#jack thompson but in THIS PARTICULAR SUIT

[davidrivkin]

This Trump Indictment Imperils the Presidency

By David B. Rivkin, Jr., and Lee A. Casey

August 2, 2023, in the Wall Street Journal

The latest indictment of Donald Trump takes the courts and the country into uncharted territory. Special counsel Jack Smith and a District of Columbia grand jury accuse Mr. Trump of conspiring to steal the 2020 presidential election and charge him, among other things, with defrauding the U.S. But Mr. Trump’s status as president when the alleged crimes took place raises questions about whether he can be successfully prosecuted—and, if he is, troubling implications for future presidents.

The president is immune from civil and criminal liability for actions taken in the execution of the office. That immunity is absolute, like the immunity accorded to judges and prosecutors. Courts have allowed only that the president may be subject to subpoena in certain circumstances that don’t impose great burdens on his ability to function as chief executive.

Former presidents can be held liable for personal actions while in office, but only those that fall beyond “the outer perimeter of his official responsibility.” In Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982), the Supreme Court held that Richard Nixon was immune from a civil damages action in which a former federal employee claimed he was illegally fired as punishment for revealing Pentagon cost overruns. The justices reasoned that absolute immunity for official acts was “a functionally mandated incident of the President’s unique office,” since “personal vulnerability” to suit could warp a president’s decision-making and deter him from performing his duties “fearlessly and impartially.” That’s obviously even truer of criminal liability, so the court can be expected to extend presidential immunity accordingly. (An exception is offenses for which a former president has been impeached and convicted, the prosecution of which the Constitution explicitly authorizes.)

The critical legal question, then, is whether Mr. Trump’s alleged offenses fall within the “outer perimeter” of his responsibilities as president. The courts have only started to grapple with this issue. In Thompson v. Trump (2022), Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that Mr. Trump’s contacts with local election officials after the 2020 election weren’t official acts. That case, which involved a civil action against Mr. Trump by plaintiffs alleging injuries suffered during the Jan. 6, 2021, riots, could be reversed by the D.C. Circuit or the Supreme Court.

Whatever the higher courts make of Judge Mehta’s conclusion, he made a key analytical error in reaching it. He fell into the trap of relying on Mr. Trump’s motivation, in the guise of his “purpose,” which was to preserve his “incumbency.” But the justices in Nixon made clear that the determination of whether a president was acting in his official capacity couldn’t be based on either motivation or the legality of his actions, as that would “subject the President to trial on virtually every allegation that an action was unlawful, or was taken for a forbidden purpose.” The court also noted that the president’s discretionary authority under the Constitution is so broad that “it would be difficult to determine which of the President’s innumerable ‘functions’ encompassed a particular action.”

Mr. Smith fell into the same trap. His focus vis-à-vis Mr. Trump is very much on whether he honestly believed the election had been stolen from him. The proper question is whether the actions he allegedly took after the 2020 election fall objectively within “the outer perimeter of his official responsibility.”

The strongest argument that they don’t is that supervision of state election officials, the selection of presidential electors, and the vice president’s role in counting those votes aren’t ordinarily presidential responsibilities. But it isn’t so clear that, in a case where voting irregularities were reported in the media from numerous critical states—even if incorrectly—the president has no official role in investigating and addressing those claims.

The selection of presidential electors is in part a matter of federal law. The Constitution vests this task in the state legislatures under the Electors Clause, which governs presidential elections. Because the states had no such authority before the Constitution, this critical power is substantially federal in character.

In Moore v. Harper (2023), the Supreme Court recognized that a parallel constitutional provision, the Elections Clause—which divides authority for setting the rules of congressional elections between the state legislatures and Congress—was sufficiently federal in nature to justify the high court’s review of state court decisions involving these rules, even though it ordinarily has no authority to scrutinize a state court’s interpretation of state laws.

It was Mr. Trump’s constitutional duty to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” He had no power to direct state officials’ actions, but urging them to ensure the integrity of federal elections could fall within the outer bounds of his responsibility. He has no authority to direct the vice president’s discharge of his constitutional duties as Senate president, but his exhorting or pleading with the vice president to take certain actions is arguably within the bounds of his authority. Presidents do it routinely when the vice president is called on to cast a deciding Senate vote.

Judge Mehta adopted an unduly crabbed legal test for what constitutes an official presidential action. He asserted that “a sitting President has no expressly identified duty to faithfully execute the laws surrounding the Certification of the Electoral College.” But the Take Care Clause, which is a key component of presidential duties, is broadly framed to include ensuring compliance with all federal laws, including the Constitution. Moreover, the clause is only a subset of the power conveyed to the president by the Vesting Clause, which provides that the “executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States.”

Pursuant to that broad authority, a president may communicate with, cajole and even browbeat officials over whom he has no supervisory authority, urging them to pursue policies that he believes are in the national interest. Many presidents take such actions; both Mr. Trump and President Biden, for instance, pressed states to follow federal Covid-19 recommendations. Wise or not, those were undoubtedly official actions.

The indictment of Mr. Trump means that the Supreme Court will almost certainly be called on to determine the scope of a former president’s immunity and whether Mr. Trump’s actions after the 2020 election fell within the outer reaches of his official responsibilities.

Mr. Trump’s conduct may be hard to defend, but the stakes here are far greater than his fate. One can easily envision a future president using military force, sending weapons to another country, engaging in a major diplomatic endeavor or authorizing a prosecution based on what opponents believe—perhaps rightly—are self-serving lies. Under Mr. Smith’s theory, he could be charged with defrauding the United States.

The specter of such prosecutions would cripple the ability of all future presidents to perform their constitutional responsibilities vigorously and fearlessly. That’s why we have presidential immunity in the first place.

Messrs. Rivkin and Casey practice appellate and constitutional law in Washington. They served at the Justice Department and the White House Counsel’s Office in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-trump-indictment-imperils-the-presidency-charges-crime-election-race-2024-307a4021

[fannyspammy]

season 2 episode 6 is my favourite and I think the best episode of agent carter solely because they gave us Jack Thompson in this immaculate tux and you can’t convince me otherwise

#jack thompson #jack thompson but in THIS PARTICULAR SUIT #can I have his children #if he punched me I would thank him tbh #yes I know it’s just a black tux but it’s a black tux on jack thompson #immaculate #agent carter #agent carter season 2 #Peggy carter #Daniel sousa #Edwin jarvis #Howard stark #mcu #marvel #shield

[sholiofic]

AC, Peggy/Jack/Daniel, meeting Jack's family?

I now have the urge to write a country house murder mystery set at Jack's family home. *LOLSIGH* Adds to idea list.

--

Jack's family home was not palatial, but it was grand in an understated way, the sort of thing that suggested (or at least was trying to suggest) generations of money and breeding. The extensive garden would probably have been grand in the summer, but at this time of year it was banked down, the beds layered in straw and frost riming the winter-dead trees.

But there were still greenhouses, an elaborate indulgence that, as far as Peggy could see, were there only to grow flowers: a profusion of them, large and colorful and tropical-looking. She didn't know flowers well, but she guessed they were rare.

"Mrs. Sousa?" a deep voice said from behind her, and Peggy turned around and came face to face with Jack's father, John Thompson Sr.

She recognized him immediately, not just from pictures but also because he was the absolute spitting image of a much older Jack -- a glimpse through time of Jack forty years in the future. Or ... no, she revised that thought immediately. He was something Jack had almost been, but wasn't. There was a hard edge to him that she could see even in this relaxed setting.

He wore a tasteful burgundy sweater with a suit jacket over the top of it, and smelled faintly of cigar smoke. He still had all his hair, a distinguished silver, swept to the side.

Peggy accepted his hand. "It's Agent Carter, actually."

"What does your husband think of that? I met him at the house, by the way." He had a firm grip, and a way of looking at her that she didn't quite like. It wasn't unpleasant in the way of someone like Hugh Jones, who seemed to be undressing her with his eyes. This wasn't lustful. It was more like he was adding her up and deciding what she was worth.

"What does Daniel think of me keeping my name in a professional context? He's quite supportive, actually." Peggy retrieved her hand.

"Hmm." He raised his silver brows. "Do you like my flowers, Mrs. Sousa?"

Oh, so it was like that, was it. Peggy trailed him to the nearest greenhouse bench, with flower cuttings and shears spread out. "They're lovely. I don't know the names of most of them."

"Plants. They are very interesting things." He donned a pair of gardening gloves lying on the bench, and resumed a pruning operation that seemed to have been in progress before she showed up. "Everyone underestimates them. You know, most of the plants in this greenhouse are lethal, one way or another."

Peggy smiled. She honestly had no idea whether that was meant to be threatening or not. "Are they? I know some quite potent toxins come from plants."

"And valuable medicines as well," Thompson Sr. remarked, shaping the plant with deft snips of the shears. "The heart pills I take every day come from a plant. Digitalis. It grows in the garden in the summer, though we don't have any in the greenhouse at the moment, or I'd show you."

"Some other time, perhaps," Peggy said. She was starting to have the urge to get out of the greenhouse, and also to note the presence of improvised weapons in the area. Not that she thought Jack's father would attack her. But it was that kind of conversation, the sort that in any other context -- interviewing a suspect, say -- would have had her quietly palming a set of garden shears behind her back. There was that particular undertone of veiled threat in the air.

She just wasn't sure why. For all the hints she'd gathered about Jack's relationship with his family, she didn't think his father was involved in anything criminal -- well, beyond the sort of genteel criminality that went along with running in Vernon Masters' circles.

"Some of the loveliest flowers are the most lethal," Thompson Sr. remarked, snipping delicately around the edges of the little shrub. "It's impossible to tell by looking. Are you having an affair with my son, Mrs. Sousa?"

Well, that was a conversational detour and a half. It was also a very difficult question to answer. Why yes, I'm quite in love with your son, as is my husband was probably not going to take the conversation to any good place. "Why don't you ask your son?" she said, and regretted it immediately. He had actually flustered her. She didn't like that.

"You know," John Thompson said, and the shears closed on one of the largest branches of the plant, snipping it off and leaving it lopsided, "I think I will."

#agent carter #peggy carter #jack thompson #peggysouson #longfic ideas #poppaeasabina

[thecomicsnexus]

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #797-800 MAY-JULY 2018 BY DAN SLOTT, STUART IMMONEN, WADE VON GRAWBADGER, MARTE GRACIA, NICK BRADSHAW, EDGAR DELGADO, HUMBERTO RAMOS, VICTOR OLAZABA, GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI, CAM SMITH, JAVA TARTAGLIA, MARCOS MARTIN, MUNTSA VICENTE, MIKE HAWTHORNE, JP MAYER AND JORDIE BELLAIRE

SYNOPSIS (FROM MARVEL DATABASE)

Addressing a blindfolded, bound, and gagged person, Norman Osborn welcomes them to his gentleman's club - now derelict and encrusted in dust and cobwebs from years of disuse. Removing the person's blindfold and gag, Osborn tells his prisoner to stop shouting for help - telling them that if they call out again he'll make a game out of torturing them to death. When his prisoner acquiesces, Osborn states that he does want to have a conversation, which is why he brought them to the abandoned club and decorated it with jack o'lanterns, adding that he has the perfect topic: Spider-Man.

Four hours earlier, Peter Parker and Mary Jane sit on her couch in her apartment, passionately making out. She flirtatiously remarks that he's one hell of a scientist, and when he asks what she means MJ replies that he proved time travel's possible. As she amorously unbuttons his shirt - stating that everything is back to how it's supposed to be - she sees his Spider-Man costume underneath and stops abruptly as she remembers why she broke up with him in the first place. Pulling away, she apologizes and says she can't be in a relationship with him again because of his double-life. Hurt, Peter asks how she could say that; and MJ retorts that being together with him was an excruciating experience - having him disappear as soon as a police siren went off and not knowing if he'd be home safe, waking up alone in the middle of the night terrified that he might've been killed. When Peter protests that he can't just let innocent people get hurt and killed, MJ replies that she knows this and can't ask him to stop being Spider-Man for her sake and that the guilt of knowing innocent blood was on their hands would kill both of them. She states the world needs Spider-Man but that she doesn't, resulting in an awkward silence between the two before she apologizes and says she'll always love and need him, but that there's no going back to how things were. Peter morosely acknowledges he understands and acquiesces when she asks he leave through the window, since it would be easier to explain Spider-Man visiting Stark Industries than her ex. As Spider-Man web-swings across the twilight cityscape, internally complaining about his perennial bad luck, MJ watches him leave and apologizes to him by herself. Standing on a nearby rooftop, Norman Osborn watches and wonders why Spider-Man has a spare key to the Watson residence.

In the present, Osborn interrogates his prisoner, demanding to know what the connection between Spider-Man and Mary Jane is. His prisoner refuses to give up any information on Spider-Man and tells Osborn to do whatever he wants, but Osborn stops as a sound catches his attention. Eyes glowing red, Osborn pounces at a rat scurrying across the floor, overturning several objects in the process. Clutching his prize, Osborn starts to use the rat as an analogy for his prisoner's predicament before partially transforming into Carnage and devouring it. Joking that he ruined the metaphor and that his prisoner should just imagine he sent it to a farm upstate, Osborn demands to know where Spider-Man is and how he can find him.

Four hours prior, Spider-Man comes across a purse snatcher in Chelsea while on his way to the Daily Bugle and snares one of his arms, suspending him from a street light. The snatcher complains that this is the fifth time Spider-Man has done this, resulting in a rotor cuff injury requiring weeks of therapy. Spider-Man apologizes to the thug - Jimmy - by name and promises to hit him in the back or use a web-net next time, then backtracks and says there had better not be a "next time" in the first place. Spider-Man tells Jimmy to apologize to the woman he tried to rob and return her purse, but she tells the would-be thief to shut up and that Spider-Man should have beaten him up. Spider-Man tells her to just go call the cops, while Jimmy adds that the last time Spider-Man apprehended him some kids stole his shoes and asks to have his feet webbed up. Spider-Man does so, snarking when Jimmy calls him a prince.

At the Bugle, Ben Urich complains that Robbie puts him in the spotlight every time his wayward nephew commits a crime by publishing a notice that the Goblin King is a relative of one of the Bugle's staff members. Robbie notes it's for the sake of transparency, but Urich snaps that by now the whole city should know. Noticing the argument, Peter laments having let Urich escape with the tritium and wonders if he should step in. As Ben states he hopes the authorities catch Phil so that he can speak to him and try to set him straight, Peter decides to offer a word of encouragement but is waylaid by Rubylyn, who tries to drag him away from the city beat over to the science section. As Peter's phone goes off, he tells her he has to take the call, causing Rubylyn to scowl and call him the worst. Answering the call, Peter listens to J. Jonah Jameson, who demands details for his blog and asks if Peter has hunted down the Goblin King yet. Peter remarks that this isn't a good time, but Jameson launches into a tirade until Peter hangs up.

In the present, Osborn speculates on a connection between Spider-Man and the Daily Bugle, looking over a web-chart of all the people and places connected to Spider-Man. Chuckling, he says that with his prisoner's help he'll unravel the mystery and then there will be Spider-Man no more.

At Alchemax, Flash Thompson arrives wondering why Liz Allan called him in, and is taken aback at the presence of Mark Raxton. Liz explains that her brother is the chief of security and that they wanted to thank him for his help, then scolds him for letting the Goblin King escape with some of the tritium. Liz remarks that if the Goblin King does anything with it the incident will be a PR nightmare, then tells Flash to suit up as Agent Anti-Venom and find it. Angered, Flash retorts that just because she knows his secret identity doesn't mean she can treat him as her errand boy, and as he storms off she calls out that he's her white knight. Raxton jokes that Flash wasn't just steamed at her, he was molten; causing Liz to tell him to let her enjoy bossing her high-school boyfriend around, having her ex-husband work for her and look after the kids, and running a multibillion-dollar company.

At Central Park, Harry Osborn talks to his son Normie, who complains about how much time his father is spending with Stanley before asking if he and Liz are getting back together. Harry replies that they need to talk about it before asking if Emma - his nanny - can take Stanley off him for a moment. Emma takes the toddler and nervously glances to where Norman Osborn is watching from the shade of a tree, replying that's what she's there for.

In the present, Osborn teases his prisoner with the implication that Emma is secretly working for him before gleefully refusing to outright confirm it. He stops abruptly and growls that he can hear more vermin skulking downstairs and breaking into his toy box. In the club's basement, the Goblin King rummages through a cache of razor bats, pumpkin bombs, and outdated Goblin Glider, wondering where Norman is keeping all the big toys. Norman cuts in and chides Urich, stating that beggars can't be choosers before deriding him as a loser. Startled, Urich stammers that he's not afraid of him before regaining composure and stating that he knows Osborn is powerless, calling him a nobody. Seemingly dismayed, Osborn chides Urich for his lack of gratitude, stating that he took him in when he was destitute and made him his Goblin Knight. Igniting his flame sword, Urich declares that he's no-one's knight anymore and that after Norman's downfall he took the best title for himself. Lunging at Osborn, Urich shouts that he's the Goblin King and sentences him to death, but Osborn casually grips his flaming sword with one hand. Smirking, Osborn states that Phil may have been the Goblin King, Hobgoblin, and Green Goblin, but never made a name for himself. Osborn asks if he wants to know why, then transforms his arm and pierces the incredulous Goblin King through the chest, quipping that Urich's heart was never in it. As he rips out Urich's heart, Osborn asks why he isn't laughing at his joke before cackling maniacally.

Osborn returns upstairs, his prisoner asking why he's covered in blood, but Osborn brushes aside the question and dons a Green Goblin costume. Osborn's prisoner incredulously asks if he thinks he can just put the stupid costume on and beat Spider-Man, and when Osborn affirms this his prisoner states that Osborn will never beat Spider-Man, especially not as the Green Goblin. Declaring that Spider-Man has beaten everything Osborn has thrown at him, Osborn's prisoner launches into a passionate tirade about all the things Osborn did to Spider-Man that failed to break him. Osborn is silent for a moment, bemusedly latching onto one event in particular - throwing Spider-Man's girlfriend off a bridge. Osborn remarks that for years he's felt like something important he'd forgotten and just couldn't remember, grinning maniacally as he comes to the epiphany that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. Jubilant, Osborn triumphantly declares that the greatest weapon he'd ever had against Spider-Man is his again, then tells his prisoner - J. Jonah Jameson - that he couldn't have remembered without him; leaving Jameson horrified at what he's done.

At the Daily Bugle office, Peter Parker explains to Ben Urich how he can reconfigure the office's doppler radar system to track the changes in barometric pressure caused by the tritium stolen by Phil Urich. Assuring Ben that they'll find his nephew, Peter thinks to himself how everything is finally starting to click now that he's back at the Bugle and using his knowledge of science to help people. Colin and Rubylyn pick up readings indicating the tritium is headed straight for them, but Peter assures his panicking colleagues that it's nothing - thinking he can say that with absolute certainty since his Spider-Sense isn't going off. Immediately afterwards, the Green Goblin crashes through the window, Robbie telling everyone to calm down until they find out what he wants. As the Goblin quips that he wants what he's always wanted - Spider-Man - Peter recognizes Norman Osborn's voice and tries to figure out how managed to regain his powers. The Green Goblin notes Peter is friends with Spider-Man and tells him to go get him if he doesn't want anyone to die, and Peter dashes out of the room to change into his costume.

At the Century Club, J. Jonah Jameson laments accidentally revealing Spider-Man's identity, fully aware that he's just put everyone Peter Parker cares about in grave danger. Recalling his despair at losing his own loved ones, Jameson resolves to not let Peter suffer through that as well and tries to break free from the ropes binding him.

At the Daily Bugle, the Green Goblin wonders what's taking Spider-Man so long, Robbie telling him that Spider-Man will show up soon. The Goblin wonders if Robbie knows who Spider-Man is under his mask, threatening him; but Betty Brant interrupts, offering to post news of the Goblin's attack on the Bugle's front page. The Green Goblin vetoes her suggestion, saying it will bring half the NYPD down on him, and asks if she wants to get thrown off a bridge. Ben Urich intervenes, saying that Osborn was never one to rest on his laurels and doubtless has some new tricks up his sleeve. The Green Goblin tosses a burlap sack at Ben, over-saturating his speech with puns and innuendos to drive home that he killed Phil. Betty expresses concern that the bag contains Phil's severed head, but Ben notes that while the shape is right the weight is wrong. He opens the sack to find the tritium sample stolen by Phil, wired to a bomb. The Green Goblin laughs maniacally as everyone panics, but Spider-Man arrives and immediately attacks him. Ben warns Spider-Man about the tritium bomb, the Goblin complaining that he stole his punchline and now he has nothing to banter about.

