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mobius-m-mobius · 10 months

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Fave shows tag game

Rules: List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

Life on Mars

Good Omens

Mad Dogs

Loki

Psych

@loki-is-my-kink-awakening Thank you so much for the tag lovely!! Putting my answers to the questions behind the cut 😊

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Oh no not this😅 Don't wanna start off totally indecisive but In all honesty Aziraphale and Crowley are such a package deal I've never been able to decide who I liked more so both it is!

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

Probably Frank Morgan since he's meant to give everyone the creeps and totally untrustworthy but if we're talking main cast then Ray because everyone else is just too good ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

3. What's your favourite episode of 4?

Episode two THE beloved my one and only 🥺💖 12/10 would gladly watch Owen and Tom sit around chatting and mirroring the cafeteria vibes either as Lokius or themselves for the rest of my days

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

Gotta be S2!! All the earlier seasons are gold so was very tempted by the latter half of S3 but S2's like a tour de force

5. What's your favourite relationship in 3?

Baxter and Quinn would an obvious one since John and Phil are married in every role and this is no exception but the dynamic between Baxter and Rick is so weirdly fascinating?? They just clash so instantly, usually to great disaster but will never stop themselves or learn from their mistakes, absolutely obsessed tbh

6. Who is your anti relationship in 2?

I don't really have one?? If pressed I wasn't interested in Anathema and Newt being shoved together for no real reason or the implication of ending up with someone because you're told but I don't have any active dislike for them or their pairing

7. How long have you watched 1?

Well I was pretty late to pick the show up and watched for the first time around three years ago, have since rewatched the entire series at least 5 times in full, and various clips more times than I could ever count lol

8. How did you become interested in 3?

Thank my url namesake, lol. Truly the most stunning TV experience start to finish I've had with a flawless all star cast and just criminally underrated show in general!!

9. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

🤣🤣 Feel as if I've walked right into this one and y'all don't even need to hear the answer but that would be Owen Wilson, whose take on Mobius has honestly been life changing for me 💖

10. Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

Oh man as much as I adore Psych I'm stuck between Life on Mars and Good Omens on this one... Oh this is the worst, okay, I'm going... Life on Mars! When taking the point of how much I love both main pairs out of the picture there are more elements of and characters in LoM I think I enjoy more

11. Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

I've watched both fully through multiple times but Life on Mars just edges by with having more episodes so that'll be the one!

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Loki or Ravonna just for sheer proximity of how much time would be spent around Mobius lmao, literally my only primary consideration

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

Laughing so hard at this because ironically my favorite character in Psych has pondered many scenarios potentially resulting in his own death lmao. If necessary he'd probably prefer a blaze of glory gunfight but I don't think he'd mind being taken out by his favorite land mine going off?? "Sweet music. And then…nothin' but red mist." 😂

14. Would a 3/4 crossover work?

Not necessarily unless you mean would it work in terms of turning me on in ways I've yet to experience in this life because yes, yes, and YES 😳😳

15. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

Idk if it would be the most unlikely but Sam and Chris would've been cute and I always enjoyed how earnestly Chris ended up admiring Sam's approach to the work and who he is as a person

16. Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

I mean Mad Dogs is my favorite show of all time in part because of how talented the cast is in balancing their roles and I can't see that changing plus I'd follow those guys anywhere

Tagging @faylights, @too-funky, @safedistancefrombeingsmart, @symphony-in-silver, @colourfulwatson, @bebx, @linz33y, @michaelsheens, @veraynes-blog, @aleerax, @abitofboth, @eyeldritch, @lovingvincent, @seekers-who-are-lovers, @z-aliada, and @alternatively-undesignated as always only if y'all feel like it plus anyone else who wants to join! 💕

#ahhhhhh this was SO much fun!!!!#wouldn't have imagined pairing or comparing some of these and had a blast thank you again for the tag #hope your week's off to the best start and you're doing well <333 #tagged

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ingravinoveritas · 1 year

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radiantbaby replied to your post “A couple of other thoughts in regard to today’s…”

God, I'd almost forgotten David's body language when talking about Michael in those gifs. Some of it is probably his inability to sit 'properly' in a chair, but he's also doing this sort of preening-so-you-can-be-distracted-by-my-crotch flirty move THAT'S JUST KILLING ME DEAD RN.

David’s body language is just EVERYTHING. The gifs take on a whole new layer now that we know about Staged 3, and know that David knew about Staged 3 at the time of the panel. He’s never been as obvious/vocal as Michael, but David always seems to use his body to convey the things he isn’t saying out loud.

In this case (and likely others in the past as well), it seems like he is fidgeting in his seat because he knows something that he can’t share. But the fact that what he’s specifically thinking of is Staged, and Michael, and is unconsciously doing that preening/flirty move you described in response? I mean...wow...

It also gets me because David has preen-flirted exactly like that when he is with Michael, and especially when Michael praises/compliments him, such as when they did interviews together on the GO 1 press tour. One very excellent example:

Unfortunately the camera doesn’t go below the waist, but the way David does that little shoulder wiggle makes me think the move must’ve carried through he rest of his body, too. And now that they’re doing Staged S3 and soon the promotion for Good Omens season 2, we’ll get to see much more of David’s rather revealing body language. Amazing...

#radiantbaby #reply post #david tennant #soft scottish hipster gigolo #staged #or 'Brokeback Mount Him' which is what I am referring to Staged as from here on out #david is definitely more subtle than michael #but he knows how to speak volumes without saying a word #can't hide the body language boys #fan expo boston #i cannot wait for the flirting #ineffable lovers #discourse

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santacoppelia · 9 months

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I need a couple of things from Amazon:

1. For them to solve the negotiations quick and swiftly, paying what they should be paying and creating better working conditions to the people that makes all of their shows possible,

2. For them to give us a fantastic press tour for Good Omens season 2 after that.

#good omens #forever with writers and talents and staff #I’m reading all the old press junkets and watching old interviews

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coppicefics · 3 years

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Masked Omens: Week Seven, Part One

[Image Description: Image 1 - A simple rendition of the Masked Singer UK logo, a golden mask with colourful fragments flying off of it. The mask has a golden halo and a golden devil tail protruding from either side. Below, gold text reads ‘Masked Omens’.

Image 2 - A page from the Entertainment section of the Capital Herald, dated 6th February 2021. Full image description and transcript below the cut. End ID.]

Read the fic here! All news stories and events are entirely fictional; real names of people (with the exception of image attributions) and places are used only for context. No affiliation is implied, and no disrespect is intended by the use of their names in this work of fiction.

[EDIT: With thanks to HolRose/@hasturswig for spotting that I had overlooked the sad passing of John Noakes, who originally appeared on this page!]

