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rabbitcruiser · 1 year
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Yaacov Agam (Hebrew: יעקב אגם‎‎) - an Israeli sculptor and experimental artist best known for his contributions to optical and kinetic art - was born on 11 May 1928.    
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enterwittyjokehere · 7 months
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In this one, jealousy killed your cat part 2
Round two, FIGHT!
[Tomas vrbada (smoke) x reader smut]
⚠️ Warnings
[Czech terms of endearment, however, i do not speak czech.]
[Senorsed swearing]
[Heavy smut 18+ only]
[Body worship]
"Let me know when you're ready for round two." Tomas sprawled out on the bed, neglecting his twitching c*ck.
You laid beside him, holding yourself in an attempt to catch your breath. Your heart rate slowed, and your breathing became more regulated, you rolled over, seeing Tomas staring at you.
The way Tomas looked at you was comparable to how a kid looks at a shooting star, full of wonder and like it's the most beautiful thing he's laid his eyes on.
Tomas' grey eyes, heavily dilated, still filled with so much lust and desire. He crained his neck, allowing him to place three kisses to your forehead.
"You ready, my love?" You asked, your partners eyes widened.
"Yes." He said, nodding, he quickly moved closer to you. He first, placed a kiss to your already sore cl*itors, making you wince. He then took his best two fingers, the middle and ring, inserting them into you, his fingers were much larger than your own.
It had been so long since you had been stretched to such a degree, he pumped his fingers in and out, already you felt a building pressure in your lower stomach. You covered your mouth, to not disturb your house guests, as small swears left your mouth.
While your lover pumped his hand, he slipped another finger in, making three. When they moved inside of you, you moaned and gasped uncontrollably. He then removed them, licking them off, the sweet and sticky substance being like candy to Tomas.
Tomas had been holding back, his aching c*ck twitched as the veins were much more prominent now. The pink tip leaking precum, that rolled down the base of his shaft, before dripping off.
"Miláčku, tell me if you need to stop, or if it's too much." He said, rubbing your cheek with his calloused hand. "It's been a while, so I'm excited but communicate, okay?"
You nodded, biting your lip, Tomas was by no means huge, but he was pretty decent for most of the guys you had been with. Even though his length was nothing to scoff at, his girth was what was addictive, the way he stretched you out no matter how much foreplay you had.
You had missed having a life with him, you missed the sloppy morning s*x before breakfast or the quickies you would have in the bathroom of madam Bo's. How Bi Han would scold him when he had hickies showing under his grey gi.
You winced as he tunnled into you, stopping and waiting, your hands had found his muscular back. Holding tightly onto his shoulder blades for support as, he struggled to stay still letting you adjust.
You took deep breaths and tried not to squirm, you tapped him on the shoulder, letting him know he could move.
Almost instantly he began to ravage your small body, his pelvis slapping against your body, in way you were worried would leave bruises.
Earlier you hadn't recognized his actions for your loving and charming boyfriend. Now, however, Tomas Vrbada was replaced with a hungry, h*rny animal. Senselessly humping and rocking into you, it hurt but it was also the best feeling in the world.
"I honestly can't believe you thought I would ever f*ck this up." He said, in between grunts, "You're the only goddess worthy of my worship."
He moved his mouth to your chest, suckling on your nipple. The other one, in his hand, being teased relentlessly, you moaned out his name.
"Keep doing that, please." He said, "oh I wish, Kitana and Johnny could see this, I bet they'd be so jealous."
He rutted into you hard, the pressure already a almost too much to bare, on the verge of your second orgasm. You dug you fingernails into the back of Tomas' arms, scrapping the skin as his blood hit the cool air of the room.
The sounds you and him made, you moaning his name over and over again, accompanied by him stammering on in his native tounge and the slapping sound of your bodies becoming one, the whole room was music to his ears.
You finally hit your second climax, letting out a prolonged noise of pleasure while your lover continued to f*ck you, your walls tightening around him. He rutted into you, thursts becoming sloppy and shallow as he came into you. Falling onto your body, he held you close.
"I don't want you to go." You said, you face in his neck.
"I wouldn't if I didn't have to." He said, his arms tightening around you protectively.
"Promise you and the brothers will come visit me soon?" You spoke, your small voice muffled against his skin.
"I will try, except me and Kuai Liang aren't on speaking terms with Bi han right now..." he ran his hand over your soft hair.
"What? Why?" You asked, turning your face towards his.
"It's a long story... I'll write you about it, okay."
"Ok." You said, as You began to drift asleep.
You woke up, Tomas stood in the corner of your room, putting his gi back on.
"You're really leaving again?" You said, not mad just a little disappointed.
"Yeah, I have to. Lord Liu Kang is expecting us." He spoke, walking over to the bed. Kneeling into the mattress, he placed several kisses all over your face, "I miss you already, my heart."
"Tomas, were never really that far apart." You spoke, reminding him of the reason for his pet name.
Your lover placed a hand on his chest, "yeah, I guess you're right."
"And you already said, you and Kaui Liang will come visit me soon." You laughed, rolling over.
"Of course, baby." He said, leaning over you to kiss the side of your neck, "I made coffee, there's half a pot still in there."
"I love you." You spoke, looking into his grey eyes.
"As do I, Miláčku."
With that, Tomas left, meeting up with his friends who were waiting patiently in the they had been left in.
"How'd it go lover boy?" Johnny teased.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, johnny?"
"Oh, like we didn't hear all that." He spoke up, making faces to mock Tomas, "I didn't even know your girlfriend could swear like that."
"By the way, you were listening Johnny, it seemed like you enjoyed it." Kitana spoke, poking fun at cage's behavior.
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devilsons · 4 months
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TO DO: BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS ME
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PERSONAL DETAILS
NAME... archibald adams
NICKNAMES / OTHER NOTABLE... leech, archie, canis, bloodhound, hanging man's cannon fodder, fucked up little freak ( by enemies and friends alike )
PRONOUNS... he / him / his
AGE... twenty-eight
BIRTHDAY... july 2nd
STAR SIGN... cancer
SEXUALITY... bisexual / greyromantic
ALIGNMENT... chaotic neutral
PERSONALITY TYPE... enfp-t, the campaigner
ENNEAGRAM... type six, the loyalist
FAMILY... diane adams ( mother ), douglas redacted ( father, estranged / possibly deceased )
INFLUENCES... tyler durden ( fight club ), jesse pinkman ( breaking bad ), the priest ( fleabag ), denji ( chainsaw man ), stu macher ( scream ), luke crain ( the haunting of hill house ), b-rabbit ( 8 mile ), steve-o ( real person but essential to his makeup, also jackass )
SUBSTANCE
a turbulent jester; wicked smile, swinging switchblade, obedient dog. he thrashes wildly between carefully collected chaos and teetering over into the deep end. substance abuse paired with bipolar disorder make him hard to gauge and even harder to communicate with. he is one of two things at all times; trapped somewhere between mischievously playing the fool and a poorly restrained bloodhound, snarling and drooling, red ichor spilled wet between fangs.