Outside the Goblin's lair, Flash Thompson notes that the tracer Alchemax gave him tracked the tritium signal to this location. Transforming into Agent Anti-Venom, he smashes through the door, wondering if doing this will get Liz to leave him alone and what he can do if it doesn't. He spots Phil Urich's corpse, but as he examines the body a thump from upstairs sets him on alert. Agent Anti-Venom finds J. Jonah Jameson still tied to the chair, which had toppled over. As Agent Anti-Venom introduces himself and frees Jameson, he warns Flash that the Green Goblin is back and that everyone connected to Spider-Man and the Osborns are in danger.

At Liz Allen's apartment, she, Harry Lyman, Mark Raxton, Normie Osborn, and Stanley Osborn sit in the living room as Emma prepares to serve them lemonade. Liz's smartphone rings and she answers it, noting Flash is the one calling. Harry notes Liz looks horrified, and she says his father has returned. As Normie gleefully celebrates the return of his "Pop Pop", Harry suggests they call the police, but Liz says Alchemax's security forces are better equipped. Saying that it's finally time, Emma says she's going to take Normie and Stanley. When Liz angrily confronts her, Emma pulls out a tranquilizer gun and shoots her, Harry, and Mark before grabbing Stanley and a horrified Normie, telling him to shut up and that now she's in charge.

At the Bugle, Robbie helps evacuate and makes sure everyone is accounted for. Rubylyn wonders at how prepared everyone is for this, and is horrified when Collin remarks that events like this are a regular occurrence. As Robbie double-checks that everyone made it out, Betty yells at him that if they don't leave now they'll die. The Green Goblin praises Spider-Man for keeping the bad guy occupied so his friends can get to safety at the cost of his own safety, but Spider-Man tells Osborn that he's not an omniscient narrator and that he's in the blast radius too. Punching the Green Goblin aside, Spider-Man wraps the tritium bomb in a thick cocoon of webbing, wrapping himself in a cocoon as the Green Goblin curses him.

The tritium bomb explodes, destroying the top several floors of the Daily Bugle building. Picking himself out of the rubble, Spider-Man notes that he kept the blast mostly contained but that he has to check that civilians weren't hurt by debris. Just as he notes he thinks he saved everyone, the Green Goblin calls out to him by his civilian name and Spider-Man turns to see his nemesis impaled by a girder and several shards of glass and metal. Spider-Man asks Osborn how long he's known his identity, but the Green Goblin notes it doesn't matter anymore. The Green Goblin tells Spider-Man he doesn't have much time left and thanks Peter for being his enemy; Spider-Man apologizing for being unable to save Osborn and wishing things could have been different. The Goblin abruptly bursts into maniacal laughter as his blood comes alive, sneering that Peter really does wish that he could've saved him. Quipping that Peter's wish has been granted, the Goblin rises as a red-and-black monster with an elongated head, fanged jaws, and a long tail; Peter recognizing the Carnage symbiote. On the verge of blindly panicking out of sheer terror, Spider-Man barely dodges the monster's attack, tagging Osborn with a spider-tracer and fleeing. Trying to calm down, Spider-Man assures himself he knows the symbiote's weak to fire and sonics and tries to come up with a plan based on that. Mockingly wondering why Spider-Man isn't cracking jokes, the Carnage/Goblin hybrid throws a trio of symbiote bombs that follow Spider-Man through the air. As Peter is horrified that these new weapons don't set off his Spider-Sense, Osborn speaks to him through one of them before it bites into his leg and explodes.

Spider-Man crashes through the window of a condemned building, the Carnage/Goblin hybrid arriving and saying he wants to end this here and now - no rain checks or round twos. Revealing he's aware of the spider-tracer through the symbiote, Osborn offers Peter a one-time deal: give up being Spider-Man and he'll let Peter live, no strings attached... but if he sees Peter use his powers even once, he'll take his time killing all of Spider-Man's loved ones, friends, and acquaintances as slowly and painfully as possible. Rebranding himself the Red Goblin, Osborn tells Peter to take it or leave it and give him a sign he understands; and Peter webs the shredded and burning remains of his Spider-Man costume's top to a flag-pole in surrender. As the Red Goblin laughs triumphantly, Peter sits in the darkness and takes stock of his injuries, noting that even if he couldn't handle the Red Goblin as Spider-Man he's determined to take Osborn down as Peter Parker.

Communicating with the Human Torch, Mary Jane Watson, Miles Morales, and Silk, Peter Parker has them keep an eye on his friends and loved ones - Johnny watching over MJ, Miles over Aunt May (himself surveyed by a trench coat-clad figure), and Silk over the Bugle employees. Silk asks Peter why he doesn't just gather everyone up or evacuate everyone out of the city, and Peter - hiding out at an old Oscorp facility - replies that would make them an even greater target. He tells Silk and the others that he's grateful to have friends like them, and the moment Osborn strikes they'll converge and work together to take him down. He warns them not to call him "Peter" since he's going to recruit some outside help who aren't in the know, calling Agent Anti-Venom. Agent Anti-Venom reveals he knows that Osborn is bonded to the Carnage symbiote and had Jameson tied up in one of his old hideouts, and Peter complements his work and asks him to keep an eye on Jameson... who quietly slips away while Flash is distracted. Peter then calls Clash, revealing he's been keeping tabs on him and knows he's not really a supervillain, asking him to step up and be a hero by looking after Harry Osborn and his family.

At Liz Allan's apartment, she, her brother, and Harry Osborn regain consciousness to discover that Emma has abducted Normie and Stanley. Liz tells a frantic Harry to calm down and calls Alchemax security, revealing she had their son chipped in case of a situation like this. Not noticing Norman Osborn is following them through the streets, the three of them follow Emma's trail, Harry and Liz bickering over her having the kids microchipped.

Jameson returns to his trashed apartment, remarking that at least he put up a fight against Osborn. Delighted to see his laptop is still working, he video-chat calls Peter. Peter tells Jameson that Osborn is back and knows who he is again, and Jameson shamefully admits that he slipped up when Osborn was interrogating him. Glaring at Jameson, Peter furiously hangs up and Jameson sorrowfully promises he'll make things right.

At the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Normie Osborn screams at Emma to return him to his mother. As Emma lectures him, Liz Allan furiously storms over to her and calls for security. Harry demands to know if she's working for his father, and Emma incredulously calls him stupid for thinking that and states she's trying to get the children as far away from Norman as possible, berating them for possibly leading him straight to them. As a man calls them out for bringing their family drama into the bus depot, Norman Osborn transforms into the Red Goblin and tosses him into the Alchemax security detail - terrifying his family. Emma reveals herself to be Emily Lyman-Osborn, stating that her ex-husband won't get her grandchildren; the Red Goblin calling Harry out on being more shocked that his mother is back from the dead than his father transforming into a nightmarish monster. Clash calls Peter and tells him that the Red Goblin has attacked Harry's family at the Port Authority, but protests he's way out of his league. Peter calls the other team members in, the Human Torch arriving seconds later and reassuring Clayton that symbiote's hate fire and sonics more than anything. The Human Torch and Clash attack, blasting the Red Goblin with a torrent of flames and sonic waves... which do absolutely nothing except make the Red Goblin angry. As an incredulous and horrified Peter tries to figure out what went wrong, Clayton turns to flee. Osborn reveals that the Goblin serum has rendered the Carnage symbiote immune to its traditional weaknesses, firing a barrage of spikes that incapacitate the Human Torch and Clash. Silk and Miles arrive on the scene, disregarding Peter's pleas to not engage. The Red Goblin effortlessly withstands Miles' Venom Blast and cuts both him and Silk down, telling Peter that he's going to kill them but as long as Peter himself doesn't suit up Mary Jane and Aunt May will be safe.

Before Osborn can finish Silk, Miles, the Human Torch, and Clash off, Agent Anti-Venom arrives, forcing the Red Goblin back with his anti-symbiote touch. When Flash reveals the Anti-Venom symbiote has healing properties superior to those of other symbiotes, the Red Goblin points out he could be using that to save the lives of Peter's other friends. Realizing the Red Goblin is right, Agent Anti-Venom disengages to heal Miles- and is promptly attacked from behind by the Red Goblin. Peter tells Flash to keep his head in the game and that he called 911, but Flash disregard's Peter's warning that he's playing right into Osborn's hands - saying he has the power and responsibility to save them. Suited up as Spider-Man and web-swinging across the city, Spider-Man hears Flash scream in pain as Osborn mauls him. Mocking Agent Anti-Venom for spreading himself too thin healing the others, the Red Goblin recognizes him as Flash Thompson and considers finishing him off in front of Harry... only to realize his family has used the distraction to escape. Berating himself for getting caught up in the battle, the Red Goblin departs to find them just before Spider-Man arrives. Cursing himself for arriving too late to save them and being unable to pull his weight with a mangled leg, Spider-Man notes that at least his friends are alive. Flash expends the last of his energy healing Spider-Man's leg.

Outside, Harry tells Liz and Mark to take Normie while he and Emma take Stanley, rebuking Normie for complaining that he favors his younger son. The Red Goblin interrupts and grabs Normie, knocking the others back with his tail. As Harry pleads with his father to take him instead, Norman sneers that Harry had his chance to join up with him and infects Normie with the Carnage symbiote, turning him into a miniature Red Goblin.

Kneeling amidst his allies at the Port Authority Terminal, Spider-Man asks them to sound off to see if they're alive. Agent Anti-Venom assures him that they'll live due to his healing powers, and Spider-Man tells the exhausted Flash to stand down when he volunteers to accompany him. Silk tells Spider-Man that J. Jonah Jameson is a good man and that he wants to help them, but Spider-Man bitterly retorts that Jonah has done enough and is the reason they're in this mess in the first place. Spider-Man asks Agent Anti-Venom to keep healing them and takes off, remarking that Flash showed him how he can beat the Red Goblin.

Outside, Spider-Man rendezvous with Harry and Liz, who inform him that Osborn infected Normie with the Carnage symbiote. Harry tells him that Osborn issued the ultimatum of signing over control of Alchemax in exchange for their son, and Spider-Man promises that he'll find a way to defeat Norman, rescue Normie, and help return him to normal. Spider-Man asks Mark Raxton if Alchemax still has the artificial Anti-Venom serum, and Mark replies that they stored some off-the-books at the old Horizon Laboratories facility. Spider-Man takes off, lamenting that the Red Goblin possesses all the powers of the Green Goblin and Carnage and none of their weaknesses, except for the Anti-Venom. Harry comes up with a plan, asking his mother to look after Stanley for them and get him as far away as she can until they can rescue Normie.

At Jameson's apartment, Jonah has the sudden epiphany of soliciting Venom's help to stop the Carnage-augmented Goblin. He puzzles over how he could get in contact with the monstrous anti-hero before spotting a copy of the Fact Sheet with articles and photos of Venom courtesy of a "Mr. Sym". Recalling that Peter had sold photos of himself as Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle, Jameson wonders if Eddie would try to pull off the same scam. Calling the Fact Sheet office, he asks to speak to "Mr. Sym", and immediately recognizes Eddie Brock's voice. Jubilant, Jameson mocks Eddie over how obvious his pseudonym is and then threatens to blow his cover unless he helps - assuring Eddie that it's for a good cause. Irritated, Eddie retorts that he and his symbiote are listening.

At the old Horizon Labs facility, Spider-Man reminisces about his time as an employee there, using Morbius' hidden tunnels to enter the building undetected. Spotting the corpses of several security personnel and the word "HA" repeatedly written in blood, he realizes that the Red Goblin is already there and rushes to the vault where the artificial Anti-Venom was being kept. The vault is torn open and he realizes that the serum has been destroyed, but spots movement inside. A Carnage-Bomb flies out and circles around him, the Red Goblin speaking through it to inform Peter that since he broke his part of their deal he'll be going after Mary Jane and Aunt May. Spider-Man protests that Osborn said he wouldn't hurt his friends and then went after Harry, Liz, and Normie. The Carnage-Bomb retorts that that was a family matter and then states that he'll be going after Mary Jane first. The bomb promptly explodes, smashing Spider-Man into a wall and knocking him unconscious.

At Stark Tower, Mary Jane Watson walks down a hall when a flurry of black tendrils smash a nearby window. Assuming it to be the Red Goblin, she activates anti-symbiote defence systems - flame and sonic projectors. Venom irately exclaims that he's here to protect her, and Mary Jane remarks that she'll take his help. The Red Goblin arrives seconds later and quips that MJ must not have gotten the memo about him being immune to fire and sonics. Venom snarls that he's not here to kill Mary Jane but protect her, backhanding the Red Goblin. Breathing a torrent of flames at Venom, the Red Goblin laughs that Spider-Man must really be terrified to solicit his help, and Venom asks MJ to turn off the anti-symbiote weaponry so that he can fight unhindered, which she reluctantly does.

At her apartment, May Reilly is washing dishes when she hears a knock at the door. Wondering why the doorman admitted a visitor without buzzing, she opens the door to see Normie Osborn, who tells her he got lost. She invites him inside, not noticing his teeth turn into fangs and tendrils emerging from his clothing. As May prepares to call Liz to let her know he's all right, Normie lunges at her only to be struck by a flurry of cybernetic tentacles and slammed into a wall. The Superior Doctor Octopus enters May's apartment; smashing Normie repeatedly into the wall and shouting at the symbiote-infected boy to not lay a hand on her, snapping that May Reilly is forever under his care. As Normie attempts a wounded gazelle gambit, May yells at Otto for attacking a child, and he responds that Normie is no longer a mere child. Transforming into a symbiote-Goblin hybrid, Normie dubs himself the Goblin Childe and begins ripping Otto's tentacles apart.

Across town, Spider-Man arrives at Stark Tower, hoping his ex-wife has found a way to stall Norman and is still alive. He finds the Red Goblin locked in combat with Venom, irately berating Eddie for disrupting his schedule and getting on his nerves. Spider-Man is incredulous to see his old nemesis, prompting MJ to ask Peter if he didn't send him. Spider-Man says that he didn't but that he's not going to question Venom's aid; but when he moves to evacuate MJ she refuses and dons an armored glove equipped with a repulsor ray. She remarks that Spider-Man can't hope to defeat the symbiote-augmented Goblin alone, but with her and Venom's help he might stand a chance. Venom, exhausted from the Red Goblin's beatdown, tells Spider-Man that they need to do this quickly. Spider-Man realizes that Osborn still needs to breathe and punches the Red Goblin's throat before attempting to strangle him, but the Red Goblin bites his arm. MJ blasts Osborn before he can bite Spider-Man's hand off, but the Red Goblin quips that she did more damage to Spider-Man and Venom than to him. He fires a barrage of spikes at her and then leaves to find Normie, mockingly informing Spider-Man that he sent his grandson to kill Aunt May. Spider-Man tries to fire a web at Osborn only to realize that he bit through his web-shooter's firing pin. Venom tells Spider-Man to stop and offers to lend him the Venom symbiote, and when Peter refuses out of hand Eddie remarks that he's exhausted from the battle and tapping out; but that he - a normal human - got some good blows him, noting that a mutate like Spider-Man should be able to do some real damage. When Peter is still reluctant, Venom states that Spider-Man needs a symbiote if he wants to fight evenly with the Red Goblin. MJ reluctantly agrees with Eddie, telling Spider-Man to do it for Aunt May's and Normie's sakes. As the Venom symbiote leaves Eddie and bonds to him, Spider-Man complains that he hates this plan but doesn't see a better alternative; Eddie telling Spider-Man to be good with and to take care of it. The symbiote taking on an altered Black Suit appearance with projecting eyes, underarm webbing and a different spider-emblem; Spider-Man takes off into the night, begrudgingly admitting that he and the symbiote make a good team and might be able to pull this off.

At the Columbia University Medical Center, Agent Anti-Venom tries to resuscitate Ultimate Spider-Man and calls for all available medical professionals to help him as he can only stabilize one at a time. As he demands the doctors respect the heroes' privacy and leave their masks on, Dr. Sha Shan Nguyen approaches, incredulous to see that her ex-husband is a superhero. Flash states he'll explain later, but is interrupted by Clash screaming in pain.

Elsewhere, Symbiote Spider-Man swings through the streets, trying to get in touch with Aunt May. Jameson - wearing the Spider-Slayer's helmet - calls him from Empire State University and says he already sent help to Mary Jane and that he's dug up something that will help him personally see to Aunt May's safety. Spider-Man berates him for getting Venom involved and then angrily hangs up on him. Jameson bitterly remarks that Peter thinks he doesn't know he screwed everything up, vowing to fix the fiasco he helped cause as he activates the helmet.

At May's apartment, the Superior Octopus struggles against the Goblin Childe, berating Normie for daring to even think about harming a woman as nice as May Reilly. The Goblin Childe sneers that killing May is the fastest way to hurt Spider-Man, and May angrily picks up a chair and smashes Normie with it, snapping that she used to babysit Normie and baked cookies for him. Unharmed, the Goblin Childe snarls that she deserves to die for putting raisins in them; and May prepares to join her late husbands in the afterlife. Before the Goblin Childe can attack, Jameson - controlling a Mark V Spider-Slayer - attacks both the Goblin Childe and Doctor Octopus, who berates him for assuming he is an enemy. The Red Goblin arrives and easily subdues the Superior Octopus, ripping the Spider-Slayer apart and declaring his intent to hunt them down and eat them. May confronts him, and the Red Goblin regains his composure, sarcastically apologizing for his symbiote-influenced outburst. Normie asks if he's going to kill May, and Norman mockingly asks May what message she wants him to write Spider-Man in her blood. May remarks that she doesn't care and won't give him the satisfaction, that she's lived a long life, and is neither afraid of him or what's to come.

Symbiote Spider-Man arrives just as the Red Goblin and Goblin Childe leave, Norman mocking him for taking so long and Normie asking if they can kill him now. When Spider-Man berates him for turning his grandson into a monster, Osborn tells him to look to his own family and that he has business to take care of first. Spider-Man is shocked to see a Spider-Slayer, Jameson apologizing through it and saying the tried his best to protect her but it wasn't enough. Livid, Spider-Man stomps on the machine's head; and Jameson removes the control helmet and picks up a loaded pistol. Spider-Man desperately searches for May, hearing a voice call out to him. He sees his aunt cradling a badly-wounded Superior Octopus, who had taken the brunt of the attack that had been meant for her. May asks Otto why he risked his life to save her, and he responds that despite all the evil he's done, he never stopped loving her since the day they first met. Spider-Man is incredulous, and May calls him out on that; stating that he taught her that anyone could be a hero, saving her time and again despite her irrational fear towards him. Spider-Man notes the last time he and Doctor Octopus had crossed paths had been as enemies and that he'd cost Otto everything; and Otto remarks that he still has Peter's memories and desire to do good from his time as the Superior Spider-Man, and could never let any harm befall their beloved aunt. Spider-Man remarks that saving his aunt's life has wiped the slate clean between them, and tells them both to get medical attention as quickly as possible. May asks Spider-Man to promise her to save Normie, who she states is an innocent being manipulated by his grandfather, and he swears he'll do so.

Spider-Man departs, angry and more determined than ever to take Norman down, and knowing exactly where the Red Goblin will strike next: Alchemax.

Arriving at Alchemax, the Red Goblin tells the Goblin Childe that Oscorp will be reborn and become their kingdom and empire. Osborn lectures that the company and Normie's father cast aside the Osborn name, but Normie is unenthusiastic until he offers to take him out for ice-cream and to kill people when they're done. Transforming their symbiotes into business suits, Norman and Normie enter the board room to find Liz Allan and Mark Raxton waiting with a stack of forms. Liz asks her son if he's alright, but Norman remarks that his grandson is better than fine and that it skips a generation. He notes that there's no security personnel, and Liz replies that's because he'd just kill them; Norman remarking that indiscriminate slaughter is fun and helps sell how serious he is. He notes that Harry isn't present, dismissing him as a weak little milksop; and Normie bitterly remarks that he's probably with Stanley. Liz gets right down to business, bluntly stating the terms of their transaction; to which Norman agrees, amused by her seriousness. She indicates the stack of paperwork in front of her and states that there is no legal way to hand the company over to him in any length of time, sarcastically taking a dig at Parker Industries. Norman shares a laugh over the joke before using the Carnage symbiote to briefly assume the form of Mason Banks, reminding her that he helped set Alchemax up and is aware of a beneficiary clause in Normie's name. Normie is surprised that his mother would do that for him, but Norman calls an end to the negotiations by picking up the boardroom table and smashing Raxton upside the head with it; telling Normie this is how an Osborn tables discussions.

