#stupendous show though just phenomenal

[sciencespies]

A stupendously huge raft of volcanic rock has floated across the ocean to Australia

https://sciencespies.com/nature/a-stupendously-huge-raft-of-volcanic-rock-has-floated-across-the-ocean-to-australia/

A stupendously huge raft of volcanic rock has floated across the ocean to Australia

A gigantic fleet of floating rocks, spewed up from an underwater volcano in the Pacific Ocean, floated across the waves for thousands of miles. Eventually, it made it all the way to Australia, then started on a new project: revitalising the world’s largest (and very threatened) coral reef system.

This unlikely chain of events may sound somewhat incredible, but it’s an entirely true story – one that has played out dramatically over the last year, while highlighting the surprising, largely unseen ways in which Earth’s natural environmental systems intersect with one another.

Stranger still, it’s not the first time this has happened. An eruption in 2001 from the same submarine seamount – a nameless volcano, simply dubbed Volcano F or 0403-091, located near the Vavaʻu islands in Tonga – produced a similar rocky flotilla, which also voyaged on the currents to Australia over the space of a year.

When this phenomenon occurs, it creates what’s called a pumice raft – a floating platform composed of countless chunks of buoyant and highly porous volcanic rock.

Each one of these small rocks attracts marine organisms, including algae, barnacles, corals, and more. These tiny travellers end up hitching a ride across the ocean, and they can help seed and replenish endangered coral systems at their ultimate destination: for many, the Great Barrier Reef.

“Each piece of pumice has its own little community that has been transported across the world’s oceans – and we have had trillions of pieces of this pumice floating out there following the eruption,” says geologist Scott Bryan from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

“Each piece of pumice is a home, and a vehicle for an organism, and it’s just tremendous. The sheer numbers of individuals and this diversity of species is being transported thousands of kilometres in only a matter of months is really quite phenomenal.”

Bryan knows a thing or two about these pumice migrations. He’s been studying the volcanic rafts for 20 years, investigating the 2001 eruption, its 2019 successor (which started washing up on Australian shores in April), and other underwater eruptions as well.

His most recent study, published last month, examined the 2012 eruption of the Havre Seamount, also in the South Pacific – estimated to be the largest underwater volcano eruption ever recorded, broadly equivalent to the most powerful volcanic eruption on land in the 20th century.

That event produced a gigantic raft of pumice rock that ended up dispersing over an area twice the size of New Zealand – in addition to littering the seafloor with giant chunks of pumice the size of vans.

Geologist Scott Bryan with a pumice rock. (QUT)

“We don’t understand why some pumice sinks during the eruption at the location and others can float for many months and years on the world’s oceans,” Bryan says, but further analysis could fill in the gaps.

“This will help us understand the mechanisms and dynamics of these explosive eruptions and understand better why these eruptions produce potentially hazardous pumice rafts.”

Potentially hazardous is right. Last year’s eruption from Volcano F produced some stunning video of what it looks like to sail into these gargantuan rafts, which resemble giant oil slicks, only made of up undulating rocks that seem to go on forever.

These surreal, floating formations aren’t inherently dangerous by themselves, but they could have the potential to damage boats, and can smother coastlines in some circumstances, as another video from this year attests.

For now, though, researchers are hopeful Volcano F’s latest delivery will do some good for the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s coastline, which is besieged by coral bleaching as the world’s oceans heat up due to climate change.

While the organisms carried on the flotilla of rock can help replenish reef ecosystems, scientists are eager to emphasise they are not a silver bullet.

“Pumice rafts alone won’t help mitigate directly the effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef,” Bryan says.

“This is about a boost of new recruits, of new corals and other reef-building organisms, that happens every five years or so. It’s almost like a vitamin shot for the Great Barrier Reef.”

And possibly much further afield too. The 2019 pumice raft – which a year ago measured approximately 20,000 football fields in size – can now be found all the way along the Australian east coast from Townsville in Queensland’s north to northern New South Wales: spreading out over more than 1,300 kilometres of coastline.

It’s a massive dispersion, stemming from a single event far beyond the horizon, and one which serves to remind us of the links between what perhaps only seem like disparate marine ecosystems.

“This shows that the Great Barrier Reef has connections to coral reefs that are thousands of kilometres further east,” Bryan says.

“In terms of the health of the Great Barrier Reef, it’s also important that these distant reefs are taken care of.”

Geologist Scott Bryan examining pumice rocks. (QUT)

As for Volcano F, it’s been raising its profile in recent years, and in more ways than one. The ongoing eruptions aren’t just attracting attention from scientists – they’re also changing and building up the underwater landscape around the volcano.

Bryan was part of an expedition team that surveyed the site this year, collecting samples and observing what the volcano looks like underneath the waves.

“It’s a volcano that’s getting close to breaching the surface and will become an island in years to come,” Bryan says.

We’ve seen what that can look like in other parts of the world, and it makes for a pretty amazing spectacle: instead of gigantic volcanic rafts, entire pop-up islands emerge out of the ocean.

Volcano F was already a great story, but it looks like the next chapter may be even more incredible.

#Nature

#Nature

[oosteven-universe]

Snow Angels Season Two #3

Snow Angels Season Two #3 ComiXology Originals 2021 Written by Jeff Lemire Illustrated by Jock Lettered by Steve Wands    I have to say that this is one of the most interesting, intriguing and uniquely told stories in comics right now.  We don’t see a whole lot of words and yet the story is able to come across in ways that are superbly easy to follow along to.  The girls found human survivors and yet these folks have betrayed them while the man in the suit has once again found them, is trying to kill them and retrieve the disk that their father gave them.      I don’t know where all the bullets this dude is using are coming from but he’s got a great wrist launching gun and he’s also got an exceptional amount of gadgetry in that suit as well.  With so few humans that we’ve seen you’d think they’d have been a lot nice to the girls and welcome them to their community but these aren’t good people so when we see what happens to them here I am definitely not in the least bit bothered.  The old woman in particular is a real piece of work and whatever she has coming to her she most assuredly deserves.    I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction, how they behave as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter do wondrous things for making them into people we know or can relate to, empathise with as well.  The pacing is superb and as it takes through the pages revealing more and more of the story we are frozen in place as the story moves through the pages.    I am a huge fan of the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I love the layers within the story that we see here and how they manage to add so much wonderful depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  As the girls stumble their way through all the things their father told them about you can almost feel the hope swell up within them.  How everything works together to create the story's ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably achieved.    The interiors here are so completely and utterly fabulous to behold.  The linework we see is fantastic and how the varying weights and techniques we see being utilised to create the detail work throughout the book does a marvellous job in bringing the story to life.  While this is a frozen tundra and there aren’t really any buildings, how Jock manages to use the snow and various shades of blues and whites to create a wintery look is phenomenal.  How we see the composition of the panels being utilised to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is great to see.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  I love that Jock is able to illustrate and colour the work himself.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is gorgeously rendered. ​    It is books like this that showcase just how far we’ve come in the industry.  This is a digital content series and it’s exclusive to ComiXology and it showcases why you can have the best of physical and digital and enjoy both just as equally.  Here’s hoping that this is going to be collected as a trade at some point though because it’s just too damn good not to be.  There is some of the strongest writing and interesting characterization alongside these stupendous interiors which bring to life one hell of a story.

#Comic Books #Comics Reviews #ComiXology Originals

[pairup-squareup]

tharntype special magical super duper final ep 13 thoughts

small gripe first of all

- coulda done without that lhong scene tbh. seems wildly out of character for thorn to let someone he knows spent years abusing his brother, and who orchestrated the gang rape of a teenager just get a little forgiveness

lhong’s ‘i’ve been suffering for three years....’ boo-fuckin-hoo, mate, your victims are going to be dealing with the impact of your abuse for the rest of their lives.

CONTENNNNT

first things first, i fucking loved this. it wasn’t remotely what i expected and that’s ok, because what it was, was for the most part, outstanding

obviously for the fans, but, aside from the phenomenal pet play scene, it wasn’t shoehorned in fanservice. it kept the plot, the characterisation, the clarity of the story in tact.

love that it opens with what is essentially the ‘tharntype series greatest hits’. sets the mood, reminds you of the massive character arcs and growth they both undergo.

and reignites my deeply held type issues, bastard man that he is. i continue to love and be infuriated by him, and its great.

the soccer field moment where type is like ‘his money is my money’ is stupendous. as is tharn’s ‘daddy long dick just got back to LA’ style entrance, combined with his dorky little hand wave. i love tharn.

the whole episode was excellent. i love love love seeing chilled out, accepting, smug Type. to think about the way he has healed, and the good he has done for Tharn, for Tar and for the gaggle of gay kids that love by chance tells the story of.

he really became a good man. he’ll always be an abrasive dickhead but the rage and the fear that used to make him unbearable, and horrible is all gone. the pain is managed. he’s good.

tharn, sweetheart, my love. he’s just smitten. 

here is an issue i had that isn’t a gripe. i wanted tharn to face a lot less micro and also macro aggressions in this. type loves tharn, and that’s good, that’s great, but idk. as a queer person watching this, i wanted something a little more positive for tharn from type’s parents. i wanted people to see his value, his beauty, but also that he is gay, that’s not a negotiable part of him, and it’s as important as his family name or good looks or intelligence.

tharn is and has always been proud to be gay. i would have liked the show to showcase that pride a bit more.

BUT SPEAKING OF BEING UNASHAMEDLY  GAY

hell yes, type’s apology to kon. owning his homophobia, specifically apologising for insults and slurs, trying to imagine what it must have been like for him. admitting that he’s not fully over his own bigoted views but that he’s trying. it was a genuine apology, that got a bit softened at the end, but it doesn’t take away from it’s core though.

lmao @ kon’s wistful ‘i should be thanking you, my first love’

type: catnip for gay men with self value issues.

this is getting too long, so i will sum up

+ type being consistently united with tharn in public spaces

- any time this show makes me acknowledge tum, tbh

+ the affection. just the continual love and need to connect physically with one another

- not enough techno. i love techno. he deserves so much for being there during type’s...everything

+ the sex. not just that it was hot, and tender, but that it was so familiar. this is how the audience knows its about commitment and years long love. they just know each others bodies. they can make dumb jokes with the cat and dog ears. 

- it is a crime they did not show us what else tharn has in that sex box

+ Type screaming ‘run’ rather then lie to his dad about being a top. phenomenal.

