#Billy Koenig

[thingsasbarcodes]

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2x10 - What They Become

[tremorsmackenzie]

some of them are short, others are shorter, they are amazing at cod, and just generally the best agents shield has ever seen, without a doubt. now, decide which member of this illustrious family can rightfully be called the king of the koenigs!

(yeah btw koenig is the german word for king, so i thought that was really funny)

[quakinginmystilishboots]

Tinker Gamer Agent Spy (1664 words) by quakinginmystylishboots Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, Billy Koenig, Nicole Mackenzie, Phil Coulson, Isabelle Hartley, Robert Gonzales Additional Tags: Mack centric, Mack POV Summary: Coulson: You went through rigorous testing when you joined my team. Help me remember. What did you say when I asked if you were loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Mack: I said I was because I am, and that's the truth, sir (AoS 2x15) Mack has a new job and a secret mission but first he needs to convince his prospective employer that he's not Hydra. Or, how and why an engineer became a spy.

[vintagetvstars]

Hot Vintage TV Men's Bracket - Round 1 - Part 1/2 (Polls 1-99)

Round 1 (All Polls)

Ted Bessell Vs. Dick Van Dyke

Jonathan Frid Vs. William Hartnell

Claude Rains Vs. William Hopper

Eric Idle Vs. Peter Tork

Henry Winkler Vs. Tom Smothers

Martin Kove Vs. Tom Selleck

Jeff Conaway Vs. John de Lancie

Dave Foley Vs. Michael J. Fox

David Hyde Pierce Vs. Tony Shalhoub

Jason Bateman Vs. Rob Lowe

Ted Cassidy Vs. Boris Karloff

Eddie Albert Vs. Russell Johnson

Bobby Sherman Vs. Micky Dolenz

Robin Williams Vs. Fred Grandy

Kevin Smith Vs. Bruce Campbell

Brad Dourif Vs. LeVar Burton

Seth Green Vs. Brandon Quinn

Matthew Perry Vs. Tim Daly

Mike Farrell Vs. Judd Hirsch

Matt Bomer Vs. Timothy Olyphant

Larry Hagman Vs. Kent McCord

Fred Rogers Vs. Bobby Troup

David Cassidy Vs. Luke Halpin

George Takei Vs. Richard Hatch

Ricardo Montalban Vs. John Forsythe

Richard Dean Anderson Vs. Bruce Willis

Anthony Head Vs. Paul McGann

Thorsten Kaye Vs. Michael Horse

Darren E. Burrows Vs. Dana Ashbrook

Adam Brody Vs. Milo Ventimiglia

Adam West Vs. Richard Chamberlain

Randy Boone Vs. Dean Butler

Clint Walker Vs. George Maharis

Erik Estrada Vs. Paul Michael Glaser

Billy Dee Williams Vs. Rock Hudson

Ted Danson Vs. Jameson Parker

Sylvester McCoy Vs. Armin Shimerman

Joe Lando Vs. Spencer Rochfort

Ben Browder Vs. Keith Hamilton Cobb

Richard Ayoade Vs. Kevin McDonald

Patrick McGoohan Vs. Robert Vaughn

Chad Everett Vs. DeForest Kelley

Jon Pertwee Vs. Mark Lenard

Darren McGavin Vs. Peter Falk

Terry Jones Vs. Alan Alda

Michael Tylo Vs. Timothy Dalton

Sean Bean Vs. Valentine Pelka

Ioan Gruffudd Vs. Colin Firth

David Tennant Vs. Robert Carlyle

Jason Priestley Vs. Tom Welling

Martin Milner Vs. James Garner

David Soul Vs. Lee Majors

Derek Jacobi Vs. Andrew Robinson

David Hasselhoff Vs. Stephen Nichols

Jimmy Smits Vs. Hal Linden

Brent Spiner Vs. Ted Raimi

Patrick Troughton Vs. Andreas Katsulas

Miguel Ferrer Vs. Mitch Pileggi

David James Elliot Vs. Andre Braugher

Blair Underwood Vs. Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Don Adams Vs. Cesar Romero

Bob Crane Vs. John Astin

Walter Koenig Vs. Davy Jones

Tom Baker Vs. Jamie Farr

Woody Harrelson Vs. John Schneider

John Goodman Vs. Joseph Marcell

Danny John-Jules Vs. Marc Alaimo

Michael Praed Vs. Kevin Sorbo

Mark McKinney Vs. Colm Meaney

Neil Patrick Harris Vs. David Schwimmer

James Arness Vs. Robert Fuller

Clint Eastwood Vs. Robert Conrad

Jonathan Frakes Vs. Michael Hurst

David Duchovny Vs. Michael T. Weiss

Luke Perry Vs. Jeremy Sisto

Matt LeBlanc Vs. John Stamos

Reece Shearsmith Vs. Alexander Siddig

Eric Close Vs. William Shockley

Daniel Dae Kim Vs. Robert Beltran

Scott Cohen Vs. Scott Patterson

Dick Gautier Vs. Michael Landon

Wayne Rogers Vs. Alejandro Rey

Gerald McRaney Vs. Robert Wagner

Simon Williams Vs. John Cleese

Brian Blessed Vs. James Earl Jones

Noah Wyle Vs. Kyle MacLachlan

James Marsters Vs. Paul Gross

Paolo Montalban Vs. Robert Duncan McNeill

Garrett Wang Vs. Nate Richert

Christian Kane Vs. Michael Vartan

David McCallum Vs. David Selby

Leonard Nimoy Vs. Colin Baker

Randolph Mantooth Vs. Michael Nesmith

Demond Wilson Vs. Tony Danza

Ron Perlman Vs. Mr. T

Ron Glass Vs. Dirk Benedict

John Shea Vs. Michael Ontkean

Jeffrey Combs Vs. Rowan Atkinson

Tim Russ Vs. Bruce Boxleitner

Round 1 Polls 100 - 128

[ravenn-darkholme]

Permanent Price chapter 2

Alex Summers x Mutant!OC

Summary: Isabella Darkholme, sister of raven Darkholme and Charles Xavier. Also a mutant. Her mutation allows her to blend in with the light rays, turning herself and whatever she's touching invisible.

word count: 1685

warnings: none that I know of

series masterlist

After Charles introduced Raven and Isabella to CIA agent Moira MacTaggert, they traveled to Virginia to visit the CIA headquarters.

Bella sat next to raven as Charles presented his lecture to the CIA. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know the CIA agents couldn't care less about what Charles was saying. As Charles finished he moved to sit down across from the sisters.

"MacTaggert, you really think that some crackpot scientist is going to make me believe in sparkly dames and vanishing men? You just bought yourself a one-way ticket back to the typing pool. This meeting is over."

"Please sit down, Agent Mactaggart. I didn't really expect you to believe me, given that all you could think about during my presentation was what sort of pie they were serving in the commissary. It's apple pecan. You see, one of the many spectacular things my mutation allows me to do is that I can read your mind." Charles said to the moody CIA men.

"I've seen this before in a magic show. Are you going to ask us to think of a number between one and 10 now?" Isabella wanted to hit that man over and over again, but she couldn't blow her cover. If it wasn't mentioned before she was sitting next to raven invisible and ready to show herself on cue if Charles's plan didn't work. As if sensing her discomfort, raven put her hand on her sister's hand to calm her down. They were both sick of humans calling mutants like themselves 'freaks' or 'clowns'.

"No, agent Stryker. Although, I could ask you about your son, William, who you were thinking about, which is very nice. But I think I'd rather ask you about the Jupiter missile America is currently placing in Turkey."

"He's a goddamn spy. You brought a goddamned spy into this facility!" The CIA agent raised his voice toward Moira. Raven squeezed her sister's hand telling her it was time to show herself. Raven stood up and her blue scales fell down her body revealing herself as the CIA man she was looking at. Then Isabella made herself visible. Gold and purple specs of light cascaded down her body, exposing her to the agents in the meeting. It was as if time had stopped in that room. All the CIA agents including Moira just stared at them dumbfounded. Isabella and Raven looked toward the rude men and just smiled.