Liz tells Normie that his grandpa has been planning to kill her and Harry all along, activating a signal as she declares that she's not going to let that happen. Perched on an old Goblin Glider, Harry Lyman enters the room accompanied by a swarm of Humanitron robots. Norman transforms into the Red Goblin, complaining that killing machines isn't any fun since they lack blood and guts. Harry grabs Normie and tries to pull him to safety, but his son transforms into the Goblin Childe and accuses Harry of abandoning him and never loving him. Harry states that he does love his firstborn son, and will never let go of him again - no matter what. Norman accuses Harry of coddling Normie and trying to make him weak and pathetic, firing a barrage of spikes that knocks Harry off his glider. As the Goblin Childe worriedly checks on his father; the Red Goblin grabs Liz by the throat and throws her out the window, fondly reminiscing about when he killed Gwen Stacy. Harry and the Goblin Childe are horrified, but Norman tells his grandson to get over it and grow up. Symbiote Spider-Man arrives, having caught Liz without accidentally breaking her neck, and furiously states that he'll never let Osborn win that way ever again. Realizing that Spider-Man is a hero, the Goblin Childe furiously attacks the Red Goblin to protect his parents. Enraged, the Red Goblin transforms his arm into a scythe, but Symbiote Spider-Man grabs his arm and states there's no way he's letting Osborn kill his godson. Harry rams the Red Goblin with his Goblin Glider, Norman griping about being impaled through the chest a third time as Spider-Man fondly recalls the Goblin's classic first death. Harry apologizes to Normie and hugs his son, who warns him to stay away as the symbiote lashes out and slashes at him. Transforming into his human form, Normie asks his parents what will happen to him, and Liz joins the hug and remarks they'll figure it out together.

Enraged at Spider-Man's continued interference, the Red Goblin rips the glider out of his chest and coats it with symbiote biomass to turn it into a Carnage Glider. Symbiote Spider-Man mocks Norman for constantly losing to the world's biggest screwup, causing the Red Goblin to smash him through the window and snarl that he's going to devour him.

As Spider-Man web-swings away, the Red Goblin mockingly states they've done this dozens of times before and he's well aware that Peter is trying to lead him away from his friends and loved ones. Symbiote Spider-Man retorts that despite having the power of the Carnage symbiote, Norman is at his least effective - having set out to kill everyone Peter Parker ever loved and failed miserably at doing so. Affecting a singsong tone, the Red Goblin tells Symbiote Spider-Man that the spikes he'd been firing at everyone are under his control, and all along he's been planning to use them to shred the brains of those he impaled with them - killing them in an agonizing manner. Horrified that Norman would do something like that to his own son, Symbiote Spider-Man lunges at his nemesis as the Red Goblin gloats that he'll kill everyone Spider-Man ever cared about and that this will teach Spider-Man to stop messing with his stuff. The Red Goblin snaps his fingers... and is surprised when nothing happens.

Flash Thompson - the Anti-Venom symbiote barely covering him - lands on the roof of a nearby apartment and explains that he used almost all of the Anti-Venom to extract the spikes the Red Goblin left in everyone and heal them. Symbiote Spider-Man celebrates, then realizes Flash addressed him by his real name and asks how he found out. Flash remarks that he pieced it together after overhearing Spider-Man talking to Silk, asking if they're even for the times he bullied him. Symbiote Spider-Man responds that he forgave Flash a long time ago; but the Red Goblin interrupts, his Carnage Glider chomping down on Spider-Man's arm and flying away with him. The Red Goblin furiously attacks Flash for ruining his revenge, tackling him off the roof of the apartment. As they fall, Flash mocks him and tries to use the last of the Anti-Venom symbiote to burn away the Carnage symbiote; but the Red Goblin sneers that Flash might have been able to beat him if he hadn't used up the Anti-Venom symbiote healing his allies. Revealing that he's wearing his Green Goblin outfit under the symbiote, the Red Goblin pins Flash to the ground and electrocutes him with his finger blasters. Symbiote Spider-Man lets out a scream of rage and sprouts a fanged maw and prehensile tongue, Venomizing as he rips the Carnage Glider apart. As the berserk Spider-Venom dives towards him, the Red Goblin quips that he likes Peter's bulky new look and that he must be working out. Cratering the pavement as he lands, Spider-Venom snarls that he's going to kill Osborn and punches him - sending the Red Goblin flying across the city and smashing through several high rises. As Spider-Venom roars that he's going to eat Osborn's brains, Flash calls out to Peter and urges him to calm down and not let his rage infect the symbiote; stating that he helped the symbiote become good and Peter risks undoing that. As Flash begs Peter to not be the reason the symbiote becomes a bloodthirsty monster again, Spider-Venom reverts to his slender form; Symbiote Spider-Man apologizing for losing control and remarking that they need to get Flash to a hospital. Flash replies that there's no time, telling Peter that he doesn't have enough Anti-Venom left to heal himself. When Peter offers to return the Venom symbiote to him, Flash refuses out of fear that it would die as well and deprive Peter of the edge he needs. Informing Peter that his berserk punch sent the Red Goblin into the heart of the city, Flash tells Spider-Man that people need him; calling Peter his hero and his friend before dying from his injuries.

Crashing down into the middle of Times Square, the Red Goblin finds himself surrounded by confused and curious civilians, some of whom crowd around him for selfies under the assumption that he's an actor. A man in a Spider-Man costume approaches, mistaking Osborn for a rival performer and berating him, and the Red Goblin promptly impales him. As the Red Goblin cackles gleefully, Symbiote Spider-Man arrives, the Red Goblin noting that Spider-Man has gone quiet and stopped cracking jokes. He has the sudden epiphany that Spider-Man values the people of New York as much as his loved ones; unleashing an omnidirectional barrage of Carnage Bombs. Spider-Man tries to save as many people as he can, but several are still injured and killed by the explosions. As Times Square goes up in flames, Symbiote Spider-Man tells the police to stay back. The Red Goblin tackles him into the midst of the inferno and begins throttling him, sneering that Spider-Man is weak because of his unwillingness to unleash the Venom Symbiote’s bloodlust. As the Red Goblin gloats that Norman Osborn is finally victorious and that this will be his greatest moment of triumph, Spider-Man suddenly realizes what Norman's greatest weakness is: his ego. Capitalizing on this, he tells Osborn that everyone will know the Green Goblin wasn't the one who killed Spider-Man, but the Carnage symbiote, and by extension, Cletus Kasady. Horrified, Osborn imagines Cletus Kasady jubilant at getting the credit for having killed Spider-Man, and staggers backwards - clawing at his head and screaming at the voices to shut up and that he's in control.

Spider-Man seperates from the Venom symbiote and tells it to return to Eddie, assuring it that he'll be alright and telling it to be careful of the flames. Back in his red-and-blues, Spider-Man continues to mock the Red Goblin's reliance on the Carnage symbiote, stating that it's Osborn's move if he wants to win for himself. Osborn snaps and tears the Carnage symbiote off himself, shouting that he never needed it and that the Green Goblin is his real self and all he ever needed to kill Spider-Man. A nearby car explodes, knocking Spider-Man to the ground; and the Green Goblin triumphantly delivers a brutal beatdown, remarking that Peter was right and that it feels much more satisfying; gloating that he's always been superior to Spider-Man due to not relying on anyone but himself. Picking himself up, Spider-Man returns the beatdown; recalling all the loved ones he lost throughout the years, the friends and allies counting on him to win, and the soldier who sacrificed himself. As the Green Goblin collapses, Spider-Man says that he's not going to kill Osborn to avenge Flash, but web him up with a note pinned to him like he would a common crook. Osborn calls out to the Carnage symbiote to save him, but as it moves to rebond to him Spider-Man realizes that it's lost its invulnerability to fire. Grabbing a gas tank, he smashes it open and pours the gas on the symbiote, immolating it just as it touches Osborn's hand. Spider-Man picks himself up and calls out for Osborn to show himself, but Osborn's only response is to mumble gibberish with a broken smile. Spider-Man guesses he felt the Carnage symbiote's agony as it burnt to death, destroying his mind. Surveying the ruins of Times Square, Spider-Man remarks that he can't mark the battle down as a win given how many people lost their lives, but that at least it's over.

J. Jonah Jameson arrives and pulls out his pistol, taking aim at the Green Goblin's head and saying that Osborn's not fooling anyone with the act. Spider-Man tells him to stand down, but Jonah replies that Osborn will keep coming back and killing their loved ones unless someone puts him down for good, and that since the debacle is his fault he's going to be the one who ends it. Jonah pulls the trigger, but Spider-Man dives in front of the Green Goblin and takes the bullet in his shoulder. Johah asks why Spider-Man would go out of his way to save his worst enemy, and Spider-Man replies that he had the power and responsibility to save everyone, even his enemies. Dropping the gun, Jonah runs off in shame as the Green Goblin mutters gibberish to himself.

At Ravencroft, Colonel John Jameson tells Spider-Man that he's breaking a lot of rules letting him in the Institute; asking what happened to his arm. Spider-Man remarks that Jameson's father shot him, then asks for a moment alone with Norman Osborn. Alone, Spider-Man demands to know if Osborn is planning on telling anyone who he is under his mask. Initially confused, Osborn states in a sing-song tone that he knows who Spider-Man is under his mask: the world's biggest screwup... Norman Osborn. Bemused, Spider-Man asks who he is speaking to, and Osborn retorts that he's Cletus Kasady before breaking out in a fit of maniacal laughter. Walking away, Spider-Man notes that if this is an act then Osborn deserves an Oscar; but it looks like he paid the ultimate price for his ego.

At Alchemax's R&D lab, Liz Allan and Harry Lyman watch as Dr. Steve uses a sonic cascade to separate Normie Osborn from his portion of the Carnage symbiote. When Harry asks if she's going to destroy it, Liz says that she wants it securely contained and studied in case of any complications. Once the procedure is finished, Normie hugs his mother, who tells Mark to take their latest acquisition and make sure it's stored securely in someplace private.

Harry reunites with his mother and Stanley, forgiving her for abandoning him when he was a baby. Reclaiming the Osborn name, Harry states that he's going to make it mean something good and be the kind of father Norman never was for him, for both his sons. As he embraces Normie and says he loves him no matter what, Normie ominously replies that's good to know, tendrils of the Carnage symbiote spreading across his eye.

At Flash Thompson's funeral, his friends and comrades stand in attendance as Betty Brant reads a eulogy before calling Peter Parker up. Peter pays his respects, reminiscing about their early enmity before Flash had found a hero to look up to in Spider-Man and joined the military to make something better of himself. Peter remarks that he himself can be a bully - referencing his behavior as Spider-Man - and says that he'll try to follow Flash's example to better himself, saying he's Flash's number-one fan.

Aunt May approaches Peter after the service and gently scolds him for being so hard on himself, saying that she's proud of the person he's become. She tells him to patch his relationship with Jonah, and Peter tells Jonah that the weight of making a mistake and seeing innocents and loved ones die because of it is one that he's felt since he was fifteen. Peter tells Jonah that if Flash were there he'd forgive him, and that he forgives Jonah too. Before Jonah can respond, a siren goes off and Jonah tells Peter to stop standing around wasting time talking when he's needed elsewhere. Peter teases Jonah for admitting Spider-Man's necessary before running off. Grumbling to himself, Jonah gathers and folds Peter's discarded clothes before they get wrinkled, remarking that Peter is helpless without him.

As he swings over the city, Spider-Man thinks to himself that everyone is special in one way or another, and that no matter how many times you fall, you pick yourself back up and keep fighting the good fight.

At the Horizon University in San Francisco, Otto Octavius introduces himself to Max Modell using the pseudonym Elliot Tolliver. Max gives Otto a tour of the facility, showing him Anna Maria Marconi's new "Living Brain-Bots" - small robots modelled after the Living Brain and Octobots. Anna Maria becomes suspicious of Otto, but he and Max walk away before she can confront him.

Max shows Otto to his new lab and remarks that Otto's recent breakthroughs have been extraordinary and that he's expecting great things from him. Otto replies that he will endeavor to exceed Max's expectations, quipping that he always strives to be superior.

REVIEW

And Dan Slott scores another amazing story for Spider-man.

During the Sinister Twelve saga, I complained that some writers were relying too much on nostalgia. Well, this one also does, but in a different way. It feels more like a continuation than a re-do. And to me, it works as a reboot of the Green Goblin (as he ends up where he was before he died the first time). What complicated things at the beginning of this story was the fact that Norman didn’t remember why he killed Gwen Stacy (thanks to Mephisto, I suppose). But even if you don’t know why, it doesn’t take away from the story.

Flash Thompson dies in this story, but to be honest, I know enough about comics to not care about characters dying at Marvel. It’s been a year since this story came out and he is still dead, but he’ll come back, surely.

To make things worse on Flash Thompson, the moment Peter told him he forgave him a long time ago, it was like the writer saying, “and now you die”.

Immonen is one of my favourite artists in comics, and he did an amazing job here. Issue #800 has a lot of other artists, and that tone mix doesn’t work that well. Mostly because each of them has a unique style.

In the end, this is one of those Spider-man stories you have to read.

I give the story a score of 9

#alex ross #marvel comics #comics #review #2019 #post modern age #spider-man #venom #green goblin #red goblin #carnage #amazing spider-man #miles morales #silk #anti-venom #flash thompson #doctor octopus #superior spider-man #goblin king #symbiote

[talesofhavekostca-blog]

Shangrila

Jack Burroughs

December 27th, 2014

Havekost, CA

“Joint.” Jesus says behind me, slightly below the music blaring from Jake’s speakers. I am uncertain if this is actually what he said, so I turn down the radio and yell “What?!”

“I said ‘Light up the fucking joint.’ Don’t you have a couple in your cigarette pack?” 

“Uh..-” I check my breast shirt pocket and pull out my near empty cigarette pack, the contents inside include three cigarettes, two joints and gram of wax in my cigarette cellophane. “Oh yeah, here.” I light up one and hand it to Jesus, and Jake puts up a fit,”Hey, Shouldn’t that’ve been passed to me? I’m the goddamned captain of this vessel! ”

Jesus hits the joints and passes it to Jake, “Dude, chill. Here.”

“Why do you care?” I say as Jesus hands him the joint and Jake inhales and says to me, “I’m pilot, I drive the big metal death machine. You are co-pilot, you handle knobs and or drive for me if I’m too drunk. Jesus, is the passenger. His opinion of anything doesn’t matter until we’re at the concert.”

Jesus says,”It’s because I’m mexican huh?”

“What? No.” Jake says horrified, “You didn’t call shotgun.”

“Oh shut up. That’s retarded. Fucking white people.”

The joint ends up in my hand again and I bogart it for a bit before handing to it Jesus. “Well I’m happy we finally got a night out for ourselves boys, tonight will comprise of alcohol and fun.” I say with confidence.

“Who’re we seeing again?” Jake asks, “Some shitty local bands, I think.” I say.

“We gotta support our local music scene maaan.” Jesus says sarcastically, he then adds, “Also, Jack’s girlfriend’s band’s playing there.” Way to blow my cover,comrade. Et Tu, Brute?

Jake yells “THE FUCKING CUNT’S GOING TO BE THERE.”

I say quietly, “Please don’t call her that. I’m seeing her and-”

He interrupts me, “YOU’RE PLOWING HER AND YOU’RE THINKING WITH YOUR DICK. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR NIGHT OUT YOU HEDONISTIC FUCKSTAIN! SHE IS THE SISTER OF MY ENEMY YOU BASTARD!”

Before I can plea my case, Jesus speaks up, “Man, leave him alone, he didn't know til this morning. She didn’t even tell him and I already knew since I jammed with them once. They are pretty good, especially the chick guitarist. Oh man, I’d eat her out for days. No bathroom breaks.”

Jake, dumbfounded, “I just imagined some blond girl with a mohawk, chained to your bed, covered in her own waste. You sure can paint a picture, can’t you? Wait, who has the joint?”

Jesus and I both, “You do.” 

Jake looks down at the half smoked joint in his hand and says meekly to no one in particular,“Oh...sorry. Here, Iago, light this.” He shoves it in my general direction and I try to re-light it. “That doesn’t even make sense, Iago didn’t betray Othello with his arch enemy’s sister.” I say, succeeding at my joint’s reignition, “Do you ever pay attention during Mr. Cruickspice’s drama class?”

“No, why would I, drama girls are the worst. If you’re looking for damaged, there’s the place to go. Also,  you admit your betrayal Jack? Eh, whatever, we’ll still make a night of it won’t we boys?” Jake smiles and I have a sick feeling in my stomach as we exit off the freeway, I can’t imagine whatever he’s planning. 

’m on the highway, a miles sign tells me “HAVEKOST 5 MILES, CENTRAL CITY 8 MILES,  ST. FRANCIS 18 MILES,DRESDEN FALLS 23 MILES”

How the fuck did I make it out here? I can at least be thankful that home is the closest as I walk down the highway, my shirt back on completely. I check my pack to see if I have a cigarette. I do, but notice that I now have a tiny car instead of the wax in the cellophane. That must have happened back with the homeless/furry thing. I light my last cigarette and a sign tells me that a diner is down the road a half a mile and I scream ‘thank god’ to the vastness that are the stars, I’m kind of still tripping.

 I make it to the diner and inside there is just a few waitresses and a few random people. No cops, all that matters. 

I sit down at the counter and ask for coffee. I check my wallet and luckily I still have everything. The Waitress says to me “You look like shit, hard night?”

“Ma’am I was in the middle of a furry orgy after getting split from my friends. I have seen the end of days and it isn’t soon enough.” She gets another waitress to cover me. I get my coffee and somebody decides to turn on the tv. The news plays. 

A older white male, with perfect almost square teeth says” Good Morning Havoc City! I’m Tom Thompson. Top Story: an Orgy in Black Justice Park was stopped by local police a few hours ago. Apparently a group of people dressed up in animal costumes were having a decadent display on public property. Excuse me as we switch to to Debra Hunn for more. Viewer Discretion is Advised “

Oh shit.

“Hello, Tom! I’m at Black Justice Park where hours ago, hedonists were having sex in this very public setting. We have video of them. Here’s one where they are doing the act of fornication.”

Yep, on the tv there is blurred mountain of people in animal suits fucking. I’m speechless. 

“Here is another video of them running from the scene, where we also found a...ahh..a random bystander in the mayhem urinating!” The video follows a group of them, one being the Dalmation, However I had caught the eye of the Camera Man , who turns, to see me, half of my shirt on and the other over my shoulder and I have a huge smile and I can make out myself saying “Would you like some tea, helicopter?”  And with my other hand, my dick, surprisingly uncensored peeing. Oh my god. I’m ruined.

Everyone in the Diner looks at me. One of them laughs, the others just ignore me. I ask the room if I can use a charger so I can use my phone for a ride. No one answers but a younger but still worn out waitress let me use her’s.

[averagemarvelbitch]

Pride and Joy

Summary: AU where Tony Stark has a daughter, but then shit happens.

(Future Stony/ mentions of child abuse)

Chapter Four

March, 2005

Washington, DC, USA.

The table was covered in pictures. Men and women, of all ages and races, staring back at him with dead, unseeing eyes. Strangled, poisoned, shot, stabbed, drowned. A particular man, probably in his mid thirties, stood out. His skull had been crushed; brain, bone and blood covered the cold floor. Even after years on the job, Clint Barton still felt sick every time he had to look at scenes like that. He was no stranger to human cruelty. He had known, from a very early age, what people were capable of when given the right incentive. Still, seeing things like this, it always upset his stomach.

He took the file once again, re-reading the information SHIELD had managed to acquire on the infamous Black Widow. Truth be told, there wasn’t much. They knew she was a woman. They knew she’d been trained by the Red Room, some sort of academy for assassins and spies, as discovered by Director Peggy Carter years ago. And that was it. That was all the information they had. They didn’t know what she looked like. They couldn’t even confirm if all the kills credited to her had actually been her work. The Black Widow was a ghost and it was Clint’s mission to put an end to her.

He had forty-eight hours before the mission. SHIELD had planted the information that Andrei Mikhailovsky was in Germany and currently negotiating with an American agent, trading Russian secrets for asylum. The plan was to let the man wander through the city and go to a specific location while Clint kept an eye on him from afar. It was a risky plan, but it was their only chance to finally neutralize the Black Widow.

“Already familiar with all the details, I hope, Barton”, said a voice from the door. Clint didn’t turn nor did he acknowledge the new comer in any way, continuing to stare at the pictures on the table as if the other man wasn’t even there.

The man rolled his eyes and shook his head as he carefully approached the archer. As he got closer, Clint seemed to finally notice his presence, turning to look at him. The archer smiled and quickly turned on his hearing aids.

“Hey, Phil. Just getting acquainted with our little spider over here.”

“A very deadly little spider, try not to forget that part”, the older man answered, pressing his hands on the table and pushing his upper-body forward to take a better look at the pictures. He took one (the man with the broken skull) on his hands, examining it with a frown. “Very, very deadly spider”.

“I’ve face worse, you know that”.

