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thecomicsnexus · 4 years

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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #21-25 JUNE - OCTOBER 1991 BY RYAN BROWN, DEAN CLARRAIN (STEPHEN MURPHY), BYRON VAUGHNS, GARY FIELDS, BARRY GROSSMAN, GENE COLAN, CHRIS ALLAN, BRIAN THOMAS, GARRET HO, JIM LAWSON, ROD OLLERENSHAW AND MARK PACELLA

SYNOPSIS (FROM COMIC VINE)

A U.S. spy satellite falls from its orbit and crashes into a pile of U.S.S.R. space junk, becoming entangled with a radioactive canister. The two fuse together in their descent towards the earth below. A man is watching the news in his cabin in the woods and becomes frustrated and angry with all of the reports dealing with mankind's effect on the failing environment. He lifts his TV set and carries it outside, where he tosses it into a garbage can - suddenly, he's struck with a blast of light and energy... Moments later, we see that the woodsman has been transformed. He's now some sort of hybrid between man, television and satellite! "What goes around, comes around," the creature states, "What comes around... goes around!" With that, the cyborg morphs into a ball of fiery energy and flies off.

The TMNT are working out in the sewers, still concerned about their missing brother, Raphael. Splinter and April are using the computers at April's news office to do research when one of O'Neil's co-workers arrives. Splinter hides while April has a joyful reunion with her friend, Malcolm, who thought she had been killed. The man asks April if she's investigating the reports of the fallen spy satellite, but O'Neil states that she's interested in something else. Malcolm politely excuses himself so April can get back to work. Splinter wishes to leave, and April sits at the keyboard to save her work - only to be pulled into the screen of the monitor by the cyborg! The Sensei tries to pull April free, but he's too late and is blasted by the satellite dude. Later, Splinter explains to the Turtles what happened. Donatello hacks into the news station's computers, attempting to trace where April was taken. Meanwhile, April is surprised to discover that her abductor is interested in having her interview him. The man states that he's about to destroy the world's communications systems - when April asks why, he tells her to grab her camcorder and he'll explain everything. The fellow stands and explains that he first wants to show people what's really going on in the world: starvation, disease and war - and then he'll shut everything down and force people to pause and think about what's happening - and then, together, humanity can do something about the problems. He hopes this plan will work so he doesn't have to do something more drastic - like using the nuclear waste within his body to irradiate the world's oil fields and rendering them useless for human use. April declares that his plan is madness, and the cyborg states that he is mad - and he's not going to take it anymore!

Just then, the TMNT come crashing through the window and battle the 'borg, who finally reveals his name to be Vid Vicious. Vid dives into a nearby computer monitor, with Donatello close on his heels. The two are transported to a bizarre dimension and begin to fight, as the others ponder how to rescue their brother. Suddenly, the Shredder arrives with a gang of Super Foot Soldiers! A fight breaks out, and Shredhead manages to download Vid and Don to disc before destroying the computer. With his prisoners in hand, Shredder escapes!

The Shredder makes his escape with the disc containing Vid Vicious and Donatello, leaving Master Splinter, Leonardo, Michaelangelo and April to look for clues. The Sensei notes that the best clue is the remains of the defeated Foot robots themselves. Noting that they've recently encountered another robotic Foot foe, the foursome heads to Chinatown to investigate the building that had housed the giant Foot robot.

Upon investigating the abandoned structure, our heroes find a matchbook from Acme Traps. Splinter notes that the Shredder is leaving them obvious clues and thus they are probably walking into an obvious trap - but they must save Donatello, so the protagonists head to the headquarters for Acme Traps. Meanwhile, the Shredder opens the disc containing Vid and Don. Vicious escapes by flying out of a window, and Donatello uses the distraction to attack Shredhead. Unfortunately the ticked off turtle is no match for Saki and his robot minions, and is quickly subdued.

The door to the Acme Traps building is unlocked, allowing easy access for Leo, Splinter, Mike and Splinterm, who proceed warily. They quickly discover that Don has been tied up and hung from the ceiling of the high room. There are three doors on the ground floor, and Leonardo, Michaelangelo and April head off to investigate them. Splinter sits and ponders why Shredder has only left three doorways for four foes, when he spots another route. Meanwhile, Mikey runs into some Foot robots and defeats them with ease while Leo and April discover that their doorways connected them to a circular hallway. After climbing a ladder and walking a scaffold, Splinter soon runs into Shredder and the two begin to fight. The Sensei leaps through a broken window to the structure's rooftop, with Shredder close behind him. The two old enemies exchange blows, but Shredhead wins the battle when Splinter's coat gets entagled with Acme Traps' billboard.

Shredder moves in to deal the killing blow, but a mysterious stranger arrives in a red cloak and kicks Saki's butt. Leo, Mike and April arrive on the roof and help Splinter down - and as they wonder who their rescuer might be, the red cloaked fighter reveals himself to be none other than Raphael! As everyone greets the fiery mutant, Shredder makes his escape.

The TMNT are enjoying Donatello's latest creation - a sewer hot tub. April decides that bathing in warm sewer water isn't anything that she's interested in doing and heads off to stand watch. Raph explains that Cudley the Cowlick brought him home after his outer space adventure with the Mighty Mutanimals. Meanwhile, in Dimension X, Krang discovers an unexpected ally on Morbus, the garbage world where he'd been banished to by Cherubae.

Back on Earth, April discovers an approaching intruder - who turns out to be Master Splinter. The Sensei tells O'Neil that it's time for her next lesson, and he admonsihes the TMNT. Splinter's not happy that his four mutant students are lounging about. The riled rodent orders the Turtles to get busy finding the Shredder before anything else terrible happens. Raph is happy to be proactive, but the Sensei reminds him that he needs to work with his brothers rather than on his own.

Slash demands that Krang help him find his palm tree - or die! The brainy alien quickly surmises the circumstances and promises to take Slash to a world filled with palm trees, and thus Krang has found his next minion. The two set off together and Slash explains that he was sentenced to a prison term on Morbus - as many other unsavory characters have been. The toxicity of the place usually kills prisoners, but some can survive in the environment. As the Turtles transverse the sewers, they come upon a group of men who are assembling a bazooka.

Back on Morbus, Slash and Krang spot a landing spacecraft. As the villains close to investigate, two armed guards escort a chained prisoner named Bellybomb off the ship. The guards read Bellybomb's long list of offenses and ask him if he has any last words before they abandom him on the toxic planet, to which the cosmic criminal replies, "You neglected to mention my unpaid parking tickets." Krang is most impressed with the toothy alien. The TMNT discover that the men in the sewer plan to use the bazooka to fire a missile through the street and into an armored car's vulnerable underside. The Turtles launch an attack on the would-be thieves.

Slash attacks the guards holding Bellybomb and the two criminals charge into the ship to battle the remaining law men. Krang looks on happily and as he crawls towards the craft, decides that it's time to find a new body. The Turtles easily defeat the well-armed bandits and tie them up, while the villains in Dimension X commandeer the prison ship and set a course for Earth.

Slash, Krang and Bellybomb are on their way to Earth when they decide to stop at a nearby planet and hunt for some lunch - much to their surprise, upon landing they discover Bebop and Rocksteady! The two complain about being bored and join the terrible trio on their trip to our planet.

Meanwhile, the TMNT are on a mission to investigate one of Shredder's numerous bases. As the Turtle boys arrive, they quickly discover that Shredhead is home - and a battle ensues. After a brief skirmish, Krang's spacecraft suddenly smashes through the ceiling and the Turtles are face to face with quite a motley crew. Slash, Bebop and Rocksteady attack the TMNT while Shredder slips away to investigate the spacecraft. Inside the ship, Saki finds Krang and Bellybomb, who gives Shredder a face full of mega-halitosis that knocks the ninja unconscious. The aliens lay Shredder on a table, and Krang proceeds to possess the man in a most disturbing manner.

Bebop and Rocksteady have taken to the streets and rob a pet store of its supply of food. The deadly duo then make their way to the zoo, where they apparently begin to fire their weapons upon caged animals.

Meanwhile, the TMNT are facing their worst (and weirdest) foe yet - the head of Krang on the body of Shredder! With little time to spend gawking at this oddity, the TMNT brace themselves for another attack by Slash, Bellybomb and the Krang-Shredder monstrocity. Early on, Raph entices Slash to run off in search of his palm tree, making the odds better for our heroes. Shortly, Slash finds a pet store and breaks the window to gleefully steal a small plastic palm tree.

Eventually the Turtles' teamwork enables them to get the upper hand in the fight. Raph rips Krang off of Shredder's body, while Mikey twirls his nunchukus and forces Bellybomb to get a giant whiff of his own toxic breath, thus disabling their remaining adversaries. Just as the Green Team is ready to celebrate, Bebop and Rocksteady arrive with a huge array of animals that they've freed from the zoo and level their guns at the Turtles. The TMNT drop their weapons as Shredder awakes. Saki relunctantly states that the Turtles saved his life and dejectedly walks off, but before he gets too far, Leonardo reminds his old foe that he owes the Turtles now. With is head bowed, Saki replies, "I know... I know." and disappears into the night.

Bebop and Rocksteady load the spaceship with their animal companions from the zoo, as well as Krang and Bellybomb, and head for outer space. The Turtles worry that both Shredder and Slash are on the loose again, and make their way back to the sewer.

Bebop and his partner drop Krang and Bellybomb back on the toxic waste planet before returning to the jungle world - which they've decided is home.

REVIEW

This was pretty much the end of this run in my country, so anything after this is new to me. This arc has been in my mind ever since, and each issue has something interesting. Sometimes for the worse.

The first chapter is perhaps the lowest point of the series thus far. With a villain that makes no sense, and even events that make no sense. The guy becomes super-powerful because a satellite fell on him, and he can do almost anything. Then he and Donatello get trapped inside a floppy disk (???).

But after that, things get better. An issue illustrated by Gene Colan (I didn’t realize this as a kid, probably because it was before reading all those Batman comics), then the issue with the cover of what was issue #1 in my country (which was actually issue #5).

The real deal here is Krang and how evil he can be. It is something I never realized by watching the cartoon, but the comic took him more seriously.

The sweetest thing is Slash, looking for his palm tree, something Krang took literally, but becomes very cute when he finally finds a toy palm tree.

To me this was the perfect conclusion for the run, and having just read the following filler episodes, I can imagine why.

There is a back-up story that will continue for a few issues about April and Splinter in Chinatown, I will probably talk about it when that story finally starts.

The purpose of this story is pretty obvious now, they wanted to make a distinction between this comic and the cartoon, the two were very different at this point. The most evident difference is April and anything around Channel 6. April is a better character in this comic than in the cartoon, and a character female readers could be interested in.

I give the story a score of 7.

#ken mitchroney #gene colan #ryan brown #archie comics #comics #review #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles adventures #shredder #krang #splinter #slash #bebop #rocksteady #1991 #modern age

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myhelrav · 5 years

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In Search of Wellbeing

Tales of Transition #3

As I started assembling my words and pictures for this post, it was 6 months to the day since Rod and I left Wellington, one of us heading north to to start the hard work of turning this beautiful renovation into a home, the other detouring to the South Island. That felt like quite a milestone. It was wild and wet here in the Bay of Plenty. It felt wonderfully appropriate for an anniversary of leaving windy Welly.

