#ed reed highlights

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

Can't send asks from my sideblog, but this is @chewing-the-drywall

I feel like much of s2 fell into Frenchie's "we put it in the box and then lock it and don't open it again" in the sense that it set up A LOT that I was intrigued about how they would address it, but it either never was mentioned again or was handled poorly.

Examples range from light, like how I wish we saw more of the crew interacting with each other in ways that built on their characters from S1, where in S2 they didn't feel any more developed, or even regressed. (Example, Fang used the word Fingies 2-3 times through S2, and it felt like they were using it almost as a shorthand for his character, rather than making him feel more real and multidimensional as a character.)

100% @chewing-the-drywall. When I first heard that line I had I was so excited for the story to prove Frenchie wrong. Or show how important it can be to put aside problems to stay alive in the moment. But in the end, this one line summarized how the season handled everyone, besides Stede and Ed. Below, is an in depth discussion on where this season decided to spend it's limited amount of time. Instead of focusing on the characters and plotlines they'd already established.

This season had so MANY ideas it wanted to touch on.

Izzy trying to deal with his unrequited love and opening up to a new way of living. The traumatized 'Revenge' crew trying to adapt to a softer way of life again. The abandoned crew learning how to help their traumatized friends. Introducing new characters like Zheng, Auntie, and Archie into our main group. Setting up a conflict to resolve in season three. Along the way, referencing Pirates of history like Ned Low, Mary Reed, and Anne Bonny.

Notice, I've said all this and we're not even at our romantic leads.

Which is fine. Stories are fluid things. As long as the story knows how to flow from our leads to our side characters. Which leads us to how I feel this show took a lot of time away from establishing our central crew-

[Warning- this will be a controversial opinion- I want to know what y'all think about this] Zheng/Oluwande. This seasons habit of retreading old plotlines and referencing scenes from S1.

What S1 did so well was paralleling the side stories with what was going on with Ed/Stede. Usually, highlighting how well Stede/Ed worked by showing how much Ed/Izzy DIDN'T work. Or general hijinks that tied into the plot (Oluwande and Frenchie on the French ship).

Season 2 chose to parallel our main story with what was going on between Zheng/Oluwande as a budding romance and Izzy's slow recovery. The reason Zheng/Oluwande scenes felt like a waste for me in that the story was JUST a retelling the story we watched from S1.

A frustrated first mate(Auntie), and a legendary captain(Zheng) fighting over the captain falling in love with an idiot(Olu). In season 2, much like every callback for me, it felt like it slowed down the plot by pulling us out of the story. Like...yeah, you did the thing again, do you want me to applaud you for it?

I LIKE Zheng and Oluwande as a couple! I like that Oluwande was debating leaving Stede and taking Jim and Archie with him. But at the same time, I didn't care about Zheng until episode 7 when she beat up Stede, showing that yes. She's not just some all powerful woman taken down by a mix of love(the crew in ep3) and thinking that she was above it all (ep 7). She's fast on her feet, smart, and willing to stab someone who gets in her way. She's her own person. But.

Every other scene that established her was about her romance, felt like we could have put Rhys and Taika in there. It didn't feel...unique. It's as if the show only knows 1 way to write a romance between a badass and a bumbling idiot. Again. Oluwande in season 1 wasn't dumb in the same way everyone else was. He was protective of Jim, a bit nervous overall, but he was the person the crew chose to lead them. The season just dumbed everyone down a bit and called it a day.

This comes to the larger issue. When we only have eight episodes I don't want to rewatch the exact same plot beats with different characters. Time spent here ends up taking away from other stories we could have told about trauma and growing as a family and other forms of growing as a family. We didn't need another romance plot line. Imagine taking this time instead to show Lucius reaching out to Pete AND the crew for help. Or Frenchie finally feeling safe enough to play his lute. Or Roach helping Fang get over his thing with cakes-you get my point.

The fact we took all the found family stuff from season one, and pushed it onto only Izzy in S2 means when he dies, all the found family shit falls away. His death makes us realize we've been ignoring the central family we were supposed to care about. Because in so many words, their trauma was ignored.

[I even theorize if Izzy was alive and sailed away with them. Showing how he was taken in and loved by his crew, the ending wouldn't feel so hollow. This crew doesn't feel like a caring family. The person who protected them for months died, wasn't mourned, and then they threw a wedding the same day. Not even a full day to mourn. The 'New Revenge' feels like a heartless crew of characters we barely recognize because they aren't a family like they were at the end of S1. More like coworkers who sometimes fall in love with eachother.]

Trauma, Timelines, and Tonal issues when jumping from Episodes 1-3 to Episodes 4-5.

When the crews meet up, the story chooses to focus on the fun plot. Ed and Stede recovering their relationship, only dipping back into that serious tone when Izzy or Lucius come on screen to 'make things sad' again. I don't think the transition from 'serious' to 'comedy' was handled well.

I don't have an official timeline of the events of season two. But from what I remember, everything happens within 2 weeks.

In episode 4, Stede ignored the vote of his crew- to let the man who was torturing half his 'FAMILY' for at least 80 days- back aboard. This rubbed me the wrong way, as it showed Stede being a selfish prick in a way that could seriously harm his crew. That's when I started to see how not adding a *single* time-skip mid-season would hurt S2.

Imagine if we had a one-week off-screen time skip between episodes 4 and 5.

Maybe it's implied that they stay in that town for a bit. Izzy would a bit more time to learn to move on his new leg and start to open up to those he already trusts. Include a scene of Izzy WITH the crew, maybe laughing about something with the old traumatized crew, even if it's just a 30-second opener. Imply that the traumatized crew would have more time to settle in with the family they miss. Show that yeah, the traumatized crew needs more time to heal. Imply at the start of the 'Ed apology' that Ed and Stede have had more time to talk their issues out.

THEN have Ed apologize. You can even keep the bullshit corporate to show that Ed still has to work for this.

Healing takes time. Setting a series over the span of two weeks after half your cast was tortured by your lead love interest? After five of your main crew thought they would sail off into a storm and die after months of stress and life threatening battles? Why did that shit get shoved to the side so quickly?

Framing episode 5 as the START of Ed making amends with the crew, only to drop the plot by episode 7? Not a smart move. Because let's be honest, 'poison into positivity' in episode 6, referring to the fact that they sold all of Ed's loot to pay for the party, ignores the sacrifices the crew made to live that long. (The death of Ivan, and intense trauma they all need to work through). In a way, Ed throwing this party was him asking the crew to start putting everything away in that imaginary box.

It's Ed retroactively letting himself say 'hey, that time I spent torturing my captives was worth it because we got something good out of it' while still ignoring his own guilt. Ed needed to take accountability for his actions. No more 'I took 'a' mans leg' bullshit. The reason his arc feels so unsatisfying is that the plot easily forgives him. Fuck. I hate what they did for Ed's arc, but that's not the point.

Overall.

My issue with this season is not that it chose to do these topics, it's that it didn't think about the implications of what they were bringing up. It didn't dare to think 'maybe it's fucked if we quickly brush off a trauma like this'. Again. I know we have to blame MAX for cutting off two episodes. But I don't think 2 additional episodes would fix a tone problem seen going from episodes 3-4.

Fucking hell. Each member of the revenge had the potential for their own arc, so it's baffling to see them all reduced to 'well meaning idiot' when they all felt so fleshed out in S1.

When izzy gives his speech about belonging, there's a reason the only image in the show of the crew all together was from S1.

At the end of the day, Season 2 didn't let our surviving side characters grow. This is a mean spirited bit on how I feel the writers see the their own characters.

Stede and Ed are our leads. They won't die, not in this genera. Their shitty actions will be forgiven because it's a comedy, and as long as it's joked about, it holds no weight. They won't die. They won't get fatally hurt. Their trauma will be taken seriously, but it's a 50/50 on if they'll talk about it before breaking up again. They will eventually get a happy ending, their trauma looked at head on, because duh.

Jim, Olu, Lucius, Pete? Characters who used to have defined personalities in S1, but haven't been defined much beyond their relationships with their partners? Whose trauma might be mentioned, but will quickly be 'resolved' in one scene? Shame. Seems like they're only useful as set dressing, But we might make you useful as interchangeable side characters to riff against. Oh, and you're in love! Isn't that cool!

Izzy? I'll just quote Jenkins here. "To have him become a father figure to Blackbeard, and on some level to the rest of the crew, and to see him become the heart of why we’re giving pirates the chance to stand for being able to live how you choose. In reality, they’re thieves and criminals, but what our pirates stand for is a life of belonging to something larger than they are in the face of a crushing, slightly fascist normalcy." So...Is Izzy a pirate and accepted into the Revenge family? Or is he still an outsider? Jenkins gave us a romcom but still defines Izzy's character as that of one stuck in a drama/tragedy. Point and laugh, because tonally these two things clash HARD and will make an audience lose trust in it's writers unless well established. Leading us to the entire issue we've pointed out of not letting your characters actions hold in dramatic weight in your story.

Frenchie, Wee John, Roach, and Fang- Ah. No love interests again...shit. Well. Background actors it is... for now. We'll see. But we need 2 more scenes of the couple breaking up, so MAYBE you'll get some backstory hinted at in dialogue. You all have 1 thing your good at, so that's easy enough to put you where you belong.

Buttons and Swede? Well. They're still alive!! Don't be sad, fans :) The actors just couldn't show up anymore. We don't want our silly happy queer pirate rom com to not end on a happy ending! (Closes the lid of the trash can where they're keep Con O'Neill a bit tighter, thanking God Con was silenced by a strike this entire season from social media)

Do you agree, or disagree? Leave any lingering thoughts down below!

I'd love to chat down below.

#I am absolutely screwing myself over spelling-wise by adding a poll but fuck it. That's what we do #Overall: Just because you can fit something into your story doesn't mean it needs to be shown on screen. #I wanted to add a section of all the scenes I'd cut/tighten to make my added scenes work but I don't think we're there yet as a fandom #I theorize that the reason they couldn't change the script and had to hack it up was due to them already having 10 episodes fully written #also I SWEAR I LIKE ZHENG- but the part of me that sees her as a hollow Ed 'narrative mirror' finds her a bit boring until episode 7 #I LOVED her ship and how she hated Stede. But that's just because I generally don't enjoy Stede when he's unquestioned #Stede on her ship was a pacified lamb slowly getting fattened for the slaughter. She would have turned on him SO EASILY. She almost did too #I semi-tolerated Ed/Stede's love story of not communicating and puppy love. Seeing it again but sped up didn't make me like it more #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd critical #? #yeah I'll tag that just to be safe #izzy hands #edward teach #ofmd s2 finale #ofmd season 2 spoilers #ofmd s2 meta #ofmd s2 analysis #trauma

[burdenofsigynsarms]

Love Is Where All Of Us Belong

A GentleBeard Mix

Spotify and YouTube versions!

Inspired by Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach, and the music of Our Flag Means Death

31 songs, 1hr 48mins without ads

I finished this playlist last year, and decided to share it as we await season 2!

An asterisk indicates a song is from the original soundtrack. These songs form our core sound for this mix. My usual ship mixes tend to be a touch… chaotic. But I wanted this one to feel seamless with the established sound of the series. Now let’s set sail on the seas of love!

“I suppose if you found the absolutely two perfect people... then they could potentially... Co-captain?” ~ Stede Bonnet

*A Pirate’s Life – Joel Fry ‘Oh, a pirate’s life sounds just right. Sounds quite nice.’ I had to include Frenchie’s little ditty about pirating as our opener.

Lost Coastlines – Okkervil River ‘The ship's deck now sags from the weight of our tracks. As we pace beneath flags black and battered.’ I kinda stumbled across this one by accident. But it has a great ‘setting off on an adventure’ sound to it that I really like, and it goes well with our sound and lyrical imagery.

*Miles From Nowhere – Yusuf/Cat Stevens 'Cause I know when I find it, my honey. It's gonna make me feel good.’ Probably one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack. Working on this mix I have discovered I really love our boy, Cat Stevens. Expect to hear more from him in the near future.

Soul of the Sea – Heart ‘You dreamer in the sand. Just lie there laughing ‘til the fall.’ When I saw Heart had a song on the Dreamboat Annie album called Soul of the Sea I was like, “Oh, this is gonna be good.” And I was not wrong. I love the ocean sounds on the track, and the theme of casting your sorrows to the sea.

The Sundown – Ennio Morricone Since Il Triello was on the original soundtrack, we had to have some Morricone up in here. I love the calm before the storm feeling this song has.

*The Empty Boat – Caetano Veloso This one is just a vibe, and a really important song for sound in this mix. The guitar, the maracas, the uneasy feeling of the discordant instruments that builds up to that jazzy vibe. Perfection.

*Perfect Day – Lou Reed ‘You made me forget myself. I thought I was someone else. Someone good.’ This song really has that happy lyrics/sad feeling vibe that is very disconcerting to listen to. The part of the show where it plays is just SO SAD, and I think the highlighted lyric really hits how Ed’s relationship with Stede makes him feel like a better person than he thinks he is.