“She’s killed half the agents we sent after her, Clint. And the other half just disappeared. Excuse me for worrying”, he said, throwing the picture back on the table.

“Hey”, Clint said softly, standing up and taking Coulson’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. “It’ll be fine. I’m pretty damn good at this job, boss”.

“This is highly unprofessional”, he answered, but did not move his hand.

“Oh boy, if you think this was unprofessional, you’re really not gonna like what I’m gonna do next”.

Clint did not give Coulson time to answer, pulling the older man to a deep kiss. He felt strong hands on his hips, pulling him even closer, as he circled Coulson’s neck with his own. God, he thought to himself, tongue caressing every inch of his partner’s mouth, I could kiss this man forever.

Too soon, they broke the kiss, foreheads touching as they tried to catch their breaths. They stayed like that for a moment, just breathing and admiring each other’s faces. Coulson touched Clin’ts red lips softly with his thumb, all his blood immediately going south when the younger man bit on it with a smirk. He took a step back, adjusting his suit and returning to his usual, very professional self.

“You have a plan to catch. Don’t die out there.”

“Oh, don’t worry, boss, I have plans this weekend that I really can’t miss”, Clint replied with a wink.

Coulson had his back turned to him as he left the room so Clint couldn’t see his face, but he’s willing to bet his bow and arrow that his partner was fighting a smile.

Clint couldn’t stop thinking about the Black Widow. He read and re-read the file a thousand times on his way to Germany. Peggy Carter’s neat handwriting was oddly soothing even though the words written brought Clint no peace of mind.

“According to the information acquired, the place is known as the Red Room, an academy for the training of assassins and spies in the Soviet Union. The place was discovered during a mission, in 1984, in which the Howling Commandos, SSR agent Jack Thompson and I infiltrated a facility believed to be a Leviathan base camp in Belarus.

Upon investigation, we discovered the facility had a structure similar to that of a school, with many rooms posing as classrooms, including a video room we believe was used to dispense subliminal messages through movies.

A young girl, around 10 years of age, was found in the facility. She stabbed Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan, managed to steal his weapon and shot Jonathan “Junior” Juniper, who died instantly.

We believe the Red Room trained young girls to become elite assassins and undercover operatives through a process of indoctrination and desensitizing, teaching them hand-to-hand combat and other tactical skills. We also believe other facilities similar to the one found exist throughout the Soviet Union.”

It was hard to believe something like this existed. Where did they even get the “young girls”?, he thought as he looked out the window, staring at the clouds. The pictures kept showing again and again on his mind. The brutality, the complete lack of empathy, it astonished. The worst part was he didn’t even know why he was so shocked with what he had read and seen. He had faced worse people in his life, both as a SHIELD agent and as a dumb teenager, but this one woman, knowing what she had probably gone through and what she had done, it made him sick to his stomach.

Maybe Phil was right. Maybe he really was projecting his own emotions on this target. He had had a very complicated childhood, followed by a crappy adolescence. Clint had gone through things no child should have to go through, and he knew in his heart that, if Phil Coulson hadn’t given him a chance that day, he’d probably be the one being target by SHIELD today. He owned his life to Phil and SHIELD. They had given him a chance to be someone else, something more than just the dishonest, murdering piece of shit that others had made of him. What if someone gave this woman the chance I was given?, he couldn’t help but wonder, would she choose the right side if someone gave her the chance?

February, 1983

Waverly, Iowa.

Barney was late. Again.

He really has no self-preservation skills, Clint thought as he slowly dragged a huge bag of garbage outside. Barney was supposed to be helping Clint clean the shop, but, as usual, he’d left early in the morning and had yet to return. God, Clint could already hear his father’s booming voice inside his head. You were supposed to help your brother, Barney, he would scream, you need to pull your weight if you want to live under my roof, you useless fucking cunt. Then Barney would scream back, because of course he would, he did every single time, the utter moron, and their father would get angrier and angrier and just smack both of them a good few times before passing out drunk in the living room. Sometimes having a brother fucking sucks, he thought to himself, throwing the bag into the garbage bin, trying so very hard not to rip it because, really, the last thing he needed right now was to be covered in rotten meat and bones.

 He went back to the shop, wrinkling his noise at the stench of old, dead animal, running straight to the sink to try and wash it off.

“Hey, shrimp”, he heard from behind him, turning around to see Barney, who was entering the shop with a big smile on his face. Clint was immediately suspicious.

“Where the hell were you? I had to take all the trash out by myself, asshole”.

“Hey, chill. I was helping Mr. Connor out with some boxes”.

“You’re supposed to be helping ME”.

“Yeah, well, that fat ass Harold doesn’t pay me”, he replied with a smile, putting his hand inside his pocket and taking two little pieces of chocolate out, “but Mr. Connor does. Here, take them, I already ate two!”

Clint didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly patted his hands on his worn out, dirty pants, trying to get them dry as fast as possible, before lunging himself at Barney, taking both pieces of chocolate. He put one in his mouth and almost moaned.

“Oh, man, that’s one of the good ones”.

“Yeah, none of that shit that tastes like cardboard! He gave me the expensive ones!”

“Awesome!”, the younger brother replied, already chewing the other piece with a  satisfied sigh.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s pretty good, now get your ass upstairs, I’ll finish up here”.

“Okay. Only thing left is mopping the front”.

“Yeah, I’ll do it. Take a shower, you stink”.

Sometimes having a brother can be pretty cool.

March, 2005.

Nuremberg, Germany.

It was cold. Too fucking cold. God, how he hated snow. He was wearing the new suit SHIELD had given him. It was warmer than the last one because science. The girl ― was it Fitz? Or Simmons? He always got confused with those two ― had explained to him every single new feature of his suit and Clint pretended to listen with interest while debating inside his own head what would be the best way to ask the girl if he could take one of the donuts on the nearby table. Still, even with all the thingamabobs they had put in his suit, it was fucking cold. Too fucking cold.

He was at the top of a building, bow and arrow on his back, watching Andrei intently and trying to find anything suspicious or out of place. Missions like this during winter were the worse. Everybody wore big coats with scarves covering their faces. Stupid winter.

“Hey, Andrei, you doing good, man”, Clint said on his comms, “you’re almost at the creepy ass house, just a little longer”.

“Do you see her?”, the Russian asked in a whisper, sounding terrified.

“Not yet, but don’t worry, I got you covered”.

“Why do I have to carry briefcase? Waste of time, makes it hard to run”.

“Come on, man, you were a spy. You know this shit. She sees the briefcase, she’s gonna think you’ve got something important there. That way she’ll only try to kill you in a place where she has easy access to it”.

Andrei huffed. “If you think that would stop Black Widow, you are more fool than I thought”. Clint decided to ignore the reply completely and just kept following him.

He knew the ex-KGB was scared. Damn, if it was him at Andrei’s place, he’d be scared shitless too. The man was a sitting duck, a literal walking target, and he was being hunted by one of the best assassins in the business. He had a damn good reason to be terrified. Clint couldn’t blame him for that.

It was a hard mission. Clint knew that. Andrei knew that. So many things could go wrong. The cold and the snow were problematic, he had no idea what the Black Widow looked like or even if they had really sent her in the first place. He had no idea what to expect from this. It’s true that was Clint’s specialty, going into the unknown with nothing but his courage, bow and arrow and devilish good looks. But this, this was another level entirely. Protecting a mobile target from an unknown threat was always hard. Protecting a mobile target from someone who once killed a man in the middle of a party with 400 people without being detected was, well, let’s just say it again, Andrei had a very real reason to be terrified.

Soon enough, Andrei reached the final destination of his little tour. And that’s when Clint saw her. She wore a black overcoat and had a blue scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, her red hair falling down like a fire waterfall. He barely had time to draw an arrow before she took out running. She was fast, even with the snow. Suddenly, a knife was flying through the air, aimed straight at Andrei’s head. She was fast and skilled. Well, I’m fast and skilled too, lady.

The arrow hit the knife with incredible precision. Clint smiled, proud of his own work and looked at where the supposed Black Widow was. She looked up, most likely trying to find him.

“Andrei, you might wanna run, man”, Clint said over the comms. It was pointless, really, because Andrei was no fool. He had already taken off, running as fast as he could inside the house.

The Black Widow soon followed. Clint aimed an arrow at her leg. He missed. Goddamn it, he thought, already drawing another arrow and trying to hit his target through the windows. Missed again.

“God fucking damn it”, he exclaimed, taking a “rope arrow” and aiming just above the window on the second floor. Using his bow, he quickly descended through the rope, slamming his body at the widow, glass going everywhere. He heard a gunshot. Shit shit shit.

Ok, so Clint was man enough to admit, the woman was terrifying. She stared at him like she was ready to cut him mouth to anus, open him up like a Christmas ham and feast on his insides. So, yeah, terrifying.

They fought. She was good. She was better than good. The Black Widow fought like she had been born for it. She fought like someone who had been fighting since preschool and had no problem in using every means necessary to win a fight. Clint knew his orders. Coulson’s voice suddenly appeared in his head as she broke his nose.

No one is going to cry too much over Andrei. Your priority is to eliminate the target. If it comes between saving his life and eliminating the Black Widow, you eliminate the target. Do you understand, agent?

He reached behind his back, trying desperately not to choke on his own blood as she pressed his own bow harder at his throat. Finally, he managed to grab one of the sedative arrows. He quickly covered his mouth and nose as pink smoke came out of his quiver. The Black Widow let go. Clint fell to the ground, covering his face and trying not to breath. He heard the sound of a body hitting the wooden floor and turned back. The Black Widow was down.

The smoke dissipated. Clint turned around, still sitting on the floor, and looked at her. He had a gun. He could make it fast, easy. She was heavily sedated, she wouldn’t even feel it. It would be mercy, really.

There’s no point in interrogating her. She won’t talk. Torture doesn’t work and she has no weak spots. Eliminate her on sight.

But shit. She looked young. Barely an adult. God, she was probably the same age he was when he… Damn. I had a second chance. Doesn’t she deserve one too? He knew it was different, but… Was it really? Were she and him really that different? She’d had a shitty childhood, much shittier than Clint’s, that’s for sure. Harold had been an abusive dick, but he was no Red Room. They had taken everything from her. Just like they had taken everything from Clint. Maybe, maybe she was more like him than he thought. Maybe all she needed was a chance to be good.

He turned his head, looking straight at Andrei’s body, blood covering the floor. Shit, he thought, getting up and walking towards the woman, Coulson is going to make me sleep on the couch for a year.

September, 1985.

Waverly, Iowa.

It was a good night. And Clint was aware how rare good nights were in his house, so he was determined to enjoy it. His mother was making steaks. Steaks! He couldn’t remember the last time he ate steaks. He started salivating just thinking about it. His father only ever let them have the crappy meats, the ones no one would buy. But today he had been in a good mood. According to Barney, some fancy guy had bought a shitload of meat from the shop and Harold was smiling from ear to ear. And when Harold was happy ― which was VERY rare ― so was the rest of the family.

Clint was sitting at the table, drawing in a piece of paper. He sometimes raised his head and watched his mother for a few minutes, cooking and humming a song he didn’t recognize. She looked happy. She deserved to be happy. He smiled. Barney was cutting potatoes, sometimes glancing longingly at the steaks. The whole kitchen smelled great. It was a great night. So, of course, Harold had to ruin it.

He came into the kitchen so fast Clint didn’t even notice him before he grabbed his hair and pulled him from his chair. He cried out in pain, trying to escape his father’s death grip.

“WHERE IS THE MONEY, YOU FUCKING CUNT”, he screamed, eyes wide and face as red as a tomato. He stank of alcohol. This is not good, was all Clint could think of.

“Let him go, Harold!”

“HE STOLE THE MONEY, EDITH, HE CLEANED OUT THE REGISTER, I KNOW IT WAS YOU BOY, WHERE IS IT”.

“He didn’t steal nothing, you fucking drunk, put him down”, Barney exclaimed, and when the man didn’t listen, he took the knife he was using before and waved it around menacingly, “PUT HIM DOWN”.

That finally got his father’s attention. He let go of Clint like he was a dirty sack of potatoes and stepped closer to his older son.

“Oh, is that how it is. You’re a big man now, aren’t you, you useless piece of shit? I bet it was you, wasn’t it. You’ve always been a greedy little bastard”.

“No one took your money, Harold, for the love of God”, Edith begged, putting herself between her son and her husband, “please, stop this!”

But Harold was having none of it. He took his wife’s arm and twisted it, pulling her closer. “You want to protect these little fuckers? FINE”.

He started dragging her out of the kitchen. “Stay with your brother”, Edith said when Barney tried to go after her, “stay with him, okay, dear?”

She was obviously trying not to cry, but both children could see the solitary tear streaming down her face. Harold slammed the kitchen door closed. Barney went straight for Clint, hugging his younger brother. “It’s gonna be okay”, he whispered as the boy covered his ears with both hands and cried, “it’s gonna be alright”.

This could have been a good night.

March, 2005.

Nuremberg, Germany.

She was still out, which was good, because Clint had no clue what he was going to say to her. Shooting people with a bow and arrow? Easy. Infiltrating the heavily guarded mansion of the boss of one of the most dangerous cartels in the world? Ugh, at least give him a challenge. Now, social interactions of any kind? Yeah, that was a big no-no.

So here he was, sitting on the floor, eating some cup noodles while he stared at the red headed woman in front of him, thinking what the hell he was going to say to her and how the hell he was going to convince her to join SHIELD. They were inside an old police station used by the agency as a safe house. There was no one there but Clint and the Black Widow. He had bound both her arms and legs and put her in one of the cells, locking the door and hiding the key. Not that any of this would actually stop her, he thought, wincing as he touched his broken nose. But it was the best he could do right now and that would just have to do.

He had called Coulson. Informed him that Andrei was dead, that they needed a cleanup crew to take care of the scene and that he had taken a very much alive Black Widow to a SHIELD safe house, surprise! Needless to say, his partner was not happy. He maintained a professional stance, like he always did, the perfect bastard, but Clint knew his Phil enough to notice the strain in his voice, the worry in his words. There were so many ways this could go wrong. So many. She could manage to run away and inform her employers that SHIELD was on to them. She could kill Clint in the process, leaving Phil to bury a disfigured body (if there even was a body in the end). She could accept Clint’s offer, betray him, steal a shitload of SHIELD’s secrets and return to Russia a hero. So many damn things could go wrong. But Clint knew that, if he didn’t do this, if he didn’t try, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Phil had been very honest with him. You’re projecting, agent Barton, he had said over the phone, she’s not you. She’s nothing like you. She doesn’t have what you have. And Clint knew what he meant. She didn’t have a Barney. She didn’t have a burning regret that destroyed her very being and reminded her everyday of how easy it was to succumb to a life of hatred and revenge. But maybe she had something else. Something that would make leaving this life of torture and complete lack of autonomy an easy choice, a smart choice. He could only hope that was the case. He was too young and handsome to die a horrible death on the hands of the world’s best assassin.

The woman stirred slightly. She moaned in a soft tone, moving her head slowly to the side, her eyes blinking as she woke up. The sedative was a strong one. She wouldn’t be able to actually move her body for at least three more hours, so that gave Clint plenty of time to talk to her. I hope. He continued to eat his noodles and stare at her. She stared right back at him, her face giving away nothing. She can put Coulson’s Neutral Face of Displeasure right out of business.

“Hi. I’m Clint”.

Oh for the love of fuck, did I just say “Hi, I’m Clint” to the world’s greatest assassin? What the ever loving fuck is wrong with me?

She said nothing, just kept on staring at him with dead eyes.

“So… I’d offer you some noodles, but I’m pretty sure you’d just get sick and throw up all over the floor, which would be gross. And, I’m gonna be very honest here with you, I’m also scared that if I get any closer you’re gonna bite my ear off and use it as a weapon”.

Still, she said nothing, but he could see the ghost of a smile on her lips.

“So, yeah. To summon up, I’m Clint. I work for SHIELD and they sent me here to kill you. So… Yeah, nice to meet you”.

“Why didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry?”

She cocked her head slightly to the side, assessing him. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, no, I made a different call. I thought we could, you know, chat a bit, talk about the weather, our favorite TV shows, that sort of thing. You watch Friends?”

“You want information, then. You’re wasting your time”.

“No, no”, he replied, stuffing his mouth with more noodle, which made a bit hard to properly talk, “I mean, I’m not a complete sucker, you feel like giving me some information, I’m not gonna say no. But no, that’s not the reason you’re still alive. I mean, I read your file. SHIELD knows there is nothing we could do to you to make you talk, so yeah, that would’ve been a complete waste of time”.

“You talk too much”. Her voice was still a bit sluggish, but Clint could still hear the heavy Russian accent.

 “So I’ve been told. So… Uh, are you by any chance looking for a new job? ‘Cause we could definitely use you at SHIELD. Plus we’ve got medical, dental, and the pay isn’t bad either”.

“You... Are you trying to hire me?”

“Yeah. Wasn’t it obvious?”

She raised an eyebrow, looking a bit confused. “I’d say this is the most bizarre job interview I’ve ever had, but then I’d be lying”.

“Good, Honesty is good. Honesty is the main foundation of any relationship. So, you’re interested?”

“If I say yes, will you let me go?” When Clint hesitated to answer, she smiled, “That’s what I thought”.

“Hey, come on, we just met. We need time to bond, to trust each other”.

“My employers trust me. You and your SHIELD could never. I’d be watched all the time, every step, every move. It doesn’t sound like a very fun work environment”.

“Do they? Your employers”, he clarified when she cocked her head in question, “Do they trust you? Or do they think you’re a pretty robot who can’t think for herself and just does as she’s told without ever questioning orders?”

She smiled. “So you think I’m pretty”.

“I’ve met someone else from the Red Room. Her name was Dorothy Underwood. SHIELD has some footage of her questioning. I noticed a few things, you know. Like the fact that she didn’t develop a personality, probably because the Red Room keeps their assets a blank slate to make it easier to control them and to mold them into whatever character they need to become to achieve their goals. Three people interrogated her. She mimicked them, like a mirror, the way they talked, the way they moved. Then, another person would come in, and she would change completely. You’re not like that, though. I can see it. Which means that you’re not a mindless puppet. Am I wrong?”

The Black Widow did not move. She did not take her eyes from him. Her face was as blank as it was when she first woke up. She said nothing.

“I don’t think I’m wrong. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that maybe you’ve thought about leaving. You’ve thought about what it would be like to make your own decisions, to be your own person. To be more than just the Black Widow, to be… What’s your name again?”

“Natalia”, she replied in a whisper, “Natalia Romanova”.

Clint wasn’t expecting that. Maybe she was lying, just saying whatever name popped in her head, but… She looked sincere. She was looking down, pensive. Like she herself couldn’t believe she had just said that. If it was true, if that was really her real name, then maybe this would work. Maybe Clint was getting somewhere with all his crazy talk.

“Is that your real name? Or is that the name they gave you?”

“My real one. My parents gave me this name”.

“What happened to them?”

“Too poor. Hungry. Cold. They were offered money. They needed money. They could always make another child”.

The words. They sounded rehearsed, like the woman had been made to repeat them again and again and again until she knew them but heart. Until they became her truth.

“Is that what they told you?” Clint asked. She did not look at him, nor did she answer. “Where are your parents now?”

“I don’t know”.

“Wouldn’t you like to know them? Wouldn’t you like to know if that’s the truth?”

“What does it matter?” She answered, looking up at him. Her eyes hid some much pain Clint could almost feel it. “The past cannot be changed. The truth will change nothing”.

“You’re right. You can’t change your past. But you can change your future.”

“What future is there for me? You say you read my file. You know what I have done. What future is there for someone like me?”

“If I can have a future, so can you”.

This time, she laughed a humorless laugh. “I have stolen, and killed, and tortured in the name of my country”.

“I know. I’ve done that for SHIELD too. And…” He stopped, looking down at his now cold noodles with a sad smile. “I’ve done that before SHIELD too”.

The Black Widow was silent. Then, “Tell me your story”, she whispered.

Clint looked at her, surprised. “Okay. My father was an abusive drunk. He would hit us and shout at us. My mother took the heat when she could. They died when my brother and I were young. Car accident. He was drunk.”

Natalia nodded. “And then?”

“Foster homes. Hundreds of them. Well, not really, I’m clearly exaggerating, but yeah, a lot. Last one was the Millers. Nice couple, took Barney and me to the Circus one time. Three days later, Mr. Miller punched my brother so hard he had a concussion. We got the hell out of there after that. One abusive asshole had been enough to last a lifetime, thank you very much”.

“Where did you go?”

“The Circus. We hid on the back of one of their trucks. Trick-Shot, one of the carnies, found us. Gave us a lecture about hitching a ride without asking permission and told us he would call social services to take us home. We told him what had happened. He said ”fuck the system” and let us stay. Barney and I, we worked hard. I learned this…”, he said, patting the bow and arrow beside him on the ground, “… And I was good. Well, you saw it”.