"How's that for a magic trick?" Charles smirked.

"Best I've ever seen." A man at the back of the room said with a small genuine smile on his face. Maybe some of these men weren't so bad.

"I want them out of here. And locked down until I can figure out what to do."

"My facility is off-site. I'll take them." The same man said smiling at the two sisters.

They were on their way to the parking garage when Charles spoke to Moira in his mind. He planned to meet her up there and she was going to take them to the new lead on Sebastian Shaw.

"I've always known that there were people like you out there. I've been the laughing stock of this agency for years, but I knew it! You are going to love my facility." The man - Belle learned was named Agent Billy Koenig.

"That's going to have to wait."

"Why?"

"Agent Mactaggert has a lead on Sebastian Shaw, and if we don't move now, apparently, we're going to lose him," Charles said as Moira pulled up in an all-black slick SUV.

"What?" Agent Koenig asked confused.

"Not only can he read minds, but he can also communicate with them as well," Bella said to the man.

"Moira and I have just had a lovely conversation."

"Yes, we did."

"That is incredible! But . . . I-I cannot take you anywhere else without permission from upstairs." He stuttered sadly.

"Like to see one more magic trick?" - "Okay." - "Get in the car." - "Good idea."

Isabella chuckled. He really was a powerful mutant. Three words and he could make ANYONE do whatever he wanted. That could come in handy one day.

as long as he doesn't lose his powers. She thought with a silent chuckle.

Oh, I would never lose them, my dear Isabella. He spoke to her mind with a smirk.

Belle got in the back with raven and Agent Koenig when he suddenly asked her.

"So what can you do? Just turn invisible or can you turn people invisible too? That's awesome-" He began to ramble on. Belle smiled and answered him.

"Well as you saw, I can turn myself invisible but also other people and objects. And I can phase through objects. But that's about it." She told sweetly.

"Wow. That is just incredible. You too." He said looking toward Raven. She just smiled sadly. At least someone liked her for her real form. Don't get me wrong she loved Charles dearly but telling her she needed to hide? Made her upset. Though she knew Isabella loved her true form.

⋆✩⋆

Isabella Adored the ocean. It was probably because she and Raven's mother used to take them to the nearest beach when they were younger and they would all go swimming and have fun. That was one of the simple things she missed dearly from her childhood. Bella had tried to get Charles to go with her and raven once but he was too busy with uni stuff. Isabella also felt safe near deep dark open waters as her powers could save her or the people around her.

"I've lost Shaw," Charles spoke as he tried to read Shaw's mind from his position on the ship. "I've lo- I've lost Shaw." He repeated as he tried to find him.

"Th-There's something blocking me. This has only ever happened with Isabella, before." He informed the Agents around them. Isabella could stop Charles (or other mind readers if she came across them) from entering her mind by simply putting a forcefield around her mind, or trapping the mind reader in one would stop them from reading anyone outside of the bubble.

"I think there's someone like me on that ship."

"Like you?" Moira asked, not really understanding.

"What are you saying, there's a telepath?" Isabella asked, surprised. She knew there had to be others like Charles but it was still shocking to hear.

"Yes. This is incredible." Charles said, excitingly. "I can actually feel her inside my mind. I'm very sorry, but I don't think I'm gonna be much help to you tonight."

"Belle?" The two agents looked at her hopeful.

"I mean there's not much I can do from over here, and even if we were closer we don't know who is on that ship or what they can do," She informed them, watching the agent's faces drop.

"Looks like you guys are on your own, I'm sorry." She added, sad that she couldn't help.

"Get inside," Koenig told the three as they made their way to where Raven was.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop," Charles said as he curled over clutching his head in agony.

"Charles?" Isabella asked worryingly as she placed her hand on his arm, hoping to help him get through the pain. It surprised the two of them when it worked.

"There's someone else out there." He informed the three before they made their way back onto the deck.

"There." Charles pointed to something that was floating in the air. As Isabella looked closer, she saw that it was the anchor to Shaw's boat gliding through the air.

"Oh, my god." Bella gasped as she watched the anchor destroy the boat. Belle tried to search the water for the unknown person, but she couldn't see anyone. It wasn't until she saw a submarine coming towards them did she see a man following behind it.

"Let go! You have to let it go!" Charles called out to the man, knowing what he was trying to do by reading his mind.

"You have to help him. Someone has to get in the water to help him." Belle spoke to the agents while Charles called out the man. But before anyone could react Charles jumped off the ship to help him.

"Charles!" Isabella called out to the man as Moira held her back from going in after him.

"Charles!" She called out again as she tried to get out of Moira's grip. "Let go of me! Charles!"

It's fine, Belle. I'm fine. We're fine. She heard Charles' voice in her head which made her calm down a little.

Would you mind picking us up, Isabella?

And she did as she was told, using her forcefield shaped like a square, to safely pick up Charles and the unidentified man out of the water. Koenig and Moira stared at her in awe, watching her work.

"Incredible," Moira spoke, eyes wide.

She relaxed once Charles was back on the ship, with the unknown man. Bella was quick to pull Charles into a hug once she reached him, not caring about getting wet. Charles was happy to hug the girl back as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm happy you're okay." The girl said as she hugged Charles a little tighter before she let go of him.

"God, Charles if you ever do that again, I swear to god!" She said as she lightly hit him on his chest.

"I don't plan on it, belle." Charles couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the girl.

"But I would like to introduce you to our new friend." He added as he looked between Isabella and the man he found in the ocean.

"Isabella, this is Erik." He introduced the two.

"Well, Erik. It's nice to meet you." She smiled at the new man. Erik just looked the girl up and down without speaking and walking away.

Rude.

be nice, he's had a hard time.

With that she poked her tongue out at her brother, childishly walking away and folding her arms, making him chuckle.

authors note

guess what... BELLA'S MEETING THE LOVE OF HER LIFE NEXT CHAPTER *cheers* and yes I made that CIA agent named billy koenig :) if you caught that hi fellow AOS fan <3

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (27 Oct-2 Nov 2024)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😊 The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney #3) (Claudia Gray, author; Billie Fulford-Brown, narrator) - A really enjoyable cozy mystery in this austenverse. I did genuinely want to keep reading to find out the solution. However, I'm finding the will they/won't they/miscommunication/misunderstanding BS about Juliet & Jonathan's relationship is really starting to grate, even though the reasons for all the non/miscommunications are marginally reasonable & in character. But I was still quite annoyed with it, and I think I might be over this series for it. By the end at least J&J had talked and are on the same page about their feelings - now the obstacles are external at least, which gives me a bit more patience with it? probably my annoyance will be faded by the time the next one is published & I'll be happy to pick it up again.

😍 A Year in the Life of Sarge's Person (BlueSimplicity) - 189K, incredible post-WS recovery fic - loved how Bucky-focused this was (steve doesn't even appear until like 2/3 of the way thru the fic), loved his found family and of course I loved Sarge. Instant forever fave, stayed up until 2am reading which at my age is no small thing.

🙂 Specks of Silver (vanderloo) - 82K, lightly magical Suits fic- liked the 'small magic' style of this world

🥰 King & Queen (RELIC #3) (Maz Maddox, author; Kirt Graves, narrator) - dino shifters AND drag queens!!!! dino shifters AS drag queens! so much fun!

💖💖 +108K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

an outlier that should not be counted (dadvans) - 9-1-1: bucktommy, 7K - fluffy, cute, very 🥰

Conquest (the_deep_magic) - The Eagle of the Ninth: marcus/esca, 7K - 🔥🔥🔥

Let Me Be Your Porch Light, Baby (AidaRonan) - Stranger Things: steddie, 7K - fuck yes mothman! here for all the monsterfucking!