“This is who I am, Stede. Can you see me now? You were always gonna realize what I am." ~ Edward Teach

Trouble – Yusuf/Cat Stevens ‘I've seen your eyes. And I can see death's disguise. Hangin' on me.’ The concept of ‘death’s disguise’ and how it relates to Ed’s Blackbeard persona, and by extension the Kraken, really hit the spot for me. Plus this song just has a ‘beat up by life’ vibe that is great.

*Locomotive Breath – Jethro Tull ‘No way to slow down.’ What is it about Locomotive Breath that makes it sound like a self-destructive spiral?

Love Calls You by Your Name – Leonard Cohen ‘Your body lost in legend. The beast so very tame. But here, right here. Between the birthmark and the stain. Between the ocean and your open vein... Love calls you by your name’ The guitar work that Leonard is doing on this album is impeccable. I’m too emotionally scarred by Avalanche to include it on this mix, but I had to include something from Songs of Love and Hate on here.

Beacon Hill – Damien Jurado ‘And if you return to me, oh, if you return to me. It's all right, baby.’ This song captures the feeling of wanting someone to come home, but knowing they won’t be the same that feels very appropriate for this ship.

String Reprise/Treaty – Leonard Cohen ‘I wish there was a treaty. Between your love and mine.’ Did someone order a plate of forgiveness and reconciliation?

Pastoral II – Moondog I discovered that Moondog is primarily a composer, and the album that High on a Rocky Ledge is from is one of his few lyrical ventures. I love how soft this piece is; it gives me big Stede vibes.

“How does it feel to be in love?” “It feels... easy? It's just like breathing... I hope you find that.” “I think I have.” “Really? What's her name?” “Ed. His name is Ed.” ~ Stede and Mary Bonnet

Throw Me Now Your Arms –Damien Jurado ‘Let me be the one at day's end. Who you can depend on, hand in hand.’ I don’t think I have the words to fully express how much I love this song and how much it had to be here. The imagery in the lyrics is just so spot on.

*High on a Rocky Ledge – Moondog ‘If you've the yen to pluck, then pluck us both. For we who have lived as one wish to die as one.’ This song has such a lovely, soft, fairytale-esque vibe. Also, the lyrics about sacrificing yourself to be with the one you love turn out to be super relevant to our pairing.

Time Has Told Me – Nick Drake ‘And time will tell you. To stay by my side. To keep on trying. 'Til there's no more to hide.’ Nick Drake is another one of my happy discoveries while building this mix. His voice, and the guitar, is just so good.

*The Chain – Fleetwood Mac ‘And if you don't love me now. You will never love me again.’ The almighty. The holy of holies. The song which 80% of the fanfiction for this series draws its titles from. One of unquestionably the best sequences in show, and an all-around banger.

Wild World – Yusuf/Cat Stevens ‘If you gotta leave take good care. Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear. Then a lot of nice things turn bad out there.’ This song is SO SASSY. It reminds me of all the shit everyone gives Stede about not being realistic or prepared to be a pirate. I love the dig about ‘nice things to wear’, especially for our clothes horse Captain Bonnet.

Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye – Leonard Cohen ‘I'm not looking for another as I wander in my time.’ ‘You know my love goes with you as your love stays with me. It's just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea.’ I can’t begin to describe to absolute hair-pulling experience it was looking for something soft and romantic in Leonard Cohen’s discography. But Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye came through in a BIG way.

(Love Me Like Music) I’ll Be Your Song – Heart ‘Can you feel the light shine. You know this song's yours and mine.’ Sometimes when life gets hard, you gotta reconnect with that loving feeling.

Take A Chance On Me – ABBA ‘Let me tell you now. My love is strong enough to last when things are rough. It's magic.’ I don’t know if it’s the lasting impact of Mamma Mia on my psyche, but ABBA is perfect on any ship mix. Whatever the vibe is, they have you covered. And Take A Chance On Me is the perfect ‘take me back, we belong together’ song.

"There. Look at that. You wear fine things well." ~ Stede Bonnet

Gnossienne No. 5 (Arr. For Guitar) – Erik Satie, Sebastian Llinares Known in the fandom as the ‘Fine Things Motif’, this piece plays during Ed and Stede’s romantic moments together. I was VERY excited to find this guitar arrangement since it plays so nicely with the rest of the music on this mix.

Don’t Be Shy – Yusuf/Cat Stevens ‘Love is better than a song. Love is where all of us belong.’ Ah, the namesake for this playlist. This is one of my corner-stone, cannot live without songs on this playlist. It’s so soft and perfect.

This Magic Moment – Lou Reed ‘And then it happened. It took me by surprise. I knew that you felt it too. By the look in your eyes’ Is that sexual tension? In my playlist? *gasp*

“These past few weeks have been the most fun I've had in ages, years, maybe ever. So, I reckon what makes Ed happy is... you.” ~ Edward Teach

Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac ‘Something's happening. Happening to me. My friends say I'm acting peculiarly.’ ‘I want to be with you everywhere.’ The song that started us down this road. I was listening to Fleetwood Mac, trying to un-stick The Chain from my brain, when this came on and I went, “What if I made a ship mix?” And here we are.

Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child) – Heart ‘Little ship of dreams.’ It’s silly but this just always makes me think of the Revenge sailing off into the sunset.

Reasons For Waiting – Jethro Tull ‘Came a thousand miles. Just to catch you while you're smiling.’ You know, when Jethro Tull can chill with the flute just a little, they can make some pretty freaking beautiful music. This song has big, sexy energy to me. Making out in the afternoon sun. Just warm and tingly and lovely.

*Our Prayer – The Beach Boys I’ll let you decide what I was thinking when I put this song here…

The Air That I Breathe – The Hollies ‘If I could make a wish. I think I'd pass.’ If this isn’t soft, sweet, love-making music, then I don’t know what is honestly. It just has that post-coital bliss sound to it. Plus, if that highlighted lyric doesn’t scream pure contentment, what does?

When All Is Said and Done – ABBA ‘It's so strange when you're down and lying on the floor. How you rise, shake your head, get up and ask for more.’ I was so excited to discover that this was originally a fast-paced song. It’s SO MUCH BETTER than the slowed down version they have in Mamma Mia. I thought it’d be nice to come towards a close with a song about looking back on adventures with the ones we love, and looking forward to what’s to come.

Candle On The Water – Okkervil River ‘Look for me, reaching out to show. As sure as rivers flow. I'll never let you go.’ Is it one of my playlists without an end credit song? I should think not. I had to include Candle On The Water on this playlist; the lighthouse imagery played in too beautifully with Stede and the symbology around his character. And, it would seem I’m totally incapable of making a playlist without at least one Disney song, so this fulfills my quota :’D

Thank you for listening! I hope you’ve enjoyed our musical journey with Blackbeard and the Gentleman Pirate! Until next time!

#our flag means death #ofmd #gentlebeard #blackbonnet #stedward #stede bonnet #edward teach #blackbeard #the gentleman pirate #ship mix #ofmd playlist #playlist #my post #okkervil river #cat stevens #heart #ennio morricone #caetano veloso #lou reed #jethro tull #leonard cohen #moondog #damien jurado #nick drake #fleetwood mac #abba #the beach boys #the hollies

[wuxiaphoenix]

Book Review: Science Comics Dinosaurs Fossils and Feathers

Science Comics Dinosaurs Fossils and Feathers, by MK Reed and Joe Flood. Five of five stars; light, but good and well-researched facts, entertainingly written.

When you’re researching material for worldbuilding, or just reading up on a subject for fun, don’t neglect the juvenile and Young Adult sections of your library. One of the most interesting books I’ve read on piracy in the Caribbean was a biography of Captain Henry Morgan, labeled as juvenile, but over 300 pages of thoroughly researched and referenced history. This book is 120 pages of comics, but it covers a lot of dinosaur history - and the history of what we knew and when we knew it - in a way that both informs and engages the laughs. Nice.

For example, they end most sections with a sum-up of what we knew when. “In the year 1800.... The Earth is 6,006 years old. Dinosaurs are known as monsters. They lived a few thousand years ago... We are certain about all of this.” That “certain” turns up many, many times, until the last such entry. “In the year 2000.... The Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Dinosaurs are known as extinct reptilian ancestors of birds. They lived 250 to 65 million years ago.... We are pretty sure about all of this.”

(Book then proceeds to some of the newest facts at the time of publication, with the outright statement that known info will change!)

There are a lot of great vignettes of the lives of people involved. Mary Anning, one of the first fossil hunters in England who uncovered the first whole skeleton of Ichthyosaurus. The Bone Wars between ED Cope and OC Marsh, that ended up with government audits and Marsh’s collection seized for the Smithsonian. Baron Franz Nopcsa of Transylvania (yes, that Transylvania!) who discovered dwarf dinosaurs in Hatzeg. And of course Roy Chapman Andrews, real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones, who spied in WWI and later led expeditions to Mongolia that found the first dino eggs.

A lot of these I knew about from other sources, but many I’d never heard of before, including the mineralogist Harry Heiss, running his fathometer on a submarine throughout WWI and finding the first details on the Atlantic seafloor that indicated the ocean was geologically young. As in, some of the first solid evidence that plate tectonics might be real, and not dreamed up by some crazy German meteorologist.

There’s also a rather amusing “shot” of a theater playing Jurassic Park to sum up “what we knew about dinosaurs as of 2000”.

I’ll admit one of the highlights for me was page 112. Basically an addendum page added just before publication, it recounted short details of the naming saga of Apatosaurus/Brontosaurus. Long story short: as of 2015, fellow Brontosaurus fans, we win! It’s a legit genus!

...Dinosaurs in Dracula country. Come on, somebody’s gotta do a story with that!

#book review #dinosaurs #dracula country #graphic novel

[markstucker]

YCBK 247: College enrollment is dropping even though the pandemic is waning

In this episode you will hear:

  (11:30) Mark and Vince discuss a May 26th article by Stephanie Saul that appeared in the New York Times entitled, “College Enrollment Drops, Even as the Pandemic’s Effects Ebb”. Vince and Mark discuss why enrollment is dropping even though the pandemic is no longer at its zenith.

  Mark and Vince also go off topic and talk about a range of college admissions topics

  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/26/us/college-enrollment.html#:~:text=Overall%2C%20total%20undergraduate%20enrollment%20has,altered%20the%20traditional%20college%20experience.

    (39:34) For our question from a listener, a mom from Illinois wants to know if four schools is too few for her son to apply to

  (56:24) Our interview is with John Ambrose, the Director of Undergraduatate Admissions at Michigan State University. Our topic is, Understanding Michigan State University.  3 of 3

This interview will also serve as our college spotlight. 

Preview of Part 3

John continues to discuss MSU’s strongest programs

John goes on the hot seat in our lightning round

  The recommended resource is the book, Fiske Countdown to College: 41 To-Do Lists and a Plan for Every Year of High School by Ed Fiske and Bruce Hammond

    Please send in your questions either on Twitter at @YCBKpodcast using the Messages tab (this is our preference) or via email at [email protected] for the 27 admissions interviews we are doing in the summer and fall. Our interviews are with the following people at the following schools:

Confirmed interviews you can still send in questions for our guests: Bard-Mackie Siebens Mercer-Kelly Holloway Reed College-Milyon Truelove- Rice University-Tamara Siler American University-Andrea Felder Pitzer College-Yvonne Berumen Chapman University-Marcela Meija-Martinez Connecticut College-Andy Strickler* Trinity College-Anthony Berry* College of the Atlantic-Heather Albert* Spelman College-Chelsea Holley* Scripps College-Victoria Romero* Saint Louis University-Daniel Wood-(Interview is about transfer admissions, Daniel is a transfer counselor) Colby College-Randi Arsenault* University of Georgia-David Graves* Washington University St Louis-Ronne Turner

    To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”

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    If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at [email protected]. All they ask is that you review their services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

Check out this episode!

[dailyvideovault]

New video posted on: https://dailyvideovault.com/ed-reeds-hall-of-fame-bust-sculptor-explains-how-he-designed-it-outside-the-lines/

Ed Reed's Hall of Fame bust sculptor explains how he designed it | Outside the Lines

#baltimore ravens #baltimore ravens 2019 #ed reech hall of fame induction #ed reed #ed reed and troy polamalu #ed reed hall of fame #ed reed hall of fame speech #ed reed highlights #ed reed mix #ed reed picks off peyton manning #ed reed ray lewis #espn #espn live #football #national football league #nfl #nfl 2019 #nfl on espn #pro football hall of fame #pro football hall of fame 2019 #pro football hall of fame 2020 #ray lewis #sports

[dustedmagazine]

Derek Taylor 2019: Keep Going

Two words coupled by Harriet Tubman and coined into a credo essential for negotiating the human condition. It's also the title of and invocation to a sublime duo album by Joe McPhee and Hamid Drake released this year as rejoinder to their first recorded ten-years earlier. Taking stock of that decade is something we at Dusted did recently and as the New Year arrives it’s an exercise that feels all the more important, particularly in the extra-musical sense of recognizing the folly of where we’ve been as a world and where we really want to go moving forward. As always, music is both balm and adhesive in remembering that no matter how divisive and discouraging everything seems, we’re still all in it together.