“I did. It was quite impressive. For a man in a purple unitart”, she replied, with mirth.

“Yeah, well, I was the best. And I liked it there. But Barney wanted to leave. He wanted to join the army, so he got out. And I stayed. And I trusted the wrong people. His name was Jacques, the Swordsman. I caught him stealing money from the Circus. He beat me up to a bloody pulp, worse than even Harold ― my asshole of a father”, he explained when the red head shot him a confused look, “worse than he had ever done. He would’ve killed me if Trick-Shot hadn’t found us. He drove the asshole away and helped me get better. Then he told me about this business of his, easy money, easy job. We stole from some people, killed some other on the way. I figured, he saved me, you know. Least I can do is help him out. So I did. Then, one day he told me he had a big job, a game changer”.

“What was the mission?”

“Steal from Marko, the guy who loaned money to Jacques.”

He has a lot of security, so we need a sniper. You kill all the guards with that bow and arrow of yours while I get inside and take the money.

“What happened?”, Natalia asked in a whisper.

Clint huffed, shaking his head. “Turns out, my brother had done real great in the army. He became a CIA agent. His first job was to cover Marko’s ass. Protect him at all costs. I didn’t know it was him. Put an arrow through his heart”. Clint? Is that you? “He recognized me. He was coughing blood, could barely talk. Trick-Shot knew the whole time. He didn’t tell me”. No, no, please, Barney, no! “He died in my arms. I got pissed. Tried to kill Trick-Shot, but he was better than me. He took one of my own arrows, impaled me to a tree with it and left. Told me he would come back to kill me properly some day. SHIELD showed up”.

“And offered you a job?”

“Hell no!”, he laughed, “Arrested me. I told them all I knew, didn’t care either way. Than Co… This agent showed up. He tried to convince me that I was worth a damn, that I could do some good. It took him months to actually get through my thick skull, but hey, I had just killed my brother and been betrayed, again, by someone I considered family. It was hard to trust anybody else at that moment, especially a guy in a fancy suit”.

“How did he convince you?”

“He offered me something I desperately wanted but didn’t think I could have”.

“What was that?”

“A good life”.

Natalia was silent. She looked away from Clint, a thoughtful expression on her face. Clint waited.

“I will do it. I will be loyal to your SHIELD. I will do everything they tell me to do. But there is one condition”.

“Name it. I’ll see what I can do”.

“There is a girl. In the Red Room. I trained her. I want her”.

“To be an agent?”

“To be a person”, Natalia replied immediately, looking at Clint with determination, “she never submitted to the handlers, not the way others have. She follows the rules, she pretends to be compliant, but I know her. She will slip, make a mistake soon, and she’ll be killed for her actions. I can’t let that happen”.

“Ok. That sounds reasonable. I’ll talk to SHIELD, we’ll track her down. We won’t stop until we find her”.

“Then I’m yours”.

And in that moment, looking into Natalia’s eyes, he finally realized. As it turned out, they did have something in common. They both had someone they wanted to protect, someone they failed, someone they desperately needed to have safe and sound even if it cost them everything. In Clint’s case, it was already too late. Barney was dead, he was never coming back. But Natalia still had a chance. Natalia could still safe her Barney.

“What’s the girl’s name?”

“Anastasia”, she replied with longing in her voice, “her name is Anastasia”.

#pride and joy #chapter four #natasha romanoff #stony #tony stark #clint barton #black widow #hawkeye #Iron Man #captain america #steve rogers

[undertheinfluencerd]

Elijah Wood Thinks a Grand Theft Auto Movie or TV Show Would Be Amazing

Actor Elijah Wood has revealed that he believes that a movie or television series based on Grand Theft Auto would be an amazing idea. Woods most famously portrayed ringbearer Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since then he has also appeared in numerous other films and TV shows including Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency on Netflix and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. More recently, Wood has been confirmed to be joining the Toxic Avenger reboot alongside Peter Dinklage and Julia Davis.

Outside of acting, Wood is an avid gamer and, alongside his live-action roles, has also provided voice work in several video games including voicing Shay in Broken Age, Spyro the Dragon in several games, and briefly appeared as Kratos’ brother in God of War III. In 2005, he was also selected to host MTV’s coverage of the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Related: Every Horror Movie Coming In Fall 2021

Appearing on Hot Ones, Wood’s history with video games was brought up by host Sean Evans. The actor was asked which video game he believes would be best suited for a movie or TV adaptation, to which Wood immediately had an answer. Wood said that he believed “the universe of [Grand Theft Auto] lends itself beautifully to a screen adaptation” and added that, in particular, an adaptation of Vice City or GTA V “would be amazing.” Read Wood’s full statement below:

The universe of GTA lends itself beautifully to a screen adaptation, or a TV show. I think Vice City could be amazing, although that already is sort of inspired by Miami Vice. But GTA Five, I mean, the kinds of characters that are present within the context of that game very much lends itself either to a film or TV series. That would be amazing.

Wood also expressed his excitement for the upcoming Resident Evil adaptation being produced by Netflix. He noted that while some may enjoy Paul W.S. Anderson’s original Resident Evil film, it’s a very different beast to the original games. Wood says that he is looking forward to seeing the upcoming adaptation return to the games’ horror genre roots.

While not directly an adaptation of any video game per se, there technically has already been a GTA movie in the form of The Gamechangers, which focused on the infamous legal feud between Rockstar founder Sam Housen (Daniel Radcliffe) and U.S. attorney Jack Thompson (Bill Paxton) over the morality of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. That said, a proper movie or series based on GTA feels long overdue, perhaps even involving Wood in some capacity.

It would certainly be interesting to see the world of GTA brought to life on the big-screen. The issue, as Wood notes, is that many of the previous installments (including GTA V) have drawn heavily from film and television, so it would perhaps be difficult to facilitate a film adaptation without feeling too much like it was trying to emulate other works. That said, GTA V was far more standalone in its narrative, and the actions and misdeeds of the core trio of characters would certainly make for an excellent adaptation.

More: How Tall Is Elijah Wood?

Source: Hot Ones

The post Elijah Wood Thinks a Grand Theft Auto Movie or TV Show Would Be Amazing appeared first on undertheinfluencerd.net.

#Undertheinfluence #weed

[filmstruck]

Raise a Toast to WHISKEY GALORE! (’49) by Nathaniel Thompson

It’s a pleasure to report that the ever-evolving selection of titles here at FilmStruck charting the incredible film legacy of Britain’s Ealing Studios is continuing at a fast clip these days, and now with a click or two you can feast your eyes on one of the loosest and most purely pleasurable titles Ealing ever crafted. Released in 1949, WHISKEY GALORE! came at a high point for the studio when it opened nearly back-to-back with two of its other golden age classics, KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS and PASSPORT TO PIMLICO.

Based on a real-life incident from the early days of World War II in which a shipment of wayward whiskey ended up being salvaged by the residents of a Scottish island (much to their delight), the film is based on a novel by the prolific Compton Mackenzie, who was enlisted to write the screenplay as well (along with frequent Ealing scribe Angus MacPhail) and has a small role here as Captain Buncher. Interestingly, the film goes to great pains in an opening crawl to note “our story and the characters in it are pure fiction,” and a voiceover was imposed on the final moments to dissuade any impressionable moviegoers out there from going out and binging on hard liquor as soon as they left the theater.

Warnings aside, WHISKEY GALORE! is the first directorial credit for one of Ealing’s prized filmmakers, Alexander Mackendrick, who is the focus of a spotlight on FilmStruck featuring such other gems as MANDY (’52), THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT (’51), THE MAGGIE (’54), THE LADYKILLERS (’55), and the non-Ealing masterpiece, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (’57). Watch ‘em in order, starting with this one, for a real eye-opening look at how someone can evolve over the course of a decade! Raised in Scotland, Mackendrick had his hands full with this, the first Ealing film shot entirely on location, and the powers that be weren’t impressed with his initial cut. Another Ealing director and jack of all trades, Charles Crichton, was enlisted to do some additional work on the project (which at one point was being considered as a throwaway secondary feature with half an hour dropped from its running time). Fortunately saner heads prevailed and the film was released more respectfully to much acclaim and instant popular affection. Though it took some time for a few Ealing classics to reach their full stature among world cinema, this one had no such issues. It’s still a revered title in the U.K., so much so that it inspired a thorough TV documentary called Distilling Whiskey Galore and spawned a theatrical production and a 2016 remake starring Eddie Izzard and James Cosmo. (It isn’t half bad either.)

Strangely, American theater owners couldn’t advertise the word “whiskey” to the public and insisted on a title change, so instead they got to run it as TIGHT LITTLE ISLAND. (Weird side note: the French title for this film was WHISKEY A GO-GO, which will sound familiar as the inspiration for two very locales, the first French discotheque and the namesake for the legendary L.A. music venue and nightspot on Sunset Blvd.)

As mentioned above, this film was shot on location (at least before some of the studio reshoots), primarily on Barra in Scotland’s Western Islands. The mixture of religions on the island consisting of Protestants and Catholics gave it a unique flavor as well as providing a colorful variety of locales, such as the Calvinist church that plays a prominent role in the film (but switches its religious affiliation). The story of the island’s populace racing against time to hold on to the illicit, heaven-sent supply of whiskey from the stormy ocean is of course an amusing framework to provide a snapshot of Scottish life at the time, with much-loved Ealing names like Basil Radford and Joan Greenwood headlining a stellar cast blessed with more character moments than you’d ever expect in such a tight 82 minutes. The whiskey stashing turns out to be beautifully cinematic, including a montage sequence worthy of a classic Looney Tunes short, but there’s a nice balance of humanity and warmth as well including the obligatory love story at the center.

On a personal note, I’ve always had a soft spot for this film as a primary (if not always openly acknowledged) influence on one of the all-time great Scottish films, Bill Forsyth’s LOCAL HERO (’83). You could trace WHISKEY GALORE! as the inspiration for any number of quirky portrayals of non-urban locals banding together to ward off an outside bureaucratic or military force, but the LOCAL HERO connection is really inescapable with its corporate-goaded main character being transformed by his exposure to the local population. In an interview with The New York Times quite a while before that film hit the States, Forsyth admitted they screened WHISKEY GALORE! before writing their own script, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Producer David Puttnam, who was hot off an Oscar win with CHARIOTS OF FIRE (’82), got pretty sniffy about comparisons to Ealing in general and this film in particular during his interview at the time, noting, “their ideas were often better than their execution. What we’re trying to do is make a modest-budget film that looks like a big film and a local film with universal implications.” Well, sorry, Mr. Puttnam; time has validated the worth of Ealing’s little whiskey-sodden gem on its own terms and buoyed it to classic status in its native country and a high watermark in the legacy of a studio whose incredible output is still ripe for rediscovery on these shores.

#FilmStruck #Alexander Mackendrick #Whisky Galore! #StreamLine Blog #Nathaniel Thompson #Ealing Studios

[totesmccoats]

  Batman and the Signal #1

After years of teasing and buildup, Duke Thomas finally has a suit and a codename. As the Signal, he protects Gotham during the day, when the Bats are all sleeping. Besides being the only non-nocturnal member of the Bat-family, he’s also the first with powers, albeit, powers he doesn’t quite understand. He can “read” light, and is able to reconstruct images of where it’s been and where it’s going. Essentially, he has the ability to rewind and fast-forward his perception.

His first assignment, given to him by Batman, is to investigate the recent spree of metahuman teenagers – like Duke – popping up in Gotham. But even with his training under Batman, there’s no guarantee he’ll even survive his first day.

Duke Thomas has always been a breath of fresh air to the recent Batman mythos. For one, he’s not a dark haired white guy. (I know Todd was blond at one point; and also wish that Damian was more often depicted as half-Asian, but he’s not.) He’s also been a bit of a perpetual outsider; someone a distance removed from the Bats and Robins. So it makes sense to give him an entire 12 hours to himself, to become his own type of hero. He’s also got his own crew, the former members of We Are Robin, whom he’s let into his superhero life. In one issue, he’s already showing how he’s doing things his own way.

On the art side of things, Hammer and Martin are showing us a side of Gotham we don’t often see; what it looks like during the day. But also, Duke takes them into the streets more than the rooftops. Being a daytime hero means more groundwork, and also running into more people as they go through their daily routines. Despite what we usually see of the city, during the day, Gotham can be surprisingly bright and spacious. And the modern style of the new Wayne-funded developments even give the city a few shades of Metropolis. The brightness continues through Duke’s costume, which takes the yellow highlights found in Batman and the Robin’s costumes, and makes it the primary color. Eventually, even his black chestpiece is replaced with a more reflective material, bouncing the light back rather than absorbing it.

Between the half dozen Batman books DC has running at any given time, it’s easy to feel overexposed by Gotham city. Turns out all you need to make it feel new again is let the sunshine in.

  Batman: White Knight #4

Jack continues with his plan to take over Gotham – nicely – announcing his run for city councilman; and turning his campaign launch into a PR stunt when he gets Batman and Gordon to interrupt and arrest him for no reason. Blackport is already overwhelmingly in favor of Jack, and the rest of Gotham is slowly turning. Even Gordon is convinced by Jack’s plan to use the Batman fund to instead fund a new team of super-cops; and Jack hopes that Gordon can convince Batgirl and Nightwing to turn as well.

Meanwhile, Neo-Joker leads the mind-controlled villains on a raid of Gotham PD headquarters to steal files and find a way for her to reawaken Joker. She also tells Mad Hatter how she came to meet, and fall for, the supervillain.

But, for my money, the most interesting development is that Harley senses that somewhere along the line, Jack legitimately turned his plan to get revenge on Batman and the GCPD into a way to save and improve Gotham. And if anyone would know, it would be her, the person who knows him best, and a professional psychologist. Maybe the Joker really is dead.

And, of course, Batman keeps playing right into Jack’s hands – almost causing a riot at his campaign launch, and pushing Gordon away by refusing to listen to a plan that could help them both. If Bruce still has a chance at saving his own hind, he’s letting it slip past him awfully quickly.

SGM is really out-doing himself with the art in this series too, and can switch things from the sweetness of Jack and Harley spending a night out together, to the brutality of this Batman’s ways of taking out criminals, and the pathos of Neo-Joker’s backstory. Plus, there’s a garage full of the GCPD’s idea of what their Batmobiles should be like, and if there’s one thing he goes all out on – it’s cars.

  Batman #38

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, although, I can assure you you haven’t. One rich kid, two murdered parents, a butler, a desire for vengeance. But this isn’t Bruce Wayne. It’s Matthew, the son of a couple who worked on Wayne’s board. As Bruce, he assures Matthew that the person behind the murders will be caught, and that he’ll be taken care of. As Batman, he investigates. The first suspect is Zsasz. Shortly after this discovery, Zsasz’s parents are found dead in their home. But Zsasz didn’t do it. Then, another couple is killed.

Coming off the perfectly delightful Superfriends two-parter, King reminds us he can also write twisted noir Batman with this one-shot story that’s a twist, not just of the Batman origin story, but of all the twists on the Batman origin to come before it. It also plays into King’s larger arc of Bruce Wayne trying to heal past the trauma that’s defined him. Just because Matthew is very much like Bruce Wayne, and looks up to Bruce Wayne, does not make him Bruce Wayne, nor any of the Robins or other heroes with similar backstories. Sometimes, tragedy doesn’t result in heroes.

And, despite the darkness of this issue in particular, King still finds places to inject humor. The clues Batman ends up following to solve the mystery, down to his final deduction, could’ve come straight from the Adam West show – just add blood.

  Justice League #36

Following the opening of a congressional investigation into the Justice League, the chairwoman leading the investigation is assassinated by a Batman doppelganger. The next day, the public pressure from the investigation and assassination, as well as personal agendas not lining up with the team’s charter, further increases fissures in team cohesion as they try to prevent another international incident involving a nuclear sub in Chinese waters.

I can’t remember the last comic book to make me so stressed. If Priest succeeds in one thing this issue, it’s selling how stressed everyone in the League is at the moment. Aquaman’s balancing being part of the League with being the King of his people; Wonder Woman is starting to think that Batman’s rules are interfering with her mission of peace; Superman’s being called to testify at congressional hearings; Simon feels that the League’s charter is preventing him from saving lives; and Batman’s gotta somehow heard all these cats while also dealing with a doppleganger using his example to kill people. It’s a lot to deal with, and adding to all of it, the public ain’t the biggest fan of vigilantism right now.

I’m also really enjoying Wood’s art on this series. It’s bold and colorful, unabashedly heroic, almost to prove by aesthetics alone how necessary the League is in spite of the public’s doubts. On the other hand, he perfectly captures the stress in every heroes face as they deal with each-other and other mounting stressors. They’re larger than life, but also relatably human – a very fine line that he nonetheless walks.

  Green Arrow #38

Another Ferreyra illustrated issue, hell yeah! I don’t think I get this excited over any other artist. He kills it every issue he’s on. This one included. From Dinah kneeing Ollie in the balls, to a sunset on the beach, to an underground fight; he does it all with style and personality.

After Dinah and Henry rescue Ollie from the trench in the Pacific ocean Moira abandoned him in, Ollie has to make things up to Dinah for almost getting himself killed in the pursuit of money. Meanwhile, Moira resurfaces and reconnects with Malcolm Merlyn, and together, hope to pay back her debt to the Ninth Circle. Unfortunately for them, they’ve decided they’re already settled.

How else could this issue end but a three way fight between team Arrow, Moira and Malcolm, and the assassin the Ninth Circle sent to collect their debt? Well, many ways; but none as satisfying.

  Black Bolt #9

Black Bolt and Blinky visit Titania to tell her that her husband is dead. And then the three of them hold a funeral for Crusher Creel. It starts with a toast at his local watering hole, and ends with a visit from Captain America and Odinson, who come to pay their respects to a worthy adversary who died a hero’s death.

This issue got to me. I’m no bastion of emotional fortitude or nothing, but, because of everything leading up to this, this death meant something, and Crusher’s funeral means something too. Within the pages of this story, Crusher found love and redemption. That his funeral drew heroes and villains alike says that his life mattered because in the end, he chose to give his own for someone else’s. It’s a simple story, but a powerful one. We’re all loved. We all matter. No matter where we come from, we can all choose to be heroic. And that will matter too.

  Hawkeye #14

Kate remains captured by Eden, who gives her a moment with her mother to convince her to turn her back on Clint.

Meanwhile, Clint and Kate’s friends make a plan to find where Eden took Kate, and save her. The plan Clint comes up with after finding out where Eden and Kate are? Kidnap Madame Masque, who’s still in a Kate clone body, and pull the ol’ switcharoo on Eden. Like most of Clint’s plans, he hasn’t thought this one entirely through.

This is mainly a Clint issue, and it’s great how Thompson continues the tradition of writing Clint as an almost utter fuckup, but importantly, a likable fuckup who always tries his best.

  Rise of the Black Panther #1

This series, which serves as a retelling of T’Challa’s origins and early years as Black Panther, has two Black Panther’s in it, neither of whom are T’Challa. The book begins with his grandfather Azzuri meeting Captain America and the two working together to defend Wakanda from Hydra; then follows the reign of T’Chaka, as told by his first wife, and T’Challa’s mother, N’Yami. Together, the story tells of two kings who broke tradition for the betterment of Wakanda. Azzuri gave vibranium to an outsider so that he could use it to save the world; and T’Chaka made a common woman his Queen, and gave her the resources she needed to study vibranium and develop new technologies from it. But, it is also a story of Wakanda being pulled onto the world stage as it is attacked by outsiders for the first time. Wakanda is able to repel them, but always at a cost.

This first issue does a great job at establishing the legacy that T’Challa inherits from his forefathers; a legacy of a recently unified country just beginning to expand past its history of secrecy. It presents T’Challa inheriting a country at the height of its power, but also, at its most vulnerable. It also establishes that whatever T’Challa does, he’s following in the footsteps of imperfect men. This issue ends with the stakes being that T’Challa has to be a Black Panther unlike any Wakanda has ever known. The next ones will have to tell us how he begins to become that.

  Paper Girls #19

The Girls, and Chris, decide to find old!Tiff before she gets smushed by the giant robots, and when we meet old!Tiff, she has a run in of her own with some future-folk. And through the whole issue, including the Girls and Chris finding old!Tiff and going to a church for safety, Mac doth protest KJ’s lesbianism way too much, to the point where her edginess begins irking the other characters.

Like pretty much every issue this arc, this one moves quickly, ending almost before you know it. And, a lot of this issue is characters playing catch-up with one another as they go over that Tiff is married to Chris, Tiff can see the fighting robots, and time-war. Like, it makes sense in-universe that the characters have to re-explain everything to the people who weren’t there for the initial exposition, but being that we the audience presumably know most of this, it stalls the issue and the overall story a bit too much.

