#Brent Erickson

[sawtastic-sideblog]

Dumbest thought of the day:

Prima ballerina Adam

Douche bag manager Hoffman (mans is secretly a dancer but life happened and now he's a bitter man who dances I secret)

Ballerina bff Amanda

(Only open if you wanna see my incoherent sleep deprived ramblings. I haven't slept in 2 days because insomnia and my anxiety has decided to 🎶 kick it up a notch 🎶 I currently have no filter)

Obsessed audience member that wants Adam...idk probably William or Logan...fuck it it's Ivan

Logan works in props

William (this is emmerson schenk whatever btw) works with the lights

Theater owners John and Jill (they hate hoffman and love Adam)

Buff head stangehand Strahm

Zeke is a principal dancer as well and they whore him out to film and other theater productions (they can spare him but not Adam because Adam puts asses in the seats)

Remember Addy? The middle aged lady that works for William Easton? Yeah she was prima ballerina back in her day but an injury to her out of the game. Now she's the dance teacher/instructor who adores Amanda and Daniel.

Speaking of William Easton he's the number one patron he's at every show and everyone calls him Uncle MoneyBags ™ because he dressed like Mr. Monopoly for Halloween ones fifteen years ago (Adam started it)

Brent Abbott you ask? He's just starting out in the big leagues. Adam has taken him under his wing

Corbett Denlon? Star of her class. Been dancing sine she was 3. She's at every performance she can get her parents to go to. The practice room she uses to rehearse is named after her late brother (who was also a student everyone adored)

And who is this up in the rafters changing the backdrops for scenes? Why it's Bobby Dagen the stage hand who is down bad for children's dance instructor and another principal dancer that gets lent out to other productions Joyce Young (in this universe Amanda and Joyce are cousins just go with it)

Where's our favorite Doctor Lawrence Gordon? (I know our actual favorite doctor is Lynn Denlon but for the sake of this post it's Larry (imagine cary elwes saying Larry from that one scene of men in tights)) well I'll tell you. He is the new front of house manager and he hates Hoffman and he went backstage to confront him but got distracted when he saw Adam dancing. Completely transfixed. He was smitten but has never talked to him in the 3 months he's Been there.

Zep is John's nephew. He's clumsy and spills his mop water on the daily. He's also the janitor/ maintenence man for the theater. He's been electrocuted many times. He's fine. His hair is permanently sticking up tho.

Remember Britt and Addison? Yeah they're the mean girls who constantly undermine everyone they dont like (mainly Amanda. They try to get into Adam's pants) (honestly they could hit me with a car and I'd say thank you)

Perez is Strahms BFF and costume designer

Cecil Adams? Of course he's here. He's the pervy stage hand nobody likes (think Joseph Buquet in Phantom of the Opera meets Ted Spankofski from Starkid's Hatchetfield series)

Art Blanc of course he's the theaters legal aid

Rigg is Amanda's dance partner. They're also like together but not

Kerry is there. She's Gordon's second in command.

Daniel Matthews was forced into dance classes by his mom when he got in trouble in school at 13. He's a natural. He still isn't the best but he takes extra lessons with Addy, Adam, Rigg, Amanda, and Joyce (everyone does one of one with him) and Brett helps him outside of the theater. (They're bffs)

Eric Matthews is head of security who is constantly watching Daniel. He's proud

Dan Erickson is here too. He's the accountant.

Jeff joined Eric's security after his son died so he could spend more time with Corbett

Lynn serves as the unofficial theater nurse. She's patched up many floor burns (trust me it fucking hurts when you fall on a stage/dance studio floor even with something to cover your skin think rug burn but from a wooden floor) and sprain ankles and a few broken toes, one time Daniel was a little over zealous and rammed himself into the mirror and broke his nose. She loves being the only unofficial nurse on the unofficial payroll (they're donations for new pediatrics wing of the hospital. John and Jill are grateful for her services but she won't accept payment so they donate to her new department she runs)

The theater is called "Gideon Theater" of course.

Other characters make up the orchestra but I'm too lazy to look them up rn. Up to your imagination but like Charles from 5 plays bass clarinet. The two from the pound of flesh trap are here too. I don't remember their names but the girl plays clarinet and the guy is percussion (I can see him playing xylophone the hammer bell things and crashing th cymbals) And the last surviving dude from the fatal 5 plays trumpet. I know their names my brain is just fried right now

Oh and Bobby's BFF I think he's named after spinach or some other leafy vegetable I can't remember but he's an investor in the theater too.

(Just because I don't have motivation to write this I'd love for people to write their own interpretation of this and tag me) (bonus points if we cross universes and Specs and Tucker show up) (I don't expect anyone to actually do this)

[jonfucius]

Great Star Trek Rewatch - Enterprise S4

Originally posted on Twitter 31 January 2020 - 7 July 2020

Enterprise Season 4 is up next in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. As in Seasons 1-3, mini-reviews will document my progress.

Storm Front: Nazis in New York, aliens up to no good, a time-ravaged Daniels, and the unforgettable sight of P-51 Mustangs firing on a shuttlepod = a slam-bang season premiere. Alicia Travers is a strong guest character. 9/10

Storm Front, Part II: The Temporal Cold War comes to an end, and so does Silik. The NX-01 shooting down Stukas over Manhattan is a highlight, as well as the final shootout in the temporal conduit complex. 10/10

Home: Archer and Erika Hernandez reconnect and recover, and Trip’s unrequited feelings for T’Pol are thrown in his face by her marriage to Koss, THE most insufferable Vulcan in a series full of them. But it’s Phlox’s encounter with casual racism that hits home. 10/10

Borderland: The Augments trilogy kicks off in style. Brent Spiner is a perfect foil for Archer. Malik makes for a complex proto-Khan, while Persis is almost too clever for her own good. 8/10

Cold Station 12: Malik and Soong start to drift apart here. Too bad we couldn't see more of Udar. Alas. The torture scene with the Symbalene blood burn is insane body horror, right up there with "Conspiracy". The pieces have moved into place for the trilogy's climax. 8/10

The Augments: Interesting debate on nature vs. nurture. Persis deserved better, both from Malik and the arc. I think the ending would have had more impact if we saw Soong write something about positronic brains, rather than have him explicitly mention cybernetics. 8/10

The Forge: RIP Adm. Forrest. Deep, deep Vulcan lore is introduced, things only mentioned off-hand or hinted at in the franchise’s previous forty years (including IDIC). Loved seeing T’Pau and Surak again. 8/10

Awakening: Pieces are moved into place as Archer falls further under Surak’s spell (err, katra). V’Las is veering dangerously close to mustache twirling, but Robert Foxworth is too damn charismatic. The Kir’Shara is found, but it may be too late. 9/10

Kir’Shara: The first steps toward the Federation are taken as V’Las’ assault on Andoria is foiled by Enterprise and Shran. The Vulcans begin a re-evolution here. Meanwhile, a certain raptorial species makes a shocking appearance in the tag. 10/10

Daedalus: This one does nothing for me; ergo, I nothing it. What should be a tragic story in the vein of the vastly superior DS9 “The Visitor” is wasted on a paint-by-numbers “ghost story.” Archer’s relationship with the Erickson’s comes out of nowhere. A rare S4 misfire. 4/10

