bad spinoff series. In the midst of preparing for the sixth and final season of the AMC drama, Odenkirk found out about his nomination while walking his dog, and let slip to Deadline that filming for the new season will begin in March.

That’s not the only nugget of info that Odenkirk gave Deadline in regard to Better Call Saul season 6. In a phone interview, Odenkirk told fans to expect a combustible final batch of episodes. 

“I can’t wait for the fireworks, really,” Odenkirk said about the upcoming season, which is expected to feature more episodes than the usual 10. “Our show is a bit of a slow burn over the past few years, and [series creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould] build up. There’s certainly exciting moments throughout, but towards the end, it gets super supremely intense.”

“Slow burn” is a common phrase used to describe the prequel series that finds earnest lawyer and ex-con man Jimmy McGill slowly transform into the shameless criminal defense attorney and sleazeball Saul Goodman. In comparison to parent series Breaking Bad, which saw milquetoast chemistry teacher Walter White undergo a far more dramatic transformation into the drug kingpin Heisenberg, Better Call Saul is seen as a smaller stakes story far more focused on interpersonal relationships than thrilling set-pieces and explosive showdowns. 

However, that reputation betrays the fact that Better Call Saul also offers plenty of high-stakes thrills and hard-charged moments. Below we’ve compiled the five most intense moments of Better Call Saul so far. These scenes offer a different type of tension than Breaking Bad, but are nonetheless arresting in their own way.

Chuck’s Court Room Blow-Up 

Season 3 Episode 5 “Chicanery”

The relationship and struggle between the brothers McGill is the lifeblood of Better Call Saul. Even after Chuck’s death (which is itself quite the intense moment), the psychological impact of the jealousy experienced and their falling out still informs so many of Jimmy’s decisions. “Chicanery” features the moment that their relationship deteriorated beyond repair in a stunning courtroom sequence that found Chuck revealed to be the true villain in Jimmy’s story.

Without stunning scientific feats, shootouts, drug deals, or fiery explosions, Better Call Saul captivated audiences simply by showcasing two brothers destroying their relationship. No Machiavellian efforts necessary, just Jimmy’s accomplice Huell slipping a harmless battery in a pocket; no surprise hitman at the door, just an unannounced appearance by a concerned ex-wife. The stakes are significantly smaller than a Breaking Bad setpiece, but far more personal and more than capable of keeping viewers at the edge of their seats. 

Chuck’s unraveling takes place in one room, but director Daniel Sackheim keeps things interesting by utilizing the reflections in clocks or by keeping the background action in focus. Michael McKean stuns with an incredible, spiteful, and vulnerable performance, making Chuck utterly despicable yet somehow sympathetic at once. But only sympathetic to a point. 

Though Chuck’s mental condition is clearly something to worry about, his gross jealousy and resentment shown toward his brother, a brother who respected and selflessly helped Chuck time and time again, is unforgivable. In this tense courtroom blowup, the man that Jimmy looked up to as a monument is reduced to pitiful rubble.

Gene and the Cab Driver 

Season 4 Episode 1 “Smoke”

Prior to the beginning of season 4, co-creator Peter Gould said that Better Call Saul was envisioned as a “romp.” However, the first episode of the fourth season is most definitely not a romp. “Smoke” takes place in the immediate aftermath of Chuck’s death, with Jimmy seemingly trying to ignore his complicated feelings over his brother’s passing. But before we get to that, we spend a little time in the post-Breaking Bad timeline with Gene, Jimmy’s new alter ego living and working in Omaha, Nebraska, trying to exist under the radar and escape the fallout from his criminal past.

The time spent with Gene is the best part of the season premiere. Almost every season starts with a Gene check-in, but season 4 begins with a moment that almost scares Jimmy into abandoning his life in Omaha and starting over again. Jimmy has two close-calls, first at a hospital in the aftermath of a fainting spell. A nurse handling his registration says that his social security number is incorrect, causing the hair on the back of Gene’s neck to stand up. Before he starts hyperventilating, the nurse reveals she simply typed his information into the computer incorrectly, which gets a huge sigh of relief out of Gene. 

The second encounter isn’t as harmless. Gene is picked up at the hospital by a cab, and notices the cab driver staring at him uncomfortably. Finally, Gene notices that the cab driver has an Albuquerque air-freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. With just the thought of being recognized, we can see Gene’s blood run cold. It may not sound like a momentous moment, but director Minkie Spiro ratchets up the tension and makes us feel every bit of Jimmy’s intense fear of being discovered.

Mike Kills Werner 

Season 4 Episode 10 “Winner”

Most of Mike’s season 4 story revolves around him watching over the German team assembled to build Gus Fring’s super lab, the same lab that Walter White would use to perfect his meth cooks. It’s not the most exciting use of the hard-boiled hitman’s time, but it eventually leads to a moment that signifies Mike stepping over the morally grey line into full-blown villainy. This isn’t Mike’s only revealing moment of the series, as the sixth episode of Better Call Saul dives into Mike’s background and the revelation that he was directly responsible for his son’s death, but this is the moment of no return for Mike, the act that would solidify his involvement with Gus Fring’s operation and lead to his eventual demise. 

After Werner, the engineer lead, escapes the underground facility after specifically being forbidden to do so, Gus orders Mike to hunt Werner down and tie off the loose end. Mike must find Werner before Lalo does, as Gus doesn’t want the Salamanca heavy to learn of his plans. The search and capture of Werner harkens back to the hardboiled delights of Mike’s scenes in Breaking Bad.

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Also, the resolution of Mike’s search, ending with an expertly staged wideshot depicting Werner’s murder along with Mike’s wordless confirmation to Gus that the job had been done, shared some symmetry with Jimmy’s story. “Winner” finds Jimmy finally flashing the Saul Goodman seediness we’d come to know in Breaking Bad, so the episode depicts both characters seemingly shedding the last vestiges of their humanity.

Kim Faces Off Against Lalo

Season 5 Episode 9 “Bad Choice Road”

Lalo Salamanca was the big bad that Better Call Saul was missing. He’s the perfect villain and foil for Jimmy, someone that has as much swagger and charm as the slimy lawyer, but with a mean streak that rivals the best Breaking Bad villains. Lalo’s inclusion in the series has created nothing but chaos and danger, and the man has never felt more dangerous when showing up unexpectedly at Jimmy and Kim’s home.