- i really wish type’s dad had come around a little, just verbally. it would have improved the show immensely for me.

+ cinematography. holy shit some of the shots in this episode. you watch a lot of dramas and you just get used to generic university sets. the stunning beach and ocean shots in this. 

+ love seeing little hints of tin and can, and pete and ae. its very neat. I really liked that it was mostly about Can, because of course, that’s who Type has connected with, who he has the most knowledge of. that’s his and Techno’s child they are platonically raising together.

+ it just left me feeling good. it left me feeling positive for their relationship, their future together and as individuals. it was so good to see them free of the poison that they both carry because of their pasts.

+ adulllllthoooood. very satisfying for this to be about adult life experiences and not 1st year, fresh outta highschool drama in university. i missed grown ups lmao.

in summary, i love it. love them. i’m happy!

#tharntype #tharn type the series #tharntype final episode #im mclovin it

[ardenttheories]

What makes a Seer?

Since my birthday and exam are finally out of the way, lets kick off my new bout of freedom with some contemplation on the role of a Seer.

A Seer’s sole concept focuses on the gaining and retaining of Knowledge based on their active attempts to find it. They will always come across some foundation that teaches them what they need to begin with, but they will quickly blossom into their own and find that which they Seek almost naturally as they search for it. 

For instance, Rose is frequently guided by Doc Scratch during the early segments of Homestuck. There is little that she does, we assume, that is not done when she’s given a hint or suggestion by him. This is the early stage of a Seer of Light; someone who Seeks out Information, but not naturally - someone who is being guided towards that Information by a benefactor who Understands their Aspect. She is taught what to look out for, where Information could be hidden, how to parse the world for hints as to what it is she needs, what is Important - but because this is done by the guidance of someone else, all she finds is what he deems Important.  

Seers ultimately have to come to a conclusion of what their Aspect is to them. Their benefactor has a significant bias; they have to decide to define it in their specific way, and to Seek out Knowledge based on their decision. 

For Rose, this comes in the form of realising she’s been used to create the Green Sun rather than to destroy it. Information was hidden from her - at least, so much that she wasn’t confident enough to confirm what she thought was happening until very late into the inevitable action - and her own goals were given the backseat of Importance to that of Doc Scratch’s. What she initially Seeks out ends up becoming Irrelevant, and the Information sways what she Sees so that she doesn’t have a full picture of events. 

Rose, in this sense, is actually a fairly good Seer. The point and main concern of a Seer is to act; rather than just accept the Knowledge they’re given, they have to learn what it is that this information means and what they need to do with it. She was, of course, guided by a benefactor with a purpose, so this is likely not quite as natural a coming-to-powers as it should be, but it is an example of what Seers as a whole must learn.

For instance, Rose can’t just Know about the Green Sun. She has to take what she Knows and actively use it to achieve the goal she’s set out for herself. If she hadn’t, the Green Sun would never have been created, Jade would never have gained her powers (which gives her Space aspect a boost, at the consequence that it also boosts Jack Noir), and worse, she may never have attained God Tier (if we consider, for instance, that she makes Dave go on the mission and stays back herself, rather than unwillingly lets him tag along). 

If their session had been longer, and Rose had come into this naturally, there’s a lot more that she would have known; the purpose of the Green Sun, why they were creating it, what purpose Doc Scratch was leading her on for, what consequences would have occurred once the Green Sun was made, and the fact that she and Dave had secondary Quest Beds waiting for them. 

I suppose, in that sense, a Realised Seer of Light would eventually Know everything. The lack of Time in their session is ultimately what hinders her development. 

So, now that we’ve gone over that - what does a Seer actually See, and why? How are they meant to use it?

For this, we need to look at Terezi. Note that this will be almost exclusive to Seers of Mind in specifics, but in general it’s a good way to show how Seers actually use their powers. 

Terezi can See the different branching Options of every Decision - literally every Decision - throughout the game. Inconsequential ones, important ones, disturbing ones, bad ones, good ones, absolutely fucking stupendous ones - no matter its relevance or its weighting, Terezi can see all of them. 

So, what’s the importance of this?

Terezi has a short amount of time to make a lot of big Decisions. The point of her being a Seer is to See the route of every Decision and find the one that benefits the team as a whole - totally non-Biased, and for the greater good. 

Lets take a silly example first, to show how tiny every Decision could be.

Terezi sees that Tavros is struggling to Decide between eating two cereal brands. Neither box has a label, but he has opened both and can see the contents inside; the left box is bland and brown, the right box is brightly coloured and covered in sugar. She initially thinks it’s of no Consequence, and skips over the Decision. 

Much later down their timeline, Tavros violently throws up in battle and is mortally wounded. As it turns out, one of the cereal boxes was inedible. They’re now down a player. 

Past Terezi is looking at this Decision. She Decides, actually, that she’ll look down both paths and see where each Decision takes her. In one, Tavros eats the box in his left hand; nothing bad happens, and he actually seems a lot more useful later on, becomes more confident. He ends up being a key player in a later event, much to the annoyance of Vriska, who gets knocked out by a storm that he summons during a bout of bad Luck. In the other timeline, Tavros eats the box in his right hand; he seems to be wrought with discomfort and weaker to Vriska’s jibes, which puts her in a better mood, and during that important battle he falls - but Vriska ends up being the main star in a bout of good Luck, and it’s a very flashy win. 

Terezi favours Vriska, or at least is aware that she’s fucking intolerable to talk to when she thinks a win will be stolen from her. It’d be a lot easier to deal with her in the timeline where Tavros unfortunately dies, and maybe she kind of wants to let Vriska take the win to help her get over the bad luck streak she’s dealing with - that’s her personal Bias. 

To be completely non-Biased, though, she’s very much aware that Tavros is important later on down the surviving timeline, and having him in the game makes a lot of things easier than they would be if he died and they lost his specific abilities. She’s also aware that Gamzee would be upset about Tavros’ death, and in that timeline, he becomes nigh inconsolable. They lose another powerful player to grief.

The correct choice, then, is the one where Tavros survives; Vriska will be pissed, and will probably yell at her about it for a few hours, and her bad luck streak will continue to plague her personally, but the overall timeline will be much healthier and less likely to become Doomed. 

Now, Terezi Knows this information. What does she do with it? She can’t just let Tavros make the Choice himself; there’s a 50/50 chance that he’ll Choose the wrong box, and cause their timeline to become the Doomed one. 

She has to gently push Tavros’ Decision towards the left box, likely by making some sort of comment that she knows Tavros will take to heart and remember at that specific moment (for instance, that eating the bright, candied cereal he sees in the right box is for babies, so he feels bad about wanting to eat it and eats the dull, brown cereal in the left box instead). This is her acting on what she Knows to influence someone’s Decision to the best Option.

So, for a more Logical and actually relevant way of looking at it:

If Terezi had been a realised Seer of Mind pre-SBURB, she would have Known that Aradia was going to ignore her advice, torment Vriska in revenge for breaking Tavros’ legs, and get killed by Sollux as a result. She could have made the Decision, then and there, to save Tavros - most likely by suggesting that none of them FLARP that day - and avoid every other Decision and Consequence as a result. 

But would that make the timeline any better? 

Aradia’s death allows her to be controlled by the dead. She becomes aware of things that allow their session to become a phenomenal success; the fact that she needs to put the frog head in her sprite because the Black Queen won’t wear her ring as a result, for instance, thus making it a lot easier for them to take her and the Black King down. Aradiabot also allows them to escape from Jack Noir mostly unharmed when he first appears in their session, and her fury at Vriska is ultimately what leads to Vriska going God Tier. 

In a session where Tavros is perfectly fine and Aradia is still alive, these events may never have happened. The Black Queen might still be wearing her ring, Vriska might not have that near-death situation at the hands of Aradia to lead to her attaining God Tier, and Aradiabot would never have come to fruition which may have meant that there was no distraction for Jack Noir when he first appeared in their session. Rather than surviving to see another day, the entire session may have ended prematurely. Worse than that - Aradia may have died for good during Jack’s attack on Prospit and Derse considering the weird situation she has with her Quest Bed, meaning that almost every other event to follow (everything in the Dreambubbles, everything leading up to Act 6) may never have happened, or would be significantly changed. 

So, to be perfectly non-Biased, Terezi has to accept that Tavros’ paralysis is key to the session’s success. If she tries to help him, the subsequent series of revenge wouldn’t happen, and later events would never take place. It’s absolutely horrific, but if she knew about this Decision, she’d literally have to not do anything for the greater good of the timeline. 

This is what a Seer ultimately has to do. It’s not just about looking at events that happen in the short space of time immediately after the event itself; it’s looking at the bigger picture, too, and Seeing just how far down the timeline any action will have a rippling effect. 

Of course, not every Seer will be able to specifically see down the timelines themselves. A Seer of Blood, like the Signless, can only see that which is immediately relevant to Blood; bonds, unity, and responsibility. But the general idea remains the same; he Sees a much better life, one that isn’t filled with bloodshed, one where lowbloods and highbloods actually live together in relative harmony, and he uses what he Sees to influence his actions in his attempts to make Alternia a better place. 

A Seer like that, had it been done in reverse, would likely be able to See all the Bonds and Responsibilities that could happen in any given session, and their relative health; they’d then have to influence just what they think would be the right combination of people and places and events to ensure that;

- The right people are close together (such as giving an especially violent player a moirail in order to ensure they calm down and prove no threat to the timeline)

- The wrong people are separated (such as an idle or unaffected player and someone who is easily influenced by those they look up to)

- The Responsibilities of the session are given to those who can actually handle it (big events go to big people who actually know what they’re doing; people who aren’t ready yet aren’t swamped under stress they can’t handle)

- The group as a whole remains a Unified front of intermingling Bonds that make them stronger together, even if certain people don’t mesh well (the violent player might fucking hate the idle player, but the moirail will ensure they don’t start infighting) 

Additionally, something vital to remember when thinking about Seers. There’s a significant element of them Seeing down various routes and Timelines, or further ahead in the future, based on what they’re looking out for with their Aspect.

A Seer of Light can see Important future and past events in order to influence their actions now; a Seer of Mind can see future events based on Decisions that are going to be imminently made and where those Decisions will take them; a Seer of Blood can see future and past Bonds and Responsibilities through the eyes of their alternate selves in order to decide what series of relationships would be the best to try and push together.

