#i was watching this and was just so delighted with john denver cracking up and how they just kept it in the show

[hedwigstalons]

The Tracy Prize - part 13

Here are the earlier parts for those that want to go back to the beginning: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12

xoxoxox

Claire and Virgil pulled up at the GDF base ready to start the return journey to the island.    

 Initially Claire had been sceptical of International Rescue’s close relationship with the GDF but Scott had made it clear that they were completely autonomous.  International Rescue were under no obligation to share their technology with the military unit however much the GDF might like them to. The two organisations would work together on occasion, and the GDF bases were handy places to land the Thunderbirds, but overall the GDF let International Rescue operate without interference.

 As they finished loading the Claire’s belongings into Tracy Two a GDF armoured car approached.  An imposing looking woman wearing the uniform of a colonel jumped out.  

Virgil straightened up.  He had been hoping they could depart without a fuss but it looked like that chance had gone.    

 “Virgil!” The greeting was warm despite her stern appearance.  “I heard you were making use of GDF hospitality again.”

 “Colonel Casey, always a pleasure to see you.”

 It was evident to Claire that the two knew each other well.  She tried to stay unobtrusively in the background.

 “You have been making rather a lot of visits to Denver recently.  Not that we mind of course.  I was so pleased when Gordon gave me the good news.  You must be Claire.  Delighted to meet you, I’m Val Casey.”

 Claire found herself subject to the full attention of the GDF colonel.  She shook the proffered hand.

 “Pleased to meet you too Colonel Casey.”

 “Please Claire, I’m Auntie Val to the family.”

 “Good news?  Um, what exactly has Gordon been saying?”  Virgil was feeling distinctly on the back foot.

 “Jeff would have been so proud to see one of his boys finally settling down.  I hope you will be very happy together.  You look after him Claire, this one has a tendency to push things to the limit.  Now I must be getting off.  Fly safely you two.”  

 They watched as Colonel Casey climbed back into the armoured car and drove off over the apron.

 Claire and Virgil looked at each other in confusion.  Gordon had some explaining to do.

 xoxoxox

 Once they were in the air Virgil opened a link between Tracy Two and his aquanaut brother.

 “Gordon, I’ve just had a very interesting conversation with Colonel Casey.”

 “Oh, uh, she came to see you did she?”  

 “Yes. Wanted to congratulate us on the good news.  Care to explain exactly what you have been telling her?”

 They could hear the smirk in Gordon’s voice over the airwaves.

 “Only the truth…sort of.  She called up wanting to know why we needed hanger space in Denver for the third time in a month.  There’s been no emergencies and she was getting susupicious.  What was I meant to say?”

 “Gordon…”  The implied threat from Virgil was clear to hear.

 “Well I didn’t think it would go down well if I announced we had a new super scientist on the team.  You know how much the GDF would like to get their hands on Brains’ inventions.  I just told Auntie Val that Claire was a someone you knew from university and that she had finally decided it was time for some commitment, hence moving in.  It’s not my fault if Auntie Val jumped to the wrong conclusion.”  Gordon’s tone was saccharine innocence.

 “Gordon, you knew exactly what you were doing.  Auntie Val is practically buying a hat and booking a celebrant for us.  You are in so much trouble when I get home.”

 “Chill out, bro.  At least the GDF aren’t going to start looking too closely into Claire’s credentials. You should be pleased.  Now you can carry on getting that lumbering bus of yours up to a decent speed without interference.  I’m just amazed she bought it though.  Now if it had been me bringing a girl home it might have been more believable.”

 Virgil growled and killed the link.  Little brothers could be so annoying.  He also hated to admit it but Gordon had probably done the right thing.  Colonel Casey would likely be very interested to hear that International Rescue was expanding its personnel; she might give them some leeway in respect of her friendship with their father but she was GDF first and foremost.  Virgil just wished that Scott or John could have been the one to take the call.

 “Sorry about that”, he tried to smooth things over with Claire.  “It’s one of the perils of working with family. Nothing is off-limits.  I’ll get my own back somehow.”

 “Is Gordon always that cocky?”