Observer Effect: Non-corporeal aliens possessing our heroes? Check. Lethal infection? Check. Deus ex machina? Check. But the last-minute reveal that the Organians from the sublime TOS “Errand of Mercy” are the culprits is a great twist that wasn’t telegraphed. 7/10

Babel One: The Tellarites attack and destroy Shran’s ship…or did they? The Andorians attack Enterprise…or did they? Some amazing groundwork is being laid here for not only the rest of S4 but the entire Star Trek universe. The reveal at the end of the episode is 👌. 8/10

United: Pour one out for poor Talas. Tucker and Reed disable the drone, while Archer disables Shran. The reveal at the end of the episode tops the Romulan intrigue from “Babel One”. The Andorians get some great development here, and Jeffrey Combs is sublime per usual. 9/10

The Aenar: The Romulans’ plans are foiled by a rag-tag Vulcan-Human-Andorian-Tellarite alliance, and the ethereal Aenar add much depth to the story. Trip’s feelings for T’Pol lead to a shocking ready room scene. I love these little throughlines connecting distinct stories. 10/10

Affliction: We learn why the Klingons from TOS looked different compared to their later brethren. This was a completely unnecessary “reveal” that IMO has influenced some of the unfair criticism DSC and PIC has endured. But it’s still a mostly thrilling espionage thriller. 6/10

Divergence: The opening sequence is incredible, breathless; something Star Trek rarely indulged in. Phlox’s solution at the end is clever and in character. I’m giving this episode a high score just for that chill-inducing setpiece, but my criticism from “Affliction” stands. 8/10

Bound: I can kinda, sorta see what they were going for in giving the Orion “slave girls” agency…but the execution is still not great. We saw this story already with Duras in S2. 4/10

In a Mirror, Darkly: Star Trek’s first episode set entirely in the Mirror Universe is a doozy: clever reframing of First Contact, a new opening title sequence, and our “heroes” really digging into their Terran Empire selves. The ties to TOS “The Tholian Web” are ingenious. 9/10

In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II: Archer’s mental state unravels as he plots and schemes. But it’s Hoshi (Augustus Iaponius) who gets the last laugh. 9/10

Demons: Another all-too-prescient episode tackling racism through the sci-fi lens of xenophobia. Peter Weller is perfectly cast as the hateful Paxton. Nice to see Mayweather get something to do in this third-to-last episode of the series. 8/10

Terra Prime: ENT’s main story ends on the highest of high notes. It was a great choice to end the Terra Prime story in the third act and give Archer’s speech and Trip & T’Pol’s final scene room to breathe. 10/10

These Are the Voyages…: Didn't like this one 15 years ago, still don't like it today. An absolutely sad way for Star Trek to leave television after 18 consecutive years. This episode gets 1 point for the cameos in the final scene. 1/10

And with that, Season 4 of ENT, and the series itself, comes to an end in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. Final score: 7.86/10. Highest score(s): "Storm Front, Part II," "Home," "Kir'Shara," "The Aenar," "Terra Prime." . Lowest score(s): "These Are the Voyages…"

ENT overall score across 4 seasons and 97 episodes: 6.99/10

[burlveneer-music]

Brent Cordero & Peter Kerlin - A Sublime Madness

Psychic Ills keyboardist, Brent Cordero and Sunwatchers bassist, Peter Kerlin’s, first full length collab A SUBLIME MADNESS is the culmination of decades of circling each other's creative orbits. After years of casual jamming, numerous fledgling one offs, and touring sideman gigs (ibrighden addition to Sunwatchers, Kerlin was also Chris Forsyth’s long time bass player and in the John Dwyer helmed improv project, Bent Arcana. Cordero worked for years with Psychic Ills and Mike Wexler among others). Here, the two sidemen synchronize orbits and create a sound with keys and bass as a molten center. But A SUBLIME MADNESS is not a strict duo album or a COVID bedroom record, by any stretch. Drummer, Ryan Sawyer provides torrents of percussion and each tune is built out as the two invite in a crew of past collaborators, legends, luminaries, cohorts and stalwarts: Daniel Carter (woodwinds), James Brandon Lewis (tenor sax), Jessica Pavone (viola), Ryan Jewell (percussion), Charles Burst (percussion), Adam Amram (congas), Aaron Siegel (vibraphone), Jesse DeRosa (modular synth) - each person contributing their musical voice throughout. The result is an expansive sound and vision. A conjuring of spontaneous, collective spirit in which each player’s contribution is highlighted and distilled in conversation with each other over the arc of the record.  Titles of several pieces are a tribute to NYC based Black radical activist groups, Movement To Protect The People and Decolonize This Place, that organize against gentrification and economic inequality as well as for the interconnected struggle for Indigenous, Black, and Palestinian liberation. This activism has been met with state violence along with media dismissal and condescension. The first song, “Movement to Protect the People”, is a dedication to Brent’s partner, LaShaun Ellis, a member of a Black women-led group of that name, who has successfully fought corrupt developers and politicians attempting to build in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The song titles  “Affordable for Who?” and “White Supremacy in Black Face”, frame the instrumental music in a context of on-the-ground struggle against gentrification, displacement, and other racist policies.  Brent Cordero: Combo Organ, Piano, Synths Peter Kerlin: Electric Bass, Upright Bass, 8 String Bass Ryan Sawyer: Drums (except Track 3) Featuring: Daniel Carter: Alto Saxophone / Flute (Track 4 & 6) James Brandon Lewis: Tenor Saxophone (Track 2) Jessica Pavone: Viola (Track 5) Aaron Siegel: Vibraphone (Track 3) Ryan Jewell: Drums/Percussion/Tabla (Track 3) Jesse DeRosa: Buchla modular synthesizer (Track 6) Charles Burst: Percussion (Track 2) Adam Amram: Congas (Track 2 & 4) Basic tracks recorded by Matt Walsh at Oceanus in Rockaway, Queens, New York Overdub recording by Jon Erickson and Peter Kerlin Mixed by Charles Burst, Stamford, NY, June & July, 2021 Mastered by Mitch Rackin All songs by Brent Cordero & Peter Kerlin, except Track 4 by Eddie Harris.

[ulkaralakbarova]

It took a lot of cajoling to get Bob, a recently widowed architect, to go on a blind date at a quirky Irish-Italian eatery. Once there, he’s smitten instantly not with his date but with the sharp-witted waitress. Everything seems to be going great until an unbelievable truth is revealed, one that could easily break both of their hearts for good. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Bob Rueland: David Duchovny Grace Briggs: Minnie Driver Marty O’Reilly: Carroll O’Connor Angelo Pardipillo: Robert Loggia Joe Dayton: Jim Belushi Megan Dayton: Bonnie Hunt Charlie Johnson: David Alan Grier Elizabeth Rueland: Joely Richardson Emmett McFadden: Eddie Jones Sophie: Marianne Muellerleile Wally Jatczak: William Bronder Mike: Brian Howe Adam Dayton: Adam Tanguay Karson Dayton: Karson Pound Jeff: Chris Barnes Dr. Senderak: Tom Virtue Film Crew: Director of Photography: László Kovács Director: Bonnie Hunt Screenplay: Don Lake Music: Nicholas Pike Production Design: Brent Thomas Editor: Garth Craven Casting: Mali Finn Producer: Jennie Lew Tugend Executive Producer: Melanie Greene Executive Producer: C.O. Erickson Costume Design: Lis Bothwell Stunts: Linda Perlin Movie Reviews: Peter McGinn: Okay, I will admit I can be a bit of an easy grader when it comes to romantic comedies, as long as they are witty with likable characters, don’t insult my intelligence and have suitable happy endings (I guess if they don’t end happily, they aren’t rom-coms). I saw this movie many years ago, but had forgotten just enough of it to keep it fresh for me. Like many movies, the plot relies on a huge coincidence or three. The story gets sappy and sentimental in places, is rather predictable and has too much religion to suit me, but that last thing may suit you just fine, praise be. It was co-written and directed by the actress Bonnie Hunt, who is a supporting character in the film. But there is a spark of chemistry between the two lead characters, the dialogue is smart and sharp, and the movie is rich with its supporting cast, such as Jim Belushi, Robert Loggia and Archie Bunker – I mean Carroll O’Connor. Plus I have liked Minnie Driver since Circle of Friends. Just keep in mind this isn’t Hitchcock or Frank Capra stuff and doesn’t try to be. Just let it flow over you