Crosswind #6

Cason and Juniper finally meet in Seattle and prepare to defend themselves and each-other’s friends and families from the gang coming to kill them all.

Like all great finales, this is an issue full of self-actualization and beautiful bloody coups de grace, mostly from June, who finally stands up to her whimpering douchebag husband. Cason also actualizes, deciding what he wants to do with the rest of his life, being that he can’t go back after today. By the end of the issue, Simone manages to bring all of her characters to satisfying places, while still giving them some room for inferred growth.

Staggs, meanwhile, gets to finally deliver on the action and blood front, and even draws a poignant send off for her recently departed dog.

The final panel of this issue promises more Crosswind, but with such a satisfying ending, I have to hope the series continues as an anthology, showing us another incredibly freaky-friday.

Comic Reviews 1/3/18 Batman and the Signal #1 After years of teasing and buildup, Duke Thomas finally has a suit and a codename.

#batman #black bolt #black panther #crosswind #dc comics #green arrow #hawkeye #joker #justice league #marvel #paper girls #signal #white knight

[lililala1008]

THOMPSON UNIVERSAL CUTTER AND TOOL GRINDER

The universal cutter and tool grinding device now being produced by the Thompson Grinder Co., Springfield, Oh, was designed for improving all types of blades and reamers and, in addition, for performing all the round, inner, and area crushing likely to happen in the produce of blades, reamers, counterbores, routine bushings, arbors, and little device parts. There are three different types of generate for this device. The particular grinding device proven in the associated with representation is a self-contained, belt-driven style, having a jack-shaft on the back of the line. This self-contained style may also be organized with a engine generate, the engine being connected to the back of the line. The third type of generate is belt-driven from a countershaft.

This universal grinding device may be used for such functions as improving manage mincing blades, part mincing blades, placed teeth face generators, end-mills, big or little saws, gear-cutters, form blades, faucets, counterbores, reamers, etc. When improving part mincing blades, the teeth may be given either straight or Universal Tool Grinder concave approval. The universal go given this device is so organized that the tool or cutter may be kept in any place that may be expected comparative to the rim. This go is flexible in either a straight or horizontally aircraft, and it provides a keeping which. In combination with bushings, collets, or arbors, may be used for having various cutting tools in place. As end-mills must of requirement receive collets, they can take place safely and perfectly by the blend shank and, at the same time, be centered in a significant keeping which guarantees crushing the teeth perfectly.

In order to increase the range of this device, it may be built with accessories for round crushing, inner crushing, area crushing, concave and convex crushing. The round crushing connection is proven used to the device in the representation. This connection contains the drum for the countershaft with wardrobe hangers and a calculated handle, a universal go spindle with a handle for a quarter-inch round buckle, a universal place, a faceplate with a draw-in collet, and a flexible dog. The interior crushing connection is used in connection with the round crushing connection. The driving handle is installed on the crushing rim spindle in place Of the Thompson Worldwide Cutter machine and Device Grinder crushing rim. The connection is organised on the top side of the device in such a way that the buckle may easily be stiffened.

When the device is used for area crushing, the buggy is swiveled at right perspectives to the crushing rim spindle and the work is traversed straight under the crushing rim, the cross-feed being acquired by means of the cross-slide attach. This connection can be kept in the universal go for crushing at any position. The concave and convex crushing connection is used when blades having round sides are being ground. The center of the connection is located straight under the top side edge of the crushing rim and the cross-slide is fed in or out to suit the distance needed. This connection is not a part of the regular equipment. Cutter machine crushing is conducted on the left-hand part of this device, while the right-hand part is organized for tool crushing. The tool crushing does not intervene in any way with the use or modification of the cutter crushing part.

[plymouthrockquotes]

D.D. Bishop, Development of the Plymouth Rock: or, The Plymouth Rock as a Bird and as a Breed, 1880

Page 3: The putting of the work into this present shape was suggested to my own mind by finding the first thing that I ever wrote upon the “law” of the Dominique color quoted at large in a pamphlet upon Plymouth Rocks, which I purchased at the book counter at one of our shows. If it was good enough for someone else to sell to me as a piece of sense upon that subject, there was no reason why I should be senstivie about expressing my convictions upon other points in the development of the principles. ‘Hinc illoe.’ I was contending at that time (‘Poultry World,’ March, 1876) that the black pullets were not sports, but results that would follow unskillful mating everywhere. In the Dominique color the females went dark, and that it was not confined to the Plymouth Rock. Various of my distinguished contemporaries have not always relished the positiveness of my statements, and claim to have had some difficulty in accepting the principles I have laid down. Page 5: That the bird known by the name of Plymouth Rock, should have made its appearance about that time, 1866 to 1870, was inevitable. The conditions were favorable. It was at the time of reaction from the furor for simply big birds, when farmer folk were discussing among themselves the failure of the mammoth Asiatics to fill the bill for both eggs and marketing. They consumed both too much time and feed in their growth. They failed as foragers for want of activity. They were there verse of precocious in their development. The old fashioned dung-hill was too small. There was equal dissatisfaction with both. The first result was the throwing of whatever Asiatic came to hand, Shanghais, Brahmas, Cochins — what not — at random into the barn yard flocks, to mix indiscriminately with a lot of birds that had suffered that kind of breeding, if that could be called breeding, for a generation or more. It was not exactly “diamond cut diamond,” but more like school boys cutting each others’ jack knife blades; it was “cross” cut “cross” which made has of things generally. The next step in the process was, that the more thoughtful or fanciful began to pick out the colors that suited their individual notions. Various farmers had local reputations for the excellence of their white hens, or red hens, or whatever color they might have chosen. Page 6: Perhaps the most widely diffused of what might have been called a native stock was even then known as “old fashioned,” “hawk colored” fowls. Page 9: Where the particular birds originated that first found their way to the show room, who exhibited, and who named them, are unimportant questions further than as items of interest to fanciers. Rev. H.S. Ramsdell (deceased) of West Thompson, Conn., a correspondent of mine, traced these fowls to the yard of Joseph Spaulding (deceased) of Putnam, Wyndham County, Conn. C.C. Corbett, Esq., of New London, Conn., personally known to me, was sufficiently interested in the subject at that time, 1873, to give it his individual attention. He corroborated Mr. Ramsdell’s statements, and makes affidavit to that effect. D.A. Uphill was the first exhibitor, Worcester, March 1869. It is claimed that they were named, if not by Mr. Ramsdell, by someone who was shrewd enough to appropriate the name which Dr. Bennett had done so much to popularize. It is certain that they were already known by that name in other parts of the State. As to another matter of fact: — in the Spring of 1866 when I made my first attempt at housekeeping in my first parish, Branford, New Haven County, Conn., I carried two kinds of fowls. One kind was the so called Bolton Grays. To these my father, Mark Bishop, Esq., of Cheshire, New Haven Co., Conn., added a lot of Plymouth Rock birds. Page 10: They were presented to me by that name, and they were Plymouth rocks, large, strong birds, clean legged, and with good and true color, although they were not so distinctly marked. The birds were so commonly kept and known in that neighborhood, that it cannot now be remembered where they came from. It is my belief that they were developed there, on the farm, as in other places. One of the most distinct recollections of my boyhood is of the Dominiques, so that in the interval of my absence from him, in studies, there was ample time, and, with the certainty of Asiatic infusion, the tools to work with were undoubtedly there, with all needful elements and components. That much “I know about Plymouth Rocks,” and that is how I came to know it. They were the first fowls I ever undertook to manage for myself, and the time goes back to that date. In point of fact there are three Black Java hens, which have figured in Plymouth Rock history. One of these is as imaginary as the other two were real. The first was introduced by Mrs. Flora Spaulding, to explain what was a mystery to her, namely, that some of the Plymouth Rock pullets came black. Page 12: Marcus F. Town of Thompson, Ct., with a ten years’ knowledge of whatever points the so called original Plymouth Rocks bore with them, writing in 1876, declares: “The chickens of my pair” (purchased of Spaulding) “were many of them, heavily feathered on legs. Next year with a better mating for color, there were some feather-legged.” W.H. Todd of Ohio, sets forth the statement in one of his publications that, at that time, the best would throw some feather-legged chicks. Indeed, so prevalent was this mark of an Asiatic infusion, which could not have been from the Java, that we find Mr. C.C. Corbett, who got out the first print of the Plymouth Rock (Fig. 8) that was ever made, and who went all through the question as to their origination, writing to the ‘Poultry World,’ in April, 1873, to ask: “Have you any knowledge of a stock of Plymouth Rock fowls that do not occasionally throw feather-legged chicks?” It is surprising that Mr. Corbett, getting his birds from the Spaulding stock, through Mr. Ramsdell, should have struck, so early as this, the type of bird in form and substance that was to be finally adopted so generally as to make future attempts at departure from it impossible. The difference between this and those later in the book (beyond No. 12), are chiefly those of elaboration and finish. Page 14: So that the whole basis in authentic fact for the volumes of stupid talking and writing about Javas, is narrowed down to those birds actually bred (a very small number compared with those bred entirely outside of their yards) by D.A. Uphill and (since ’74) by I.K. Felch. In both cases the Plymouth Rocks existed before they, respectively, took hold of their breeding, and presented the same peculiarities of color inherited from the Dominique, (which I have bred almost as long as I have the Plymouth Rock) and shared by the Dominique Leghorn under my own observation. The males go light the females dark. “To Mark Pitman more than any other one man is due the credit of conducting the original breeding” by which the type of the bird was fixed. Upon being satisfied of which, I have taken pains to get the history from his own lips and I have his authority, Fe.b 13, 1880, to sustain the assertion that I made some years ago, that the Plymouth Rocks always did and always will throw their colors by the same rule, the same as the Dominiques, (whose color they inherit) did and always will do the same thing. Page 15: The most important and striking characteristic that presents itself to a student of Plymouth Rocks is the peculiar difference in the color effect in the two sexes. First, last and always the males come lighter than the females. It is a thing we must never forget in dealing with this breed. It will beat us if we do but we shall never beat that. It is in the birds, it is the law of this color that the males will not only be several shades lighter in color, but the width of the bars will be about one-third of the light spaces between them. It is a very light pullet that has the space between the bars equal in width to the bars themselves, and from that the spaces grow less all the way down to no space at all, or solid color. The Dominique presents the same characteristics — in fact, the Plymouth Rock inherits this peculiarity, with its color, from the Dominique, and weaver you find the Dominique color, in Leghorns or anywhere else, you find the same law to govern. The observation of this law will be taken up in the chapter on Breeding, so that I shall not follow it further at this time, but just here I will way, that the fact must be accepted as a law and not regarded as a mere eccentricity. The color difference between the male and female is really much less in the Dominique color than in many others. As soon as you get outside of the solid colors — as white or black — the utmost diversity is manifested. The tyro refuses to credit the statement that the Partridge Cochin cock and hen are of the same breed. The Dark Brahma shows as wide a difference between the sexes, and what could be more unlike than the cocks and hens of the various Games and Pheasants, al the way to the song birds as gaily dight as the butterflies themselves. The law of variation between male and female is Nature’s law, and not an eccentricity confined to this particular breed of fowls. Page 16: These birds must always pass the chopping block on the road to the show pen, and those that stop at the block must pay you with their flesh for your trouble and outlay. Profit in poultry must come out of close calculation — the application of common sense to every item and department. The Standard is good sense, as well as strict rule. The substance of the bird in the points that are most nearly related, “size and weight” with “breast and body,” counts 24. That this shall be harmoniously distributed and present the proper form for a Plymouth Rock, instead of a squab or penguin, “symmetry” comes in for another 12 points. Other things may be mere appendages, accidents even, and it is not too much to say that more than half the points in the scale are given to practical things — the virtues of usefulness. Contrast this with the Standard for Polish, where “crest” is 25, “comb,” 10; where “ear lobe and wattles” count as much as “size and weight”; the “tail” as much as “breast and body.” Failure to follow this plan brings failure to the breeder and is the reason why so many yards show only undersized birds, and so many breeders pipe small, that they are not in favor of bringing up the Plymouth Rocks to “crowd the larger breeds.” Page 24: In contemplating the Plymouth Rock actually in the breeding yard, we are met by several very practical questions. It is not another science, but the same with a different application. The science is modified here by circumstances, surroundings and conditions. The leading question is: — with what chances in his favor, or against what, do you expect the Plymouth rock to do his best? It is answered by a consideration of the nature and disposition of the bird himself, and also by your own ultimate objects in his cultivation. For as those objects are clearly defined before your own mind, and the more intelligently you shape to those ends the influences within your power, so much more perfectly will the bird respond. For as you can develop all that is good in him by generosity, so, by meanness, you can kill out even what is best in him. And the ignorance which allows you to pursue a mistaken policy is his own and your worst enemy. So we will lay out our work something like this: — First — Habit. Second — Food. Third — Handling. Page 25: The Cochins — true Celestials — are humped up in fluffy contentment alongside the fence. It is wonderful how much comfort they can get out of the side of the house! The American by distinction, in fact, the Connecticut Yankee (I refer to the Plymouth Rock gentleman) with his business suit on, is just out in the fair open, his observing eye can see what is going on, and where his thirty family can catch every turn of his knowing head. He talks to them as I have heard farmers talk to their boys, — “Come, now! Don’t let the grass grow under your feet.” And they don’t. They are as industrious as that farmer’s boy in digging out a rabbit. They are scratching, not furiously, but earnestly, picking, stretching, pluming themselves, their minds me up to shell out such a dividend upon every tit-bit they find in that hay seed as shall round up the egg-basket pretty well before supper time. The expression that the domestic fowl is “the true bird of freedom” cannot be insisted upon too urgently. By just so much as you do violence to Nature, you are placing the birds at a disadvantage, and inviting the failure of your plans and labors. The Leghorn will exist in a small pen, and keep itself in exercise by its perpetual chase in search of an impossible knot-hole — in which it still believes. The Cochin might not delight in the exercise if it had full liberty, but the Plymouth Rock would. If enclosed at all, the Plymouth Rock should be subjected to a barely nominal confinement. My own yards are almost as many rods as most are feet. It is notorious that the ordinary enclosures — so-called “runs” — would not allow the bird to get much delight from his promenade unless he could amuse himself by a “run” against the fence. The poor Plymouth Rock has to “exercise” his imagination a good deal to indulge his naturally active disposition. HIs is expected to combine all the good qualities of both the Dominique and Asiatic; and in the matter of personal habit should be humored. If he does not always get out when he can, he should not on that account be cooped up in a little pen. It is too much like imposing upon a fellow because he is good-natured. If the Asiatic is the most quiet fowl that we have, the Dominique is the very sharpest forager that ever I saw. If you let out the Cochin he will go back into his house after a short breathing spell; he does not like “wind and weather.” The Plymouth Rock will go a hunting as soon as let out, and he will stay out, too, all day. Page 28: Breeding. And to emphasize by every means the answer to another “why,” I say, in view of your ultimate object in breeding the Plymouth Rock, the nature of these exciting compounds is bad. You must pay for them out of the vital resources of your pets, just as certainly as getting drunk today is paid for with tomorrow’s headache. They dry up the blood of the bird. Ask any doctor as to the excessive use of pepper and spices upon your own blood, and then give them up. A cutting off of fruits and greens that will induce the scurvy as a human disease is equally bad for the fowl. You are not simply trying to get eggs from the Plymouth Rock, but you want to hatch strong and vigorous chicks for the table, and to do this you must retain such full, exuberant health in the parent stock as will ensure rapid growth in the young, and tend to improvement from year to year, which you will never get, but deterioration from chicks hatched out of eggs from fevered, shrinking stock, whose blood and secretions you are drying up with so-called medicinal foods. Page 29: Handling. I hope to bring this subject up into the prominence it deserves. There are so many who fail just here. Many Plymouth Rock breeders have good stock and good theories of breeding, and have well-mated fowls, who gain only disappointment for want of a practical knowledge of those things that certainly fall within the limits of wisdom, skill and experience in the regulation of various matters inside the yard. Page 30: A disorder can be easily rectified if discovered and taken promptly in hand. A settled disease almost always kills the bird. The same watchfulness will teach you when to hold up on soft food, or when you are feeding too much beef scrap; the looseness of their bowels will show you when your fowls are weakening. Fowls can no more do their best at breeding with their systems all relaxed, than they can hold their own in the show room in a similar condition. And when you discover that they are in this condition, remove the cause. Cut off soft food; withhold corn entirely; a little sulphate of iron in the water pans will do them good. But don’t rush off for a lot of alum, nor any other astringent, while you keep on feeding them what caused the derangement. The astringent is only to be used as the last resort, and it will never be needed if the birds receive intelligent care. Again, this goes far to answer another question, the repetition of which in the poultry papers is so tiresome: how to prevent sterility in Plymouth Rock fowls. Remove the causes of sterility. Keep up the health of the birds and their eggs will hatch well enough. Another question is entwined with this, namely: how many hens should be placed with a male bird? I have never heard nor seen an intelligent answer to that question. Page 33: The days when premiums could be won by ignorant and careless exhibitors have gone past. The scores have advanced wonderfully within a few years. To refer to my own experience through the campaigns of 1877 and ’78, meeting the best birds with such men as C.H. Crosby and A.M. Halstead for judges. I have the cards to show the repeated awards of 1st and 2nd on Plymouth Rock fowls and chicks, and all possible specials upon birds, no one of which could score above 91 unless by extra weight. This season of ’80, my Partridge Cochins and Rocks hardly win at 95, and I can turn out in show condition a certified score of 97. Page 34: In the first place, high color and low condition are not found in the same bird. To have color at its best, the bird must be at his best. If I should venture to designate the one department in the whole culture of Plymouth Rocks as to which the general notions were most crude and unconsidered, I should be compelled to say that it is upon this very point. Chiefly this is so, because the general laws of color are unknown, or disregarded, in their application to the plumage of the domestic fowl, and, finally, because there have been various theories and confusing terms used in talking and writing about the colors of the Plymouth Rock. Page 36: The sharpness of definition between the colors upon a Plymouth Rock cock, which we only see at its best in high condition, begins to diminish as soon as the bird is allowed to breed, whether the light strikes it or not. By the same law, that whatever exhausts the system drains out the color principle, the colors upon a Plymouth Rock pullet or hen, after they begin laying, are never what they were before, and can never be made what they were by any possible process. Life has passed its ripeness, and Nature takes in her sign by reducing the brilliancy of the color, just as surely as she begins to shrink the comb and blanc the face. Page 37: Even if there could be such a thing as keeping the plumage fresh for a long time, there would still be the serious damage to the bird’s appearance, which is an important matter in case of a bird barred like the Plymouth Rock, that would be brought about by the fact that the markings on the feathers that and not gained their full length would not match in the plumage with the other and longer feathers. Nature calculates to a nicety just exactly how far every feather shall lap over every other, and so cunningly arranges the bars in their relation to each other that the charm of that perfect beauty which is a chief attraction of the Plymouth Rock, only appears when every feather is perfectly in its place and fully grown. Page 42: Birds not matching in show pen. This is a general disqualification, i.e. it is not confined to this particular breed. It may as well be understood that this does not relate at all to the breeding of the Plymouth Rock; it signifies nothing as to whether or not they are bred, or will naturally breed, in this way. Dark Brahmas, Light Brahmas, Partridge Cochins, will none of them breed as they are matched for show. Their being matched for show is no indication as to how they should be mated for breeding; it is only required on the ground of general fitness. The show, taken altogether, is vastly improved by having the birds mated as to uniformity of appearance, the same as a company of soldiers makes a better appearance in “uniform,” and graded as to the height of the men. Page 44: Take a bird that runs, and whose ear lobe seems perfectly red, pull the skin a little so as to smooth out the wrinkles, and you will find frequently whitish spots in the depths of every fold. A Plymouth Rock’s ear lobe is no better and no worse. This is why I advise, in preparing specimens for show, that after the plumage is sufficiently seasoned, the bird shall be turned out to give him a good ruddy face and a firmly set comb. Nature secretes that opaque matter in the ear lobe. You will scarcely find a bird of any breed in which it is entirely absent, although it may not show in the case of a bird in high condition, running where sun and wind can touch him up with a regular out-of-doors complexion. A white ear lobe should clearly disqualify, as a red ear lobe would a Leghorn, but a pale face may be simply the result of confinement or low condition, and should receive its punishment under the head of what caused it. Many a Plymouth Rock has been thrown out for a pale ear lobe, or for even having noticeable whitish spots in its texture, when two weeks of sunshine, with generous food, would have given him a face as vividly red as the best. Take the reddest faced bird you have, shut him up in the shade, and see for yourself how soon the white will appear in the depressions and folds of the ear lobes. Let us have no more birds thrown out for pale ear lobes; or even for slight spots of white in the skin of the ear lobe, when it is plain that those spots will disappear with improved condition. Page 46: VI. Wry tails. Plymouth Rocks are not so subject to the accidents that usually cause this blemish as either the heavier and clumsy birds that are liable to fall backwards in failure to reach high perches, or the lighter beds so lively as to be sometimes caught by the tail and dislocate that appendage in struggles to get away. The judge must be careful not to confound a tail actually awry with one that droops upon either side from weakness. A tail can be awry upon only one side, and even if it is caused by a wound which shrinks in healing so as to pull the tail around, there is no help for it. Sometimes a tail can be straightened by making a wound on the slack side and pulling it around that way until it heals. Generally, our fanciers on this side of the water do not begin to practice the accomplishments in the various applications of surgery in preparing birds for show as those in which our English brethren prove themselves adepts. VII. Splashes of white in the breast or back, or reddish or brassy feathers in the hackles or saddles of cock, or in the necks of hens. The rest of the disqualifying cases can all go under one head; false feathers stand for the whole of it. Here the Standard is very weak. Why not splashes of black as well as white? If in breast or back, why not in fluff? If reddish, why not white, black, green, purple, yellow? In fat, the fowl may be decked in all the seven colors of the rainbow, except red, and I can think of no scientific reason why he should be denied the privilege of also wearing that innermost color of the secondary bow. It is not a question of what colors are most likely to appear, but what business they have there at all. A single false feather throws out a Houdan, and it ought to throw out a Plymouth Rock. There is no excuse for false feathers at this stage of breeding, and one is as bad as fifty. It springs from the blood, and there are “more where that comes from.” Page 47: So long as they are tolerated, so long we shall be afflicted by unscrupulous dealers palming off a lot of mongrels for pure-bred Plymouth Rocks; besides, the color is one of the strongest and easiest to bring up to absolute perfection. Cut off their heads, and stop the flow of such impure streams which threaten ruin to the work of years of patient breeding. I should consider it a calamity if such a bird got into my yard by any means. Page 48: You may set it down that no man is a qualified judge of one breed, who knows but one; and this rule is capable of an indefinite extension. The nearer he comes to knowing all breeds, the better judge he is of any individual. I cannot take space here to argue the case, but the most crude and unreasonable notions that I have ever seen spread before an admiring public, have come from those who “did not see how” the Standard could be applied to the Plymouth Rock, because they knew nothing of how it was or ought to be applied to other breeds. The Standard has more than a single edge; it cuts both ways. It contemplates the specimen in its relation to all other breeds, and also as an individual of the particular breed. It must be as distinctly a Plymouth Rock, as it must be a fowl at all. You cannot construe the Standards in one sense when applied to Plymouth Rocks, and in another when applied to Games. How many an arbitrary judge will chop off a Plymouth Rock’s head by disqualifying for a pale ear lobe, or for one in which the slightest whitish grains appear. There is a plausible reason for it; the bright red ear lobe gives such a finish to the head. But you cannot cut off the Leghorn’s head in that way unless its ear lobe is actually red, and a full, clear white, fine textured ear lobe is as charming and graceful upon the Leghorn, as a red one is upon the Plymouth Rock. Give the Connecticut boy fair play — the same chance for his red ear lobe as you must give the Italian with his white one; but I would give the Plymouth Rock no further allowance in that point than I would a Brahma. All Asiatics will show pale ear lobes from confinement, and most of them white specks in the folds of the skin, but not one of the Asiatics, nor Games, nor Game Bantams, nor Dorkings, nor any of the French class — al red ear lobed birds — is disqualified by the Standard for having pure white ear lobes; and an entire class — Polish, cannot be disqualified for pure red ear lobe, although the Standard calls for pure white. Page 49: The Dominique is subject to the same censure as the Plymouth Rock, for ear lobes “other than red.” The reason is at hand; it is his certificate of freedom from foreign blood. So when you take up the Plymouth Rock in his character as an American, the trace of the European cross in a white ear lobe should be condemned, keeping in mind the nature of ear lobes; while traces of the Asiatic cross in false feathers of any kind should not be tolerated, for this is to be again considered, that owing to the strength of the Dominique color, a false feather beyond the second cross is of the rarest occurrence. There is some excuse for allowance as to the ear lobe, because Asiatic breeds frequently show very pale ear lobes, but no excuse for false feathers, and such mongrels are unworthy of the name of Plymouth Rock, and also of competing in honorable company. Page 50: And you must bear in mind that in Standard for Plymouth Rocks the book deviates from its general rule in giving both cock and hen the same carriage. Page 51: It clear up the doubtful or critical spectator’s mind to have a bracket penciled on the score card, as in the case of the one printed, indicating the part of the bird for failure in which he is punished in symmetry. If in more than one part, let the line branch at the bottom to neck, or back, or wings. To confirm my assertion as to the relative importance given to this point in judging Plymouth Rocks, I have only to say, it is two points higher than in most varieties, (which give ten to symmetry), while only the Dorkings and Black Hamburgs go to fifteen. Page 52: Our hero next mounts the platform scales, to determine whether his vanities or solid qualities predominate. If the crop is stuffed full to make unlawful weight, he will have been cut for symmetry, if the judge has good spectacles, so that sort of cunning should defeat itself. Under this head there is but one common error that I need to correct. Those who do not like large Plymouth Rocks, need not have them. They have only to hatch them late and feed them sparingly, and they (such fanciers) will be happy. It is so much easier to raise small birds — anyone can do that — and then some of them want to drag the Standard down to their little birds. I do not see the sense in that, nor in their being offended if other people do not think with them, that a small Plymouth Rock is the best. I cannot escape the conviction that some of those who talk this way know better. There is another class, who honestly think that the A.P.A. has erred in placing the Plymouth Rock among the heaviest breeds, supposing (and saying) that an intermediate size of bird is wanted between the European class and the Asiatic. Such of our friends are simply mistaken, and I have only to refer them to Plate E to convince them what a noble and beautiful bird the Standard places exactly in that position. It is really a consistent graduation by which the American class comes between the European and Asiatic, and the steps go up — European, Dominique, Plymouth Rock, Asiatic. Those who choose to breed the Plymouth Rock down to the place the Standard gives to the Dominique have a perfect right to do so for their own gratification, the same as anyone has a right to breed the Light Brahma down to that size if he likes them better for his own use. If you do that, you should stand up like a man and take the punishment for deficiency in weight which you change in showing your birds. You think they are find enough to win in spite of it, or you would not exhibit. Page 55: It is a good thing for the Plymouth Rock that he has not to raise the rose-comb of the Dominique, with its fifteen points, but can devote his energies to business matters. The Standard requires him to have a good comb, but is not exacting upon this point, as will be seen by comparing with this Dorkings and Polish, ten; Black Spanish, thirteen; Andalusians and Hamburgs, fifteen, except White and Black, which are compelled to make twenty. Page 57: Wings are usually slashed severely without reflection. Standard only furnishes three points for each wing. You cannot cut primaries more than two points, and have anything left for secondaries and coverts. Bad color on coverts damages the bird certainly as much as want of bars or white in primaries. Cut either of these from one or two. You must save one point for secondaries, where want of bars in outside web should receive the extent of the penalty. If wing does not fold or set properly, you have noted that in symmetry. If not very prudent, you will use up all the ammunition the Standard furnishes before you are half through. You may even have to do something with bad color in bows. Standard attaches no such value to a Plymouth Rock’s wing as it does to that of a Spangled Hamburg, where twenty points are given to wings. Page 59: Whether you have taken the prize with your birds or not, fortify them for the homeward journey as well as you can. Always attend to them yourself, if possible, so far as this: to pack your fowls for home. The ex-committee is always in a hurry, and your pets are already in a most critical condition. Bear them home tenderly; let not the rude wind strike them; let them want no consideration that can help them to rest and comfort. Dangers dare not yet over, for contagious diseases may lurk in the feathers and call for disinfectants. But with kindness and care all will be well. In taking this leave of my subject and my readers, permit me to cherish a similar hope. As to my subject, I have reached the end of an enthusiastic study. As to my readers, if I have not cleared up for them the Plymouth Rock question, I have at least set out its proportions, and brought it within the reach of their own comprehensive philosophy. Goodbye, and good luck to you. Page 60: Score Card. Entry No. 115. Exhibition at Springfield, Mass., 1880. Plymouth Rock Chicks. (chart of body measurements.