 “Afraid so.  He seems to think it’s his purpose in life to drive the rest of us to distraction.  On the Gordon scale of things that was actually pretty mild.”

 The rest of the flight passed with Virgil regaling Claire with tales of Gordon’s various pranks and the retribution that had followed.  It gave her some eye-opening insights into the inner workings of the Tracy family.  Family being a term that seemed to encompass everyone on the island, not just those related by blood.  

 Beneath the calm and professional exterior was a family that evidently needed the release of occasional bursts of humour.  It made sense really.  Their working lives were so high stress it would be easy to crack under the pressure. An existence that was punctuated only by one disaster zone after another would lead to burn out very quickly.  The small and secretive nature of the organisation meant they not only trusted each other with their lives out in the field but they relied on each other for support dealing with the aftermath too; sometimes that support was intensely emotional, sometimes it was just a good dose of laughter to clear the gloom after a tough day.

 Sitting there in the cockpit, watching the cloud tops skim by far beneath and listening to her pilot, Claire finally found herself relaxing.  It was hard not to be put at ease and feel safe with this big bear of a man.  He was kind and unassuming but also fiercely protective and loyal.  

 Claire also discovered that Gordon wasn’t the only brother with a mischievous side.  The frown that had creased Virgil’s face before due to his brother’s antics had been replaced by a twinkle as he drew her in to a possible plot for revenge. By the time they were on final approach to the island a plan was beginning to come together.  Gordon had better watch his back.

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #scott tracy #virgil tracy #john tracy #gordon tracy #alan tracy #kayo #brains

[junker-town]

5 winners from Week 16 of the NFL season

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Thomas: NFL receptions leader. The Eagles: possibly saved us from more Cowboys games. Both heroes.

We’re almost there. There’s only one Sunday left until the 2019 NFL season comes to a close.

That means Week 16 was your penultimate chance to watch teams like the Bengals, Dolphins, Rams, and Bears. It may have also been one of your last chances to watch the Steelers (done in by backup quarterback mistakes) and Cowboys (general incompetence) as this year’s finale looms.

With one week left, we know 10 of the 12 playoff teams. But there are still a handful of postseason positions to be jockeyed for — including homefield advantage in the NFC and the AFC’s second bye — and two playoff races between Pittsburgh/Tennessee/Oakland (seriously) and Dallas/Philadelphia.

That took the edge of some of this week’s action, but the winners weren’t just the teams that finished their day with a higher number on the scoreboard. Sunday’s victors extended beyond the box score. Here’s who most won Week 16 in the NFL’s 2019 season.

It wasn’t: the Steelers, who may have had their playoff hopes crushed by the ... Jets? no wait that can’t be ri-

Oh damn, it is! The Steelers threw both their backup quarterbacks into the fire against the NFL’s 19th-ranked passing defense and barely cracked double-digit points. Mason Rudolph took back QB1 duties from Duck Hodges in the second quarter, tied this game at 10-10 going into halftime, then exited with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Hodges came back, only to lead the team to 27 total yards on three drives in a 16-10 loss to a previously 5-9 team.

Pittsburgh’s havoc-heavy defense limited the Jets to just 259 yards — and held old friend Le’Veon Bell to 93 yards on 29 total touches — but couldn’t force the game-breaking turnovers that have lifted the Steelers’ anemic offense in the past. With one loss to New York, Pittsburgh has gone from controlling its own destiny to needing help to backdoor its way into the playoffs.

That loss was simultaneously great for Tennessee, which had nothing to play for in Week 16, somehow. A win over the Saints would have built morale. A loss ... well, didn’t really have any effect on the Titans’ playoff chances:

Weird scheduling quirk today... turns out the #Titans-#Saints game means basically nothing for Tennessee. It does not alter any playoff scenario, per @NFLResearch. The breakdown: pic.twitter.com/4uYlZjcb2r

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 22, 2019

Head coach Mike Vrabel took that opportunity to rest tailback Derrick Henry and his ailing hamstring. This was unfortunate for the fantasy owners who’d ridden his 238 fantasy points — fourth-most in the league! — into their championship game just to see him sitting on the inactives list. The Titans, on the other hand, managed to mostly cope just fine.

the Titans aren't missing Derrick Henry yet pic.twitter.com/bCTsSv6ZEY

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 22, 2019

The Titans just need one more win — or a Steelers loss — to clinch the AFC’s final playoff spot. They finish the season against a Texans team that beat them in Week 15, so their path to the postseason may be defined by how Rudolph and/or Hodges do against the Ravens, who have nothing to play for after clinching homefield advantage.