A Seer of Light, therefore, may not know exactly what’s going to happen after they make a choice; Rose made the Green Sun blow up, sure, but she had no idea what was going to happen immediately after because that’s not what her Aspect is about. She saw the Important event and how to make it happen, and she got all the Information on it; but she totally missed her mother’s death, and the fact that she’d survive the supposed suicide mission, because she can’t actually look into the Timelines unless she’s seeking something Important - and she can’t see anything that isn’t Relevant to her current Timeline (so, no visions of other sessions or Doomed Timelines). 

On the contrary, a Seer of Blood could see into other Timelines (the way the Signless does) based on their connection (via literal blood, perhaps?) to their alternate selves - but they will never see what’s actually going on. The Signless saw highbloods and lowbloods living in harmony and peace, sure, but he had no idea at what point in Beforan history he was looking into, the fact that he was looking through the eyes of an alternate self, the fact that Alternia was always meant to look like that, or what the conditions of their society actually were, and why it had changed. All he saw were the Bonds and Ties that United the Beforans. He didn’t even see the issues that they had together, or later down the road.

So, always keep in mind what a Seer can See, and what they can’t See - otherwise, all Seers would be horrifically overpowered, and they’d merge together too much to be distinguishable as players. 

As an end note:

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’d know that I tend to be a tiny bit sceptical about the passive-active divide between Classpects. As a result of this, I’m not going to say that Seers are a passive Class, because while writing this I’ve become aware of the potential for them to be incredibly active. When I think about our canon Seers and what they’ve done, all of them seem a lot more active to me than our canon Mages - but I’m also aware that this is because we have three Seers (Signless, Rose, Terezi) to two Mages (Sollux, Meulin), and that our experiences with Mages aren’t exactly as explicit as they are with Seers. 

So I’ll leave that a bit vague for now, and maybe write up another post a bit later once I’ve really mulled it over and maybe spoken to a few other people, or consulted a few other blogs.  

#ardenttheories #class analysis #classpects #homestuck analysis #long post// #classpect analysis #sburbtheories

[let-me-be-your-home]

Supernatural 300TH : Review

As far as milestones go, the 300th episode of Supernatural is I guess one of the best episodes I have seen on TV and one of the best episodes dished out by this show. They don’t always get it right but when they all make sure they have to, they knock it out of the park.

I think it was a brilliant idea (whoever’s it was) to bring back John Winchester. In my opinion, he doesn’t have much of a story left to say, he got closure for his journey in the Season 2 finale. Him being around probably wouldn’t add much to his own tale, but adds heaps of content to the brother’s bond, and especially their individual character development.

The boys were emotionally stunted due to their individual equations with John, how he treated them or because of the way they bonded with him.

I don’t think I realized just how much John’s presence was necessary for the show. It may have been done to give a nod to the “Winchester Family” to the roots of the show…or basically to create a memorable milestone episode, but the team made sure it wove with the current story perfectly…

1.      I love how both Sam and Dean got what they needed the most through this experience. Sam got closure which he direly missed getting in relation to his father. Their equation had always been rough and wading through every storm possible. They had misunderstandings and bitterness lacing the better memories of their time spent together, all because of bruised egos and harsh words spoken between them and never dealt with timely. Having to remember his father dead on the floor and again a fight as their last interaction must have always weighed on Sam, and has been made clear time and again through the story. That scene he and John shared was so meaningful. It carried so much pent up emotion and was elevated with how beautifully Jared and Jeffrey performed it. It was noticeable how Sam (a giant, the best at his job, so brave) was so childlike in front of his father. He wouldn’t meet his eyes, was hesitant and reigning in all the feelings he was feeling then. I am particularly impressed with the acting choices made by Jared here. To chose to keep a tinge of the resentment he still feels warring with the love and understanding he has come to post so many years of living without his parent that ultimately (maybe in the wrong way) only wanted to protect his sons.

2.      For Dean, this was a dream come true. His deepest desire from when he was four… which was what inspired the situation they came to this episode….THAT in itself is so endearing and touching.. But these moments they spent together were monumental for Dean. In so many ways it was if this was a closure for Sam, it was an evolution for Dean. Dean has always yearned for approval from his father, wanted his family together and in fact measured himself and his own worth through his family’s eyes. Today he had it all. His mother, father and brother with him and if he REALLY wanted, he could work a way to have it like he’s done so before. But what he chose was still the life he has (which maybe haunted with nightmares literal and otherwise, that gives him pain and wrings him through hell fire) But it’s a life he and his brother have painstakingly built. And It was incredible to watch him chose that, chose saving the world and sacrificing their own peace for others. If he hadn’t it would have insulted all that they have endured over the years. And it was phenomenal to hear the words “I am happy with who I am, I am happy with who you are” For anyone who has been on Dean with this journey will know just how special those words are, and how pivotal they are to his personal growth.

3.      For me, more than anything else the scene between Sam and Dean was the best out of everything. Not just because they are the reason I watch the show, but it’s always good to see the roots that define the show be emphasized in the story. Sam and Dean have been offered a new chance at life, their dreams coming true, an out to be part of normalcy and much more, but they always ignore that and chose each other. Chose being a team, being a family and partners….choosing to save humanity.

4.      Mary isn’t my most favourite character at all, but in this episode she literally made me want to hug her tight. Her guilt, her wonder and numbness on having this chance to be with John again and her pain on losing it all over was heart breaking and Samantha Smith acted the hell out of it.

5.      I literally felt just as overwhelmed as Dean did on seeing John and Mary meet. Felt like Supernatural almost came full circle. This episode could very well pass off as a series finale (GOD FORBID – I DO NOT WANT THAT DAY TO COME SOON THOUGH) And WOW for two actors who have acted in just one scene previously Jeffrey and Samantha have such impeccable chemistry.

6.      The whole episode was stupendous, and it’s so difficult to chose any one moment that stole the episode per se. It all literally did feel like a dream none of us viewers wanted to wake up from.

7.      I loved the other half of the episode, where we get to see Sam and Dean from the eyes of outsiders. And to be made privy to the little things these two do…like getting to know town people, forming bonds and a home place where they come back to ….it’s always been unique considering the kind of lives they have lived.

8.      I have to sign off with the most important mention and that is just how lucky we are to have Jensen and Jared acting out Sam and Dean. Because they don’t just act, they literally LIVE these characters. The script definitely has to be top notch for any actor to perform. But if these two didn’t bring their talent and the chemistry they share to the show, Supernatural wouldn’t be half the show it was. The acting choices made today showed just how aware and mature these two guys are of the story this shows taken, and are so respectful to the base laid by the original creator of Supernatural. Jared chose to be the Sam who carries his heart on his sleeve, who doesn’t normally hide his emotions and is a little kid or little brother when the love and togetherness of his family overwhelms him. And Jensen’s choice here bowled me over. He bought back the Dean who still yearns for his father’s pride, for his family to be one and who is numbed by the experience he never thought he would get again after that damned night that started it all. Everyone else sobbed in this episode but Jensen chose for Dean to reign it in, wanting to live the moment and then painfully letting it go (even though every cell in his body wanted to do otherwise) His flinch at the pearl breaking and his hollow cry later just leaves you with the same emotion as a viewer.

9.      To bring back John is such a gold mine. That if dug well and deep it could have been worth a few more episodes. But to even get to hear John be proud of his boys and hear him say he loves them, to see John and Mary reunite and the Winchesters have a beautiful dinner together is way more than I thought I’d ever see.

#Supernatural #Supernatural Season 14 #SPN #spn 14x13 #Jensen Ackles #jared padalecki #Dean Winchrster #Sam Winchester #Sam Dean #Jensen Jared #J2 #jeffrey dean morgan #samantha smith #John Winchester #Mary Winchester #John Mary

[happymetalgirl]

Periphery - Periphery IV: Hail Stan

Periphery is one of those bands that I think draws way more polarized opinions than they need to. When it comes to them, it's either the big djentheads who appreciate what they do or the rest of the metal world that just can't get past Spencer Sotelo's vocal style. While it did take me a while to get used to, I eventually came around to Spencer's vocals around their second album.

Even though I am now on the fan side of the Periphery dichotomy, I have actually never been much of a fan of their beloved self-titled debut; I've always found to be kind of an overdrawn prototype for what was to come. I gave it a listen not too long ago before this album dropped and it again confirmed my position on it. I did of course find their sophomore effort to be a lot more polished and for the better.

It was with the Clear EP, though, and the subsequent, long-awaited Juggernaut double release though that I really found myself drawn to Periphery, and largely for Spencer's incredible melodies. The band were starting to really find the dynamic between anthemic choruses and crushing djenty heaviness that allowed both of those facets of their sound to compliment each other exquisitely. Songs like "Parade of Ashes", "Pale Aura", and "Feed the Ground" brought the best out of Spencer's slightly scratchy high range through anthemic melodies and set up the rest of the band for the best of the heaviness they had to offer.

The band really set the gold standard for themselves in a lot of ways with Juggernaut though, refining everything that made their sound already great at its best and raising it to a new best. There's djent at its most powerful on songs like "MK Ultra" and "Hell Below", which is absolutely filthy, slow 8-string deliciousness, and the absolutely ripping breakdown of "The Bad Thing" still fucking gets me every time I hear it (and I've heard it a lot). Spencer's highs at the climax of "The Scourge" and his entire performance on the also invigorating melodies of "22 Faces" are absolutely phenomenal as well, and the risky melodic direction of "Alpha" paid off stupendously. Needless to say, I really liked Juggernaut, and while 2016's Periphery III: Select Difficulty wasn't a complete letdown, it definitely missed that divine spark and seemingly the long grooming process that the Juggernaut albums did. It had its moments, but it's still just so overshadowed by the band's magnum opus.

So now a little further down the road from that towering monument of theirs, the band are back with their fourth self-titled album, which is another respectably ambitious effort that seeks to build its own monstrous djent castle on bigger compositions and darker themes. At 63 minutes, Periphery: Hail Stan is quite a beast of its own. Sonically, much of this album feels like a combination of the grandiosity and untethered heaviness of Juggernaut and the rawness and stylistic tendencies of the band's debut LP, and the mixture is, to a degree, predictably mixed.