While I was contemplating this particular post, the words of the Navajo Prayer, In Beauty May I Walk, played through my mind over and over. Reminding me that I have indeed walked in beauty since I left my beloved city. Telling me how much the everyday beauty of our new home has helped ease transition.

A while back I read a piece suggesting a difference between happiness and wellbeing. A lightbulb came on! It’s no secret that I struggled for happiness as Rod and I adapted to the many changes of the previous 6 months. Yet in the midst of bouts of unhappiness, I was experiencing moments of what I have come to identify as wellbeing. Almost always outdoors, it might be feeling the mild northern winter air, soft on my skin. Revelling in the novelty of rain falling vertically (!), often so gentle it could barely be heard. Feasting my eyes on treats such as sparkling blue waters, our garden glowing golden against a dark sky to the east as the sun dropped in the west, yet another treasure discovered in that garden as the seasons started to unfold... Breathing in the heavenly aroma of our own citrus fruit. For however long that moment lasted, I felt at ease.

Those moments all felt like gifts, as did the notion that wellbeing and happiness could be separated. Letting go of happiness as a goal was liberating. It was a remarkably helpful strategy in helping me begin to deal better with the emotional conflict that, somehow, didn’t magically disappear after the excitement and turmoil of arriving in Eleventh Ave. And if you know me well, you know that I like my strategies! Here are some of my other strategies for this phase of Project Tauranga:

To create a sense of peace and order so as to counteract the many ways in which lack of peace was frustrating me

To attempt to forgive myself for the ways I was not coping and to concentrate instead on the ways I was contributing

To focus on gratitude

To seek out beauty

Peace and Order

Box city is not a peaceful place in which to live. No surprise there, but what did surprise was how long it continued to be a struggle to adapt.

Initially nothing had a place so nothing looked out of place. Locating phones, keys, or any other random thing put down “for now” was the first challenge. The pace at which we could create order out of chaos was limited. How fast could Rod could build shelves? How many chests of drawers - an item of furniture we’d had no need for in Karepa Street - did we need to find?

My heart was aching for the sons and friends I’d left behind, my resilience was undermined by week after week of very poor sleep, my body was wearied by prolonged hay fever - the legacy of dusty downsizing, cleaning product overload and far too many flowers in far too many rooms while Karepa Street was on the market... The energy and team work that brought us this far took a big hit. Rod, although faring better than me, was also exhausted. It took far longer than either of us anticipated to find our mojo as a team again.

We had also both anticipated that we would quickly adapt to the background traffic. “You’ll get used to it” everyone said. Except some don’t get used to it. Yup, it seems I’m one of those. The noise intruded on my thoughts, affected my moods and, even through earplugs, disturbed my sleep. 2 miserable months passed before I managed a decent night’s sleep. It was even longer before the noise stopped feeling like a malignant foe. In the wee hours I’d find myself staring down at the trucks that drive through the night, angry and hating them, wanting to scream back at the road, just shut up!

It probably sounds overly dramatic and I did feel as if I was becoming unhinged. Strategies were desperately needed! And so we set to work. To help turn my ears away from the traffic we put gently ticking clocks in the rooms I spend most time in to listen to instead. After months of investigating and pricing our options, I’m thrilled to report that work on double-glazing our windows will start in the next few days. Changes are also happening within. Rod and I started doing yoga and our lovely classes have helped calm my mind. I am learning to listen to my breath rather than the noise when it wakes me at night. My foe is shrinking...

Box city shrank too, but gradually, wearyingly, and not completely. In the garage, wardrobes and upstairs rooms, it still lurks in wait... As it retreated, we were able to create ever larger pools of calm beginning with my favourite corner chair, where I look out into the garden on two sides and back at the beauty that surrounds me indoors.

We may not have peace and quiet but we do have spaces that look peaceful and calm. I am working to keep them that way - in this new life of ours I am reinventing myself as a much tidier person!

Contribution

Forgiving myself is such a hard one. Luckily I have an ally in making this strategy work. Rod is thriving on the freedom to beaver away at his enormous list of home handy work but sees our physical environment as just one piece of the home-making puzzle. For him, making connections with new people and places is of equal value and he is very generous in treating the time that I spend seeking these as important work. Who knew that my addiction to Facebook and love of cafés would be seen as useful?

And so I ferret out new things for us to do. From watching live music in tiny venues to watching ride-on mower racing at a huge school gala - with a variety of weekend markets in between - Rod has cheered my efforts and said yes to most of my suggestions as we try to get used to life in this very different town.

We were incredibly lucky that I stumbled across an active women’s social networking group on Facebook early on. Thanks to this group we learned about the yoga class, joined a pub quiz team, hosted a book club, helped cater for a fundraiser, found friends to join me and my mother on a garden jaunt to the Waikato, found someone new for Rod to go biking with…

I am, of course, getting to know Tauranga one café at a time. All with Rod’s blessing and support. Go Team Tauranga!

Gratitude

I am grateful that Rod shares the need to go back to Wellington often. To drink in the comfort of familiar places and to wrap ourselves in the aroha of beloved family and friends. To lay aside the task of reinventing our lives and just be ourselves for a little while in the company of those who know us well.

We both feel very fortunate that we had time and means to say yes to nearly every opportunity that came our way to catch up with old friends, not only back in Wellington but in other parts of the country too. We are especially grateful to those who took the trouble to come and add to the new chapter being written in Eleventh Ave. Each visit replenishes our kete and feels like a blessing on this house.

Oh, how much I miss my “posse” of friends, to quote one of my new friends. I am so grateful for the women I have met here who help ease that ache. Who don’t expect that we can possibly take the place of old friends overnight but who are here for each other in very meaningful ways in the meantime. Who might just feature in a blog post all their own one day…

I feel very blessed by how much easier adapting to change has been for my partners in this venture. To be able to focus so much on putting myself first with Rod’s help is an enormous luxury that I have seized with both hands. Seeing how happily my mother potters around her “Little Nest” has given me and Rod profound joy every single day since she arrived.

And we are all grateful for our bountiful avocado tree. It has been delivering a big dollop of wellbeing every lunch time for weeks and weeks now. How lucky is that!

Beauty

The natural beauty of the Bay of Plenty is one of the things that drew me and Rod here in the first place. Has it ever delivered! Being so spoiled in the choice of beautiful things to see and do has helped immeasurably whenever I’ve tried to focus on the positive and give less energy to the negative.

We thought we’d miss our dramatic Wellington view but very soon discovered that our Tauranga view is equally mesmerising in a different way. Mauao, the iconic volcanic cone at Mt Maunganui, is a constant presence, drawing our eye and grounding us. We’re intrigued by unfamiliar patterns of clouds above us (we truly are living under a different sky.) We love to watch the ever shifting patterns of light and tide in the estuary that’s close enough to escape to for a very nice bike ride or walk.

Walking on the beaches at the Mount is also an easily accessible treat. Closer to home, trees and flowers provide endless inspiration to reach for my camera. The photos with which I bombard my friends on Facebook are but a tiny fraction of the ones I have taken, feeding my soul even while my spirits sagged. The variety of species that thrive here means there is garden colour to be enjoyed everywhere we walk or drive, no matter the season. We are beginning to learn the pattern of the seasons and are looking forward to next year’s arrival of feijoas and mandarins, magnolias and cherry blossom.

And the tiny first steps we have taken in growing vegetables fill us with hope that our dreams of a garden to nourish body and soul will come true.

To quote another of my new friends, “being out of your comfort zone is not comfortable!” For what seemed like the longest time, I felt lost and broken. Now that I find myself able to look back and write about those bleak times, I cherish the fact I am feeling more whole and more at peace.

This new sense of peace feels fragile. Bad days still strike without warning. Knowing that they’re not guaranteed, I am all the more grateful for the good days. For the beauty that cushions us through good days and bad.

In beauty may we continue to walk as Project Tauranga moves into a new year.

Arohanui

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impalaanddemons · 7 years

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Libertatem - Part 1

Summary: A Science Station goes radio silent - when Scotty and his engineering team are sent to reestablish communication, things go south fast and hard.

Wordcount: 1500

A/N: Okay, this is a lot darker then what I’ve written previously. I hope you like it, please let me know :) I will also update this a bitslower, sinceI’m getting married in 4 days.

Warnings: angst, injury, combat

Rain drizzled down on your shoulders - cold and gentle, the kind of rain that didn’t bother you at first but would drench you slowly and treacherously over the course of a few hours. The water had slowly crept through your layers of clothing, first dripping off the water-resistant outer layer - but drop after drop had found it’s way down your neck and into your red uniform until it was heavy with soddeness. After the water had conquered your uniform it had continued to run into your shoes until your feet felt slippery and had lost all feel to them. You longed for the warmth of your quarters and dreamt of fuzzy warm socks. When you had joined starfleet academy you would never have thought that you’d ever long for a pair of fresh dry socks and a mug of hot cocoa like this. You would never have expected to find yourself standing in the dark on an unexplored planet either - it’s lifeless alien rocks stretching out endlessly across you. The small mobile research station was the only spot of light and life in an unfriendly environment. As far as you had caught up on mission papers starfleet scientists were attracted to this Class M planet because of it’s unique structure - breathable atmosphere, water in abundance, but devoid of all life. And right next to the neutral zone. Which was the reason you were standing here, soaking, tired, in the middle of the night with one of your crew mates. You had hoped to chat with him during duty but he had proven taciturn and without much humor, so you’d given up after a couple of failed attempts to strike up conversation with him.

You had only been here for a couple of days - and at that moment you hated every minute of it, the coldness and your wet feet a reminder of your friends who had become pilots or officers. „Ensign Y/L/N, please do the rounds across perimetry.“ you had only seen him once before -somewhere in the first few hours where you had been introduced to everybody - and forgotten that Lieutenants name. He could have done the perimetry check himself, but since you were the freshman you desisted from getting in an argument, but sighed instead and saluted. „Aye, Sir.“

The building was not huge or massive - but big enough for a good half-hour walk with plenty of opportunity to get your boots even muddier and rocks and debris enough to break an ankle for those who walked carelessly. You had just finished half of that round and leant against a rock, when everything went white with a soft boom that resonated in your breast and blinded you. Grapping for your phaser you stumbled forward, fiddling with it’s settings. Agony hit you next - a sharp pain in your left leg, shooting up from the ankle, a feeling as if someone had jabbed a hot iron rod right into your calves. Yelping with pain you doubled over, still blind, phaser falling from your hand and sliding into the dark somewhere beyond your reach. „Shit, Shit. LIEUTENANT!“ you yelled, but nobody answered. Your hands slipped on the mud around you, feverish grabbing for something - anything to hold onto. Nothing, nothing - then a rock. You pulled yourself up, groaning with pain and only half conscious. It was then when you noticed muffled shoutings, harsh voices in a language you didn’t recognize at once. It was hard to think now. Thought seemed to drip away sluggishly and slowly, like honey trickling from a spoon. The voices came closer and you felt yourself slip from your rock, down to the ground again. A second impact, right into your arm, robbed you of consciousness, just as a thought had fought it’s way up to your aware self. That language. Romulan. Silence and Darkness followed.