 Jimmy’s near-death experience in the previous Season 5 episode “Bagman” may have been the most action-oriented episode of the series to date, but the follow-up features perhaps the most intense moment of Better Call Saul. In the middle of a fight after Kim abandons her position at Schweikart & Cokely, an argument that positions Jimmy as the selfish Chuck to Kim’s selfless Jimmy, the warring couple are interrupted by an urgent call from Mike; Lalo is at the door, and Mike demands that Jimmy keep his phone on so he can eavesdrop on the dangerous, impromptu visit. Lalo abandons his plans to return to Mexico after discovering Jimmy’s Esteem in the desert riddled with bullet holes and struts into their apartment to make himself comfortable. He’s ready to hear Jimmy’s story again, looking to catch him in a lie.

Throughout Lalo’s grilling, Jimmy gets noticeably more nervous and begs for Lalo to let Kim leave. During all of this, we watch Mike observing through a sniper scope on an adjacent building. Jimmy would typically have some sort of story ready to satiate Lalo, but he’s still in a fragile state and frankly appears shell shocked. His abilities as a bullshitter and impervious to Lalo. Fortunately, Kim steps up and speaks on his behalf, remaining tough with Lalo and poking holes in his concerns. 

The entire encounter is a nail-biter because Lalo is so unpredictable; if you come at him with the wrong tone, he won’t hesitate to display his disapproval. Fortunately, the bold strategy works, and Lalo promptly heads out. Still, this moment signifies that if Kim wasn’t already in the game before, she certainly is now, and that’s a terrifying prospect for the beloved character. We know that Jimmy won’t fall victim to Lalo’s violence, but the same can’t be said for Slippin’ Kimmy. 

Nacho’s Betrayal and Lalo’s Escape 

Season 5 Episode 10  “Something Unforgivable”

When creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould first floated the idea of a prequel series titled Better Call Saul, many fans salivated at the thought of getting to learn the backstories of two of the most popular characters from Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman and Mike Ehrmantraut. While Better Call Saul has certainly delivered on fleshing out the origins of the beloved antiheroes, it’s also been successful in creating its own memorable supporting cast. 

New to Gilligan’s New Mexico crime universe was a young Salamanca soldier and dealer, Nacho Varga, whose business frequently intersects with our familiar returning protagonists. Nacho’s story finds him struggling for survival as he’s caught between the warring Salamanca and Fring factions. Nacho is depicted as a smart character with a decent moral compass, but he’s gotten himself mixed up in a bad situation that frequently looks keen on making Nacho collateral damage in a cartel war.

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With his family threatened, Nacho is coerced into working as something of a double agent for Gus Fring, which has led to plenty of tense moments, but none more nerve-racking than the final episode of season 5, when Nacho attempts to aide Gus’ men in assassinating acting Salamanca boss, Lalo. After an uneasy meeting with Don Eladio, Nacho has to wait until 3 AM and unlock a gate located on Lalo’s ranch. When he walks outside in the middle of the night to complete the deed, Lalo is waiting in front of the gate, holding court around the fire. The tension erupts when Nacho uses a sneaky decoy to distract Lalo and open the gate. He walks out of the estate trusting that the trained killers will do their job, but Salamancas aren’t so easy to dispatch. 

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In a thrilling sequence, Lalo out-maneuvers and decimates every would-be assassin. Lalo’s genial spirit is erased while surveying the damage. A rage boils inside of him seeing the bodies of the innocent people that Nacho was hoping would be protected. Lalo hobbles off-screen Terminator-style, looking to enact his revenge. If Lalo was a frustrating presence before, now he’ll return to Albuquerque like a plague.

The post The Most Intense Better Call Saul Moments appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[junker-town]

The first college basketball weekend after the Super Bowl lived up to the hype

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Duke-North Carolina was nuts, but it was far from the only noteworthy event of the weekend.

As is usually the case, the first college basketball weekend after the Super Bowl was loaded with high-profile matchups, rivalry showdowns, and some ridiculous finishes.

Here are the 10 things you need to know from the most jam-packed weekend of the 2019-20 college hoops season to date.

1. Duke-North Carolina

We don’t need to rehash the two buzzer-beaters or the comedy of hours that set the stage for both to take place. We also don’t need to dive too deeply into how Saturday’s loss probably doomed any hope North Carolina had of salvaging something out of this mess of a season. What does need to be discussed is how the top-16 reveal earlier in the day showcased why this win for Duke might wind up being massively important.

Ever since the NCAA tournament Selection Committee abandoned the standard S-curve in favor of geographical preference for the top four seeds, the top line has typically been a battle for the East, South and Midwest regions, typically in that order. That’s looking like it won’t be the case in 2020. All four teams currently pegged as No. 1 seeds are schools located west of the Mississippi River. This resulted in a situation where on Saturday we found out that if the tournament began today, San Diego State, by virtue of being the “worst” No. 1 seed would be forced to play its Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games at Madison Square Garden in New York.

We also discovered on Saturday that Duke is currently regarded as the strongest of the No. 2 seeds, which would also result in the Blue Devils heading to the Big Apple for the tournament’s second weekend. The Garden is like a second home for Coach K’s program, and the Dukies would almost certainly have a crowd advantage at MSG over whatever two teams it would play inside the building.

Duke already has two non-Quad 1 losses on its resume. Adding a third — North Carolina is currently No. 89 in the NET Rankings — would have almost certainly put the Devils behind at least Dayton and Louisville on the Committee’s updated seed list.

Winning round one with UNC may not ultimately wind up the difference between Duke getting New York and San Diego State as its one seed vs. Duke getting sent to the Midwest and having Baylor as its one seed, but for now at least, that’s precisely the situation.

2. Bob Knight back in Bloomington

On a college basketball weekend that saw nearly all of its ranked teams take care of business, the sport’s biggest upset may have been Bobby Knight finally returning to an Indiana game at Assembly Hall for the first time since being unceremoniously fired two decades ago. The eight minute halftime ceremony was touching, it was awkward, and it would have taken on a completely different tone had Knight punched Dick Vitale in the face, which seemed like it might happen for a brief moment.

Definitely thought Bob Knight was going to knock Dick Vitale smooth out on national television. pic.twitter.com/Osv25c3XKb

— Kyle Boone (@Kyle__Boone) February 8, 2020

Oh, by the way, Purdue dominated its arch-rival and won a pretty big game for both teams, 74-62.

3. Seton Hall is running the Big East

Three weeks ago, the Big East appeared to have a strangle-hold on the title of “top to bottom, the most competitive conference in college basketball.” Instead, the league now has a 10-1 team at the top and a 1-10 team at the bottom.

The team at the bottom, of course, is DePaul. At the top is Seton Hall, which went on the road Saturday and took down Villanova, 70-64. The result of that win is that the Pirates are now a full three games ahead of everyone else in the Big East, and remain undefeated in conference road games.

Not only do Myles Powell and company look capable of becoming the first Seton Hall team since 2000 to make the Sweet 16, they look like they have the potential to be the Final Four-caliber squad Pirate fans have spent more than two decades waiting for.