APPEARANCE DETAILS
HAIR... kept short, dyed a yellowish blonde often with grown out dark brown roots
EYES... deep brown, almost black, swallow light whole
BUILD... lean and lanky but packed with power, akin to a stray dog.
HEIGHT... 6'3"
NOTABLE MARKS... heavily tattooed from the neck down, arms and hands peppered with small scars. heavier scarring on his back and torso in long slashes, bullet hole in his right shoulder. foul play. always bringing a knife to a gun fight.
USUAL COUNTENANCE... grey / purple tinted under eye bags, prone to a bloody nose, sallow skin, surprisingly pretty straight, white smile
BIOGRAPHY( tw : // drug abuse, drug use, violence, neglect )
he was unleashed into a single bedroom apartment in queens; dingy furniture and a smoke screen, walls stained yellow and black, the air toxic in the form of mold and second-hand inhalation. he was just a child, his mother passing her sickness onto him and a father he'd never met, a name he'd never heard. he were raised on ruthlessness, survival, and necessity. he was never the most important thing to his poor mother, her illness always drawing her attention to other places, but even still, she’d always loved him. he wasn’t given the right to an easy life, primarily taking care of himself since he'd learned to walk and talk, and then by age ten taking care of their mother too at times. in the early years of his life he was a prodigy, infatuated with math and science and all things technology. the rise of the android had scarcely begun in those days, and he had no way of telling the technological advancements the city would soon make, or the dangers that would come with it. but this wouldn’t happen for years, by the time the first android walks among the city without the repulsion of the uncanny valley he would have long abandoned such passions, blood stained under his fingernails as he disguises himself as a goon.
first, he was a boy. thick-framed glasses and baggy clothes, a wide, child-like stare hardened into stone long before it began to soften once again. by fifteen he’d drawn blood for the first time with intention and brutality, a street scuffle between children verging on adulthood, the endless abyss between life forms, the open wound of youth taking over the rage of hormones; stand tall, defend what is yours. he walked away with shaking hands and hurried breath, footsteps pounding as he ran from the scene. it was just one slice of skin, a thin trickle of blood, not his first sight of its smear but the beginning of a new era. it took time before he grew a taste for violence, the initial promise of it making him sick, then in turn making him cold. he lost the passions he had, the innocence, for a time, becoming a machine built only for waking to see the next day. it took time to learn how to cope with this lifestyle, picked off the streets to run petty work by seventeen, no longer a boy but not yet a man; drops, pick ups, simple work ( illegal work ) to make the money to feed himself and his mother, to clean her off the floor a couple times a week. frailty turned into muscle and hardened stature, fear turned to mirth, mirth turned to humor.
soon small jobs became a full initiation, then they put a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. it was around this time he fell victim to the family habits, the drugs helping the mix of violence and hilarity, stoking it’s flames, creating a new persona out of the ashes of his history. he was a wild card; he was the one sent to do the things nobody else wanted to do, a butcher with a complete detachment from humanity, delivered with a fools wide grin and a quip readied at the back of his tongue. the hanging man destroyed him, but gave him a purpose, a twisted found family with the bitter nickname slipping past everyone’s lips, one he’d gained from days gone of pickpocketing and sucking the blood, so to speak, from businessmen and gangsters, “leech.” he embodied this, if nothing else to feel a sense of purpose, to feel needed. he was at best a glorified henchman, but his immense loyalty and perfectly grey morality made him essential, irreplaceable. he would do anything they asked between bouts of debauchery and recklessness, detriment balanced perfectly with chaos, unbridled destruction.
now he stays in his own apartment after having taken ownership of the bad monkey bar, visiting his mother every so often if only to check her pulse. he spends days outside of business indulging in drugs, alcohol, and other means of hedonism, his phone always close by. he’s most often found in clubs and bars, shrouded in smoke with an easy posture and a wide smile, bruised knuckles holding a drink in one and a cigarette in the other. don’t be nervous, his bark as loud as his bite is lethal, remains usually silent; a trained doberman with its tongue lolling out of its mouth, head cocked and lips pulled back in the image of a grin; only dangerous when his owner dangles a treat and says ‘devastate.’  
pinterest  playlist
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open-hearth-rpg · 8 months
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The Worst Thing: Great RPG Mechanics #RPGMechanics Week One
“Imagine the worst thing possible, assume it's true, and go from there.”
— Theodora Crain, The Haunting of Hill House, Season 1: Open Casket
Strong collaboration in play has changed my gaming in the last two decades. I come from the tradest of traddy backgrounds, learning D&D at a wee babe in the late 1970s. I grew up in a gaming community split between roleplayers, miniatures grognards, and classical wargamers. Given how young I was, I almost always played with GMs older than me, in a position of narrative and rule authority. You might get to define your character’s backstory a little, but you had little wiggle room before they’d say, “that’s not how X is.” That became my model and I kept hold of that for years.
The cracks came when, while complaining about prep and the need to revise the campaign gazetteer, my wife pointed out I didn’t need to do that work. She asked me how much of that material meaningfully impacted the table vs. how much I made up on the fly. That was the first break in the dam. The second was Dogs in the Vineyard. That swept everything away with the idea that you could just not prep at all beyond a basic framing concept.
And once you’ve allowed yourself to improv– and trust your own instincts– you can begin to trust others. You can start to respect and even seek out their input. For me it starts with a basic writer’s characterization technique: having the players describe where their characters live. Then once they’ve painted that kind of scene, giving them the space to develop other meaningful features of characters and play.
Like the horrors which await them.
There’s a great admonition in horror that the thing you imagine behind the door is much scarier than what lies behind the door. We have to embrace that moment between the introduction of the horrific and the revelation of the truth. That’s where you get dread, the real horror feeling you can create via games, books, and movies.
Bluebeard’s Bride does this with a simple collaborative concept. The Shiver from Fear move sets this: name the thing you are most afraid will happen, the groundskeeper will tell you how it’s worse than you feared. It engages you, and everyone else, with this imaginative process. You get to set some of the stakes for the moment. And you begin a light, meta-competition with others. How bad can I make it? What can I handle? What would really spook me out?
Jesse Ross’ Trophy Dark takes and builds on this concept, making the whole table complicit in the building of the horror. Rather than a single move, the whole thing game stands atop this: When you attempt a risky task, say what you hope will happen, and ask the GM and the other players what could possibly go wrong. Then gather dice.