The Capital Herald - Saturday, 6th February 2021 Entertainment, page 15

Top left: Grasswater redo rumoured Will anybody tackle the ‘cursed’ adaptation? [Image Description: The ‘w’ in ‘Grasswater, ‘h’ in ‘the’, and ‘o’ in ‘adaptation’ in the above headline have been circled in pencil. End ID.] It's been nearly a decade and a half since the critically-acclaimed adaptation of Sir Thomas Parsett's The Grasswater Affair flopped into cinemas, and rumours are once again circulating about a possible reboot. The first attempt at transferring Parsett's magnum opus to the big screen was released in 2009 after a series of setbacks to the production process. Among the calamities that befell the set were a fire in the wardrobe department, an overdose requiring producers to recast the lead role of Fabian, and a bout of food poisoning that halted filming for over a week. There were whispers, among the more superstitious, that the film was cursed. By the time The Grasswater Affair was finally released, the delay had whipped the original book's fans into a frenzy of anticipation, and excitement over the forthcoming film actually pushed the 19th-century novel into the bestseller lists for the first time in the weeks before the release. Early reviews were promising, and the good press only fed the hype machine. But the crowds that packed into cinemas to watch it emerged disappointed; while the reasons they gave for their disappointment varied wildly, everybody from casual viewers to die-hard book lovers seemed to find it lacking in some aspect or another. It deviated too far from the source text, while adhering precisely to the minor details that didn't matter; it featured a young actor fresh out of drama school, rather than the promised household name; it lingered too long on shots of the actresses' bosoms, and the key object that proved key to the plot was left entirely out of focus in the background of a crucial early scene. While, naturally, some audience members enjoyed it in its own right, it never became either a blockbuster hit or a cult classic, and it still boasts a lowly 2.9 stars on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and 24% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This being the case, it might be hard to understand why rumours continue to circulate about a revival of The Grasswater Affair, or what might make this time different from the many, many other occasions when such a story has surfaced on the internet. The first question is easily answered by a look at the thriving community of Parsett fans who adore the original novel – and, indeed, the rest of the series The Grasswater Affair is part of. Following first Fabian, and then various other heroes, through a sort of alternative 19th century underpinned by magic and other fantasy tropes, it's been hailed as a masterpiece – and it's aged surprisingly well despite the shift in society's views and tolerances since its publication. The first novel sees Fabian locked in a battle of wits with his somewhat older rival, Rafferty, as they seek to make their fortunes in a society rife with danger and – worse – scandal. As for the second question, the recent rumours have an extra ring of truth to them thanks to the attachment of an actual name – writer-turned-showrunner Noel Garmin is said to be in talks about the project. Having adapted several of his own books for the small screen, could he now be turning his famed respect for written source material to a film or series based on Parsett's masterpiece? If he does, book fans can expect to be very pleased with the result. Garmin was asked about his upcoming projects at a recent convention panel, and his answer, while enigmatic, seemed promising.“Well, I've got to write some books, at some point! But I do also want to work on some more TV, it's a fascinating way of telling a story and it's still quite new and exciting for me. Perhaps I could tell one of my favourite stories, one that I didn't originally write. I'm actually talking to some people... We'll have to see. Hopefully I'll have news for you soon.” Hopefully you will, Noel. Hopefully you will. CITRON DEUX-CHEVAL Top right: Summer’s operatic offerings Last of Glyndebourne festival announcements [Image Description: The apostrophe and ‘s’ of ‘summer’s’ and the ‘t’ of ‘operatic’ in the above headline are circled in pencil. Below the headline is a short, wide picture of a theatre auditorium with red curtains. Small text over the bottom of the picture reads ‘Photo: Gabriel Varaljay | Unsplash’. End ID.] Opera fans are in for a treat this summer, as Puccini's Turandot returns to Glyndebourne Opera House. The venue in Lewes is renowned as the home of great opera, and Turandot is a favourite no matter where it's performed, so this combination of the two is a perfect match. Throw in popular young tenor Jeremy Wensleydale – most recently seen on ITV's The Masked Singer - performing the role of Calaf, and it's a performance guaranteed to impress. The play follows Calaf as he sets out to win the hand of the titular princess. Each suitor is asked three riddles, and failure means instant death. But answering three riddles is not enough to win the heart of Princess Turandot, and Calaf strikes a desperate bargain; if she can guess his true name by daybreak, she may put him to death regardless. If she fails, the marriage goes ahead. It's an interesting method of courting, to be sure, but the opera has enchanted and delighted audiences for many years now. And, if nothing else, who can resist an opportunity to hear 'Nessun Dorma' live? Glyndebourne members can book tickets now for dates between 25th May and 22nd June; remaining tickets will be available from the 18th of April. Turandot is the latest title to be announced by the opera house and completes their summer season's line-up. There will also be performances of Cosi Fan Tutte, Tristan and Isolde, Il Turco in Italia, and an array of concerts and other events. The Glyndebourne Summer Festival is always a highlight of the arts scene in the middle of the year, but there are events all year round. Currently, the opera house is a stopping-point for a touring production of Romeo & Juliet, which has already passed through the Chichester Festival Theatre and will then go on to Colchester, Ipswich, Cambridge, Sheffield, Manchester and Leeds. The show is a daring new interpretation of the age-old Shakespearean tragedy, fusing music and dance with the familiar story, and a full review will appear in the Capital Herald on Thursday. From the middle of February, Romeo & Juliet will be replaced at Glyndebourne with a more traditional #approach to La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. The music of La Traviata may be familiar, even to audiences unfamiliar with the story, as it was rather liberally plundered for inspiration by Donato Lovreglio in 1865. Of course, that does assume a familiarity with Lovreglio - but if you find yourself humming along during your first attendance, that might very well be why. Incidentally, for more opera and classical music trivia, you might find my recent book, Inside Opera, worth a read - especially if you need to brush up on your cultured conversation points before you visit the opera house this summer. EDWARD BIGGS Inside Opera, by Edward Biggs, is published by Byker Press and is available now in all good bookshops. #Hardback RRP ￡9.99/€11.99.

Centre left: Capital Herald scoops NMA Star-studded ceremony honours news greats [Image Description: The ‘H’ of ‘Herald’, ‘A’ of ‘NMA’, and ‘t’ of ‘star’ in the above headline are circled in pencil.] The 2021 News Media Award ceremony took place on Thursday evening at a glamorous event held in the Mayfair Room at the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair. While many of the attendees are more used to operating the cameras than parading in front of them, they rose to the occasion with great aplomb, rubbing shoulders on the red carpet with some of the most famous entertainers in the UK who'd come to add their own special touches to the ceremony. It will come as no surprise to learn that Trevor McDonald, Natasha Kaplinsky, and Naga Munchetty were in attendance, as were Tom Bradby and Dan Walker. But the attendee who really got heads turning was Carmine Zugiber, notorious for attending very few events on UK soil. Although she's normally out in the field, she's been based in London for the last couple of months, covering the political beat for News World Weekly in Uriel Scrolle's absence, and it seems she couldn't resist the opportunity to collect her awards for Best Combat Coverage and Outstanding Field Reporting in person. Wearing a glamorous Ligur gown in striking red to match her hair, she paused on the red carpet to exchange words with some of those less fortunate reporters covering the event. “I don't know what to do with myself, with nobody shooting at me!” Zugiber joked. “Where's my bulletproof jacket?” The ceremony featured a performance of 'Messy (If I Want To Be)' by rapper P-White, who also presented an award for Entertainment Columnist of the Year to the Capital Herald's very own Citron Deux-Cheval. Another of the Capital Herald's staff writers, Edward Biggs, was nominated in the category of News-Adjacent Achievement for his 2020 trivia book, That Guy From That Thing. While the award, presented by Dame Angela Crowley, eventually went to News World Weekly's Donald Eath for High Score: A Study in Arcade Machines, Edward did get a chance to meet Dame Angela and exchange a few words. “She said I shouldn't feel discouraged, as she didn't win anything at her first awards ceremony either – and she wished me every success with my new book, which has just come out,” said Biggs of the star. “Hopefully, next year, I'll be bringing home a trophy too.” At the end of the night, as the winners and losers drifted home, the presses were already roaring into action to print the morning's papers. The news never stops; there was precious little time for the winners to enjoy the warm glow of appreciation, and no time at all for the less successful nominees to lament their losses. But at the end of the day, the whole industry could sleep safe in the knowledge that the work we do is valuable, and valued. MARY HODGES