Joe McPhee

Seventy-nine-years young and still a human dynamo of energy, empathy, and optimism, the Powerhouse from Poughkeepsie’s been a constant of these retrospective essays for as long as I’ve been writing them. I haven’t done a hard count, but his horns grace at least a dozen releases this year. Duos with Mats Gustaffson (Brace for Impact), Fred Lonberg-Holm (No Time Left for Sadness), and Paal Nilssen-Love (Song for the Big Chief) join the dyad denoted above in delivering dialogues as personal as they are potent. Tree Dancing assembles the super-group of Lol Coxhill, Evan Parker, Chris Corsano, and McPhee collectively and in component combinations with bassist John Edwards on board for a culminating cut, while Six Situations realizes a dream of bassist Damon Smith in teaming him with McPhee’s tenor and now dearly departed drummer Alvin Fielder. The Fire Each Time bundles six concerts of McPhee in the company of the DKV Trio from a 2017 tour that took James Baldwin and John Coltrane as lodestones. Saving perhaps the best for last, Invitation to a Dream comingles McPhee’s pocket trumpet and soprano with pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn and old confrere Ken Vandermark in a tripart colloquy delivered in crystal clear sound.

 Peter Brötzmann

A year younger and another fixture in my yearly firmament, Herr Brötz has always had ears attuned to the early pioneers of improvised music through the unabashed embrace of Sidney Bechet, Coleman Hawkins, and others. Those unerring affections erode some of the surprise from I Surrender Dear, an album of tenor-rendered jazz standards and originals, but also enhance the overall experience in how literally he makes good on the debt. It’s arguably his best solo album since 14 Love Poems and bolstered further by the focus on a single central member of his reed arsenal. Also of note, Fifty Years After commemorating the golden anniversary of Machine Gun with longtime confreres German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach and Dutch drummer Han Bennink,

 Rob Franken Electrification — Functional Stereo Music (678 Records)

Four-hours of Fender Rhodes heaven recorded in elite Dutch studios between 1972 and 1981 that puzzlingly never found commercial circulation until last year as a six-LP series. The 2019 edition transfers the archive to three-CDs and only rarely flags as Franken’s fonky keys front guitar, bass, drums and a revolving cast of fellow aces fielding other instruments. Economy is the informal edict as morsel-sized originals alternate with covers of tunes by Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Atilla Zoller, and even Steely Dan. The utilitarian intimations of the title aren’t just lip service. Franken originally envisioned the music as an homage to the muzak strains common to “shopping malls, hotels, elevators, department stores, and airports.” Much of it sounds far better aligned with the kinetic cop and detective pot-boilers that populated television and cinema of the decade.

 Brian Groder Trio – Luminous Arcs (Latham)

Keeping a working improvising ensemble together is no minor accomplishment, yet Groder’s been able to maintain one in his name with bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Jay Rosen. This disc joins two previous albums in demonstrating both the depth of the musicians’ bonds and their shared zeal in exploring and capitalizing on them. Any novelty surrounding the particulars of a trumpet-led piano-less trio is fortunately long since lapsed. The precedence allows them to marshal their attention to shaping music that is simultaneously the sum and multiplication of the substantial parts.

 V/A — Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumentals 1966-1976 (Sublime Frequencies)

Seattle-based Sublime Frequencies weathered a stretch where the “weirdness” quotient of their audio excavations appeared to outweigh accompanying scholarship and attention to edifying annotations. This scintillating compilation suffers no such skew in the balance of carefully sourced sounds and accompanying copy to shore up the context. Sixties rock, specifically surf, is a through-line in the preponderance of reverb-riddled guitars and buzzing Farfisa organ on many of the tracks, but indigenous melodies and rhythms are also frequent fodder for enthusiastic appropriation. Best of all, there’s a pervasive sense of fun to the sequencing that makes it a handy soundtrack for soirees of all sorts.

 Jaimie Branch — Fly or Die II (International Anthem)

If her ascendant flight pattern is any indication, death, artistic or otherwise, isn’t even an option for Jaimie Branch. This follow-up to her meteoric (and long overdue) 2017 debut builds organically on previous cosmetic aspects (core quartet, cover art, etc.) while making progressive-pronged politics even more prominent. “Prayer for Amerikkka” doesn’t mince words in proffering a platform of resistance and the musical propellant to keep it confidently airborne. A robust touring schedule and well-earned media attention are only furthering Branch’s designs at getting the sounds into as many ears as possible.

 Sam Rivers

The Sam Rivers Archive Series is the brainchild of producers Danas Mikailionis and Ed Hazell. A projected eight-volume celebration of the music of the eponymous composer/improviser/educator/doyen curated from a vast trove left in the care of Rivers’ daughter after his passing in 2011, it’s also probably the jazz news that most set my heart aflutter with anticipation this year. The initial pair of entries, Emanation and Zenith, certainly live up to the promise in presenting clean fidelity concerts by a high profile trio with bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Norman Conners (pre-disco) and a workshop quintet involving tubaist Joe Daley, bassist Dave Holland and the eight-limbed drums juggernaut of Barry Altschul and Charlie Persip. Both discs are essential.

 Jimi Hendrix — Songs for Groovy Children (Experience Hendrix)

Not a long-lost Hendrix kids’ album despite what the jejune title might suggest. Instead, it’s four nearly complete concerts from the guitar deity’s iconic New Year’s Band of Gypsies engagement at the Fillmore East in 1969/70. Producer Eddie Kramer largely quashes his invasive impulses in mastering the tapes, leaving the only real minuses to manifest in the occasionally extra-loose interplay and Jimi’s decision to indulge Buddy Miles’ mic access to a regrettably arguable fault. Math done, there’s nothing stopping an instant trigger-pull for true believers, even folks who have it all already in bootleg form.

 Ezz-thetics

Fingers remain collectively-crossed that Werner X. Uehlingher will one day decide to write an autobiography of his countless adventures as a stalwart producer of improvised music. Ezz-thetics is just the latest chapter in the future tome’s story arc that started with the founding of the Hat Hut label back in 1974. The new imprint, named after a classic George Russell composition, balances reissue and archival releases with new ones, packing them with branding that memorializes the old while consecrating the new. Discs by Jimmy Giuffre (Graz Live 1961), John Coltrane (Impressions Graz 1962), and Albert Ayler (Quartets 1964 Spirits to Ghosts Revisted) are the marquee name highlights, but the entirety of the imprint’s releases to-date have had their merits.

 Stephen Riley

The tenorist is no longer my favorite under-forty plier on the instrument simply because he’s aged out of the bracket. Oleo builds on last year’s transparently veiled Sonny Rollins’ tribute Hold ‘Em Joe by adding the sturdy trumpet of Joe Magnarelli to the equation and turning the referential calendar forward to the saxophone colossus’ collaborations with Don Cherry. It’s a beaut from a brisk beginning sortie on “Ornithology” to lengthy slalom on the Ducal “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” Tangerine Rhapsody is technically under Dutch drummer Snorre Kirk’s leadership, but it wouldn’t be nearly the album it is absent Riley’s supple and sagacious involvement.

 Milt Buckner & Jo Jones — Buck & Jo (Fremeaux & Associates)

Curious about what makes an individual improviser tick? Duo contexts are arguably the best aperture to gain edification and insight. Even better than solo or ensemble configurations, the dyad distills things down to solo and dialogue. This four-disc, four-hour-plus collection is a remarkable case in point and surprise that it even exists at all given its vintage let alone its scope. Thank French impresarios the Panassie Brothers who invited ur swing organist and ur swing drummer to indulge themselves with only the gentlest of producer-dictated strictures. The results are fascinating, whimsical, bombastic, and above all, endlessly entertaining. An epitome of intimately undertaken jazz tête-à-tête before it was anything resembling a regular thing.

 Del Shannon — Two Silhouettes (Bear Family)

Preconceptions can prove obdurate edifices. Prior to my forty-eighth birthday this year I dismissed Del Shannon as one of the disposable princes of bubble gum pop on the rare occasions he entered my consciousness at all. “Runaway” remains an influential song, particularly in its use of musitron organ, but it’s hardly the makings of unassailable genius. Bear Family’s exhaustive single-disc survey levies a much more convincing appeal for the crooner’s embodiment of a nexus of odd congruencies as moonlighting jazzmen conspire with duck-tailed rockers and barbershop harmonists. Dennis Coffey and Hargus “Pig” Robbins show up as sidemen and there’s even an S&M-tinged canticle called “Torture” replete with whip cracks and a Greek chorus of moans, leaving one to wonder what Ward and June Cleaver made of it all?

 Sun Ra

Cosmic Myth and Modern Harmonic continue to advance the mantle apparently abandoned by the Art Yard label in keeping Ra-related albums in circulation. The erstwhile Mr. Mystery employed numerous vocalists throughout his career, even contributing his own less-than-stellar (pun intended) pipes to the cause on occasion. None among that eclectic number could match June Tyson, who brought joie de vivre to the lyrical manifestations of Ra’s cosmic-afro-centrism that was at once wholly believable and infectious. Saturnian Queen of the Sun Ra Arkestra does right by her memory by culling an hour’s worth of highlights from a vast and varied recorded archive. Monorails & Satellites (now in three volumes!) and newly minted editions of Pathways to Unknown Worlds and When Angels Speak of Love were also welcome arrivals.

 Derek Bailey/Han Bennink/Evan Parker — Topographie Parisienne: Dunois, April 3rd, 1981 (Fou)

The Topography of the Lungs trio in concert and at length with decent sound eleven-years after their initial seismic contributions to free improv. Bailey and Parker weren’t yet at irreconcilable loggerheads but there’s still a galvanizing and palpable tension that suffuses their interplay. Bennink can’t help being anything but Bennink, bashing away one moment and pattering at barely a whisper the next while keeping ears cocked with split-second focus to the contributions his compatriots. Duos combine with solos from Parker sweeten and season an already delicious aural pot.

 Fred Anderson Quartet — Live at the Velvet Lounge Volume V (FPE)

Leftfield guest Toshinori Kondo and drummer Hamid Drake were one half of Peter Brötzmann’s Die Like a Dog outfit when this 1994 concert was committed to tape. That take-no-prisoners context allowed his plangent, frenetic, effects-saturated brass free and ferocious rein. Anderson’s outlets didn’t usually involve electronics and its instructive hearing the adaptations to the roiling controlled-chaos within his customary cerulean-hued improvisations. Drake and bassist Tastu Aoki maintain a stout terrestrial tether enlivened by a revolving array of undulating grooves. Extra points earned for incorporating the original Velvet Lounge wallpaper scheme into the production design. Bottom line: I miss Fred.

 V/A — Hillbillies in Hell: Tribulations: Country Music’s Tormented Testament (1952-1974) (The Omni Recording Corporation)

Amusing alliterative appellation aside, this series has managed the no-meager-feat of avoiding diminishing returns while mining the same expanse of time over successive volumes. The fifth entry tilts the lens even more sharply toward the sort of fervent tent show revival circuit favored by fictional religious reprobates like Rev. Harry Powell and Elmer Gantry and comes up with a bonanza off-kilter cuts from names both famous (Hank Williams, Louvin Bros., Tex Ritter) and arcane (The Burton Family, Durwood Daily, The Sunshine Boys Quartet). Ernest Tubb’s “Saturday Satan, Sunday Saint” persuasively sums up the ecumenical ethos, but every song exudes its share of sinful charms.

  V/A — Sacred Sounds: Dave Hamilton’s Raw Detroit Gospel (Ace)

As a both prolific and preternaturally talented producer, Dave Hamilton’s usual purview was left-of-center soul and funk. Urban (but not urbane) gospel offered a less-publicized commercial side outlet and he brought comparable emphasis on authenticity and creativity to the various acts he championed. This compilation comprises all-killer-no-filler assemblage that lives up to the unvarnished signifier in the title. It’s nearly eighty-minutes of jangly guitars, tambourines, and impassioned sanctifying and proselytizing of all sorts, as suited for Sunday morning as Friday or Saturday night depending on the preferred mood of your personal household. I’ve enjoyed equal fun plying it in both.

 Art Pepper — Promise Kept

Laurie Pepper, like Sue Mingus and other jazz widows before her, remains a passionate arbiter and steward of her late husband’s recorded legacy. The title of this box set collecting a singular tributary of Art Pepper’s later career aspirations could just as easily serve as a signifier of that bond. In truth, it’s reflective of a pact the couple made with producer John Snyder and a string of studio sessions largely left unissued during the Pepper’s lifetime. Rivalries real and imagined are revealed across the recordings as the altoist wrestles with his insecurities and the realities of choices made and paid for as a consequence of his addictions and fictions. Straightforward and vital, the music avoids gestalt in remaining consistently strong and emotionally true.

 Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian — When Will the Blues Leave (ECM)

The prevailing mystery behind this twenty-year-old concert rests on the reason(s) why the fine folks at ECM left it in the can for so long. I don’t have an answer but rather a simple expression of gratitude that they finally decided to rectify the error and get the sounds out into the world. Bley, Peacock and Motian were already three-decades deep in the periodic associations that quietly helped open chamber jazz to free improvisation when they took to the Swiss stage. The ensuing masterful performance manages to feel simultaneously like three old friends shooting the shit and a trio of improvisatory experts operating at peak collective capacity.

 Prince — 1999 (Warner)

Residency in the Twin Cities for the better part of two decades has resulted in many boons, personal and vocational for this writer. As with any life lived, the red side of the ledger has entries, too. Folded among them is the frictional, frayed listening relationship I harbor with the region’s most famous musical export. Nearly three years after his premature passing Prince is still everywhere and everything here. That perpetual, and perpetually irksome, ubiquity is what makes this five-disc+DVD beyond-exhaustive box so refreshing to my patience-tested purview. It contains lots of impressive material from arguably his most creative and questing period. It also has plenty of songs that feel competent but quotidian by comparison. That blend of bliss and banality is as effective a corrective as I can think of to the cult of purple sainthood that persists around these parts.  

 And as is my habitual wont, 25 more in no hierarchical order… thank you for reading and Feliz Año Nuevo!  

Josh Abrams Natural Information Society (Eremite)

Michael Formanek’s Very Practical Trio – Even Better (Intakt)

Charles Gayle/John Edwards/Mark Sanders – Seasons Changing (Otokroku)

Dudu Pukwana/Han Bennink/Misha Mengelberg – Yi Yole (ICP/Corbett vs. Dempsey)

Nat King Cole – Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1945) (Resonance)

Willem Breuker & Han Bennink – New Acoustic Swing Duo (ICP/Corbett vs. Dempsey)

Whit Dickey & Kirk Knuffke – Drone Dream (No Business)

Mark Turner & Gary Foster – Mark Turner Meets Gary Foster (Capri)

J.C. Heard & Bill Perkins Quintet – Live at the Lighthouse 1964 (Fresh Sound)

Stan Getz – Getz at the Gate: November 26, 1961 (Verve)

Rita Moss - Queen Moss 1951-1959 (Fresh Sound)

Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan – Epistrophy (ECM)

Marion Brown & Dave Burrell – Live at the Black Musicians’ Conference, 1981 (No Business)

Jon Irabagon – Invisible Horizon (Irrabagast)

Tom Rainey Trio – Combobulated (Intakt)

Joe Lovano & Enrico Rava Quintet – Roma (ECM)

Tomeka Reid Quartet – Old New (Cuneiform)

Johnny Griffin & Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis – Ow: Live at the Penthouse (Reel to Reel)

Takahashi Miyasaka – Animals Garden (Kojima/BBE)

Tiger Trio (Joelle Leandre/Myra Melford/Nicole Mitchell) – Map of Liberation (Rogue Art)

V/A – Jambu: E Os Miticos Sons da Amazonia (Analog Africa)

V/A – Put the Whole Armour On: Female Black Gospel 1940s/1950s (Gospel Friend)

V/A –Alefa Madagascar: Salegy, Soukous, & Soul from the Red Island (Strut)

Horace Tapscott with the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and the Great Voice of UGMAA - Why Don’t You Listen? Live at LACMA 1998 (Dark Tree)

Duster – Capsule Losing Contact (Numero)

#dusted magazine #yearend 2019 #derek taylor #joe mcphee #peter brotzmann #rob franken electrification #brian groder trio #pakistan folk and pop instrumentals #jaimie branch #sam rivers #jimi hendrix #ezz-thetics #stephen riley #milton buckner #jo jones #del shannon #sun ra #derek bailey #han bennink #evan parker #fred anderson quartet #hillbillies in hell #Sacred Sounds: Dave Hamilton’s Raw Detroit Gospel #paul bley #gary peacock #paul motian #prince

[oblivious-simmer]

casey chris reed + outfit highlights

perfectionist 

creative

aspiring bestselling author

casey is the oldest child of the reed family, and as a result has deemed himself the protector of his younger siblings. being the oldest has the downfalls - he has to be a role model for his younger siblings, protect them from the world and their parent's failing marriage. as a result he had to become an adult a lot quicker than his friends, working at a local coffee shop 5 days a week in an effort to save money so he can move out when he finished school, and hopefully take his siblings with him.

taking care of his siblings and working means cas desperately needs an outlet for the stress. so like every other average “popular” teenager he hangs out with his friends a little too much, and definitely spends too much time partying and drinking with his friends. but he still manages to make it to his barista job at 5 am, so no harm done. 

when viv started highschool he noticed she started hanging around him more often, and well if she’s hanging out with him and his rag tag group of friends then he can keep an better eye on her - so he doesn’t really mind. he knows viv sees the world through rose colored glasses, and thinks everyone and everything is better than is it, and quite frankly he plans to keep it that way for as long as he can. he knows that eventually she's gonna have to see the world for what it really is, but for now he wants the best life possible for her and their little brother until he can afford to move them out before their parents marriage collapses

outfit highlights & other details below

hair - @qwertysims 

top - @casteru

jeans - @onyxsims

shoes - @theslyd

poses - @error-ed-sims & @mrdavidveiga

#these are kinda long #but ive been playing this family for awhile #so a lot of stuff has happened that i wanna document #meetthereeds #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 #ts4 #ts4 gameplay

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 18 February 2019

Quick Bits:

Aquaman #45 gives us a new creation story with Father Sea and Mother Salt. It’s interesting world-building for what’s going on on this island. Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, and Sunny Gho seem to level up on their art again. This book is gorgeous.

| Published by DC Comics

Avengers #15 continues the vampire civil war, with the Shadow Colonel basically kidnapping Ghost Rider. Jason Aaron is definitely taking this series in weird places, but it remains highly entertaining. Especially with collaborators like David Marquez and Erick Arciniega who deliver some incredible artwork.

| Published by Marvel

Avengers: No Road Home #2 reveals how Nyx and her family took Olympus. There’s also a neat parallel narration for Hawkeye explaining how the guy with just a bow and arrows can take on gods and monsters. The art from Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, and Jesus Aburtov is gorgeous, they really seem to pushing themselves with their storytelling. It’s just a shame that none of the artists are credited on the cover.

| Published by Marvel

Barbarella/Dejah Thoris #2 is ridiculously impressive. Leah Williams, Germán García, Addison Duke, and Crank! are delivering an intelligent, humorous, and compelling adventure tale here that reminds me a lot of some of what Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse did in Tom Strong. It’s incredibly inventive and the artwork is amazing. Highly recommended.

| Published by Dynamite

Batman #65 gives us the penultimate chapter of “The Price”, featuring an all out battle between Flash, Gotham Girl, and Gotham. The artwork from Guillem March and Tomeu Morey is stunning, with some incredible layouts as the action continues.

| Published by DC Comics

Black Widow #2 is fairly bloody and violent as Natasha racks up a body count tracking down the people running “No Restraints Play”, a site that specializes in depravity. Flaviano’s line art seems scratchier than the first issue, but it works for the violent tone of story.

| Published by Marvel

Bloodborne #9 begins the third arc, “A Song of Crows”, as Aleš Kot, Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson, Aditya Bidikar, and Jim Campbell spotlight Eileen the Crow. This is a bit of return to the kind of abstract storytelling and embrace of oblique existentialism of the first arc as Eileen investigates the ritual murder of a hunter, but is confounded by time and holes in the narrative.

| Published by Titan

Catwoman #8 is ostensibly the “conclusion” to “Something Smells Fishy”, but it doesn’t actually end the story in any way and leaves the reader at a cliffhanger of continuing elements. That being said, it’s still an entertaining issue from Joëlle Jones, Elena Casagrande, Fernando Blanco, John Kalisz, and Josh Reed. Wonderful action sequences, and more questions as to the nature of a reliquary that seems to contain resurrective powers.

| Published by DC Comics

Delver #1 begins a new Comixology Original series from MK Reed, C. Spike Trotman, Clive Hawken, Maarta Laiho, and Ed Dukeshire. It’s a very intriguing and unique take on the fantasy gaming theme of a dungeon full of treasure and monsters with delvers working to plumb the depths. But it’s from the perspective of the townsfolk whose land the door to the dungeon appears in and how it changes and impacts their lives. 

| Published by Iron Circus Comics

Doctor Strange #11 concludes the battle with Dormammu and the Faltine, for now at least, from Mark Waid, Jesús Saiz, Javier Pina, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Cory Petit. Some very nice art as usual from Saiz, Pina, and Rosenberg.

| Published by Marvel

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3 continues “Mother of Exiles” from Tom Taylor, Juann Cabal, Nolan Woodard, and Travis Lanham as Peter finds out a bit about the rumours regarding his neighbour and Under York, another duplicate New York City under New York City, that oddly isn’t the Monster Metropolis. Great humour from Taylor in the dialogue.

| Published by Marvel

Guardians of the Galaxy #2 takes a somewhat different approach as Peter Quill drunk dials Kitty as he tries to make sense of what’s going on with Thanos, Gamora, everyone who’s dead, and the current state of the Guardians. Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Marte Gracia, and Cory Petit are really taking this series into interesting offbeat territory, while still delivering some excellent humour and an ominous feel to Starfox’s new band of “guardians”.

| Published by Marvel

Incursion #1 begins a new mini picking up on where the Eternal Warrior and Geomancer are since Harbinger Wars 2 and Ninja-K, and pit them against Imperatrix Virago, a cosmic villain that is devouring worlds (kind of like if Galactus were pestilence), from Andy Diggle, Alex Paknadel, Doug Braithwaite, José Villarrubia, Diego Rodriguez, and Marshall Dillon. The art is incredible, the stakes seem pretty high, and the outlook after this first issue look pretty grim for Earth.

| Published by Valiant

James Bond 007 #4 sees Stephen Mooney join Greg Pak, Tríona Farrell, and Ariana Maher for the art chores for three issues, continuing the tale of Bond and “Oddjob”’s team-up. Like Marc Laming, Mooney seems to be born to draw Bond and espionage themed stories.

| Published by Dynamite

Judge Dredd: Toxic #4 concludes what has been an excellent series dealing with xenophobia and hateful rhetoric from Paul Jenkins, Marco Castiello, Vincenzo Acunzo, Jason Millet, Shawn Lee, and Robbie Robbins. I’ve always found non 2000 AD Judge Dredd stories to be a bit of crapshoot, but IDW have been delivering well with the past two mini-series, this and Under Siege.

| Published by IDW

Justice League #18 is the latest excursion into the Legion of Doom territory from James Tynion IV, Pasqual Ferry, Hi-Fi, and Tom Napolitano. It works with some of the revelations from last issue regarding Martian Manhunter and builds a new narrative for Lionel Luthor’s past and his work with Vandal Savage. It’s interesting to see Tynion working with variations on discarded continuities in this way, building a new past that synthesizes pre-Flashpoint ideas with the current batch of backstories.

| Published by DC Comics

Middlewest #4 only seems to be getting better and better as more of this world and how it seems to work get fleshed out by Skottie Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Nate Piekos. There’s something incredibly magical and special about this series that taps into the feeling of some of the best coming-of-age fantasies as it blends Ray Bradbury, JM Barrie, and Carlo Collodi into this magical realist adventure.

| Published by Image

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #3 concludes the opening arc from Saladin Ahmed, Javier Garrón, David Curiel, and Cory Petit by adding Captain America to Miles & Rhino’s team-up. This has been a very entertaining start to the series, with a nice mix of Miles’ personal life and superheroics.

| Published by Marvel

Naomi #2 reasserts that Jamal Campbell is a powerhouse of an artist and one of the best kept secrets of the past few years who really should have a higher profile. His art is amazing. It also helps that the story he, Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Carlos M. Mangual are telling is as compelling as this, as Naomi confronts Dee as she tries to learn about the day of her adoption. It’s very widescreen and epic as it hints at the broader DC Universe, but at the same time this is very deeply personal.

| Published by DC Comics

Old Man Quill #2 gives the Guardians a taste of the depravity and despair that Earth has fallen to in this post-superhero world. Ethan Sacks shows there’s still a bit of humour left, though, in that Piledriver’s descendent thinks that Piledriver was one of the all-time greats. Also the art from Robert Gill and Andres Mossa gives a wonderful amount of detail to the wastelands.

| Published by Marvel

Relay #4 returns after a delay with new artist Dalibor Talajić (I believe Andy Clarke had to bow out due to illness, but I’m not 100% sure on that). Talajić’s art style is not as bright and clean as Clarke’s, giving a darker, shadowy approach that results in the bleak, horror elements of the story coming further into focus.

| Published by AfterShock

Seven to Eternity #13 returns from its own lengthy delay to conclude the arc in Skod, with the revelation of part of Adam’s choice to save the Mud King. It reiterates the theme since the beginning that there seem to be no good choices in this world, that everything tainted, despite Adam’s father believing the world black and white. While we are going into another trade break, Rick Remender, Jerome Opeña, Matt Hollingsworth, and Rus Wooton consistently make this worth the wait.