Villanova, meanwhile, has suddenly dropped three straight and is in desperate need of finding its footing before this slide becomes a free fall.

4. Michigan State is reeling

Speaking of high-profile slides, preseason No. 1 Michigan State has now also lost three in a row following Saturday’s 77-68 setback at Michigan.

The good news if you’re a Sparty fan? MSU went through a three-game slide at almost this exact point in the season a year ago. They responded by winning 14 of their last 16 games on their way to winning the Big Ten regular-season title, the Big Ten tournament title, and a trip to the Final Four.

We’re likely going to know pretty quickly if recent history is going to repeat itself in 2020. The Spartans will hit the road to face Illinois — currently tied for second-place in the Big Ten — on Tuesday, and then host league-leading and ninth-ranked Maryland on Saturday.

5. Madness in the Missouri Valley

With all due respect to both of Duke’s buzzer-beaters, this from Southern Illinois was the most impressive finish to a game of the weekend.

MARCUS DOMASK @SIU_Basketball wins a thriller over Missouri State with this buzzer-beater from the freshman! pic.twitter.com/bSkJjOxzrm

— MVC Basketball (@ValleyHoops) February 9, 2020

That’s Ronnie Suggs with the ridiculous pass and Marcus Domask with the even more absurd catch and shoot to lift Southern Illinois past Missouri State. The Salukis continue to be one of the most pleasant surprises in all of mid-major basketball. Picked to finish dead last in the Missouri Valley Conference before the start of the season, they’re now 9-3 in the league, all alone in second place, and just one game behind first-place Northern Iowa.

6. Louisville breaks its Virginia curse

After losing nine straight games to Virginia, Louisville finally got over the hump against the reigning national champions on Saturday. As is typically the case when these two get together, the game was weird.

Virginia entered Saturday having not scored more than 65 points all season and ranked 348th in the country in three-point percentage (27.2 percent). It promptly canned 11-of-22 from beyond the arc and hung 73 points on a Louisville team that entered the day No. 18 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. None of it was enough, as the same Cavalier team that came into Saturday allowing opponents to score just 50.4 PPG let Louisville go off for 80. The previous high for an ACC foe against Virginia had been 63.

On Ken Pom, where massive ranking shifts are typically limited to the first two months of the season, Virginia’s offense jumped from No. 274 in the country to No. 228. Louisville’s offense moved from No. 15 to No. 8, and its defense fell from No. 18 all the way down to No. 31.

The projected final score for the game going into the day had been Louisville 59, Virginia 49.

7. Humanity in the Pac-12

Early in the second of what would ultimately be an 81-74 Colorado win, Stanford’s Oscar da Silva was momentarily knocked unconscious after being inadvertently elbowed by the Buffaloes’ Evan Battey. The elbow sent da Silva to the floor, where his head slammed against the court and began bleeding.

Battey, who suffered two seizures and a stroke in 2017, immediately broke down and began crying. Seconds later, players from both teams and both head coaches huddled on the floor to say a prayer for da Silva.

It was humanity, not just sportsmanship, that took center-stage this past weekend. Must-read from @TheAndyKatz: https://t.co/dA8nMrJ2jH ( - @Pac12Network) pic.twitter.com/4jkMRjc2w6

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) February 10, 2020

“I saw how shook up Evan was,’’ Colorado coach Tad Boyle told NCAA.com’s Andy Katz. “I told McKinley (Wright) to get them together. It was spontaneous, not choreographed. Both teams connected. Everybody who knows Evan knows how special person he is, a caring human being. He’s like that in his everyday life. Nobody appreciates being on the basketball court like him.’’

“Sportsmanship isn’t the right word (for what happened),’’ said Stanford coach Jerod Haase. “It was human decency. This was a human story, not sportsmanship. There were real emotions with real people. There was so much high character on both teams.’’

Da Silva, who is Stanford’s leading scorer, was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a head laceration and stitched up. There’s been no initial word on when he’ll be able to return to the court.

8. Auburn-LSU gets nuts

Until Duke-North Carolina happened, it didn’t seem like anything was going to be able to surpass the madness we saw in the battle for first place in the SEC between Auburn and LSU.

Though each team tried to give the game away at the end of both regulation and overtime, it was Auburn, which trailed by as many as 15, which walked away with the 91-90 OT win. The winning basket came off the hands of J’Von McCormick, who needs to practice his post-shot celebration for the next time this happens.

A+ shot by J’Von McCormick. F- celebration. pic.twitter.com/Q4acKE78ag

— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) February 8, 2020

“Never leave your feet without a plan” is solid basketball advice for both in-game action, and break in the action celebrations. If you’re going for the mid-air bump, you better be damn sure your leaping partner is just as committed to the act as you are. If he’s not, you’re gonna end up looking like a small fish leaping out of water.

9. Gonzaga makes its case

We’re into the heart of the annual national debate over Gonzaga basketball. With the Zags once again sitting as a top contender to be a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday, the “they’re actually good” and the “they don’t play in a real conference” sides have once again loaded themselves down with all the familiar ammo and are set to fire back and forth for the remaining few weeks of the regular season.

The “they’re actually good” side received a jolt late Saturday when Mark Few’s team went into UCU Pavilion and absolutely hammered arch-rival Saint Mary’s by 30. Gonzaga had five players score in double-figures, it led by 25 at halftime, and was never remotely threatened by a Gaels team that is No. 39 in the NET.

The Zags are now 25-1 overall, 11-0 in the West Coast Conference, and have won those 11 league games by an average of 20.6 points per contest.

10. Darrell Walker can dance

One of the best stories in college basketball right now outside of the power conferences is what Little Rock is doing in the Sun Belt. Picked to finish 11th in the 12 team conference before the start of the season, the Trojans are currently 12-2 in the league and in first place by a full three games.

After winning a 90-87 nail-biter over rival Arkansas State on Saturday, Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker had to let his guys know that he can still move.

Had to show the young fellas some real moves after a rivalry win. pic.twitter.com/rIHduCoOmh

— Darrell Walker (@CoachWalker_LR) February 9, 2020

That’s the look of a head coach who hasn’t lost since Jan. 11.

[newstechreviews]

As expected, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira brought everything to their historic Super Bowl 2020 Halftime Show on Sunday evening at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. It was a rollicking, festive show that highlighted both performers’ extensive back catalogues of hits, super-charged by guest appearances from fellow Latin artists Bad Bunny and J Balvin. But they also made sure to nod at the importance and political potential of the moment, showcasing support for Puerto Rico and recognizing the immigration crisis with their set pieces. Here were the biggest moments of the Super Bowl LIV halftime show, which was ultimately a high-energy, sparkling celebration of dance and Latin pop. (Even Lady Gaga agrees.)