[wutbju]

Shellie Daniel Shehan, 80, passed away in his home on January 9th, 2023. Danny was born October 6th, 1942 to Comer and Helon (Everage) Shehan in Andalusia, Alabama.

A graveside service will be held 11 AM, Friday, March 17, 2023 at Magnolia Cemetery in Andalusia, AL. Foreman Brown Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Dan was diagnosed with polio at the age of 10 when he awoke one morning with a stiff neck and terrible headache that soon grew into weakness; inability to breath and paralysis. His parents were told that there was nothing that could be done and they really could only keep him comfortable. His parents were not going to accept that and immediately took him to Pensacola where he was placed in an iron lung to aide his breathing. Dan was then flown to Birmingham on a Navy Plane where his two Uncles accompanied him to take turns pumping his iron lung as the plane did not have electrical power.

Regardless of never being expected to walk again, Dan spent much of his early years in therapy and doctoring while still attending school and graduated from Brent Christian High School in Pensacola, FL. He attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina where he received his BS in secondary education. He taught second semester at DeFuniak Springs, FL and was hired for the next year(1966) by Andalusia High School(AHS) to teach English. While teaching, Dan went on to earn his MA from the University of South Alabama. During his tenure at AHS, Dan went on to chaperone students on a six week tour of England, Ireland, Scotland and France, wrote and composed plays and music with his close friend and colleague, Joseph C Wingard, advised the English Club and hosted many events at his home. He retired from AHS in 1995 after 29 years of teaching.

In 1976, Dan experienced another health setback that he again was not expected to recover from. This time he would find himself sleeping in an iron lung permanently until the development of the more modern bi-pap machine that gave ability to travel again.

Dan's musical ability started with a portable fold-up organ with homemade foot pedals and strings to the keys. His mother taught him how to play "Old Rugged Cross" and from there, he just took off learning all he could and becoming an outstanding pianist and organist. He shared his talents as the organist at First Baptist Church in Andalusia and Bull Street Baptist Church after moving to Savannah, GA. He and Joseph C Wingard also hosted annual Christmas Sing-a-Long events and published a book of their own original Christmas Songs.

Dan was very active in the Historical Society of Andalusia, in which he was instrumental in restoring the First National Bank Building and other downtown buildings.

After moving to Savannah, Dan became a member of the Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association, and his iron lung was donated for education of future generations. He was also was very influential in bringing awareness regarding access problems to historic Savannah for those in wheelchairs or with mobility problems, thus leading the development of an accessibility map and street cut outs.

Dan was a survivor of epic proportions. He lived each day for his Lord and Savior and grateful for everything he had been blessed with. He was always positive and willing to help as he was able.

Dan is predeceased by his Father--Comer Shehan, mother--Helon Thomas, brother--J Patton Shehan and numerous Aunts, Uncles and Cousins and special pet Emmi. Dan is survived by his nieces, Donya (Mike) Shehan-King and Lara Erickson, Sister in Law, Linda Shehan, great and great-great nieces and nephews and many cousins as well as his close friend and care-taker, Ron Shellenberger.

Until we meet again, live free with no restrictions and play that beautiful music.

[toraleistripe]

I JUST FINISHED SAW VI

OMFG

Y'ALL

Alright, so I think it's so interesting how John keeps making appearances in these movies even though he's, well, dead. OR IS HE?? I'm honestly not convinced he's dead, like, yeah they opened up his body in that morgue, literally removed his brain, but like, this is the Saw franchise, freaking anything can happen, maybe one of the big twists is that John's still alive somehow. If that's NOT the case, then I think it's really interesting that they continue to feature him in these movies despite the fact that he's been killed off. I like that we keep learning more about him though and his connections to the 'players' in his 'games'.

I was NOT expecting Agent Perez to still be alive, that was shock number one. I was convinced she'd been killed off, so that was quite a surprise. I feel even worse for Strahm now, he died thinking his partner was dead.

Hoffman is one slick son of a bitch, the way he just kept getting away with shit, good grief. And when Erickson and Perez had that woman analyzing the voice recording, I KNEW they were fucked, I got the feeling that they were getting suspicious of Hoffman and there was no way he was going to let them live if they found him out.

It was nice to see Amanda again, I was hoping we'd get to see her and Hoffman interact, that was neat to see. I wondered what their relationship was like while I was watching Saw V. I'm also glad to finally know what was in the note Hoffman left for her. Didn't expect Amanda to have been involved with Cecil the night Jill miscarried, that was shock number two.

Speaking of Jill, I've had my suspicions of her ever since her first appearance. Since she's John's ex, I wondered if she was involved wit everything going on, and apparently she IS. The more time she was onscreen, the more suspicious I got. I wonder if she's the one who's going to be calling the shots from now on?

AND did Hoffman survive the reverse bear trap?! I mean, his jaw was partially ripped open, so I don't see how he could've survived that, I guess it's possible if he's gotten to in time?? IDK, I suppose I'll find out in the next movie, maybe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I was also SO wrong about who Tara and Brent were. I thought they were William's family, BUT NO, NO THEY WERE NOT FKGJDLKS it blew my mind that they're actually Harold Abbott's family, that was wild. I also thought William was talking to a girlfriend or something when it showed him on the phone in that one scene near the beginning, but he was actually talking to Pamela, his freaking SISTER, didn't see that coming either!

It was also fucked how Hoffman was using Strahm's severed hand to plant his fingerprints on shit.

I'm sorry if this post is all over the place, my mind has just yet again been BLOWN by a Saw movie and it's hard to get my thoughts together fkjgksdjskjd

Once again I sit here in anticipation for the next movie, eager to see what more is going to be revealed.

[mikeladano]

VIDEO: Late July and Early August at the Cottage 2023

Lots of great music for you here to rock out to, as you see the sights of Lake Huron: Washington Wives – “Memoirs, Etc.” (from Raw M.E.A.T 1) Brent Doerner’s Decibel – “Takin’ the Color Outta the Blooze” (from Bd=I0log(P₁/P₂)=dB) My Wicked Twin – Maybe Love (from Decibel Music) and a few hits by Tee Bone Erickson you might recognize. You’ll also see my visit with Aaron KMA, and all the goodies…

[adventurerooms]

[twiggy1503]

Learning to Drown | The North Face from The North Face on Vimeo.