| Published by Image / Giant Generator

Sharkey: The Bounty Hunter #1 is the latest of Mark Millar’s Netflix feeder series, after The Magic Order and Prodigy, with Simone Bianchi and Peter Doherty rounding out the team. This one feels a bit like if Warren Ellis were writing Strontium Dog, and it works. The artwork from Bianchi is worth it on its own. Gorgeous character designs.

| Published by Image

Venom #11 is another holy crap issue from Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, Joshua Cassara, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles. There are some really big revelations about Eddie and his family that really need to be read firsthand. Amazing work.

| Published by Marvel

X-O Manowar #24 reminds us again just how good of an artist and storyteller Tomás Giorello is. The action sequences and battle between Aric and Hesnid is incredible, with fairly inventive layouts that just elevate the overall impact of the pages. Giorello and Diego Rodriguez really make this something joyous to behold.

| Published by Valiant

Other Highlights: American Carnage #4, Bitter Root #4, Black Badge #7, The Black Order #4, Breakneck #3, Coda #9, Death Orb #5, DuckTales #18, East of West #41, Evolution #14, Exorsisters #5, Go Bots #4, Grumble #4, High Level #1, Hot Lunch Special #5, Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter #2, Jim Henson’s Beneath the Dark Crystal #5, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Discovery Adventure, Jughead: The Hunger #12, Lightstep #4, The Lone Ranger #5, Lucifer #5, Lumberjanes #59, Mars Attacks #5, Monstress #20, Outpost Zero #7, Rainbow Brite #4, Shuri #5, Solo: A Star Wars Story #5, Star Wars Adventures #18, Starcraft: Soldiers #2, Stronghold #1, Sukeban Turbo #4, Superb #17, TMNT: Urban Legends #10, Teen Titans #27, Turok #2, The Unstoppable Wasp #5, The Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame #3

Recommended Collections: Amazing Spider-Man - Volume 2: Friends & Foes, Bedtime Games, The Beauty - Volume 5, Black Lightning: Brick City Blues, Captain America - Volume 1: Winter in America, Days of Hate - Volume 2, High Crimes, Infinity 8 - Volume 3: The Gospel According to Emma, Old Man Hawkeye - Volume 2: The Whole World Blind, The Punisher - Volume 1: World War Frank, West Coast Avengers - Volume 1: Best Coast

d. emerson eddy would do anything for a Klondike bar, but he won’t do that.

#This Week in Comics

[beatdisc]

RSD 2019 LIST

Record Store Day, our favourite day! Because we love celebrating with all our beloved regular customers and new friends. This year we're planning to make it the biggest and best day ever! Here's what's happening this year. > HUGE RANGE OF RSD EXCLUSIVE RELEASES (list below) < > LIMITED EDITION BEATDISC COFFEE MUG! < > 500+ OF PRE-OWNED LPs HITTING THE RACKS < > THOUSANDS OF 45s & CDs FROM THE ARCHIVE ** < > 20% OFF AUDIO-TECHNICA TURNTABLES (2019 RANGE) ** < > TWO A-T LP60 TURNTABLES TO WIN < > MARK-DOWNS** GIVEAWAYS, PIZZA, PARTY! < > COFFEE VAN FROM 6AM (see below) < ** = SAT & SUN 

OUR LIST OF RSD EXCLUSIVE TITLES

This year we have 192 TITLES! A few things to note for the morning rush. If you're here first thing please join the line and we'll serve everyone in order. One copy per RSD title per person & no holds. AUS LIST TITLES Bob Evans - Suburban Songbook [LP] Broderick Smith – Suitcase [LP] Jebediah - Of Someday Shambles [2LP] Johnny Diesel & The Injectors - Johnny Diesel & The Injectors [2LP] The Amity Affliction – Youngbloods [LP] The Birthday Party - Mutiny/Bad Seed [2LP] The Hard Ons - Harder & Harder [7”] The Loved Ones - Magic Box [LP] The Mint Chicks - Screens [LP] The Reels - The Reels [LP] US LIST TITLES Ace Frehley - Spaceman [LP] Adrenalin O.D. - Let's BBQ [LP] Alien Weaponry - Tu [LP+7''] Anderson .Paak - Bubblin' [7''] Angelo Badalamenti, David Lynch - Twin Peaks: Season Two Music And More [2LP] Aretha Franklin - The Atlantic Singles 1967 [5x7'' Boxset] AxCx (Anal C**t) - Picnic Of Love [LP] B-52's, The - Mesopotamia [LP] Bad Religion - My Sanity [7''] Basement - Be Here Now [7''] Benjamin Gibbard - Me And Magdalena / The Concept [7''] Bill Hicks - Revelations: Variations [2LP] Billy Joel - Live At Carnegie Hall 1977 [2LP] Bingo Hand Job (R.E.M. w/ Bragg, Hitchcock & Holsapple) - Live At The Borderline 1991 [2LP] Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - E. 1999 Eternal [2LP] Broken Social Scene - Let's Try The After Vol. 1 & 2 [LP] Buari - Buari [LP] Buffalo Tom - Buffalo Tom (30th Anniversary) [LP] Canned Heat - Remember Woodstock [LP] Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica [2LP] Charlatans, The - Us And Us Only [LP] Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Dice Game And Let It Fall [10'' Chuck Mosley - Joe Haze Session #2 [7''] Courtney Barnett - Everybody Here Hates You [12''] Craig Mack & The Notorious B.I.G. - B.I.G. Mack (Original Sampler) [LP+Cassette] Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - 4 Way Street (Expanded Edition) [3LP] Culture - The Nighthawk Recordings [LP] Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist - Fetti [LP] Czarface - Double Dose Of Danger [LP] David Bowie - Pin Ups (2015 Remastered Version) [LP] David Bowie - The World Of David Bowie (Compilation) [LP] David Bowie / Marlene Dietrich - Revolutionary Song / Just A Gigolo [7''] Death Grips - Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix) [LP] Def Leppard - The Story So Far, Vol. 2 / B Sides [2LP] Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Pretty Africa [LP] Devo - This Is The DEVO Box [6LP] Doors, The - London Fog [10''] Dr. Dog - Live 2 [LP] Dr. Dre - Nuthin' But A ''G'' Thang [12''] Duran Duran - As The Lights Go Down (Live) [2LP] Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto [LP] Elton John - Live From Moscow [2LP] Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Purse EP [LP] Elvis Presley - Live At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV August 23, 1969 [2LP] Eric Clapton - One More Car One More Rider [3LP] Fatlip - The Loneliest Punk [LP] Flaming Lips, The - King's Mouth: Music And Songs [LP] Fleetwood Mac - The Alternate Fleetwood Mac [LP] Frank Black - Frank Black [LP] Frank Black - Teenager Of The Year [2LP] Frank Zappa - The Guitar World According To Frank Zappa [LP] Golden Earring - Moontan [LP] Gorillaz - The Fall [LP] Grateful Dead - The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 10/9/80 [2LP] Green Day - Woodstock 1994 Live [LP] Green Jelly - Cereal Killer Soundtrack [LP] Green River - Live At The Tropicana 1984 [LP] Greta Van Fleet - From The Fires [LP] Hawkwind - The 1999 Party: Live At The Chicago Auditorium 21st March, 1974 [2LP] High On Fire - Bat Salad [LP] Hockey Dad - Dreamin' [LP] Idles - Meat / Meta [EP] Iggy Pop - Hippodrome - Paris 77 [2LP] Iggy Pop - The Villagers b/w Pain & Suffering [7''] Insurgence DC - Broken In The Theater Of The Absurd [LP] James Brown - Sho Is Funky Down Here [LP] Janis Joplin - Woodstock Sunday August 17, 1969 [2LP] Jeff Buckley - In Transition [LP] Jeff Tweedy - WARMER [LP] Jethro Tull - North Sea Oil [10''] Joe Strummer - The Rockfield Studio Tracks [12''] John Cage Meets Sun Ra - John Cage Meets Sun Ra: The Complete Film [7''+DVD] John Lennon - Imagine: The Raw Studio Mixes [2LP] Julien Baker - Red Door / Conversation Piece [7''] Justin Courtney Pierre (frontman of Motion City Soundtrack) - Open Mic At The Lo-Fi Vol. 1 [LP] Kooks, The - Live At The Moth Club [LP] Kool Keith - Complicated Trip [12''] Kristin Hersh - Crooked [LP] L7 - Burn Baby [7''] Lemonheads, The - Can't Forget / Wild Child [7''] Lou Reed - Ecstasy [2LP] Louis Armstrong - Disney Songs The Satchmo Way [LP] Madonna - La Isla Bonita: Super Mix [LP] Madonna - True Blue (Super Club Mix) [LP] Mark Lanegan Band - Stitch It Up [7''] Mark Ronson - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart [12''] Mastodon - Stairway To Nick John [10''] Matthew Sweet - Pleasure Island, Live [LP] Menzingers, The - No Penance b/w Cemetery's Garden [7''] Midnight Oil - Breathe Tour '97, Live [LP] Mission Of Burma - Peking Spring [LP] Mo-dettes, The The Story So Far [LP] Monty Python - Monty Python's Life Of Brian [LP] Morrissey - Lover-To-Be [7''] Moses Sumney - Black In Deep Red, 2014 [12''] Motorhead - Overkill / Bomber [2x7''] Motorhead - Rockaway Beach [7''] Mumford & Sons - Delta Acoustic Sessions | Live From Electric Lady [10''] My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade Is Dead! [2LP] Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Wait & Return [LP] Ol' Dirty Bastard - Intoxicated [LP] Olafur Arnalds - Re:member + String Quartets [LP+7''] Otis Redding w/Booker T. & The M.G.'s + The Mar-Keys - Just Do It One More Time! Live At The Monterey Pop Festival [LP] Parliaments, The - Baby I Owe You Something Good [LP] Pearl Jam - Live At Easy Street [LP] Pelican - Midnight & Mesaline [7''] Peter Howell & John Ferdinando - Ithaca, Agincourt And Other Psych-Folk Fairy Tales [2LP+CD] Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets (Mono) [LP] Police, The - Message In A Bottle [2x7''] Prince - His Majesty's Pop Life / The Purple Mix Club [2LP] Procol Harum - Procol Harum (50th Anniversary USA Edition) [2LP] Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Soundtrack) [2LP] Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody / I'm In Love With My Car [7''] Ramones, The - Live At The Palladium, New York, NY (12/31/79) [2LP] Robert Johnson - Kind Hearted Woman Blues / Terraplane Blues [10''] Robyn - Body Talk [2LP] Rolling Stones, The - Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass) (UK) [LP] Rolling Stones, The - She’s A Rainbow / Live At U Arena, Paris / 25.10.17 [10''] Rolling Stones, The - Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (UK) [LP] Roxy Music - Roxy Music - Remixed [2LP] RZA - Birth Of A Prince [2LP] Salvation Army, The - Live From Torrance And Beyond [LP] Santigold - I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions [LP] Serj Tankian - Harakiri [LP] Sherman Brothers, The - Simply Sherman: Disney Hits From The Sherman Brothers [LP] Shocking Blue - Single Collection (A's & B's), Part 2 [2LP] Sly & The Family Stone - Woodstock Sunday August 17, 1969 [2LP] Soccer Mommy - For Young Hearts [LP] Sublime - Nugs: Best Of The Box [LP] SUNN O))) - Life Metal [2LP] Tangerine Dream - Le Parc [2LP] Tangerine Dream - Machu Picchu [LP] Ten In The Swear Jar (Xiu Xiu) - Fort Awesome: Complete Recordings [2LP] Teyana Taylor - Gonna Love Me / WTP (Remixes) [12''] Thrice - Deeper Wells [LP] Todd Rundgren - The Complete U.S. Bearsville & Warner Bros. Singles [4LP] Too $hort - The Pimp Tape [2LP] Townes Van Zandt - The Best Of Townes Van Zandt [2LP] U2 - The Europa [LP] Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Alternative [10''] Various Artists - Boy Meets Girl: Classic Stax Duets [2LP] Various Artists - Brazil Classics 30th Anniversary Box Set [3LP] Various Artists - Coneheads (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Folk And Pop Sounds Of Sumatra Vol. 2 [2LP] Various Artists - Ghost World (Soundtrack) [2LP] Various Artists - I Am Sam (Soundtrack) [LP Various Artists - Lost In Translation (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Malcom X (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Mickey Mouse Disco [LP] Various Artists - New Jack City (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Office Space (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Poppies: Assorted Finery From The First Psychedelic Age [LP] Various Artists - Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions Of Weezer [LP] Various Artists - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Soundtrack) [2LP] Various Artists - Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Stax Does The Beatles [2LP] Various Artists - Sugar Hill Records: The 12'' D.J. Boxset [6x12'' Boxset] Various Artists - The Crow (Soundtrack) [2LP] Various Artists - Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets Highlights [2LP] Various Artists - Woodstock 3 Days Of Peace Music (Mono PA Version) [3LP] Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground [LP] Vitamin String Quartet - VSQ Performs Bjork [2LP] Weezer - Dusty Gems: The B-Sides [LP] Weezer - Weezer (Teal Album) [LP] Wes Montgomery - Back On Indiana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Recordings [2LP] Wipers, The - Alien Boy [7'' EP] Wonder Years, The - The Wonder Years Live From Maida Vale [10''] Yes - Yes [LP] UK LIST TITLES Dexys Midnight Runners - At The BBC 1982 [2LP] Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message [2LP] Mighty Boosh - The Complete Radio Series [3LP] Ronnie Lane & The Band Slim Chance - At The BBC [2LP] Sigur Ros - Lunar Halo 22° [LP] Sigur Ros - Variations In Darkness [LP] Thin Lizzy - Black Rose [2LP] Various Artists - The Freakbeat Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The Mod Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The Northern Soul Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The Psychedelic Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The R&B Scene [2LP] Venom - Manitou [7" picture disc] Yazoo - Reconnected: Live [2LP]

[gokinjeespot]

Monday, November 26, 2018

 Of well, no Grey Cup for Ottawa. The Calgary Stampeders trounced the CFL team from our nation's capital 27 to 16 in yesterday's championship game. I feel sad for all the Redblacks fans. We'll get them next year eh.