Shakira puts on a powerhouse show

Getty Images—2020 Getty ImagesShakira performs onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida.

Shakira kicked things off, dressed in glittering red with a veritable army of female dancers at her command. She ran through her biggest songs, including “She Wolf,” “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” She whipped out her notorious belly-dancing skills, played a searing guitar (Shakira was a rock star before she went pop) and crowd-surfed her way through a mosh pit. There was a horn section and a salsa dance break. And when she closed out with “Hips Don’t Lie” and the famous “No fightin'” intro to that song, the crowd went wild. (Also notable: her playfulness with the camera, including a meme-worthy moment.)

Bad Bunny brings the heat

Getty Images—2020 Getty ImagesColombian singer Shakira and Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida.

In a surprise appearance, Shakira brought out Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny for an energetic cover of Cardi B’s 2018 hit “I Like It” halfway through her set. (Bad Bunny is one of the original featured artists on that song, delivering a verse in Spanish.) They also sang Shakira’s Spanish-language hit “Chantaje” together, with Bunny filling in for Colombian singer Maluma.

Jennifer Lopez continues the party — and takes to the pole

Getty Images—2020 Getty ImagesJennifer Lopez performs onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida.

The Halftime Show transitioned directly over to Lopez for a rousing set that she kicked off with her classic song “Jenny from the Block,” surrounded by a cadre of dancers, decked out in black leather and dancing exuberantly. But the highlight came after Lopez made a costume change to a sparkling body suit and sang “Waiting for Tonight” while pole dancing, putting to excellent use the skills she honed while filming for Hustlers. Lopez cycled through songs including “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and “On the Floor” before ceding the stage to her daughter and a chorus of girls to start off “Let’s Get Loud.”

J Balvin comes in for “Mi Gente”

AFP via Getty ImagesUS singer Jennifer Lopez and Colombian singer J Balvin perform during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on February 2, 2020.

Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin showed up for a cameo in Lopez’s set with his hit song “Mi Gente.” Mi Gente had featured Beyoncé in a 2017 remix; this time, Lopez accompanied the Latin music superstar. The message of “Mi Gente” is one of Latin unity, making it an especially apt choice for the Super Bowl set.

Lopez’s daughter shines

Lopez’s 11-year-old daughter Emme got her time to shine as well — and to prove she follows in her mom’s footsteps — coming out to sing with a chorus of girls for a sweet rendition of the Lopez classic “Let’s Get Loud;” the camera also panned over to Shakira during the song, who was playing the drums.

#JLo brought her daughter out. That's cute 💜💙💜 #PepsiHalftime pic.twitter.com/ETsYRSKJpB

— TwinFangirl 💜 Still Learning (@twin_fangirl) February 3, 2020

Puerto Rico gets a spotlight from Lopez

AFP via Getty ImagesUS singer Jennifer Lopez performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on February 2, 2020.

For “Let’s Get Loud,” Lopez appeared draped in a giant flag coat — one side featuring the red, white and blue of Puerto Rico, and the other the red, white and blue of the U.S. It was a poignant — and pointed — show of support to the territory, which was recently hit by a damaging earthquake.

A statement on immigration injustice adds gravity

In a marked gesture of solidarity toward the Latin community and those impacted by anti-immigration policies, the set design featured glowing cages housing child performers. To drive the point home, they sang a snippet of “Born in the U.S.A.”

Props to Jlo, Shakira and/or the choreographer for the necessary statement with Latino children in cages singing""Born in the USA". #SuperBowl #SuperBowl #PepsiHalftime pic.twitter.com/gyQDsmXo3l

— Tom Moore (@tom_moore_104) February 3, 2020

While #SuperBowl halftime shows aren't exactly known for being hotbeds of political activism, I'm giving JLo and Shakira 💯 for the kids in cages/"Born in the USA"-Puerto Rico flag shade.

— Roopika Risam (@roopikarisam) February 3, 2020

A “Waka Waka” finale with Cheer

Shakira threw it back to her 2010 World Cup song “Waka Waka” for their joint finale, which also featured some exuberant cheerleading-style basket tosses. (Fans of Netflix’s latest hit documentary series Cheer will have been reminded of the athletic feats seen on that show, as the Halftime Show dancers were thrown up into the air for the dramatic finish.) Lopez and Shakira closed out their set with impressive synchronized shimmies, the ultimate power move.

Sweet Jesus.#SBLIV pic.twitter.com/MEzK66nUxd

— Allan Bell (@AllanBell247) February 3, 2020

Together, the duo made history

Lopez and Shakira were the first Latin artists to co-headline America’s most-watched annual event, and the first pair of female artists to share top billing. (Gloria Estefan was part of the 1992 and 1999 halftime shows, and sent her support for Lopez and Shakira, both of whom she has written songs for.)

El mejor regalo de cumpleaños ha sido sentir el apoyo de todos mis fans y el más increíble y ético equipo de trabajo que una artista puede desear. Hemos escalado el Kilimanjaro y los latinos hemos hecho historia esta noche. No lo hubiéramos logrado sin ustedes!! pic.twitter.com/LDsBffgRCV

— Shakira (@shakira) February 3, 2020

“I think it’s a very important moment for our community, for the Latino community in this country,” Lopez said of the moment ahead of Sunday night at a press conference.

“The Super Bowl is a very American event, as American as it can get. It will also be a reminder of the heritage of this country, which is one of diversity, and that’s what we will be celebrating on Sunday,” added Shakira, who is celebrating her 43rd birthday Sunday.

Just hours before the performance, Lopez emphasized the significance of their performance in an Instagram post that featured them hugging. “So excited to share the stage with you tonight @Shakira! ✨💕✨ Let’s show the world what two little Latin girls can do. #LetsGetLoud #GirlPower #SuperBowlLIV #SBLIV”

View this post on Instagram

So excited to share the stage with you tonight @Shakira! ✨💕✨ Let’s show the world what two little Latin girls can do. #LetsGetLoud #GirlPower #SuperBowlLIV #SBLIV

A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Feb 2, 2020 at 11:45am PST

BIG CONGRATULATIONS to our Latin Queens, @jlo & @shakira who did a MAGNIFICENT job representing & entertaining for the superbowl54miami halftime show! #latinpride #thatshowitsdone ##killerdancemoves… https://t.co/hNpGJR8MS1

— Gloria Estefan (@GloriaEstefan) February 3, 2020

They followed Maroon 5 in 2019, a show dogged by controversy surrounding the NFL due to the status of Colin Kaepernick. This year, however, Lopez and Shakira were brought on following the announcement of a partnership between the NFL and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, and were welcomed for the Miami event.

Super Bowl LIV saw the San Francisco 49ers facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL’s annual showdown.