One month later

„Enterprise, this is Captain Kirk speaking“, the relatively young voice sounded hollow as it resonated through the ships belly over intercom. Montgomery Scott had to stop tinkering and slid out from under a panel, jerking his head upwards to listen. „We will change course for an urgent mission. Science Station Utara Delta has ceased all contact a month ago. Located on a Class M planet near the neutral zone we must enter the planets orbit and send a reconnaissance team to re establish communication. Due to the proximity to the neutral zone we have to be careful and vigilant.“ he cut general transmissions and Scotty could hear how he changed channel, just by the tone the wiring at one of the panels made. „Mr. Scott, you’re going to accompany a small engineering away team. I’ll meet you in the transporter room in 15 minutes.“

It was not like he had a warp core to tend too, or power structures to control, or general infrastructure requiring his attendance. But away missions had priority, especially this one as it seemed. He grabbed his tool belt and strung it around his hips, gave last orders („Dinnae let this small bar reach 80%, ya hear me lad?“) and told Keenser off for the last time to get off the pipes. Only a few moments later he was in the transporter room, surrounded by red shirts of both engineering and security. They were a small team, he counted 10 straightaway. „Okay, here’s the deal.“ Kirk folded his arms in front of him. „You’ll be transported down 5 at a time, evaluate the situation and reestablish communications as soon as possible. Any sign of trouble and we’re gonna beam you out immediately. Keep in contact at all times.“ The first 5 members of the away team stepped into the transporter room, there phasers in hand. „Secure the perimeter at once. Energize.“, said Kirk and at that they were transported away. Scotty stood there for a second, next to him. „Be careful, Mr. Scott“, Kirk said and the scotsman nodded, showing him a quick smile. „I can be handy if I want ta, Sir.“ „I’m assured of that, Mr. Scott.“ He straightened his uniform and stepped on the platform. A moment later he was transported away.

Smoke. It filled his lungs after the first breath he took on that world. Filled his lungs with the second and he was coughing and gagging by the time he took his third. This was not supposed to happen. It was a Class-M planet - human-sufficient air, drinkable water deposits. The smoke burned in his eyes and tears filled them in a desperate attempt to get rid of the particles clinging to his retina. They were red within seconds. This could not happen. He heard a scream, turned around on his spot and felt panic creep like ice through his veins. His reflexes and his training taught him to duck and run for cover. There was something, a structure - he duck and ran, the smoke following him like a loyal dog. Something buzzed past him, hot, leaving the stench of burnt hair once it had passed and he slid to the ground in reflex, felt rocks rip open the skin of his hands. His fingers felt along his tool belt until they found the familiar shape of his communicator. Another thing buzzed past him and voices yelled. That language, he thought, it sounded familiar. He flipped open the communicator, just as something scorched the side of his chest and he cried out in pain. „Request immediate evacuation.“ he yelled. „Come on, work, ya awful thing, immediate evacuation requested. We’re under attack. Immediate Evacuation.“ He ducked behind a rock, grabbing his side, hissing with pain now. Absolute chaos surrounded him and the flicker of flames and ever present smoke prevented him from deciphering who was friend and foe, who was attacking or defending. „Beam us out, now!“ he hissed into the communicator, as a dark figure appeared in front of him, seemingly out of no where. Realization hit him, but it hit too late, hit him with too much surprise to act upon it. His world went dark and his communicator never answered.

„We’ve lost them, Keptin“, Chekovs voice was hollow, as if transmitted through ship intercomm, but he was right there, at the transporter consoles. „What do you mean, lost? Where are they?“ that was Kirks voice - stressed, his lips pressed together and brow furrowed. „They are.. gone, Zeer. Just gone. No transporter signal, nothing, Keptin.“ „Uhura, please run a scan on all frequencies. Look for .. anything unusual.“ the Captain hailed bridge through intercomm, then turned around to face his vulcan first officer, who was observing the situation. Solid as a rock. „What do you make of this, Spock?“ „This is very hard to determine without further evidence. Our scans returned clean, without any signs of lifeforms. I would advice further scans and reconnaissance from orbit until we decide on our next action.“ Of course Spock was collected, analyzing as always. And right. Right even if his first impulse was to jump into the transporter himself. „Ensign Chekov return to your post at once and run deep scans of the entire system.“ „Aye, aye, keptin.“

TAG LIST! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! I’LL TAG PEOPLE WHO I THINK MIGHT ENJOY THIS! IF YOU WANNA BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST JUST TELL ME :) I AM GUESSING HERE

@engineeringtrashcan @webhoard @inaugural13 @thebloody3agle @sassymissmyra @flowerbunbunny @anotherotter @theleonardmccoy @thewalkingdeanisdanielhowell @dirajunara @mustanglegends @elinanve

#scotty x reader #montgomery scott x reader #scotty trashcan

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nuzblog · 6 years

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November 4th, 2017

I was pretty anxious about Misty going in, here. I remember double checking my boys, making sure my inventory has got potions and such, and frankly being pretty worried about the Misty fight. She whooped my ass something fierce on my last go around. Speaking of, I think it's pretty fun to note how consistently my deaths have been to noteworthy foes - first to the Rival, then to the first Team Rocket goon encountered, then to Misty. Based on this pattern, my next loss will probably be to... I dunno, Giovanni?

Fortunately, this concern is unfounded. I go into the battle with Misty with Horus and Minos, my fearsome twosome. Staryu is basically nothing, I flick it and it goes down. Starmie is the tough one. Horus sand attacks it and gets taken to critically low damage, so I swap out to Minos while she uses the safe turn to use an X Defend. My resistance to Water urges it to Tackle, and Minos' high defense keeps it pretty darn safe. I tail whip it twice, to discount the X Defend and weaken it further, and then start Punching, which takes it out clean.

Game progression! Hooray! I get Xuth and Lanius back from the PC. Vlad can stay there forever and rot for all I care. I love Zubat, but... it was not worth it the first time, and that choice ended up killing Gary. Gary is a dead child now, thanks to his Zubat whose name I've already forgotten. Probably like, Cartman or some garbage like that.

After getting Dig from a Rocket Goon, I am ready for a new route, finally! It has been so long since I've gotten to a place with an encounter rate I haven't actually tried to catch a Pokemon on before, and also I've had such shitearsed luck with catches this run that I'm super ready for it. I head right for that grass, excited to see what new Pokemon await me, and...!

Oh. It's a Pidgey. Well! Duplicate clause! What else we got. Bellsprout? Yeah, Bellsprout works. A little late, since I would have loved to see this beautiful thing's derpy nozzle face to help me combat Misty, but its resistance to Electric is still gonna help with Surge, and also, I absolutely adore the design of the Bellsprout line and I've never gotten the chance to use one on my team before. So I am happy to see it! I name it Penthes. The name scheme hasn't been guessed yet, by the by! If you want one of these Pokemon, you're welcome to guess.

The underground road thing has always been kind of weird to me. Like, don't get me wrong, I totally love the whole "let's dance around our big central city" thing this game does. I feel like if they did it now it'd be better and probably more story related than like, some guards are too thirsty to let people through (????) but it's neat, it's definitely better than throwing the one big city of the region at us out of the gate like Generations 5-7 have. And it's cool to have to go around this big thing in the middle, right, like... a normal walk through the Kanto region should have you going right through from Cerulean right into Saffron, but we can't go that way, so we have to go... around, right? Or under, or above. Skip Saffron, go to Vermillion.

But the underground path is so... boring? Like I know there's so many caves all the time forever, but you really could have had another Pokemon cave and just. Like, something with an encounter rate at least? Or even make it made by people, but have it also be such a suitable place for Pokemon to live that they end up nesting there anyway, and so you've got this manmade path that like, I guess if you want to be boring ol' Kanto you can put Rattata and Zubat in there, but wouldn't it be so much more interesting if creatures that were themselves sort of urban in origin lived there? Like, Grimer isn't found until Cinnabar, but it feels right at home slugging along that smooth floor. And like, since you can usually just go through Saffron anyway, nobody's really all that interested in maintaining the paths, so nobody's bugging these nests of Grimer and like, okay sure Zubats and Rattatas are there too.

Wouldn't that be nice? Not a dungeon, but a gloomy walk down a long corridor besieged by these gross poisonous monsters, instead of like... a long corridor. With no gameplay other than holding down.

There are items in there, but I don't already know where they are and I don't have the itemfinder, so I'm either gonna Google it like a cheapo, or check every tile which I super don't want to. I do want those items, but yikes on bikes am I not getting them yet.

Instead, lets emerge from this extended diatribe about the underground path by emerging from the underground path itself, like the Chilean miners rising from the underground, so too are we now freed, into Route 6! Where... the literal only Pokemon possibility is a Meowth. And finding it took a while. Like, everything else is a duplicate. So, hey... Meowth. Alright. I do find one, catch it. Its name is Maneki.

Vermillion! A new city! Mmm, breathe in that new city smell. By which I mean. Ocean. Hey, isn't it weird how Vermillion City is on the ocean, but the cycling road is between it and the ocean? Does the cycling road like, open up to let the S.S. Anne through? Is the cycling road a bridge, or is it like... on land? It's really long to be connected to nothing.

Anyway. There's an old rod here. I get it, if only to keep me from accidentally... throwing out all my money and items and Pokemon besides a Level 5 Magikarp at the Indigo Plateau and being stuck. I really don't want a Magikarp, so it's not gonna be great. Anywhere I'd be unable to catch anything but by fishing, I could wait until I've got the Good Rod or Super Rod and then come back.

Speaking of stuff I can get in Vermillion, this is where the trade for Farfetch'd occurs. However, before making this trade, I had the good sense about me to check movesets. After all, while I know Farfetch'd gets a rockin' movepool later on with things like False Swipe, Gen 1 is unfamiliar territory for me. And, as it turns out... it is pretty much just a worse Spearow in this game. Like... Farfetch'd has Sand Attack which is better than Growl, and it has Swords Dance and Slash...

Actually writing this urged me to take another look and now I'm seriously considering actually going to Farfetch'd. Like, Spearow learns Drill Peck which is nice solid STAB and Mirror Move which I'm never gonna use, but... Fly would be my STAB anyway, and now that I'm looking at it, Slash is... an underwhelming move otherwise, but might just be an integral part of my strategy in Gen 1. Get this: because of the way critical hits are checked for in Gen 1, Farfetch'd using Slash has a 15/16 chance of critically hitting. Crits might not quite be doubled, but they do turn a 70 base power move into a lawnmower that other Pokemon are fed to.

Okay there's actually more I need to look at to make this decision. Choosing a flying type for this run is gonna mean comparing three different Pokemon line's stats and move lists, so for now let's just move on and put a big fat "I don't know yet" on this Farfetch'd trade.

I didn't have the energy to go fighting the billion trainers that are now open to me, so instead I went for catching Pokemon. Diglett cave gave me a level 18 Diglett, whose name is Whaca, and Route 11 gave me that Sandshrew I wanted before, whose name is Cingu.

I then went onto the SS Anne... and found out that that healing lady on the SS Anne in the remakes isn't actually here in the original version of the game. So like. The infinite healing I wasn't worried about on the boat, is actually gonna be a huge issue - I otherwise can heal only twice to cover all of the S. S. Anne (which I need to do all of, if only because money is a limited resource) AND Lt. Surge, and he'll only give me one more heal back which I can maybe use to cover Route 11... unless I'm going back home through Diglett Cave? But running through the cave every time I need healing when there are powerful Digletts and even Dugtrios there who might kill my hurt Pokemon is a bad plan, and spending that much money on repels instead of potions when, again, money is literally limited in quantity in this game (before the Elite Four who can be fought infinitely, that is.)