Bottom left: Blue Peter garden party ‘22 Celebrating 10 years in show’s new location [Image description: The ‘B’ and ‘e’ of ‘Blue’ and the ‘h’ of ‘show’ in the above headline are circled in pencil. End ID.] The BBC has announced that it will be holding a party for former Blue Peter presenters, guests, and viewers in 2022. Held in the Blue Peter garden in Salford to celebrate ten years since it was relocated from London, the party is expected to provide an opportunity for Blue Peter presenters, past and present, to mingle and let their hair down, as well as catching up with some of the guests who've appeared on the show over the years. Former presenters such as Adam Young, Katy Hill, Radzi Chinyanganya, Anthea Turner, Gethin Jones, Pat Maputi, Yvette Fielding and Konnie Huq can expect an invite, of course, as can the current team of Lindsey Russell, Richie Driss, Mwaka Mudenda, and Adam Beales. But the former guests are an even more varied bunch; everyone from Idina Menzel and Sir Chris Hoy to McFly and Tim Peake could be invited, to say nothing of the hundreds of farmers, bakers, teachers, parents, and kids who've taken part in the show. While the party is quite a long way off yet, the BBC are already hard at work figuring out a lottery system that will allow them to give every viewer an equal chance to be invited to the party. Register your interest now on the Blue Peter website to make sure you don't miss out. SARAH JEUNE Ad, bottom right: [Image Description: A black background with a dark-grey crown resting on it. There are smudges of a lighter colour on the background. Above the crown, graffiti-style text reads ‘P-White’. Below it, written as if in chalk, are the words ‘Chalkdust tour’, underlined as if in chalk. Beneath it, a red bar reading ‘New dates added’ covers the words ‘Sold out’. Below that is the web address ‘www.chalkdust-tour.com’. Tiny writing in the bottom right hand corner reads ‘Photo: Zach Angelo for ProChurchMedia | Unsplash’. End ID.]

[End of transcript]

#very much fake news #masked omens #masked omens week seven p1 #good omens fic #mine

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goldstarnation · 3 years

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JANUARY 2021 GOLD STAR MEDIA SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of February 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

Threads do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: December schedule posts are due by the end of January 7 KST. Please do not post schedule posts in the fmdschedule tag.

OVERALL COMPANY

The company holds their annual meeting near the end of the month to go over goals and plans for the new year and congratulate their artists (and other staff) on a job well-done in the previous year. Also typical, they’ll do their annual health check for the purposes of media-playing caring about their artists’ health. 2020 was a good year for the company’s profits and public relevance, even if things began to get messy behind the scenes. The meeting doesn’t show any sign of acknowledgement about the any behind-the-scenes planning problems, instead focusing on boasting achievements by their artists in Korea as well as other large foreign markets with the aim of “raising morale”.

Important dates:

January 26: Meeting for company artists and those who work directly with them (managers, PR, etc.) headed by CEO Bang Sunyoung. Gold Star Media’s goal statements and overall plans for 2020 will be delivered.

Various dates (up to individual muse): As per usual January Gold Star custom, all group members and soloists will be asked to individually schedule beginning of the year medical check-up appointments on Gold Star’s dollar if they have not had one in the past six months. This will be slightly media-played as it is every year by the company as the company having a clean bill of health regardless of the results, although any medical concerns will be privately addressed.

GOLD STAR SOLOIST 1

"Eight” is the hit everyone expects it to be and is a good omen as the release that ushers in the new year for Gold Star. Promotions are kept simple, as they usually are for her since she doesn’t need much push to succeed with the public, and she’ll film an acoustic performance video of “Eight” as a gift to her fans. She’ll be revisiting some old songs in the practice rooms behind the scenes as well to prepare for an upcoming mini-concert of her own on Yoo Heeyeol’s Sketchbook.

Important dates:

January 4: “Eight” Acoustic Ver. video filming (to be released: January 10).

January 9: Performance at Golden Disk Awards Day One at Gocheok Sky Dome (also performing: BC Soloist 1, BEE, Dimensions Soloist 3, Lucid).

January 11: KBS Cool FM Volume Up radio show guesting.

January 30: End of music show promotions.

GOLD STAR SOLOIST 2

After the end of music show promotions, she’ll fly out to L.A. to do some networking and film an English interview there to promote the English version of her latest single. Gold Star has marketed it as her debut American single in an effort to rewrite her unsuccessful effort a few years ago. Gold Star would like to begin to promote her more online as well to reach more young fans, so she’ll film a cover video that will be uploaded to Gold Star’s Youtube channel, something they plan to have her do a semi-regularly from now on.

Important dates:

January 10: End of music show promotions.

January 18: Front Row Live Ent interview.

January 23: “Tango” cover video filming (to be uploaded: January 31).

GOLD STAR SOLOIST 3

He flies back out in the second week of the month to begin the North American leg of his world tour. He’ll tour for two weeks across the United States before he flies back to Seoul and has the remainder of the month free once again to recuperate and so that he can attend the company-wide meeting.

Important dates:

January 9: Before We Begin tour concert at House of Blues in San Diego, CA, USA.

January 10: Before We Begin tour concert at The Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ, USA.

January 13: Before We Begin tour concert at Granada Theater in Dallas, TX, USA.

January 14: Before We Begin tour concert at House of Blues in Houston, TX, USA.

January 16: Before We Begin tour concert at The Basement East in Nashville, TN, USA.

January 18: Before We Begin tour concert at The Beacham in Orlando, FL, USA.

January 19: Before We Begin tour concert at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA, USA.

January 21: Before We Begin tour concert at Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC, USA.

January 22: Before We Begin tour concert at The Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, MD, USA.

SILHOUETTE

Silhouette have a busy month without awards show to attend. On the second, their first day back to regular work after returning from the cruise and tour, they’ll hold a press conference to hype up their upcoming concerts. They’ll be asked and expected to answer questions about the concept (”til death do us part” / “seduction, desire, betrayal, revenge”), the songs they’ll be performing, and their feelings preparing for the concert without spoiling the set list or special stages. They’ll then hold four concerts over the course of the month, two in Seoul, one in Tokyo, and one in Los Angeles. In between concerts, they’ll fly to Bangkok to film their comeback M/V and shoot photos for the comeback.

Important dates:

January 2: Tonight 37.2°C press conference.

January 9: “Taller Than You” M/V filming.

January 15: Pre-release of “I Miss You”.

January 18: Tonight 37.2°C 19+ concert at Central City Millennium Hall in Seoul.

January 19: Tonight 37.2°C 19+ concert at Central City Millennium Hall in Seoul.

January 21-22: “You’re The Best” M/V filming, teaser photo shoot, and photo book shoot in Bangkok, Thailand.

January 25: Tonight 37.2°C 19+ concert at Shibuya Public Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

January 29: Tonight 37.2°C 19+ concert at Club Bound LA in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

ARIA

Aria has to do the final preparations for their comeback before it releases near the middle of the month. They’re running on quite a late schedule, perhaps a result of the poor management that’s slowly becoming infamous within the company, so both the album photo shoots and the M/V filming are rushed to be finished just before the comeback. Luckily, everything is still ready in time and the release goes off without a hitch. Unfortunately, “Eung Eung” doesn’t get the same attention “I’m So Sick” did, although it does succeed at outperforming their last two releases.

Important dates:

January 3: Comeback teaser photo and photo book shoot.

January 10: “Eung Eung” M/V filming.

January 18: Release of “Eung Eung” & Percent mini-album showcase, music show promotions continue through February 18.

ORIGIN

Origin begins their grand world tour this month with five dates in California. They’ll fly out to the United States for those five concerts before flying back to Seoul so that they can make it in time for the company meeting, though it will be close in timing. They’ll continue to tour for the next several months, but management passes down that Gold Star would really like to see them find mega-success in foreign markets this year and there are plans for both a Japanese comeback and a full English-language release before there are any plans for them to make a Korean-language comeback.