[thisdaynews]

Super Bowl 2020: The NFL Academy & its first students on new path to US game

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/super-bowl-2020-the-nfl-academy-its-first-students-on-new-path-to-us-game/

Super Bowl 2020: The NFL Academy & its first students on new path to US game

The first intake of students started at the academy in September

It’s 5am and an alarm clock goes off in Milton Keynes. Fraser Holden has to get up and out in time to catch the 05:53 to London Euston.

From there he takes the tube to Southgate, north London, and is down to work by 7.30am. He might not leave until five in the afternoon.

Unlike the other commuters, Fraser travels kitted out in sportswear. He’s 16 and is going to college to learn how to play American football. Today. the aspiring linebacker will meet Jerry Rice, one of the greatest players of all time.

Yet this is not a one-off, it’s a regular day at the NFL Academy. Backed by the NFL, Nike and some superstar mentors, the programme is the first of its kind in Britain.

The aim? To transform the perception of American football in the UK and Europe.

The NFL said nothing until a surprise social media campaign announced the details last May. Within two weeks, over 1,500 had applied for the 90 places on offer.

In September, the first intake started at Barnet & Southgate College. Here, 16-to-18-year-olds study for regular qualifications alongside elite American football training.

Fraser was one of those who applied. He grew up playing rugby but had started playing small-sided American football games too. He was lured by the ‘We Can, We Do’ campaign, aimed at British youngsters dreaming of following Efe Obada and Jay Ajayi into the NFL.

The first try-outs were held in June. Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr was there – as well as BBC pundits Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell.

From the outset, the message was clear. Academy hopefuls would be judged on their attitude and character as much as their athletic ability. And the programme would be very demanding.

Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history

“It’s dedication, it’s commitment,” says Will Bryce, NFL UK’s head of player development. “It’s prioritising studying, managing your time, getting to bed early, getting off social media when you don’t need to be on it. It gives the kids structure, they’re part of a team, plus there are some pretty cool opportunities too.”

Selfies with OBJ was just the start. After the try-outs, 150 hopefuls were called back to a stadium showcase in the first NFL event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in July. There they met Obada himself and did drills with Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Juju Smith-Schuster.

Fraser was among the 90 eventually accepted. He admits the first few weeks of the programme were “a big shake-up – especially after going to school five minutes away”. Now he is proud to wear his NFL-branded kit, to be one of those who stands out on campus.

In pride of place is the academy gym, which was converted from the college’s theatre and now features NFL branding inside and out. Jerry Rice came for the official opening.

The 57-year-old, who won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers, tells students that at their age he was a “diamond in the rough”, that he never thought he would play professional football, that he wasn’t the greatest athlete and didn’t have the best skills but refused to let anybody “out-work him”.

The legendary receiver speaks with the ‘inspiration wall’ as backdrop. It features quotes from NFL players, each one almost always featuring the same word – work. Three more are prominent too: Responsibility, integrity, respect.

The students are often here lifting weights at 7.30am. For linebacker Fraser and defensive end Tyrese Peters-Tovey, 19, the strength and conditioning work has been the toughest part. But the shared experience quickly saw the group bond.

“You kind of have to when you’re running 110-yard sprints together and running into each other for three hours a day!” Fraser says.

Each week they have three field sessions, four classroom sessions and four weightlifting sessions. On Wednesdays, the focus is on character development. Staff and external speakers talk about life skills, wellbeing, and issues such as social media safety and domestic violence.

They have 10 hours of classes in their chosen subjects – the same as all the college’s students – plus 15 hours of training on top. And if anybody wants extra video footage to review in their own time – an essential part of life in the NFL – staff are happy to oblige.

“If they’re willing to put the work in, we’ll match it and then some,” says Bryce. “It’s going to produce a type of American football player which this country has not produced before. They’re going to be much better prepared to compete in the NFL, mentally and physically.”

Only 90 could be accepted for the academy’s first intake in September

Head coach is Tony Allen – the long-serving London Warriors coach. He and his staff have had to tailor sessions to accommodate a range of skillsets.

Some signed up having already broken into Great Britain’s Under-19s, some had never played a snap. Many have come across from rugby, others have switched from sports like athletics, tennis, judo and swimming. In total, 32 of the 90 students are considered ‘crossover athletes’.

While American youngsters grow up with the game, British players like Umenyiora and Obada have proved you can pick it up late and still succeed.

Umenyiora was born in London and hadn’t even heard of American football until he moved to Alabama at the age of 14. He went on to win two Super Bowls. Obada didn’t play until he was 22 and, five years on, has just signed for a third year with the Carolina Panthers.

“We always said that if we’re going to help develop European talent we need to get them earlier and here we are working with 16-year-olds,” says Allen.

Students come from very different backgrounds, too. Three are involved with the Big Kid Foundationwhich seeks to help “young people at risk of social exclusion and youth violence”. Another is a former pupil at Charterhouse boarding school in Surrey.

Thirty-five have left home to be here – 30 from further afield in the UK, five from Europe. Because they’re under 18 they aren’t permitted to live on their own, so the college has partnered with a homestay programme to place them with local families, with extra pastoral and welfare staff on hand to support them.

The dream for many is to earn a scholarship and join the American collegiate system, from which NFL players are drafted. The academy has therefore had to find centres in London where they can sit the SAT test, for college admissions in the US.

That’s true of George Reynolds. He wants to be the NFL’s first British quarterback and has just been out in Florida. He was one of eight from the academy, selected by fellow students, to take part in a High School skills showdownbefore Sunday’s Pro Bowl all-star game in Orlando.

Fraser has recently joined George in the British U19 squad, and although he also hopes to play in the US too, he feels his academic choices could help him pursue an alternative career in politics.

Tyrese chose to put off university for a year, moving from Hackney to his dad’s in Enfield so he could be closer to campus. While his parents backed the decision, he initially faced opposition from his grandparents, who are lawyers and dentists in Trinidad.

“They made it sound like I wasn’t being productive,” Tyrese says. “But I’m not just getting better at football, I have a chance to get a qualification and get something in life.

“Whatever happens after this, I’ll be a better player and a better person. I think I made the right choice.”

Fraser Holden grew up playing rugby but switched over to American Football

With the NFL’s regular season already over, British players Christian Scotland-Williamson and Jamie Gillan recently dropped by. Obada is also set to pay another visit.

He and Scotland-Williamson are products of the International Player Pathway, which started in 2017. And the success of that programme, for over-20s, gave Alistair Kirkwood the inspiration to revisit an idea he first presented early in his 20-year tenure as NFL UK’s managing director.

Back then, things were focused solely on producing more elite, international players. But after helping bring regular season games to London, Kirkwood realised an academy could do much more.

