#Event design Atlanta

[atlantaballoon]

Atlanta Balloon Designer

At Atlanta Balloon Designer we provide event styling: balloon garland, balloon arch, balloon wall, photo op, focal point, Centerpieces, marquee letters and numbers, event design, balloon artist, balloon stylist, event planning and more. We prioritize individualized attention for each event. Our main objective is to exceed expectations with exceptional service. The satisfaction of our clients reflects our commitment to quality and integrity. We believe your event should reflect your unique personality and style, and we take pride in making that a reality

135 Riverside Parkway,Austell, GA, 30168

678-203-0200

[sirfrogsworth]

How do you take a photo of time?

I've been watching the track events at the Olympics since I was a wee lad. It was a tradition in our family. We'd gather around our ancient low-definition 19 inch CRT television and watch tiny blobs compete against other tiny blobs and root for our country.

It was a bit like watching YouTube on your phone in 144p.

Several heroes emerged.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was amazing.

You can't forget about Flo-Jo.

And then the Olympics decided NBA players were allowed in the competition.

Which formed... The Dream Team.

Was this fair?

Well... they won each game by an average of 44 points.

So... no. It was not fair.

Though it became more fair as time went on.

But, umm... yeah. The other teams looked like the Washington Generals and the US looked like the Harlem Globetrotters if they stopped screwing around half of the game.

But my absolute favorite Olympian was a runner named Michael Johnson.

He was cool as heck.

For one thing... gold shoes.

But he also had this crazy, upright, Tom Cruise-ish sprinting style that just made him look like a running robot on the track.

And in the 1996 Atlanta games he just trounced EVERYONE. I mean, it wasn't even close.

Yikes. Those losing blobs are probably really embarrassed.

Last night I decided to invigorate my nostalgia and watch the track events again. And I got to see one of the wildest races in history.

It didn't even last 10 seconds but it was one of the most exciting sporting events I've ever witnessed. Almost every runner won the race.

After I saw that initially, I was like... who the heck won???

Even in slow motion I wasn't sure.

This was one of the closest finishes in history. There has never been a race where all 8 runners were within this margin.

The arena was silent as the winner was being confirmed. The runners just kind of paced around waiting for official word. My best guess was the Jamaican runner, Kishane Thompson. But then the loudspeaker announced Noah Lyles.

The last tiny morsel of American pride burst out of me with a big "Wooooo!"

I forgot what it was like to be proud of my country. I wish it happened more often. But this young man, despite being last place in the first 3rd of the race, turned on the afterburners and won in a photo finish.

And that's when my inner nerd took over.

Because when they showed the photo finish image, it looked super weird.

Why is the track white?

Why do all of the runners look all warpy like that QWOP game?

So I went down a research rabbit hole to figure this out.

Photo finishes are actually fascinating. The first photo finish captured the end of a horse race in 1890. But that was mostly luck and timing. The actual photo finish mechanisms weren't used until 1937.

Originally they would film the finish line through a physical slit.

And the first horsie head that appeared in that slit would be the winner. This technology ended a huge aspect of corruption in horse race fixing almost overnight.

But we have come a long way since then. And I'd like to introduce you to the Omega Scan 'O' Vision Ultimate.

This slow motion camera sits fixed on the finish line of every race. The concept of the photo finish has remained remarkably similar to the 1930s approach. The camera sensor is specially designed to only record a vertical slit.

Only the finish line itself is actually captured.

And because it limits what it records to only that slit, it can capture 40,000 frames per second to get amazing temporal resolution.

So why don't the photo finishes just look like, well... this?

That is because the camera takes a picture of time more-so than dimensional space. I guess it would be more accurate to say it *assembles* a picture of time.

As the runners cross the finish line, the camera combines all of the little strips of pictures into a single image.

It's almost like if you tried to reassemble a piece of paper after it had been shredded.

Imagine each strip of paper is a picture of ONLY the finish line, just at a slightly different point in time.

What if someone stopped on the finish line and didn't move... what would that look like?

Once they got there, the same part of their body would just be repeated.

So the right side of the photo finish picture represents earlier in time and it just assembles the image strip by strip as time passes and you literally get a picture of time itself.

NEAT!

Okay, but how do they determine the winner from the photo finish?

I mean, that shoe looks like it is ahead of Noah Lyles!

Clavicles!

The IAFF rules state the foremost part of the torso must cross the finish line first. And the endpoint of the torso is the outer end of the clavicle.

So if you get this bone across the finish line first, you win the race.

Two more fun facts!

The start of the race is actually just as carefully timed as the end of the race. There are sensors in the starting blocks of each runner.

The starting gun also has an electronic sensor.

They have determined the fastest a human can react to the sound of a gun is roughly 100 milliseconds. So if you start running before 100 milliseconds they know you didn't actually hear the gun, you just got antsy and started running too early.

And the final fun fact...

Did you notice the Omega logo at the top of the photo finish?

That isn't superimposed or added after the fact. That is captured by the camera.

But if this image is composed only of tiny little slivers, how did they get the Omega logo to show up?

That is a little display. And it is synchronized with the Scan 'O' Vision Ultimate to show a little sliver of the Omega logo for each frame captured.

So when the final image is stitched together, it looks like a cohesive logo at the top of the photo.

Pretty clever, Omega!

[dailyniallnews]

SINGER NIALL HORAN INVESTS IN FENWAY SPORTS, MCILROY TGL TEAM

Singer-songwriter Niall Horan will tee it up as the latest investor in TGL, the tech-infused team golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Horan, who first gained fame as a member of boy band One Direction, invested in Boston Common Golf through his investment vehicle Greenbridge Ventures.

Boston Common Golf is one of the six inaugural TGL teams and owned by Fenway Sports Group and McIlroy’s investment firm, Symphony Ventures.

McIlroy and Horan both hail from Ireland and have been longtime friends. “Golf has been a lifelong passion of mine,” Horan said in a statement. “Being able to combine my love for the game and my friendship with Rory into a relationship that helps launch a new concept in golf is truly special.”

TGL teams will each feature four golfers hitting shots into a golf simulator screen until they are within 50 yards of the hole and the action transfers to a short game area that transforms between holes. The season includes 15 matches, plus playoffs.

Horan will also serve as an ambassador for Boston Common Golf, which will benefit from his massive social media following, which includes 72 million combined followers on Instagram and Twitter—Woods has 10 million and McIlroy 6 million.

In 2015, Horan launched a sports agency focused on golf, Modest! Golf Management, with his business partner, Mark McDonnell. Their clients include Tyrrell Hatton, who has won six European Tour events and one on the PGA Tour. That same year, Horan served as McIlroy’s caddie in the Masters’ annual Par 3 Contest.

In addition to his singing career, Horan was a coach the past year on The Voice and coached the winner in back-to-back seasons. He is currently on the North American leg of his global tour.

TGL was slated to start play this January, but delayed its inaugural season to begin Jan. 7, 2025 after a power failure caused the dome of the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens to deflate. The required repairs led the TGL to delay a year. Last month, Horan visited TGL’s performance lab to preview the technology that will be used in the competition.

The SoFi Center will boast a 3,000-square-foot simulator screen and a 22,475-square-foot customizable short game area. TGL rules also include a shot clock, and the league plans for players to be mic’d up during the action. A seating area for 1,500 has been designed around the playing zone.