Important dates:

January 10: Performance at Golden Disk Awards Day Two at Gocheok Sky Dome (also performing: CHARM, WISH, Alien, MARS, 7ROPHY, Impulse).

January 16: Map of the Soul tour concert at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, USA.

January 17: Map of the Soul tour concert at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, USA.

January 22: Map of the Soul tour concert at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, USA.

January 23: Map of the Soul tour concert at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, USA.

January 24: Map of the Soul tour concert at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, USA.

IMPULSE

Impulse has one more awards show performance in the form of the second day of the Golden Disk Awards. Before and after that, their priority for the month is to record their next comeback album. It’s their first full-length album since 2018. The sound is overall a bit brighter to match the spring season it will be released in, though the sleek sound they’ve headed toward recently remains in tact.

Important dates:

January 10: Performance at Golden Disk Awards Day Two at Gocheok Sky Dome (also performing: CHARM, WISH, Alien, MARS, 7ROPHY, Origin).

↳ PULS2

PULS2 will be doing a showcase tour in between recording for the full group comeback. They’ll be all over East Asia this month for the beginning of the tour, though they’ll stop back to Seoul in between stops.

Important dates:

January 17: Showcase tour concert at Broadway Theater in Macau.

January 20: Showcase tour concert at Zepp Divercity in Tokyo, Japan.

January 21: Showcase tour concert at Zepp Diverycity in Tokyo, Japan.

January 24: Showcase tour concert at Taipei International Convention Center in Taipei, Taiwan.

January 27: Showcase tour concert at Zepp Namba in Osaka, Japan.

January 28: Showcase tour concert at Zepp Namba in Osaka, Japan.

January 31: Showcase tour concert at Nusantra Hall in Jakarta, Indonesia.

FUSE

In place of any more awards show performances or attendances, Fuse gets back to touring. This time, they have two dates in Japan. It’s their first time touring in several months, so they’ll continue to rehearse beforehand to get everything down for the next few months of finishing their tour. Management is open about their plans for a sub-unit between the leader and main dancer now that the new year has begun, but the pair won’t begin working on their unit debut until next month.

Important dates:

January 9: La Rouge tour concert at Hiroshima Sun Plaza in Hiroshima, Japan.

January 21: La Rouge tour concert at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan.

ELEMENT

Now that their comeback music is recorded, Element will throw themselves into mastering the choreography for the title track, as well as two of the album’s b-sides (the latter of which only involves the main vocal and maknae). At the end of the month, they’ll hold a mini fan-meeting to check in with (a few hundred) fans and will be expected to let slip that they’re working on a comeback to appease them. The fan-meeting will be short, but they’ll perform a few of their songs and get the chance to interact with fans who are brought up on stage.

Important dates:

January 31: Mini fan-meeting at Yes24 MUV Hall in Seoul.

FEMME FATALE

Femme Fatale continues their dome tour this month (see November’s schedule for special stages), with two stops in Osaka. While they’re in Seoul, they’ll get news of their comeback plans for the year (Gold Star promises them at least two comebacks) and they’ll receive the demo of their first comeback single of the year, “How You Like That”, before they go in to record it in the studio before the month comes to an end.

Important dates:

January 16: In Your Area World tour concert at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan.

January 17: In Your Area World tour concert at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan.

#fmdschedule #queued post

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tabloidtoc · 5 years

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TV Guide, March 4-17

Cover: NCIS: LA Wedding -- Kensi (Daniela Ruah) and Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) Tie the Knot

Page 1: Contents

Page 2: Reality Report -- With Heidi Klum, Mel B and Tyra Banks leaving to be replaced by Julianna Hough, Gabrielle Union and Terry Crews on America’s Got Talent, can summer’s #1 show stay on top

Page 3: Shin Lim wins AGT again, the Breaking Bad movie is a go

Page 4: Hollywood Dispatch -- Intel from the recent Television Critics Association press tour -- Benedict Cumberbatch joins Good Omens, The Devil in the White City is in production, Stephen King’s The Stand will be produced as a 10-episode series, Big Little Lies, Bryan Cranston returning to TV in Your Honor, Dr. Ruth Westheimer promoting her biopic Ask Dr. Ruth

Page 6: Family -- Carmen Sandiego

Page 8: Ask Matt -- NBC’s live musicals like Hair, The Amazing Race, Your Feedback, Fan Art -- Riverdale

Page 10: Roush Review -- The Widow

Page 11: Whiskey Cavalier, Manhunt, After Life

Page 12: Cover Story -- The wedding on NCIS: Los Angeles

Page 16: Ian McShane’s very big year starring as the devilish Mr. Wednesday from American Gods and Deadwood’s iconic villian Al Swearengen

Page 18: Choose Your Hallmark Mystery -- Garage Sale Mysteries, Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, Morning Show Mysteries

Page 19: Chronicle Mysteries, Crossword Mysteries, Hailey Dean Mysteries

Page 21: What’s Worth Watching Week 1 -- Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul

Page 22: Monday, March 4 -- Josh Groban Bridges: In Concert From Madison Square Garden, I Am the Night series finale

Page 23: Tuesday, March 5 -- Leaving Neverland, Alien, Sing, Show Dogs, I Saw the Light starring Tom Hiddleston, Hoarders, The Flash, NCIS, Garage Rehab

Page 24: Wednesday, March 6 -- Bellamy Young on Whiskey Cavalier, My Journey With a Polar Bear, The Real Housewives of New York City, Ken Burns: The National Parks, Battle of the Sexes

Page 25: Thursday, March 7 -- Erin Richards and Ben McKenzie on Gotham, Hidden Figures, Superstore, A.P. Bio, Station 19, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, For the People, Thursday Night Darts: Premier League 2019

Page 26: Friday, March 8 -- Joan Collins on Hawaii Five-0, VH1 Trailblazer Honors, Crazy Cakes, Spotlight: Ann-Margaret

Page 28: Saturday, March 9 -- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, Winchester, Emergency!, Philly Revival, Finding Justice, American Gods, Shameless

Page 29: Sunday, March 10 -- The Case Against Adnan Syed, Buddy vs. Duff, Now Apocalypse, Married to Medicine Los Angeles, Mediterranean Life, Indycar Racing

Page 45: Stream It!

Page 46: Netflix -- Ben Affleck in Triple Frontier

Page 48: Northern Rescue, After Life, Dirty John, The L Word

Page 49: Hulu -- Aidy Bryant on Shrill, Tubi

Page 50: Prime Video -- The Widow, Tin Star, Boston Legal

Page 51: CBS All Access -- The Good Fight, Acorn TV -- Martin Clunes on Manhunt

Page 52: New movie releases

Page 54: What’s Worth Watching Week 2 -- Jon Cryer on Supergirl

Page 56: Monday, March 11 -- The Passage, I, Robot, Kids Baking Championship, John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky, Punk

Page 57: Tuesday, March 12 -- The Bachelor, Star of the Month: Fredric March, MasterChef Junior, Videos After Dark

Page 58: Wednesday, March 13 -- SEAL Team, Puzzle, Michael McKean of Food: Fact or Fiction

Page 59: Thursday, March 14 -- Project Runway season premiere, Passengers, iHeartRadio Music Awards, Hollywood Medium With Tyler Henry, Dinner Takes All, Will & Grace

Page 60: Friday, March 15 -- Acts of betrayal for the Ides of March -- Beverly Hills, 90210, Bones, Buffy the Vampire Killer, Downton Abbey, Lost, Sons of Anarchy, 24; Spotlight: Madeline Kahn, MacGyver, Sam Smith at the BBC

Page 62: Saturday, March 16 -- Searching, The Expendables, The First Purge, Pioneer Woman, Mommy Group Murder, Trading Spaces, While You Were Out, Notorious

Page 63: Sunday, March 17 -- Billions, High Maintenance, NCAA Basketball, Donnie Wahlberg on Very Scary People

Page 84: Cheers & Jeers -- Celebrity Big Brother, How to Get Away With Murder, oddball superhero teams like Doom Patrol and The Umbrella Academy, The Real World, ABC for its black-ish prequel, The Good Doctor, Netflix for pulling the plug on its Marvel shows

#tabloids #television #tv #ncis la #ncis los angeles #kensi #deeks #kensi blye #marty deeks #daniela ruah #eric christian olsen #i saw the light #istl #tom hiddleston

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tech-battery · 3 years

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HP Omen 30L Review: Big-Box Boutique

HP’s Omen 25L and 30L desktop lineup got a design refresh, along with some improved cooling back in May. Thanks, likely, in large part to a combination of COVID-related delays and recent Nvidia GPU launches, we’re just now getting to take a close look at the larger of the two, the HP Omen 30L, to see if it's one of the best gaming PCs.