“We wanted something from a community perspective in north London that was more year-round and impactful than just playing the London Games,” he says.

“Now education is as important in the academy as the athletic side, if not more so. An elite few will go to the States but success for us is 100% of kids having some form of defined success, be it going on to further education, becoming more employable or being role models who can influence younger kids.

“We’ve had lots of little landmarks where we’ve confounded ourselves and gone on to greater things but of all of these, I’d say the academy has the potential to be truly transformational. It could be something we look back on and say it changed the shape of the sport.”

As the students watch Super Bowl 54 this Sunday, it will be with a clear path of how one day they could get there too. Realistically, few will make it. Only 1.6% of US college players were drafted in 2018.

But even if they don’t, the experience will last a lifetime, wherever their future lies.

Read More

[tmatthewj-blog]

What I learnt as a Football Coach for kids

Not sure if it was me coaching them football or them coaching me about life. Either ways, training U12 kids in KP Agrahara Government School — GKEMPS as part of Just for Kicks’ 2017 batch was one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had.

How it all started

I’ve been part of a Football discussion forum on Facebook forum for the past 8 years, like most football followers who think they are smart enough to engage in a banter about opposition football clubs or feel that their rationale about why a manager decided to go with a specific formation for a game needs to be heard :). It’s fun of course but the best thing that happened to me in that group is when a certain Venkatesh (Venky) joined the group and talked about his association with Just for Kicks (JFK), an organisation that’s trying to help school kids develop life skills with the help of football.

This was exciting to me since I’ve spent (and keep spending) a good amount of time playing and thinking football in my life. I’ve always wondered if there would ever come an opportunity to coach a team and this was it (that wasn’t just that, more about it soon). I reached out to Venky and we met to discuss the possibilities of me coaching a school team to their first championship trophy (man’s ability to creatively fantasise is admirable).

Picture: The FB group chat — where it all started

“Is there a tournament at the end of it?”

I’m not sure if this episode deserves to be mentioned but meeting Venkatesh in person was an affirmation that there actually are people out there obsessed about leveraging sports to help inculcate life skills in students. I could relate to this opportunity since I’ve been a football player for most of my high school life and the way it transforms a person to become a team player in life scenarios is underrated .

The way football and other sports activities help in transforming a person to become a team player in life is underrated.

It’s not just football but any sport or any team based activity that’s goal-oriented can help inculcate life skills, especially when we are young. It could be working with a cast to stage a play, practising with your dance troupe for a finale performance or even collaborating with an organisation to paint afresh a dirt laden public wall. They all teach you how to achieve greatness with a team — which is an incredibly important learning I’ve got in life, partly imparted through football and other group activities.

Now back to my first meeting with Venky! We met for a coffee and 15 mins down, I asked that question that’s been bothering me about JFK coaching: “Is there a tournament at the end of it?” Venky got the cue (my hidden motivation of doing a victory lap with the trophy at the end of the season), smiled and said, “Well yes! We do have a tournament at the end of it, but I’m sure you will enjoy the coaching sessions the same.”

Orientation and Training: Getting a grip of reality

After mulling over the decision for a week, I decided to join JFK as a coach for the academic year 2017–18. I remember there were 2 people I consulted to make this decision: my wife, Sumeeti and my co-founder at my startup Typito, Srijith. This was important because I was about to dedicate 4–6 hours per week to teach kids football and there in life skills but it also means I would be losing that much time in a week to work on other priorities in life. Eventually I used the framework that I used to decide to quit my job and work on the startup — regret minimisation framework, made famous by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. I asked myself: “ Would I regret it later if I don’t join JFK as a coach now” and the answer was a resounding YES however impulsive the turn of events so far could be labelled. So I committed to a year with the organisation and looked forward to the 2 day orientation and training conducted for new coaches.

And the JFK crew got all the coaches for Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad in a training space in Bangalore. The 2 day boot-camp was built around 2 themes: on-ground training and classroom based orientations.

Picture: A day spent with JFK crew and the coaches for the year 2017–18

The training gave us a much-needed reality check on the basic challenges faced by students in some of the Government aided schools that JFK collaborates with. For example, some of them might not have clean toilets and other facilities that you take for granted. But none of this deterred the batch from committing to a year of coaching and we all looked forward to the start!

The memorable drill: Twice a week

I was assigned coach for U12 boys and girls in KP Agrahara Government School — GKEMPS. The school was thankfully less than a 10 mins walk from Sangolli Rayanna metro station. So I used to drive to Indiranagar metro station at 6:00 AM to catch the metro train at 6:35 AM and be there for the 7:00 AM training sessions twice a week. This was at times tiring, but you always look forward to the 90 mins training session! And while on the metro, I used to make final amendments to the training routines I prepared for the day. A sketch used to look like this:

Picture: One of the best part was planning for each session and scribbling them on my notepad. Guess what D, M and F mean on Activity numbered (3)? :) 

The next 90 mins would be one of the best part: getting your kids to warm up, give them enough football based activities to get on the grove, teach two new skill based activities (or repeat old ones), learn together how to get better at the activities and how they will help in the game, game practice towards the end and finally closing the session with a reflection of the life skills that we learnt that day from the activities. It’s tiring at times, but exhilarating every single time! :)

Here’s a video summary of one of the sessions we did in the 2nd week:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matthew John (@tmatthewj) on Sep 10, 2017 at 8:22am PDT

Picture: 2nd week of training with the kids. After the 90 mins coaching session, I used to take the metro back to Indiranagar and check-in early at work. A amazing start to the day, I recollect :).

Learning Football and Life Skills

JFK’s curriculum was a well researched one. They were very particular about connecting the football lessons with life skills like courage, team spirit, discipline, honesty and many others. In fact each training session was designed to impart a new life skill to the kids or reinforce one which was already taught before.

This was challenging in a good way since you now need to brainstorm about how to teach life skills and evaluate the kids’ understanding of them while also making the whole experience fun, engaging and competitive with football. I used to spend a good amount of time brainstorming with Sujeeth who was coaching U10 kids at the same school (and later joined JFK to lead operations in Bangalore). Other than the brainstorming sessions, I also checked out YouTube videos by popular football academies to learn how they ensured to impart footballing proficiency in kids while keeping it fun. Connecting all of this with life skills was tough, but that was an exciting challenge for us coaches :).

From what I’ve learnt, JFK has now made a lot of headway in the past 2 years when it comes to developing a scientifically validated curriculum that connects both football and life skills well.

Highlights of the season!

Apart from the standard coaching sessions, Sujeeth and I used to collaborate with Guru and other teachers who were part of Teach For India foundation to try out some interesting fun initiatives for our kids. Here are some of them:

a. We had a “clean the ground” day where both U12 and U10 teams committed to doing just 1 thing: clean up the entire ground off paper and plastic litters. The initiative helped inculcate a sense of ownership in every kid. They acknowledged it’s their ground and it’s their responsibility to keep it clean.