A Dream Through Open Eyes (neapeaikea) - 9-1-1: bucktommy, 16K - cute, cute, cute!!! love a teacher!Buck AU

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Would I Lie To You? - s8, e6; s16, e5,7

Insert Name Here - s3, e4

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown - s19, e3

Decoding the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Tombstones With Dr. Nicky Nielsen - Session Session 2: Making Stelae & The Offering Formula

Spirits, Saints, and Souls: The Secret History of Halloween With Lisa Morton - Session 3: Halloween As We Know It

Seas The Day: Life Lessons From Cephalopods With Dr. Sarah McAnulty - Session 3: 300 Ways to Be a Squid: A crash course in all the lifestyles squid have carved out over their long history

The Sam Sanders Show - From Indie Videos to Hollywood Hits: Alvarez & Koenig on "English Teacher"

Handsome - Abby Wambach asks about getting back to yourself

Handsome - Pretty Little Episode #11

What We Do In The Shadows - s6, e1-3

Only Murders In The Building - s4, e9-10

D20: Misfits & Magic 2 - "Code Crimson" (s23, e6)

D20: Adventuring Party - "I'm A Good Boy" (s18, e6)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Re: Dracula - October 27: Souls and Memories

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Spooky Week: Elmer McCurdy’s Nine Lives

Re: Dracula - October 28: Awful Straits

Off Menu - Ep 268: Jessica Hynes

The Curious History of Your Home - Sheds

Persuasion by Jane Austen - Persuasion 9. | A Surprise Engagement

The Curious History of Your Home - Baths

Re: Dracula - October 29: Something is Going Out

The Fandom Show - Special Effects Makeup

Switched on Pop - Where are all the scary songs?

NPR's Book of the Day - Al Pacino's memoir 'Sonny Boy' is a story of adventure, starting in the South Bronx

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Agatha All Along

The Allusionist - 202. Singlish Singlish

Re: Dracula - October 30: Council of War

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Spooky Week: Places That Give Us the Creeps

Morning Edition - After nearly 4 months, Shaboozey's 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)' drops from No. 1

Morning Edition - It's almost Halloween -- a good time to look at the science behind the sound of fear

⭐ 99% Invisible - How the World Ran Out of Everything

Shedunnit - Vanishing Corpses

The Curious History of Your Home - Lights

⭐ Song Exploder - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young "Our House"

Re: Dracula - October 31: Latest and Truest Thought

NPR's Book of the Day - 'American Scary' documents a cultural obsession with horror in the United States

Re: Dracula - November 1: Instinct with Resolution

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Tom Hanks' Movie Here And What's Making Us Happy

Dear Prudence - My Wife Won’t Stop Correcting My Grammar. Help!

Dear Prudence - Prudie Plus: A Celeb Died. My Friend’s Being A Ghoul.

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Spooky Week: The Story of the Mad Gasser with Colin Dickey

⭐ Wild Card - Kathryn Hahn feels more powerful than ever

Wild Card - Seth Meyers on waiting to propose and Kathryn Hahn's early career struggles

Welcome to Night Vale #257 - Traffic

Re: Dracula - November 2: Deadly Peril

Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me! - Brian Jordan Alvarez

Betwixt The Sheets - What Made You Ugly In The Ancient World

Fresh Air - Alex Van Halen On Eddie, Fire & 'Feeling It'

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Presenting Gordon Lightfoot

Presenting Reba McEntire

Machines of Loving Grace Radio • Popular

The Very Best Of Patsy Cline

Halloween Salsa

Sunshine Soul

Teenage Werewolf Rock

Classic Hard Rock Workout

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Pavel Chekov

By Ames

Ever hear an old Russian folktale called Star Trek: The Original Series? I have it on good authority that it was written by a little old lady in Leningrad. That’s right: we’re shining the spotlight on the Enterprise’s Russian navigator this week on A Star to Steer Her By, so be prepared to hear way too many tall tales from the garden of Eden, located right outside of Moscow.

Somehow it was easier coming up with enough best and worst moments from Pavel Chekov to fill out our list than it was for Sulu and Uhura, and even Scotty for that matter! Maybe it’s that we’ve just loved picking on Walter Koenig over the years, or maybe it’s that it just sounded like so much fun writing comic relief scenes for him. So read on below and listen to our banter on this week’s podcast episode (chat starts at 1:14:49). It’s definitely worth a couple ham sandwiches.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best Moments

The Russian waltz “I, Mudd” turns into one of the silliest sequences from The Original Series by the end as the crew puts on a dumb show to confuse the robots into having mental breakdowns. And this includes some pretty great work from Chekov, waltzing with Uhura and then illogically getting slapped by her, and dancing emphatically when he’s been ordered to be absolutely still. Does not compute!

Scared to death… er, life Despite being a pill throughout most of “The Deadly Years,” Chekov did end up contributing to the antidote for the other crewmembers’ old age problem simply by being a pathetic little coward. Because he was so scared to see Alvin’s dead body, Chekov was immune from the condition due to his increased adrenaline, which Doc deduces. Eek!

She wants to shop, and I thought I would help her In a rather cute moment in “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Chekov agrees to go shopping with Uhura on Space Station K7. It’s just a small little moment of bonding that could have been any of the characters, but it’s just good of Chekov to accompany the lieutenant while on shore leave, and being there when she adopts her pet tribble.

You started it, didn't you? We also have to give Chekov some credit for not snitching on Scott’s initiating the massive brawl all over the bar in “The Trouble with Tribbles.” Chekov was itching for a fight himself, but Scott throws the first punch and then Chekov keeps mum about it while Kirk is questioning all the combatants. How did the fight itself go? Well you’ll see…

Pavel of all trades We see a lot of instances of crewmembers filling in for each other on the ship. Last week, we mentioned how Uhura jumped in to do some rewiring work. And in “The Immunity Syndrome,” we see Chekov manning the science station throughout the episode during moments when Spock is either busy or on a one-way trip into a space amoeba, as one does.

If he shoots at me, I will just step out of the way Despite getting gunned down like a dog by Morgan Earp in “Spectre of the Gun,” Chekov does manage to help the others figure out the puzzle of their OK Corral setting. Billy Claiborne didn’t die in the shootout in real life (he ran away, like we could imagine Chekov doing), so the others realize this scenario doesn’t have to match history. Thanks, Chekov. Sorry about the dying part.

Arm… photon… torpedoes… As usual, we’ve got lots more moments to highlight from the minor bridge characters in the movies compared to the television show, so let’s start off with The Motion Picture. Chekov is mostly around to feed various lines of technobabble and to get his arm zapped by his console, but he also successfully juliennes the space potato in that horribly extended wormhole sequence.

Botany Bay? Oh no! We get a ton of action from Chekov while he’s serving on the Reliant in The Wrath of Khan though! He figures out (too late, mind you) that something is afoot on the Botany Bay when he finds a clue. And even more impressive, he somehow survives having a ceti eel latch around his brain, fighting off Khan’s manipulation that would have coaxed him into killing Kirk!

And Admiral, it is the Enterprise! As usual, The Voyage Home has the most stuff for the lesser main characters to do, which is a treat. And Pavel gets some time to shine when he and Uhura find the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise (a great touch!), infiltrate it, and sneak out some of its photons. And like when he escorted her to K7, he’s an entire gentleman and even lets Uhura beam out first!

Winter Storm Walter I just find this delightful. Chekov and Sulu hiking in the woods together and enjoying their little playdate in The Final Frontier is sweet enough on its own, but when Chekov wants to save face and avoid telling Uhura that they got lost before being called back to duty, he fakes a blizzard. And just how badly he impersonates the wind is just part of the charm of this scene!

Warp speed now! Man, we really are seeing The Final Frontier represented a surprising amount in our best moments in this spotlight series! It’s undoubtedly one of Chekov’s best moments, possibly because he has the most to do: tricking Sybok by pretending to be the captain of the Enterprise, going up against a Klingon Bird of Prey, and getting his party back aboard before warping away!