There’s a phase of the whole table digging into this question: what’s the worst thing which could happen? Now when you roll, you have a panoply of possible fates to dread. You know what fates could be in store for you. Now we have that dread. You will get to pick your fate, but that’s even worse, because of course you want to make it interesting– and you know what scares you.
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dominionra · 6 months
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Auto supplier plant coming to former Eastland Center mall site
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By Kurt Nagle I November 3, 2023  I  Crain’s Detroit
Automotive supplier Thai Summit Corp. is planning to open a 297,000-square-foot parts plant at the redeveloped site formerly home to Eastland Center mall in Harper Woods.
The Thailand-based company, which has a massive plant in Howell, signed a seven-year lease for the first of three new buildings being constructed by Riverside, Mo.-based NorthPoint Development LLC at 18000 Vernier near I-94 said Mark Koenigsknecht, senior development manager at NorthPoint.
The plant is expected to house light industrial manufacturing and assembly by the supplier, which specializes in metal stamping, value-added assembly and tool-and-die building. A 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot office will also be built out in the space, Koenigsknecht said.
Welcoming a large supplier plant will be a first for the city of Harper Woods and will hopefully mark a new beginning, said John Szymanski, city manager.
"We're excited. It's been a long time since the city had any real redevelopment coming in," he said. "We've been a city that has survived on retail, and that has gone away."
Production launch at the plant is expected in the first quarter of next year. It is not clear how many jobs will be created or what will be invested in buildout. The company could not be reached for comment.
The $94 million redevelopment project for Eastland Commerce Center started in mid-2022 after NorthPoint was given the go- ahead to level the mall, which opened in 1957 and suffered a steep decline and loss of anchor stores in its final years.
After falling into foreclosure in 2016, the mall was sold to Great Neck, N.Y.-based Kohan Retail Investment Group and 4th Dimension Properties LLC, which paid just $3.125 million for a large chunk of the mall in 2018.
Thai Summit operates a 1.2 million-square-foot plant off I-96 in Livingston County to support North American automotive production. The company supplies major class A stamping and assembly components to OEMs around the world, according to its website. "The Howell facility is the first manufacturer in North America to introduce remote laser welding and utilize entire surface imaging for timely communication with customer," it says.
The Eastland Commerce Center is composed of three industrial buildings spanning about 1 million square feet and is anticipated to be done by mid-2024. Koenigsknecht said there has been high interest in the other two buildings but no deals signed yet. He said he expects an uptick in leasing activity in the final part of the year following the United Auto Workers strike, which put lots of deals on ice.
"I'm hoping with the automotive stuff leveling out as far as the strike goes, we'll see a lot more activity here before the end of the year."
To read this article on Crain’s Detroit Business: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/auto-suppliers/auto-supplier-plant-coming-former-eastland-center-mall-site?utm_medium=social&utm_term=crain%27s+detroit+business&adobe_mc=MCMID%3D03996254282534410632232072540344101478%7CMCORGID%3D138FFF2554E6E7220A4C98C6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1699392072&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=2965a521-cdb4-40a4-bb97-39b4f8e82066&CSAuthResp=1%3A%3A442659%3A1745%3A24%3Asuccess%3A75B847CEA830889756DFD22FFE4ABA14
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jmreyes9 · 9 months
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A DELIGHTFUL SUMMER DAY IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO
By Jesse Reyes
It was a pleasant late summer day in downtown Chicago, the temperatures hovering in the mid 70’s, not humid at all, the sun coming in and out of the cloud cover.  There was no gusty wind today in the “windy city” and poet Carl Sandburg’s “City of Big Shoulders” and “Hog Butcher for the World”—just a mild cool breeze coming from Lake Michigan.
We drove from the Chicago suburbs to downtown Chicago to have some documents authenticated at Consul General of the Philippines Generoso Calonge’s office in Michigan Avenue.  Actually there was no necessity in meeting the consul general himself but it’s nice to know his name in case a “trivial pursuit” nut asks me for this information in the future!  My daughter had accepted the driving honors, as she knew I dreaded driving in “the city” like I dreaded going on the “Screaming Eagle”, the heart-stopping, nerve-wrecking roller coaster in Six Flags Over Great America in Gurnee, IL, the rollercoaster which I had made the mistake of riding in when I was younger just to prove I wasn’t “spineless”.
We found a parking lot just a few minutes walk from the consulate office but ended up paying $40 as we had to park there for 4 hours.  We waited for about half-an-hour at the waiting area and when my number was called and after submitting the documents, we were told to come back at 3 pm.  So my daughter looked for a restaurant where we would eat lunch.  She found an Italian place which was supposedly a “short” walk away but we ended up walking 4 or 5 blocks slightly overshooting the place (and when you’re hungry, searching for the place seems like an eternity.)  I told myself as softly as I could, so my wife and daughter would not hear, that “this place better be good, for all the walking we did.”
The Trattoria #10 (I wondered where the other 9 trattorias were!) was located at the corner of Dearborn and Calhoun Streets.  We had to negotiate this semi-winding stairs that led to the basement.  When we went in, the elegant ambiance of the restaurant greeted us.  It was a cozy, dimly-lit place and the waiters/waitresses were very friendly (they usually are, knowing the amount of their tip was directly proportional to their nicety, courtesy and pleasantness.)  I ordered the grilled organic Amish chicken and my two female companions (my wife and daughter) ordered pastas (a dish which I don’t care for that much.)  Well, the tasty food met our gustatory expectations, hence our waiter received a “generous” tip. 
On the way back to the consul’s office, I noted the plethora of skyscrapers along Dearborn, State and Michigan Streets seemed taller, and there seemed to be more lawyers’ offices than before.  As we wanted to go to Monroe St., I recalled that the streets going east to west were named after US presidents.  We passed by a store selling bags in Michigan Avenue and entered they did, my two lady companions, as if sucked into the store by a strong vacuum.  I told them I preferred staying outside, for my interest in ladies’ bags was zilch, nada, zero! 
As I waited outside the store for the two “window shoppers only”, I marveled at the elegant architecture of the imposing skyscrapers along the northern side of Michigan Avenue towards Lake Michigan, mainly the Aon Center formerly the Standard Oil Building built in 1974, and has 83 stories and is 1,189 ft. high and the Crain Communications Building with its diamond-shaped top that is split in the middle, that has 49 stories, some of which have not yet been told! and is 582 feet high, built in 1990.  To the east of these skyscrapers was the Millennium Park.  I noticed a large head statue on the southern end of the park.  It turns out that this giant head statue standing at 39 feet tall was the work of Spanish sculptor Jaume Piensa and was brought from Barcelona in Spain and installed in Chicago on June 2014.
As we drove home, I thought of how one can enjoy the city of Chicago, especially on a nice and non-windy day, even just walking along the streets, admiring the majesty and architectural beauty of the towering skyscrapers. 