As much as I love big, ambitious prog metal epics, and I love the idea of kicking an album off with one, the nearly 17-minute, string-backed "Reptile" that starts the album feels so unusually meandering and unnecessarily dragged out for Periphery, and despite the few shining moments in the track, it seems more like the band just wanted to make their longest song than anything else. So while it's not a particularly great start to the album, it certainly comes with enough highlights to not sink it immediately, and it does get better from there. The determinedly deathy, djenty, and eventually anthemic lead single "Blood Eagle" that follows the somewhat misdirected epic finds the band channeling their Juggernaut form into a much more focused and perfected piece than the preceding track, and it very much confirms where the band's strengths still mainly lie. The eerily relevant "CHVRCH BVRNER" subsequently carries the heavy momentum further by upping the speed and even the black metal intensity. Still, the band manage to impressively work in a sweet and fitting melodic vocal hook seamlessly, a testament to their progression as a group and proficiency with their common elements.

The album's second single, "Garden in the Bones", breaks the "kvlt" vibe with brighter, less aggressive instrumentation, hearkening to more ethereal prog metal anthems like "Heavy Heart" and "Priestess" from Juggernaut. I'm surprised the band used it as a single because it's not one of their most impressive contrasts to their heavy style on the album. An electro synth line then opens the following song "It's Only Smiles" much like that of "Alpha", but unlike "Alpha", Spencer's reverting to the debut LP's pop punk melodic tendencies on this song are not effectively balanced and given the vigor they had on the Juggernaut classic. It's not the worst example of the style, but it is the kind of song the band's and Spencer's detractors can point to to feel justified in calling Periphery weak (which is bullshit even just looking at this song in the context of melodic hardcore).

"Follow Your Ghost" follows with more indulgent heaviness but not really much in the way of tasty riffs, unique grooves, or infectious vocal melodies. It's clearly meant to simply juxtapose the lighter atmosphere of the previous track, which it does wel enough at an aesthetic level, but it's a little bit of an autopilot track. The electro beat that starts the next song, "Crush", ushers in an electronically supplemented, bass-y rocker that outshines much of what Underoath and Bring Me the Horizon were attempting on their recent albums. Its a bit long and I wish the climax was a little more climactic, but its consistent infectious bass and the swagger the band are able to pull off with it make up for it.

The following song, "Sentient Glow", is a reworking of a song from a previous side project of Misha Mansoor's and Mark Holcomb's, and it does feel a bit like an outside track that's just been Peripherized. Spencer's ethereal high melody at the song's explosive ending is a nice touch, but I still wouldn't say it alone justifies the song's inclusion.

The album finishes with the angelic and euphorically anthemic "Satellites", which is a bit of a new prog, melodic metalcore power ballad that ascends from atmospheric clean guitar echoes and soft singing into a crescendo of emotive, ambiance-supplemented djent with some of Spencer's most impassioned and impressive high singing atop it, and it makes for a fittingly grand and well-executed conclusion to a similarly massive and ambitious album.

Even where the band so stumble on Hail Stan, they are so tuned in to what they do well when they revert to their evolved form that they more than make up for it. And that's not to say all their musical ventures flop, they do pull off quite a few surprising hits on songs that don't fall within their usual modes of operation. And when they're on their tried-and-true shit the band don't slip up much, showing their focus and full capabilities with their style. It's still not quite up to the level of long-toiled mastery that Juggernaut was, but I definitely want to heap more praise than criticism on this album because so many bands have tried (or half-assed) the kind of reconciling of dense production, orchestration with an older, heavier sound and it usually falls flat on its face, while Periphery have managed to to stay themselves and still channel the best version of themselves even through less familiar means. Unlike the many bands who neuter, malform, or erase their signature essence through forays into bombastic projects like this, Periphery's most vibrant form shined through and kept the background from taking over the album, which is certainly a much more accomplished follow-up to their masterpiece than their previous album was.

Juggernaut: Beta/10

#periphery #hail stan #periphery iv #progressive metal #djent #metal #new music #heavy metal #new album #album review

[buyselfbalancingscooters]

Segway Ninebot ES4 Kick Scooter

Introduction

The name Segway is eminent and influential in the electric personal transport market. Started from innovating self-balancing electric wheelchair for patients and physically disables, to police patrols in Stockholm, Segway has made its mark on people about how reliable and necessary are personal EVs in modern day to day life.

In 2017, segway announced consumer-priced personal electric transportation, The Segway Ninebot Kick Scooters ES1, ES2, and ES4. But getting the essentials right in the pre crowded EVs and kick scooter market is crucial. So when you want a smooth ride to run your daily errands in the supermarket or to make your last mile to and from the train for the workplace and if you just wish to listen to the breeze down the beach, The kick scooter you get should be robust, reliable and comfortable.

Going green with transport is always healthy on the environment and our pockets too, and the Segway Ninebot ES4 takes you on those short terrains with fun and style. The ergonomics of the ES4 is of the similar quintessential design of kick scooters, but it is fashioned quite distinctively. With attractive color schemes and LEDs on all right places, The ES4 does stand out to be noteworthy.

BUY ON AMAZON

The battery is under the vertical handlebar, unlike under the deck, compared to other kick scooters, ensuring better safety from batteries ever getting damaged. The front-wheel houses the 800Watt motor, and there is soft rubber on handlebars and deck for better grip and comfort. The ES4 has some stumbling block, but with the list of features it got, The Segway Ninebot ES4 is almost the perfect E-scooter. Segway claims that their kick scooters are a worthy replacement for bicycles and hoverboards, and its outstanding attributes make it lead ahead of the competition of electric kick scooters, but does the Ninebot ES4 rides as impressive as it sounds? To answer the query, we make sure you get familiar with ES4 before you decide to get intimate with it.

Features

Power: The Heart of the Segway Ninebot ES4 is the high performance 800-watt electric motor. The front-wheel houses the electric motor making it the only front-wheel drive scooter in the market. The electric motor is efficient, quiet, and packed with the potential to ride over tough terrains with little effort. For better efficiency, the ES4 electric motor delivers the power output of 300watts but can go up to 800watts depending upon different exercises.

Speed: The first which amazes you when you ride the Ninebot ES4 is how fast it accelerates. It provides the top speed of 30 kilometers per hour, which makes the ES4 not only the fastest segway Ninebot scooter but also wins the top rank to other electric scooters in the race. Taking its speed into consideration, ES4 is the perfect choice for those who wish to commute to their workplace daily on an E-Scooter.

Range: One of the major promotions of Segway about Ninebot ES4 is its range. On a fully charged battery, the ES4 can take you as far as phenomenal 45 kilometers. It can easily last for a day’s commute and 2 to 3 days on moderate uses. The range does vary on commuter’s weight and riding preference, but the ES4 certainly is made to spend more time on the road then being plugged to the wall.

BUY ON AMAZON

Dual battery: The most stand out feature of the Ninebot ES4 is its dual battery standup. It is equipped with an internal and removable external lithium-ion battery of a total capacity of 374Wh, The additional battery is the powerhouse behind the stupendous maximum range of 45 kilometers. The Smart-BMS(Battery management system) ensures that the batteries don’t overheat, overcurrent, and protects it from getting over-charge, providing it a longer lifetime.

Thumb Controls and Regenerative brakes: Perhaps the most superlative feature any modern EV is the Regenerative braking system, Which charges up your vehicle’s battery every time you apply the brake, takes you some extra miles ahead. The Segway Ninebot ES4 uses this feature very efficiently on using the front brake. The brake and acceleration controls are on the handlebar of the scooter in a simpler and convenient design of thumb controls. The left Thumb controller brakes the front wheel while the Right thumb controller is the accelerator, both with sufficient resistance and within comfortable reach. The front electric brake is just powerful enough to slow down the vehicle, as for the mighty breaking, there is the rear mechanical brake which can be applied by pressing the rear finder down.

Fold and carry: With one simple click, the Ninebot ES4 folds and gets ready to be carried around in the trunk of your car. The ES4 weighs 14 kilograms, which makes it easy to carry along in train or bus. The external battery can be removed to reduce the weight of the scooter for more effortless advances. The lightweight and easily foldable form factor of ES4 makes it the perfect choice if you are planning to take a kick scooter on trekking.

Riding modes: The segway Ninebot ES4 comes with three riding modes: Speed limit mode, Standard mode, and Sport mode. The standard mode brings out the maximum millage from the 300W electric motor, and with sport mode, the ES4 achieves its top speed of 30kmph but compromises on the range. Interestingly there is one more riding mode, which can be taken as the cruise control, the speed limit mode; It lets you pre-set the average speed at which you want to cruise your kick scooter, ensuring both better mileage and power delivery.

BUY ON AMAZON

Dashboard Display with One-Button Control: While most of the electric kick scooters with old-fashioned LED indicators for battery levels. The Ninebot ES4 comes with an intuitive dashboard LED display, which shows all the vital information you might require about your battery level, speed, distance, and more. The display is bright enough to read on a bright sunny day and looks decent. The ES4 carries on to the minimalistic design with its one-button control system. Long-press on the button turns ON or OFF the EV, while a single click turns on the lights (more on this later), and double click gets you to select the riding modes. The button has a good haptic feel and easy to reach while riding as well. Segway made sure the dashboard controls stay minimalistic and hassle-free.

Lights: There are more lights on the ES4 compare to any E-kick Scooter. There is a 1.5W LED headlight, red lights on both sides of rear fender and front as well. The main headlamp is bright enough to guild your terrain and makes other vehicles coming your way aware of your presence. The red hazard lights are also very bright and perfectly placed, and you are not going to feel the need to stick reflective strips on the kick scooter, and the lights give you the confidence to go out for a night ride. But the ES4 is all about bringing you more than what’s essential as there are RGB LEDs underneath kick scooter chassis. The customizable Ambient lighting is what appeals the most about the Ninebot ES4; it eye-catchy and looks cool when you take it out on a night ride. The colors of the LEDs are customizable with many different patterns.

BUY ON AMAZON

Smartphone Connectivity: Though the ES4 kick scooter can be operated using the dashboard control button, for more useful features. The Segway connects to Android and IOS smartphones application using Bluetooth. The niftiest feature is that you can Lock/Unlock the kick scooter with the smartphone. So leaving your kick scooter out of the cafe is less worrisome as even if someone takes it away wouldn’t be able to ride it! The App also shows you mandatary information about distance traveled, range left, battery level, and more, and lets you control almost everything about the ES4 kick scooter, from lights to riding modes. You can also set the speed limit using the App and customize the ambient LEDs to your liking.