A friend has suggested that I use the Gen 3 games and the lore of the SS Anne being an "all expenses paid cruise" to justify my free use of the Vermillion City Pokemon Center as long as the SS Anne is in its port, but I'm unsure if I want to go that route. On the one hand, part of the challenge as I had originally thought about it was definitely that I would be able to heal freely at the SS Anne, but part of the challenge is also that Gen 1 is weird and I don't know its weirdness all too well. Right now, I'm not sure, but I'll have to make a decision before I play next, since my boys are hurting.

Speaking of my boys, I also need to make party decisions, finally! Obviously I'm holding onto Minos. Right now the rest of my party looks like: Penthes, who I definitely want to use, and his grass type will resist Surge and generally be good type coverage for the whole game. A ground type who is gonna get me through Surge and probably also be good coverage for the whole game. Still weighing between Cingu and Whaca. Whaca I've got at a higher level, but if I'm gonna be healing freely I can just grind Cingu up fine, but jeez I haven't actually even LOOKED at their movepools and stats yet. For all I know I might be bringing both of them into Surge with me. I am more interested in using Cingu, since I don't think I've used a Sandslash before ever? Oh god it probably learns Slash too, oh god. A flying type, which, as I've covered, I'm gonna have to make a decision. Xuth, who is probably safe for now to be honest. I do always like to have a bug type on my party, since bug is my favorite type, but like... what if I get Scyther or something? Also, Confusion Butterfree will be obsolete if I were to, say, trade a Poliwhirl (who will probably be dead easy to catch someplace with a Super Rod) for a Jynx in Cerulean where I haven't caught a Pokemon yet, so I can have a Psychic type with STAB. And an open slot, which might have my spare flying type in it, or might have Maneki in it, but either way it's otherwise kind of an open slot for type coverage to fill when it becomes available.

So yeah. Big decisions, next time I play this game.

#nuzlocke #pokemon blue #pokemon #entries

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sigridcountessvongalen-blog · 7 years

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Evil has a name! And sometimes a good twin, who resurrects and every further witness protection due to ongoing sabotage rejects! By Sigrid Countess von Galen Evil has a name! Evil has a face! Evil has a voice! Evil has no shame! - It was seen and heard and identified by good, who pointed its finger at the right photo in the Interpol frame, and it was good, who testified in a court against even those, who are officially untouchable but who secretly are on the most wanted list, and their evil does exist, as they made the mistake good for their dirty work as slave to enlist, and confused and fused accidentally regularly good with his evil twin. And suddenly, a whole evil fellows community does no longer over good win and even a pope and archbishop anymore in their secret Templar shore at their good victims grin, as exposed is every single crime of every single Templar's tower in every city with its European twin, never mind the evildoers' every cardinal initiation's sin - there is enough blood spatter and forensic dark matter on secret walls that evil left behind in every bath and shower, where they did kill loose ends and in the naves that turned into anonymous graves, where under abuse of immunity a criminal community with a priory misbehaves. Imagine, a dead twin resurrects and points his finger at also the doubles of his evil brother - and does no longer with a sabotaged witness protection programme bother?! How many evildoers in a worldwide community will be brought to justice finally, as the victims unite under the banner of the truth and peace and justice, and come to their good friends' aid, as they once said, and bring with them a worldwide law enforcement team for a raid! 'Knock, knock!' says Jesus Christ with his flock. 'I have taken stock and come to arrest all evildoers, and I come in lightspeed with the truth as my living rod and creed and will pass judgement with my iron crown and sceptre, as I have had enough of being cheated and maltreated and for my flock to be persecuted and framed and wrongly shamed and manhandled rough - I get now with the facts of all evil criminal acts on all evil tough, and evil can no longer hide, and can in nobody anymore in any shore successfully for refuge confide, as the evildoers have already jumped ship, and left plenty of evidence even in bins and on a kip! And even once upon a time twins joint at their every thought and some even on their hip, suddenly are changing side against evil and cut off the evil one, and return to every evil every stone! And suddenly, evil stands in the dock so very, very alone, in front of the crowded good flock, who even open secretly the doors, on which at night Jesus Christ does telepathically knock; and so good comes around, and brings back and takes to task all evil, where evil once touched ground under a mask of fake friendship and suddenly evil does all of its former power and connections and resources lack, as it turns out that evil never really had immunity indefinitely, and even evil key and stake holders can no longer flood with blood of victims a tower, as good is no longer in a fearful mood, and identifies from certain characteristics even foes, who caused to good people unspeakable woes under a hood! And what does a Priory de Sion in disguise of an Anglican and another as Vatican convent community do, who both subscribe to worldwide collaboration in every nation, to organised criminality accordingly to victims and former conspirators, when even a top figurehead of their church turns out to be just a double, who did on behalf of MI5 play an archbishop to gather evidence of the abuse of a seal - the nuns in question ask for an immunity deal but do voluntarily continue in their community and thus take up their punishment to prove that they truly repent, and are tagged electronically, and supervised individually, so that recorded is their every word and thought and move! As psychological warfare is no novelty to these sisters, who wish on their targets anything and enforce it via abuse of medical access and a former monopoly on care facilities, from strokes, cancer, and not just blisters... And suddenly, one after the other secret fascist hierarchy surrenders internationally, as they have been seen and heard, for example, when nuns from a Haggerston or Boston priory picked up guns and abducted children and drugs from other religious order counterparts next to the Raphael clinic in Muenster, and picked up blackhole money cash from the hospital trash and discussed with a former doctor not just physiotherapies but also, how he as the Muenster Templar paymaster could beat in London secretly the credit crunch! Pack it in', says Jesus Christ, 'you are under arrest! And you did the longest time over your every crime smirk at me with your evil grin! Wait, until I remind you in your room also privately of your every long forgotten unbegotten sin! By the way, I did intercept your latest bid on my life and that on my wife, and I have to tell you, you did not win!' -- Sigrid Countess von Galen NEC LAUDIBUS NEC TIMORE http://clemensaugustvongaleninstitute.tumblr.com http://sigridvongalen.tumblr.com (James John Westcott House) http://clemensaugustvongaleninstitute.blogspot.com http://thepeacegallery.tumblr.com http://sigridvongalendiary.tumblr.com http://theinstituteforcriminologyandjustice.wordpress.com @instcrimjust @CTraumastudies @sigridvongalen

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gokinjeespot · 5 years

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off the rack #1262

Monday, May 20, 2019

Happy Victoria Day to all Canuckleheads out there. I feel sorry for the folks that traditionally go camping this long weekend. It sure is soggy. My brother, niece and I proved that it's not necessarily better fishing in the rain yesterday morning. We caught a lot fewer fish than usual but we still had fun. Hooking, landing and releasing a fish caught with a rod and reel gives me as much joy as reading a well written and beautifully drawn comic book.

Black Widow #5 - Jen & Sylvia Soska (writers) Flaviano (art) Veronica Gandini (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Nat's adventure in Madripoor comes to an end. I liked the story but I can't say that the art was much to write home about. If Jen & Sylvia Soska hadn't engaged me I wouldn't have read this past the first issue.

Naomi #5 - Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker (writers) Jamal Campbell (art) Wes Abbott (letters). Uh-oh, Zumbado. Get Naomi's full origin story here and find out who the super villain is.

Marvel Action Spider-Man #4 - Erik Burnham (writer) Christopher Jones (art) Zac Atkinson (colours) Shawn Lee (letters). Peter Parker is featured this issue as he apprehends the Looter. Such a silly super villain origin story but still fun. We'll be seeing a more familiar foe next issue though.

Ironheart #6 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Kevin Libranda (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Miles Morales guest stars in this version of the movie Groundhog Day. It's a nice one issue story.

Spider-Man Life Story #3 The '80s - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Mark Bagley (pencils) John Dell (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). It's obvious to me now that these stories are flights of fantasy using significant events in Spider-Man's life that deviate from canon. They don't add to what's currently happening so whether I read the rest or not it's going to matter little to Spider-Man's historical record. These have been entertaining so far so I will continue to grab them off the rack to see what else this creative team can come up with.

Last Stop on the Red Line #1 - Paul Maybury (writer) Sam Lotfi (art) John Rauch (colours) Adam Pruett (letters). The nice art prompted me to give this new Dark Horse book a try but constantly wondering what the heck was happening as I read each page almost made me put this comic down before even finishing it. I felt like I was jumping into the middle of a story and was supposed to know who everyone was. I didn't like how some behaviour wasn't explained. Why did the detective's husband ask the guest to leave? Why did the detective strip down to bra and panties in front of said guest? There are monsters killing passengers on a commuter train and I don't care. I'm getting off before the last stop.

War of the Realms #4 - Jason Aaron (writer) Russell Dauterman (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). A big player jumps off the injured reserve list to rejoin the fray. A major turning point happens that hurts Malekith and his forces. Get ready for the big battle for Midgard folks. I may be getting tired of these massive battles but when the comics are so beautifully illustrated I will always read them.

Sabrina the teenage witch #2 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Veronica Fish & Andy Fish (art) Jack Morelli (letters). Now here's a comic book with monsters that doesn't leave me dazed and confused. I don't know why, but this issue seemed super slim. 20 pages, no ads. I like that.

War of the Realms: Spider-Man & the League of Realms #1 - Sean Ryan (writer) Nico Leon (art) Carlos Lopez (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Wow, we haven't seen the League of Realms since Jason Aaron started this whole kerfuffle in Thor. It seems like years ago. Thor asks Spider-Man to lead this motley crew to Africa where they fight the Angels of Heven. The leader of the Angel forces, Fernande, isn't totally on the side of evil it seems. This 3-issue mini should be fun.

Batman #71 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin & Jorge Fornes (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). The Fall and the Fallen part 2. This whole Bane story seems to be dragging now. I'm not even looking forward to the next issue. I know I'm giving Tom King a lot of leeway here but if something totally stupid happens I'm benching this book.

War of the Realms: Giant-Man #1 - Leah Williams (writer) Marco Castiello (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This mini is for all you Ant-Man fans. Scott is sent on a mission by Freyja to infiltrate the camp of the Frost Giants and kill Laufey because the king of the Frost Giants killed Loki. He is joined by Giant-Man, Goliath and Atlas. These are not A-list Avengers. They fail miserably at disguising themselves as baby blue Frost Giants and by the end of this issue wind up in deep doggy doo-doo. This adventure is fraught with danger but this issue played it up for laughs. It was a huge disappointment and I'm not a big Scott Lang fan so good luck with them Frost Giants, gents.

War of the Realms Strikeforce: the War Avengers #1 - Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (writer) Kim Jacinto & Ario Anindito (art) Java Tartaglia & Felipe Sobreiro (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Now this one-shot can be taken lightly because Deadpool's on this team and he never takes anything seriously. Captain Marvel leads this bunch of heroes that includes Weapon H, Captain Britain, the Black Widow, Lady Sif, Wade Wilson, Venom and the Winter Soldier. It was fun watching these guys kick Dark Elf butts.