And that should provide an answer to the question we’ve all pondered: are the 2019 Steelers better than the Ravens’ backups? If they aren’t ... how are we all feeling about an 8-8 Raiders team in the playoffs?

Now on to ...

Week 16’s actual winners

5. Middle fingers everywhere

Sunday was a great day for gridiron hate. Panthers defensive lineman Vernon Butler got so heated about getting blocked that he couldn’t restrain himself for punching a player who had no connection to his rage:

I love when we get DLmen this upset. We are doing our job then. And then he punches the wrong player and gets ejected. pic.twitter.com/EL70m6CvMu

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 22, 2019

That earned him an ejection. Because that wouldn’t result in enough of a fine for his liking, Butler made sure to flip off some fans on his way out. Those Colts fans, likely shocked by his impudence, were forced to watch their team win 38-6 without any avenue to properly drop tenderloin-flavored insults at the Carolina defensive lineman.

On the Cleveland sideline — stuck in the middle of a 31-15 loss to the Ravens— continued to boil over. This time it was Odell Beckham Jr., not Jarvis Landry, openly questioning head coach Freddie Kitchens in the middle of a game. The Browns were held to just 15 points after scoring 40 points in Baltimore in Week 4. One Cleveland fan summed that up, and the whole Browns’ season in general, thusly:

Things seem to be going well in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/93oWjJbnSh

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) December 22, 2019

In Denver, in a battle of teams with eight wins between them, the NFL blessed us with more birds. Possibly even a child’s finger!

pic.twitter.com/At6i2cvVR3

— Offbrand John Starks (@its_Telf) December 22, 2019

The face. The indignation. The perfectly extended finger. It’s art.

To that young person’s credit, they ostensibly paid a significant sum of money to watch David Blough throw for 117 yards. They earned the right to flip off any grown man in a Broncos suit jacket who might ask for a high-five. Read the room, ponytail guy.

Meanwhile, Chicago fans haven’t been able to muster up nearly as much full-throated frustration when it comes to their own dashed playoff dreams.

"fine, i'll boo my awful team. but i'm not gonna put my heart into it." pic.twitter.com/9KoPc0Fwyt

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 23, 2019

4. The Eagles, who may spare us from having to watch the Cowboys in the playoffs

Dallas faced a win-and-in situation in Philadelphia. A victory against the Eagles meant head coach Jason Garrett would possibly save his job by wrapping up an NFC East title. A loss meant relying on the Giants to upset Philly in Week 17 just to keep the hope of sneaking into the playoffs alive.

In true 2019 Cowboys fashion, the team saw an opportunity and then vomited all over itself. Dallas fell to 2-8 this season against franchises with .500 records or better by scoring just nine points against Philadelphia’s 17th-ranked scoring defense. The Cowboys’ receiving corps dropped several key passes to keep the offense from ever finding a rhythm. Dak Prescott, dealing with a shoulder injury, needed 44 passes to throw for 264 yards without finding the end zone once.

While Dallas wore its failures like a child stumbling around in a tuxedo, the Eagles deserve credit for pushing their rivals to that (incredibly fragile) breaking point.

Carson Wentz, who’d burned off any MVP hype earlier this season, threw for 300+ yards for his third time in four games. Miles Sanders did the heavy lifting of an injury-ravaged running back rotation and gained 156 total yards. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, who were tasked with carrying a passing game without Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, or Nelson Agholor, teamed up for 13 receptions.

Philly fans were so emboldened by the win that one even managed to sneak his way into coach Doug Pederson’s postgame press conference (before immediately giving his true identity away).