Matches will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+.

The six, location-tied teams for TGL’s inaugural season: Atlanta Drive GC, Boston, Jupiter Links GC, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and the Bay Golf Club, have attracted heavy hitters in the sports space, including Arthur Blank, Steve Cohen, Alexis Ohanian and Marc Lasry, as well as athletes Serena Williams, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Woods partnered with David Blitzer for the Jupiter franchise.

[melchiorgabor]

STOP COP CITY & DEFEND THE ATLANTA FOREST

on january 18, georgia state troops murdered Tortugita (aka Tort, they/it) during a raid of the weelaunee forest in the city of atlanta.

“cop city” is a proposed police training facility planned for construction in southwest atlanta. the designated land belongs to the Muskogee Nation, whose people were forcibly removed by the state in the 1800s.

today, atlanta is the greenest city in the us. we are known for our tree coverage. cop city will destroy a significant portion of our forest, which is essential for climate change mitigation. despite being opposed by 70% of atlanta citizens, the state and local government is not interested in listening to us. cop city will consume 85 acres of land, some of it the site of the old atlanta prison farm.

since 2021, a number of people have been protecting the forest by living in the trees. Tort was one of those people, and last week they were murdered by police while trying to prevent the construction of a facility meant to train more cops to murder more people.

the tree sitters are peaceful. stop cop city/defend the atlanta forest are peaceful protests. there have been rallies and events across the country this week in support of atlanta forest defenders.

please know that the mainstream coverage of Tort’s death and the ensuing protests is not accurate. GSP will not release body cam footage from the raid that killed Tort. they will not release ballistics. all they want is to demonize the brave people in this movement. don’t let them control this narrative.

if you’re able, please consider donating to the atlanta solidarity fund & help other protesters who have been arrested over the course of this week. you can also donate to a gofundme in support of Tort’s loved ones.

the community has been devastated. please spread the word, oppose cop city, and remember Tortugita.

#StopCopCity #JusticeForTort

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 18, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Oct 19, 2024

The events of January 6, 2021, overshadowed those of January 5, 2021, but that day was crucially important in a different way: Georgia voters elected two Democrats, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, to the U.S. Senate. Warnock and Ossoff brought the total of Democrats in the Senate to 48, and since two Independents—Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont—caucus with the Democrats and because in an evenly split Senate the majority goes to the party in the White House, their election gave Democrats control of the Senate.

Without that majority, the Biden-Harris agenda that built the U.S. economy into what The Economist this week called “the envy of the world” would never have passed. There would have been no American Rescue Plan, no Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, no CHIPS and Science Act, no Safer Communities Act, no PACT Act, no Inflation Reduction Act. 

In an era when Republicans refuse to vote for any Democratic measures no matter how popular they are, control of the Senate is vital. The Senate majority leader decides what measures can come to the floor for consideration, so a leader can shut out anything his party doesn’t like. The Senate also controls the confirmation of federal judges, including members of the Supreme Court. 

During the Trump years, then–Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stacked the courts with MAGA judges, some of whom are now so reliably handing down right-wing decisions that plaintiffs routinely “shop” for them to get the decisions they want. And with Trump’s three hand-picked extremists at the Supreme Court, challenging those decisions simply writes that extremism more fully into law. 

As Trump continues to crumble—he canceled another appearance today, and in a statement almost certainly designed to leak, an advisor said he was “exhausted”—and as Democrats are favored to take the House, Republicans are waging a fierce battle to take control of the Senate. 

They are starting with an advantage. There are 34 Senate seats on the ballot this year, and Democrats are defending 23 of them while Republicans are defending just 11. Republicans need to pick up one seat to control the Senate if Trump wins the White House, and two if Harris wins. 

The McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund PAC has, so far, spent more than $140 million in this year’s Senate races, with more than $136 million going to attack ads. In the four races that are most vulnerable for Democrats—Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—the Senate Leadership Fund has spent $17.85 million (MT), $55.5 million (OH), $38.1 million (PA), and $23.6 million (WI).

In each of those four races, that money is bolstering extremely wealthy Republican challengers. In Montana, Republican Tim Sheehy, running against Senator Jon Tester, would be among the ten wealthiest senators if elected: his financial disclosures put his net worth at between $74 million and $260 million. Republican Bernie Moreno, who is challenging Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio, has a net worth between $38 million and $172.7 million. In the Pennsylvania race, David McCormick (who actually appears to live in Connecticut) reported assets of $116 million to $290 million in 2022. In Wisconsin’s race, Republican Eric Hovde (who lived in an ocean-view mansion in Laguna Beach, California, until he decided to run for the Senate from Wisconsin) would also be one of the Senate’s richest members. His financial disclosures say his net worth is between $195.5 million and $564.4 million. 

This is not a coincidence. Knowing that fundraising would be difficult this year with Trump steering funds from the Republican National Committee primarily to himself, Republican Party leaders actively recruited candidates who could pour their own money into their campaigns. By the end of June, Sheehy had put $10.7 million into his own race; Moreno had put in $4.5 million by mid-October. McCormick had loaned his campaign more than $4 million by the end of June; Hovde put in $8 million by the end of March. 

This moment echoes the late nineteenth century, when wealthy businessmen sought a Senate seat as a capstone to their success, a perch from which they could protect the interests of other men like themselves. In that era it was relatively easy for a man like Nevada’s William Sharon to buy himself a Senate seat because the Constitution had established that state legislatures would elect their state’s senators. Determined to win a Senate seat to protect his railroad interests “regardless of expense,” Sharon bought a newspaper to flood the state capital with his own praise. The legislature gave him the seat in 1874. 

By the 1880s, even the staunchly pro-business Chicago Tribune complained: “Behind every one of half of the portly and well dressed members of the Senate can be seen the outlines of some corporation interested in getting or preventing legislation.” In 1892 the newly formed Populist Party met in Omaha, Nebraska, “to restore the government of the Republic to the hands of ‘the plain people,’ with which class it originated.” They called for the people to bypass the corrupt legislatures and elect senators directly. 

In 1900, William A. Clark of Montana provided the kick their proposal needed. 

Clark had arrived at the newly opened gold fields in Montana Territory in 1863 and transferred the money he made as a mule trader into banking. He made a fortune repossessing mining properties when owners defaulted on their loans. He invested that fortune in smelters, railroads, a newspaper, and copper mining, becoming one of the state’s famous Copper Kings. In 1889 he was the president of the Montana constitutional convention, where he made sure that mine owners could run the state as they wished. 

By 1890, Clark had his eyes on a Senate seat. He failed to get the support of the legislature in that year, and for the next decade he and his rival copper magnate Marcus Daly of the Anaconda Company poured vast sums of money into influencing the economy of the state, the location of the capital, and the state’s politics. 

Clark finally won his election in 1899, but on the same day he presented his credentials to the Senate, his opponents filed a petition charging him with bribery. An extensive investigation revealed that Clark had bought his seat with bribes ranging from $240 to $100,000, equivalent to almost $4 million today. His representatives had paid debts, bought ranches, and even handed envelopes of cash to legislators. The investigation also showed that Daly had spent a fortune trying to block Clark’s election. 

Montana politics, it seemed, had become a rich man’s game.