Immortal Hulk #17 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Ruy Jose (inks) Paul Mounts (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). They're hauling out all kinds of old Hulk personas in this book. One of my favourites was Joe Fixit when the Hulk was gray and worked in Las Vegas. Bruce and Joe work together to defeat Bushwacker but the bad guys have a new opponent on deck. If you remember who Emil Blonsky is you'll know who's up next.

Daredevil #5 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Daredevil gets by with a little help from his friends as he takes on the Owl and his gang. The end of this issue reminded me of that classic John Romita Sr. cover where Peter Parker is walking away from a garbage can with his Spider-Man suit in it. Will Matt hang up the horns?

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 - Donny Cates (writer) Geoff Shaw (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The search for Gamora continues with help from a special guest star. In case you've forgotten, the good guys are trying to prevent the resurrection of Thanos. With the appearance of Hela you can probably guess what happens next.

The Amazing Spider-Man #21 - Nick Spencer (writer) Gerardo Sandoval (pencils) Gerardo Sandoval & Victor Nava (inks) Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Hunted part 5. Spider-man is swarmed by Vermin as seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #20.HU but an unlikely ally saves him from certain death. Now we see if Spider-Man can pass the test that his benefactor gives him. There are a lot of things unexplained in this story that bother me. Why is Spider-Man in his black costume? What is the bad guy's motive for putting Spider-Man through all this torment? I hope Nick Spencer comes through in the conclusion next issue or I am going to be pissed.

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years

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Ranking the top 10 personnel moves of the 2018 MLS season

USA Today Sports Images

October 18, 20184:17PM EDT

As we near the end of the regular season, the time is ripe to weigh which squad moves made by MLS clubs have borne the juiciest fruit.

Bear in mind, this is not a straight production and performance ranking of the best transfers made. Fit and influence in a new team is also highly important to winning, so the same goes here.

League general managers have done such a fine job adding impact pieces to their roster puzzles that our honorable mentions collection is exhaustive and hard to argue: Adama Diomande, Cory Burke, Rod Fanni, Benny Feilhaber, Aleksandar Katai, Darlington Nagbe, Cristian Penilla, Diego Rossi, Johnny Russell, Danilo Silva, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, Walker Zimmerman.

No. 10: Felipe Gutierrez

Felipe Gutierrez | USA Today Sports Images

I went back and forth between Gutierrez and Russell for this spot, but in the end, had to give it to the Chile veteran because of his clear advantage in replacement value. After all, he moved out of his optimal position to bring a new flavor to Benny Feilhaber’s old spot.

He’s enjoyed easily his best offensive season since leaving his homeland six years ago while remaining one of the top tacklers in the MLS. The clincher? Sporting KC are a Supporters’ Shield-esque 9-3-3 when he starts, and a middling 6-5-5 when he doesn’t.

No. 9: Kei Kamara

The Vancouver striker is hardly a silent or sneaky guy, and yet somehow, he’s quietly put in the second-best season of his career. Kamara has given the Whitecaps the cobra’s head they’ve lacked since Camilo departed after the 2013 season, potting 14 goals (six of them game-winners, good for third in MLS) to go with five assists.

He’s provided all that production in fewer than 2,000 minutes, and the team simply doesn’t run as smoothly when he’s not on the field (1-3-2 when Kamara doesn’t play). And for all of his on-field value, it might actually pale in comparison to the advanced tutelage he’s offered to Alphonso Davies.

No. 8: Kim Kee-hee/Tim Parker/Milton Valenzuela

You know I love a good cheat pick, and this one’s a tripleheader. Let’s call it the “Wins Above Replacement” backline crew, to steal a baseball term. Simply put, their teams all would have suffered a significant amount if forced to turn to the next guy on the depth chart.

A safety officer on and off the ball, Kee-hee has stepped into the heart of a Seattle defense that had developed what you might call “Roman Torres problems.” The Sounders have logged 13 of their 15 wins and conceded less than a goal per game when the South Korea defender starts.

Over in New York, Parker has proved the perfect partner to Aaron Long on a team that often forces their center backs to fend for themselves on the run. The Red Bulls are 1-3-1 while allowing two goals per game when the hometown boy has sat this season.

Finally, Valenzuela has given Columbus Crew SC great balance in both directions. Looking north-south, the young DP is a top tackler who also stands third in the league among defenders in key passes. And by outproducing the left wingers that have played in front of him, he’s also scared opponents off of crowding Harrison Afful’s side.

No. 7: Kaku

A lot of fingernails got chewed to the quick when the Red Bulls dealt away Sacha Kljestan, but that quickly became old news once the season started. Alejandro Romero Gamarra, better known as Kaku, fit right in with the Supporters’ Shield contenders right away in his debut MLS season (no small feat), making sure Bradley Wright-Phillips would not go hungry up top.

The playmaker dribbles past defenders, hits a mean splitting pass, gives up the ball far less than one would expect from a final third operator and presses like a demon, a certain requirement at Red Bull Arena. Because of all this, he stands tied for fourth in the league with 14 assists, and all five of his goals have been game-winners.

No. 6: Saphir Taider

It has become quite de rigueur of late to moan about how underrated Nacho Piatti is up in Montreal. These complainers are not wrong, but I’ve got hot news for them: The three-time All-Star and 2016 Best XI honoree is not even the most underappreciated player on his team.

It says here that distinction goes to Taider, the do-it-all midfielder who’s the main difference in a side that has already surpassed last year’s point total by four with two games remaining. The Algeria star is second on the team with seven goals and third with eight assists by running their bread-and-butter counter, and gets stuck in defensively without fouling much. Without Taider, Montreal aren’t even in the playoff race.

No. 5: Raul Ruidiaz

The Peru striker only arrived at midseason, but his transformative powers have not gone unnoticed. Due to another Jordan Morris injury setback, Seattle coaches and fans spent the first four months of the season bemoaning the lack of an attacker who could stretch the field and unnerve defenders.

That all ended with the arrival of Ruidiaz, who give defenders fits, which in turn affords Sounders orchestrator Nico Lodeiro both space and a top target. Yeah, he’s bagged seven goals in 12 games, and that’s great. More importantly, Seattle are 10-2-0 with two goals scored per game when he plays (vs. just under a half-goal per game without him on the field).

No. 4: Borek Dockal

Borek Dockal | USA Today Sports Images

Oh boy, did Philadelphia Union fans seemingly cry out forever for a No. 10 to bridge their fine midfield and routinely starved attack. All those prayers were finally answered with the loan move that brought crystalizing force Dockal to Philly.

Though it took the Czech playmaker several weeks to heat up, he eventually was dispensing fresh, tasty offerings like a Wawa. Dockal had but one assist through his first eight games, but now tops the league with 17. Thanks to his incisive link play and array of final balls, Philadelphia are back in the playoffs with a good shot at hosting their first postseason game since 2011.

No. 3: Carlos Vela

There’s no shortage of excellent pickups on the LAFC roster (see the honorable mentions above), and if we were counting head coaching hires in this list, Bob Bradley would rank near the top. Even so, Vela has truly been the straw that stirs the expansion darlings’ drink from day one.

The Mexico star has 13 goals to go with a dozen helpers, and stands near the top of the league in non-penalty goals + assists per 90 minutes, key passes, free kicks won, dribbles and shots on goal. Nearly every frightening LAFC rush goes through him, and enough of them also end with him that the new kids on the block have a great chance to end their first regular season with a Knockout Round bye.

No. 2: Wayne Rooney

Though “Señor Wayne” has only been in MLS for 17 games, the former England icon has completely changed both the look and the outlook for the Black-and-Red. Many doubted that Rooney could still star, but they’ve all been converted since mid-July, when D.C. United had 11 points from 14 games and appeared in need of a series of miracles to reach the postseason.

Rooney hasn’t walked on water just yet, but he does steal points late with an alarming frequency. The 32-year-old has done it all, dropping deep, leading the line and everything in between on the way to nine goals and seven assists. His presence has also unleashed the beast in Lucho Acosta, and the two have led the capital crew on a 10-4-3 surge that has them holding the East’s last playoff spot, four points ahead of the only foe that can still catch them.

No. 1: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Who else could it be, right? The mighty Zlatan burst onto the MLS scene with a stunning derby double and has hardly slowed down since. The LA Galaxy superstar has had a historic debut season, chalking up 21 goals and nine assists to put the StubHub Center crew in position to pull off what rather recently looked to be an improbable rally for a playoff berth. Without him, they are nowhere near this station.

The striker’s goals-per-game rate is almost identical to that of record-breaker Josef Martinez, he’s hit for seven winners, buried all four of his penalty kicks and he’s one helper away from becoming the third 20-10 player in league history. And let’s face it: even if the Galaxy don’t manage to snare that playoff invite, Zlatan’s showmanship on the field, lion’s roar of a personality off of it and worldwide Q Rating has improved the league immeasurably.

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Ranking the top 10 personnel moves of the 2018 MLS season was originally published on 365 Football

#2018 #moves #personnel #Ranking #season

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romeyramshey · 6 years

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‘Prepared for war’: As Mueller moves to finalize obstruction report, Trump’s allies ready for political battle

President Trump’s lawyers and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III are hurtling toward a showdown over a year-long investigation into the president’s conduct, with Mueller pushing to write up his findings by summer’s end and Trump’s lawyers strategizing how to rebut a report that could spur impeachment hearings.

The confrontation is coming to a head as Trump and his allies ratchet up their attacks on the special counsel probe, seizing on a report released Thursday by the Justice Department’s inspector general that castigated FBI officials for their conduct during the 2016 Hillary Clinton email investigation.

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Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney, said that he planned to use the inspector general’s conclusions to undermine Mueller, suggesting he may ask Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appoint a second special counsel to examine the current probe.

“We want to see if we can have the investigation and special counsel declared illegal and unauthorized,” Giuliani said in an interview Friday.

In the meantime, Trump must decide whether to do a face-to-face interview with Mueller’s team — an answer the president’s legal team expects to have in the next two weeks.

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If the president agreed to a sit-down, the special counsel has told Trump’s lawyers that he could finish within roughly 90 days a report on whether Trump sought to obstruct a probe into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, according to two people familiar with the discussions. A separate report outlining Mueller’s broader findings on Russian attempts to bolster Trump’s candidacy is expected to take longer.

The confidential obstruction report, which would be delivered to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, is expected to contain the prosecutors’ conclusions about whether Trump engaged in any criminal wrongdoing by trying to derail the investigation into his campaign’s contact with Russians, according to the people.

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The filing of the report could trigger a political firestorm over whether to make the special counsel’s findings public — just as this fall’s midterm campaign season kicks off.

“It’ll be a moment that polarizes the country, exposing just how divided the country is about this investigation and who’s on the other side, said former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who added that he and other Trump allies are “prepared for war.”

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Among those suited up for battle: the president’s attorneys, who are readying to write a rebuttal disputing any conclusions that the president’s actions were improper or illegal.

At the center of that standoff would be Rosenstein, who oversees the Mueller probe. Friends and foes predict he would face intense pushback over every aspect of the report — when to release the information to Congress, whether to refer the report to Congress to consider impeachment and whether to make any aspect of the report public.

“He’s the final decision-maker,” said Giuliani, adding: “There will be pressure from all ways.”