[graciedroweuk]

The 25 Days of Christms programming 2017 of Freeform

Freeform’s 25 Days Christmas

Freeform has out their scheduled to its 25 Days of Christmas. Here’s the complete list of those day-by-day programing. Enjoy your Christmas favorites with your loved ones.

25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS day-by-day programming highlights include**:

Friday, December 1

(7:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003) dependent on the best selling children’s books written by Kay Thompson, the title character Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva) is warned not to interfere since the Plaza Hotel prepares for a romantic Christmas Eve wedding gown. However, Eloise can’t resistwith playing matchmaker to ensure that real love will save the day. (Live Action)

(11:00 1:00 — 1:00 p.m. EST) RICHIE RICH’S CHRISTMAS WISH Richie Rich (David Gallagher) has more than he bargained for when Professor Keanbean (Eugene Levy) invents a wishing machine that transports Richie to an alternate universe where his wicked cousin Reggie Van Dough rules with an iron fist. (Live Action)

(1:00 — 2:00 p.m. EST) JACK FROST (1979) Pardon-Me-Pete that the Groundhog tells the story of the way Jack Frost briefly became person and helped with a knight win his lady love. (Animated)

(2:00 — 3:35 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” follows the bemused fire of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown’s beloved Pumpkin King, who becomes obsessed with bringing Christmas beneath his control and also frees his faithful townspeople to help him act as a replacement Santa and make a “new and improved” version of the vacation. (Animated)

(3:35 — 4:35 p.m. EST) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS According to Pulitzer Prize-winner Phyllis McGinley’s children’s book, Mrs. Claus narrates this memorable classic about the time she’s almost donned her husband’s famous red suit. (Animated)

(4:35 — 7:05 p.m. EST) WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY The holder of a Golden Ticket wins a visit to where the planet’s most amazing sweets are created, in the mysterious chocolate factory of Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder). (Live Action)

(7:05 — 9:15 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION The comic misadventures of the beleaguered Griswold family continue as America’s most committed father (Chevy Chase) is determined to remain at home to make “the very fun-filled conventional family Christmas ever” — however life has a particular way of throwing wet logs on Clark Griswold’s fire. (Live Action)

(9:15 — 11:25 p.m. EST) ELF Buddy (Will Ferrell) grew up in the North Polerather than knowing that he was not even a Christmas Elf like all of his buddies.   If he finds out the truth he lays out to New York City to discover the father he never knew.   However, Buddy is not used to the major city, along with New York has never seen anyone like Buddy! (Live Action)

(11:25 p.m. — 1:30 a.m. EST) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009) The classic tale of a miserly old man called Ebenezer Scrooge, who’s seen on Christmas Eve by three ghosts who attempt to help him change his own lifestyle and adopt the vacations. (Animated)

(1:30 — 2:00 a.m. EST) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND everybody’s favorite snowman, Frosty, intends to wed, but not if the evil Jack Frost can help it. Can the kids save Frosty from becoming suspended dead and get him to the church in time? (Animated)

Saturday, December two

(7:00 — 9:00 a.m. EST) RICHIE RICH’S CHRISTMAS WISH

(9:00 — 9:30 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL Charles Dickens’ famous story is retold with Mickey as Bob Cratchit, Uncle Scrooge as Ebenezer Scrooge, Goofy as Jacob Marley’s ghost, along with Donald because nephew Fred. (Animated)

(9:30 — 11:00 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS Kelsey Grammer narrates three charming Christmas tales using a Mickey Mouse twist, such as the Christmas classic The Gift of the Magi, starring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. (Animated)

(1:05 — 3:10 p.m. EST)  DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009)

(3:10 — 4:50 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(4:50 — 7:00 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(7:00 — 9:10 p.m. EST) ELF

(9:10 — 11:50 p.m. EST) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000) Jim Carrey stars as the title character who attempts to ruin Christmas for most of the Whos of Whoville inside this live-action adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss children’s story. (Live Action)

(11:50 p.m. — 2:00 a.m. EST) THE POLAR EXPRESS The Academy Award® -winning team of Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis reunite for the inspiring tale of a young boy along with the magical train he boards to the North Pole. Depending on the beloved Caldecott Medal children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. (Animated)

Sunday, December 3

(7:00 — 7:30 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

(7:30 — 9:00 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS

(9:00 -11:05 a.m. EST) A DENNIS THE MENACE CHRISTMAS Dennis tries to spread the Christmas spirit to his grumpy neighbor Mr. Wilson (Robert Wagner) and receives some help from the Angel of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future. (Live Action)

(11:05 a.m. — 1:10 p.m. EST) SANTA PAWS two: THE SANTA PUPS When Mrs. Claus travels to Pineville, the lively Santa Pups store away on her sled. Taking mischief to a completely new level, they start granting joyful wishes to Pineville’s girls and boys, but something goes horribly wrong — that the Christmas spirit begins to evaporate. The Santa Pups and Mrs. Claus have to race to store Christmas round the world. (Live Action)

(1:10 — 2:15 p.m. EST) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN Fred Astaire narrates this tale of Kris Kringle (voice of Mickey Rooney), a young guy who starts a gift factory where he builds toys and gives them to all the regional kids, making him the name Santa Claus. (Animated)

(2:15 — 3:55 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(3:55 — 6:05 p.m. EST) THE POLAR EXPRESS

(6:05 — 8:45 p.m. EST) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000)

(8:45 — 10:50 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin, a divorced father whose strained relationship with his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) begins to mend only following a weird twist of fate transforms him into the brand new Santa. (Live Action)

(10:50 p.m. — 12:55 a.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE Holiday magic mixes with comical chaos as Tim Allen reprises his role of Scott Calvin, aka Santa, as he juggles a complete house of family and the mischievous Jack Frost (Martin Short) — whose chilling Santa-envy has him trying to shoot over the “big man’s” vacation. (Live Action)

Monday, December 4

(7:30 a.m. — 9:30 a.m. EST) SANTA PAWS two: THE SANTA PUPS

(11:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. EST) MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS Mickey and friends come back to tell five more tales of holiday spirit and Christmas cheer. (Animated)

(12:30 — 2:30 p.m. EST) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (2011) How does Santa deliver all those presents on one night?   With a team of Christmas elves, also yet another high-tech operation, and also the complete Claus household’s help! However, following a present is missing on Christmas Eve, Santa’s youngest son Arthur teams with an elf for a desperate mission to be certain a small girl receives a unique present. (Animated)

(2:30 — 4:35 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE

(4:35 p.m. — 6:40 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

(6:40 — 8:50 p.m. EST) ELF

(8:50 — 11:00 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(12:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) FOUR CHRISTMASES A few (Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon) struggle to go to all four of the adoptive parents on Christmas.

Tuesday, December 5

(7:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) THE MISTLE-TONES

Within this original holiday movie, Holly (Tia Mowry) is devastated when she is turned down for a place in the Christmas singing group The Snow Belles.   So she forms her own group, the Mistle-Tones, also struggles with her rival Marci (Tori Spelling) and The Snow Belles to a Christmas Eve sing-off!

(12:30 — 2:30 p.m. EST) FOUR CHRISTMASES

(2:30 — 4:35 p.m. EST) ANGRY ANGEL Set in New York City, “Angry Angel” follows a young woman turned into angel, Allison Pyke (Brenda Song), who’s stuck on Earth and can’t seem to ring the proper bells so as to pass through those pearly gates into heaven. When the love of her life, Patrick (Ricky Mabe), shows up in New York City, it disturbs Pyke’s journey in addition to frustrates her angel coach Jason Biggs. The not-so-merry situation additionally turns in an unexpected love triangle with her friend with sometimes gains.

(4:35 — 6:45 p.m. EST) ELF

(6:45 — 8:55 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(8:55 — 11:00 p.m. EST) THE POLAR EXPRESS

(12:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003)

Wednesday, December 6 (7:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) SNOWGLOBE In this original film, a mystical snow world transports Angela (Christina Milian), who longs for the great Christmas from her boisterous family, into an idyllic Christmas winter wonderland. (Live Action)

(12:00 — 2:05 p.m. EST) ANGRY ANGEL

(2:05 — 4:15 p.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003)

(4:15 — 6:45 p.m. EST) WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

(6:45 — 8:50 p.m. EST) THE POLAR EXPRESS

(8:50 — 11:00 p.m. EST) ELF

(12:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

Thursday, December 7 (7:00 — 9:30 a.m. EST) WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

(11:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. EST) SNOW DAY Once an entire town in upstate New York is closed down by an unexpected snowfall, a “snow day” begins as a bunch of college kids try to be sure the schools remain closed by means of a snow plateau.

(1:00 — 2:35 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(2:35 — 4:45 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(4:45 — 6:50 p.m. EST) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009)

(6:50 — 9:00 p.m. EST) ELF

(9:00 — 11:00 p.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY “Disney∙Pixar’s Toy Story” tells the story of a fantastic, fun-filled travel of what your toys are around when you are not about, seen chiefly by the eyes of 2 rival toys — Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), the lanky, likable cowboy, along with Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), the fearless space ranger. (Animated)

(12:00 — 2:05 a.m. EST) A DENNIS THE MENACE CHRISTMAS

Friday, December 8 (7:00 — 7:30 a.m. EST) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY dependent on the Christmas song, the “Little Drummer Boy” tells the story of Aaron, a bad boy who cannot afford to buy a present for infant Jesus and instead plays with a special song for him on his drums. (Animated)

(7:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) A DENNIS THE MENACE CHRISTMAS

(11:00 12:40 — 12:40 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(12:40 — 2:45 p.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003)

DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY MARATHON (4:50 — 6:50 p.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY

(6:50 — 9:00 p.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 2 Once an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggin (voice of Wayne Knight) kidnaps Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), the toys get into one predicament after another in their daring race to get Woody back before Andy returns. (Animated)

(9:00 — 11:30 p.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 3 In the third installment of the beloved film series, Andy is rising up and decides to put his toys away permanently, except for Woody (voice of Tom Hanks).   However, the gang accidentally ends up one of the toys at a daycare centre, run by the ruthless teddy bear Lotso (voice of Ned Beatty).   It is around Woody to save his buddies and return them home! (Animated)

(11:30 p.m. — 12:00 a.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT During a post-Christmas play, the “Toy Story” team find themselves in uncharted territory once the trendiest group of action figures ever turns out to become dangerously delusional. It is all around Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang expects to come back to Bonnie’s room. (Animated)

(12:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (2011)

Saturday, December 9

(7:00 — 9:05 a.m. EST) RUDOLPH AND FROSTY’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY Rudolph’s magical glowing nose is not only useful at Christmas, but also in the warmth of summer when Rudolph and his friend, Frosty the Snowman, are called in to rescue a struggling circus at a particular July 4th benefit. (Animated)

(9:05 — 11:10 a.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003)

(11:10 a.m. — 1:15 p.m. EST) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (2011)

(1:15 — 3:25 p.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 2

(3:25 — 5:55 p.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY 3

(5:55 p.m. — 6:25 p.m. EST) DISNEY∙PIXAR’S TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT

SANTA CLAUSE DOUBLE FEATURE (6:25 — 8:35 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE

(8:35 — 10:45 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

(10:45 p.m. — 12:55 a.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(12:55 — 2:00 a.m. EST) JACK FROST (1979)

Sunday, December 10

(7:00 — 8:00 a.m. EST) JACK FROST (1979)

(8:00 a.m. — 10:05 a.m. EST) SNOW DAY

(10:05 a.m. — 12:10 p.m. EST) RICHIE RICH’S CHRISTMAS WISH

(12:10 p.m. — 2:15 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

(2:15 — 4:20 p.m. EST) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009)

(4:20 — 6:30 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE

(6:30 — 8:40 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(8:40 — 10:50 p.m. EST) ELF

(10:50 p.m. — 1:00 a.m. EST) FOUR CHRISTMASES

(1:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

Monday, December 11

(7:00 — 7:30 a.m. EST) THE BELLS OF FRAGGLE ROCK Gobo thinks the Fraggles’ Solstice vacation is a waste of time, therefore he goes on a journey to find out if the mythical Great Bell at the center of Fraggle Rock is real.   Meanwhile, Doc and Sprocket explore mid-winter holiday customs around the globe. (7:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) RICHIE RICH’S CHRISTMAS WISH

(11:00 — 11:30 a.m. EST) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

(11:30 a.m. — 1:35 p.m. EST) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009)

(1:35 — 2:40 p.m. EST) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN

(2:40 — 3:40 p.m. EST) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

(3:40 — 5:50 p.m. EST) FOUR CHRISTMASES

(5:50 — 8:00 p.m. EST) ELF

(8:00 — 9:00 p.m. EST) DISNEY’S FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS: HOLIDAY MAGIC — PREMIERE The merry special edition goes behind the scenes of some of the most spectacular weddings and engagements at Disney Destinations around the world during the vacation season.