Front and Rear Shock Absorption: As most of the kick scooters rely on the air-filled tires to absorb shocks over bumps, the Ninebot ES4 is equipped with hard rubber tires, so you don’t have you worry about sudden punchers and flat tires anyway. But to give you the smooth ride over bumps and rough paths, the ES4 has the most coherent mechanics. It has front and rear shock absorbers with a descent travel limit and is ideally placed to give you a comfortable ride.

Hill Grade: I mentioned earlier in the review about how the Ninebot ES4 is the perfect Kick scooter to take along on trekkings, and it is true as it has more than one feature to make it the ideal trekking partner. The most substantial advantage the ES4 gets is the 15% hill grade. The 800-watt motor is powerful enough to climb you on severe slopes with little effort.

Water-Resistant and Robust build quality: The Segway Ninebot ES4 is IPX54 Water-Resistant; thus, you don’t need to worry about taking it out on a rainy day. All the electronic components are well protected, and there is no exposed wire. The build quality of the kick scooter is also worth mentioning as there were no cracking sound or any loose hinge even after rough uses. It can take up to 100kg of payload, and that’s very respectable.

Ninebot ES2 vs ES4

The prime difference between the two Segway kick scooters is that the ES4 comes with an additional external battery. While most of the attributes of the two are similar, the ES4 is the one that gives better performance. Thought the bigger battery comes with its disadvantages as well, it increases the weight and charging time of the ES4. The buyers who are looking for a quick to charge, lighter kick scooter might go for the affordable alternative. But considering the performance, the ES4 is the smarter choice as the additional battery removable, making it a lighter ES4.

BUY ON AMAZON

Basis Ninebot ES2 Ninebot ES4 Battery Capacity 187Wh 374Wh Weight 12.5kg 14kg Speed 25km/h 30km/h Range 25km 45km Hill Grade 10% 15% Charging Time 3.5hours 7 hours

Safety precautions and Riding gears:

All segway Ninebot kick scooters are UL2272 certified, ensuring you a high grade of electronic components and batteries for safety standards, On top of it the kick scooters are also IPX54 water-resistant. The batteries are placed in an ideal place with no issue of ever getting damaged, unlike in kick scooters where batteries are placed under the chassis. The Ninebot kick scooters are equipped with lights for all necessary precautions.

For rider’s safety and convenience, Segway provides riding gears in a bundle with the kick scooters.

Segway Helmet: The CE/CPSC Certified helmet comes in two color variants, it’s airy, adjustable and made of Polycarbonates, making it lightweight and comfortable.

Segway Phone Holder: As most of the functions of the ES4 can be operated by the smartphone, segway provides a 4-sides claw adjustable mount for your phone. The mount can be installed on the handlebar without any tools and has a good grip.

Segway Password locker: Another essential gear for the kickscooter is the PVC coated steel cable with a 5digit lock. The Ninebot kick scooter can be electronically lock using the smartphone application, and for better security from thieves, there is a reliable lock cable from segway.

Drawbacks

The Segway Ninebot ES4 is no doubt the unbeatable champion of all kick scooters, but it has its flows too.

The range is not what the company claims.

No-bell, The kick scooters come without a bell.

Not all wheater friendly, though the ES4 can tackle rains and muddy terrains, the rear fender is too short of giving you any protection from mud shower coming from the rear tire.

Conclusion

Without any nitpicking Segway Ninebot ES4 is definitely the kick scooter to go for, It offers a lot in its price point, and considering how fun it is to ride this kick scooter, there is no dispute to look around at other brands. The kick scooter is decently stable and easy to manoeuvre. The riding feels pleasant and secure, and the ES4 doesn’t feel lacking any punch in the riding quality.

The post Segway Ninebot ES4 Kick Scooter appeared first on Self Balancing Scooter.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2qkksTw via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

[writingguide003-blog]

Premier League 2018-19 season review: our writers best and worst

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/premier-league-2018-19-season-review-our-writers-best-and-worst/

Premier League 2018-19 season review: our writers best and worst

The best players, greatest games and standout signings plus those that didnt work out, and what needs to change

Best player

Ed Aarons: Virgil van Dijk. Raheem Sterling runs him close but in terms of impact and influence, the big Dutchman has been peerless.

Nick Ames: A confession: at the time Liverpool paid 75m for Van Dijk this writer having been present to cover all of his exceptionally rare rickets at Southampton considered them barmy. Instead, he has almost single-handedly given Jrgen Klopp the ability to build from a solid base, transforming the teams prospects. No centre-back has had this profound an influence in years.

Simon Burnton: Bernardo Silva has been an absolute joy a wonderful combination of technique, tenacity and enthusiasm, and important both creatively and defensively.

Paul Doyle: Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The two are inseparable. Got that, Unai Emery?

Dominic Fifield: Van Dijk. The Dutchman has transformed Liverpools backline, with a once-porous rearguard now the stingiest in the division. The 75m they paid for his services feels like a bargain.

Ben Fisher: Sergio Agero. He seemingly gets better every year. A consistent class act: sage, strong, ruthless and reliable. Manchester Citys trusty talisman weighed in with 21 goals, becoming only the second player to score 20 Premier League goals in five consecutive seasons Thierry Henry being the other. It was fitting Agero kickstarted the final-day victory dance at Brighton.

Barry Glendenning: Bernardo Silva has been the stand-out player in a squad full of extraordinarily gifted footballers at Manchester City.

Andy Hunter: Van Dijk. Transformed Liverpool the moment he arrived at Anfield. The leader of the best defence in the Premier League, and his ever-present appearance record shows his fitness is as consistent as his form.

Quick guide

Premier League reviews of the 2018-19 season

Show Hide

Players of the season Goals of the season Matches of the season Managers of the season Signings of the season Young players of the season Flops of the season Gripes of the season Pundits of the season Innovations needed for the next season

Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Was this helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

David Hytner: Sterling. The Manchester City winger has brought the numbers and the silverware but he has also impressed hugely as a leader.

Jamie Jackson: Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese brings his own wow factor to Manchester City, with an ability to play wide or centrally, a schemers vision, mesmeric dribbling, and a shoot-on-sight instinct.

Stuart James: Van Dijk. Voted for him for the Football Writers award hes not just an outstanding defender but a leader, too. His influence on that Liverpool defence is there for all to see. Id put Bernardo Silva right up there, too; the guy can do a bit of everything who wouldnt want a player like that? Plus, obviously Raheem Sterling has been superb.

Bernardo Silva: The standout player in Manchester Citys exceptionally gifted squad. Photograph: Matt McNulty/Man City via Getty Images

Amy Lawrence: Sterling and Van Dijk stood out from an impressive crowd by demonstrating immense talent with an inspiring personality. Only a fool would not applaud how Sterling has grown so much in all-round influence this season.

Sachin Nakrani: Sterling. Could have easily given this award to Virgil van Dijk but Sterling gets it for not only being excellent on the pitch for Manchester City, but off it too with his important stands against racism.

Barney Ronay: Sterling. From a rough edge to Citys best player at key times. Best of all made everyone even those not used to doing it think a little.

Rob Smyth: Andy Robertson. An elemental force whose ascent from Hull to a World XI gives hope to drifters everywhere. For all his infectious and uniquely Scottish zest for sporting confrontation, he is cold and clinical in the final third.

Danny Taylor: Trent Alexander-Arnold. A tangent, perhaps, from the usual Sterling/Van Dijk debate, but what a player 20 years old, part of the best defence in the league and 13 assists, a record for a defender in the Premier League era.

Louise Taylor: Eden Hazard. Virgil van Dijk was more consistent but, on his day, Hazards creative talent enchanted like very few others. He possesses not just the vision and technique others lack, but the bravery to normalise the audacious. Andy Robertson pushed those two close though; he has been brilliant at left-back.

Best manager

EA: Jrgen Klopp. The number of late victories Liverpool have managed is astounding and its largely down to the belief instilled by their manager.

NA: We are spoiled as never before. The best is Pep Guardiola; his teams response to a brilliant Liverpool side confirms that. But Mauricio Pochettinos ability to keep Tottenham this competitive is a thing of wonder; he is a class act off the field too. For a left-field shout, Sean Dyche restoring Burnley to their indomitable old ways was a fantastic achievement.

SB: With no real insurgent minnow this year, it has to be one of the ludicrously amazing top two. Liverpools 22-point improvement on last season wins it for Klopp.

PD: Ralph Hasenhttl. The difference between Southampton before and after his arrival was astonishing and damning on his predecessors.

DF: Klopp. The title may just have eluded him, but Liverpool lost only once all season and the chasm to Manchester City closed from 25 points to just one. That in itself is a remarkable achievement, given the champions standards hardly dipped.

BF: Pep Guardiola is still the champ. But to steer Tottenham into the top four and a Champions League final in the manner Mauricio Pochettino has done also deserves acclaim, while Maurizio Sarri has done a better job at Chelsea than has been painted.

Quick guide

Follow Guardian sport on social media

Show Hide

Twitter: follow us at @guardian_sport

Facebook: like our football and sport pages

Instagram: our favourite photos, films and stories

YouTube: subscribe to our football and sport channels

Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images Europe

Was this helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

BG: Guardiola, for consistently taking great players and making them even better. For all his employers bottomless reserves of cash, it is a feat few managers can pull off with such monotonous regularity.

AH: Guardiola. Back-to-back league titles, the second one achieved with a 14-game winning streak, and the possibility of a historic domestic treble. It serves as a reminder that, when it comes to winners, the Manchester City manager has no peers in the Premier League.

DH: Guardiola, because he has led Manchester City to the brink of a domestic clean sweep. His genius even extends to getting away with wearing that sweater.

SJ: Guardiola. Hard not to give it to the manager who ends up winning the league, especially when its difficult to pick out anyone who massively overachieved elsewhere. Nuno Esprito Santo, who did an excellent job at Wolves in their first season back in the top flight, certainly merits a mention.

Six votes apiece for Jrgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

JJ: Pep Guardiola. His pursuit of excellence is a privilege to watch up close, and next season it will be fascinating to see just what he makes his team produce.

AL: Klopp. The continuing rise in standards he has engineered, the love and respect that comes so naturally from his players, the brilliant charisma. He and his work just shines on.

SN: Klopp. Took on the financial might of Manchester City and almost won. He couldnt have done much more, and in the process the German displayed a level of tactical maturity and charismatic inspiration that could yet take Liverpool to Champions League glory.