Written in 2016 and revised on March 13, 2017 in Chicago, IL.Posted in my blog 11/30/22. Other writings and poems of Jesse Reyes can be found in his blog: anadventurecalledlife.com.
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tintinntabuli · 9 months
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Mariani Recognized For Astounding Growth
Mariani Enterprises, the parent company of MarianiLandscape and Mariani Premier Group, a national platform supporting a growing family of the country’s finest landscaping companies, ranked on the prestigious Crain’s Fast 50. The ranking marks Mariani’s incredible growth and expansion including a reported five-year revenue increase of 492.4%. In 2023, Mariani announced the establishment of the Mariani Premier Group, a network of the 13 top, family-owned, residential landscape companies (see bottom of article for list). With headquarters located in Lake Bluff, IL, Mariani continues to expand its footprint across the U.S. as it grows its family of companies.
Crain’s Chicago Business Fast 50 recognizes the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Chicagoland area, highlighting exceptional entrepreneurial success and significant revenue growth. This recognition represents more than just growth in revenue, it also showcases steadfast growth in innovation. Frank Mariani“The Fast 50 award highlights our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovative design and superior client service that have been the hallmark of Mariani for 65 years and has contributed to our overall success,” said Frank Mariani, Green Industry pioneer and Chairman. “We thank Crain’s Chicago Business for recognizing our growth to further establish our standing as one of the top leaders in the Green Industry in Chicago and beyond.”Mariani’s CEO Bryan Christiansen added, “The Fast 50 award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our incredible team in the Chicago area and we look forward to maintaining strong relationships with our current clients, and forging new ones.”
Luxe RED Award Winner
In other news, Mariani Landscape recently won the prestigious Luxe Interiors + Design Luxe RED Award for its “City Escape” project. Led by Carrie Woleban-Meade, design principal and Joel Mathis, director of Project Management, “City Escape” is an incredible urban design property that boasts outdoor living environments on six levels in the heart of Chicago.The annual Luxe RED Awards recognize and honor excellence, innovation, and the best residential architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture projects across the country.“All of our projects are about engaging the client to get outside and enjoy their outdoor spaces”, said Woleban-Meade. “A lot of our planning was centered around maximizing this urban location, using every inch to create an outdoor environment where the client could entertain, dine, have a glass of wine around the fire pit and grow herbs in a fun garden space with their growing family. The client has excellent taste and allowed us to take some design risks including unique elements like the water wall. Our goal was to create an outdoor oasis where the client could enjoy multiple living areas on different levels that provide flexibility, and we’re so excited the family is truly happy in their new space.”“I am proud to be part of a creative and collaborative team that can design and build such elegant spaces in a small footprint, like this urban environment”, added Mathis. “This home is on multiple levels making construction and planning both challenging and fun. From the veggie garden to the custom copper fireplace to the mural, there are so many different details that make this project stand out. We worked seamlessly with the architect and interior designer of the home as a cohesive team, creating a beautiful and functional space we are all proud of.” bout Mariani Premier GroupFor 65 years, MarianiLandscape has been a leader in the Green Industry. Now, the Mariani Premier Group is quickly becoming a premier outdoor living company, creating and nurturing the outdoor spaces that bring families and communities closer together. Led by Chairman Frank Mariani, the group is bringing together the finest landscaping companies in the country, providing them with the support and resources they need to reach new heights of success. With this national expansion, Mariani plans to transform landscaping through the fusion of inspired creativity, advanced technology, and unparalleled service. For more information, visit www.marianipremiergroup.com. Companies interested in partnering with Mariani can email [email protected] for more information.The Mariani “family of family companies” comprises:Berghoff Design Group / BDG Maintenance – Phoenix, ArizonaBorst Landscape & Design – Bergen County, New JerseyDesigns By Sundown – Littleton, ColoradoEd Castro Landscape – Roswell, GeorgiaGlengate– Wilton, ConnecticutHoffman Landscapes – Wilton, ConnecticutMarianiLandscape – Lake Bluff, IllinoisNatureWorks Landscape Services – Walpole, MassachusettsRocco Fiore & Sons – Libertyville, IllinoisR.P. Marzilli & Company – Medway, MassachusettsSiciliano Landscape Company – Red Bank, New JerseySouthview Design –  St. Paul, MinnesotaWoodlawns Landscape Company – Mundelein, Illinois
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evilbuildingsblog · 2 years
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Crain Communications Building [OC]
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dailyoverview · 4 years
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Chicago, Illinois, is the third most populous city in the United States, with about 2.7 million residents. This Overview shows the Chicago River flowing through the city center, dividing The Loop (left) and Near North Side (right) communities. Many of the city’s notable skyscrapers can be seen from this perspective, including the Crain Communications Building, Trump International Hotel and Tower, and Tribune Tower.
See more here: https://bit.ly/2GxyZDn
41.888889°, -87.626667°
Source imagery: Nearmap
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rabbitcruiser · 2 years
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Clouds (No. 541)
Rock Falls, IL (three pics)
South Columbus Drive, Chicago (five pics)
Crain Communications Building, Chicago
Aon Center, Chicago
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Matchup
Hi dear, @ajumierose​ for maze runner I ship you with:
Thomas
-        He fell for you when he first saw your appearance and kindness. He wouldn’t let go of you that day.
-        He would have his first kiss with you after realising your safe and sound.
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-        He would hug you just to be affectionate and get closer to you.
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-        Your outfit for the fandom:
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-        
-        Mood board
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-        Picrew of the two of you:
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(Credit to Nasaya Nosaya Cp type maker)
-        Thomas knew you were pregnant from the time he had to be on the run from the enemies after you. He tried to protect you up until you had to give birth which he had to take action of course. You were in labour as Thomas hid you in a secluded building away from any enemy that may be after you.
-        You gave birth to a baby boy; you were both happy, but it would mean it would be difficult to take care of.
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-        You get married very quickly but it would be short lasted since you would both need to be on the move.
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-       
-        Your son was as brave as his father often protecting you and trying to save his friends. He would be a good sharp shooter and try to help him with everything he could.
 For sailor moon I ship you with:
Prince diamond
-        This would be a very odd relationship considering he can be obsessive. He’s quite evil as well but I’m sure you can change his mind.
-        You would be a queen so that’s something unless you refuse then he’ll hypnotise you.
-        Your outfit:
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-        When you would have your first kiss it would be in your hypnotising state.
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-        You would hug him at first not knowing his true intentions.
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-        He would seclude you to his throne and not let you escape because he’s in love with the older version of you in queen form.
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-        Your mood board:
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-        Picrew of the two of you:
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-        (Credit to shall we dance by Gell)
-        When you were pregnant it was only a matter of time before your child became like their father. You fled to earth in search of Usagi and her friends. Your child would live like a normal human, you gave birth to a she and she turns out to be good.