Next time, stick with synthehol Finally, just a small detail that Jake really liked from The Undiscovered Country. While the dinner scene with the Klingons mostly just came across as racist (as Ames noted in our Kirk spotlight), Walter Koenig just had perfect delivery of the line, “Only the size of my head,” jesting about the radiation surge and his hangover from all that Romulan ale.

—

Worst Moments

Hey hey we’re the Monkees Place your votes on which of the early-season-2 wigs was the worst. Watching poor Walter Koenig in these absolutely atrocious Monkees wigs in episodes like “Amok Time” and “Who Mourns for Adonais?” is just painful. They look like really poorly styled women’s bob hairpieces, and I cannot take anyone wearing them seriously.

We all move up in rank It’s funny how little we actually see mirror Chekov in “Mirror, Mirror,” and yet what a great effect he has in establishing the world. He has all of three lines in the whole episode (plus a whole lot of great Koenig screaming), and yet we understand from how he so utterly fails at mutinying that in this world it’s kill or be killed. And Chekov clearly doesn’t have the chops.

Trouble on paradise planet On the other hand, we see entirely too much of Chekov in “The Apple,” and it’s mostly all cringe. Literally moments after watching Hendorff get killed and Yeoman Landon is concerned about their safety, Chekov comes onto her with a “I've been wanting to get you in a place like this for a long time.” The two of them are just horny teenagers all episode long and it’s all really immature.

If I live long enough, I'm going to run out of samples Chekov also comes across as just plain whiny and even more immature in “The Deadly Years” when he’s complaining and complaining about undergoing tests for McCoy to figure out what caused his afore-mentioned immunity. His fellow crewmates and everyone who’d been in that colony are dying / have died of old age, and he’s insensitive enough to complain about a couple samples?

You heard what he called the captain While the brawl in “The Trouble with Tribbles” is indeed a thing of beauty, it does make Chekov come across as both needlessly violent when Scott has to talk him out of attacking Klingons a couple times, and also as woefully incompetent when all his punches have exactly no effect on his assailant. It’s just a little “Chekov is weak” joke that’s kinda dumb when you think about it.

Piotr would be ashamed This one comes with a content warning for attempted rape. Like Kirk in “The Enemy Within,” when Chekov is affected by the Beta XII-A entity which is making everyone angry in “Day of the Dove,” he goes straight to sexually assaulting Kang’s wife Mara, and it’s uncomfortable and immoral and shameful. I will not be hearing excuses, energy being–related or otherwise.

Feeling a little Defiant Hey, another instance of Chekov being influenced by some kind of space craziness, this time by the area of space that also took the Defiant in “The Tholian Web.” Something about this area sends crewmembers into a fury, and Chekov is first on the list to go mindlessly ravenous. I’ve said before that this episode really doesn’t make a ton of sense, and here’s just more evidence.

Be incorrect, occasionally While we felt Spock and Bones were woefully out of character in “The Tholian Web,” Chekov felt miswritten in “The Way to Eden.” He belittles his old girlfriend’s way of life, and she counters that he’s always been so straight-laced and by-the-book. Since when!? Perhaps this was left over from when she was meant to be McCoy’s daughter, because being judgemental does not feel like a Chekov trait.

This is Ceti Alpha V! Yes, Chekov, a planet has to be “completely lifeless” for the Genesis Device to test there. We could understand how tricky it might be to account for a tiny organism or something, but you somehow missed a whole colony of augmented humans in The Wrath of Khan. How can someone miss that? And to not notice which planet you’re even on? What is this, amateur hour?

We are looking for nuclear wessels While I could just give hell to whatever accent Walter Koenig thought he was doing (nuclear wessels, my foot), let’s make this The Voyager Home moment about getting his ass captured by U.S. navy men, absolutely failing to escape and breaking his everything, and needing everyone else to stop what they were doing to get him rescued. And have I mentioned the whole “wessels” thing?

Put Chekov at the kids’ table from now on I give Nichelle Nichols credit for refusing to say “Guess who’s coming to dinner” in The Undiscovered Country because to have a black woman say a line with such racial undercurrents would be a mistake, so Chekov says it instead. You coulda just read the room and cut it entirely, but whatever. Then Chekov makes a fool of himself by speaking of “inalienable human rights” only to be positively schooled by Azetbur, and rightly so.

If shoe fits, wear it We’ve been surprised how many of our best moments have come from The Final Frontier, and on the flip side it’s just as surprising how many of our worst moments have come from The Undiscovered Country. Despite being a genuinely good film, it sometimes screws over its characters, like when Chekov is made a fool yet again by not checking crewman Dax’s feet before accusing him of being the movie’s Cinderella.

— Clearly all this has been a Russian inwention. Stay tuned for one final character spotlight from The Original Series, as we’ve only got Nurse Chapel yet to go. We’re also continuing our trip through Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast, you can share Russian tales with us over on Facebook and Twitter, and check to make sure that wig isn’t on backwards.

[suckitsurveys]

Do people tell you you have cold hands? Not usually.

Do you feel that the shape of the pasta alters the taste? No.

How often do you listen to rock music? I’d say relatively often? It’s not a genre I seek out usually but I won’t turn it off. I feel like I have a fair amount in my rotation. Also, take that with a grain of salt because I am shit at recognizing genres.

In games, do you like to roleplay as good or bad? I don’t really play RPGs.

What was your favourite colour when you were 10? Blue.

When were you last in a hospital? Sometime in April when I dropped my dad off for a procedure.

Is there an instrument you don’t like the sound of? Any instrument when my brother in law is playing it.

Have you ever sponsored an animal? Yes.

Would you rather be a kangaroo or a sea turtle? Sea turtle.

Do you like to get ready in the bathroom or the bedroom? I get dressed in my bedroom but do everything else in the bathroom.

What’s your favourite Coldplay song? I don’t have one.

Do you have a favourite insect? Praying manti.

Have you ever worn coloured contacts for Halloween? Nope.

Do you own a scooter? Not since I was a kid.

Which pastel colour is the nicest? Purple.

When did you last play a Mario game? I played Super Smash Bros not that long ago if that counts.

Ever owned an actual piggy bank? My grandmother used to bring us these little plastic ones from her bank all the time. We had SO many. I also have a glass snoopy one that still resides at my dad’s house. When I was like 7 or 8 I put water in it like a dumbass and the pennies in it rusted.

When did you last swing on a swing-set? Not that long ago. My dad still has the one he built for me as a kid in our yard and I think I sat on it not that long ago when I was out there playing with my nieces.

Do you study any subjects in your free time? Not really.

Would you rather become fluent in 3 European languages or 3 Asian languages? Three European.

Are your bedroom curtains long or short? They just fit the window.

Have you ever been zip-lining? Nope.

Did you carve a pumpkin this past year? I did and I plan on doing it this year too.

Have you volunteered in the past 6 months? No.

French fries or onion rings? French fries.

Why do you take surveys? They’re a time killer and I like talking about myself in this form lol.

Do you suffer from anxiety? Yes.

Did you ever take a swimming class? Yes, in grade school.

Favorite healthy snack? Define “healthy.”

Favorite Disney movie? The Emperor’s New Groove and the Toy Story franchise. Also Frozen and Moana.

Do you consider yourself an artist? Eh.

How well can you bake a cake? I mean, I can follow directions on a box.

Have you ever tasted banana milk? I think so? I’ve had a banana milkshake, does that count? lol.

How many pairs of skinny jeans do you think you own? Three.

Do you own a pair of Converse sneakers? Yes, I have at least 6 pair that I can think of right now.

If you see a bee in your house… are you going to kill it? No, I’ll try to get it outside.

I’m ordering Chinese food; what do you want? My treat! Orange chicken with fried rice and egg rolls sound really amazing right now, thanks.

Do you have a cat? I have 3!

Ever been in love? Yes. I am right now.