Some #Eagles fan snuck into Doug Pederson's press conference and Doug had to kick him out #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/vhiwYXQpoe

— Kristen Rodgers (@KristenERodgers) December 23, 2019

The Eagles now just have to beat the 4-11 Giants to lock up their second division title in three years. The last time they did that, they also won the Super Bowl.

(They also had Nick Foles, but I digress ... )

3. Giants-Washington, which against all logic was a hot-fire shootout

After 21 minutes of game time, the Giants and Washington had combined for 35 total points. Dwayne Haskins completed 12 of his 15 passes for two touchdowns and zero interceptions before leaving the game in the third quarter due to an ankle injury.

Daniel Jones had his third game of 2019 with at least four touchdown passes — joining Deshaun Watson and Fran Tarkenton as the only rookies to hit that mark. His fifth carried New York to an overtime victory in a 41-35 kaiju big battel in the nation’s capital.

FOR. THE. WIN.#GiantsPride | #NYGvsWAS pic.twitter.com/b5oPT0LCO8

— New York Giants (@Giants) December 22, 2019

That was also the first time a rookie had thrown for 350+ yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in league history.

While Sunday portended bright futures for Jones and Haskins, the game’s biggest story may have been the return of the 2018 version of Saquon Barkley. The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year had struggled over the latter half of the season after suffering an ankle injury in Week 3. He went three full months without a 100-yard game before gashing the Dolphins for 112 yards last week.

Barkley outdid himself in Week 16, when he ran over a team bound for the top five of the 2020 NFL Draft yet again. He rushed for a career-high 189 yards (55 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime) and caught four passes for 90 more — including this deep ball touchdown from Jones.

Not many like him #GiantsPride | #NYGvsWAS pic.twitter.com/s4N866BtVT

— New York Giants (@Giants) December 22, 2019

Washington was still a winner despite being on the unfortunate end of the 41-35 final score. It now has the inside track on the No. 2 overall pick — and that could mean adding Heisman candidate Chase Young to their pass rush. For a team that’s been bullish on Ohio State products recently (including Haskins and top wideout Terry McLaurin), losing may have been the best outcome.

2. Nyheim Hines, who threw off some real Devin Hester vibes

While Butler was off enraging Colts fans (jokes on him, the easiest way to do it would have been to suggest Frank Reich’s coaching last week was subpar), Hines was delighting them. The second-year tailback had only four career punt returns before he faced off with the moveable object that is Carolina’s special teams.

Hines accounted for 195 yards on punt returns against the Panthers, good for fourth-most in NFL history. He only needed three returns — including a pair of touchdowns — to get there.

HE DID IT AGAIN YOU GUYS ‼️ @TheNyNy7 | #CARvsIND pic.twitter.com/3wz8NijVMW

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 22, 2019

How’d he do that? The answer was good blocking, strong lane identification, and some blazing, punter-embarrassing top-gear speed:

To the house ➡️ Down the tunnel. @TheNyNy7 takes it ALL THE WAY ‼️ pic.twitter.com/cMf5JNVe3y

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 22, 2019

Hines had 66 career punt return yards before Week 16. He had returns of 40, 84, and 71 yards on Sunday alone. That was enough to gloss over another mediocre performance from Jacoby Brissett behind center and end Indianapolis’ four-game losing streak.

1. Michael Thomas, who set the NFL single-season reception record

And will probably shatter it Week 17.

Thomas hasn’t had a game this season in which he’s had fewer than five receptions. He’s had 10 with 100+ receiving yards — including Sunday’s 136-yard performance that kept the Saints in the running for a playoff bye.

The fourth-year wideout carved up a middling Titans secondary for 12 catches, increasing his season total to 145 — two more than Marvin Harrison’s NFL record of 143 back in 2002. New Orleans used every inch of his effort. Thomas’ record-setting catch set up the Saints at the Tennessee 1-yard line late in a 31-28 game.