 I was so excited to meet Steve Leialoha in 1985 that I asked him how he kept his long hair out of the way when he was drawing. He smiled and said he tied it back in a pony tail. Probably the dumbest fanboy question he's ever heard. I am still embarrassed to this day. He still drew this for me in my diary.

   Archie #700 - Nick Spencer (writer) Marguerite Sauvage (art) Jack Morelli (letters). This issue might as well be a reboot because it's a great place to start reading a more sophisticated Archie Comic than the ones I read as a kid. Jughead's got a job (gasp) writing for the Riverdale Gazette and he narrates this introduction to all things Riverdale. I like how all the main characters are presented and I really like the art. I have been recommending this book since Mark Waid revamped it and even though Nick Spencer wrote his heart out here, none of it seemed like padding.

 Batman #59 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). The Tyrant Wing part 2. Batman, Penguin and Bane. I read this issue with glee because it is awesome sauce. The big bad super villain could be perpetrating the biggest con on Batman since the Riddler. I can't wait to see where this goes.

 Cover #3 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) David Mack (art) Bill Sienkiewicz (art pages 21 to 24) Zu Orzu (colours) Carlos M. Mangual (letters). It's Fields, Max Fields, comic book creator and international spy. He's no James Bond or Austin Powers just a fish way out of the water. I'm still enjoying this very much. If it wasn't for the credits page I would have thought that Bill Sienkiewicz's pages were drawn by Walt Simonson.

 Lucifer #2 - Dan Watters (writer) Max & Sebastian Fiumara (art) Dave McCaig (colours) Steve Wands (letters). "Of Red Deaths and Ginger Tomcats". This story takes place in four different dimensions. It's a challenge to keep track of everything that's going on and no connections have been made as yet. Lucifer appears in three planes and is portrayed quite differently in each. This new Vertigo book is atypical of what the imprint embraces but I prefer a more linear story. I hope this has a hell of a run.

 Marvel Knights #2 - Matthew Rosenberg & Donny Cates (writers) Niko Henrichon (art) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Elektra Natchios joins the cast of this Marvel mystery. So now we have Bruce Banner, Frank Castle, Elektra and Matt Murdock teaming up. Matt is the only one who remembers that he's Daredevil and we get a glimpse of Bruce's alter ego but nothing monstrous yet. This book is keeping me guessing.

 Hulk #9/LGY #726 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils Hulk pages) Ruy Jose (inks Hulk pages) Paul Mounts (colours Hulk pages) Martin Simmonds (art Crusher Creel pages) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I liked the synergy of the Hulk's and Crusher Creel's stories alternating throughout this issue. The surprise at the end will give you a good idea about how different this new Hulk book is from what you've read before.

 Doctor Strange #8/LGY #398 - Mark Waid (writer) Andres Guinaldo & Javier Pina (pencils) Javier Pina & Andy Owens (inks) Carlos Lopez (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Stephen's betrayal of Kanna comes to light which changes their relationship status. The high stakes fight with Baron Mordo ends with the Doc's friend coming to her senses. Still, all is not well with the good Doctor.

 West Coast Avengers #4 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Stefano Caselli (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Yay, B.R.O.D.O.K./M.O.D.O.K. is defeated and Los Angeles is saved. I love this team. They're so much fun.

 Iron Man #6/LGY #606 - Dan Slott & Jeremy Whitley (writers) Valerio Schiti (art) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Stark Realities part 1. A new story starts here and it's a doozy. I remember the last relaunch and Tony trying to make the world a better place with Stark Tech. Dan tries doing that again with a new Stark virtual reality game. Suffice it to say that things don't end well. I like the old school villain who shows up on the last page. Dan sure upgraded this baddie.

 Middlewest #1 - Skottie Young (writer) Jorge Corona (art) Jean Francois Beaulieu (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). This is not like the fun, whimsical and irreverent "I Hate Fairyland" unless you count the talking fox. It's the story of Abel, a kid living in the mid-west with a tough love single dad. Pretty heavy stuff but there are some signature Skottie Young touches like the fox and pink energy sources in the background. The story starts with Abel getting into trouble and progresses to him running away by issue's end. I'd like to follow along and see what happens to the lad.

 Fantastic Four #2/LGY #647 - Dan Slott (writer) Sara Pichelli (pencils) Sara Pichelli with Elisabetta D'Amico (inks) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I lucked out and found one copy left on the racks for me to read. This is where the Griever first appears to threaten the multiverse and we see how Reed, Sue and the rest of the Future Foundation reunites with Ben and Johnny plus all the heroes that have ever been associated with the Fantastic Four. I like how the kids have grown up a little and I hope they are involved in future stories.

 Uncanny X-Men #2/LGY #621 - Ed Brisson, Matthew Rosenberg & Kelly Thompson (writers) R. B. Silva (pencils) Adriano Di Benedetto (inks) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I said I wasn't going to read the rest of this story after the first issue but then I flipped through this issue and the art really impressed me so I grabbed it off the rack. The highlight of this issue plot-wise is who shows up on the last panel to help the mutant heroes.

[kennethmjoyner]

Fastcase Names Its 11th Annual Class of Fastcase 50 Innovation Honorees

If you are wondering where the innovators are in law, look no farther than the Fastcase 50, the annual award doled out by the legal intelligence company Fastcase that honors 50 of the law’s “smartest, most courageous, innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders.”

Fastcase today announced its 11th annual Fastcase 50 honorees, which adds up to 550 innovative leaders in law over the lifetime of the awards.

“Each year since the inaugural awards in 2011, the Fastcase 50 award has spotlighted the often under-recognized efforts of pioneers and architects of the future of law and legal technology,” Fastcase said in announcing this latest round.

(Disclosure: I was listed in the inaugural group in 2011.)

This year’s group of honorees is composed of a diverse array of lawyers, legal technologists, law librarians, judges, legal researchers, innovators, and people who are committed to reforming and automating the law.

The Fastcase 50 for 2021 are:

Jason Adaska, Chief Technology Officer, Juris Futura; Director of Innovation Lab, Holland & Hart.

Haley Altman, Global Head of Corporate Development, Litera.

Roy Austin, Vice President of Civil Rights and Deputy General Counsel, Facebook.

Brad Blickstein, Principal, Blickstein Group; Co-Head of NewLaw Practice Group, Baretz+Brunelle.

Joe Borstein, CEO & Co-Founder, LexFusion.

Vanessa Blum, Newsroom Innovation Director, ALM Media; Executive Editor, Law.com Radar.

Bryon Bratcher, Director of Practice Solutions, Reed Smith LLP; Managing Director, Gravity Stack.

Miriam Childs, Director, Law Library of Louisiana, Louisiana Supreme Court.

Ming W. Chin, Justice (ret.), California Supreme Court.

Ben Crump, Founder, Ben Crump Law, PLLC.

James Duggan, Director of the Law Library and Associate Professor of Law, Tulane University.

Tonya Evans, Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law.

Lluis Faus, Co-Founder; CEO; Executive Chairman, vLex.

Sam Fletcher, Research Scientist, Kira Systems.

Ivan Fong, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Policy Officer and Secretary, 3M.

Patrick Fuller, Vice President, Legal Intelligence, ALM Intelligence.

Maria Hall, Director, Los Angeles Incubator Consortium.

Danielle Holley-Walker, Dean and Professor of Law, Howard University School of Law.

Al Hounsell, Senior Innovation Lawyer, Norton Rose Fulbright.

Ben Jackson, Co-Founder and COO, Immigrants Like Us.

Jay Kim, Managing Partner, Kim Vaughan Lerner.

Hannah Konitshek, Business Operations & Strategy, Legal.io.

Brian Lee, Serial Entrepreneur, Co-Founder LegalZoom.

Sang Lee, CEO; Co-Founder, Thine, LLC; Owner, Volta Talent Strategies;.

Art Lien, Courtroom Sketch Artist, Courtartist.

Dominique Shelton Leipzig, Partner, Privacy & Security; Co-Chair, Ad Tech Privacy & Data Management, Perkins Coie LLP.

Mirra Levitt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Priori.

June Liebert, Director of Information Services, O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

Katherine Lowry, Head of IncuBaker and Director of Practice Services, BakerHostetler.

Jelena Madir, General Counsel, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Nicholas Magnenelli, Research & Instructional Services Librarian, Yale Law Library.

Rick Merrill, Founder and CEO, Gavelytics.

Laura O’Bryan, Co-Owner of MyVirtual.Lawyer; Co-Founder of MVL for Attorneys.

Dyane O’Leary, Associate Professor, Suffolk University.

Holly Riccio, Director, California Judicial Center Library.

Nick Rishwain, Vice President of Business Development & Relations, Experts.com.

Margo Schlanger, Wade H. and Dores M. McCree Collegiate Professor of Law, Michigan Law.

Anita Carr Shapiro (In Memoriam), President Emerita, Practising Law Institute.

Nikki Shaver, Managing Director of Innovation and Knowledge, Paul Hastings.

Evan Shenkman, Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Fisher Phillips.

Daryl Shetterly, Director of Orrick Analytics, Orrick, Herring & Sutcliffe LLP.

Barry Simpson, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Alex Smith, Global Product Management Lead, iManage RAVN.

Brad Stern, County Attorney, Washington County, Wisconsin.

Devin Stone, Attorney, StoneLaw DC.

Jessica Stuart, Senior Product Manager, Pro Bono Net.

Marcos A. Tapia, Shareholder, Tiffany & Bosco.

Alvin Tedjamulia, CTO, NetDocuments.

Ryan Walker, Chief Technology Officer, Casetext.

Jennifer Wondracek, Director of the Law Library; Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Capital University Law School

“The past year has presented challenges that provided opportunities to advance the law, and even accelerated some innovations into the mainstream,” Fastcase CEO Ed Walters said in announcing the awards. “We celebrate the diligence, discipline, passion, and creativity of these Fastcase 50 honorees. We are as proud as ever to spotlight the eleventh class of the Fastcase 50, highlighting now 550 people who have inspired our profession, since our first class in 2011.”

To view profiles of each of the winners and to learn more about the Fastcase 50 award, visit: http://www.fastcase.com/fastcase50

Congratulations to all!

from Law and Politics https://www.lawsitesblog.com/2021/07/fastcase-names-its-11th-annual-class-of-fastcase-50-honorees.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

#law #legal

[tommyoboe]