Learning to Drown follows the life and career of professional snowboarder Jess Kimura as she unapologetically shatters stereotypes with her own brand of unwavering determination and go-for-broke mentality. After the tragic death of Jess's partner at the height of her career, she spiraled into a cycle of self destruction, grief and despair. Compounded by head injuries and mental health issues, the circumstances seemed insurmountable. Jess's only way out was within — as she faces her deepest fears, she reminds us that not all wounds are meant to heal.

"Jess Kimura is not afraid of falling. This beautiful film showcases her long journey of persistence and determination as she takes on one challenge after the other to become one of the most influential snowboarders of her time. Jess openly shares her deepest fear and suffering and reminds us of the importance of being our best selves, in this inspiring lifetime story of a hero." — Bachar Khattar, jury member of Banff Film Festival

Presented by: THE NORTH FACE / Production Company: Felt Soul Media / Director: Ben Knight / Producer: Travis Rummel / CO Producers: Robert Wassmer, Kaki Orr and Aimee Tetreault / Editor: Ben Knight / Original score: Trevor Doherty / Additional music: DL Incognito, Tourist and Odesza. Visual effects: [magazine sequence] Paul Harrison / TNF logo GFX: Barry Thompson / Animation: [dildo sequence] Yeshe Parks / Lead cinematography: Ben Knight / Underwater cinematography: Perrin James / Additional cinematography: Joe Carlino, Travis Rummel, George Knowles and Ben Bilocq / Asst. Editor Sarah Hamilton / Promotional photography by Chad Chomlack and Anastasia Chomlack

Additional snowboard footage: [super grateful to all of you] Mark Dangler, Karla Charlton, Donovon Skelton, Bobby Meeks, Sam Hiltner, Troy Erickson, Jesse Burtner, Christina Burtner, Sean Genovese, Mark Clavin, Skylar Brent, Mikael Ahtikari, Hayden Rensch, Justin Hare, Pat Fenelon

Thank you: The North Face, Jaime Starr, Fran Dickson, Kimura family, Brittney and Jesse Dickson, Kieth and Kathleen Dickson, Mark Dangler, Ben Bilocq, Karla Charlton, Emily Higgins, Aimee Tetreault, Kaki Orr, Rob Wassmer, my sauna, Sandra Clark, Liina Potter, Jon Torres, Kyle DeLong, Scott Hibbert, Cara Williamson, Esther Kendall, Kristen Miller, Andy DeVelvis, Blue Montgomery, Riley Goodwin, George Kleckner, Cody Dresser, Evan Lefebvre, Sean Genovese, Dave Birnie, Mikey Scott, Pat Bridges, John Cavan, Marie-France Roy, Cam Sorenson, Tulsa Yoshikawa, Adam Skalzub, Tony Lefroy, Dirk Yarmush, Rob Williamson, Wasted Youth Crew, Sertraline, therapists, Pika and Jesse Burtner, Desiree Melancon, Perrin James, Maren Hamilton, Matt Lindsay, Alex Olea, Roy Olea, Nayeli Mendoza, Rick McGaw, Nysai Moreno, Riley Roice, your mom, Hipster Jaime, Fernando y Crystal, Gonzalo y Rosa Gutierrez, Margaret & Juniper Knight

[scootoaster]

How aerial firefighters battle blazes from the skies

An Erickson Aero Tanker aircraft, left, dropping fire retardant. (Shelby Snow /)

The most dramatic way to fight a fire is from the sky.

An air tanker may fly about 150 feet off the ground at 161 miles per hour and can paint up to a mile-long line of retardant on the ground. A big helicopter could dump as much as 2,000 gallons of water to try to save a house. And smokejumpers fling themselves from airplanes 3,000 feet above their landing area below to snuff out a small fire in a remote area before it gets bigger.

Right now, California is home to two historically enormous blazes: the SCU and LNU Lightning Complex fires. The state is using aircraft to combat the two huge conflagrations. “They keep swapping positions for the second- and third-largest wildfires in our state history, unfortunately,” Brice Bennett, a spokesperson for CalFire, told Popular Science earlier this week. All the fires in the state right now cover an area larger than 1.25 million acres. “We’re dealing with just an incredible situation,” he comments. As of today, aerial assets in California have dropped 3.35 million gallons of fire retardant and 4.69 million gallons of water, according to Bennett.

California, of course, uses aircraft—it has both its own fleet and can employ contractors—to mount full-court presses on fires, but the practice is certainly not limited to combating burns in the Golden State. Here’s how these aerial operations work, and what it’s like battling blazes from the air.

Draw a perimeter

There’s an important, counterintuitive fact to know about those big planes full of retardant: “Air tankers don’t put out fires,” says Kevin Hopf, the chief pilot for an outfit called 10 Tanker. His company flies DC-10s that used to carry passengers; the seats and overhead bins and other equipment have all been removed. His aircraft has five external tanks that carry retardant and three big clamshell doors on the bottom, each about 22 feet long, which open to deploy the red stuff.

For the most part, tankers like the one Hopf flies drop a line of retardant not on the fire itself, but in a place that will help steer or contain the blaze. The “firefighting mantra,” Hopf says, is simple: “anchor, flank, and pinch.”

The first step is to begin the line of retardant at some type of anchoring area that can stop the fire, a starting point such as a bunch of rocks. Then comes containment. “You flank the fire, on both sides, and you keep running up the flanks until you get ahead of it, and then you start trying to pinch it off,” Hopf explains. Pilots will then begin bringing the two flanking lines towards each other.

That’s a standard firefighting tactic, although he notes that truly enormous fires—maybe 50 miles wide, 100 miles long—would be impossible to anchor, flank, and pinch. “There’s not enough air tankers in the world to do that,” he says. “Now you start going for structure protection.”

On those occasions, on a big fire when he’s tasked with guarding structures, “you hope to find out the next day that they’re all still standing,” he says. “We very seldom see our work.”

A tanker fighting a fire in Arizona in June. (John Hall - JDH Images/)

And it’s decidedly not about thrill-seeking or cultivating a cowboy image, says Brent Connor, the senior captain for Erickson Aero Tanker. Their fleet is mostly MD-87 aircraft that also used to be passenger-carrying airliners. “When I teach people how to do this,” he says, “I tell them that if your adrenaline is pumping, you’re probably doing something wrong.”

Deploy water from the sky

While the airplanes usually carry the red retardant, helicopters generally schlep water, which they dump on flames from above. Tanner McInnes flies a small, light helicopter—a Bell 407—for a Missoula, Montana company called Minuteman Aviation. If he’s dispatched to fly off towards a little fire in the forest—it might just be smoke spotted by a lookout, probably the result of a lightning strike—he’ll shuttle a fire manager in the front seat next to him, and two firefighters, part of a helitack crew, in the back.

After assessing the fire from the sky, he might land the helicopter nearby and drop off the firefighters. The manager stays on board. If the authorities want him to drop water on the fire, the manager will install a bucket that hangs from the bottom of the chopper, and McInnes will grab what he can from a pond or river. (He says he’s never picked up any fish.) And since he needs to be able to stick his neck out and look down while he’s flying with that bucket, the manager can remove the chopper’s side door and stash it inside. “It’s actually nice, because it’s hot generally when we’re flying,” he says.