⚜️144 ⚜️@CantGuardMike's record-breaking catch #Saints pic.twitter.com/lZpKfNxmhr

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2019

The icing on the cake was a touchdown reception two plays later that effectively iced out the Titans’ comeback hopes. So how did Thomas feel after coming away with a 17-year NFL record AND a win in one fell swoop?

Actually, he’s just looking forward to the playoffs, especially after the way New Orleans was ushered out of the postseason last winter.

@Cantguardmike says the record doesn't mean anything right now "We are focused on one common goal and that is a championship"#Saints pic.twitter.com/ubfy9Nx2vP

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2019

Thomas will be called upon in Week 17 as the Saints continue their push toward homefield advantage in the NFC. He’ll square off against the Panthers, who he burned for 10 catches and 101 yards in Week 12. A similar output may give him a single-season receptions record that could stand for 30 years.

Or until Thomas comes back in 2020.

[jillmckenzie1]

Mercury Rising: Local Movie Reviewer Has Thoughts About Bohemian Rhapsody

My neighbors Jennifer and Paul are absolutely delightful people. Our kids play together, and we’ve made it a point to hang out whenever possible. Paul is a ridiculously talented baker, and Jennifer quietly sabotages the Minnesota Nice caricature with her vicious sense of humor. They’re great…except for one teensy-weensy thing.

A while back, we’re all having dinner together. As they’re from Minnesota, I’m asking questions about the state. Inevitably, the subject of Prince comes up. I mention to them that I’m a big fan of His Purple Majesty. With a sneer, Jennifer responds with, “Prince is so overrated.”

Guys, I was shook.

Look, I get it. Art is subjective, and I guarantee that all of us dislike an artist that’s considered to be in the top tier of entertainers. However, there’s a reason certain artists are considered to be GOATs. Artists like The Beatles. Elvis. Queen. In particular, Queen is a band that everybody likes. Christian conservatives like Queen. Liberal atheists like Queen. The guy who replaced the transmission in your car likes Queen, and the woman who turned you down for a loan likes Queen. That is as it should be.

I asked friends online exactly why Queen remains a beloved and iconic band. I was told their versatility opened the door for other musicians, that Brian May was a fantastically innovative guitarist, and that Freddie Mercury had the greatest rock voice of all time and showmanship that was second to none.* They were a band that truly stood apart, so if you were going to make a movie about them, it would also need to stand apart. Unfortunately, the new film Bohemian Rhapsody does not do that.

It’s the 1970’s, and we’re introduced to young Farrokh Bulsara (Rami Malek), who’s pursuing a career in the exciting and fast-paced world of baggage handling at Heathrow Airport. His family are Parsi refugees, and he’s getting a little tired of dopey white people yelling, “Hey, Paki!” at him all the damn time. There must be more to life than hauling around luggage, and Farrokh is certain he’ll find his true calling.

Conveniently, he finds it in the very next scene! While at a local nightclub, he sees a performance of the band Smile. The lead singer is kind of a drip, which makes the band merely okay. After the show, the lead singer announces that he’s quitting. This is a big bummer for guitarist Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and drummer Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy). The guys are despondent for nearly five seconds when, conveniently, Farrokh arrives and offers to be their new frontman. Moments later, bassist John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello)** seemingly materializes out of thin air to join the band, which is also highly convenient.

With all the elements in place, the guys take the stage for their first performance. Considering it’s their first performance ever, you’d expect the band to be a little shaky, with notes of the greatness to come. Nope! Other than a slight mishap with a microphone stand, the guys proceed to absolutely whip ass, and the crowd instantly loves them. They change the name of the band to Queen, go on tour, and sell their dilapidated van to finance an album.

Becoming legendary rock icons seems to be as difficult as making your morning coffee*** since Queen quickly lands a record deal with EMI Records and a tour throughout the United States. There’s even a montage of the guys yelling out, “Hello, Cleveland!” and “We love you, Denver!” Along the way, Farrokh changes his name to…wait for it…Freddie Mercury. He also falls in love with Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) while coming to terms with his bisexuality. The film even helpfully includes a scene where Mary says, “You’re gay, Freddie,” and he clarifies by saying, “I think I’m bisexual.”