(9:00 — 11:00 p.m. EST) THE POLAR EXPRESS

(12:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003)

Tuesday, December 12

(7:00 — 7:30 a.m. EST) NESTOR, THE LONG-EARED CHRISTMAS DONKEY

“Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey” tells the story of the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. (Animated) “Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey” repeats on Thursday, December 21, at 8:00 a.m. EST..

(7:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003)

(11:00 a.m. — 12:10 p.m. EST) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN

(12:10 — 2:20 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(2:20 — 4:00 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(4:00 — 6:40 p.m. EST) CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY From the children’s book by Roald Dahl comes this magical dream about the candy maker and his wacky Wonka factory! The most mysterious and reclusive confectioner extraordinaire Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) has hidden five golden tickets somewhere in his candy bars — that are actually invitations to join him on a grand tour of the wondrous chocolate factory. The winning kids locate themselves on a scenic, nevertheless fantastic voyage, also with the opportunity to get an even grander decoration — if they could resist temptation!   (Live Action)

(6:40 — 8:50 p.m. EST) THE POLAR EXPRESS

(8:50 — 11:00 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE

(12:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) RUDOLPH AND FROSTY’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Wednesday, December 13

(7:00 — 7:30 a.m. EST) ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Actor Joel Grey narrates this animated holiday special adapted by the famous poem by Clement Moore. (Animated) “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” repeats on Sunday, December 24, at 1:30 a.m. EST..

(7:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(11:00 a.m. — 12:10 p.m. EST) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR Santa sends Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to locate Baby New Year, who has run away from Father Time. (Animated)

(12:10 — 1:50 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(1:50 — 4:30 p.m. EST) CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

(4:30 — 6:40 p.m. EST) ELF

(6:40 — 8:50 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE

(8:50 — 11:00 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

(12:00 — 1:00 a.m. EST) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

(1:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) DISNEY’S FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS: HOLIDAY MAGIC

Thursday, December 14

(7:00 — 8:30 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS (8:30 — 9:30 a.m. EST) DISNEY’S FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS: HOLIDAY MAGIC

(11:00 — 11:30 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

(11:30 a.m. — 1:30 p.m. EST) CHRISTMAS CUPID Within this original film, Christina Milian stars as high-profile Hollywood publicist, Sloane, who finds himself haunted by the phantom of her recently departed infamous customer, Caitlin (Ashley Benson), in a modern day take on Charles Dickens’ holiday classic story of A Christmas Carol. (Live Action)

(1:30 — 3:40 p.m. EST) ELF

(3:40 — 4:40 p.m. EST) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

(4:40 — 6:45 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

(6:45 — 8:50 p.m. EST) FOUR CHRISTMASES

(8:50 — 11:00 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(12:00 — 2:00 a.m. EST) ANGRY ANGEL

Friday, December 15

(7:00 — 9:00 a.m. EST) SANTA PAWS two: THE SANTA PUPS

(9:00 — 9:30 a.m. EST) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

(11:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. EST) ELOISE AT CHRISTMASTIME (2003)

(1:00 — 3:00 p.m. EST) RICHIE RICH’S CHRISTMAS WISH

(3:00 — 5:00 p.m. EST) ANGRY ANGEL

(5:00 — 7:10 p.m. EST) FOUR CHRISTMASES

(7:10 — 9:20 p.m. EST) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

(9:20 — 11:30 p.m. EST) ELF

(11:30 p.m. — 1:30 a.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

(1:30 — 2:00 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

Saturday, December 16

(7:00 — 7:30 a.m. EST) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

(7:30 — 9:35 a.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE

(9:35 — 10:05 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

(10:05 — 11:35 a.m. EST) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS

(11:35 a.m. — 1:05 p.m. EST) MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS

(1:05 — 2:45 p.m. EST) TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(2:45 — 4:55 p.m. EST) THE POLAR EXPRESS

(4:55 — 7:05 p.m. EST) THE SANTA CLAUSE

(7:05 — 9:15 p.m. EST) ELF

(9:15 — 11:55 p.m. EST) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000)

(11:55 p.m. — 2:00 a.m. EST) CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS — FREEFORM PREMIERE In “Christmas with the Kranks,” Tim Allen plays Luther Krank, a man who decides to skip Chri from network 4 http://www.mgbsystems.co.uk/the-25-days-of-christms-programming-2017-of-freeform/

[ramialkarmi]

Bose is Business Insider's 2017 Car Audio System of the Year

Bose is widely available and uniformly excellent.

Consistency across a variety of different vehicles is its strong suit.

The five-decades-old company also produces a super-high-end system for Cadillac.

Business Insider just named its 2017 Car of the Year: the Porsche Panamera. We also anointed Audi as our first-ever repeat winner for Infotainment System of the Year.

Infotainment System of the Year is a new award that we launched last year, alongside Audio System of the Year. In 2016, Bowers & Wilkins took the Audio prize.

In 2017, Bose — also a 2016 finalist — is the winner of Audio System of the Year.

The finalists

Once again, we started with a list of five contenders, with a few familiar names from 2016:

Bose

Burmester

Revel

Bowers & Wilkins

Tesla Audio

As BI's resident car-audiophile, I did the majority of the testing, but I hashed out my assessments with transportation reporters Ben Zhang and Danielle Muoio, as well as Deputy Editor Cadie Thompson.

We don't have a scientific process or even an elaborate methodology for this award. However, we did sample pretty much the full range of car audio systems over the course of testing about 70 vehicles in 2017. We tend to pick out what some systems do better than others, although most car audio these days is excellent. As I pointed out last year, the old AM/FM-two-speaker arrangements of yesteryear are long gone. And even the most basic vehicles frequently offer Bluetooth integration, AUX ports, satellite radio, and multi-speaker soundstages, complete with powerful amplifiers, carefully tuned speakers, and subwoofers.

The market is separated into three tiers: fairly basic systems; premium systems; and super-premium high-end systems. The Bowers & Wilkins setup that won last year is an example of this last tier, as is Burmester (found in Mercedes-Benz and Porsche vehicles) and Revel, which we've enjoyed in Lincolns. These upmarket systems are often an option on cars, and at times a pricey one. But in our view, they're well worth considering.

When listening to music in your car, you're likely to be surfing media: terrestrial radio, satellite radio, CDs, MP3s, Bluetooth streaming, and streaming audio services such as Pandora, Spotify, and Tidal. You may also be using USB inputs or an AUX jack, so the quality of your source audio will vary. (Just as with last year's contest, I again found this year that into the AUX jack gives me the best modern audio, although some experts maintain that the USB port is better, and that using a CD-player input still offers the best sound).

Each of our finalists handled this challenge deftly and delivered a superb listening experience regardless of where the music was coming from.

The big winner

Massachusetts-based Bose has been around for over 50 years and is a legend in audio. It's also no stranger to bringing music into cars, having been in that business since the 1960s. We've enjoyed Bose audio in a very wide range of vehicles and have, in particular, been impressed by the Panaray bespoke system that the company created for Cadillac's flagship sedan, the CT6.

But it's the more common mid-range Bose system that takes home the trophy this year. That's because its level of excellence is so consistent. As with Bose's other audio products, including popular headphones and home speakers, the goal is to avoid extremes. Other audio systems might blow your mind under specific circumstances, but Bose manages to be great in everything from two-door sports cars to big SUVs.

I reviewed a bunch of car-audio systems in 2016, and my verdict on Bose stands: "Basically, Bose car audio systems always sound good, and unlike some other choices, they do it without requiring 1,000-watt outputs. Depending on how many speakers a vehicle has, where they're positioned, and whether there are powerful bass speakers, they can sound significantly better than great."

The bass is full and robust, the midranges are well-defined, and the highs are bright. Rock lovers, pop lovers, hip-hop lovers, jazz lovers, blues lovers, classical lovers — everyone will be happy with Bose. And that's why we're naming it 2017's Audio System of the Year.

The runner-up

Revel Ultima is Lincoln's high-end system, developed by Harman/Kardon (and for what it's worth, H/K-branded systems are very competitive with Bose). I reviewed it at the same time I checked out the Bose system in 2016, and was stunned by how visceral it was.

"Because Lincoln and Harman/Revel co-developed vehicles and their audio systems, the listening experience is incredible immediate," I wrote. "It sounds live. It sounds, possibly, better than live. It's the best system I've yet tried for jazz and blues — combos that feature acoustic bass, saxophone or trumpet, piano, and drums. Bee-bop and swing. Miles Davis and John Coltrane. B.B. King. You get the idea."

Our three other audio systems are all wonderful, and obviously Bowers & Wilkins is so superb that it got the trophy in 2016. Tesla's in-house-developed system is impressive on that basis alone, and Burmester is mind-boggling — it's just that I haven't listened to it enough to form a full opinion.

SEE ALSO: FOLLOW US on Facebook for more great car content

SEE ALSO: The Porsche Panamera is Business Insider's 2017 Car of the Year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: After testing more than 70 cars, this Porsche is our 2017 car of the year

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[tortuga-aak]

Bose is Business Insider's 2017 Car Audio System of the Year

BI Graphics

Bose is widely available and uniformly excellent.

Consistency across a variety of different vehicles is its strong suit.

The five-decades-old company also produces a super-high-end system for Cadillac.

Business Insider just named its 2017 Car of the Year: the Porsche Panamera. We also anointed Audi as our first-ever repeat winner for Infotainment System of the Year.

Infotainment System of the Year is a new award that we launched last year, alongside Audio System of the Year. In 2016, Bowers & Wilkins took the Audio prize.

In 2017, Bose — also a 2016 finalist — is the winner of Audio System of the Year.

The finalists

Once again, we started with a list of five contenders, with a few familiar names from 2016:

Bose

Burmester

Revel

Bowers & Wilkins

Tesla Audio

As BI's resident car-audiophile, I did the majority of the testing, but I hashed out my assessments with transportation reporters Ben Zhang and Danielle Muoio, as well as Deputy Editor Cadie Thompson.

We don't have a scientific process or even an elaborate methodology for this award. However, we did sample pretty much the full range of car audio systems over the course of testing about 70 vehicles in 2017. We tend to pick out what some systems do better than others, although most car audio these days is excellent. As I pointed out last year, the old AM/FM-two-speaker arrangements of yesteryear are long gone. And even the most basic vehicles frequently offer Bluetooth integration, AUX ports, satellite radio, and multi-speaker soundstages, complete with powerful amplifiers, carefully tuned speakers, and subwoofers.

The market is separated into three tiers: fairly basic systems; premium systems; and super-premium high-end systems. The Bowers & Wilkins setup that won last year is an example of this last tier, as is Burmester (found in Mercedes-Benz and Porsche vehicles) and Revel, which we've enjoyed in Lincolns. These upmarket systems are often an option on cars, and at times a pricey one. But in our view, they're well worth considering.

When listening to music in your car, you're likely to be surfing media: terrestrial radio, satellite radio, CDs, MP3s, Bluetooth streaming, and streaming audio services such as Pandora, Spotify, and Tidal. You may also be using USB inputs or an AUX jack, so the quality of your source audio will vary. (Just as with last year's contest, I again found this year that into the AUX jack gives me the best modern audio, although some experts maintain that the USB port is better, and that using a CD-player input still offers the best sound).

Each of our finalists handled this challenge deftly and delivered a superb listening experience regardless of where the music was coming from.

The big winner

Massachusetts-based Bose has been around for over 50 years and is a legend in audio. It's also no stranger to bringing music into cars, having been in that business since the 1960s. We've enjoyed Bose audio in a very wide range of vehicles and have, in particular, been impressed by the Panaray bespoke system that the company created for Cadillac's flagship sedan, the CT6.

Cadillac

But it's the more common mid-range Bose system that takes home the trophy this year. That's because its level of excellence is so consistent. As with Bose's other audio products, including popular headphones and home speakers, the goal is to avoid extremes. Other audio systems might blow your mind under specific circumstances, but Bose manages to be great in everything from two-door sports cars to big SUVs.

I reviewed a bunch of car-audio systems in 2016, and my verdict on Bose stands: "Basically, Bose car audio systems always sound good, and unlike some other choices, they do it without requiring 1,000-watt outputs. Depending on how many speakers a vehicle has, where they're positioned, and whether there are powerful bass speakers, they can sound significantly better than great."

The bass is full and robust, the midranges are well-defined, and the highs are bright. Rock lovers, pop lovers, hip-hop lovers, jazz lovers, blues lovers, classical lovers — everyone will be happy with Bose. And that's why we're naming it 2017's Audio System of the Year.

The runner-up

Matthew DeBord/BI

Revel Ultima is Lincoln's high-end system, developed by Harman/Kardon (and for what it's worth, H/K-branded systems are very competitive with Bose). I reviewed it at the same time I checked out the Bose system in 2016, and was stunned by how visceral it was.

"Because Lincoln and Harman/Revel co-developed vehicles and their audio systems, the listening experience is incredible immediate," I wrote. "It sounds live. It sounds, possibly, better than live. It's the best system I've yet tried for jazz and blues — combos that feature acoustic bass, saxophone or trumpet, piano, and drums. Bee-bop and swing. Miles Davis and John Coltrane. B.B. King. You get the idea."

Our three other audio systems are all wonderful, and obviously Bowers & Wilkins is so superb that it got the trophy in 2016. Tesla's in-house-developed system is impressive on that basis alone, and Burmester is mind-boggling — it's just that I haven't listened to it enough to form a full opinion.

NOW WATCH: After testing more than 70 cars, this Porsche is our 2017 car of the year

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[footyplusau]

The defensive elite: what makes them so good?

FITTING the bill as an outstanding key defender in the AFL requires a new set of expectations.

You should be able to break three seconds in a 20m sprint, be a great mark, be able to hold concentration for long periods, have a team-first approach and be a general-of-sorts.

Being 195cm tall with the ability to maintain performance through repeat efforts helps, too.

But expect your evolution as a player to never stop, and how you are rated may depend on the system you play in, the support around you and how good your team is.

Alex Rance, the only footballer named in the Virgin Australia AFL All Australian team the past three years, is the defender every club wants.

“What makes him so great is his ability to peel off his own man. He’s got the power and speed to impact the ball,” one AFL opposition analyst told AFL.com.au.

“Rance does it better than anyone, so that’s why he’s so highly rated. He just backs himself. It’s almost like he has no doubts at all, because if you get caught between (contests), it can look pretty bad.”

Statistics have become a huge part of analysing football, but typically don’t tell the full story of how good a defender, or any player, is. In Rance’s case, the picture is clear.

He is the sole footballer rated elite – in the top six of the competition’s 66 key defenders this year – in intercept marks, intercept possessions, spoils, rebound 50s and metres gained.

Questions usually remain: is the player manning the No.1, 2 or 3 tall forward? Does the coach use the defender in a different role because of individual strengths or team needs? How many genuine inside 50s is that player exposed to? How does fatigue factor in?

The ability to win the ball back in the air – a great strength of West Coast’s 2016 All Australian Jeremy McGovern and Richmond’s Rance – is a commodity in demand.

That’s part of why Gold Coast co-captain Steven May and Adelaide young gun Jake Lever, who also thrive in that area, are such popular trade targets. No key defender is averaging more than 21-year-old Lever’s four intercept marks and 10 intercept possessions.

“If you’re a spoiling defender, there are still opportunities at ground level for the opposition team,” the opposition analyst said.

“If you intercept mark, those opportunities dry up and guys like Eddie Betts starve a bit more than what they would.”

The Crows have even tried coaxing that skill out of dual All Australian Daniel Talia, with only lukewarm success. Lever’s emergence and the side’s ability to turn the ball over at half-back largely render that irrelevant.

Daniel Talia is a top defender but, like most, has his limitations. Picture: AFL Photos

Talia remains one of the League’s best one-on-one defenders – winning a League-best 49.1 per cent of those contests – and is one of the few top-liners manning the opposition’s best forward.

Just don’t expect Talia to churn out big numbers in metres gained, rebound 50s and possessions like another acclaimed backman, Essendon’s Michael Hurley. Therein lies the problem in separating one key defender from another.

There are do-it-all guys such as Rance, then polar opposites like Talia and Hurley with particular strengths. Talia is involved in almost double as many one-on-one contests as Hurley (5 to 2.7), who thrives on attack and has a significant edge in score involvements (3.5 to 2).

That yin and yang dynamic is evident in most club defensive set-ups. Rance, for example, has the underrated David Astbury to subdue the No.1 forward, a responsibility he has proven increasingly capable of.

Geelong’s great sides since the turn of the century adopted the philosophy wonderfully through players like Matthew Scarlett and Tom Harley, then Harry Taylor and Tom Lonergan.

Other contrasting combinations include North Melbourne’s Robbie Tarrant – one of the game’s best key defenders – and Scott Thompson, St Kilda’s Jake Carlisle and Nathan Brown, Bombers Hurley and Michael Hartley, and Port Adelaide’s Tom Jonas, Jack Hombsch and Tom Clurey.

Michael Hurley is enjoying a great season after a year out of the game. Picture: AFL Photos

Jonas is relatively tiny among the key defenders at just 189cm, similar to Hawthorn’s Josh Gibson and Bulldog Dale Morris, but has successfully played on Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch and Eagle Josh Kennedy this year, as well as Betts.

“I think they back Hombsch and Clurey to be able to help out. Maybe they’re a bit better suited to reading the cues and peeling off to support than Jonas is,” the opposition analyst said.

“He’s a much better one-on-one player than he is reading of the game and intercepting, so they’re just backing him with his strengths.”

There are other less celebrated defenders turning in fine 2017 campaigns, including Carlton’s Alex Silvagni and Greater Western Sydney’s Nick Haynes (who was in hot form before a serious hamstring injury), while Blue Jacob Weitering and Brisbane Lion Harris Andrews loom as future stars.

But the men down back are increasingly a product of their system.

“It’s very much a group dynamic and how they fit into that,” the opposition analyst said.

“The art of being able to intercept and read the cues, and go from a spoiling defender to a marking defender, takes time – it takes pre-seasons to back yourself in.”

THE DEFENSIVE ELITE (through round 11)*

Intercept marks: Jake Lever (Adel) 4.0, Jeremy McGovern (WC) 3.5, Alex Rance (Rich) 3.2, Steven May (GC) 3.1, Tom Barrass (WC) 2.9, Jack Leslie (GC) 2.9

Intercept possessions: Jake Lever (Adel) 10, Alex Rance (Rich) 9.0, Alex Silvagni (Carl) 8.4, Michael Hurley (Ess) 8.3, Jeremy McGovern (WC) 8.2, Scott Thompson (NM) 8.1

Spoils: Michael Hartley (Ess) 10.6, Alex Rance (Rich) 9.6, Oscar McDonald (Melb) 8.8, Tom Jonas (Port) 8.2, Daniel Talia (Adel) 7.9, Fletcher Roberts (WB) 7.9

Rebound 50s: Michael Hurley (Ess) 6.6, Robbie Tarrant (NM) 4.5, Alex Rance (Rich) 4.2, Steven May (GC) 3.9, Scott Thompson (NM) 3.9, Nick Haynes (GWS) 3.7

One-on-one Loss %: Jeremy McGovern (WC) 6.7, Sam Gilbert (St K) 9.1, Lynden Dunn (Coll) 14.3, Daniel Talia (Adel) 16.4, Tom Stewart (Geel) 16.7, Jake Carlisle (St K) 16.7

One-on-one Win %: Daniel Talia (Adel) 49.1, Jeremy McGovern (WC) 46.7, Nathan Brown (St K) 46.2, Tom Clurey (Port) 45.2, Jake Lever (Adel) 44.4, Michael Hartley (Ess) 42.1

One-on-one contests: Michael Hartley (Ess) 5.4, Alex Rance (Rich) 5.3, Jack Leslie (GC) 5.3, Joel Hamling (Freo) 5.2, David Astbury (Rich) 5.1, Daniel Talia (Adel) 5.0

Metres gained: Michael Hurley (Ess) 415.4, Nick Haynes (GWS) 358.6, Robbie Tarrant (NM) 343.2, Steven May (GC) 311.5, Alex Rance (Rich) 300.9, Lynden Dunn (Coll) 297.9

Marks: Jeremy McGovern (WC) 7.9, Caleb Marchbank (Carl) 7.8, Ben Reid (Coll) 7.7, Michael Hurley (Ess) 7.5, Nick Haynes (GWS) 7.5, Tom McDonald (Melb) 7.2

* Minimum five games in 2017

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