He tends to carry about 180 gallons of water in a bucket. Still, he emphases that “aviation does not put out fires—it’s the firefighters on the ground.” Take a small fire, he says, by way of example, with one burning tree: he’ll douse it with water, only to find that the flames have sprung back up again. “It’s amazing how much heat there is: A lot of times, if lightning strikes, they hit the tree, and they smolder for days before they actually show themselves,” he says. To take care of the problem for real, the firefighters on the ground might cut down the tree, and break it up, and stir up the soil to make sure everything is out, and dig lines around it.

An Erickson helicopter in Greece in 2009. (Erickson, Inc/)

While McInnes’ chopper carries its water in a bucket, that’s not the only way to do it. Ken Chapman flies a strange-looking helicopter for Erickson Incorporated called an S-64 Aircrane, and to get the wet stuff on board, all he has to do is submerge a snorkel about 18 inches deep in a body of water. It sucks the water up through a hose, needing just about 40 seconds to fill up with around 2,000 gallons of fresh water.

When it’s time to drop the payload on a fire, Chapman’s goal is to deploy it from about 150 feet off the ground, flying at some 69 miles per hour. With that setup, as the water falls through the sky, it “loses its forward momentum, and rains down on the fire,” Chapman says. Dropping the water that way means that ideally there’s no “shadowing,” which is when the water smacks into just one side of the target. “If you come in low and fast, you’re going to paint on one side of the trees and stuff, and the other side is going to be dry,” he explains.

The most intense fire he’s ever flown was the 2018 Carr Fire in Redding, California. “The thing that was amazing to me was how fast it went, and it was burning in the city,” he recalls. “This thing was coming into subdivisions. It reached a point, where they just said, ‘Go save a house.’ And you’d get a load of water and you’d come in and dump, trying to protect a house, and by the time you went and got water and came back, the house was gone.”

Jump out of the plane

Not all aircraft drop retardant or water. Some deploy people known as smokejumpers. Pat McGunagle is a jumper based in West Yellowstone, Montana. He’s made more than 60 jumps, although the vast majority of those have been for practice—he’s a relative newcomer to the field. The jump height out of the Dornier 228 airplane he and the others fling themselves out of is 3,000 feet above the ground, although smokejumpers who use an older, round-style chute do it from 1,500 feet.

Jumpers aim to arrive quickly at a blaze in the woods—most of which get sparked by lightning—and deal with it before it spreads. They deploy in groups of two. McGunagle will jump out of the plane carrying supplies that include drinking water, food like beef jerky or peanut butter, solution for his contact lenses, and a pound of coffee. The coffee, of course, is for starting the day. “The youngest guy on the load has to make the coffee every morning,” he says.

Other gear, like chainsaws or Pulaski tools, comes down as cargo from the same plane from about 150 feet above the terrain.

To put the fire out, he says, you have to “dig and stir.” He’ll even use his arm to make sure it’s truly out. That works like this: “Stick your hand down in there, all the way to your armpit, down this scary, black, smoking hole, and find that little bit of fire down there,” he says, “and scoop it out and stir it.” That’s the way to make sure it’s truly extinguished—with work not from the sky, but on the dirty ground.

[tomorrowusa]

Does Trump hate dogs? 🐕 🐶

Donald Trump has referred to dogs in a negative and very public way twice in less than a week.

After the al-Baghdadi raid, Trump declared that the ISIS wannabe caliph “died like a dog”.

Trump: ISIS Leader al-Baghdadi Died "Like A Dog," "Whimpering And Crying And Screaming"

Never mind that senior military personnel and high ranking Pentagon officials have cast doubt on Trump's account of the al-Baghdadi raid. The 'Whimpering' Terrorist Only Trump Seems to Have Heard

Trump’s serial mendacity aside...

Trump also used a dog expression to refer to Beto O'Rourke dropping out of the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Trump says Beto O'Rourke 'quit like a dog'

Is Trump disappointed at Beto’s departure? Does he want Democrats to be more united going into 2020? hehe

Back to dogs. Trump has no pets that we’re aware of. He probably never had any pets. Apparently he regards pets as “low class”. So Trump doesn’t like animals and his use of animal metaphors is a way in which he tries to dehumanize people he doesn’t like or agree with. But dogs get special attention in Trump insults.

Steve Benen at MSNBC points out other instances of Trump’s negative view of canines.

I started poking around his Twitter archive and was amazed at the frequency of his canine references. Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal was “fired like a dog.” According to Trump, so were conservative media figures Erick Erickson and Glenn Beck.

Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak was “dropped like a dog.” Steve Bannon was “dumped like a dog.” Mitt Romney “choked like a dog.” Ted Cruz “lies like a dog.” Brent Bozell allegedly went to Trump’s office “begging for money like a dog.”

[ ... ]

After Omarosa Manigault-Newman left the White House, Trump called her “a crazed, crying lowlife,” before adding, “Good work by General Kelly for quickly firing that dog!”

And now, according to Cliff Sims’ book, we learn that the president reportedly told Paul Ryan, “You were out there dying like a dog, Paul. Like a dog!”

Anyway, when Trump leaves office it will probably be with his tail between his legs.

[goalhofer]

2022 Milwaukee Brewers Roster

Pitchers

#26 Aaron Ashby (Kansas City, Missouri)

#31 Jandel Gustave (Pimentel, Dominican Republic)

#32 José Ureña (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

#35 Brent Suter (Cincinnati, Ohio)

#37 Adrian Houser (Tahlequah, Oklahoma)

#38 Devin Williams (Florissant, Missouri)

#39 Corbin Burnes (Bakersfield, California)

#45 Brad Boxberger (Santa Ana, California)

#48 Trevor Gott (Lexington, Kentucky)

#51 Freddy Peralta (Moca, Dominican Republic)

#52 Eric Lauer (Lorain County, Ohio)

#53 Brandon Woodruff (Prentiss County, Mississippi)

#54 Jake Cousins (St. Charles, Illinois)

#55 Hoby Milner (Ft. Worth, Texas)

#56 Justin Topa (Binghamton, New York)

#71 Josh Hader (Anne Arundel County, Maryland)

Catchers

#7 Víctor Caratini (Ponce, Puerto Rico)

#10 Omar Narváez (Maracay, Venezuela)

#28 Pedro Severino (Bonao, Dominican Republic)

Infielders

#2 Luis Urías (Magdalena De Kino, Mexico)

#11 Ryan Tellez (Elk Grove, California)

#14 Jace Peterson (Lake Charles, Louisiana)

#16 Kolten Wong (Hawaii County, Hawaii)

#18 Keston Hiura (Santa Clarita, California)

#20 Mike Brosseau (Merrillville, Indiana)

#27 Willy Adames (Santiago De Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic)

Outfielders

#6 Lorenzo Cain (Madison, Florida)

#12 Dustin Renfroe (Copiah County, Mississippi)

#15 Tyrone Taylor (Torrance, California)

#22 Christian Yelich (Thousand Oaks, California)

#24 Andrew McCutchen (Ft. Meade, Florida)

Coaches

Manager Craig Counsell (Milwaukee County, Wisconsin)

Bench coach Pat Murphy (Syracuse, New York)

Pitching coach Chris Hook (San Diego, California)

Assistant pitching/catching coach Walker McKinven (New Trier Township, Ill.)