Any piercings that you want? I've been kinda thinking about getting more holes in my ears, but that would be the extent.

OTP? Bob and Linda Belcher.

Favorite quote? “Love her but leave her wild.”

Favorite singer? Right now it’s Chappell Roan, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Ezra Koenig.

How long does it take you to shower? Anywhere between 10-30 minutes depending on what I’m doing.

The reason you joined Tumblr? Oh god, I don’t remember. Maybe for the 30 Rock fandom??

Baked macaroni and cheese or regular? Both are good. Is this another survey combined into this one again wtfffff.

What’s the first thing you learned how to draw? Oh man it is. Peace out.

Who wrote the last book you read? Erin Hunter.

What’s the middle name of your best friend? He doesn’t have one.

How far away do you live from the closest aquarium? I don’t know, honestly.

Who in your family has a birthday in January? Uh… no one that I know of. I was DUE in January.

What’s your favorite country song? Probably “When The Stars Go Blue” by Tim McGraw.

Pizza rolls or bagel bites? Pizza rolls. I was never big on bagel bites.

What’s the last show you really got into that you have to wait for the next season of? Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

When’s the last time you saw fireworks? I could see some fireworks from outside my window on the 4th.

Have you ever witnessed a car accident? Yes.

Do you own a pair of fuzzy socks? Yes.

Have you ever been skinny dipping? No.

Sprinkles or frosting? Frosting, I hate sprinkles.

Do you like mushrooms? Visually I love them, they’re so diverse and look cool, but as food, no.

Have you ever worked in a grocery store? I worked at a dollar store.

What’s your Subway order? Italian bread, turkey, bacon, American cheese, banana peppers, pickles, Chipotle sauce. Next time I need to try warming it.

Do you know how to roller skate? I can rollerblade. The only time I used proper skates (two wheels on each side), I broke my wrist lmao

Can you read sheet music? I used to be able to. I could point out a few notes, I think.

What’s one food your family has at Thanksgiving? I hate nearly every single thing I’ve ever had at Thanksgiving, so I don’t pay attention. I literally like honey ham (but not the way my sister’s MIL prepares it) and the rolls. That’s it.

Do you like painting? Actually no, it stresses me out. I took a class in college and I hated that erasing isn’t a thing (yes, you can dry and paint over, I don’t care, that’s not an immediate fix), and it stressed me out that we weren’t supposed to sketch, either.

Do you have to sleep with a fan on? Most of the year, yes. If I’m too cold in the winter, it’s off.

Name one thing you put on a salad: I like bacon bits.

What’s the last thing you ordered from a Mexican restaurant? Literally hot wings and fries, I’m not kidding lmfao. It was an appetizer option I just made into a meal.

Do you carry a purse or a backpack? Purse.

What kind of soda is your favorite? Mountain Dew Voltage.

Do you like your in-laws? I cannot fucking stand my sister’s husband’s family. I’m not married yet, but I love my boyfriend’s family.

Toe socks or ankle socks? Ugh neither, both are sensory nightmares for me.

Nachos or chips and salsa? Chips and salsa.

What’s the name of your pets? Roman, Venus, Cookie.

What’s your Chick-fil-A order? I only really eat there if it inconveniences those around me if I don’t (like, so they don’t have to go to two places), and in that case, I just get the normal sandwich and fries. I try not to support Bigot Bird.

Regular or pink lemonade? Pink.

Chinese or Japanese cuisine? Chinese, I guess, by default. Any Japanese I’ve tried, I didn’t like.

Do you own a pair of Crocs? No, they’re absolutely hideous and I’ve also slipped on Mom’s just to step outside for whatever reason and I find them extremely uncomfortable.

Does anyone in your family have a birthday in February? Me, my niece.

What’s your Taco Bell order? Steak and cheese quesadillas with fiesta potatoes, normal Mountain Dew.

Have you ever lived in a trailer/doublewide? No.

Pizza or nacho lunchables? Nachos, the pizza Lunchable is appalling.

Have you ever been to a strip club? No.

Did you ever participate in any pageants when you were younger? Hell no.

What kind of cheese is your favorite? Just yellow American.

Make the perfect taco salad: I don’t like taco salad.

Name a character from your favorite TV show: Mozart was my favorite in Meerkat Manor.

Do you like going to arcades? Yes.

What kind of meat do you like the most? Ham, probably.

Snakes or spiders? Snakes in general, but I probably like tarantulas specifically more than snakes.

Have you ever had your nails done professionally? Yes, but only because I tagged along with others.

Is anyone in your family in law enforcement? No.

What’s a fruit you dislike? Mango, as a fruit itself. Texture nightmare. I love mango-flavored stuff. Oh, I absolutely hate cherries and don’t really like cherry-flavored stuff, either.

Make the perfect omelet: Just bacon, ham, and cheese, honestly… and salt and pepper, if you wanna count stuff like that I guess.

[evilou]

Why do I have a feeling that Billy Koenig is some kind of clone or something lol

[astrabear]

Has anyone considered an Agents of SHIELD Old Guard AU?

Proposition :

Quynh as Coulson: they thought they lost her, but then they got her back, only... something isn't quite right.

Andy as May: the grizzled vet with the tragic past, kicks ten kinds of ass, long history with QuynhCoulson that becomes romantic (but it's an AU, so why wait so long if we don't have to)

Nile as Skye aka Daisy: the new kid who turns out to be more capable than anyone expected

Booker as Ward: the mentor, the traitor. Possible to ship with AndyMay and/or NileDaisy depending on your tastes, but neither one will go well because he is so deeply damaged (and a traitor). Could be given a redemption arc, because the point is not to recreate the original storyline exactly.

Nicky and Joe as FitzSimmons: do I even have to explain? Their history at SHIELD Academy can easily be written as rivals or enemies to lovers to make it more kaysanova.

Copley as Nick Fury: hear me out, it's not because they're both Black men, it's because both of them really believed that in spite of whatever moral compromises they were making, ultimately they were doing good. And then they realized they'd been manipulated into doing the work of evil men.

Merrick, Keane, and Kozak are of course all HYDRA.

And what the hell, Lykon as Eric Koenig: minor character, one of the good guys, dies early to establish how high the stakes are (but we've still got Sam and Billy to look forward to...)

This is mostly based on the first season of the show; it could be adapted for later seasons, like having Copley in the Director Mace role instead of Fury. There are lots of options.

I can't imagine ever writing this myself, but if anyone else wants to take it and run with it, you're welcome to.

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

BILLY HIGGINS, ‘’SMILING BILLY’’

“Billy Higgins’s talent will never be duplicated – not that any style can be – but his mark on jazz history is indelible. Billy Higgins represents four decades of total dedication to his chosen form of American music: jazz.”

- Cedar Walton

Né le 11 octobre 1936 à Los Angeles, en Californie, Billy Higgins était issu d’une famille de musiciens. Élevé dans le ghetto afro-américain de Watts, Higgins avait commencé à jouer de la batterie à l’âge de cinq ans sous l’influence d’un de ses amis batteurs. À l’âge de douze ans, Higgins avait travaillé avec des groupes de rhythm & blues, notamment avec des musiciens comme Amos Milburn et Bo Diddley. Au début de sa carrière, Higgins avait également collaboré avec les chanteurs et chanteuses Brook Benton, Jimmy Witherspoon et Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Surtout influencé par Kenny Clarke, Higgins avait aussi été marqué par Art Tatum et Charlie Parker. En octobre 2001, le chef d’orchestre John Riley du Vanguard Jazz Orchestra avait résumé ainsi les influences d’Higgins: “Billy dug the melodiousness of Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey’s groove, Elvin Jones’s comping, Ed Blackwell’s groove orchestration, and Roy Haynes’ individualist approach.” Higgins avait hérité de son surnom de ‘’Smiling Billy’’ en raison du plaisir communicatif qu’il avait de jouer de la batterie.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Higgins, qui s’était rapidement intéressé au jazz, avait commencé sa carrière en se produisant avec différents musiciens locaux comme Dexter Gordon, Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, Slim Gaillard, Teddy Edwards, Joe Castro et Walter Benton. À l’âge de quatorze ans, Higgins avait rencontré le trompettiste Don Cherry. En 1953, le duo était parti en tournée sur la Côte ouest avec les saxophonistes George Newman et James Clay dans le cadre du groupe  The Jazz Messiahs.