Aware that the Senate would vote to remove him from his seat, Clark resigned in May 1900. In January 1901 a new Montana legislature containing many of the same men Clark had paid off in 1899 elected him again to the same term from which he had been forced to resign. After an undistinguished term, he retired from the Senate in 1907.

Clark’s blatant purchase of a Senate seat added momentum to the demand for the direct election of senators, and in 1913 the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution established that the power to elect senators must rest in the hands of voters. That measure was supposed to make sure that wealth could not buy a Senate seat.

That the ability to self-fund a campaign is once again a key factor in winning a Senate seat from Montana—and Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—seems to be history repeating.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[the-olympics-olympics]

In 1993, Cobb County Georgia passed a resolution that condemned "gay lifestyles". Local groups soon formed to protest the resolution. One of these groups, Olympics Out of Cobb County (OOOC) took aim at Olympic events that were planned for the county: the women's volleyball tournament and a leg of the torch relay. Organizer Pat Hussain said, "Everyone should feel welcomed at the Olympic games." The group was successful. The tournament was moved to Athens, and the planned torch relay was rerouted to avoid the county. When Greenville County, SC, passed a similar resolution just a month before the flame was to pass through the area, organizers decided to respond by cancelling the relay through the county. Due to the short notice, the path was not changed, however. The flame was driven through the county hidden in the back of a van, only coming out for a stretch of the relay inside Greenville city limits.

Before the opening ceremony, the delegations of Haiti and Liechtenstein noticed that the civil flag of Haiti was identical to that of the flag of Liechtenstein. As a result, both nations agreed to carry different flags during the ceremony. Liechtenstein received approval from their government to carry the flag upside-down and add a "Prince's Hat" crown in the corner, while Haiti added the national crest in order to make it into the state flag instead. This directly led to Liechtenstein adding the crown to their flag. This modified design was adopted on 24 June 1937.

[angelthefirst1]

01x01 ♾️ 10x10

YEARS...

TOWL

First off, I loved episode one, and I hope you all enjoyed it too.

I very much believe the title is linked to Beth - The one who lives.

I mentioned in previous posts that we would be heading back to repeat season 1 of the walking dead. We got many callbacks in episode 1 of TOWL. Such as Rick stepping into Merle's role of being handcuffed because he is "difficult."

Like Merle, Rick has to chop his own hand off to escape.

The callbacks are quite detailed. If you remember back, Merle was horrible to T-dog, refusing to take any direction from him because of his skin colour. He almost kills T-dog and wants to become the leader of the group, which leads to Rick handcuffing him.

Whereas to contrast, Rick wants to escape the CRM to get back to Michonne, whom he loves.

Rick also doesn't desire power in the CRM at all and even says so to Okafor.

Rick, in season one, is also looking for Lori his wife.

Merle and Daryl (the brothers) are separated.

It's a beautiful rework of that time around the rooftop scene in Atlanta...

The exciting thing about all this is that Andrea was first introduced just prior to Merle (Daryl's brother) being handcuffed on that rooftop.

They are reversing and reworking season one and season 5 scenes combined (I'll get to the season 5 patterns soon), so Beth (a reworked Andrea) is close...

We even saw Rick's own version of a Brulent (burner) walker that leads to cauterization...

I talk about the cauterization theme at length here from DD1.

The cauterization theme is related to walking away from God, which is interesting with Rick specifically because Rick is "walking away" from or running away from the CRM.

The CRM logo is a representation of God.

The Borromean rings have been used in different contexts to indicate strength in unity. In particular, some have used the design to symbolize the Trinity.

The end is the beginning theme ♾️

This theme reveals a major clue to the story and what they are drawing from, and that is the Revelation or revealing of Jesus Christ.

Beth's revealing is symbolic of this...

The book of Revelation is known as a book about the end of all things but also the beginning of something new.

To remind you, not that you need it, this is a show about the end of the world, and the writers are heavily incorporating biblical end time events into the show.

Jesus describes one of his characteristics in the book of Revelation, he says:

‭‭Revelation 22:13

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

The beginning and the end theme, will eventually reveal Beth. 01x01 ♾️ 10x10 get well soon.

The symbolism around her character is used to link her symbolically to Christ, I've mentioned this many times before. As a reminder, some aspects of this are:

She dies wearing a cross.

She dies sacrificially (goes all in) to save Noah.

The bible says Noah walked with God, so God saved him from the biblical flood. In the cauterization post i linked above, i go into how 510 events when it rained and they hide in the barn (Ark) was a rework of the biblical flood.

Beth was also the only character given the symbolism of an "empty" or missing body/grave.

She was innocent and considered "good" as Daryl was trying to indicate at the "oh" moment (and yes, he was also saying he loves her 😉)

Jesus was also called good by his disciples. The real definition actually means morally perfect, so while back in Alone the writers were using the "good people theme" to indicate someone that hasn't become out-rightly evil in these evil times, with Beth, it was just one more way of linking her symbolically to Jesus as morally perfect.

Seeing what Rick has experienced with the CRM is a shadow of Beth.

Now let's talk about how season 5 Grady has been reworked.

While we are back in season 1, they are also showing us Rick's version of being at Grady.

Dawn is Thorne, and yes, we're rhyming names now it's becoming that obvious.

Rick (Beth) and Thorne (Dawn) play a game of Poker, and Rick goes all in... Thorne folds.

Thorne tells Rick she's great at poker, but she loses.

Dawn also liked to play poker... Poker is about holding the right cards, having the upper hand, and even bluffing your way to a win.

Remember the hostage trade at Grady? They focused a large amount of time on the numbers of cops to trade with Dawn.

Daryl says to Rick, "3s better than 2" talking about the 3 cops they have to trade back for Beth and Carol. 3 cops gives them the winning hand...

Now, in poker, that's a true statement. All you need to win is a better hand than your opponent.

Well...in fact Dawn and Beth were playing poker in that hallway at Grady.

Beth made the choice to go all in like Rick did. Dawn dies (folds)

It's a big risk to go all in, but the pay-off can be huge. Dawn got nothing in the end.

While Beth is the one who lives and survives a bullet to the forehead. This is actually confirmed in this episode twice, so read on.

A shadow of this is shown with Rick...

In the very next scene after the poker game where Thorne (Dawn) folds, we see Rick hold the bullet right to his forehead. It's not a coincidence...

In that defining moment, you'll make the right choice...

Beth made the right choice.

Beth won and it was lights out for Dawn before she even got to play... just like Thorne said...

Confirming the poker theme and bullet graze theme.

This combination is actually reinforced as it's mentioned in sequence twice in this episode.

Rick and Thorne both sign up to the CRM, and Okafor asks them to work secretly for him. Afterwards, Thorne talks with Rick, and Rick asks her if she gave Okafor the scar on his forehead (a shadow of Beth's scar)

It's then she admits to shooting Okafor in the head, but the bullet just grazed him, she missed. Rick then asks if she will shoot him, too...

Then, she stops and seemingly very randomly brings up the topic of playing poker. But it's not random at all.

It's a reworked reverse shadow of what happened at Grady.

Bullet graze to the head, missed didn't make the kill but it did leave a scar, poker and lights out for Thorne/Dawn. All while Rick (Beth) asks if she will shoot him too.