Bullpen coach Jim Henderson (Calgary, Alberta)

Bullpen catcher Néstor Corredor (Portuguesa, Venezuela)

Bullpen catcher Adam Weisenburger (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Hitting coach Connor Dawson (Olathe, Kansas)

Assistant hitting/infield coach Matt Erickson (Appleton, Wisconsin)

Assistant hitting coach Ozzie Timmons (Hillsborough County, Florida)

1st base coach Quintin Berry (San Diego, California)

3rd base coach Jason Lane (Sonoma County, California)

[weshipyourride]

Meet Our 2022 BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors

We are pleased to introduce our roster of BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors for the 2022 season, including 39 individuals and one team.

“We have an amazing and talented roster of cyclists who will represent BikeFlights as Brand Ambassadors this year,” said Sue George, Vice President of BikeFlights. “From grassroots riders to veteran pros, our Ambassadors continue to inspire us and others to ride, race and explore. We look forward to helping them achieve their many goals in 2022 and beyond.”

Launched seven years ago in 2015, our Brand Ambassador program continues to make it easier for Ambassadors to ship their bikes, wheels and gear, whether they are traveling to or from a training camp or event or are shipping gear that they’ve just sold online. In exchange, Brand Ambassadors help spread the word among their local communities about BikeFlights. 

“This year’s BikeFlights Brand Ambassador program is our most inclusive yet,” said George. “We have ambassadors who are gravel riders, mountain bikers, road riders, trackies, triathletes and cyclocrossers of different races, ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders and locations.”

BikeFlights Brand Ambassador Miki Razo said, “BikeFlights has been so easy to use for shipping our bikes for trips. It’s easy to set up and figure out costs and timing.” 

Expect to see Brand Ambassadors in action at national caliber events like The Mid South, Sea Otter, Unbound, Leadville, Steamboat Gravel, Rebecca’s Private Idaho and Big Sugar as well as many more events in their local communities. You’ll also often see them out pedaling on their favorite local roads and trails.

BikeFlights Brand Ambassador Caleb Swartz said, “BikeFlights has made my travel and logistics exponentially easier. Using BikeFlights to ship gear and bikes ahead of time makes air travel a breeze. The peace of mind having my gear already waiting for me at my lodging for a race or trip is wonderful. It’s cost effective, efficient and easy to use! I am also continually impressed with the customer service I receive.”

Individuals

Abe Alkhamees (Remote)

Alexey Vermeulen (Boulder, CO)

Andreas Drekonja (Minneapolis, MN)

Annie Davis (Bentonville, AR)

Ashton Lambie (Houston, TX)

Ayesha McGowan (Decatur, GA)

Caleb Swartz (Missoula, MT)

Candice Votava (West Hartford, CT)

Charley Erickson (Portland, OR)

Clara Honsinger (Portland, OR)

Derek Braun (Kansas City, MO)

Diana Hildebrand (Cleveland, OH)

Egla Richey (Birmingham, AL)

Ellie Brent (Topeka, KS)

Garrett Bonenberger (Knoxville, TN)

Jake Wells (Avon, CO)

Jay Magee (Livermore, CA)

Jessica Brunson (San Antonio, TX)

Jessie Wildblood-Crawford (Flagstaff, AZ)

John Croom (Colorado Springs, CO)

Joseph Lawhorn (Chillicothe, OH)

Justin Hanneken (Fort Myers, FL)

Kait Boyle (Victor, ID)

Kelly Ann Freire (Miami, FL)

Kerry Werner (Vinton, VA)

Lindsey Richter (Bend, OR)

Lisa Gillespie (New York City, NY)

Liza Rachetto (Los Altos, CA)

Michael Sayers (Sacramento, CA)

Miki Razo (Tryon, NC)

Rebecca Rusch (Ketchum, ID)

Rose Grant (Columbia Falls, MT)

Ryan Petry (Boulder, CO)

Shawna Anderson (Superior, WI)

Sydney Wenger (Bedford, VA)

Tia Carter (Lancaster, PA)

Tina Beecham (Cibolo, TX)

Trey Best (Boone, NC)

Team

Bear Development Team (including Riders: Robert Douglas Day, Brayden Christopher Johnson, Kyan Scott Olshove, Blake Wray, Carson Bigelow Hampton, Cobe Freeburn, Daxton Mock, Keegan Luke Pelton, Lasse Jacob Konecny, Paul Leo Fabian, Pavel Rune Nelson, Mahala Helene Randel, Ruth Abigail Holcomb, Tai-Lee Smith, Madeline Joanna Robbins, Gabrielle Marie Richardson, Alexis Bobbitt, Paige Lauren Edwards, Isabella Kristine Hyser, Cayden Matthew Parker, Jack Spranger, Noah Scout Spangenberg, Ian Brown, Liam Baartman, Raul Alejandro Gutierrez, Bailey Cioppa, Hayden McJunkin, Margaret Holcomb, Makena May Kellerman, Ellie Loan Krafft, Nicholas Tommy Konecny, George Anthony Frazier III, Ethan Thomas Blocker, Vida Lopezdesanroman, Andelyn Aagard, Alyssa Brooke Whhite; and Team Managers and Staff: Julia Violich, Colby Pastore, Jason Jablonski and Julien Petit)

The BikeFlights.com Brand Ambassador program is full for 2022. The application period for 2023 Brand Ambassadors will open sometime in October and typically remains open for about two weeks. Stay tuned to our e-newsletter, social media and blog for details about when and how to sign up.

For more information about 2022 BikeFlights Brand Ambassadors, visit Bikeflights.com/ambassadors.

[artwalktv]

Learning to Drown follows the life and career of professional snowboarder Jess Kimura as she unapologetically shatters stereotypes with her own brand of unwavering determination and go-for-broke mentality. After the tragic death of Jess's partner at the height of her career, she spiraled into a cycle of self destruction, grief and despair. Compounded by head injuries and mental health issues, the circumstances seemed insurmountable. Jess's only way out was within — as she faces her deepest fears, she reminds us that not all wounds are meant to heal. "Jess Kimura is not afraid of falling. This beautiful film showcases her long journey of persistence and determination as she takes on one challenge after the other to become one of the most influential snowboarders of her time. Jess openly shares her deepest fear and suffering and reminds us of the importance of being our best selves, in this inspiring lifetime story of a hero." — Bachar Khattar, jury member of Banff Film Festival Presented by: THE NORTH FACE / Production Company: Felt Soul Media / Director: Ben Knight / Producer: Travis Rummel / CO Producers: Robert Wassmer, Kaki Orr and Aimee Tetreault / Editor: Ben Knight / Original score: Trevor Doherty / Additional music: DL Incognito, Tourist and Odesza. Visual effects: [magazine sequence] Paul Harrison / TNF logo GFX: Barry Thompson / Animation: [dildo sequence] Yeshe Parks / Lead cinematography: Ben Knight / Underwater cinematography: Perrin James / Additional cinematography: Joe Carlino, Travis Rummel, George Knowles and Ben Bilocq / Asst. Editor Sarah Hamilton / Promotional photography by Chad Chomlack and Anastasia Chomlack Additional snowboard footage: [super grateful to all of you] Mark Dangler, Karla Charlton, Donovon Skelton, Bobby Meeks, Sam Hiltner, Troy Erickson, Jesse Burtner, Christina Burtner, Sean Genovese, Mark Clavin, Skylar Brent, Mikael Ahtikari, Hayden Rensch, Justin Hare, Pat Fenelon Thank you: The North Face, Jaime Starr, Fran Dickson, Kimura family, Brittney and Jesse Dickson, Kieth and Kathleen Dickson, Mark Dangler, Ben Bilocq, Karla Charlton, Emily Higgins, Aimee Tetreault, Kaki Orr, Rob Wassmer, my sauna, Sandra Clark, Liina Potter, Jon Torres, Kyle DeLong, Scott Hibbert, Cara Williamson, Esther Kendall, Kristen Miller, Andy DeVelvis, Blue Montgomery, Riley Goodwin, George Kleckner, Cody Dresser, Evan Lefebvre, Sean Genovese, Dave Birnie, Mikey Scott, Pat Bridges, John Cavan, Marie-France Roy, Cam Sorenson, Tulsa Yoshikawa, Adam Skalzub, Tony Lefroy, Dirk Yarmush, Rob Williamson, Wasted Youth Crew, Sertraline, therapists, Pika and Jesse Burtner, Desiree Melancon, Perrin James, Maren Hamilton, Matt Lindsay, Alex Olea, Roy Olea, Nayeli Mendoza, Rick McGaw, Nysai Moreno, Riley Roice, your mom, Hipster Jaime, Fernando y Crystal, Gonzalo y Rosa Gutierrez, Margaret & Juniper Knight