-        Your daughter became apart of the next generation of sailor moon, they are caring, aloof and very heroic. She would have to come a day to verse her father in a battle.
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-        Your wedding dress:
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-        Your wedding was very luxurious with of course the prince at the centre of his castle. You would try to get away however to save earth you offered yourself.
For the haunting of hill house, I ship you with:
Hugh Crain
-        Ok so obviously when he’s younger of course, he was a family man that would do anything to protect his children. Since you’re a mother he would be a good family man.
-        The two of you would be quite normal, that is up until the manor.
-        Your outfit:
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 -        You had your first kiss on your first date and had a pretty normal relationship.
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 -        You and Hugh would have a lot of affection for each other including hugging a lot.
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 -        Your moodboard:
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 -        Your picrew of the two of you:
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 -        (Credit to deolgurae by gurae)
 -        Your child would be birthed before the manor in a normal manor. They are quite helpful and kind hearted up until the manor in which he became some what dark sided but you got him out of their before the curse hit him.
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 -        Your wedding dress:
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 -        You got married at a chapel and had a loving wedding.
For the umbrella academy I ship you with:
Klaus Hargreeves
-        You two would be probably the oddest couple one can communicate, and control spirits and you seem to be able to be caring.
-        He’s had a lot of traumas so finding you he would be able to finally find peace within you.
-        He found you and he seemed to be a lot happier than usual.
-        He can be sarcastic but don’t let that fool you and yes despise being an addict he does try to control it around you. He believed the only way to silence the horrific voices were that way but since finding you he seemed to be not needing them.
-        He would sneak up behind you and try to steal a kiss from you.
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-        He can be clingy at times, but you don’t mind it.
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-        Your outfit for the fandom:
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-        Your mood board:
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-        Your picrew of the two of you:
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(credit to Nasaya Nosaya Cp type maker)
 -        If you were pregnant, you would be sure he wouldn’t leave you even he had doubts. You were strong minded, and he chose to stay by your side.
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-        Your child would be a medium as well and he would be quite loyal and strong. He would also be into heavy music even playing a lot of electric guitars.
-        Your wedding outfit:
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-        You got married somewhere secluded and didn’t tell the rest until a year later.
Anyways thats all I have for now:
Ta Ta 
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dustedmagazine · 2 years
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Bitchin Bajas — Switched on Ra (Drag City)
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Photo by Katoman
Switched On Ra by Bitchin Bajas
Around the time that Bitchin Bajas included a cover of “Angels and Demons at Play” on Bitchin Fresh, Cooper Crain told Brown Noise Unit about his deep connection to the Arkestra’s work, that crystalized when he booked a show for the band in the mid-2010s. “I was in the sound booth, and I was so happy, but it was so emotional. And then I got super into that song. One day before we went out on tour, I just started playing the bassline on the organ, and Rob — he comes from a jazz background — knew what I was playing, and just joined in. And man, it was fun!”
The pairing makes sense in a lot of ways. Both bands have a connection to the cosmic. Both use improvisation to build ecstatic, communal soundscapes. Both toy with futurism, imagining sonic worlds that don’t fully exist until they stumble on them. And both understand that homage doesn’t necessarily mean copying. Whether it’s Sun Ra putting its own mark on Disney tunes or Bitchin Bajas covering early Arkestra jams, the interpretations are free and open-ended. Switched on Ra, a cassette release of vintage synth reimaginations of selections from the Arkestra’s catalogue, respects the originals enough not to try to reproduce them.
To begin with there’s instrumentation. The Arkestra is, in many ways, a traditionally structured big band, grounded by an exceptional rhythm section, but with the melody carried most often by saxophone, but sometimes also brass and piano and vocals. To make Switched on Ra, Bitchin Bajas used 19 different types of keyboards and basically nothing else. Even the flutes and other woodwinds that frequently popped up in previous Bitchin Bajas were left in their cases. So, while the originals sweat and swagger with the friction of live jazz improvisation—scratchy bass lines, rambunctious drums, wild careening reed melodies, the organic, gutsy singing of June Tyson—Bitchin Bajas’ versions have a chilled, distanced, synthetic quality, which owes as much to Wendy Carlos as to the Arkestra itself.
So, while Ra’s version of “Space Is the Place” out and out swings, with wild blasts of saxophone and heated, joyful vocal call and response, the Bajas' take is like a lucid dream, wreathed in drone and speaking in the clear, fluid tones of analogue synth. It’s the same melody distilled into a pristine electronic language, without the grooving rumpus of the Sun Ra cut. “Call for All Demons,” a cut from the mid-1960s New Horizon album, is likewise rooted in big band swing, riding a spiked and rhythmic interchange between bass, drums and piano in antic motion, as more fluid horn lines arc over in melodic complement. Bitchin Bajas recreate the tune with intricate malleted percussion sounds that fit together like a staccato 3D puzzle. The horn bits are re-heard as wobbly, space-age surges of synthesizer. It’s quite a startling reimagination, faithful in its way, but utterly different, with a retrofuturistic sheen. In “Outer Spaceways Incorporate,” June Tyson’s growling, wailing vocals are transformed into a lovely, not-quite-human voice, an android dream of the past’s idea of the future.
In the end, Switched on Ra is the best kind of tribute, demonstrating a fundamental grasp of the original material but taking it in an entirely different direction. The Arkestra itself does this all the time, reinterpreting its older charts in ways that reflect a shifting ensemble and changing moods and inputs and environments, so why not Bitchin Bajas, too? And also, not to be underestimated, it’s god-damned beautiful wherever it comes from and wherever it goes.
Jennifer Kelly
[If you can’t get enough of Sun Ra, check out our Listening Post from October 2020.]
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songtoyou · 3 years
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Epiphany - Part Two
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Paring: Luke Crain x Female Reader
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,001
Warnings: Talks of drug use and recovery, mention death of family members.
Description: Life has never been easy for Luke Crain. After the death of Nell, Luke realizes that he needs to make some changes. He decided to stay in Massachusetts and attend rehab. He was determined to remain on his path of sobriety. When you get assigned to be Luke’s sponsor, it opens a new door of possibilities that neither you nor Luke expected.  
A/N: I finally watched the Haunting of Hill House a while back. I found Luke to be very interesting. This is my take on how Luke would go on with life after Nell’s death and how his continued path to remain sober would look like.
Feedback is wonderful. It is nice knowing if people are actually liking this fic.
I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.
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“Hey,” he said to get your attention. “I promised that I’ll come to talk to you if I ever feel like I might…. Or if I just feel like I need someone to talk to.”
Sure enough, Luck kept his promise that if he ever needed to talk, he would call you. The two of you have talked almost every day since your first meeting two-weeks ago. For Luke, it was nice being able to talk with someone he could connect with. While Steve, Shirley, and Theo were more supportive of him than ever before, his siblings still could not fully relate to his ordeals.