And all while Rick (Beth) is trapped in the CRM (Grady) away from the love of his life.

Thorne also gives us more hints that she is a new version of Dawn back at Grady. She thinks the system of the CRM is working fine and it doesn't need to change.

Rick disagrees as no one is free to leave.

Beth kept telling Dawn that she wasn't staying any longer than they made her. She wasn't free to leave either, and Dawn told her she shouldn't see it as a sentence. That out there, she would be dead.

This whole rework also gives us insight into Beth's mindset. Just as Rick was trying to escape to get to someone he loves, so was Beth trying to get back to Daryl.

The A's and B's - a repeat of Grady only taking in the ones who they thought were weak. In Beth's case, they got it wrong, she thought for herself, which classified her a an A.

They thought she was a B but she was an A

The man i was with, is he here?

They thought Daryl was an A and same with Noah's Dad so they left them out in the world to die.

Okafor, Thorne and Rick are a reworked version of Beth, Dawn and Noah.

The repeats in this story should give hope that Beth survived that bullet and just like the end of this episode with Rick and Michonne, the story will eventually lead to two people who love each other reuniting. One of whom thought the other died but could never find the body...

[apureniallsource]

Singer-songwriter Niall Horan will tee it up as the latest investor in TGL, the tech-infused team golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Horan, who first gained fame as a member of boy band One Direction, invested in Boston Common Golf through his investment vehicle Greenbridge Ventures.

Boston Common Golf is one of the six inaugural TGL teams and owned by Fenway Sports Group and McIlroy’s investment firm, Symphony Ventures.

McIlroy and Horan both hail from Ireland and have been longtime friends. “Golf has been a lifelong passion of mine,” Horan said in a statement. “Being able to combine my love for the game and my friendship with Rory into a relationship that helps launch a new concept in golf is truly special.”

TGL teams will each feature four golfers hitting shots into a golf simulator screen until they are within 50 yards of the hole and the action transfers to a short game area that transforms between holes. The season includes 15 matches, plus playoffs.

Horan will also serve as an ambassador for Boston Common Golf, which will benefit from his massive social media following, which includes 72 million combined followers on Instagram and Twitter—Woods has 10 million and McIlroy 6 million.

In 2015, Horan launched a sports agency focused on golf, Modest! Golf Management, with his business partner, Mark McDonnell. Their clients include Tyrrell Hatton, who has won six European Tour events and one on the PGA Tour. That same year, Horan served as McIlroy’s caddie in the Masters’ annual Par 3 Contest.

In addition to his singing career, Horan was a coach the past year on The Voice and coached the winner in back-to-back seasons. He is currently on the North American leg of his global tour.

TGL was slated to start play this January, but delayed its inaugural season to begin Jan. 7, 2025 after a power failure caused the dome of the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens to deflate. The required repairs led the TGL to delay a year. Last month, Horan visited TGL’s performance lab to preview the technology that will be used in the competition.

The SoFi Center will boast a 3,000-square-foot simulator screen and a 22,475-square-foot customizable short game area. TGL rules also include a shot clock, and the league plans for players to be mic’d up during the action. A seating area for 1,500 has been designed around the playing zone.

Matches will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+.

The six, location-tied teams for TGL’s inaugural season: Atlanta Drive GC, Boston, Jupiter Links GC, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and the Bay Golf Club, have attracted heavy hitters in the sports space, including Arthur Blank, Steve Cohen, Alexis Ohanian and Marc Lasry, as well as athletes Serena Williams, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Woods partnered with David Blitzer for the Jupiter franchise.

[atlurbanist]

A new report looks at the hot spots of Atlanta's heat exposure

I like the looks of these recommendations from a recent report about Atlanta's heat risk. Cool roofing for low-rise buildings would be a great program for Atlanta!

As the effects of climate change produce hotter weather, it's important for us to find a way to benefit from the cooling power of urban trees while also adding affordable density in walkable formats near our transit lines.

Check out this map of heat exposure at the neighborhood level in Atlanta from the report. I'd love to see an interactive overlay of this with the satellite images:

I'll forgive this next slide for pegging the property between the Mercedes-Benz stadium & Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) as a high density neighborhood -- no one lives here.

Focus instead on the potential for a cool roof on the giant, sprawling GWCC! That would be great.

This report was funded jointly by Council's Liliana Bakhtiari and Matt Westmoreland.

Here are the recommendations:

1. Increase total tree canopy across atlanta by about 350,000 trees (average of 1,400 per neighborhood). Tree investments should be prioritized in neighborhoods with a total vulnerability score of 8, 9, or 10. All trees added by the city should be positioned to shade impervious surfaces, which will also maximize benefits for stormwater runoff.

2. The results of this heat risk assessment directly support the city council's recently adopted goal of 50% tree canopy cover as a minimum for all neighborhoods. To achieve this level of tree canopy cover, policies for protecting existing canopy will need to be strengthened and complemented with new policies and programs designed to increase tree canopy cover and to replace trees in the public right of way when lost to extreme weather or disease.

3. We recommend cool roofing for all low-rise buildings (4 stories or less). Assuming an average roof area of 1,000 square feet, meeting this recommendation would require about 940 buildings/houses to be converted to cool roofs per neighborhood, on average.

4. The number of cooling centers for extreme heat events should be expanded and targeted to neighborhoods with the highest total vulnerability scores. All cooling centers should be equipped with backup power generation and the capacity to operate during an extended blackout period. The provision of water and ample recharging stations for communication devices can further enhance population resilience during extreme heat events. We recommend that a citywide heat surveillance system be deployed with a density of at least three weather stations per neighborhood with 2,000 residents or more and real-time public reporting of weather conditions. We further recommend that the city stablish a program to evaluate the performance of heat management investments over time.

[xsulsulnooboo]

New sims townies ideas

1. Amara Vasquez

• Aesthetic: Bohemian

• Traits: Loves Outdoors, Creative, Cheerful

• Aspiration: Freelance Botanist (Gardener)

• Origin: Mexico

• Appearance: Wears flowy, earth-toned clothes, lots of handmade jewelry, and has long, wavy black hair. She has a warm, glowing complexion and often walks barefoot.

• Backstory: Amara was born in a small town in Mexico, surrounded by nature and wildflowers.

She spent her childhood outdoors, fascinated by plants and their healing properties. Now, she lives in a cozy home with a wild garden in the city, making her own herbal remedies. Amara's dream is to open an apothecary shop and teach others about natural healing.

2. Sakura Tanaka

• Aesthetic: Cyberpunk

• Traits: Genius, Ambitious, Loner

• Aspiration: Chief of Mischief

• Origin: Japan

• Appearance: Sakura has neon-colored hair (often pink or blue), sharp makeup, and futuristic, tech-inspired clothing. She's lean with a cool, detached vibe, always wearing a headset or high-tech accessories.

• Backstory: Born in Tokyo, Sakura was always fascinated by technology. She became a top hacker in the underground scene, making a name for herself in the virtual world. Despite her rebellious streak, Sakura's main goal is to fight corruption in the corporate world, though she's willing to bend the rules to do so.

3. Mia Rossi

• Aesthetic: High Fashion / Chic

• Traits: Snob, Self-Assured, Perfectionist

• Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity

• Origin: Italy

• Appearance: Mia has flawless skin, sharp cheekbones, and always wears the latest fashion trends. She prefers sleek, form-fitting dresses, bold makeup, and high heels, with platinum blonde hair styled to perfection.