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Rosenstein, who has repeatedly sought to defuse attacks on the Justice Department by the president and his congressional allies, has indicated he will only bend so far. Last month, after House Republicans threatened to impeach him for withholding investigative documents, he warned that “the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted.”

A spokesman for Rosenstein declined to comment.

[‘The Department of Justice is not going to be extorted’: Rosenstein responds to impeachment threat]

That round of political and legal drama could be delayed until after the November elections if Mueller decides to hold back the report to avoid releasing it too close to Election Day, or if Trump refuses an interview and the special counsel tries to issue a subpoena, kicking off a lengthy court struggle.

In the meantime, anticipation for Mueller’s report has put Washington on a kind of emergency storm watch.

“What we’re going through now is a walk in the park compared to what’s coming when the report [on Trump’s conduct] comes out,” said Peter Wehner, a Trump critic who has advised several past Republican presidents. “Even if the report is a devastating indictment of Trump, the political tribalism in the country is so deep and won’t suddenly go away.”

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For months, Trump has been setting the stage by repeatedly attacking the Justice Department and the FBI and accusing Mueller of waging a “witch hunt” against him — language echoed by White House officials and Giuliani.

After the Justice Department’s inspector general released his findings Thursday, Giuliani said he and fellow Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow conferred about legal options they could take to stymie Mueller — including possibly sending a letter to the Justice Department raising questions about the credibility of the special counsel investigation. They also discussed whether to ask Sessions to appoint a second special counsel to investigate the Mueller probe, based on the inspector general’s report and some FBI agents’ conduct, Giuliani said.

“We’re going to take the weekend to talk it all through, with our team and with the president,” Giuliani said.

The Mueller investigation is already facing internal scrutiny. Last month, under pressure from Trump, the Justice Department asked its inspector general to assess whether political motivation tainted the FBI investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign after revelations that a longtime FBI source secretly assisted the probe.

The attacks by the president and his advisers on the special counsel appear to be having an impact: Public support for Mueller’s investigation has been gradually eroding. A Quinnipiac University poll taken in early June found that 50 percent of registered voters say Mueller is conducting a fair investigation, a drop of 10 points since November.

[Trump allies seize on DOJ report as they seek to undercut Mueller probe]

While Trump’s lawyers ponder ways to rupture the investigation, the president has dwindling time to decide whether to sit down for an interview with the special counsel. The idea is sharply opposed by many of his allies and advisers.

“Listen, I don’t trust these people as far as I can throw them,” his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., told Fox News on Thursday. “I wouldn’t do it. I think it’d be stupid.”

Giuliani said he expects Trump to make a final decision on an interview by the end of June.

“He wants to do it, but he doesn’t want to do it if he’s being taken advantage of,” he said.

If Trump refuses an interview, Mueller will have to decide his next move.

Doug Kmiec, a legal scholar on presidential power and a former Reagan administration Justice official who knew Mueller from his prior work at the department, said the special counsel wants — but does not need — to question the president to finish his report.

“He wants to give the president an opportunity to explain any ambiguity and any impression that he was favoring a foreign adversary,” Kmiec said. “Robert Mueller would say it would be irresponsible not to give the president a chance to explain himself.”

If Trump declines to do a sit-down and the special counsel decides not to pursue a subpoena of the president, Mueller could deliver an obstruction report to Rosenstein in the coming months.

However, former prosecutors and colleagues of Mueller predict he will probably avoid any public action six to eight weeks before the November midterm elections, following Justice Department guidance that prosecutors should avoid making moves that could reasonably be expected to affect a political campaign.

The regulations governing Mueller’s investigation, which were written in 1999, require that a special counsel submit a “confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions” reached by the office. Some of Trump’s lawyers believe that limits Mueller solely to describing why he chose to prosecute or not prosecute.

And they argue the rules would frown on Rosenstein releasing to Congress or the public any findings of a grand jury investigation that ended without charges.

The goal of the regulations was to avoid requiring a sprawling public report like the one issued by independent counsel Kenneth Starr at the conclusion of his investigation into President Clinton in the 1990s, said Neal Katyal, who helped write the rules as a Justice Department official.

But, Katyal said, the aim was also to provide flexibility to future Justice Department officials. The regulations would allow Rosenstein to refer the report to Congress, Katyal said, and release it to the public if he decides doing so could better serve the public.

“That is the standard I believe should be applied: what is in the public interest,” he said.

Rosenstein will have near-total control over how the probe concludes and what the public learns about the findings. It will fall to Rosenstein to decide whether Mueller’s report contains findings about Trump that warrant some remedy or punishment by Congress.

It remains to be seen how he will navigate the pressure.

At a speech in Philadelphia earlier this month, Rosenstein appeared to allude to the punches thrown so far and those perhaps coming his way, quoting the classic boxing movie “Rocky.”

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows . . . But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward,” Rosenstein said. “That advice applies in boxing, in law and in life.”

#the washington post #donald trump

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esonetwork · 6 years

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Timestamp #147: The Ultimate Foe

New Post has been published on https://esopodcast.com/timestamp-147-the-ultimate-foe/

Timestamp #147: The Ultimate Foe

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Foe The Trial of a Time Lord, Parts XIII-XIV (2 episodes, s23e13-e14, 1986)

It’s time for closing statements.

Picking up at the Doctor’s inadvertent admission of genocide, the Doctor charges that the Matrix has been tampered with so the Inquisitor calls upon the Keeper of the Matrix to testify. The Keeper denies the possibility on grounds that the Key of Rassilon is required to enter the database, and only senior Time Lords have access to the keys. Neither the Valeyard nor the Inquisitor is swayed.

Something sounded fishy here, so I waded back into the archives. The Invasion of Time calls out the Great Key of Rassilon, the literal key to ultimate Time Lord knowledge. So are all of these senior Time Lords holding Lesser Keys of Rassilon, and if so, what is the difference if they all lead to the same Matrix, arguably the source of all Time Lord knowledge?

Outside the station, two pods arrive and travel down the fancy corridor of light. They open to reveal Sabalom Glitz and Mel – though neither knows how they arrived at the station – and they barge into the courtroom to offer a defense for the Doctor. On cue, their mysterious benefactor is revealed as the Master, communicating to them from the depths of the Matrix.

First, this whole arc just got a lot more deus ex machina.

Second, it turns out that a Key of Rassilon can be duplicated. Looking back on The Invasion of Time and the (admittedly assumed) purpose of the Great Key the “lesser” keys, this really makes me wonder about the Artifacts of Rassilon. Possession of the Sash, the Key, and the Rod could lead to absolute power and a Time Lord dictatorship, and if the keys are so easily duplicated then why hasn’t someone attempted a coup with a Gallifreyan 3-D printer?

The Time Lords in attendance do not recognize the Master (which is surprising given how often the High Council has interacted with the Master and/or sent the Doctor to stop him), but the Master seems to have a deep interest in the Valeyard and a strong desire to see him lose. The Inquisitor allows Glitz to testify and the rogue reveals that the mysterious box he was searching for contained secrets of the Time Lords. The sleepers – the inhabitants of Ravalox, then known as Earth – somehow gained access to the Matrix and were siphoning secrets into the box for later use, and the Gallifreyan High Council drew Earth out of orbit, initiated the fireball, and renamed the planet to protect the information.

Yikes. The Doctor’s enemy in this story is own people?

The Master reveals that the Valeyard was charged to tamper with the trial evidence in exchange for the rest of the Doctor’s regenerations. You see, the Valeyard is the Doctor… or rather the amalgamation of the Doctor’s darker impulses from somewhere between his twelfth and final incarnations.

The Doctor’s real enemy is himself.

The Inquisitor agrees that the trial must consider this new evidence, and the Valeyard flees into the Matrix. The Doctor and Glitz pursue him, landing in a warped recreation of Victorian-era London. The Doctor is attacked by a rain barrel, but he is saved by Glitz. The rouge hands the Time Lord a note from the Master pointing them toward a place called The Fantasy Factory. As they approach, Glitz takes a harpoon to the chest.

The Matrix is a place where logic has no hold, and we’re back to The Deadly Assassin.

In the courtroom, the Master testifies to the court that everything they saw was true with minor adjustments to cast doubt on the Doctor. He also reveals that Peri’s fate in Mindwarp was a lie. She is serving as a queen at the side of King Yrcanos, thus providing a great sigh of relief from your humble reviewer. The Master hopes that the Valeyard and the Doctor will destroy each other and leave him free to pillage the universe, and he suggests that the High Council be made to answer for their crimes.

Reasonable.

In the Matrix, we find that the Valeyard’s attack didn’t roll high enough to defeat Glitz’s armor class, and the rogue is convinced to help the Doctor and escape the computer. They enter The Fantasy Factory and meet Mr. Popplewick, a rather stuffy bureaucrat who loves his red tape. The Doctor rushes past the front desk to the proprietor’s office only to find a more officious version of Popplewick. The procedure is sacrosanct!

Before the Doctor is allowed to proceed, he is forced to sign over his remaining regenerations to Mr. J. J. Chambers – the Valeyard – in the event of his “untimely” death. Within moments, he is whisked away to a bleak beach where hands attack from beneath the sand and draw him down, reminiscent of the quicksand traps that permeated much of ’80s television and film adventures. Glitz adopts the role of reliable sidekick and tries to rescue him, but the Doctor overcomes the trap by sheer willpower, pretty much invalidating any amount of physical peril going forward. After a round of taunting from the Valeyard, the evil Time Lord forces the Doctor and Glitz into a nearby hut with a cloud of nerve gas.

The twist: The hut is the Master’s TARDIS. The Master explains that the Valeyard has to be stopped because he has none of the Doctor’s morality, leaving him eviler, more powerful, and a huge threat. The Master tricks the Doctor by putting him in a catatonic state and leaving him as bait for the Valeyard. The Master’s Tissue Compression Eliminator proves useless against the Valeyard and the pair is forced to retreat. Meanwhile, Mel somehow arrives in the Matrix and escorts him out of the Matrix and back to the courtroom.

Mel testifies in the Doctor’s defense, offering footage from Terror of the Vervoids as evidence. The Inquisitor is not swayed, sentencing the Doctor to death. The Doctor accepts the verdict with surprising calm, and we find out that this is yet another Matrix illusion. Outside the Matrix, the real Mel is incensed, prompting her to steal the Key of Rassilon and enter the Matrix. She intercepts the Doctor, but he chides her because he knew it was a ruse based on her digital doppelgänger’s testimony. Together they enter the Fantasy Factory in pursuit of the Valeyard.

The Master charges Glitz, first via failed hypnosis then with a treasure chest, with finding the Ravalox Matrix box. Glitz finds the memory tapes and Mr. Popplewick while the Doctor discovers a list (in his own handwriting) of judges from his trial. Together, they force Popplewick to take them to the Valeyard, but Glitz trades the Doctor for the memory tapes, which he then passes to the Master.

The Doctor reveals Popplewick to be the Valeyard in disguise. He further discovers a maser device aimed at the courtroom, ready to kill the assembled Time Lords as a last resort. The list of names was a hit list. He dispatches Mel to evacuate the courtroom.

In the real world, Gallifrey is collapsing into chaos. The High Council has been deposed by a civilian revolt, and the Master takes the opportunity to seize control. The attempt is stymied when he loads the Ravalox drive into his TARDIS console and it freezes both the Master and Glitz in the Matrix.