Aside from new chassis designs, HP is also focusing on using familiar name-brand parts this time around, which helps the big-box brand deliver a configurable system that’s more like what you’d get from smaller companies like iBuypower or Maingear. That’s a smart move on HP’s part as far as we’re concerned, because it also means pretty much everything is standard and user-upgradable. But the system HP shipped us with a Core i9-10900K and an RTX 3080, while certainly powerful, could improve performance with better CPU cooling. There’s also quite a bit of pre-installed software here, though HP does a mostly good job of keeping it hidden.

But despite being a much larger company than much of its competition in the custom gaming desktop realm, HP's biggest problem here -- at least currently at the end of 2020 -- seems to be stock issues. There were lots of configuration options similar to our test system available from HP.com, Amazon, Best Buy and elsewhere leading up to the holiday season. But after Cyber Monday and for at least a couple weeks afterward, almost all configurations with current-gen RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 graphics cards were sold out. As we wrote this intro, a similar configuration with a slightly lower-end CPU, half the SSD storage and the same RTX 3080 as in our review unit was available on Amazon for a reasonable price of about $2,900. But when we reloaded the page minutes later, it was also sold out, save for from a third-party seller charging a much-inflated $4,179.

Design of the the HP Omen 30L

There’s nothing that veers dramatically from the gaming desktop norm with HP’s Omen 30L, but that’s perfectly fine. Rather than something like a big cube, the Omen 30L is a classic mid-tower, standing 17.7 inches tall, 16.8 inches deep and 6.6 inches wide. It comes in basic black, with glass front and left side panels.

Despite the solid-glass front, airflow shouldn’t be a major issue because the front of the case has metal mesh sides that are over 2 inches wide and run from top to bottom. That said, the Omen could still do with better cooling, as you get just the one front intake fan, a smaller 80mm exhaust at the back and another 120mm fan on the small AIO radiator mounted to the PC case’s top. While lesser CPUs should be fine with the 120 mm AIO included here, HP sent the Omen with a Core i9-10900K, which would be better served by a bigger radiator. More on that later.

The front gets a distinctive, look thanks to a large diamond-shaped RGB light above the Omen branding, which harkens back to the Omen brand’s VodooPC roots, but in a minimalist fashion. Below the diamond and the branding is a 120mm Cooler Master fan with an RGB ring behind a tinted sheet of glass, giving the case a monolith-like look with RGB accents.

The fan looks good and never got noticeably loud during our testing. But, oddly, the lighting of the front fan doesn’t sync with the rest of the system -- or at least it didn’t with the included HP Omen Gaming Hub software. But after a few uses, the software prompted me to download a beta version of Omen Light Studio, which then flawlessly coordinated the RGB between the diamond-shaped Omen light on the front, the fan at the bottom, the RAM and an RGB light strip tucked up in the top. I’d argue that Corsair does RGB better with its Vengeance i7200, but the light show here isn’t bad after you install a bit of extra software.

As with most high-end desktops we’ve looked at in recent months, HP pairs a current high-end mainstream Intel CPU (the Core i9-10900K in this case) with our current best graphics card pick, the Nvidia RTX 3080. This time around the company is playing up its use of familiar brands in its other components too.

In the roughly $3,109 configuration that HP sent us for testing, you also get 32GB of HyperX memory clocked at 3,200 MHz, along with ample storage. The boot drive here is a 2TB “WD Black by Omen” SSD, (which appears to be a custom drive, rather than an off-the shelf WD Black SSD), along with a 2TB, 7,200 RPM Seagate hard drive. The power supply is a 750W Cooler Master model, the same company that makes the RGB front intake fan.

Around back are seven more USB ports that, while labeled with tiny numbers to designate their speed, are all black. That will likely lead to some confusion when trying to plug in an external device that needs the fastest speed. You get two USB 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 and two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, all of the Type-A variety, as well as a single USB-C port that’s also USB 3.2 Gen 2. Also here is a Gigabit Ethernet jack and three analog audio jacks.

Continuing the external tour to the ports, you get a pair of USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) in a recessed angled panel up top, alongside separate headphone and mic jacks and a slim power button that, while it’s easy enough to press, looks like it would be more at home on a laptop than a desktop.

There’s a whole lot of unused black space on the motherboard’s I/O plate, but at least HP covers the basics here and provides three speedy ports. Below these ports you’ll find the video connections on the graphics card: three DisplayPorts 1.4a and a single HDMI 2.1.

As for internal expansion options, there isn’t a whole lot. The Micro-ATX board doesn’t have any spare PCIe slots -- not that you’d be able to use them behind the large RTX 3080 anyway. There’s a second 3.5-inch drive bay, which HP has helpfully pre-routed SATA data and power cables to, and an empty M.2 slot behind a metal cooler, just above the power supply and below the graphics card.

It’s also worth noting that HP includes a very solid plastic anchor for the end of the graphics card, which mounts to the front drive cage. GPU sag shouldn’t be a problem here, and this system should also travel better than most systems with large GPUs.

Gaming & Graphics Performance on the HP Omen 30L

Thanks to a pairing in our review configuration of Intel’s top-end consumer-oriented Core i9-10900K and our current best graphics cards pick, Nvidia’s stellar (though tough to find) RTX 3080, HP’s latest Omen is a gaming powerhouse in our review config. But it doesn’t always win against similarly configured systems we’ve tested recently, like the Corsair Vengeance i7200 ($4,499 as configured with a similar Core i9-10850K and a slightly higher-end RTX 3090) or the Alienware R11 ($4,283 as tested, with a 10900K and RTX 3090). The Omen faces its most direct challenge in our desktop battle with the iBuypower RDY IWBG207, which pairs the Core i9-10900KF (effectively the same CPU as in the Omen, but without integrated graphics) and an RTX 3080 for $2,199 as tested. Note that the iBuypower system has less RAM (16GB) and storage capacity (1TB) as our Omen. But in most cases, that shouldn’t hinder it in our benchmarks below.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest settings), the top-end CPU and cutting-edge graphics card delivered good performance, but only enough pixel-pushing ability to land it just behind the similarly configured iBuypower system. The Corsair and Alienware machines with higher-end RTX 3090s did markedly better.

On Far Cry New Dawn (ultra), the Omen managed to tie the iBuypwer PC at 1080p (FHD) resolution, but fell further behind at 4K resolution.

On the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark (very high settings), the trend flipped again, seeing the Omen and the iBuypower tie at 4K, but the Omen fall back a bit at 4K.

And in Red Dead Redemption 2 (medium settings), the Omen again tied the iBuypower system at 4K, but fell a few frames per second (fps) behind at 1080p.