• Backstory: Raised in Milan, Italy, Mia always dreamed of the runway. She worked hard to climb the fashion industry ladder, and now she's a well-known model and fashion icon. Mia is driven by fame and success, but she also has a secret passion for designing her own clothing line.

4. Aisha Carter

• Aesthetic: Athletic / Streetwear

• Traits: Active, Bro, Outgoing

• Aspiration: Bodybuilder

• Origin: USA (Atlanta)

• Appearance: Athletic build, muscular arms, and legs. She wears stylish athletic gear, often in bold colors, with her hair in braids or a high ponytail. Her style is a mix of streetwear and gym clothes.

• Backstory: Growing up in Atlanta, Aisha was always into sports. She played basketball in high school and eventually became a personal trainer.

Her goal is to open her own gym and inspire young women to embrace fitness and strength. Aisha is all about community and often organizes local sports events.

5. Leonardo "Leo" De Luca

• Aesthetic: Classic Italian / Sophisticated

• Traits: Romantic, Family-Oriented, Ambitious

• Aspiration: Successful Lineage

• Origin: Italy

• Appearance: Slicked-back dark brown hair, a well-groomed beard, and sharp, tailored suits. He exudes confidence and style, often accessorizing with watches and leather shoes.

• Backstory: Born into a wealthy family in Florence, Italy, Leonardo grew up appreciating fine art, good food, and family values. Now a successful businessman, he balances his corporate life with a deep desire to build a close-knit family of his own.

He dreams of being a role model for his future children, passing down his love for culture and tradition.

6. Jamal Thompson

• Aesthetic: Hip Hop / Urban Streetwear

• Traits: Music Lover, Creative, Outgoing

• Aspiration: Musical Genius

• Origin: USA (Brooklyn)

• Appearance: Jamal has dreadlocks, wears oversized hoodies, gold chains, and streetwear brands. He has a laid-back, cool demeanor, with tattoos that reflect his artistic and cultural roots.

• Backstory: Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jamal always had a deep connection with hip-hop culture. He began writing rap lyrics and producing beats as a teen, inspired by the rhythm of city life.

His dream is to become a world-famous rapper and producer, using his music to inspire and tell stories from his community.

7. Bjorn Eriksen

• Aesthetic: Outdoorsy / Adventurer

• Traits: Loves Outdoors, Active, Loner

• Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast

• Origin: Norway

• Appearance: Tall and muscular with a rugged, weathered look. He has a beard and long blonde hair tied in a bun, often wearing practical outdoor gear like flannel shirts, cargo pants, and hiking boots.

• Backstory: Bjorn grew up in the rugged landscapes of Norway, where he learned to appreciate the power and beauty of nature. He's an avid hiker, fisher, and survivalist, often disappearing into the mountains for days at a time.

Bjorn prefers solitude and is happiest when he's surrounded by forests, lakes, and wildlife. His dream is to travel the world and conquer every major mountain.

8. Ethan Park

• Aesthetic: Tech-Savvy / Modern Geek

• Traits: Genius, Geek, Ambitious

• Aspiration: Computer Whiz

• Origin: South Korea

• Appearance: Wears graphic t-shirts, hoodies, and glasses. He has short, neatly styled black hair, and he's always carrying a laptop or some sort of gadget. He has a casual, nerdy look, but with a sharp edge when it comes to his work.

• Backstory: Ethan was born in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Silicon Valley to pursue his dream of working in the tech industry. A programming prodigy, he's working on a start-up that he hopes will revolutionize the gaming world. Though he's a bit socially awkward, Ethan is determined to become a leading tech innovator, while staying connected to his geeky hobbies like gaming and comic books.

[stevebattle]

Ganymede, Io and Callisto Blizzard trash-collecting robots (1994) by the Georgia Tech AAAI-94 team led by Tucker Balch, Mobile Robot Laboratory, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA. “Io, Ganymede and Callisto won the ‘clean up the office’ event at the annual Mobile Robot Competition sponsored by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). The small robots, which look like miniature tanks, were programmed to clean up an office littered with soda cans, coffee cups and wads of paper. The group from Georgia Tech won the event by collecting more trash in ten minutes than any other team's robot. … Georgia Tech's robots are programmed with a ‘reactive’ system called motor schema-based control. Motor schemas can be thought of as low-level behaviors; ‘avoid obstacle’ and ‘move to the goal’ are examples. More complex behaviors are constructed by ‘adding’ several motor schemas together. The robots sequence from one behavior to another as they accomplish their task of gathering trash. Initially, a tiny color camera guides the robots to trash, which they grab with a specially-designed gripper. The robot's vision is sometimes fooled, so they may grab non-trash objects like table legs. But they can tell the difference since tables don't move when small robots try to carry them away; objects that do move are considered trash. Once a robot has a piece of trash in hand, it searches for a trash can, again using vision. After locating a trash can and moving to it, the robot drops the trash nearby. … Even though the robots performed well, there was one problem: the competition trash cans were black, so the robots were programmed to move toward the darkest objects to deliver trash. Unfortunately, they confused dark shadows under tables with trash cans. The result was that they sometimes hid trash under furniture instead of throwing it away.”

[toriblxck]

“I deserve the world, so I’m gonna give it to myself”

Victoria Black. 29. WWE Media Producer

( an oc blog, dependent for wrestlehq. fictional purposes only. )

Name: Victoria Renee Black

Nicknames: Tori, Vickie, Ria

Birthdate: March 17th 1994- 29

Fc: Coco Jones

Occupation: Media Producer for WWE

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Currently Living: Atlanta, Georgia

Sexuality: Straight

Victoria was born as the only child to her parents, Monica and Samuel Black on March 17th 1994. From a young child, she was always an extroverted child and was somewhat of a social butterfly throughout her childhood. It was her parents who ignited her love for wrestling, watching Raw every Monday as a family and attending the live events whenever they came to town.When she was Fourteen,her mom got a divorce from her dad and gained sole custody of Tori, moving her to Atlanta. When she was in her senior year of high school her mother tragically passed away due to a stroke and she was forced to move back to Michigan with her father. Once she turned eighteen she moved out of her father’s house unable to further withstand his controlling and narcissistic behavior. Wanting to honor her mother and follow in her footsteps, she decided to ditch her dream of being a fashion designer and pursue the same career as her mother as a media producer. As a straight A student her entire life, her senior year of high school she received a full ride scholarship to Spelman College, a private all- female HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia where she graduated with her Bachelors in Broadcasting and a minor in communications.Completing the move to Atlanta after graduation, she began working as a producer for WSB-TV but felt as if she was stagnant in life and not living up to her full potential. After coming across a job posting for a vacant WWE media producer role, she decided to combine her two loves and take a risk applying for the position. The rest as they say, is history.

Victoria’s personality is often described by her friends as incredibly kind, intelligent and fiercely loyal to those who she’s closest to, but come across her or anyone else the wrong way and she’s quick to bite your head off. She’s unserious at the best of times and loves to laugh and joke ,but once it’s time to work, she’s laser focused. As a Pisces, she’s very intuitive and deeply connected with her emotions which can lead to her being sensitive at times. Once you get her chatting about her interests, she’ll become a complete motormouth as she’s extremely passionate about all of them.