YEAR 3 - WEEK 28. Hi. So this week has been er, yeah, interesting. Monday morning saw me running about like a headless chicken attempting and failing to get things done. I set up my oboe for a run through of my recital programme after my morning class and then realised I needed to scrape the reed down for ease of playing, only to apparently misplace my plaque to aid me in this. So I proceeded to turn into a purple aubergine as I hammered out my twenty five minutes of music, and then after more tiring searching (with lots of f***s), I of course found it inside my cigarette paper (yes, we oboists have some interesting material) and gave a massive sigh of relief. Over a bit of plastic. And then after a mad dash to the library next door, I spent ages trying to print off some music (that I didn’t actually end up needing), for that afternoon’s CBSO Scheme to get no results after the computer forbidding me to print the many pages (bloody robots taking over everything). But of course, things did turn around and I had a great afternoon with the CBSO and Ed Gardner watching them rehearse Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration, a beautiful piece with lush harmonies and textures (and a lack of places to breathe for the winds!). I particularly enjoyed the conductor’s ‘soft’ faces and his attention to detail, picking out details that were certainly unseen by myself. Waking up really tired on Tuesday was not fun at all; after an uncomfortable night’s sleep I did not feel ready for my Musicianship exam. But as we began the exam I felt confident with what was set out in front of me and had faith that I would do very well. However, after a couple of unclear questions, my thought process became foggy and the rest of the paper was considerably harder. Ah well, I’ve just got to hope the first half saw me through. Either way, the debriefing that evening was much needed, despite me spending too much on drinks and chorizo flavoured crisps (they were dank though - yes that means good). My confidence in playing does continue to grow these days, which I’m really living for at the moment. I’ve had quite a few consistently good lessons now, which compared to just last year is really great. I also enjoyed playing to Jo Patton, clarinettist in the CBSO, on Wednesday; her energy and ability to bring music to life was something that I thrived off and really believed in. She also remembered that I was on Scheme, which was nice! Pops orchestra came to a wonderful close this week, with two schools concerts and an evening performance on Friday, as we entertained with favourites from Bernstein and Williams (Star Wars was obvious for May 4th), as well as Copland, Spiderman and Prokofiev’s classic Peter and the Wolf. Getting recorded for Classic FM was daunting but exciting with how the concerts went overall, and being able to give kids an outreach in music was very sweet (the actions for Copland’s Hoe Down were a particular highlight - we all got into them A LOT). The wine afterwards was also excellent; I took the bottle and glass home with me. Does that mean I’m a thief... Nah, it was for a good enough cause: my sanity. And I saved money on glasses! From film music to gospel on Sunday, as gospel choir made its debut at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. It was a cute little gig in the sunshine (it’s finally here) with the eight of us providing something different and perhaps more lighthearted, hopefully lifting people’s spirits in the process. Looking forward to Lincoln this weekend! Other highlights this week have included voting myself for the first time on Thursday, clearly a first timer when I didn’t realise there was a voting booth and just asked for the nearest pen. That felt good though; I definitely felt like I was doing a good thing by actively contributing to politics - an area we shouldn’t shy away from and freely talk about. God, I hate people muting my right to talk when it comes to politics (or just anything to be honest). More delightful things entailed a cute afternoon with Cameron shopping for my recital outfit (having tried it on, I can say without being arrogant that I’m gonna look fiiiiiine) and grabbing a late dinner at this sweet little bakery (we wanted everything and it was aesthetic goals), as well as an evening pub trip where we got free curry, pastries and cake with strawberries, but on the flip side did have to endure what sounded like cats literally being strangled as part of the pub’s open mic night. There were also lots of laughs to be had in the last woodwind workshop of the year, a chamber concert featuring none other than Shirley Basset and the Basset Babes (basset horn thing, don’t ask), and as I laughed and cringed, but you know, mostly laughed, I took pleasure in knowing I go to a good place where people can work hard but can also have fun and relax, and for this level I really value that. Getting some shocking and kind of upsetting news yesterday has put me back a bit in how I generally feel, but as I took things in I realised I could be strong about it, especially going into recital week, and it emphasised that I have come a long way in learning to control my emotions and let things happen if they are meant to, which this is, and for that I feel content overall. Also, after watching a particularly moving episode of Netflix’s The Crown this evening (definitely recommend) I have been once more reminded to be grateful for everything I have, and to know that things that may appear bad at first will often turn out to be much better than first thought. So a mixed week overall, but now being in the final week of assessments, it really is now time to make a fucking fantastic summer for myself. Well, off I go. T

[newslookout]

Ed Reed’s thoughts on the Ravens competing in the AFC & Lamar Jackson’s playoff growth | First Take

NFL HOF safety Ed Reed joins First Take to discuss the Baltimore Ravens’ place in the competitive AFC and shares how QB Lamar Jackson can improve in the playoffs. #FirstTake #NFL

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Visit ESPN on YouTube to get up-to-the-minute sports news coverage, scores, highlights and commentary for NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, College Football, NCAA Basketball, soccer and more.

More on ESPN.com: https://www.espn.com

The post Ed Reed’s thoughts on the Ravens competing in the AFC & Lamar Jackson’s playoff growth | First Take appeared first on News Lookout.

source https://newslookout.com/sports/ed-reeds-thoughts-on-the-ravens-competing-in-the-afc-lamar-jacksons-playoff-growth-first-take/

[wsmith215]

The best ATS season ever for every NFL team

9:04 AM ET

NFL NationESPN

The 2020 NFL schedule has been released, but there is still a ways to go until the season begins. So what better time to look back fondly on the best betting season for all 32 teams?

Our NFL Nation reporters give their perspective on the best individual seasons against the spread for each team, using research from ESPN Stats & Information.

Jump to: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND JAC | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC East

New England Patriots

2003: 13-2-1 (.867)

This was when Tom Brady the sixth-round pick was starting to become Tom Brady the star. The 2003 season was his fourth in the NFL (third as a starter), and came after a 9-7 year in which the Patriots had missed the playoffs. Bill Belichick had shockingly cut safety Lawyer Milloy before the season opener and the Patriots lost their first game 31-0 to the Bills, who had signed Milloy. But after a 2-2 start to the season, the Patriots never lost again as Brady’s star began to shine brighter en route to a second Super Bowl championship. — Mike Reiss

Miami Dolphins

1972: 11-2-1 (.846)

1 Related

Dolphins fans shouldn’t have a hard time remembering why the 1972 season is their best against the number — it is the only team to go undefeated in NFL history. Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first pair of teammates to rush for more than 1,000 yards each in a given season, and the Dolphins won 11 of their 14 regular-season games by double digits. The No-Name defense never got the love that offense did but it was the best defense in football that season, securing three shutout victories (including a 52-0 win over the Patriots) and allowing opponents to score more than 17 points three times all year. This was the first Dolphins title in what ended up being a minidynasty from 1970-1974 with five division titles, three AFC championships (1971, 1972, 1973) and two Super Bowl wins. — Cameron Wolfe

Buffalo Bills

1978: 12-3-1 (.800)

In the team’s first season without star running back O.J. Simpson, the Bills turned to rookie Terry Miller — who turned in the lone 1,000-yard season of his career, as well as seven of his eight career rushing touchdowns. However, their ATS didn’t exactly translate to success on the field, as Buffalo went 5-11 in 1978. Only four of those losses, however, were by multiple scores; the Bills were able to hang around longer than their talent should have allowed. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

New York Jets

1998: 12-4 (.750)

The 1998 Jets were the best in franchise history ATS (12-4) — and arguably the best team, period, since the 1968 Super Bowl championship squad. The team was balanced, but was known mainly for its offense. Vinny Testaverde, an interception-prone quarterback for most of his career, flourished in New York and delivered a career year — 29 touchdown passes, only seven interceptions. He was surrounded by two future Hall of Famers in running back Curtis Martin and center Kevin Mawae, plus a dynamic receiving tandem in Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet. Coach Bill Parcells, with Bill Belichick as his right-hand man, did a masterful job, leading the Jets to 10 wins in their last 11 games and the AFC East title. They fell to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, blowing a 10-point lead on the road. To this day, Parcells calls it the most heartbreaking loss of his Hall of Fame coaching career. — Rich Cimini

Andy Dalton was having an MVP-caliber season in 2015 before going down with an injury. Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY SportsAFC North

Cincinnati Bengals

2015: 12-3-1 (.800)

This was the season the Bengals were primed to win their first playoff game since 1991. Cincinnati started the season with eight straight wins behind a strong start from quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton was in the midst of his best NFL season when he suffered a season-ending thumb injury against the Steelers in Week 14. Backup A.J. McCarron picked up where Dalton left off and the Bengals won the AFC North and reached the playoffs for the fifth straight season. The Bengals were 12-3-1 ATS in the regular season and finished with a 12-4 overall record. The ending — a playoff loss to the Steelers that featured that hit by Vontaze Burfict — ended the year and the franchise’s best run in nearly 30 years. — Ben Baby

Baltimore Ravens

2008: 12-4 (.750)

The 2008 season marked the start of the most successful era in Ravens history, even though many wouldn’t have anticipated it. Baltimore hired a little-known assistant (John Harbaugh) to become its coach and drafted a player with a big arm from a small school (Joe Flacco) to be its franchise quarterback. The Ravens were such an unknown that they were underdogs in half of their games (covering five of them) and were favored by more than a touchdown just twice. Baltimore relied heavily on an old-school game plan. With two Hall of Famers still in their prime (Ray Lewis and Ed Reed), the Ravens had the NFL’s second-best defense. And, with a rookie quarterback, Baltimore kept the ball in the hands of running backs Willie McGahee, Le’Ron McClain and rookie Ray Rice. The Ravens finished as one of the hotter teams in the league and ended up in the first of three AFC Championship Games under Flacco. — Jamison Hensley

Pittsburgh Steelers

1972: 11-3 (.786)

The Steelers’ 1972 season laid the foundation for the run of four Super Bowl championships in six years during the Steel Curtain era. In Chuck Noll’s fourth season, the Steelers went 11-3 and made the playoffs for the first time since 1947 to kick off a streak of eight consecutive playoff appearances. After losing two of their first four regular-season games, the Steelers went on to win nine of their final 10 games and capture their first division title. And, of course, rookie first-round pick Franco Harris delivered the playoff win against the Oakland Raiders with the Immaculate Reception on the deflected throw from Terry Bradshaw. Though the Steelers’ season ended in the AFC Championship Game to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, the play — and the 1972 season — gave the Steelers momentum through the next decade. — Brooke Pryor

Cleveland Browns

2007: 12-4 (.750)

The 2007 Browns didn’t make the playoffs, but after going 4-12 in 2006, Cleveland went 10-6 on the way to becoming one of the NFL’s biggest surprises. Among the primary reasons was quarterback Derek Anderson. A 2005 sixth-round pick who was then waived by the Baltimore Ravens, Anderson capitalized on Brady Quinn’s training-camp holdout as a first-round rookie and Charlie Frye’s flop as the Week 1 starter to propel Cleveland to — still! — its only double-digit winning record since returning to the league in 1999. Despite making the Pro Bowl in 2007, Anderson lost his starting job to Quinn the following year and never started a full season again the rest of his career. — Jake Trotter

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts

1968: 12-2 (.857)

Success for the Colts in 1968 seemed like a longshot after quarterback Johnny Unitas — league MVP in 1967 — was injured in the final preseason game. However, backup quarterback Earl Morrall stepped in and threw for 2,909 yards and 26 touchdowns while going 13-1 as a starter during the 1968 season. Don Shula, the coach at the time, had a defense that was ranked first in the league and an offense ranked No. 2 that helped the Colts get to the Super Bowl where they were double-digit favorites over the Joe Namath and the New York Jets. Namath and his “guarantee” were this team’s downfall, as the Jets upset the Colts 16-7. — Mike Wells

Houston Texans

2011: 11-5 (.688)

The 2011 Texans got hot in the middle of the season, winning seven games in a row, but during that winning streak lost quarterback Matt Schaub for the rest of the year with a foot injury. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates took over and won two straight, but Houston lost its final three to end the regular season. The Texans won their first AFC South title and postseason game in team history, but they went on to lose to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. — Sarah Barshop

Jacksonville Jaguars

2007: 11-5 (.688)

The Jaguars rode the one-two punch of running backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew and got efficient quarterback play from David Garrard and Quinn Gray. Taylor ran for more than 1,000 yards for the fifth time in six seasons and Jones-Drew ran for nine touchdowns to help the Jaguars finish second in the league in rushing and make the playoffs. The Jaguars opened the playoffs with an upset in Pittsburgh, winning 31-29 on Josh Scobee’s 25-yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining. The winning kick was set up by one of the greatest plays in franchise history: Garrard’s 32-yard scramble on fourth-and-2. The win made the Jaguars the first franchise to win two games in Pittsburgh in the same season. — Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

1975: 12-2 (.857)

The 1975 Houston Oilers went 10-4 but finished one game behind the Bengals for a wild-card spot. All four of the Oilers’ losses came against the Bengals and Steelers. The Oilers’ season was highlighted by a four-game winning streak starting in Week 4 and capped by a three-game winning streak that included a victory over the Oakland Raiders. It was the franchise’s first winning season in seven years and its first season under coach Bum Phillips. Billy “White shoes” Johnson was their most dynamic player, returning three punts for touchdowns. — Turron Davenport

AFC West

Denver Broncos

1973: 10-3-1 (.769)

The 1973 Broncos didn’t make the playoffs — they finished 7-5-2 — but it still was a landmark season, the first winning season for the franchise, which began play in the AFL in 1960. And for a franchise that has since been to eight Super Bowls and had more Super Bowl appearances than losing seasons in Pat Bowlen’s tenure as owner, the ’73 season often is looked at as the year where, in some ways, the foundation was put into place. The lineup shows a Hall of Famer at running back in Floyd Little in his seventh season to go with future Ring of Fame members Tom Jackson, Charley Johnson, Billy Thompson and Haven Moses. The Broncos’ defense also had Lyle Alzado. The Broncos were second in the AFC in scoring at 25.2 PPG. — Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

1997: 11-3-2 (.786)

The Chiefs in 1997 had one of their best teams in the 50 years between appearances in Super Bowl IV and LIV. They allowed 33 fewer points than any other NFL team that season and gave up just 43 total points over their final five games. Their one playoff game that season felt like the de facto Super Bowl involving the NFL’s two best teams. The Chiefs lost 14-10 in the divisional round to the Denver Broncos, who indeed went on to win the Super Bowl. The Chiefs lost an apparent touchdown when Tony Gonzalez was ruled out of the end zone on a catch, and in those pre-replay review days the call couldn’t be challenged. Gonzalez to this day will tell you he and the Chiefs were robbed. — Adam Teicher

Los Angeles Chargers

2004: 13-1-2 (.929)