Given the Omen’s somewhat lower-than-the-pack performance, particularly at 1080p, as well as what we know about the high thermals of the 10900K CPU, we suspected 120 mm AIO wasn’t keeping the Omen’s CPU as cool as the competition. So we also subjected the HP system to our Metro Exodus gauntlet, in which we run the benchmark at the RTX preset 15 times to simulate roughly half an hour of gaming. The HP system ran the game at an average of 117.6 fps, with little variation. The system started out the test at 118.8 fps on the first run, dipped to 117.1 fps on the fourth run and then stuck close to 117.5 fps for every subsequent run.

During the Metro Exodus runs, the CPU ran at an average clock speed of 4.9 GHz and an average temperature of 72.7 degrees Celsius (162.9 degrees Fahrenheit). The GPU’s average clock speed was 1.81 GHz, with an average temperature of 73.8 degrees Celsius (164.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Well, there you go. Compared to the iBuypower RDY system, which had a much larger 360mm AIO CPU cooler and seven fans (compared to a 120mm AIO and three fans in the Omen), the Omen’s CPU and GPU ran about 10 degrees Celsius hotter during our stress test. For the record, the iBuypower’s CPU ran at an average temperature of 62.9 degrees Celsius, while its GPU ran at 64 degrees Celsius.

None of these temperatures are unsafe for your components, but they will lead to less-than-peak performance. HP should either offer more robust cooling for the Omen or stop selling it with the 10900K in favor of the 10850K, which performs basically just as well and doesn't run nearly as hot. The 10900K also adds $100 to the Omen's price.

Productivity Performance on the HP Omen 30L

With its pairing of a high-end CPU and GPU, along with 32GB of RAM and an NVMe SSD, the Omen 30L excels at productivity as well.

On Geekbench 5.2, we saw similar trends as in gaming. All the systems were close, and the single-core results saw the Omen beat the Corsair and Alienware systems slightly. But on the multi-core test, HP’s machine landed last, though not by a lot.

The Omen 30L looked good in our Handbrake test, where it tied everything else here, save for the iBuypower, which was oddly 16 seconds behind.

Lastly, the iBuypower system again lagged behind in our 25GB file transfer test. The Omen 30L and its “WD Black by Omen” drive did significantly better than the iBuypower’s 632 MBps, delivering 978 MBps. But both the Corsair and Alienware systems were significantly speedier on the storage front.

Software and Warranty on the HP Omen 30L

The Omen ships with quite a bit of extra software, but the company at least does a good job of making sure it doesn’t get in the way -- well, mostly. McAfee LiveSafe and Personal Security come pre-installed, but I didn’t see any pop-ups for them. There’s also HP’s Gaming Hub software, which organizes your games from different stores in one place, lets you take screenshots, control the RGB and more. There is also a suite of HP apps (Support Assistant, Smart App, PC Hardware Diagnostics, etc.) that mostly stayed out of the way. And, of course, there’s a healthy dose of Windows 10’s own cruft, like shortcuts to Netflix, Hulu, plus trials of Microsoft Office and ExpressVPN.

Despite all this, I was blissfully unaware of much of this gunk when using the system, as it mostly stayed out of sight and out of mind. But then, literally as I was checking the installed programs in writing the above paragraph, I got a notification that one of HP’s apps had updated, and a window popped up talking up Bing’s “Intelligent Search,” pre-selecting two boxes asking to change default search and the browser’s homage to Bing. Bad Omen! Bad! Bing is not your friend!

HP sells the Omen with a 1-year standard warranty.

HP Omen 30L Configurations

HP sent us a bit of an odd configuration of the Omen 30L, and it’s an even stranger time to actually buy one of these systems as we write this. From one of the base configurations that HP says starts at $2,759, it’s a $100 upgrade to the 10900K, and a $250 upgrade to the RTX 3080 in our rig, which gets us to $3,109.

But HP also points out that there’s a similar Amazon GT13-0093 configuration that’s supposed to sell on Amazon for $2,229. It steps the CPU down slightly to a 10850K, (which is a better fit for the Omen’s 120mm AIO cooler), and halves the SSD to 1TB, while leaving other components the same. But, in the wake of Black Friday/Cyber Monday and the midst of ongoing GPU shortages, the abovementioned Amazon configuration was out of stock when we wrote this, save for one third-party seller charging a ridiculous $4,179.

And likewise, most of the options on HP.com were also sold out, save for a few with previous-generation Nvidia 20-series cards and lower-end models with modest AMD RX 5500 graphics.

Once stock returns to some semblance of normal, HP says it will offer all the current-gen Nvidia cards. And at some point the company will offer AMD’s Ryzen 5000 CPUs and Radeon RX 6000 graphics as well. But the company didn’t have specifics on when the latest AMD silicon would be an option in the Omen 30L.

Price and Bottom Line for the HP Omen 30L

HP seems to be making a concerted effort for its Omen desktops to become more configurable than ever, with more familiar name-brand components, like Cooler Master, WD and HyperX. That makes the 30L feel more like a boutique PC, but from a big-box brand. The bad news is that stock issues and high holiday demand at the moment makes it next to impossible to tell exactly what all those options will be and what exact pricing will be like when stock is available. Much as we’ve seen with smaller boutique companies, like iBuypower, HP seems to have problems keeping recent components in stock.

That aside though, as we saw in testing, the Omen 30L needs better cooling if it wants users to get the best possible performance from the 10900K in the system it sent us for testing. But given its similar performance and lesser thermal demands, most would be better off spending $100 or so less for the 10850K anyway.

The other ding to the Omen’s otherwise sleek hardware and software package is an abundance of bloatware. To be fair, we didn’t see a whole lot in the way of nagging popups for its excess of pre-installed software. But the one time we did, it was one of HP’s own apps sneakily pressuring us to switch our browser homepage and search engine to Bing. Given the high price of the Omen as configured, as well as the fact that most boutique PCs ship without bloatware at similar prices, HP could still learn a thing or two from its boutique competition.

That said, the Omen’s hardware, combined with the HP Omen Gaming Hub/Light Studio software, make for a package that’s at least competitive with the best that the likes of Corsair and Alienware have to offer. If you skip the unnecessary upcharge for the questionably cooled Core i9-10900K for the 10850K, (which will perform about the same, save you $100, and be easier to keep cool), the HP Omen 30L is a good option for your next high-end gaming PC -- provided you can find it in stock at a reasonable price.

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medproish · 6 years

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Two of the most recognizable walks in the sport of golf will traipse to the first tee on Sunday with history splaying in every direction. Patrick Reed at 14 under will sidle up to the starter with his burly, lumbering gait ready for major championship victory No. 1. Rory McIlroy, at 11 under, will bounce and bob his way through the patrons en route to what he hopes will be the final leg of the career Grand Slam. Two alphas jousting for the most important prize in golf after a lusty Saturday in which we may have gotten more than we bargained for.

McIlroy teed off first in Round 3, and after a slow start, poured in healthy birdie putts at Nos. 2 and 3. After nearly taking down the stick at the par-3 6th for another bird, McIlroy started strutting so hard I was briefly worried his hip flexors couldn’t handle the bend in his knees. He obliterated a drive 343 yards on the 7th and chipped in for eagle on the 8th, which elicited a mighty roar. Poof, Reed’s five-shot advantage over the four-time major winner was gone as both sat at 9 under for the week.

After a par at the 9th, Rory walked to the 10th tee and stared down the big leaderboard over No. 18 out to his right. He read red, and its results pleased him. He and Reed were tied. As he teed his ball up on the 10th tee box, 27 holes from history, the menacing clouds opened slightly. For some, it might have seemed a curse. But for McIlroy, who has burned on thick, wet courses in the past, it seemed a delightful omen. It felt important, too. I’m not sure why, but the weather on Saturday at Augusta National felt like it does when Rory wins majors. I know that sounds like a completely insane thing to say, but everyone I walked with agreed.