Interests and Hobbies: anime, shopping, hair and makeup, reading, playing sims, music, watching TikTok, etc

Connections:

Friends: TBD

Best Friend: TBD

Ex: TBD

Hey y’all I’m Sierra and this is my baby Tori! She’s Open to any and all connections whatsoever whether it be Best Friend/Friends,One Night Stand, Enemies etc! Of course, if there's a connection that I didn’t list on here, still feel free to message me! I'm very flexible and love all plot ideas! Can’t wait to talk with y’all soon!

[ashadowofburnedoutstardust]

Chris Evans Life path days 2022

Apparently CAA/Narrative are big followers of numerology like I am, either that or they've been reading my posts in the private group on LSA for a year and a half and have been using it to plot this PR shitshow

His "11" days are technically what I've been tracking

"2 days" & CE related events 2022

13/01/2022 (11)

shared ASP story from Mark Kassen

First Ghosted production update with shooting dates announced

Mila IG troll went down for the first time

31/01/2022 (11)

Replies “Interesting” to Gray man Review on Twitter

Priestesses big Tarot read on CE showing first indication of Tower moment

02/02/2022 Pluto (8)

12/02/2022 (11)

mila creates new account

(Alba IG location changed to us on 9-10 feb)

CE trends on twitter

Teachers friend sends tweet

Teacher decides to take down IG account

20/02/2022 (8)

Plutonic Chaos hits thread

21/02/2022 (11)

Mila tweets about Teacher video, tags Ghosts director, make IG public

CE follows Interior design pages on IG

First examination of Porto trios finsta accounts

Teacher replies to Mila on Twitter

02/03/2022 (11)

Scott posts "Theatre as a kid" TikTok

03/03/2022

Pluto fucks off again

Filming at Inman Park Atlanta

Union Strike rumour?

Photos from Ghosted set by pap

11/03/2022 (11)

Posts "fluffy hair" selfie to IG

DM blind about interior design follows

Teacher deletes comment, no response was given

Sugar baby page changes name to Seduction Secrets

Clout chasing TikTokers post le Mesa lounge/Doheny club video

Ok magazine article

10/04/2022 (11)

Thread notices SE followed back JA,

reportedly happened on Thursday, unfollowed again on the following Tuesday

Scott posts siblings day photo on IG

AB turns her comments back on

Scott ups price on Cameo,

gets trolled for JA follow back

09/05/2022 (11)

NZT - DM mention of Georgetown gym on Sunday spotting

Scott targeted by CE fan and video posted to Twitter to troll him claiming he was an asshole

Follows Mike Birbiglia on IG

Posts TGM moustache removed selfie to IG, pics determined to be taken December 2021 after end of TGM reshoots

Night shoot of Taxi scene in London for Ghosted

08/06/2022 (11)

Follows Jamie Foxx and Rita Oras Sister and Manager Elena Ora

Lightyear premiere red carpet

Posts pic of Dodger (turned foot) to IG story

Livestream on Tiktok for LY Premiere

Retweets LY reviews on twitter

07/07/2022 (11)

Deuxmoi Ballgag DMs story post

Posts June 18 dated video of Dodger to his IG story

Posts pic of Dodger to IG "New phone new pics"

Blahblah has live interview flooded with troll comments

Hits 17 million followers on IG

06/08/2022 (11)

Andrew Garfield DM blind

Posts pic of Dodger on IG

05/09/2022 (11)

Nothing occured

04/10/2022 (11)

Carly refollows Alba

Alba deactivated IG

Followed NE Pat's and NatGeo on IG

03/11/2022 (11)

#Pumpkingate

Follows Matthew McConaughey on IG

Variety article about TGM

Cosmo article about Pumpkingate

Various Gossip site articles about Pumpkingate

DM blind featuring screenshot of Tweet about Lisbon video

Another CE family member follows AB

Chris likes AB WN post

ASP app of the day on Apple retweet

Midterm elections retweet

02/12/2022 (11)

DM blinds

1 about Aly

1 about babytrap getting ditched for leaking stuff

C-Dawg emerges

Dex Fletch post about Ghosted

Random Shipper account requesting playlist ideas

Tara and Scott looking at CE hate accounts due to being tagged

11/12/2022 (11)

AB fan account posts old baby IG story pic

AB deactivated IG after accidentally posting nudes to stories, dark room thread created

Chris team continues to block Alba tags and name from comments section

Chris like Violas Star post

Chris likes Rocks R1 post

Justin's twitter goes public again

Shampoogate hits Reddit

Minor articles about Alba nude leaks

20/12/2022 (11)

Mentioned on BuzzFeed Celeb couples article

Posts a pic of Dodger to IG

Mama Lisa liked comment calling AB a racist in CEs comment section

And that ladies is his Life path days for 2022

🤍🪽✨

[kaijuboarcreations]

Into the Andersonverse: A full timeline of events for the confirmed continuity of Gerry Anderson Supermarionation shows (Fireball XL5 to Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons)

(Disclaimer*: i actually opted to follow Thunderbirds are Go canon for ages *don't ask me why it's a process plus the actual ages and birth order for the boys is heavily debated in both the og series and are go so don't at me* Also yes I took a few creative liberties to fill in some blanks they are marked by ** so you know what isn't canon, and yes it doesn't always make sense *aka how Venus is a war orphan if the war ended before she was born* but you can't blame me for that, that's just how it was written)

Anyways yall better love me for this it took me three days to make

1988: Sally "Grandma" Tracy is born (maiden name unknown)

2012: Professor Mathew Matic is born in Britain -Aloysius "Nosey" Parker is born - Jeff Tracy is born in Kansas to Grant and Sally Tracy**

2015: Commander Sam Shore (real name Samuel Arthur)is born in Kansas

2017: Charles Grey (Colonel White) is born in England

2028: European Atomic War and Mass Riots in France

2029: Conrad Turner (Captain Black) is born in Manchester, England

2030: Steve Zodiac is born on Mars -Sam Shore leaves home to join the navy

2031: Edward Wilkie (Dr Fawn) is born in Yalumba, Australia

2033: Professor Matic graduates with 22 degrees in astrophysics, robotic, and astronomy, and becomes a navigator for Zero-X interplanetary missions -Sam Shore is given command of a World Security Service submarine -Bradley Holden (Captain Gray) is born in Chicago

2034: Sam Shore befriends Admiral Jack Denver -Patrick Donaghue (Captain Magenta) is born in Dublin Bay, Ireland -The European Atomic War ends (the war left Venus and Conrad Turner orphaned)

2035: Venus is born in Paris -George Lee "Phones" Sheridan is born in South Carolina -Adam Svenson (Captain Blue) is born in Boston -Richard Fraiser (Captain Ochre) is born in Detroit

2036: Paul Metcalfe (Captain Scarlet) is born in Hampshire, England

2037: Jeff Tracy becomes a Colonel for the US Air Force and later transfers to the Space Agency -Patrick Donaghue and his parents immigrate to the US, living in poverty in Manhattan

2038: Troy Tempest is born in New York City -Jeff Tracy marries Lucielle** -Charles Grey graduates from the University of East Angila -Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is born to Sir Hugh and Lady Amelia**