Mel tries to evacuate the courtroom while the Doctor destroys the maser using a feedback loop. The surge strikes the Valeyard, knocking him down as the Fantasy Factory explodes. The Doctor returns to reality and learns of Peri’s true fate. The Inquisitor offers the presidency to the Doctor, but he declines, instead offering it to her. He also suggests that the Master should be punished but that Glitz can be reformed.

Leaving his fate up to the Time Lords means that the Master will be back. No doubt.

Mel and the Doctor depart with a quip, and the Doctor nearly abandons Mel at the hint of carrot juice in their future. Instead, they board the TARDIS and take off for points unknown. Meanwhile, the Inquisitor dissolves the court and orders the Keeper to repair and reinforce the Matrix.

Unbeknownst to anyone in attendance, the Keeper is the Valeyard in disguise.

As part of the Trial of a Time Lord arc, The Ultimate Foe provides a decent enough resolution, bolstered by the revelation that Peri survived and is living a good life. She did look a little sad, but I assume that it’s the weight of her role as leader. I can’t imagine that she actually missed the Sixth Doctor after all the abuse he has subjected her to, but she might miss the thrill of the adventure.

On its own, the story of The Ultimate Foe is fairly weak. The introduction of the Master weakens the power of the Valeyard and turns this “dark Doctor” into “Master Lite”. The disguises, the logical trickery, the drive steal regenerations and kill the Doctor… all of it is just a rehash of the Master’s various machinations. The resolution also points out a massive plot hole: If the Sixth Doctor dies with regenerating, there can’t be a Twelfth Doctor or beyond. The Valeyard cannot exist unless he remains outside of time, and if he does stay outside of time then what is the point of all that power?

On a series continuity note, I did enjoy the call back to the Doctor’s dislike of the nickname “Doc”. We’ve seen it at least three times before: The Time Meddler, The Five Doctors, and The Twin Dilemma.

On a project note, this is the first time that an incarnation’s finale doesn’t get the regeneration handicap. This wasn’t intended as the final story for Colin Baker, and he doesn’t even begin the regeneration process in this story.

Rating: 2/5 – “Mm? What’s that, my boy?”

UP NEXT – Twenty-Third Series Summary

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.

#Doctor Who #Sixth Doctor #Timestamps Project

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itsworn · 6 years

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2017 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational Results

The Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) saw its 10th edition this year, immediately following the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Chevrolet vehicles have had a long and dominant history in this event, capturing eight crowns over its nine years. Defending champion Danny Popp’s 2003 Corvette has won the previous three titles (and four overall). If Popp were able to capture the 2017 crown, he would lay claim to half of the 10 titles that have been awarded in the event’s history, but that would be easier said than done.

None of Popp’s previous OUSCI victories came easily, nor were they won in dominant fashion. With each subsequent year, Popp needed to find new ways to stay ahead of the competition that was accelerating quickly. In previous events, Popp had teammates, of a sort, who could run interference for him on the Falken Tire Road Course segment, helping him secure a large enough margin to overcome deficits he might incur in other segments.

Popp, and the OUSCI, lost a great friend and competitor with the passing of Todd Rumpke last year, whose Corvette could always be counted on to help widen the gap between Popp and the competition. In addition, the Corvettes of James Forbis and Paul Curley, which had a history of strong runs on the road course also failed to make it to Las Vegas. While new competitors with very fast Corvettes emerged, there was far less certainty that Popp would be able to open up a similar gap on the road course against familiar foes like the 1967 Camaro of Mike DuSold and the Mitsubishi Evos of Ken Thwaits and Brandon Ranvek, who typically perform better during the Saturday segments of the event than on the Sunday road course.

However, a case could be made that the 2017 OUSCI wasn’t necessarily the defending champion’s title to lose. Rich Willhoff’s 2006 Z06 had won the regular season championship in the Holley EFI GTL class the last two seasons, while accumulating the highest season-long and individual event point totals in the series. Willhoff primarily runs the western side of the schedule. Even though he had been solid in the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge in the events he ran, he didn’t typically encounter some of the East Coast heavyweights, including Popp, Larry Woo’s ’68 Camaro, Randy Johnson’s ’02 Corvette. And that list doesn’t even include the wildcards that always show up at SEMA, including Kyle Tucker’s stunning third-gen Camaro and Bob Bertelsen’s outrageous ’68 Corvette.

Willhoff’s Vette finished in the upper-third of the D&E field, but that created a points gap he wasn’t able to overcome in the three timed segments. The first-gen Camaros of DuSold and Woo captured the top two spots respectively in the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge, with Thwaits’ Evo close behind in Third. Everyone finished behind Thwaits’ Evo on the Detroit Speed Autocross and the PowerStop Speed Stop Challenge, leaving the last hope for another Chevy victory on the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial.

Thwaits’ Evo is no slouch on the road course, but was not expected to contend for the fast time there. Could anyone else reel him in, knowing he only left two points out of 400 on the table in the other four segments? As it turned out, there were several cars well within striking distance. In fact, the final results showed the Top 5 finishers were all within 10 points of each other. Popp held off everyone but Austin Barnes’ ’10 Dodge Viper on the road course, but struggled with mechanical issues throughout the weekend and wound up in Fifth place. Brandon Ranvek’s Evo went through a clutch swap and finished just two points ahead of Popp in Fourth. Mike DuSold’s Camaro edged out Ranvek by just two points for Third, thanks to some late-night welding.

Thwaits ended up just outside the Top 10 on the road course and Barnes’ Viper won that segment, but he came up just short against Thwaits in every other segment and three points out of the top spot at the end of the weekend. While the Chevrolet winning streak at the OUSCI stops at seven events in a row, Chevy power still had a strong overall presence in the event, capturing seven of the Top 10 spots and 20 of the Top 25 overall.

New episodes of Optima’s 2017 Search for the Ultimate Street Car TV series continue to air each weekend on MAVTV, starting Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern. The OUSCI episode will likely air in early December. The 2018 qualifying schedule will also be announced soon, so if you’d like to get in on the action in your street car next season, get ready. You can find all the latest information on the series and how you can get involved at DriveOPTIMA.com.

2017 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational Top 10

1. Ken Thwaits, 2006 Mitsubishi Evo

2. Austin Barnes, 2010 Dodge Viper

3. Mike DuSold, 1967 Camaro

4. Brandon Ranvek, 2006 Mitsubishi Evo

5. Danny Popp, 2003 Corvette

6. Randy Johnson, 2002 Corvette

7. Rich Willhoff, 2006 Corvette

8. Larry Woo, 1968 Camaro

9. Jake Rozelle, 2003 Corvette

10. Robert DeuPree, 2009 Corvette

Mike DuSold’s 1967 Camaro was the highest finishing Chevy in this year’s OUSCI, coming home in Third place, thanks in part to a Top 10 finish in the PowerStop Brakes Speed Stop Challenge.

Danny Popp’s 2003 Z06 couldn’t make it to the top of the podium four years in a row, but he’s still the winningest driver in the history of the event. Popp tells us his son Nathan may join him in making a run at the OUSCI in 2018, but he’s not ready to hand over the reins yet, so we’ll likely see a pair of Popps on the track.

Randy Johnson may not be as big a name in the Corvette world as Rich Willhoff or Danny Popp, but he finished right in between those two giants at the OUSCI. How did he do it? With an extremely well-built (in his home garage) and well-driven C5 that performed near the very top in every segment.

Rich Willhoff’s 2006 Z06 followed up its second consecutive regular season Holley EFI GTL class championship with a Top 10 finish at the OUSCI.

It’s Camaros like Larry Woo’s that put most of the other first-gen Camaros at the SEMA show to shame. Not only does Larry’s perform exceptionally well on the track, but it is absolutely built to the nines inside and out and can be driven anywhere, anytime. Woo’s Camaro was the only GTV car to finish in the Top 10 overall.

Jake Rozelle’s 1969 Camaro won the GTV regular season championship last year, but he parked it and started from scratch in the Recaro GTS class this season in his 2003 Z06. Rozelle ended up improving on last year’s Tenth place OUSCI finish with a Ninth place finish this year.

Robert DeuPree will be the first one to tell you the competition in the OUSCI gets tougher each year. DeuPree made a ton of modifications and upgrades to his car since last year, including a wrap that nearly matches Rich Willhoff’s Z06. Last year, Robert’s 446-point total was good for Eighth place, but this year, his 447-point total placed him Tenth overall.

Every car that competes in the OUSCI is required to be on display at the SEMA show all week long, including Garry Walsh’s 2004 Corvette. To accommodate most of the field, Optima Batteries set up Optima Alley in between the North Hall and the Westgate Hotel. In total, more than 80 of the cars in the field can typically be found there.

Dick Eytchison’s 1965 Chevelle was one of 10 “golden ticket” vehicles selected from the SEMA show floor to compete in the event. He was a popular selection as cheers erupted at the press conference when his name was announced.

There were plenty of LS swaps in the field, but none more outrageous than the LS7 in Justin Burgoine’s 1958 Rolls Royce. Built by Jonathan Ward’s ICON group, the latest creation in Ward’s Derelict series features fully modernized underpinnings, including a custom Art Morrison chassis.

The post 2017 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational Results appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/2017-optima-ultimate-street-car-invitational-results/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hot Rod Network

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junker-town · 7 years

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Ole Miss football has no reason to give a damn in 2017. So this could be fun.

The Rebels aren’t going bowling. Now whose season will they wreck along the way?

This is not a piece about either former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze’s firing or the Rebels’ longstanding battle with the NCAA. We’ve written those pieces. A lot of them. Steven Godfrey and I have done a podcast about it, too. It’s well-covered territory.

No, this is an acknowledgment that Ole Miss will play a football season. The Rebels will play 12 games — and no more than 12, thanks to self-imposed sanctions — with an interim head coach. At some point this fall, athletic director Ross Bjork will begin his search for a full-time head man, but this is a preview of those 12 games.

Because I’m not a fan, and because my emotional well-being isn’t tied to the results of these 12 games, I can say I’m really excited about finding out what the Rebels are capable of. Because it could be anything. I mentioned my infatuation with Freeze teams at the end of that PAPN episode:

BC: I will forever be mad at Hugh Freeze for blowing this because ... I freaking loved watching Hugh Freeze teams play. Now, part of that was because I had no rooting interest, so the fact that they were crazy and it went off the rails sometimes, but didn't other times, that was fine. I didn't mind.

SG: It was a firework, but it was a firework with, like, really shoddy fuses, so occasionally they would blow up in your hand.

BC: So much speed and kind of a don't-give-a-damn aggression, always, but I loved that they had that aspect to them. It was so much fun, there was such an emphasis on speed that, especially with their defense, it was kind of a vision of where college football was going to adjust to spread offenses. And they ran a spread offense, in the SEC West, and proved it could be done reasonably well. Loved that.

And I love usurpers! We always talk about how this sport hates usurpers, and we immediately try to strike down the ones that don't fit. I loved that there was a team signing a top-10-caliber class, multiple top-10-caliber classes, and winning 10 games, and beating Alabama, that wasn't a blue blood who's been good for most of the last 50 years. I loved that. And he blew all these story lines by, well, by being Hugh Freeze, I guess.