However, Reed, who has never found much success on this golf course, doubled down on his first two days. Birdies at Nos. 8, 9 and 10, and the lead was his once again. McIlroy stalled and made a huge mistake on No. 13. He overcooked his approach into the easy par 5 and found himself wading through the azaleas. A dicey chip out and up and down saved par, but the Ulsterman teetered a bit.

Meanwhile, Reed revved up. Following a bogey at No. 12, he threw an over-his-head fist pump at No. 13 after an eagle. McIlroy needed something coming home, and he knew it. Then he got it. An up-and-down birdie from 94 yards at No. 15 got him to 10 under and at least gave Reed something to think about. If he considered it a charge, he didn’t show it. Reed chipped in for another eagle on No. 15 before giving one back on No. 16. McIlroy desperately needed a close, which he got with a birdie for 65 on No. 18, punctuated with a right jab. Reed’s lead was just three going into Sunday.

The birdie also guaranteed him the final tee time of the 2018 Masters with Reed. After their Ryder Cup heat-seeker two years ago, I have to think they’re both a little giddy about that. And if Saturday’s flow was a preview of what we’re getting on Sunday, then I’m not sure we’re prepared for what we’re getting on Sunday.

For the entirety of their press conferences in the aftermath, both golfers insisted that the end of this tournament is about playing the course and that the rest of the field is still in the mix. It’s true that Rickie Fowler is five back, Jon Rahm is six back and Henrik Stenson is seven back. But what McIlroy did right after his round ended belied his true feelings. He knows that ultimately he will only have to figure out how to get around Reed if he wants the Slam, and he fired a psychological flare to see if it would take.

“I’m really excited to go out there tomorrow, show everyone what I’ve got, show Patrick Reed what I’ve got,” McIlroy said on CBS. “You know, all the pressure is on him tomorrow. He went to Augusta State, he’s got a lot of support here, and I’m hoping to come in here and spoil the party.”

This is not Rory’s first rodeo. He understands that if he can wedge his way inside Reed’s head at any point on Sunday, he can pull the curtains on what has been a spectacular show from a United States Ryder Cup hero. Following a popped-collar-wearing, bogey-free 65, he took the very first microphone he saw and set the tone for Sunday. That might be just as important as what McIlroy does on the course on Sunday.

Both went on to insist later that Sunday is not a heads-up match. But it is. And with it comes the most picturesque backdrop in all of sports. At some point we’re going to stop getting outrageously good storylines to punctuate majors and team events. Sunday will not be that day.

“There’s a lot of stuff that you can do at Ryder Cup that you can’t do at Augusta National,” Reed said of the difference in Sunday’s festivities from their bout at Hazeltine in 2016. “It’s going to be electrifying. The fans are going to be ready to go, they are going to be ready to cheer for whoever is making putts, whoever is making birdies or pulling off shots.”

McIlroy, who is second on the PGA Tour in final round scoring average this season, has obviously been here before, sort of. He took a four-stroke lead into the 2011 Masters final round and shot a 43 on the second nine. He hasn’t been back into the arena at this event in a real, meaningful way since that day.

“I’ve been waiting for this chance, to be honest,” said McIlroy. “I always have said that, you know, 2011 was a huge turning point in my career. It was the day that I realized I wasn’t ready to win major championships, and I needed to reflect on that and realize what I needed to do differently. But now I am ready. I learned a lot from it. I’m happy to be in the final group.”

If there is anything Reed loves more than hunting for monster trophies, it’s keeping a hungry opponent from feasting. McIlroy craves the Grand Slam as much as anyone in golf craves anything, and nobody would rather beat him and keep him from putting his hands through some green cuffs than Reed. He revels in this. It is one of his great qualities as an athlete and is probably one of the myriad reasons he’s so elite in Ryder Cups.

So in that sense, it’s good for him that he gets McIlroy. But I’m not sure he understands what’s in store over that final nine. McIlroy knows. He’s been there, done that. Even at this course, though it went poorly. Reed has pounded in Ryder Cups, but there’s always a fallback plan there. Out here, you’re all alone. It’s the apex of independence. He claimed to be pressure-proof on Saturday, though.

“I mean, I woke up this morning, felt fine,” said Reed. “Didn’t feel any pressure. Just came out and tried to play some golf. And I believe that’s how it’s going to be tomorrow. Wake up and just come out and play golf and whatever happens, happens. I’m not going to be there focusing on Rory or really focusing on any of those guys. I’m just going to go out and try to play the golf course and try to play some good golf.”

Time will tell if that’s a good strategy.

“I feel like all aspects of my game are in really good shape, and I’m much more relaxed,” countered Rory. “This isn’t my first time in this position now. I’ve been able to close the deal a few times before this, and I have that to fall back on tomorrow. I’ve got a lot of experience in these positions and experience that I’ve learned from, good and bad. I feel like all of those experiences will help me tomorrow.”

I don’t want to get too deep in the press conference body language-reading game, but McIlroy spoke as if he meant this on Saturday night. Reed spoke as if that’s what he was supposed to say. Reed doesn’t lack for confidence of course, but nobody, including Reed, knows how wild eyed he’ll get in the fire at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Nobody.

Rory led outright after 54 holes in all 4 of his major wins, but he has 4 PGA Tour wins when trailing by 3+ shots after 54 holes. That’s tied for the most such victories on the Tour since 2010 began.

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) April 8, 2018

So we know both are playing great golf. And we know both are having great seasons. Mostly, we know that both of these guys are alphas, the first guys out at a Ryder Cup. But who will be the omega? That’s the question. Who will stand last on Sunday evening in front of Sergio Garcia and wear green? Who will become the 52nd human being to win the Masters Tournament?

Whatever happens, with these two, you know they’ll put on a show.

“I think we’ll obviously still be feeling it,” said McIlroy. “It’s the last round of a major championship, and … Patrick is going for his first and I’m going for … something else. It’s going to be good fun”

Yes it is. As McIlroy cleaned up his birdie on No. 15 on Saturday and marched closer and closer to history, his father Gerry stood next to us in the gallery. When the putt fell, patrons went bonkers as they’ll surely do again on Sunday if more putts are falling. Gerry didn’t clap. He didn’t roar. He side-eye grinned nobody in particular. It was marvelous. A father drinking in unparalleled success for his only son. A look that said, “There are only so many great shots at a jacket, and this is one of the few.”

Now we get yet another final round at Augusta National with a Slam on the line. Both men who stride to the first tee on Sunday afternoon can try and convince us that this isn’t about a Rory-Reed redux. That somebody else can win it. That it’s all wide open. That crazy things happen at this place. That Sunday leaderboards can change in a hurry.

Don’t believe them, though. We all know what we’re getting on Sunday afternoon. One of the modern day greats against an all-time heads-up golfer who will do anything short of a felony to keep him from his destiny. Rory will sleep on the Slam. Reed will sleep on a down comforter made of bald eagle feathers.

Get me through the first nine on Sunday. The final two hours are going to rock.

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killerqueen-82 · 8 days

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I love watching them just talk to each other and interact naturally. Their eyes light up and they bounce off of each other so beautifully, making each other laugh or casually learning things about each other. This press tour was a gift! I love how David is so shocked that Michael could be insecure and leans into how similar they are. And at this point, it was Michael who was always looking so fondly at David but this interview, David is just in awe of Michael every time he looks at him.

#michael sheen #david tennant #michael sheen and david tennant #good omens #good omens season 1 press tour #nycc 2018

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holding93 · 6 years

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We’ve had the good and the bad, now it’s time for the biggest questions that will be answered in 2018.