En 1957, Higgins s’était joint au quartet de Red Mitchell qui comprenait également la pianiste Lorraine Geller et le saxophoniste ténor James Clay. Higgins avait d’ailleurs fait ses débuts sur disque avec le groupe de Mitchell dans le cadre d’une collaboration avec les disques Contemporary de Lester Koenig. Higgins avait quitté le groupe de Mitchell peu après pour se joindre à la nouvelle formation d’Ornette Coleman, aux côtés de Don Cherry à la trompette, de Walter Norris au piano, et de Don Payne et de Charlie Haden à la contrebasse. Higgins, qui avait commencé à pratiquer avec Coleman en 1955, avait fait partie du groupe du saxophoniste sur une base permanente de 1958 à 1959, participant notamment à l’enregistrement des albums ‘’Something Else’’ (février-mars 1958), ‘’The Shape of Jazz to Come’’ et ‘’Change of the’’ Century’’, tous deux enregistrés en 1959. Higgins avait également participé aux concerts controversés du groupe au club Five Spot de New York en novembre 1959. Commentant la prestation du groupe, le critique Jon Thurber du Los Angeles Times avait qualifié le concert d’un des événements les plus légendaires de l’époque. Thurber avait ajouté: ‘’The event crowded the room with every available jazz musician and aficionado.”

Higgins s’étant vu interdire l’accès des clubs de New York à la suite d’une altercation avec la police,  Higgins s’était joint au quintet de Thelonious Monk. Il était par la suite allé jouer avec le groupe John Coltrane en 1960.

Le 21 décembre 1960, Higgins avait de nouveau retrouvé Coleman dans le cadre de l’enregistrement de l’album controversé ‘’Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation’’ mettant en vedette le double quartet de Coleman, composé de Coleman au saxophone alto, de Don Cherry à la trompette et au cornet, de Freddie Hubbard à la trompette, d’Eric Dolphy à la flûte, à la clarinette basse et au saxophone soprano, de Scott LaFaro et Charlie Haden à la contrebasse et de Higgins et Ed Blackwell à la batterie.

Devenu un des batteurs les plus en demande du monde du jazz, Higgins avait participé à plusieurs sessions pour les disques Blue Note dans les années 1960, principalement dans des contextes de hard bop. En 1962-63, Higgins s’était joint au groupe de Sonny Rollins avec qui il avait participé à une tournée en France. À la même époque, Higgins s’était également produit avec Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, Art Farmer, Jimmy Heath, Steve Lacy, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock et Lee Morgan.

Le jeu de Higgins à la batterie avait été particulièrement mis en évidence sur des enregistrements comme “Point of Departure’’ d’Andrew Hill, “Takin' Off’’ d’Herbie Hancock (qui comprenait le classique ‘’Watermelon Man’’), “Freedom Jazz Dance” d’Eddie Harris, ‘’Go !’’ de Dexter Gordon et “The Sidewinder’’ de Lee Morgan.

À partir de 1966, Higgins s’était produit régulièrement avec le pianiste Cedar Walton, avec il a enregistré plusieurs albums pour des compagnies de disques européennes jusqu'au milieu des années 1980.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Après s’être fait désintoxiquer en 1971, Higgins avait formé le groupe Brass Company avec le  saxophoniste ténor Claude Bartee et le trompettiste Bill Hardman. Après s’être installé à Los Angeles en 1978, Higgins avait formé avec Walton et le le saxophoniste George Coleman le groupe Eastern Rebellion. À la fin des années 1970, Higgins avait également enregistré comme leader, faisant paraître des albums comme ‘’Soweto’’ (1979), ’’The Soldier’’ (1979) et ‘’Once More’’ (1980).

Dans les années 1980, Higgins avait également collaboré avec Pat Metheny et Slide Hampton. Tout en participant à des tournées internationales avec les Timeless All Stars et à des réunions avec Ornette Coleman et Don Cherry, Higgins avait eu un petit rôle dans le film de Bertrand Tavernier ‘’Round Midnight’’ aux côtés de Dexter Gordon en 1986. Il avait aussi fait partie du trio de Hank Jones. Toujours en 1986, Higgins avait fait partie du Quartet West de Charlie Haden, aux côtés d’Ernie Wax au saxophone et d’Alan Broadbent au piano. Après avoir connu certains problèmes de santé, Higgins avait été éventuellement remplacé par Larance Marable.

Très impliqué socialement, Higgins avait co-fondé en 1989 avec le poète Kamau Daáood le World Stage, un centre communautaire et culturel qui avait pour but de favoriser le développement de la musique, de la littérature et de l’art afro-américain. Le groupe, qui soutenait également la carrière de jeunes musiciens de jazz, organisait régulièrement des ateliers, des enregisrements et des concerts dans le quartier de Leimert Park à Los Angeles. Tous les lundis soirs, Higgins donnait des cours de batterie aux membres de la communauté. Higgins, qui s’intéressait particulièrement aux enfants, avait déclaré au cours d’une entrevue accordée au magazine LA Weekly en 1999:

"They should bus children in here so they can see all this, so they could be a part of it. Because the stuff that they feed kids now, they'll have a bunch of idiots in the next millennium as far as art and culture is concerned. I play at schools all the time, and I ask, 'Do you know who Art Tatum was?' 'Well, I guess not.' Some of them don't know who John Coltrane was, or Charlie Parker. It's our fault. Those who know never told them. They know who Elvis Presley was, and Tupac, or Scooby-Dooby Scoop Dogg--whatever. Anybody can emulate them, because it's easy, it has nothing to do with individualism. There's so much beautiful music in the world, and kids are getting robbed.’’

Également professeur, Higgins avait enseigné à la faculté de jazz de l’Université de Californie à Los Angeles (UCLA). Il avait aussi été très impliqué dans plusieurs activités en faveur de la conservation et de la promotion du jazz.

Toujours très en demande dans les sessions d’enregistrement, Higgins s’était produit sur une base régulière avec le saxophoniste Charles Lloyd de 1999 à 2001. Il dirigeait aussi ses propres groupes.

Atteint d’une maladie des reins, Higgins avait dû mettre sa carrière sur pause dans les années 1990, mais il avait repris sa carrière après avoir subi avec succès une greffe du foie en mars 1996, se produisant notamment avec Ornette Coleman, Charles Lloyd et Harold Land.

Billy Higgins est mort le 4 mai 2001 au Daniel Freeman Hospital d’Inglewoood, en Californie, des suites d’un cancer du foie. Il était âgé de soixante-quatre ans. Ont survécu à Higgins ses fils Ronald, William Jr., David et Benjamin, ses filles Ricky et Heidi, son frère Ronald, son gendre Joseph (Jody) Walker, son neveu Billy Thetford et sa fiancée Glo Harris. À l’époque, Higgins avait divorcé de sa première épouse Mauricina Altier Higgins.

Peu avant sa mort, Higgins avait joué le rôle d’un batteur de jazz dans le film ‘’Southlander’’ de Steve Hanft et Ross Harris.