Guess what: Ole Miss will still have all sorts of speed in 2017. The Rebels will still try to force mistakes with aggression, and barring any last-minute transfers (a possibility during this fluid situation), they will still have former star recruits scattered throughout: a five-star sophomore quarterback, a couple of four-star sophomore running backs (plus a four-star senior returning after missing 2016), eight four-star receivers, a four-star tight end, six four-star linemen and two five-stars, six four-star defensive backs. And they’ll still have mostly the same coaching staff

These players will have even less reason to give a damn. And that will probably result in them blowing up in your hand a little more often.

Can’t wait.

2016 in review

2016 Ole Miss statistical profile.

We had a running joke through much of last season: that Ole Miss was the best [random bad record] team in the country. Best 1-2 team, best 3-4 team, best 3-5 team. The Rebels took on a brutal schedule and scared the hell out of a couple of awesome teams — they led FSU 28-6 late in the first half before collapsing in a 45-34 loss, and led Alabama 24-3 late in the first half (thanks in part to a return touchdown) before succumbing 48-43 (thanks in part to return touchdowns) — but couldn’t get over the hump.

Through nine games, the Rebels were 4-5 — 0-4 against teams in the year-end S&P+ top 15 and 4-1 against everyone else. They throttled Georgia by 31 and Memphis by 20, and they were a little unlucky to lose a wild, 34-30 decision at Arkansas. The defense was sliding, but this was still a fun, dangerous team.

Quarterback Chad Kelly suffered a season-ending injury, however, and the reins were passed to freshman Shea Patterson earlier than expected.

Patterson sparked a late comeback win at Texas A&M, but the Rebels collapsed in their final two games, getting outscored 93-37 by Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.

In all, the season took the form of a supernova. The Rebels looked excellent (but not quite excellent enough) early, played reasonably well, then collapsed.

First 5 games (3-2): Avg. percentile performance: 86% (~top 15) | Avg. yards per play: x | Avg. performance vs. S&P+ projection: plus-2.7 PPG

Next 4 games (1-3): Avg. percentile performance: 67% (~top 40) | Avg. yards per play: x | Avg. performance vs. S&P+ projection: minus-10.7 PPG

Last 3 games (1-2): Avg. percentile performance: 31% (~top 90) | Avg. yards per play: x | Avg. performance vs. S&P+ projection: minus-27.7 PPG

Timberrrrrrrrrrr.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar trajectory this fall. With so few accomplishments to aim for in 2017, there’s a chance the Rebels are duds from the get-go. But with the talent at hand, they could come firing out of the gates but flag as the season wears on and motivation wavers.

That could be bad news for early opponents (Cal, Alabama, Auburn) and good news for November foes (Kentucky, Texas A&M, Mississippi State).

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

Even before Freeze was dumped, Ole Miss was facing quite a bit of change. Defensive coordinator Dave Wommack retired, and Freeze strangely dismissed offensive coordinator Dan Werner despite back-to-back Off. S&P+ top-15 performances. The Rebel offense faded as 2016 wore on, but it was still good until the last two games.

The dismissal was odd, but the replacement was exciting. Freeze brought in Phil Longo, head of the best FCS offense in the country, to install his version of an air raid-style attack.

The 2016 Sam Houston State offense was all sorts of fun. They averaged 49.5 points per game (the average was 53.1 before they scored just seven in an FCS playoff loss to James Madison) while throwing 57 percent of the time. Quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe completed 63 percent of his passes with an obscene 57-to-10 TD-to-INT ratio, four players caught at least 40 passes, and the top two running backs still carried enough to gain 1,656 yards at 6.1 per carry.

Better yet, this was a pass-first, pass-second offense that also thrived in the red zone; the Bearkats scored touchdowns on 80 percent of their red zone trips, best in FCS.

Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

A.J. Brown

Granted, when you lose your starting quarterback, your leading rusher, and three of your top four receiving targets, that’s not the best time to double down on the pass, but with the sophomores Ole Miss has in the chamber, it might work, at least sporadically.

The list of reasons for optimism starts with Patterson. He had his redshirt torn off in the 10th game of the season — hardly optimal — but showed enough flashes to lead us to believe the blue-chip hype was justified.

Patterson plays like he was created in a dual-threat quarterbacks lab. The ball just jumps out of his damn hand, and he proved wonderfully adept at not only scrambling for yardage but avoiding the brunt of huge hits. He slides at the right time, he turns his throwing shoulder away from contact, etc.

He also has a dynamic, young receiving corps. Former star recruits Van Jefferson (49 catches, 51 percent success rate, 7.2 yards per target)) and A.J. Brown (29 catches, 56 percent, 9.6) held their own as freshmen, and DaMarkus Lodge started 2016 beautifully (seven catches for 133 yards in the first four games) before fading.

Throw in four-star redshirt freshmen D.K. Metcalf (who was on his way to making major contributions last year until breaking his foot in the season opener) and Tré Nixon, plus a host of athletic tight ends (sophomore Octavious Cooley, redshirt freshmen Gabe Angel and Jacob Mathis, and maybe converted QB Jason Pellerin), and you’ve potentially got the makings of a corps that is both exciting and deep enough to do what Patterson needs.

That’s an impressive thing to say, considering what the Rebels lost: Evan Engram, Damore’ea Stringfellow, and Quincy Adeboyejo combined for 146 catches, 2,098 yards, and 15 touchdowns last year.

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Jordan Wilkins

The run game could be more successful. The line was a mess last year, with only one player starting all 12 games and eight starting at least five (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that before), but seven of the eight are back, and new line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. has plenty of raw talent to work with in players like junior guards Javon Patterson and Jordan Sims, junior center Sean Rawlings, senior tackle Rod Taylor, and sophomore tackle Greg Little.

Jordan Wilkins’ theoretical return will help, too. He has suffered a potentially minor injury in fall camp but is expected to return, after missing 2016 because of a silly academic mishap, and his per-carry averages (5.3 yards per carry, 42 percent opportunity rate) were better than those of last year’s backs. And it’s not too late for four-star sophomores D’Vaughn Pennamon or Eric Swinney to progress.

Defense

Wommack’s attacking, fast-as-hell 4-2-5 defense was one of the most unique features of Freeze’s Rebel squads. It worked pretty well, too, at least for a while. Ole Miss ranked 25th in Def. S&P+ in 2012, surged to second in 2014, and held at 23rd in 2015.

After losing half of 2015’s line two-deep (including first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche) and most of the secondary to departure or injury, they couldn’t hold onto the same standard. They slipped to 74th, and Wommack’s tenure ended with the Rebels giving up 1,047 yards and 93 points in his final two games.

New coordinator Wesley McGriff, who spent 2012 as the co-coordinator of the 2012 Ole Miss defense before leaving for the New Orleans Saints and then Auburn, returns to succeed Wommack. And he is evidently bringing more of a 4-3 structure with him.

This is at least a little bit dicey. First, the Rebels’ built their identity around speed, and trading a fifth defensive back for a third linebacker will curtail that at least a bit. Second, well, there are a lot more experienced defensive backs returning than linebackers.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Benito Jones (95) and Marquis Haynes (10)

It’s a matter of framing, I guess. The Rebels return three of last year’s top four LBs, including a nice blitzer in senior DeMarquis Gates. But they also return three of last year’s top seven. Depth has been erased, which means any injury will lead to a sophomore or newcomer being tested.

It’s the same story on the line: the top end (Marquis Haynes) and tackle (Benito Jones) return, but four of the next five tacklers are gone. Thanks in part to injuries, nine different linemen logged at least 10 tackles, and five of them are back, but depth is dicey here, too, and because you can’t predict injuries (or suspensions or transfers), you can’t anticipate how much this will backfire.

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Ken Webster

Through all the turnover, the so-called Land Sharks lost their identity. They didn’t have the pieces to attack, and they fell from 34th to 62nd in success rate allowed. Meanwhile, the big plays got out of control. The Rebels allowed 34 gains of 30-plus yards, 98th in FBS and 11 more than they allowed (in one more game) in 2015. Bad combination.

An injury to Ken Webster didn’t help. Webster had three tackles for loss and 11 passes defensed in 2015 and was expected to carry the mantel in the secondary after the loss of stars Mike Hilton and Trae Elston (combined: 17.5 TFLs, 33 PDs in 2015). But he was lost for the season in the opener against FSU. That, plus an injury to C.J. Moore, meant a ton of playing time for freshmen and sophomores.

Webster is back, at least after serving a one-game suspension. Depending on how much speed he has left after last year’s injury, he could either help to shore up a cornerback rotation heavy on sophomores (Myles Hartsfield, Jaylon Jones, Jalen Julius) and maybe at least one freshman (four-star D.D. Bowie) or bring heft and play-making to the safety position.

At safety, Zedrick Woods and Deontay Anderson are certainly more experienced than they were a year ago, senior A.J. Moore is back, C.J. Moore is as well, and four-star freshman Breon Dixon could be fun to watch.

The front seven has talent but minimal depth; the secondary has depth but few proven pieces. McGriff’s first year back could go in a lot of different directions.

Special Teams

Special teams should again be a strength. The Rebels ranked 21st in Special Teams S&P+ thanks mostly to excellent place-kicking and kick coverage and solid punting. Place-kicker Gary Wunderlich (22-for-23 on FGs) and punter Will Gleeson (44.1 yard average) are both back. That’s good.

The primary turnover is in the return game, thanks to the loss of Carlos Davis. But returns weren’t all that good.

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 2-Sep South Alabama 108 24.7 92% 9-Sep UT Martin NR 32.9 97% 16-Sep at California 55 4.8 61% 30-Sep at Alabama 1 -25.7 7% 7-Oct at Auburn 9 -11.6 25% 14-Oct Vanderbilt 63 10.9 74% 21-Oct LSU 4 -10.0 28% 28-Oct Arkansas 32 4.7 61% 4-Nov at Kentucky 41 2.4 56% 11-Nov at UL-Lafayette 112 20.3 88% 18-Nov Texas A&M 19 -0.1 50% 23-Nov at Mississippi State 30 -0.3 49%

Projected S&P+ Rk 26 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 16 / 49 Projected wins 6.9 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 14.0 (12) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 20 / 18 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -3 / -3.3 2016 TO Luck/Game +0.1 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 50% (37%, 63%) 2016 Second-order wins (difference) 6.0 (-1.0)

On paper, without context — in the S&P+ universe, in other words — we would expect pretty good things of Ole Miss this season. S&P+ projects the Rebels 26th with a potent (but slightly worse) offense and the defense making a few gains.

The schedule for that context-free team is manageable, with a decent chance at a 3-0 start, a couple of likely wins in the middle, and three relative tossup games that could produce a winning record.

But when you are banned from the postseason, and when your coach was pushed out weeks before the season begins, and when you have nothing to play for except a “spectacular spoiler” label, maintaining motivation long enough to play like you’re supposed to for 12 games seems challenging.

The question, then, is how long will Ole Miss keep it together? Will they suffer a Week 1 upset to South Alabama and slump to 3-9? Will they play great in the opening weeks before a three-game road trip (Cal, Alabama, Auburn) does them in at the start of October? Will they maintain long enough to pull an upset of Auburn or LSU before hitting a wall in November (and losing all of those late tossups)? Will they slump at all?

We just don’t know. And I enjoy not knowing.

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