BR: Mauricio Pochettino. Took a small, tired squad to fourth place. Improved his players. Created Moussa Sissoko 2.0.

RS: Klopp. Pound for pound, nobody got more from their squad than he does. He deserves better than to be a serial runner-up.

DT: Nuno. Phil Neville was silly to describe Wolves as the best promoted side the Premier League had ever seen ignoring the third-placed finishes of Newcastle (1994) and Forest (1995) but seventh is still a fine performance.

LT: Mauricio Pochettino. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, money doesnt so much talk as swear, and hes had a lot less of the stuff than his principal rivals. Also, Spurs play attractive football and Pochettino is ever ready to give young British players a chance. Rafa Bentez also merits an honourable mention. Under a lesser coach, Newcastle would surely have been relegated.

Best goal

EA: Andros Townsend v Man City. It was always going to take something special to beat City on their own patch and Townsends volley from 30 yards was a strike as sweet as you will see.

NA: Many of Manchester Citys games albeit masterclasses in control and precision fail to stir the soul. But Vincent Kompanys winner against Leicester was a genuine leap-from-the-sofa moment for a neutral; a reminder that even a team drilled as forensically as this can produce a startling, season-altering bolt from the blue.

SB: Even out of context, Kompanys winner against Leicester was phenomenal, but given his status at his club and the goals timing in the title race, it cant be bettered.

PD: Since Mateusz Klichs goal for Leeds against Aston Villa in April was not in the Premier League, its got to be Fabian Schrs rocket for Newcastle against Burnley. That shot was the truth.

DF: Townsends stupendous volley from distance at the Etihad Stadium, which rocked Manchester City back on their heels in a game they thought they would win at a canter. It has been playing on a permanent loop in my house ever since.

Vincent Kompanys goal against Leicester: A genuine leap-from-the-sofa moment. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images via Reuters

BF: Cardiffs Junior Hoilett v Wolves. A sumptuous first-time strike from the edge of the box, destined for the top corner from the moment it left his boot. Daniel Sturridge deserves a mention for taking things into his own hands after stepping off the bench at Stamford Bridge.

BG: Youll see few strikes sweeter than the incredible 35-yard volley Townsend sent fizzing past Ederson at the speed of light to help Crystal Palace to a most unlikely win.

AH: Kompany v Leicester. Townsends volley required better technique but could not match the City captains strike in terms of importance or general astonishment.

DH: Townsends title-race pigeon-scatterer at Manchester City. What. A. Hit. Also loved how Pep described the Palace winger as having scored from his apartment.

SJ: Townsend against Manchester City. Not even a debate about it. Yes, Kompanys goal against Leicester was a superb strike and it was hugely significant, too, but its not about any wider context. Townsend showed incredible technique to connect with that dropping ball so sweetly, his body position and timing absolutely perfect. The gasps from the home crowd said it all.

JJ: Kompany v Leicester. His net-busting strike in the penultimate league game all but killed Liverpools hopes of a City slip-up.

AL: Sorely tempted by Aaron Ramsey at Fulham as the team goal, or Townsend as the solo strike, but Vincent Kompany, for the moment of salvation and dramatic importance, edges it.

Andros Townsend scores at Manchester City: The gasps from the home crowd said it all. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

SN: Eden Hazard v West Ham. The Belgians first goal of Chelseas 2-0 win in April was a turbo-charged, dazzling dribble through the heart of bewildered opponents that showed just why Real Madrid are so keen to land him.

BR: Kompanys flukey long-ranger. For obvious reasons. And because it was so un-City Pep will probably fine him now.

RS: Hazard v West Ham. Many great goals could conceivably be fluked on Hackney Marshes. Hazards blur of skill, speed and balance could only have been scored by a handful of players in the world.

DT: Kompany. If you had to list the key moments of Citys title defence, this would be Exhibit A. The captain, 25 yards out, with various teammates shouting for him not to shoot.

LT: Has to be Kompany. Not just a wonder goal, but imbued with immense title race significance. Those who implored him to pass will surely never be allowed to forget it.

Best match

EA: Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham. The March meeting at Anfield between the two Champions League finalists had everything: high quality, emotion and comical last-minute drama as an own goal from Toby Alderweireld kept Liverpools title hopes alive.

NA: It did not feel like a season of classics but, looking back, the margins on which Manchester City v Liverpool were contested proved utterly crucial. At the time it felt like a wild, knife-edge kind of night, as City clawed their way back into the title race. It was a worthy, achingly tense shoot-out between the two best sides.

SB: If the best matches are those that end with at least half the participants having entirely lost control of themselves and their emotions, my vote goes to Liverpool 1-0 Everton, and Divock Origis extraordinary late winner.

PD: Wolves 4-3 Leicester.

DF: Manchester City 2-3 Crystal Palace. The only time the champions dropped points at home, and a game illuminated by that stunning volley from Townsend. Palace tend to be thrashed at the Etihad Stadium, but the look of bemused joy on an Roy Hodgsons face at the final whistle summed up their afternoon.

BF: Wolves 4-3 Leicester. A preposterous game in which both teams forgot how to defend, culminating in five second-half goals and Nuno being sent off after running on to the pitch to join a celebratory pile-on.

BG: Wolves beat Leicester by the odd goal of seven in a thrilling encounter at Molineux, which ended with Nuno burying himself in a pile of players after Diogo Jotas late, late winner. The Wolves manager was fined 8,000 for his over-exuberance, which he almost certainly considers money extremely well spent.

Wolves 4-3 win over Leicester was one of the seasons finest. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

AH: Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool. The Etihad press box offered a privileged position to appreciate the unrelenting pace and quality of Januarys encounter between the finest sides in the country. Both teams left everything on the pitch and John Stones goal-line clearance by 11mm encapsulated the fine margins between the two.

DH: City 2-1 Liverpool. For the nerve-shredding tension, the 11.7mm and the feeling that we were watching the title decider.

SJ: City 2-1 Liverpool. Incredible intensity off the scale when compared with other Premier League games. Showed why those two clubs finished so far ahead of the other members of the big six, never mind the rest of the league.

JJ: Manchester City 6-0 Chelsea. Did this really happen this season? Despite all the action that followed, this trouncing of Marizio Sarris side in February lingers for the way the visitors were shredded.

AL: Best I was at: Lucas Torreira ripping off his shirt and screaming at Arsenals comeback win over Tottenham. On TV, so many thrilling Liverpool games and crazed late wins to choose from, but the City v Liverpool title cruncher was something else a season-defining example of high-tempo intensity.

SN: Arsenal 4-2 Tottenham. Six goals, one sending-off and a touchline ruck made this a north London derby to remember. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyangs second goal was particular magnificent.

BR: Liverpool 4-3 Crystal Palace. Classic Premier League romp.

RS: Man City 2-1 Liverpool. European quality at British speed, a game of stratospheric class and importance, fine margins and controversy.

DT: Maybe this was what the season lacked: an absolute classic. I will go for Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool but the Champions League has provided the better games by some distance.

LT: Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool. Decided by Divock Origis 86th-minute header it emphasised Liverpools never-say-die mentality, but could easily have been won by Bentezs much-improved team.

Play Video

3:00

Premier League 2018-19: the highs and lows of the season video review

Best signing

EA: He may not have come cheap at 67m but Alissons performances in goal have helped transform a leaky Liverpool backline into one of the hardest defences to breach in Europe.

NA: Ral Jimnez joined Wolves on loan after a hit-and-miss spell at Benfica. Few could have expected that he had 13 Premier League goals in him, but Nuno and his backers have barely missed a beat in the last two years and the Mexico international proved another inspired choice. His permanent arrival, which will be made official on 1 July for a 30m fee, looks good value.

SB: For just 5m Joo Moutinho, Wolves little bundle of extreme awesomeness, has massively over-delivered.

PD: Yves Bissouma. Feet of a dancer, mind of an inventor, spirit of a hero.

DF: Ral Jimnez. Wolves always had the look of a side who would be at home at the higher level, but they needed to add a goalscorer to lead the line, and struck gold with Jimnez.

BF: Bournemouths recruitment has been hit-and-miss since promotion in 2015 but in David Brooks, they have unearthed another gem. The 21-year-old winger hit the ground running, thriving on the biggest stage after only a handful of starts with Sheffield United. Then there are Diogo Jota and Ral Jimnez, Wolves dynamite double act.

BG: Brooks was outstanding in an up-and-down season for Bournemouth. Weve seen enough to suggest he could be outstanding at this level, said Eddie Howe of the 20-year-old in July. Ten months on, the rest of us have seen it too.

AH: Alisson. Klopp was genuinely bouncing with excitement after a pre-season friendly at Blackburn in July as Liverpool had just sealed the signing of his only choice to replace Loris Karius. A club-record 21 clean sheets in the Premier League and several match-defining saves justified the excitement.

James Maddison has impressed after joining Leicester from Norwich last summer. Photograph: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images

DH: Alisson has made a massive difference for Liverpool but Ive really enjoyed watching James Maddison at Leicester. Lovely balance, and always looking to open up opposing teams.

SJ: Moutinho. Signed from Monaco for 5m last summer, the 32-year-old has been brilliant for Wolves and a joy to watch alongside Rben Neves, his protg. He famously turned up without any laces in his boots on his first day at training. I found it unbelievable, Conor Coady said. It was like he had slippers on.

JJ: Maddison. The Leicester No 10 is only 22 but plays with a maturity and intelligence that suggests he may soon be blooded for England.

AL: Alisson. Cost a fortune for a goalkeeper but proved himself to be absolutely worth it.

SN: Brooks. Proved there is real value to be had in the lower leagues. Has impressed with his skill and composure from a wide-right position and under the guidance of Howe he could develop into a genuine star.

BR: Maddison. Unusual to see a young creative player allowed to come from the Football League and succeed. Tripled in value.

RS: Alisson. Completed the transition started by Van Dijk. Between them they have turned Liverpools defence from a circus into Fort Knox.

DT: Salomn Rondn. His 15 goals, on loan from West Brom, earned him Newcastles player-of-the-season award and played a major part in keeping the team away from relegation danger.

LT: Rondn. Bentez fought all sorts of political battles to transplant the centre-forward from the Hawthorns to St James Park and Rondn has repaid the compliment by ensuring Newcastle stayed up.