In a stark turnaround from a 4-12 record in 2003, the 2004 San Diego Chargers finished 12-4 and won the AFC West. Rookie quarterback Philip Rivers watched from the sideline as Drew Brees set out to prove the Chargers didn’t need to take a QB in the first round. Brees passed for 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions as he — along with running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates — earned Pro Bowl honors. Tomlinson scored a league-best 17 rushing touchdowns and Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer was named the NFL Coach of the Year as the Chargers capped the season with their first playoff appearance in nine seasons … a wild-card loss to the Jets. — Lindsey Thiry

Las Vegas Raiders

1990: 12-4 (.750)

The 1990 Los Angeles Raiders were a team on the rise, one with the power and speed of Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen, Willie Gault, Mervyn Fernandez and a rehabbing Tim Brown on offense, and a stout defense that accounted for 48 sacks (second-most in the NFL) thanks to the likes of Greg Townsend (12.5 sacks), Scott Davis (10), rookie Aaron Wallace (9) and Howie Long (6). They just ran into misfortune (Jackson’s career-ending hip injury in the playoff victory over the Bengals) and, well, a buzzsaw in the high-powered Bills, who blew them out 51-3 in the AFC title game. Aside from the 1983 Super Bowl-winning season, the 1990 campaign was the Raiders’ best in Los Angeles. — Paul Gutierrez

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

1991: 13-3 (.813)

Perhaps this was a sign of things to come for the Cowboys, who went on to win three Super Bowls in four seasons from 1992-95. They went 11-5 in 1991, just two years removed from a 1-15 campaign. This was a young team, growing together and learning how to win. And they won their last four games without an injured Troy Aikman. The Cowboys found their formula with Emmitt Smith running the ball at least 25 times per game and a stifling defense allowing more than 14 points just once in Games 13-16. Jimmy Johnson won his first playoff game, a wild-card victory against Chicago as his young team started to come of age. — Todd Archer

Philadelphia Eagles

1980 and 2003: 11-5 (.688)

The 2003 season was the Eagles’ first at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the famous “4th-and-26” pass from Donovan McNabb to Freddie Mitchell that helped lift Philadelphia over the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs and into the NFC Championship Game for a third straight year, where they were upset by Carolina.

The Eagles shook off a bad start to create a memorable season and finish 12-4. They went 0-2 out of the gate and were on the cusp of dropping to 2-4 before Brian Westbrook ripped off an 84-yard punt return in the closing moments against the Giants, sparking a nine-game winning streak. — Tim McManus

Washington Redskins

1983: 11-4-1 (.733)

The Redskins parlayed their first Super Bowl win into a dominant regular season. They scored a then-NFL record 541 points, outscoring the opposition by a league-best 209 points. Running back John Riggins rushed for 1,347 yards and 24 touchdowns at age 34 and the Redskins went 14-2. Their losses came by a combined two points, including the season-opening Monday night game in which rookie corner Darrell Green chased down Dallas running back Tony Dorsett. They lost to Green Bay 48-47 in another Monday night game where the teams combined for 1,025 yards.

Their most memorable regular-season win came in a 37-35 shootout over the Raiders at RFK Stadium. The Redskins won 11 straight games entering a Super Bowl rematch vs. the Raiders. But the Raiders blew them out 38-9 and the 1983 Redskins were left with the title of being one of the best teams to lose a Super Bowl. — John Keim

New York Giants

2008: 12-4 (.750)

This was the one that got away, with the team that Tom Coughlin said was better than the franchise’s two Super Bowl winners. It’s also the year their season was derailed by the Plaxico Burress self-inflicted gunshot wound. Before the Burress incident, the Giants were 10-1, which included wins on the road against three of the league’s best teams. Their offense was never the same after the shooting. The Giants dropped four of their last five and lost at home in their playoff opener to the Eagles. — Jordan Raanan

NFC North

Green Bay Packers

2007: 12-3-1 (.800)

In many ways, this season came out of nowhere. Two years earlier, Brett Favre had his worst season, throwing 29 interceptions on the way to a 4-12 season that ended Mike Sherman’s coaching tenure. The next season began badly, too, as the Pack started 4-8 under new coach Mike McCarthy before winning the final four games.

Still, no one could have seen coming what happened next. McCarthy transformed Favre into an effective game manager and put together one of the QB’s most efficient non-MVP seasons and led them to the NFC title game. However, it ended poorly when Favre — on his final pass as a Packer — threw an overtime interception that led to the Giants’ game-winning field goal. — Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

2015: 13-3 (.813)

Mike Zimmer’s second season in Minnesota featured a four-game improvement from his first. The Vikings finished 11-5, winning their first NFC North title since 2009 and clinching a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2012. Teddy Bridgewater showed promise in his first full season as a starter (3,231 passing yards, 14 TDs, 9 INTs, his first Pro Bowl) the same year the Vikings got Adrian Peterson back from suspension. Peterson led the NFL in rushing with 1,485 yards in his All-Pro/Pro Bowl season.

But all the excitement and hope built during the regular season came crashing down in a 10-9 wild-card loss to the Seahawks when kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard game-winning field-goal attempt in the final seconds of the game. — Courtney Cronin

Teddy Bridgewater led the 2015 Vikings to the playoffs. AP Photo/Ben Margot

Detroit Lions

2010: 13-3 (.813)

The Lions were still rebuilding from their disastrous 0-16 season in 2008 and were starting to build for the future with Calvin Johnson in his prime and a first-round pick ready to take over the league in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and a dynamic young running back in rookie Jahvid Best. Detroit also had a young starting quarterback in Matthew Stafford — and his shoulder injuries are a likely reason why the Lions were able to do so well against the spread. Stafford was limited to three games in 2010, but the combination of Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton — though not imposing as quarterbacks — could get Detroit out of a game.

The way the season unfolded — starting 2-10 before winning four straight to end the season — did two things: it set expectations low on the Lions toward the end of the year to pick up games against the spread and in a bigger picture helped set up the team’s run to the playoffs in 2011 with a healthy Stafford. The Lions played all but four games — losses to New England, Minnesota and Dallas, along with a win over St. Louis — incredibly close, again helping the spread numbers. — Michael Rothstein

Chicago Bears

1985: 12-3-1 (.800)

Led by the greatest NFL defense of all-time, the 1985 Bears struck fear in the hearts of their opponents and finished the regular season 15-1. Chicago cruised through the playoffs en route to winning the franchise’s first — and only — Super Bowl championship. The fact the Bears failed to cover the spread three times that year is a surprise, given the dominant nature of that team. — Jeff Dickerson

NFC South

Carolina Panthers

1996: 12-4 (.750)

Nobody expected the second-year expansion team to be a playoff contender in 1996, even though the Panthers won an expansion-record seven games in their first season. So a 12-4 record overall and against the spread and an NFC West title in a division with then-powerhouse San Francisco was nothing short of spectacular.

The key was the defense. First-time head coach Dom Capers was a disciple of the 3-4 zone blitz. He brought in a veteran-laden group, led by outside linebackers Kevin Greene (14.5 sacks) and Lamar Lathon (13.5 sacks), that caused opposing quarterbacks nightmares with a league-best 60 sacks. That group allowed only 13.6 points per game, the second-fewest in the NFL. It was old-school football at its best with a solid running game and shut-down defense that got this team of vagabonds to the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay. It was a true Cinderella story. — David Newton

New Orleans Saints

2011: 12-4 (.750)

This was Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles at their career peaks. The 2011 Saints still hold the NFL record with 7,474 yards gained in a season. And Brees threw for 5,476 yards and 46 TDs while surrounded by a ridiculous cast of talent that also included Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem. Many Saints fans will swear this was their best team ever, even though this 13-3 squad didn’t reach the Super Bowl. — Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1999: 11-4-1 (.733)

The Bucs had a very specific formula for winning games under Tony Dungy. They relied on a stout defense led by Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber. During the regular season, that defense held opponents to 17 points or fewer in 12 games and eight times held foes to 10 points or fewer. They controlled the clock on offense, running the ball behind Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn and, at times, capitalized on the ultraconsistent kicking of Martin Gramatica, which protected rookie quarterback Shaun King, who stepped in for Trent Dilfer after he suffered a broken clavicle. — Jenna Laine

Atlanta Falcons

1980: 13-3 (.813)

Behind quarterback Steve Bartkowski and running back Williams Andrews the Falcons won the team’s first division title (NFC Western Division) with a 12-4 record. That season included a nine-game winning streak, which was a franchise best. Individual franchise records were established, too, with Bartkowski (3,544 passing yards, 31 touchdowns), Andrews (1,308 rushing yards) and receiver Alfred Jenkins (1,025 receiving yards) all hitting high-water marks at the time. Linebacker Al Richardson created a turnover in nine consecutive games out of the 3-4 scheme. And the Falcons had six Pro Bowl selections. — Vaughn McClure

The Russell Wilson-led Legion of Boom Seahawks teams were good to bettors. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty ImagesNFC West

Seattle Seahawks

2011, 2012 and 2013: 11-5 (.688)

The 2013 Seahawks were a trendy Super Bowl pick after making some marquee offseason additions (Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett) to an up-and-coming team that reached the divisional round the year before, taking advantage of the financial flexibility afforded by Russell Wilson’s cheap rookie contract.

They lived up to the hype with the best season in franchise history. Seattle won the NFC West and earned the conference’s No. 1 seed behind the NFL’s top defense, a strong running game led by Marshawn Lynch and a second-year quarterback who was more than a game manager while leading five comebacks in the fourth quarter or overtime. That included Seattle’s win in the NFC Championship Game, which was sealed by Richard Sherman’s famous end zone deflection. Harvin missed most of the regular season with a bizarre hip injury and was traded early the next season, but he contributed one of the memorable plays of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLVIII victory over Denver when he returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown to put the game out of reach. — Brady Henderson

San Francisco 49ers

1989: 13-3 (.813)

It should be no surprise that the 1989 team, which went 14-2, was so good against the spread given that it was one of the best and most complete teams in NFL history. That juggernaut of a squad was first in the league in points scored, third in points allowed and had a plus-189 scoring margin on its way to a 45-point victory in Super Bowl XXIV.

Quarterback Joe Montana put together one of the best seasons in history, posting a passer rating of 112.4 in the regular season before a red-hot postseason run in which he improved that passer rating to a whopping 146.4 as he collected the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards and was named Super Bowl MVP. The star-studded Niners had six Pro Bowlers and five first- or second-team All Pros. — Nick Wagoner

Los Angeles Rams

1999: 13-3 (.813)

The 1999 Rams coached by Dick Vermeil were dubbed the “Greatest Show on Turf” as they outscored opponents 526-242, produced an 8-0 record at home and finished the season 13-3 with a Super Bowl XXXIV title.

The offense was led by four future Hall of Fame players, including quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, receiver Isaac Bruce and left tackle Orlando Pace. The defense also was among the best in the NFL. It ranked first against the run, allowing only 74.3 rushing yards per game, was tied for the lead in sacks with 57 and produced seven interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. — Lindsey Thiry

Arizona Cardinals

1993, 2013 and 2014: 11-5 (.688)

When Bruce Arians came to town in 2013, he changed the Cardinals’ culture and their fortunes. A year after going 5-11, the Cardinals went 10-6, which led to one of the franchise’s three best seasons since the merger against the spread at 11-5. No one thought this team would be any good considering what had transpired the previous season, which started with four wins before a nine-game losing streak. The perception of quarterback Carson Palmer was that he was washed up and riding out the final years of his career. But Arians and Palmer proved everyone wrong and did it again the next year, going 11-5 — their same record against the spread — after starting 9-1. Their march to a Super Bowl was cut short by Palmer’s ACL injury. — Josh Weinfuss

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Anthony Boucher (ed.) - The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction (8th Series) (1959) Another collection of the best stories published in F&SF magazine, this time for the year 1958 and including some truly great stuff as well as some that I can just take or leave. A great thing about these collections is that not only do you read famous writers in the context of their contemporaries as well as allowing you to re-evaluate them and to find out who you really like. Better yet are the discoveries you make. I have to admit to myself that I really am not a fan of Fritz Leiber's writing style, it just doesn't work for me, and it never did. In the process of finding this out I must have read half a dozen novels and a dozen short stories by him. Oh well. On the other hand less famous people like Zenna Henderson just grow in my sight with each story I read and her story here, the longest in the volume, is great. In fact the same is true for all the stories by women writers here, like Kit Reed and Shirley Jackson. Other highlights go to Alfred Bester's light comedic closing story or Brian W. Aldiss's early story. So yeah, definitely a collection worth looking into with a good ratio of great stories. None of them is really bad, some just leave me cold... looking at you Leiber! But if you can only choose one collection of stories from 1958 I'd go with Judith Merril's amazing volume. (3/5) #anthonyboucher #scifi #sciencefiction #book #books #bookish #bibliophile #bookgram #bookstagram #bookporn #bookworm #booklover #shortstories #fantasy #f&sf #fantasy (at Lisbon, Portugal) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-n5o2YFSIn/?igshid=qqg77u2131ts

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