Au moment de son décès, Higgins venait d’être hospitalisé pour une pneumonie et attendait une seconde greffe du foie. Dans son dernier numéro publié avant la mort de Higgins, la revue française Jazz Magazine avait lancé une campagne de souscription en faveur de Higgins, le batteur n’ayant pas des revenus suffisants pour couvrir ses frais médicaux. Deux ans avant sa mort, le saxophoniste Charles Lloyd avait témoigné de la santé fragile de Higgins en déclarant: ’’Billy Higgins a une santé précaire, et cette fragilité physique confère à son jeu une délicatesse unique. Jouer avec lui, c'est un peu comme jouer à la maison. Il y a une telle conjonction entre nous. Un seul regard suffit et le disque est enregistré.’’ Comparant Higgins à un maître zen, Lloyd avait ajouté: “everybody who plays with him gets that ecstatic high.” Rendant hommage à Higgins après sa mort, son collaborateur de longue date, le pianiste Cedar Walton, avait ajouté: “Billy Higgins’s talent will never be duplicated – not that any style can be – but his mark on jazz history is indelible. Billy Higgins represents four decades of total dedication to his chosen form of American music: jazz.”

Higgins avait livré sa dernière performance le 22 janvier 2001 dans le cadre d’un concert présenté au club Bones and Blues de Los Angeles. Le concert, qui mettait également en vedette les saxophonistes Charles Lloyd et Harold Land, avait pour but de soutenir la lutte d’Higgins contre le cancer du foie.

Reconnu pour son swing léger mais actif, son jeu subtil et raffiné et sa façon mélodique de jouer de la batterie, Billy Higgins avait collaboré avec les plus grands noms du jazz au cours de sa carrière, de Ornette Coleman à Don Cherry, en passant par Sonny Rollins, Cedar Walton, Herbie Hancock, Abudullah Ibrahim, Bheki Mseleku, Roy Hargrove, Pat Metheny, Charles Lloyd, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, John Scofield, Thelonious Monk, Scott LaFaro, Cecil Taylor, Charlie Haden, Hank Jones, Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, Grant Green, Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Sam Jones, Dave Williams, Bob Berg, Monty Waters, Clifford Jordan, Ira Sullivan, Sun Ra, Milt Jackson, Jimmy Heath, Joshua Redman, John Coltrane, Eddie Harris, Steve Lacy, David Murray, Art Pepper, Mal Waldron, Jackie McLean et Lee Morgan. Higgins avait également collaboré avec le compositeur La Monte Young.

Higgins a participé à plus de 700 enregistrements au cours de sa carrière, ce qui en faisait un des batteurs les plus enregistrés de l’histoire du jazz. Qualifiant le jeu de Higgins, le critique Ted Panken du magazine Down Beat avait commenté: "To witness him--smiling broadly, eyes aglimmer, dancing with the drum set, navigating the flow with perfect touch, finding the apropos tone for every beat--was a majestic, seductive experience." De son côté, le chef d’orchestre Larry Riley avait précisé: “Billy was a facilitator, not a dominator. He would enhance the direction the music ‘wanted’ to go in rather than impose his own will on the composition. You can hear that Billy was a master at creating a good feeling in the rhythm section. Dynamically, he used the entire spectrum— but with great restraint. His comping and overall flow were very precise but very legato.”

Higgins, qui avait surtout appris son métier en utilisant une approche d’essais-erreurs, avait résumé ainsi sa méthode d’apprentissage:

“That’s where you learn. You learn to be in context with the music and interpret. You make your mistakes and you learn. Most of the drummers that are working are people who know how to make the other instruments get their sound. Kenny Clarke was a master at that. It sounds like he was doing very little, and he was, but what he implied made all the instruments get their sound. Philly Joe, Elvin—as strong as they played, they still bring out the essence of what the other musicians are playing. Roy Haynes, Max, Art Blakey—none of them played the same. You try to add your part, but the idea is to be part of the music and make it one. That’s the whole concept for me.” 

Décrivant la contribution d’Higgins à l’histoire du jazz, le contrebassiste Ron Carter avait ajouté: “Billy Higgins was the drummer of the 20th century who put the music back into the drums. He was fabulous. He always played the form, and he was aware not only of the soloists, but also of his rhythm section mates.” Saluant le professionnalisme et la grande préparation d’Higgins, Carter avait précisé: “He was always on time, with his equipment ready, and he contributed to the general outlook of the group no matter where [we were] or how many people were involved. He made the music feel good.” De son côté, le pianiste Cedar Walton avait commenté: “His style is well-documented, but to see Billy in person at his drums was the ultimate jazz experience.”

Billy Higgins avait été élu ‘’Jazz Master’’ par la National Endowment for the Arts en 1997. En 1988, Higgins avait également remporté un prix Grammy conjointement avec Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock et Wayne Shorter pour la composition “Call Sheet Blues” tirée de la bande sonore du film ‘’Round Midnight.’’ Par la suite, Higgins avait fait partie du Round Midnight Band avec le saxophoniste Dexter Gordon.

Le saxophoniste Charles Lloyd avait rendu un des meilleurs hommages qu’on pouvait rendre à Higgins lorsqu’il avait déclaré: "Jazz is the music of wonder and, and he's the personification of it.’’ Higgins s’était toujours considéré comme un peu privilégié d’avoir pu faire une carrière musicale. Comme il l’avait mentionné peu de temps avant sa mort: "I feel blessed to play music, and it's also an honor to play music. You've got a lot of people's feeling in your hands."

[thingsasbarcodes]

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4x12 - Hot Potato Soup

[blakegopnik]

THE FRIDAY PIC is Nicole Eisenman's “Untitled (Billy Clubs),” from "The History of Hand Knitting," the two-woman show she shares with Rosemarie Trockel at Leo Koenig's gallery uptown in New York.

I reviewed the show for today's New York Times, and as I came up with what I wanted to say, I began to wonder how much of a critic's take can be purely personal, even eccentric, and how much has to be rooted in likely readings that others might come up with in looking at the work. Which is better, a reading of Hamlet that gets at his undoubted self-doubt and procrastination (for the umpteenth time) or one that decides to test the possibility that he's all about identifying with Ophelia's female gender? Which is better, that is, explication or interpretation?

At any rate ... here's what I did come up with for the Times:

So much of our suffering is caused by male aggression. (How many victims of war have been killed by women?) But for all the horror of that violence, there’s often something oafish about it, if only because of the boundless stupidity it represents.

This show captures some of masculinity’s toxic idiocy.

An untitled installation by Nicole Eisenman presents 20 “clubs” leaning against the wall. Each is just a length of scrap wood with a dumb blob of plaster at its top, as though its maker was either too lazy or too dimwitted to perfect his weapons beyond the minimum needed to bash a head. Nearby, also in plaster, a three-fingered blob of a hand sits on the floor, ready to grab at its clubs at the slightest provocation. (“You callin’ ME a blob of a hand?!”)

A blob of a head, about three feet tall and painted blue, looks on dimly from a pedestal, as though helpless to govern its own hand.

Rosemarie Trockel contributes quite different pieces to the show, but they hit similar notes. Back in 1984, she began to order up machine-knit balaclavas, like a terrorist or paramilitary fighter might wear. But instead of being bad-guy black, they had “girlish” patterns knit into them. My favorite covers its wearer’s face in plus and minus signs, like the love charms worn by Frenchwomen that stand for “more than yesterday, less than tomorrow.” It’s not clear if Trockel’s pattern counters the balaclava’s associations with masculine threat, or if instead of pointing to a love that’s bound to increase, it lets its wearer proclaim a hatred that’s always on the rise.