Will Tesla Get the Model 3 Sorted?

Production hell. Elon Musk saw this coming. In July last year he said himself that Tesla would go through – his words – “production hell” before the Model 3 would really ramp up volume. I’m not entirely sure even he saw just how bad the hell would be.

Earlier this month Tesla delayed their targets for Model 3 volume production again. They’re now only targeting 2,500 units per week by the end of March. Just half of what Elon Musk was targeting in November and had earlier promised would be achieved by the end of 2017. Quality is also a major issue. Just watching the Doug DeMuro video you can see in the wide shots panels that don’t line up. In a supposed premium product. Sure Tesla is a startup learning to make cars but they can only survive this kind of build quality when the early adopters are prepared to overlook or be patient with such things to have the latest and greatest buzz product. It will not wash with average Johnny Buying Public.

By Steve Jurvetson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons/Tesla

In November, Reuters reported – from unnamed sources, as the ex-employees quoted were all required to sign NDAs on their departure – that Tesla’s routine quality checks on Model S and Model X products reveal defects on over 90 percent of vehicles produced. Industry quality analyst J.D. Power has also called Tesla’s quality “not competitive” and lacking “precision and attention to detail.” Of course Tesla’s marketing spin doctors were very quick to refute such claims.

I love how Tesla are inspiring people to love electric cars and some of the tech is very cool. At the end of the day a Tesla is still a car though and as a car they still leave a lot to be desired. Can they fix that this year?

Can the Ford Ranger Raptor be Any Good?

The Ford F150 Raptor was a revelation. Replacing the unhinged Lightning with a high performance truck that didn’t really add any power over the standard F150 was a bold move for SVT. It turned out to be a masterstroke. The Baja inspired Raptor, with its Fox Racing Shocks and massive wheel travel was a totally different take on what a performance truck should be and it sold by the, ahem, truckload.

It’s a bit big for us though.

Enter the Ranger Raptor. From an Australian perspective this is the ute that has been sorely lacking from our local landscape ever since the short lived HiLux TRD took the F150 Lightning route and mostly flopped.

Ford Motor Company today announced that the hugely popular Ford Ranger pickup truck will be available in an off-road performance variant for the first time. Arriving in Asia Pacific in 2018, the purpose-built, desert-racing inspired pickup truck joins the Ford Performance family, carrying the name ‘Ford Ranger Raptor’.

The Ranger Raptor should be different. The marketing spin cycle has kicked off with very little additional information. Ford could drop the EcoBoost V6 under the hood and make a performance ute for the ages. Unfortunately the scuttlebutt, backed up by the spec on the just announced US market Ranger, put the 2.3L EcoBoost four from the Mustang and Focus RS in the pointy end. Circa 250kW is a great power number but I still fail to be convinced when moving a mass as large as the Ranger that any less than 3.0 liters is enough, downsized forced induction or not. Especially with a petrol motor.

Ford has been on a total roll lately with their high performance products. The recipe for this one looks like it could totally go either way.

Can Fernando Alonso Make Something of his Side Projects?

By this weekend the Daytona 24 hour will be in full swing and Fernando Alonso will be well and truly into the first of his side projects for 2018. He’s made no secret that he believes the world championship record is well out of his grasp after some lean years with an under-performing McLaren outfit. If anyone can pull off a modern-day triple crown though, he’d have to be your top pick.

By United Autosports [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Flickr/United Autosports [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Flickr

Daytona is merely a warm up. Practice for someone who hasn’t done much endurance racing. He hasn’t confirmed an attempt at LeMans yet. Based on the landscape of this season, you’d have to think that deal is already done. If there was ever a shot, ever a chance of stacking the deck to give yourself the best odds, this year is it. Sure, the privateers will get engine performance equalised to the level of the manufacturer hybrids this year but the Toyotas will still be able to do an extra lap per stint on their fuel. A massive advantage. So if they stay reliable – and based on form that’s far from a given – then Alonso would be racing only one other car for the win.

The realignment of the WEC and the ‘super season’ for ’18-’19 includes two runnings of the 24 hours of LeMans. So you’d have to think that there won’t be another LMP1 manufacturer competitor until 2020. That leaves ‘Nando two years to get a win if he ingratiates himself with Toyota well enough this year. Then he’s got plenty of time to work on the Indy 500.

Can the Honda Come Good in the Toro Rosso?

In 2017 Honda went very quiet. The divorce with McLaren is clearly a bitter pill for the proud Japanese company. But they quietly worked away. Towards the end of the season, there were signs – not big ones – but some signs that they just might be starting to come good. Reliability improved. They weren’t the absolute slowest car down the massive straights at Abu Dhabi.

By Honda/ Morio (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Now they have a partnership with Red Bull B-team Toro Rosso. According to Helmut Marko, “we’re working hard with Honda to make this a competitive package.” There’s no way a Red Bull team wouldn’t do everything they can to make sure the Honda comes good.

The stakes are too high.

The rumors are that after all the acrimony from a couple of seasons ago, Renault have no interest in renewing their deal with Red Bull come 2019. Then where do they go? Christian Horner remains adamant that they have options. But then nothing is set in stone for very long in Formula 1.

McLaren were very insistent on many things during their relationship with Honda including packaging which is widely reported to have hampered development on many fronts. I can see Toro Rosso being more accommodating than the famously fastidious outfit from Woking.

Where Will Daniel Ricciardo End Up in 2019?

This will be the most interesting part of the driver market in 2018. 2017s driver negotiations were pretty straightforward, so the ever news hungry Formula 1 press has already moved on to the 2019 season. Talk about getting ahead of themselves.

By Morio (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

It is a bit interesting though. Ricciardo is very highly regarded and both Ferrari and Mercedes have seats available. Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen are on single year contracts for ’18. It seems the teams have set themselves up for a run at the Australian given it will be his first chance to negotiate his own contract after coming up through the Red Bull junior program.

Ricciardo has said himself that he won’t rush the decision. Rightly so. After all, winding up at the right team in 2019 might be the only shot he has at a world title. There is going to be some serious intrigue around this one.

Nissan on their Last Legs?

I love Nissan. As a fan, their return to Australian touring car racing has been hard to watch. Nissan has poured millions of dollars into the Kelly Racing outfit and has very little to show for it. Two race wins in 5 seasons.

You’d have to think the brass’ patience is running out. Nissan is only committed to Supercars until the end of 2018, so decisions have to be made and soon.

Richard Emery, CEO of the local arm of Nissan since 2014 left during 2017 to be replaced by Canadian Stephen Lester. Emery was a motorsport fan. Lester seems to be very level headed about the program going forward, stating that “everything is on the table” and “we will do our due diligence and go through that process in a pragmatic way and not rush into that.”

By Nissan/ Kytabu (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Nissan Australia is also a glaring omission from the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour event, despite owning their own GT-R GT3 machine that has been used almost exclusively at the event. Possibly a bad omen for the Supercars program? After all, the GT-R has generally gone very well at Bathurst.

2019 would require significant additional investment. The Altima is no longer sold here, so another body style would be required. Not easy for a company that is now focusing on SUV products. One would have to think Nissan and Nismo in Japan are one of the best placed manufacturers to adapt a turbo V6 to the new rules with the GT-R GT3 engine available. However Supercars has its own unique rules and the engine would require significant development work to ensure it was competitive.

Nissan need to significantly improve their on track performance in the early part of this year or the decisions might just be very, very easy.

We've done the good and the bad of 2018. Now for the big questions. #h93 We've had the good and the bad, now it's time for the biggest questions that will be answered in 2018.

#automotive #cars #Editorial #f1 #formula 1 #marketing #nissan #racing #supercars #Toyota

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