Worst flop

EA: All of Fulhams summer signings. More than 100m splurged on 12 players, and they went down on 2 April. They would have been better served sticking with those who achieved promotion, as illustrated by the late revival under Scott Parker.

NA: Andr-Frank Zambo Anguissa arrived at Fulham for 30m with the reputation of an commanding deep midfielder with the potential to dominate games. Instead, he struggled terribly. In fairness, Fulhams troubles cannot be laid solely at his door. Rather, he is the embodiment of a summer in which they flagrantly disregarded the tenets that had earned them promotion. The lessons from the embarrassment that followed should resonate.

SB: Insert name of Manchester United player here.

PD: The flops by Matto Guendouzi, Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi which resulted in Arsenal having three players booked for simulation in one match at home to Huddersfield, no less.

DF: Most of Fulhams summer signings. There was so much goodwill for them on their return to the top flight, and the 100m outlay to beef up Slavisa Jokanovics squad appeared ambitious and exciting. From the toils of Fabri to Jean Michal Seri, Zambo Anguissa to Alfie Mawson, few justified their fees. The whole campaign felt like a missed opportunity.

BF: At 50m, Fred. Like a fish out of water, has played more like Fred the Red at times. Out of his depth in Uniteds midfield.

Fred concedes a penalty against Arsenal. The 50m midfielder was a big disappointment in his first season at Old Trafford. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

BG: Alexis Snchez, whose ongoing failure to deliver at United while on wages that must cause seething resentment among his teammates make him a contender for one of the worst signings in football history.

AH: Ed Woodward. Might well be the man for a smart commercial deal but possesses a reverse Midas touch when it comes to football. Mauricio Pochettino or Ole Gunnar Solskjr for manager? Only one man would opt for the latter and, unfortunately for United, its the one who runs their club.

DH: There was time admittedly, a while back at Arsenal when I thought Snchez was the best player in England; a celebration of furious desire and efficiency. It is incredible to see how he has lost his way.

SJ: Always some confusion as to whether this category is confined to players signed this season. If so, Fulhams Zambo Anguissa and Brightons Alireza Jahanbakhsh are right up there. If not, Snchez and Mustafi are in the mix too. And then of course, theres Fred.

JJ: Fred. The Brazilian midfielder was a serious disappointment for Manchester United, unable to dominate games.

Sign up for The Recap.

AL: Denis Surez. When you lose two defenders and a striker to season-ending injuries, why not splurge the best part of 4m on a loan fee and wages for a down-in-the-dumps floaty midfielder capable of playing a total of 67 Premier League minutes?

SN: Manchester United. Sacked another manager. Hired his replacement on the back of a goal he scored 20 years ago. Played lots of terrible football. Lost lots of games. Signed Fred for 52m. Finished sixth.

BR: Zambo Anguissa. Fulhams marquee 30m signing. Defensive midfielder in (or more often out of) a team that has conceded 72 goals.

RS: Fred. Struggled to get a game in the worst United midfield for decades.

DT: Manchester United, again. Another plodding season when, barring a couple of deceptive months, they have fulfilled their new role as Manchesters second team with barely even an argument.

LT: Paul Pogba. Yes, he is gifted but he doesnt make that talent count nearly often enough, or provide sufficient on-field leadership. An underachiever who likes to blame those around him, Pogba appears, albeit from a distance, a right diva. Small wonder Roy Keane is unimpressed.

Biggest gripe

EA: More than a gripe, but it has to be the return of racism. After all the progress that had been made from the dark days of the 1970s and 80s, countless incidents this season at all levels of the game have illustrated that the battle is far from over.

NA: Cut out the pre-match light shows that have crept in over the last couple of seasons. In some hapless cases they have even been put on in harsh daylight. The exhortations from PA announcers to take your seats for the spectacle might as well be direct instructions for supporters to surrender any inclination to whip up an atmosphere of their own. Will clubs ever get bored of infantilising their fans?

SB: The willingness of referees to award free-kicks for feigned or deliberately manufactured contact, particularly in defensive positions.

PD: Strategic fouls that abort attacks. These should be punished with penalties, no matter where they occur on the pitch.

DF: Just like last year, the constant chopping and changing of kick-off times, from Friday night football to five-past-the-hour kick-offs. Maybe I am an old fogey struggling to keep up with changing times, but I find it utterly confusing.

BF: Meaningless statistics, such as a promoted teams Premier League record despite not having played in the top flight for years. And clubs excruciating exclusive interviews with their own employees.

BG: The ongoing contempt with which subscription TV channels in the UK treat match-going and armchair fans. The former are often forced to travel long distances to facilitate lunchtime or Monday night kick-offs, while the latter must shell out exorbitant monthly subscriptions to watch European football, in a year when four English teams have reached finals.

http://www.theguardian.com/us

[donaldtrumpatthemovies-blog]

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

Yesterday Mnuchin sent over a screener of the new Batman Toy movie that he produced. Not planning on watching it. I preffer superhero movies I can take seriously. So watched a different one that he also worked on: “Batman V Superman.” I like this one.

The movie introduces us to Batman and Superman by showing each of them responding to an emergencey. Batman rushes to the scene of a colapsing building and rescues two people. Superman takes out a group of terrorists threatening an American woman. I usually react to emergencies in a similar manner. On 9/11 I ran into the wreckage at Ground Zero and pulled dozens of people to safety. Then I ran to New Jersey, tracked down a celebrating Al Queda cell and took them down singlehandedly. Of course none of this was covered by the lying media who don’t want the public to know about terrorism happening. The media is disgraceful.

Of course Congress is also disgraceful. They hold hearings about Superman cause the terrorists died. What? Terrorists dying is a good thing! Congress should be thanking Superman for doing a great job! But instead they let some immigrant woman spread lies about him. “He answers to no one.” she says. Why should he? He’s getting results! Unlike Congress, who should spend their time aproving Cabinet members, not asking questions. Superman says he doesn’t care about what Congress does. Good for him!

Instead of putting up with Congress’s McCarthyist questions, Superman goes and has sex with his reporter girlfriend in her bathtub. Now let me assure you, when I have sex with lady reporters in bathtubs, it’s way better sex and a far superior class of bathtub. And I guarantee you that when that happens it is definitely always the lady reporters that are propositioning ME. I have too many women throwing themselves at me every day to ever need to go look for sex. Those ugly reporter women from back in October had their lies about me asking for sex, but reporters lying isn’t a suprise for anybody. I’m not going to nail any ugly women! I value my marriage too much to do that. Any woman that I would have sex with is Amy Adams level hot at absolute minimum.

Unlike corrupt Congress, the public supports Superman. That’s why they built him a statue. It’s a good looking statue, but it could’ve been a lot bigger. When I was working on getting a Columbus statue for Manhattan, that statue was huge. Just compare:

In the end, we couldn’t get that statue into New York. Too much red tape. Local government failure! Puerto Rico got it instead. America was robbed. Never again.

Tsereteli, the sculptor who made it, is a big league talent. He makes loads of great statues. You should see his Putin statue. It’s phenomenal. Seriously impressive work. And calling it a great statue doesn’t mean that I’m teamed up with Putin. Nothing to do with him. Nothing. I just respect good art. All these stories about me and Russia are 100% phoney. But the media keeps spreading lies about my amazing cabinet. So unfair. I have absolute confidence in all my people, except the ones that have resigned or are about to resign.

And what’s the big deal about Russians? Look at this movie. The Russians aren’t trying to mess with the government, they’re just doing some business with Lex. This is how Russians usually are in my experience. Easy to work with. And they also help Superman kill those terrorists at the beginning! How is this a problem? It’s like Syria all over again. Democrats, media, and sell outs like Graham are SO DUMB on this.

Anyway, Batman is torturing criminals and getting lots of good infomation from it. This is my favorite Batman in any movie. He wants to save America from nightmare about a vicious police state leader who wasn’t born here. I’m way ahead of him on that. He says that you need to take action if someone has a 1% chance of being a bad guy. I say acting on 0.0000001% is way safer, that’s why I made the travel ban. But Batman’s a deafeatest sometimes. “Criminals are like weeds. Pull one up, another grows in it’s place.” Ridiculous. Doesn’t understand criminals or gardening. I will make sure we get ALL the crooks, and we’ll make America crime free, just like I made my golf courses weed free. But this movie does have the best Batman fights out of any movie. This Batman is extremely strong and can lift big weights and huge tires. He’s in almost as good shape as me!

Lex Luthor isn’t in very good shape. And he mostly acts like a twerp. He doesn’t command respect. No one would ever come to one of MY events to try to spy on secret infomation. I don’t associate with sneaky people. When my friends and customers see me at a table near them meeting with my advisors, negotiating with foreign leaders, reviewing CIA reports, or whatever, they don’t try to ease drop! They just say to each other “Wow isn’t it amazing how calm and collected and completely powerful President Trump is? It’s like he was born to do this job! We should’ve put him in charge YEARS ago!” Respect is important. If Lex had more respect, maybe the nosy senator woman would let him have his poison emerald. They were supposed to be on the same side, and she still gives him problems! Typical corrupt senator behavior. They always back stabb their own side over junk like “rules” and “evidence.” Or they tell total lies like cooky McConnell badmouthing my wall today. What a dolt!

But Lex has a respectable side too. Like the scene where he jams the Jolly Rancher in the government guy‘s mouth. That’s how you take control of a situation! Though that’s just one candy. I can force an entire plate of meatloaf into Chris Christie when I need to make a point. Lex also understands the enjoyment of making a woman drink piss. Of course I preffer using much hotter women for this type of game. But he’s still a twerp most of the time. It’s why he gets locked up at the end. And gets his head shaved, which drives him crazy.

Superman finds out about disasters from television and goes off to solve them. But does the media thank him? They just sit and complain and tell lies about him! Sound familiar? And when he goes to Washington, tons of protesters with weirdo haircuts come to whine about him. Disgraceful. These are huge protest crowds. Way bigger than any that have ever protested me. No comparison. Did anybody ever dress up a dummy in my clothes and set it on fire? Not a chance! Even these wacko Woman Protest Day chicks can’t get as big a crowd as the Superman hater people do. This is what Superman has to put up with. And all the clowns holding the hearing at Congress. So shameful. It must’ve felt good for him to watch them all explode. Big relief. He should have crowds cheering him, not these constant insults! Like his girlfriend tells him, he is “all that gives people hope.” And you know, so many people have said this about me also. But still all these losers keep complaining!