Picture: Both U10 and U12 football teams took great interest in cleaning up the ground, one quadrant at a time :).

b. We conducted a video training session for the kids where we showed them the highlights of an International football match. This gave them the understanding of how 11 players in a team take up responsibilities of defence / offence and why sticking to your position in a game matters.

Note: If you have ever seen kids play football, it’s very likely you’ve seen all of them just running after the ball. Spacial awareness and positioning in football is incredibly difficult to teach kids (and sometimes even adults :)).

Picture: Sujeeth engaging with the class during our video training session

c. We took our kids to watch an ISL match. This was another memorable experience for them. They got to see the scale at which the actual game happens and they were super thrilled!

d. Towards the end of our year, we conducted a mini-tournament (within the school) by combining girls and boys of both U10 and U12 categories. This was a instant hit since it provided an opportunity for all the team members to showcase their skills.

What happened to the tournament Venky was talking about?

So yes, we did have the JFK tournament where each of the schools in a given city competed with each other and the winners went on to represent Bangalore in a inter-city final showdown. Unfortunately our teams Agrahara Blitz (every team had a catchy name) couldn’t make it to the final showdown and my dream of doing the victory lap with the kids having won by deploying tactics inspired from Mourinho and Bielsa never realised :). But, by that time, I understood that it was never about the tournament. The enriching experience that our kids went through learning the beautiful game and also picking up important life skills was much more valuable than anything.

But that doesn’t mean the kids took the tournament lightly. We tried our best to win every match. But at the end, our aggregate points were not enough to see us through to the next round. They were sad when they lost games, but you know they have this super power to get over the failures and be cheerful in a few moments — I’m wondering when’s the last time you or I got to do that :).

Kids have this super power to get over the failures and be cheerful in a few moments.

For a batch of inexperienced players, most of them getting exposure to football for the first time compared to some schools who had kids who were running through the 2nd year of training, they fought well. From a state where they were struggling to pass and receive the ball, it was heartening to see many sequences of even upto 4 consecutive passes between players during the games. So yes, they will improve in football and life in the coming years — I’m certain of that.

What did I learn from the coaching experience?

A lot actually!

a. I became a much better communicator: Remember those moments at work when you get frustrated at the other person’s inability to comprehend your thoughts? When you teach kids, you face it every day, every moment. And that forces you to stop sulking and start working on communicating better.

b. I learnt the value of doing homework: Each one of the football sessions required me to take some time and think what football skill to teach and more importantly how it would help kids in their life. Not easy right. This was a great opportunity for me to get better doing my homework and not wing it every time.

c. Managing time: Joining JFK as a coach was a forcing function that I placed on myself, especially when I am running a startup. The main concern I had was if it would take away time that I could spend to talk to customers and build a better product at Typito. However, the outcome was that JFK sessions taught me that I could do a good job at both places by managing my time better and planning my days in prior. This is indeed a life skill you’ll learn best, according to me, if you put yourself in positions where you are forced to rise upto the occasion. 

d. Teaching or coaching is a great way to get better at your subject, attributing to the effort you put into preparing content as well as explaining it to your students with their proficiency in the subject being your goal. This experience helped me get better at football as well.

e. Most importantly, learning from kids: Coaching these kids was a humbling experience for me. These were kids (most of them) who were coming from not so well to do background and the enthusiasm they showed to learn football, fighting all the odds, humbled me. When I say fighting odds, some of them might be coming to the ground without having a proper breakfast something most of us take for granted. And others might be wearing the same pair of shorts for the nth consecutive training session since they can’t afford to have a pair to rotate for games. And while all this, they remained immersed in the experience, happy as ever. It was a reality check for me to be grateful for the blessings that I’ve gotten in life :). And yes, kids epitomise the spirit of “it’s all in the game” for me. In the ground, they might get into a rift and an hour later you find them putting their hand on each other’s shoulder and taking a walk back to their classroom.

Keeping all this into account, I’m not sure if it was me coaching the kids football or them coaching me about life during those wonderful days…

To conclude, I think everyone of us should teach or coach at least once in life. It’s certainly an experience where you get value as much as you give, if not more — it’s counter intuitive and many don’t realise it unless they give it a try like me.

P.S. JFK is now hiring their new batch of coaches for Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad cities. If you are game, you can fill up this form before 7th June 2019. All the best!

[ftpbtw-gbf]

6.5 week update

account start date: 1/31/2019

Table of contents:

General progress

Grids/Weapons

Characters/teams

Summons

Other notes

General Progress

I’ve been working on clearing out those arca badges while collecting screenshots for this update so those numbers will be a tad off.

For what it’s worth, evidence that I’ve never pulled from the gacha still:

compare with the free draws for the current anniversary event:

I haven’t used the weapon ticket yet, but I think it’s fair game to do so. Haven’t decided what to use it on, however I’m not in a rush since it’ll be around probably longer than I plan to play this account famous last words. 

Probably a grimnir harp though, since we have two xenos coming up in just a week or two (and I don’t need to grind either of them for my other accounts).

Story wise, ch 63 is a major moment, both in terms of the story and what becomes available.

 After ch 63 there are only a small handful of important, but not crucial raids to be unlocked, namely primarchs and huanglong/qilin. There are two pretty good story characters as well that I have not unlocked yet, however I wanted to take time to develop grids to be able to better tackle some of the upcoming story fights without relying on pots and the retry bonuses (which I did use for a few earlier story battles).

Working through arca as I mentioned. I should be on track to recruit monica as early as next week, assuming I’m not screwed over by some encounters. I did just clear my first hard mode puppet boss and it was a slog, but I did make it through. I’ll talk more about it later, but water and dark still feel exceptionally weak even though their grids are roughly on par with my other elements. Some of it is character related, but I haven’t been particularly scientific about it yet.

Grids/Weapons

imgur album of grids

The above grids are specifically for mechanic teams for each element. Since I’m collecting arca points for monika, I have not bought a water arca gun and am just hoping one will drop when I get to Bellator path (there’s a decent enough chance at it anyway).

Between freebies and good luck with drops, I have mostly workable if not 100% meta base grids, now only requiring skill levels to finish off.

I’ve intentionally slotted hp weapons into many of my grids. The prevailing philosophy of many high ranked players is to go all in on offense and ignore hp,but that’s never really sat well with me. “Punch it harder,” has never really been a feasible short term solution to a battle that new players might struggle with. Additionally, many of the grids above already have 5-6 magna atk mod weapons so I found space to include hp weapons so that I’m not investing in atk weapons that would eventually be victim to “diminishing returns,” not that I’ve ever really heard a satisfying explanation for that in gbf context.