2040: War damage fixed -Sam Shore marries Elaine MacDonald -Scott Tracy is born**

-"Brains" is born -The Southeast Asia revolts -Juliette Pontoin (Destiny Angel) is born in Paris

2041: Atlanta Shore is born from Elaine and Sam in California -Seymour Griffiths (Lieutenant Green) is born in Trinidad

2042: John Tracy is born** -The Iceland Dispute -The Panama-Ithsmus rebellion begins -Karen Wainwright (Symphony Angel) is born in Cedar Rapids -Chan Kwan (Harmony Angel) is born in Tokyo

2043: The Panama-Ithsmus rebellion ends -Magnolia Jones (Melody Angel) is born in Atlanta -Dianne Simms (Rhapsody Angel) is born in London

2044: Virgil Tracy is born**

2045: Professor Matic takes the role as a professor for Universe University -Conrad Turner joins the British Air Force

2046: Marina is born -Gordon Tracy is born** -Charles Grey moves up to the rank of 'Captain' -The British Civil War begins (during which Conrad Turner is badly wounded)

2047: Steve Zodiac joints WSP Academy -Tanusha "Kayo" Kyrano/Tintin Kyrano is born** -Britain joins the World Government -Charles Grey becomes Admiral while commanding the World Navy Destroyer fleet -Conrad Turner joins the World Air Force

2048: Charles Grey joins the Universal Secret Service and marries his field partner Elizabeth Sonmers -Edward Wilkie starts medical school in Brisbane

2049: the British sector of the USS is reorganized by Charles Grey

2050: Professor Matic designs and builds the world's first Nutomic Hyperdrive Motor and is given an honorary position as Major while heading the XL project -Alan Tracy is born** -Charles Grey is promoted to the head of the USS British sector

2051: Steve Zodiac becomes an astronaut and sub-lieutenant at Space City -Prototypes of the XL project are debuted including XL1 Alpha -Adam Svenson receives a full ride scholarship to Harvard University at age 16

2052: the Anti-Bereznik Riots (of which Patrick Donaghue was involved where he was later arrested and imprisoned for 90 days)

2053: Steve Zodiac befriends space explorer Jim Ireland who sets off on a 10 year voyage -Seymour Griffiths loses his parents in an air disaster

2054: Richard Fraiser joins the World Government Police Corps after being rejected from university and the Air Force -Bradley Holden graduates from the World Navy Academy in San Diego immediately enlisting in the World Navy submarine service

2055: Steve is promoted to captain and is assigned to co-pilot Fireball XL5 -Conrad Turner joins the World Space Patrol and mans Fireball XL3 -Adam Svenson joins the World Aeronautic Society as a test pilot -Patrick Donaghue finishes his studies and graduates from Yale University with degrees in physics, electrical engineering, and technology and he takes a job as a computer programmer for a firm in Brooklyn but soon quit for a life of crime -Edward Wilkie graduates from Brisbane with degrees in medicine and biology and joins the Australian sector of the World Medical Organization as assistant medical controler. Later that same year he is promoted to health controller of the Scandinavian sector.

2056: Venus joins the World Space Patrol -Colonel Grange suffers a mental breakdown while piloting Fireball XL5 leaving Steve to bring them to safety -Marina's mother dies -Troy Tempest joins the World Navy Academy in San Diego -Lucielle Tracy passes away

2057: All Fireball XL ships are outfitted with the Nutomic Hyperdrive Motor -Paul Metcalfe graduates from Winchester University with degrees in History, Technology, and Mathematics -Adam Svenson is promoted to active field agent for WAS -Patrick Donaghue becomes a kingpin for organized crime in New York due to his leadership over several gangs and hacking abilities -Edward Wilkie revolutionizes the WMO's medical technology through robots which places him in the position of Administrator for Advancements in Medicine and Medical Science -Juliette Pontoin attends University in Rome

2058: Elaine Shore suffers a heart attack and passes away -Phones takes on work as a mercenary -Karen Wainwright attends Yale University at age 16

-Lady Penelope becomes chief operative of the Federal Agents Beareu where she meets Jeff Tracy (wait...... F.A.B..... so that's what that stands for....)

2059: Paul Metcalf begins study at West Point Military University in New York -Richard Fraiser transfers to Chicago and takes on one of the toughest crime syndicates in the country

2060: An attack on his vessel causes Sam Shore to lose use of his legs. He and Atlanta move to Marineville to command the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (which is newly established)

-Gordon Tracy interns with WASP** -Troy Tempest is captured on a failed mission and is rescued by Phones who he convinces to join the navy -Troy Tempest arrives at WASP Marineville -Juliette Pontoin joins the World Army Air Force and is transferred to the Intelligence Corps where she hones her skills as a pilot, leads the Woman's Fighter Squadron

2061: Magnolia Jones joins the World Army Airforce at age 18

-Gordon Tracy suffers an accident while working with a high speed hydrofoil**

2062: the start of the events of Fireball XL5 -Jeff Tracy establishes International Rescue -Seymour Griffiths graduates University in Kingston Jamaica with degrees in telecommunications, technology, and music and joins WASP as a junior hydrophone operator (his brothers followed but were killed in an accident which Seymour transferred as a telecommunications operator at Marineville) -Bradley Holden joins WASP as the Lieutenant commander security chief and takes the role of piloting Stingray in her prototype years -Karen Wainwright becomes a full fledged field agent for Universal Secret Service after several years of training -Magnolia Jones becomes lost while taking the XKF 115 aircraft on a test flight and loses contact with control -Chan Kwan graduates University and is determined to fly solo around the world

2063: Venus earns a degree in Space Psychology -Steve Zodiac is awarded Astronaut of the Year -Paul Metcalfe graduates from West Point and joins the World Air Force -Juliette Pontoin leaves WAAF to start her own pilot contracting firm -Magnolia Jones returns after being lost for almost a year after rebuilding her craft from the wreckage. She shortly leaves to focus on flying and setting up a freelance air taxi service -Dianne Simms meets Lady Penelope and is offered a position in the FAB to train as an agent

2064: Bradley Holden receives a severe back injury taking him out of the line to duty and landing him a desk job at Marineville -Troy Tempest becomes captain of Stingray and takes on Phones as his co-pilot -Chan Kwan attempts her voyage around the world but stops to answer a distress call to rescue a group of men from a burning tanker ship in the Pacific. Six months later she tries again and succeeds

2065: the events of Thunderbirds begins -the Spectrum Organization is established and Charles Grey turns down the position of Supreme Commander of the USS to take on his role as "Colonel White" for Spectrum under the Spectrum Selection Committee -Seymour Griffiths joins Spectrum under the codename "Lieutenant Green" -Conrad Turner joins Spectrum under the codename "Captain Black" and quickly climbs the ranks as Spectrum's top agent -Paul Metcalfe joins Spectrum under the code name "Captain Scarlet" (thanks to recommendation from Conrad) -Adam Svenson joins Spectrum under the code name "Captain Blue" -Patrick Donaghue is pardoned for his crimes and is offered a position as an agent of Spectrum under the code name "Captain Magenta" -Dr Edward Wilkie is approached by Spectrum to become the Supreme Medical Commander of Cloudbase and given the codename "Doctor Fawn" -Juliette Pontoin is approached to join Spectrum's squadron of fighter pilots and is given the codename "Destiny Angel" -Magnolia Jones is selected by Spectrum as a fighter pilot and is given the codename "Melody Angel" -Lady Penelope quits her role in the FAB to focus on her work with International Rescue. The FAB dissolves soon after. -Dianne Simms is forced to leave the FAB and becomes a chief security officer for the Euro-Charter Airline company -Chan Kwan's father dies and she takes over the family air taxi company 2066: Richard Fraiser fakes assassination and joins Spectrum under the code name "Captain Ochre" -Bradley Holden clears a health check under Spectrum and is recruited as an agent under the codename "Captain Gray"