Why do I have to put up with all this garbage? Lying cameramen get footage of me and my staff and make people think we’re arguing! That was not an argument. I can SHOW you what an argument looks like! And who’s business is it if I tell Reince to stay out of my way? MY BUSINESS. Not the media’s! Everything is amazing between my team! Completely amazing! Which is way more than I can say for Congress. Those bozos are falling apart! I promised the people an amazing repeal of Obamacare. And I told the Congress leaders to make me one, but they messed it all up and split the party! Sort it out! I want a beautiful victory, not a bunch of whining over details! Save the arguing for another issue! This one isn’t exactly life or death! And why are they still dragging there feet on aproving my appointments? Ridiculous! I am the PRESIDENT! The president doesn’t get told to wait for what he wants! The president doesn’t get called a “pathological liar” on news shows! The president doesn’t have some deadbeat restaurant suing his hotel! The president doesn’t get mocked every week by these crossdressers at SNL! The president doesn’t have his picks for national security adviser turn down the job offer! The president doesn’t have a dozen government snitches leaking classified infomation to the fake news reporters every day! Like in the movie, the National Security guy leaks a bunch of classified stuff to the lady reporter! Like the movie knew the future! The snitch even looks like Obama! Out to get me! All of them! And every time I walk down my hall that picture of crooked Hillary is grinning at me! Why do I have to put up with this?

When Superman gets fed up with all the sleazebags who don’t appreciate him, he goes and talks to his dead father. Its an ok conversation, but when ever I picture myself talking to my dead father the conversation is always a lot more inspiring. “You’ve done stupendous Donald,” he tells me. “You built an empire from nothing, with no help from anyone. You have done what no other man could. They say that no man is an island, but you have remade an entire planet in your own image. You shine like the sun itself. And the rest of us stand awed in your shadow. The little people shake with every step you take. Anyone who gets in your way will be crushed under your feet.” Way better than Kevin Costner and his drowning horse nightmares.

Notice how the president in the movie nukes the monster and its clearly the right call. The movie gets what real life weak politicians don’t. Nukes are totally necessary in serious situations. I’m a lot smarter than the wimps. The North Koreans don’t seem to get that yet. They will.

Superman gets killed at the end, clearing space for Hawkman to be introduced as the new lead for “Justice League.” He gets two funerals, which is not bad, but its only half as many as I have set up for myself in my will. The plan is first New York, then Washington and Aberdeen, and then Palm Beach. My body will be interred at Mar-a-Lago, where the “guest house” will be converted into a climate controlled marble furnished mosaleum. My coffin will be made entirely of crystal and flanked by four 10 foot tall solid gold lions. My private security team will be contracted to fire a 20 gun salute beside the tennis courts every Saturday at sundown for the first 25 years. Look, I have absolutely no plans to die soon. I am in fantastic health, and expect that I will outlive my wife and most of my children. But you’ve gotta be prepared for this stuff if you want it to get done right. Can’t trust morons with the details. Legacy is seriously important. Which is also the point of this movie. I like this movie.

#batman v superman #dawn of justice

[oosteven-universe]

The Monster Men: Heart of Wrath #3

The Monster Men: Heart of Wrath #3 American Mythology Productions 2019 Written by Mike Wolfer Illustrated by Roy Allan Martinez Coloured by Periya Pillai Lettered by Natalie Jane This canonical sequel reveals terrors that will leave you with nightmares as rugged Townsend Harper, Jr. and beautiful Virginia Maxon face the legacy of her father's mad experiments into the creation of human life in mysterious chemical vats. But the creatures birthed by science are far from human, misshapen and monstrous beasts who hunger for human flesh. As they fight for their lives in the jungles of a secluded island hell, Townsend and Virginia find that their enemies include not only a horde of fiendish creatures, but a detachment of soldiers led by British Army lieutenant Arkwright, who has resumed Professor Maxon's doomed experiments to create his own army of beasts. Only one can possibly save Townsend and Virginia and stop the mad British officer's scheme... the fearsome creature of inhuman strength who answers to the name Number 13!  Fracking Covid made this take so long to come out but I will say this boy was it ever worth the wait!  The story Mike is weaving here using the characters from the original and then some is utterly spectacular.  The first page here is a wonderful bout of catch-up as Bulan, Townsend, wanders the underground tunnel system looking for Virginia. I am enjoying the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information while working to move it all forward is presented exceptionally well.  I mean whether it’s narration, dialogue or through actions how we learn information is presented in a myriad of ways and it is fantastic plus it ties in tightly to the character development.  Which is spectacular by the way and there’s no greater moment to demonstrate that then Virginia doing what she did upon meeting Arkwright.  The pacing is great and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story with its twists and turns along the way it creates an incredibly dynamic tale. How we see the being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and emerge.  I like being surprised and there are a few moments when I was surprised genuinely so and those moments are what makes me love this series.  I do like how we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow. I am a huge fan of the work Roy Allan does on the interiors here.  I love the linework and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to bring out this kind of attention to detail is stupendous.  I also like that Bulan is shirtless the entire time though I wish he had some hair on his chest or a least a happy trail.  That backgrounds are so integral to how we see the story and what they bring to the moments as well as the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story that we see is incredibly well rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work we see is phenomenal.  How the various hues and tones within the colours are ing utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a true understanding of how colour works.  Plus i rather like seeing how it helps shape the musculature, Bulan, as well as seeing more than one technique in laying it down. ​ This is so true to the source material that it just reads so incredibly well.  You forget in this modern world that once upon a time authors knew how to capture the imagination of their audience in some of the simplest yet complex ways imaginable and this creative team takes that inspiration and brings this to life in that vein.

#Comic Books #Comics Reviews #American Mythology Productions

[oosteven-universe]

Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1

Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1 Dark Horse Comics 2021 Written by Evan Dorkin & Sarah Dyer Illustrated by Benjamin Dewey Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot An elder member of the occult-battling pack of Wise Dogs recalls a harrowing mission—in U.S-occupied Japan after World War II, a mysterious curse creates an army of crawling, disembodied heads which threatens to overwhelm the region. Emrys and a team of canine companions attempt to solve the mystery, bringing them into conflict with shape-changing tanuki, evil oni, and a horde of vengeful demons. This is one of those series that tends to fly under the radar and that’s a shame because it is utterly delightful.  Talking animals isn’t anything new but a cadre of them all working to solve crimes using mysticism is something new.  Our main character here is Emrys, which is Welsh for Immortal, and that’s what he is.  Now I don’t know about the others or the human that they work with but regardless he’s the one who is the glue to this group holding them all together.  If you are new to this than don’t worry this is new reader friendly though I must warn you it make you want to seek them out and get the trades.   I like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  A story being told by Emrys is just what the Doctor ordered and we got back ad learn a lot about him already.  It is a great way to be in the present and then to show the early years as well.  The character development that we see is fantastic and I am enjoying getting to know these characters personalities.  It is a very interesting and complex thing to merge human and dog personalities and make it work and seem incredibly natural.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes me through the pages revealing the story and it’s characters it is easy to get caught up in the proceedings. I like the way we see this being structured and how the layers within the story show themselves, some that run from previous arcs and others that are specific to this one but they all impact the story in different ways.  I like the way we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves everything forward. The interiors here are utterly fantastic!  The linework is wonderful and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work to bring these various breeds to life is stupendous!  I love the fact that we see backgrounds as well and how well they flesh out the moments as well as bring us this depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show an extremely talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is utterly phenomenal and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is beautifully rendered.  From the dogs to the clothing to the flesh tones that highlight the emotional state of the person this is high quality work here. This is smart, funny and incredibly well thought out story that just happens to have dogs with magical abilities thanks to the human they travel with.  This is an uplifting story and I have to say it is entertaining, engaging and full of this magical quality that comes at you so unexpectedly and makes you fall in love with the characters.

#Comic Books #Comics Reviews #Dark Horse Comics

[oosteven-universe]

Ghost Rider: Return of Vengeance #1

Ghost Rider: Return of Vengeance #1 Marvel Comics 2020 Written by Howard Mackie Illustrated by Javier Saltares Ink Assists by Marc Deering Coloured by Aric Prianto Lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino    THE ONE YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR – THE RETURN OF VENGEANCE!     MICHAEL BADILINO was a bad dude in life - and that landed him in hell.  But not just any old rung of hell, a layer so deep it’s reserved for those special enemies of hell – one where a former SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE may suffer for all eternity! As LILITH’s gambit against JOHNNY BLAZE and MEPHISTO for the throne of hell heats up, you can bet other players will enter the arena - and Badilino will find a way to ride again as VENGEANCE!    I am a fan of Ghost Rider and always have been though I am not really all that sure why heh.  He has this convoluted history with multiple folks having taken up the mantle at various points in time.  Which actually may be what I like about it because each version of the character brought and brings something different to the table.  That Badlino isn’t your typical Rider is definitely a bonus in my book and while Lilith and the others who are involved in this fight for hell Badlino is a wild card of the best kind.  The dynamic that is presented here is phenomenal and this makes me want to see more!    I like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  How we see this being structured is fantastic and how the story is introduced and developed really keeps pulling the reader in and doesn’t let up for a moment.  The character development here is phenomenal and seeing the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter flesh them out really well.  The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story and the twists & turns along the way is fantastic.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is pretty amazing to see.  I am really, really enjoying how the events of this book are presented to us and the potential for what is to come is thrilling.      The interiors here are fantastic.  I love the linework that we see and the varying weights and techniques that are being utilised to bring out the detail work is stellar.  This is some really strong comic book style artwork and it works with everything we see here.  This is Hell so I’d like to see more creativity and imagination in the utilisation of backgrounds, while the sweeping lines for action are nice but i wanna see Hell.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a stupendous eye for storytelling.  The colour work is beautifully rendered.  How we see the various hues and tones being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is sensational.  I also like how we see various colours in places you might not expect them but because of a light source it’s completely as it should be.  This understanding of how colour works is super impressive. ​    This is book and character that I would totally read on a monthly basis.  It has the drama and the complexity that makes things so much more complicated than you go into this expecting it to be.  There is this unexpected depth to the storytelling and it draws the reader in and engages their minds and imaginations in all the right ways.  Marvel has some stellar books and none of them involve the Avengers or X-Men and it’s time that these books get to shine.

#Comic Books #Comics Reviews #Marvel Comics