As of the time of publishing this, there are still no freely available earth ex weapons pre-hHL

Some more notes on other specific weapons:

Can probably get most of these up a few more uncaps by now, but I’ve been neglecting them a bit.

Picked up two axes last gw before realizing I should instead be getting these, so I switched over and managed to grind out enough boxes to mlb this one and have one 0* extra. 

Still a tad on the fence whether or not I want to actually make any eternals on this account or not, but I’m starting to lean towards yes. That being the case, I originally started grabbing axes because Sarasa is always a great starter choice, but Quatre and Six might be better options to bolster elements that have weak ftp char options. Earth isn’t doing amazingly better than dark and water, but enough so that I’m not struggling with water enemies in arca like I am with fire and light foes.

Through perseverance, good timing on the addition of the Love Live collab to side stories and otherwise good free fire chars, I was able to grind out an mlb windhose. The FLB step requires elemental centrums and urns, that I don’t have access to pre-HL, so for now, it stays mlb.

Pre-HL, Water sabers are roughly as bad off as earth sabers, and having the windhose for wind prospects, I ended up picking water for my atma from the “wmtsb 3: 000″ event. Earth might have been a slightly better choice, but it’s not a huge deal wither way. Both elements have an LL char that can provide elemental atk up, and both elements have alternates that are mediocre. As you can see, I haven’t touched it yet though, because outside of 000, new players would not have access to an atma at my rank (72). However, once rank 80 rolls around, you can bet I’ll be trying to sneak into a UBaha normal train to get meteorites for a key. For now, gonna work on collecting the host mat.

I only just today noticed that I had the mats needed to flb the silver bow however, while I did that, I have not had a chance to upgrade it any further. I’m also probably going to be directing skill fodder elsewhere before coming back to this.

Characters/Teams

Since this post is already going to be super long, here’s an imgur post with my currently set up teams and notes on specific characters. There are some other fringe set ups, I’m interested in trying at some point or another, but these cover 95% of my needs. Commentary included in imgur post.

Here’s an album with my overall character levels.

Since only a few of my chars are max uncap + max level, I haven’t amassed a lot of emp points on most chars and therefore haven’t looked at emp quality for most.

Summons

It fortunately did not take too long to mlb all six magna ssr summons, especially with the first one given out for free.

Some notes:

- Fafnir and Phoenix are both usable - the former has a fire def down which would be more useful if I didn’t already have characters that could also inflict it, while the latter has a heal albeit a very weak one.

- Robomi is a dispel, with the unfortunate side effect of dispelling one of your own buffs. The not having to bring dispel in my own subskill slot though is enough reason to keep her around.

- You get one wind buncle from pinboards and there’s another in treasure trade for some satin feathers and tia silver anima. There are four more in the casino, but for now, I’m keeping the two I have separate since I don’t have a ton of other great summons.

- Ebisu’s water def down, is more valuable than fafnir’s because there are fewer characters (among free chars at least), able to inflict the elemental def down. At mlb, the aura loses it’s data penalty, too.

- With WMTSB2 in sidestories, I’m able to use Sandalphon summon for it’s atk up and heal. I’m already at a point where chev is the better main summon, but Sandalphon’s call is still fantastic, compared to the other healing summons that have half as much potency. He also gives his character version a small dark damage cut as a secret effect.

- For anyone who didn’t know SR Luminiera and SR Celeste both provide 20% damage cut against their strong element when mlb. So mlb SR Celeste’s call, for example, gains a light damage cut.

- There are no good elemental summons for Earth or Dark in side stories - Midgardsormr and Albacore both are ~25% atk boosts justified by having hp boosts alongside them, but for practical purposes, the damage loss isn’t worth the hp gain. I’m fortunately at a point where I’m using magna summons for all elements normally, but arcarum may still get better results from an elemental summon (maybe? I haven’t been scientific enough about the numbers). Unfortuantely, getting all four copies of Dark flame Scion out of the side story shop is going to take something like fifty runs of Sandalphon showdown because the WMTSB doesn’t give out a free mlb summon at the end unlike most other side stories. It gives out the mlb light ex harp, but not the summon. And my dark team is not great, as seen in the previous section. I can beat the showdown, but it takes effort.

- I was able to farm an mlb and 0* copies of WMTSB3′s Dragon’s Rage Summon, however, since it won’t be around all the time (till next year presumably), I can’t use it however great the 50% all element/10% hp boost would be to alleviate my elemental summon woes.

- Once I unlocked arca, I bee-lined for Hanged Man, and was fortunate enough that he was the boss I encountered at the end of that path. Hanged man provides me with a clarity in my summon grid, which is useful in the same way Robomi is as a dispel, but better, because Hanged Man gives a random buff in addition to clearing a debuff, instead of taking away a buff like Robomi.

Other notes

As implied by my grid showcase and story progression, I unlocked Mechanic as soon as I was able. Earlier on, I lucksacked a silver centrum from a primarch raid leech but even without that, by rank 50 it’s within the player’s power to leech grand order raids for feathers and redeem 25 for the first shop centrum, thereby acquiring the hardest part of the energy maneuvers robot part. I casino’ed enough to get the red bricks and brightstones so I was able to get those turn 1 full bursts right out the gate as soon as possible. Doing so greatly improved the speed at which I could handle my own hard primal raids and thus helped collect omega anima for magna raid hosts - which in turn led to more ssr magna drops. 

At rank 60, I took my main and tackled as much of ex co-op as I could so I had the achievements to unlock swordmaster and mystic, though I have not leveled them yet. I have both arca wind sword/katana so I can slime, though I haven’t sat down and done any yet.

After Dark Fencer, I went for Holy Saber among the T3 classes, then Bishop, then Hermit:

I haven’t been focusing on leveling classes since, and focusing on some of the specialty ex classes was a noticeable drain on my cp supply, but Hawkeye, Weaponmaster, Valkyrie, and Superstar, roughly in that order are next on the to-do list when I get back to it. All of those classes provide useful if non-essential subskills for those rare cases I might not need miserable mist (such as actually playing dark fencer).

At one point, I was hoping to sell this account around the time it reached a spark’s worth of crystals, but after looking into some examples of account selling, I’m already at a point where this account wouldn’t be appropriate to sell to a new player, which limits my potential clients. That being the case, I’m a bit less concerned over preserving all of the options, such as gold bar usage, though I may change my mind in the future still. I picked the sunstone from WMTSB2: summon cradle, and it’s tempting to use it on a magna summon like Tiamat.

Anyway, if there are any questions, feel free to ask here (use the link at the top that starts: “Ask me about...”) or if you know how to reach me on discord, that’s fine, too.