Theo mentioned to Luke that he could be open and honest with her about his past experiences, his current feelings, and how he was coping with Nell’s death. “I appreciate it, Theo, I really do,” Luke told her over the phone. He just got back from class and was getting ready to head out to see you.
“I feel a ‘but’ coming along,” Theo lightly said.
“But…it is just hard talking about this stuff with someone who…”
“With someone who doesn’t necessarily share the same experience or feelings,” replied Theo and added, “Talking about Nell…and dad…is hard for all of us. However, I do understand that we all have our own ways of coping. I’m only glad that you aren’t…you know…”
“Me too. I told you guys, that I’m serious about remaining clean. It’s my last promise to Nell and I intend to keep it. Plus, my sponsor is…she’s awesome. Definitely been a nice help with having someone to talk to who understands.”
“Well, that is great, Luke. I’m glad you have someone who you are comfortable talking to about these things. So, your sponsor…what is she like? What’s her name?”
After telling Theo your first and last name, he went on talking about how you have been clean for the past three years, that your family lives in Wilmington, you work at a bakery part-time, and that you are a current art student at Middlesex Community College.
“Lowell campus or Bedford campus?” Theo continued to pry.
“Bedford.”
“What does she plan on doing with an art degree?” asked Theo.
“I don’t know! Probably because she likes art,” Luke replied. He was starting to get a tad annoyed at his older sister.
“Can I meet her?”
“You know what…wow…look at the time. In fact, I gotta start heading out,” Luke mentioned as he saw the time on the clock. “Talk to you later, Theo.”
Before Theo could try to pry more information about you, Luke hung up. Theo was intrigued about you but would not pry. At least for now.
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You asked Luke if he had ever been to the Lexington Venue, an old theater seventeen minutes outside of Wilmington. He had not. You mentioned to him that you were planning to see the new Marvel movie, ‘Avengers’ Endgame, and if he wanted to join. Luke happily accepted your offer.
Since you had been to the Lexington Venue numerous times, Luke suggested that you drive. He heard a car pull up Shirley’s driveway and looked out the window to see that it was you. Luke grabbed his coat, checked to make sure he had his wallet, and headed out the door. Awkwardly, it was at the same time Shirley stepped out her front door.
“Oh…Luke…hey, where are you heading out to?” Shirley inquired as she strolled with her younger brother to your car.
“Uh, we’re just heading to the movies,” Luke replied. He waved and said ‘hi’ once he got closer to your car.
“We? Who’s we?” Shirley asked. When she saw you, she gave a wave herself and looked over at Luke, waiting to get introduced.
“Oh right. Sorry, my bad,” said Luke with an awkward chuckle and introduced you to Shirley and vice versa.
“It’s nice to meet you. Luke hasn’t told us much about you. From what he has mentioned is that you’re his sponsor…”
“Shirley,” Luke said in a warning tone. The last thing he wanted was his sister to embarrass you in any way.
“Yes, I graduated, you could say, from the same program Luke is currently in. and have been clean for three years,” you mentioned. You figured it would be best to help ease Shirley’s tension by being honest with how long you have been clean. “Luke, we better get going if we want to make the matinee show.”
Luke bid his sister goodbye and got in your car. “I’m sorry about Shirley. She’s…well…she’s Shirley. Very much a Type A personality.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I totally get it. My mom is the same way. She kept asking me questions about you. I told her she just needed to relax and that all we are doing is going to the movies. She sort of does that with everyone I hang out with. It’s like she is just waiting for something to happen, you know.”
“But you’ve been in recovering for a long time,” Luke pointed out. “Your mom should see that you have made a real effort in maintaining your sobriety.”
You let out an exasperated sigh. “Here’s the thing Luke, we are always going to be addicts. It isn’t going to go away. It is an incurable disease. It is no different than cancer. The only difference that the world doesn’t view addiction as a disease.”
Luke contemplated what you were saying. He never thought of his addiction as a disease but rather a symptom of Hill House. That house was never a home. It left a stain on his childhood that penetrated adulthood. While Luke no longer felt the presence of the “Tall Man” haunting him at every turn, he could never shake the feeling of the coldness in his limbs or the stiffness of his neck he felt that particular day at the rehab center in Los Angeles. He often wondered what his life would have turned out if his father never insisted on buying Hill House. His mother would still be alive, along with Nell and his dad. The Crain family would be whole rather than broken.
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“What do you know about this so-called ‘sponsor’?” Theo asked Shirley over the phone.
“No more than you know. I actually got to meet her in person when she stopped by early to pick Luke up. Apparently, they were off to go to the movies over in Lexington. They were in a hurry, so I didn’t get to talk very much with her. She seems nice, though. Luke seems to have really bonded with her. That’s good, right? We should be happy that he has a friend he can confide in…you know…now that Nell is…. gone,” replied Shirley. It was still hard for her to say her baby sister was dead.
“Luke is coping better than any of us thought he would. It isn’t like the previous times. I see the commitment he has to stay clean. I don’t think he and his friend are doing anything they shouldn’t be doing. I don’t think Luke would lie to us,” Shirley added.
“No, I don’t think he is lying to us at all, “Theo immediately interjected. “Like you said Shirl, I think Luke is committed to his program. It is just…my protective instincts are on high alert…with all of you. I just want to know who this person Luke is hanging out with. Maybe we could get Luke to invite her over for dinner? Aren’t Kevin and the kids going to visit his mom over the weekend? We could do it this Saturday.”
“Okay. That could work with not having Kevin or the kids around. Please let me be the one to ask Luke about dinner. Theo? Theo, you’re not texting Luke, now are you?”
~Luke, bring your friend to dinner this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. – Theo~
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“That movie was so long,” you said to Luke while walking out of the theater.
“Way too long and kind of boring, especially in the beginning,” Luke replied throwing out his trash.
“Definitely could have cut at least 35 minutes from the film. What time is it?” you asked exiting the building with Luke following behind.
Luke dug into his coat pocket to retrieve his phone. When he logged in, he saw a text from Theo.
“Fucking eh. You are not going to believe this?”
“What? Everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” reassured Luke and let out a chuckle. “My sister, Theo, is asking me…well more like telling me to bring you over for dinner this Saturday. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
You stopped mid-walk to turn towards Luke. “Do you not want me to meet them?” you asked and continued when he gave you a skeptical look, “I can kind of sense that me meeting your family…well I can sense a rush of anxiety coming from you.”
Shuffling from one foot to the other, Luke contemplated how best to explain his family to you. “Let’s get in your car. I will tell you everything. You deserve to know the full truth.”