[baloohappythumper]

Ghost Quartet at the Erickson Theater

I got to see Ghost Quartet in Seattle a few weeks ago and I thought I’d write some things down that I enjoyed. I sat in a chair in between Dave and Brittain, for reference.

- the transitions between songs are super fast and I don’t think the audience (myself included) knew what to do.

- for me, every emotion I get listening to the songs is amplified live. It’s just more intense, which is sometimes beautiful, but sometimes stressful and heart wrenching.

- In “Soldier and Rose” Gelsey keeps a very straight upright look and posture (like a soldier!). She’s very dry when she’s using the thunder drum (when Dave and Brent are singing “tremble”).

- Rose flirting is what I wish my flirting was like. She came across as very cute and innocent but down for some stuff if you get what I mean.

- Dave looked like he was having a lot of fun in “The Astronomer”

- They had enough whiskey for everyone who was of age! I’ve been using this as a selling point for adults who don’t know what it is to check it out!

- I was closest to Brittain and Dave during “Fathers and Sons” and she was so sassy!

- the acting in “The Telescope” made it so much better (I know hard to believe).

- act three is completely in the dark. The people who work at the venue warned us about that and the whiskey though. There were also faintly flickering lights throughout this. It makes the characters seem more like a ghost, and since Brent was the farthest from me, when the lights flickered around him, it felt like he was miles away down a tunnel.

- everything after “lights out” is a emotional trip. I want to go into this on a post of its own later.

- “Usher, Pt 3” ends in this extremely loud synth noise. It’s like you’ve been hit by the subway. That’s the only way I can describe it.

- Prayer starts completely silent. I felt empty, like there was nothing after the train hit me, like I wasn’t done. I wanted to sob but couldn’t, so I just breathed shakily. It was wonderful.

- I wanted to cry during “hero”, and Brittain ended up crying by the end (bless her heart). You feel sorry for Rose though! I don’t know why either!

- So, I got to buy a shirt ($25 by the way) from Brent and tell him the whole show was beautiful. Then I went and tried to talk to Dave (I was nervous and that was more intense than what I was expecting). I told him I loved how he handed out instruments during the show because it reminded me of music therapy (my major and chosen profession). He said his work is influenced by music therapy!!!! With that, I think I want to write a whole thing about how Ghost Quartet uses aspects of music therapy. Which is why I didn’t write every impression I had of every song. That will come later!

[your-dietician]

World's Fastest Property Price Surge Since Financial Crisis Sparks Bidding Wars

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/worlds-fastest-property-price-surge-since-financial-crisis-sparks-bidding-wars/

World's Fastest Property Price Surge Since Financial Crisis Sparks Bidding Wars

Around the world, property markets are going bananas. 

From the U.S. to the U.K. to China, housing is riding an extended boom. Global valuations are soaring at the fastest pace since 2006, according to Knight Frank, with annual price increases in double digits. Frothy markets are flashing the kind of bubble warnings that haven’t been seen since the run up to the financial crisis, a Bloomberg Economics analysis shows.

On the ground, outrageous stories are rife, with desperate buyers promising to name their first-born after sellers and derelict buildings selling for mansion prices.

This property in Sydney’s Kensington suburb sold for A$4.7 million after a bidding war.

Source: NG Farah

The drivers for the frenzy are remarkably consistent: cheap mortgages, a post-pandemic desire for more space, newly remote workers taking city cash to regional locations — and, crucially, a pervasive fear that if you don’t buy now you may never be able to.

As prices mount, so do the risks for both individuals and society. Even without an outright crash, big mortgages mean borrowers are vulnerable if interest rates rise, have less disposable income to spend in the wider economy and are more likely to retire in debt. For younger people, buying property becomes increasingly difficult, further widening intergenerational inequality.

While regulators are starting to get nervous, there are few signs of meaningful action in most countries. They expect the market will start to cool on its own, arguing that a decade-long focus on higher lending standards combined with the prospect of low interest rates for an extended period means there is no obvious trigger for a crash. Much of the activity is also being driven by owner-occupiers rather than investors, who typically don’t all head for the door at once if prices start to drop.

So for now, expect the wild stories to keep coming. Here are a few of the most startling ones we’ve come across. 

Canada

As a real estate agent, Kristin Cripps knew the market was hot in Barrie. Prices in the fast-growing city about an hour and a half’s drive north of Toronto have been pushed skyward as buyers hunt for larger homes or vacation properties on scenic Lake Simcoe.

Yet nothing prepared her for selling her one-bedroom vacation home. It’s not a remarkable property—Cripps says it looks like “a small box” from the outside—but within 24 hours of listing, 192 showings had been booked. And that was only the start.

Homes for sale in Barrie, where prices have been pushed skyward.

Photographer: Galit Rodan/Bloomberg

Throughout the following three days, bidders and agents kept showing up without an appointment, tramping through the snow to bang on the door while Cripps conducted virtual viewings inside.

The property’s narrow driveway became so congested, no fewer than six cars ended up in a ditch and needed to be towed out. At the height of the bidding war, Cripps estimates she was getting about 75 emails every 20 minutes, and didn’t sleep more than two or three hours a night as she tried to keep up with all the inquiries. In the end she received 71 offers. The property, listed for C$399,000 ($328,665), sold for almost twice that sum — C$777,777.

“You know when you see videos of Black Friday and everyone rushes in and they’re grabbing stuff and they’re having fights in the store and pulling people’s hair and there’s security and they’re grabbing people? That’s what it felt like,” Cripps said.

“Everyone was just so hot and bothered to get a property.”

Australia

It didn’t have a kitchen or a toilet or power, let alone flooring or paint. Yet the semi-derelict home about seven kilometers (4.4 miles) south of Sydney’s city center sold anyway—for A$4.7 million ($3.5 million), after a heated bidding war. 