Photo by Shark Senesac

[vintagetvstars]

Hot Vintage TV Men’s Bracket - Round 2

Round 2 (All Polls)

Dick Van Dyke Vs. Russell Johnson

Claude Rains Vs. Patrick Troughton

Eric Idle Vs. Michael Nesmith

Ted Danson Vs. Demond Wilson

Robin Williams Vs. John de Lancie

Andrew Robinson Vs. Brent Spiner

Colm Meaney Vs. LeVar Burton

John Hurt Vs. Hugh Laurie

John Corbett Vs. Skeet Ulrich

Timothy Olyphant Vs. Eric Close

Jonathan Frid Vs. Ted Cassidy

John Astin Vs. Cesar Romero

Woody Harrelson Vs. Dean Butler

Henry Winkler Vs. Wayne Rogers

Tom Selleck Vs. Ron Perlman

Anthony Head Vs. Mitch Pileggi

Will Smith Vs. John Stamos

Luke Perry Vs. Matthew Perry

David Tennant Vs. Seth Green

Rik Mayall Vs. Richard Ayoade

James Garner Vs. George Maharis

Larry Hagman Vs. DeForest Kelley

Alan Alda Vs. Walter Koenig

Fred Rogers Vs. Peter Davison

Avery Brooks Vs. James Earl Jones

Jonathan Frakes Vs. Michael Dorn

John Shea Vs. Danny John-Jules

Sylvester McCoy Vs. Patrick Stewart

Keith Hamilton Cobb Vs. Michael Shanks

Andre Braugher Vs. Tony Shalhoub

Robert Fuller Vs. Michael Landon

Clint Eastwood Vs. Richard Dean Anderson

Jimmy Smits Vs. Billy Dee Williams

David Soul Vs. Ricardo Montalban

Michael Praed Vs. Kyle MacLachlan

Spencer Rochfort Vs. Sean Bean

Michael Horse Vs. Christian Kane

Alexander Siddig Vs. David Wenham

George Clooney Vs. Scott Cohen

Tom Welling Vs. Paolo Montalban

George Takei Vs. Kabir Bedi

Leonard Nimoy Vs. Jon Pertwee

Desi Arnaz Vs. Jamie Farr

Mike Farrell Vs. Peter Falk

Luke Halpin Vs. Micky Dolenz

Gene Anthony Ray Vs. Craig Charles

Charles Shaughnessy Vs. Joseph Marcell

Jeffrey Combs Vs. Tim Russ

Daniel Dae Kim Vs. Connor Trinneer

Rob Lowe Vs. Blair Underwood

David McCallum Vs. Dean Stockwell

Richard Chamberlain Vs. Robert Wagner

Jeremy Brett Vs. Simon Williams

Erik Estrada Vs. David Hasselhoff

Ron Glass Vs. Scott Bakula

Bruce Campbell Vs. James Marsters

David Duchovny Vs. Dana Ashbrook

Garrett Wang Vs. Michael J. Fox

David Boreanaz Vs. Nicholas Lea

Milo Ventimiglia Vs. Jensen Ackles

Rod Serling Vs. Robert Vaughn

Pierce Brosnan Vs. Sam Neill

Timothy Dalton Vs. Colin Firth

Nathan Fillion Vs. Neil Patrick Harris

[mesillusionssousecstasy]

TSITP 2x06 - "Love Fest" : Playlist

Here the songs of the episode in the chronological order :

"Delicate" by Taylor Swift (Belly & Jeremiah)

"Tonight" by Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (buying alcohol - Conrad & Jeremiah)

"Oh Boy" by Cam'ron featuring Juelz Santana (buying alcohol - Belly)

"Doin'Time" by Sublime (Taylor finishing doing Belly's make up)

"New Gold" by Gorillaz (Cam doing the DJ)

"Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus (Taylor & Steven's dance)

"Treat Me" by Chlöe (Belly & Jeremiah almost kiss)

"All the Small Things" by Blink-182 (Steven & Milo's fight)

"Billie Eilish" by Armani White (Steven & Milo's fight II)

"Boys Don't Cry" by Anitta (Jeremiah & Conrad's fight)

"Snow On The Beach" by Taylor Swift (Belly & Conrad's fight & the end)

[dossantosspirit]

Top 100 songs of 2022

100º Amber Mark – What It Is 99º Suede – She Still Leads Me On 98º The Blaze – The Dreamer 97º Freddie Gibbs – Couldn’t Be Done (ft. Kelly Price) 96º Father John Misty – Q4 95º Chappell Roan – Femininominon 94º Placebo – Beautiful James 93º Sharon Van Etten – Anything 92º The Smile – The Smoke 91º Stella Donnelly – How Was Your Day  90º Bartees Strange – Wretched 89º Sudan Archives – Selfish Soul 88º Demi Lovato – 29 87º Katy J Pearson – Talk Over Town 86º Oliver Sim – Hideous (ft. Jimmy Somerville) 85º Soul Glo – Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?) 84º Arlo Parks – Softly 83º Cass McCombs – Belong To Heaven 82º The 1975 – Oh Caroline 81º TSHA – OnlyL (ft. NIMMO) 80º Carly Rae Jepsen – Western Wind 79º Brockhampton – Brockhampton 78º Arctic Monkeys – Body Paint 77º Lizzo – About Damn Time 76º FLO – Cardboard Box 75º Jean Dawson – Three Heads* 74º Stormzy – Mel Made Me Do It 73º Let’s Eat Grandma – Levitation 72º Porridge Radio – The Rip 71º RM – Still Life (ft. Anderson .Paak) 70º Maggie Rogers – That’s Where I Am 69º PUP – Cutting Off The Corners 68º BABYMETAL - Monochrome 67º Sampa The Great – Never Forget (ft. Chef 187, Tio Nason & Mwanje) 66º Dry Cleaning – Don’t Press Me 65º Charli XCX – Beg For You (ft. Rina Sawayama) 64º Laufey – Fragile 63º Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The Way It Shatters 62º Nilüfer Yanya – anotherlife 61º The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field 60º MUNA – Anything But Me 59º First Aid Kit – Out Of My Head 58º Just Mustard – Still 57º Alt-j – Happier When You’re Gone 56º Kendrick Lamar – Die Hard (ft. Blxst & Amanda Reifer) 55º Florist – Red Bird Pt. 2 (Morning) 54º Confidence Man – Holiday 53º Danger Mouse – Belize (ft. MF DOOM) 52º ROSALÍA – Hentai 51º Plains – Problem With It 50º Beabadoobee – The Perfect Pair 49º Beyoncé – Alien Superstar 48º Big Thief – Simulation Swarm 47º Ghost – Darkness At The Heart Of My Love 46º Aldous Harding – Fever 45º Nas – 30 44º Noah Cyrus – Noah (Stand Still) [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus] 43º Fred Again.. – Danielle (Smile On My Face) 42º Beach House – New Romance 41º The Weeknd – Less Than Zero 40º Horsegirl – Anti-Glory 39º Julia Jacklin – Lydia Wears A Cross 38º FKA Twigs – Oh My Love 37º Tomberlin – Happy Accident 36º WILLOW – Split 35º Hurray For The Riff Raff – Pierced Arrows 34º Rina Sawayama – This Hell 33º Vince Staples – MAGIC (ft. Mustard) 32º Kevin Morby – This Is A Photograph 31º Nilüfer Yanya – The Dealer 30º Harry Styles – As It Was 29º Black Country, New Road – The Place Where He Inserted The Blade 28º Mitski – Love Me More 27º Pusha T – Diet Coke 26º Weyes Blood – It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody 25º Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Wolf 24º Angel Olsen – All The Good Times 23º SZA – Ghost In The Machine (ft. Phoebe Bridgers) 22º Nova Twins – Antagonist 21º Caroline Polachek – Billions 20º Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero 19º Kae Tempest – More Pressure (ft. Kevin Abstract) 18º Wet Leg – Angelica 17º Megan Thee Stallion – Plan B 16º Soccer Mommy – Shotgun 15º Phoenix – Tonight (ft. Ezra Koenig) 14º Bad Bunny – Neverita 13º Fontaines D.C. – I Love You 12º Alvvays – Belinda Says 11º Alex G – Runner 10º ROSALÍA – Saoko 9º Jockstrap – Concrete Over Water 8º Yeule – Bites On My Neck 7º Denzel Curry – Walkin 6º SZA – Kill Bill 5º Sudan Archives – Home Maker 4º Kendrick Lamar – N95 3º Nilüfer Yanya – Midnight Sun 2º Steve Lacy – Bad Habit 1º Ethel Cain – American Teenager

>>> Link for the playlist on Spotify <<<