There was talk about a warts-and-all biopic of Queen, talk about the impish Sacha Baron Cohen playing Freddie Mercury. But that’s not what we got. With Bohemian Rhapsody, what we have here is a dumb and obvious film that features a number of strong performances and Queen’s astounding music. It’s a highly entertaining bad movie that often works in spite of itself.

I suppose we’re lucky to have gotten this much. Bryan Singer directed most of the film, before being fired during production.**** Dexter Fletcher came on-board to finish up the last two weeks of shooting, and much like the misbegotten Justice League, the film never feels like a cohesive whole. It needed a filmmaker who could tap into the operatic intimacy of Queen, the moments of gigantic triumph and torment. Instead, it feels like the film cracks open Rock Biopics for Dummies, and starts checking boxes. A lead singer experiencing important emotional moments while creating accompanying hit songs? Check. The lead singer spirals out of control while the rest of the band tells him to slow down? Check! A break-up that takes place in the rain? Check, damn your eyes, check.

The timid direction might not have mattered so much if it hadn’t been partnered with a rickety screenplay by Anthony McCarten. For example, when a character says out loud, “We’ll mix genres and cross boundaries,” you know subtlety is not a priority. In addition to the tsunami of clichés on display, there are a couple of other sizable problems. First, the script gives us a pretty good idea of what makes Mr. Mercury tick. Not so much with the rest of the band. Brian May is levelheaded and concerned, Roger Taylor occasionally pushes back against Freddie’s excesses, and John Deacon looks on wryly. Despite lip service from the script that all of them contribute to the greatness of the band equally, we’re shown that Queen is Freddie Mercury and his Amazing Friends.

The other issue? Consider that we have here a band comprised of an art student, an astrophysicist, a dentist, and an electrical engineer. They were highly intelligent and focused. Additionally, Mercury had a vast range of interests, everything from Elvis to opera and Victorian England. Oh, and sex. Lots of interest in sex. With all of those elements, the cerebral, the sexual, and more, how does all of that affect the creation of some of the greatest music ever? How do Freddie’s queer sensibilities play into it? We never find out, since the film portrays the act of creating art as fast and easy. There’s no struggle, just simplicity.

With all the venom I’ve just spewed, you’d be forgiven for thinking I hated this movie. Not the case, and that’s primarily due to the cast. In an amusing piece of stunt casting, Mike Myers appears as a music executive convinced the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” will never be a hit. Despite having very little to do, I liked Gwilym Lee as the warm Brian May, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, and Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon. If nothing else, they’re the spitting image of the real people.

In the suicide note of the doomed Kurt Cobain, the rocker wrote that “…it doesn’t affect me in the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the love and adoration from the crowd, which is something I totally admire and envy.” There’s a scene where Rami Malek’s Freddie is performing, and the crowd is singing along with him. His eyes widen like he’s learned a profound truth. He belongs up there, in front of all those people. Malek is very good in the role, and he’s even got the prosthetics in place to replicate Freddie’s Simpsons-esque overbite. His performance is confident and campy, and he’s able to portray the vulnerability and yearning hidden behind the bulletproof showmanship.

One of the best performances of pretty much anything was Queen’s 1985 set for the Live Aid concert. Give it a watch and you’ll very quickly see a band that doesn’t need pyrotechnics, graphics, or gimmicks. It’s just four guys on a stage — four guys playing for a tight 21 minutes, and a frontman effortlessly controlling a crowd of more than 100,000 people. The power and artistry from Queen are legendary. It’s a shame that Bohemian Rhapsody fails to live up to their legacy. At least we’ll always have Wembley Stadium.

  *There was also some talk about Flash Gordon and Highlander, which I appreciated.

**Fun fact — Mazzello was one of the annoying kids in Jurassic Park. A subplot about a T-Rex chasing Queen would have improved this movie enormously.

***As they say in the online ScreenRant Pitch Meetings, it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience.

****Singer was fired due to personality clashes with star Rami Malek and a weird predilection for vanishing from the set for long periods of time.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/mercury-rising-local-movie-reviewer-has-thoughts-about-bohemian-rhapsody/