It’s just one more jaw-dropping sale in the harborside city, where more than half the houses sold this year fetched at least A$1 million and quarterly gains to May were the highest in more than 30 years. House prices rose by A$1,263 a day in May.

Prospective buyers place bids during the auction of a house in Sydney’s Paddington area in February. 

Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg

“I’ve been involved in this industry 25 years and seen nothing like it,” selling agent Joe Recep of NG Farah Real Estate said. “We had 30,000 enquiries on the property in four weeks—from UAE [United Arab Emirates], Dubai, America, New Zealand and all the Asian countries.”

It’s the top end of the market that’s really motoring. Cashed-up buyers returning from overseas and wealthy locals kept in the country by Australia’s closed borders are prepared to pay eye-watering amounts for a desirable lifestyle.

Sydney’s Top-Tier Home Prices Soar

Values rise fastest for the most expensive properties

Sources: Corelogic Inc., Bloomberg

D’Leanne Lewis, a principal at real estate agency Laing+Simmons in the tony eastern suburb of Double Bay, sold homes worth a record A$60 million in a single day in May—more than she had ever previously sold in a month.

Among the five houses Lewis sold on her banner day was an eight-bedroom, nine-bathroom property in Bellevue Hill, an expensive area in the city’s east. It was snapped up pre-auction for $25 million—almost 40% above its advertised price—and more than triple the $7 million it sold for just five years ago. While palatial, it doesn’t have the waterfront views or access you’d normally expect in Sydney at that price. 

“It’s crazy but does make sense when you think about it,” says Lewis. “Being locked down in a place like Sydney does not feel so dismal when you compare it to the rest of the world. People are looking for a safe haven.”

U.S. 

In the wealthy enclave of Greenwich, Connecticut, you can’t even bank on being able to see a property before you put in an offer. 

Shut out of appointments to view a just-listed $1.55 million house, one set of homebuyers decided to make a cash offer above asking price anyway. Their only condition was to be allowed into the house once before signing the contract. 

“It was accepted as the highest and best bid, and they’d never been in the house,” said Mark Pruner, a broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Greenwich. “There were all these other people lined up for appointments in 15-minute intervals for two days.”

New York’s Divided Property Market

Prices in Manhattan keep falling as bidding wars erupt in the outer boroughs.

Source: StreetEasy, Bloomberg, Q1 2021 data, YOY % change

U.S. home prices jumped the most in 30 years in April, with even more dramatic increases in many suburban and rural areas. At the peak of the pandemic, Greenwich attracted exiles from New York City — and they’ve kept coming ever since. Signed contracts for single-family homes more than tripled in May from a year earlier to 165, according to appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate. And that’s after a first quarter when the median price of home sales surged 31% to $2.24 million. 

In Manhattan, sales have picked up in recent months too, but that’s largely thanks to the prospect of discounted prices. By contrast, buyers pushing deep into the outer boroughs in search of more spacious homes are facing bidding wars.

Things are even hotter in more remote areas of the U.S. Take Boise, Idaho, a picturesque city of roughly 225,000 set against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. An influx of buyers from California and other more expensive states has sent the market wild: Prices at the start of June were up 42% from a year earlier, according to brokerage Redfin. In April, eight in 10 offers made by its customers faced bidding wars.

An influx of buyers has sent the Boise market wild.

Photographer: Jeremy Erickson/Bloomberg

Desperate buyers are doing whatever they can to secure a deal — including promising not to actually move in. Shauna Pendleton, a local Redfin broker, said one vendor negotiated the right to stay in the property for five months on a peppercorn rent until their new home was built. 

“Sellers know they’ve got power in this market, they know they hold the cards and that they pretty much make the rules,” Pendleton said. 

U.K. 

Buying a U.K. property right now is nerve-jangling. Almost a quarter of homes sell within a week, according to estate agents Hamptons International, many before they even hit the property portals.

The intense competition is leaving would-be-buyers like Alyson Nash, 63, and her husband out in the cold. They sold their family farmhouse last year and moved into rented accommodation so they could hunt commitment-free for a property near Guildford, a commuter hub in England’s southeast.

Property listings in Guildford, U.K. Almost a quarter of homes sell within a week, according to estate agents.

Photographer: Luke MacGregor/Bloomberg

Eight months later, after making offers for three homes at their asking prices of at least 2.5 million pounds ($3.5 million), they’re no closer.

“I had never in my life anticipated it being this difficult,” Nash said. “There’s very little on the market and what there is, is being chased down by too many people.”

U.K. House Prices Are Rising Faster Outside London

The capital city isn’t attracting buyers the way it once did

Source: Acadata

The booming market has led to the resurgence of a practice known as gazumping. Property deals in the U.K. aren’t legally binding until contracts are formally exchanged, which can take months after an offer has been accepted—particularly when mortgage lenders and lawyers are struggling with high volumes.

At any point in this period sellers can accept a different offer. That’s what happened to Charlotte Howard, 46, in February. Four months later, as glacial proceedings on another property left her terrified of being gazumped again, she found herself contacting the seller on Facebook to reassure them of her interest.

“I’m feeling just a bit broken and a bit bruised,” Howard said. “Things can go wrong still.”

Fortunately for Howard, she and the seller exchanged on June 11th. 

China

Reining in property speculation is a key objective of the Chinese government. But even they are struggling. While in much of the world the pandemic spurred a dash to the suburbs and beyond, buyers in China piled into top-tier cities where the best jobs and schools can still be found. 

New apartments under construction in Shenzhen, where prices are rising faster than anywhere else in China.

Photographer: Yan Cong/Bloomberg

Existing home prices in those cities rose 10.8% in the year to May, despite crackdowns on loopholes such as fake divorces, designed to bypass rules on how many properties a family can own.

In the tech hub of Shenzhen, an apartment costs 43.5 times a resident’s average salary, according to the research institute of real estate firm E-House (China) Enterprise Holdings Ltd. That’s not far behind Hong Kong, the world’s least affordable city. With Shenzhen prices rising faster than anywhere else in China, the list of obstacles facing would-be buyers just keeps getting longer—and more arbitrary. 

China’s Home Price Gains Slow, But Don’t Stop

Increases continue despite tough cooling measures

Source: China’s National Bureau of Statistics

At one new development in the city’s west, interested parties had to temporarily transfer 1 million yuan ($157,000) and upload personal credit reports before they could even make a bid.

Many of those who managed to do so—not easy, with queues of bidders snaking around the block at bank closing time—still didn’t even get their offers considered.

Under pressure from the local housing regulator to prioritize residents, local developer Coaster Group decided to vet applicants on how long they’d paid taxes in the city. The 2,114 successful applications all had more than 23 years of tax records.

That meant renewed disappointment for many, including Jerry Huang, 29,  who has 14 years of Shenzhen tax history. It’s the third time that non-monetary requirements have prevented him from even making a bid. 

“It looks like I have to shelve the purchase plan for a long time,” Huang said. “There are so many people competing I’m not sure I have a winning chance.” 

  — With assistance by Emily Cadman, Ari Altstedter, Olivia Konotey-Ahulu, Charlie Wells, Emma Dong, Nabila Ahmed, Prashant Gopal, and Oshrat Carmiel

(Updates Sydney house price chart to include June data.)

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