Boy, Luke laid on the truth. From the “Tall Man” to Abigail and how everyone thought she was imaginary because her parents never allowed her to leave their home, and how Theo struggles with heightened sensitivity. “It is one of those things that kind of runs in the family,” said Luke and continued, “Our mother and grandma were…they had similar abilities. Anything Theo touches, objects, or places, she can feel the emotions from people. The House killed our mother. It tricked her into believing that killing her children would wake us from this nightmare…that it would save us. Our dad got us away in time, but it was too late to save mom. She was dead by the time dad got back to the house. Then it got Nell. The way it Tricked her the same way it tricked mom. I tried burning it down, but nothing happened. The House would have gotten me, Steve, Shirley, and Theo if our dad hadn’t…he sacrificed himself to save us.”
After telling you everything, Luke let out a deep breath. He looked over at you and let out a laugh. “I don’t blame you for wanting to drop me as your mentee. I totally understand. My bag of crazy is hard to handle sometimes.”
In the past, it would have been a lot for you to handle someone like Luke. His issues far exceeded your capabilities when it came to helping someone maintain their sobriety. However, you were older and no longer ran or made yourself numb in fear of feeling peoples’ emotions. Instead of viewing your empath abilities as a curse, you saw them as a gift. As a way to help those in need. The thing about Luke was that he did not need saving. He did not want some to swoop in and save him from his problems. No. You were able to sense that the man before just wanted someone to believe in him. To know that he is telling the truth and that he was not making any of it up.
While Luke was telling you about his past, you saw everything. You saw the “Tall Man” as he haunted that little boy with glasses up until he reached adulthood, you saw him play with Abigail and drew pictures in his treehouse. You could see his mother as she poured the tea for him, Nell, and Abigail that last night at Hill House, and how as an adult he tried to set it ablaze. You saw it all. You felt it all.
“I believe you, Luke. I’m not going anywhere if you don’t want me to,” you told him earnestly.
He turned to look into your eyes to make sure you were telling the truth. “Are you sure?”  
“Yes,” you easily said and started your car. “You better text your sister back that I would love to come over for dinner this Saturday.”
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ssjthug · 3 years
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This campaign is funding the first two issues of Joystick Angels!
A NEW comic series written by T.J. and Spencer Sterling, Illustrated by Nats "Shun" Ledesma, colored by Loris Ravina and lettered by Deron Bennett of Andworld Design. This will be a full color, 54-page comic book with some very cool Variant Covers!
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The purpose of this campaign and our mission is to help put this entertaining and unique comic series Joystick Angels into the hands of people all over the world and continue to celebrate positive and uplifting black stories in comics.
It is also our prime mission to bring many more of our creative projects to life with the help of the Kickstarter community and more.
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Issue one of JOYSTICK ANGELS is 100% drawn and colored. Lettering is taking place as this campaign is running. Here are some samples of the amazing work by artist Nats "Shun" Ledesma and colorist Loris Ravina.
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Damien Fox aka FOX
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He is the brash and cocky 16 year old leader of the Angels fighter pilot team. At the age of five Fox’s parents were killed in the first galactic war against the Eukarya Empire. Raised by the officials at Libor, Fox made it his life's mission to become a space pilot like his parents before him and fight the evil of the Eukarya. Fox has a serious chip on his shoulder which eventually gets him into trouble but his keen eye and almost prodigy-like understanding of space jets makes him a major asset to the movement.
Lexi Winbush aka DEUCE
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a 16yr old animal humanoid hybrid creature which they call The Naku. She along with many of her kind spent most of her life in a lab and was created for the sole purpose of assisting Libor space squadrons in extra-planetary exploration by testing out living conditions. This is something that she is not happy with which has caused many issues in her life. The only person that really accepted her for as she was and treated her like a person was Fox. When Fox formed the Angels team she joined as his second in command. Her animalistic side also makes very formidable in battle.
Andrew Marx aka DRAGONETT
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He is a flamboyant 16 year old black kid who is a lover of music and dance as well as all 80-90’s. He also happens to be the fastest fighter pilot in all of Libor. Just like Fox, Dragonetti’s parents were killed in the first galactic war against the Eukarya. Growing up on the Libor Space Station Dragonetti stayed getting into trouble and eventually met Fox and was swayed by his passion and devotion towards retribution. He eventually joined him and partnered with Fox to create the Joystick Angels team where he serves as Battle officer and strategist.
Aisha Garcia aka LEGZ
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a 14 year old AfroLatina Queer girl who serves the Angels team as lead engineer and tech wiz kid. Legz spends most of her time building robotic sentries, writing AI code and servicing the Angels ships in preparation for battle or space flight. She also has a very hot temper which gets her into trouble. So much trouble that she met Fox in a stockade after they both got caught stealing. From that point on they formed a bond and eventually years later when Fox formed the Angels she joined her friend as one of his right hands.
Cassandra Middleton aka TANK
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She is a strong and snappy young 15 year old black girl who doubles as espionage agent for the Libor government as well as a member of the Angels team. Besides being one of the best pilots in the galaxy she also is assigned to interplanetary travel and intel collection. She serves the Angels as lead strategist and data analyst. Tank only grew up with her mother as her father died in the first galactic war against the Eukarya. Her love of life is only eclipsed by her love for all things fashion and retro. She is assigned to join the Angels and provide multi level support.
Tj Sterling - Founder, Co-creator and Writer Joystick Angels
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TJ Sterling is the owner/operator of RAE Comics. He is also the cowriter for the Joystick Angels comic series and the lead writer and artist for the ongoing comic series Okemus. He has also the writer for the Tisena, Okemus Dark History and APG series, all coming soon.
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Nats "Shun" Ledesma - Illustrator Joystick Angels
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Jonathan L. Ledesma, but in the Art Realm, also known as Shun-008. His work usually falls in the areas of Concept Design,  environments to creatures, armors and weapons... and characters. He learned to through a friend of his who taught him the basics. From there, he started developing his own style upon seeing different art styles from artists in comics. Artists like... Dale Keown, Joe Madureira, Clayton Crain and other artists from the 90's.
Had the opportunity to work as a Layout Artist on some of the leading animation studios here in the Philippines. Companies like Toon City, Filcartoons, Philippine Animation Studio Inc., and Sketzaholiks.
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dominionra · 10 months
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Target 'sortation' center coming to Detroit fairgrounds site
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By Kirk Pinho I July 11, 2023  I  Crain’s Detroit
A Target Corp. distribution facility is expected to open on the former Michigan State Fairgrounds site in Detroit.
The building would clock in at about 180,000 square feet on a portion of the sprawling property at Eight Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, where the state's largest Amazon.com Inc. distribution facility has been constructed after being announced almost three years ago, the Minneapolis-based retail giant confirmed Tuesday.
The Target facility was first reported by The Detroit News on Monday.