-Karen Wainwright quits her work with the USS to become a pilot full time. Shortly after she passes her exam to join Spectrum and joins the Angel squadron under the codename "Symphony Angel" -Dianne Simms is approached by Spectrum to join the Angel squadron and is given the codename "Rhapsody Angel"

-Chan Kwan is approached by the Spectrum Selection Committee to become an Angel pilot, in which she is accepted and given the codename "Harmony Angel"

2068: the events of Thunderbirds end and the events of Captain Scarlet begin (the Mysterons declare war on Earth after the Zero X Mars expedition comes across their settlement and attacks)

[adultswim2021]

Freaknik: The Musical | March 7, 2010 - 11:30PM | Special

Whither That Crook’d ‘Sipp? 

Freaknik: the Musical! A special that I’m ill-equipped to truly go deep on because 1) I am a cracker-ass and 2) I live in a hell of my own making and sometimes it's far too difficult to tune out. Oh well! I’ll give it a shot, yuh know? See what happens! Also: I pledge to not google anything about this, so I will be speaking from my threadbare knowledge of the subject at hand.

Freaknik is based on a real-life recurring block party, or outdoor music fest, or something like that, held, uh, probably annually in, I’m guessing, Atlanta, Georgia. It probably has rap stuff going on and people probably have a lotta fun listening to live music and attempting to find sex partners among it's many attendees. I have gleaned this from the special itself, as well as the fact that when you search for this to see if it’s playing on any streaming services you’ll instead find a documentary called “Freaknik: a big party that happens” or something like that. 

This special follows a likable rap group who are down on their luck. They intend to travel to the big event so they can compete in some battle of the bands type thing. The party is happening because Freaknik, a ghostly personification of the party itself, has sprung back to life. I forget how. He’s a black ghost with money signs all over himself and hes real charismatic. He embodies good times, blackness, and above all, love. We see him going on a publicity tour, while a council of hater-ass black establishment figures (including mostly unidentified-but recognizable figures like Oprah, Jesse Jackson, Bill Cosby, and Al Sharpton) all scheme to stop Freaknik once and for all. 

The rap group have little adventures along the way, such as a memorable stop at a white frat. They tangle with a rival rap group, who look just like them. They meet a car full ‘o bitches and a brand new bong. One of the "bitches" is a character from That Crook’d ‘Sipp, but with a different name. There is almost no continuity between the two specials, just reused assets. That’s probably a best case scenario for That Crook’d ‘Sipp, which is maybe one of my least favorite things I’ve ever watched on Adult Swim. This is far from the worst thing. In fact, it’s fairly solid. 

That Crook’d ‘Sipp felt like it was speaking an alien language, and was borderline incomprehensible. This doesn’t feel that way. But, and I mean this in a non-insulting way, this show doesn’t feel like it’s for me. It’s a flavor I have a bit of a shallow distaste for. This is ultimately a good thing! I like when shows get on the air that are very specific and meant to appeal to a certain segment of the population.

I could quibble with the humor here and there, but I don’t think this special was designed with specifically pleasing me in mind. So why don’t I focus on the positive, instead? In fact, why doesn't everyone do this when faced with stuff that's not specifically for them? Okay , here I go: the characters are colorful! A lot of the drawings are great, funny, and cartoony! Even when it felt like it was about to veer into broad, stereotypical humor, it still pleasantly surprised me by aiming higher! It wasn’t boring, and a lot of the songs were pretty goddamn great! 

I actively enjoyed three moments in particular. One was the bit where Tyra Banks goes undercover as a corpse. This was a parody of the time she went undercover as an obese person utilizing a fat suit. (whoops, I googled this, just because I thought maybe I was confusing her with the episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air where Will did that. Wait, wasn’t she on that show? Aw, geez!)

Moment two: the frat bros, who have their party shut down by the cops (you’ll hear famous white people Andy Sandburg and Bill Hader in this scene). When the cops leave, they lament being targeted by them, but then one says “I kinda like cops though, because they found the guy that killed my mom.” This right here is my favorite line in the show. 

The other part I liked, which I recalled from watching this way back when, was the scene where Al Sharpton is watching the news report that he died in his home after being struck by lightning. He looks around quizzically and then it happens. A lotta really fun cartoon gags like that are in this! I respect it!

Not my favorite thing to air on Adult Swim; not by a long shot. But the more I think about this show, especially its final act, the more I think that this special is pretty undervalued and underseen, and that’s a real shame. I honestly think that Adult Swim really should try to bring this back at some capacity. Maybe repeat it with a special promotion? Maybe a sequel? Maybe there’s a reason for it's absence that has nothing to do with Adult Swim or their parent company. But I think if they pushed this back out into the world and tried to get more eyes on it, only good things would come. 

MAIL BAG: 

From KON:

The funniest thing I ever said in my life was about Freaknik: The Musical. The special aired on the same night as the Oscars that year, the year that The Hurt Locker FAMOUSLY upset Avatar and won best picture. When the winner was announced, at one point they cut to James Cameron looking pissed. I said, "he's mad because he's missing Freaknik." Thank you, thank you

BIG LOL. I really do hope that he DVR’d it. And that he didn’t get it on DVD, because the DVD looks like shit. I hope he DVR'd it, or had a 1080p webrip from cartoonchaos on his seedbox.

THANK you for your neon knome review. As one of five people on planet earth who actually likes the problem solverz I'm glad to see another fan out there. Granted, PS was nowhere near as good as Neon Knome (even one of Ben Jones' own friends said it was 'too shouty'), but it's definitely not like, "Consistently and infamously ranked the worst cartoon of all time among a large amount of people" bad. Most of the hate seems to be from people who hate the brash art style and think the colors hurt their eyes, and from people who think that Alfe is annoying. I'll give them the latter, but like you said the style is very deliberate and I like how... 'visceral', it is, for lack of a better word. I unironically feel it was just too ahead of it's time and aired on the wrong network. This was when tumblr normies were geeking out over Adventure time, so something like this freaked them the F out and it stuck cause of word of mouth. Kinda like how Freddy Got Fingered was called 'the worst movie of all time' until pretty recently. I think if Neon Knome came out 15 years later, on [AS] in it's original form, people would love it. Cruelty Squad has like 10,000 positive reviews on Steam and it's just as visually abrasive/experimental as this is.

Thanks! Hopefully Criterion Channel will add Problem Solverz to it’s line-up so we can properly reassess it’s place in the culture at large. It does feel like if it got deleted by Zaslav that nobody in the world (except you and me, I guess) would stick up for it. People all snarkily saying “at least he got this one right”. The snark would be off the charts. The snark charts.