Through a spokesperson, a message was sent to Detroit-based developer and landlord The Sterling Group, who is co-developing the majority of the property with Dallas-based Hillwood Enterprises LP.
Target did not respond to additional questions about the building.
A sign on the site — generally referred to as Parcel A — says a logistics-style building is expected to be open in June. A rendering shows a new building with some red on its front, but no tenant identified.
The contractors listed are Oliver/Hatcher Construction and MiG Construction.
In February, Target said it was opening more than a half-dozen sortation centers in a $100 million investment in markets across the U.S.
Those new facilities, expected to be online by 2026, add to its fleet of existing sortation centers in Minnesota, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Its three most recent centers opened around Chicago and Denver. At the time, the company said its new facilities will end up "creating hundreds of new jobs in local metro areas with market-leading wages."
The sortation centers are a way to help Target compete with the rise in e-commerce. They receive orders prepared by store employees and send them out through a delivery network, whether that's Shipt or another third-party provider. Target refers to it as part of its "stores-as-hubs" strategy, using its brick-and-mortar big-box stores "as a launchpad for online orders."
The company said last year that its online sales rose nearly $13 billion from 2019 to 2021 and stores fulfilled more than 95% of total sales in 2021. Some 50 million packages are expected to go through Target sortation centers this year, double from last year, the company said.
Frank Hammer, a co-chair of the State Fairgrounds Development Coalition, which has been vocal in criticizing various components of the 142-acre property's redevelopment plan over many years, said the Target facility is going on the site of the old Joe Dumars Fieldhouse/Agricultural Building, demolition of which came as a surprise to his organization. He and members of the community first became aware of the incoming Target building when told by a city official during a Zoom meeting in May, Hammer said.
The Target facility would join the gargantuan Amazon facility, which is the size of approximately 20 typical Walmart stores.
"The idea that the fairgrounds can be turned into this mammoth logistics center ... We have a lot of feelings about that, because the fairgrounds actually plays a very critical role in Detroit and in the region, and the state," Hammer said.
The Sterling Group/Hillwood JV is also working on another building already under construction on the site, although its ultimate occupant is not yet known. It's expected to be about 292,000 square feet, per marketing materials from the Southfield office of Colliers International Inc., which has the listing.
Sterling Group and Hillwood paid $9 million for the fairgrounds site and no city tax breaks or incentives have been involved. The city paid $7 million for it in April 2020. The lack of tax incentives and the fact that the JV paid the appraised value of the land allowed it to skirt the city's community benefits ordinance process, which is triggered at $75 million.
"Our efforts from the very, very beginning was the notion of community input into what would become of the fairgrounds," Hammer said. "That was really our premise, in terms of our involvement. When the community benefits ordinance passed in 2016, we saw that as an opportunity ... That was something that was legislated, that this development, certainly Amazon would have, you know, come under the terms of the community benefits ordinance."
The $400 million Amazon facility started construction in late 2020.
To read this article on Crain’s Detroit Business: https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/target-bring-warehouse-michigan-state-fairgrounds
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jmreyes9 · 1 year
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A DELIGHTFUL SUMMER DAY IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO
By Jesse Reyes
It was a pleasant late summer day in downtown Chicago, the temperatures hovering in the mid 70’s, not humid at all, the sun coming in and out of the cloud cover.  There was no gusty wind today in the “windy city” and poet Carl Sandburg’s “City of Big Shoulders” and “Hog Butcher for the World”—just a mild cool breeze coming from Lake Michigan.
We drove from the Chicago suburbs to downtown Chicago to have some documents authenticated at Consul General of the Philippines Generoso Calonge’s office in Michigan Avenue.  Actually there was no necessity in meeting the consul general himself but it’s nice to know his name in case a “trivial pursuit” nut asks me for this information in the future!  My daughter had accepted the driving honors, as she knew I dreaded driving in “the city” like I dreaded going on the “Screaming Eagle”, the heart-stopping, nerve-wrecking roller coaster in Six Flags Over Great America in Gurnee, IL, the rollercoaster which I had made the mistake of riding in when I was younger just to prove I wasn’t “spineless”.
We found a parking lot just a few minutes walk from the consulate office but ended up paying $40 as we had to park there for 4 hours.  We waited for about half-an-hour at the waiting area and when my number was called and after submitting the documents, we were told to come back at 3 pm.  So my daughter looked for a restaurant where we would eat lunch.  She found an Italian place which was supposedly a “short” walk away but we ended up walking 4 or 5 blocks slightly overshooting the place (and when you’re hungry, searching for the place seems like an eternity.)  I told myself as softly as I could, so my wife and daughter would not hear, that “this place better be good, for all the walking we did.”
The Trattoria #10 (I wondered where the other 9 trattorias were!) was located at the corner of Dearborn and Calhoun Streets.  We had to negotiate this semi-winding stairs that led to the basement.  When we went in, the elegant ambiance of the restaurant greeted us.  It was a cozy, dimly-lit place and the waiters/waitresses were very friendly (they usually are, knowing the amount of their tip was directly proportional to their nicety, courtesy and pleasantness.)  I ordered the grilled organic Amish chicken and my two female companions (my wife and daughter) ordered pastas (a dish which I don’t care for that much.)  Well, the tasty food met our gustatory expectations, hence our waiter received a “generous” tip. 
On the way back to the consul’s office, I noted the plethora of skyscrapers along Dearborn, State and Michigan Streets seemed taller, and there seemed to be more lawyers’ offices than before.  As we wanted to go to Monroe St., I recalled that the streets going east to west were named after US presidents.  We passed by a store selling bags in Michigan Avenue and entered they did, my two lady companions, as if sucked into the store by a strong vacuum.  I told them I preferred staying outside, for my interest in ladies’ bags was zilch, nada, zero! 
As I waited outside the store for the two “window shoppers only”, I marveled at the elegant architecture of the imposing skyscrapers along the northern side of Michigan Avenue towards Lake Michigan, mainly the Aon Center formerly the Standard Oil Building built in 1974, and has 83 stories and is 1,189 ft. high and the Crain Communications Building with its diamond-shaped top that is split in the middle, that has 49 stories, some of which have not yet been told! and IS 582 feet high, built in 1990.  To the east of these skyscrapers was the Millennium Park.  I noticed a large head statue on the southern end of the park.  It turns out that this giant head statue standing at 39 feet tall was the work of Spanish sculptor Jaume Piensa and was brought from Barcelona in Spain and installed in Chicago on June 2014.
As we drove home, I thought of how one can enjoy the city of Chicago, especially on a nice and non-windy day, even just walking along the streets, admiring the majesty and architectural beauty of the towering skyscrapers. 
Written in 2016 and revised on March 13, 2017 in Chicago, IL.Posted in my blog 11/30/22. 
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