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ramheavenandhell · 5 years ago

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Virginity For Sale

AN: Another fanfic that was heavily inspired by a porn flick. To my defense, the bottom in the clip was a really cute twink and I honestly was imagining Rick and Morty the entire time I watched it. I'd put a link of that clip here, but I'm afraid, it was deleted already. (Also sorry for posting nothing last week and for posting late this week ^^') Warnings: Rick/Morty smut, prostitution, first time, hands-free orgasm, anal sex, also a bit dark and angst-y Summary: Until a week ago, he hadn't even known that this was a thing. That Ricks on the Citadel were paying good money just to take a Morty's virginity. But it was very real and he was here right now and about to lose his…

Virginity For Sale Hastily he sucked in each breath of air as if it were his last one. His heart was racing so fast as if he was running a marathon. "You're such a cute little thing…" Warm breath ghosted over his ear and he could feel the vibrations of the deep voice travelling through his entire body. The tip of a finger, trailed feather light over his soft skin, tracing invisible patters over his chest and stomach. A whimper escaped him when it reached one of his already stiff nipples, circling around it before flicking the sensitive nub and forcing a loud moan from his pink lips. Face reddened by his embarrassment from the sounds that he emitted, he clamped a hand over his mouth. "Don't do that. I want to hear you…" A twist of his nipple was accompanying the whispered order, eliciting another loud moan. "…I wanna hear every little sound you make." Shyly, he nodded and lowered his hand again, his fingers twisting into the soft material of the downy pillow. The petite brunet was completely naked, safe for a black bow tie that hung around his neck. All of his clothes were strewn on the floor of the expensive suite, white shirt, black jacket and dress pants already long since forgotten. His ribcage rose and sunk with each hasty breath, the fingers that were stimulating his body not really helping him calm down. He half laid on the sheets of the luxurious bed and half on the body of his…customer? Master? He still wasn't sure what to label the man who had paid for this one night. Sweat ran down the soft curves of his body, gathering as tiny pools in the grooves and his member was already fully erect and begging for attention. He hadn't been touched there yet safe for a few teasing pumps in the beginning of this game and he just wanted to reach down, relief himself of the tension, but he wasn't allowed. "No touching, Morty! If anyone touches your dick, it's me!" He had whimpered in response, but he had to obey. Even though he still felt ashamed to be even in this situation and almost regretted agreeing to all of this, he really needed the money. And it was really a lot of money that was involved! Although he knew that he wouldn't get as much as his "customer" had paid when he had bid in the auction for his virginity, it was still a hefty sum that would keep his head over water for a while. Honestly, he hadn't even realized how much of a big deal this whole thing was until he had been led into this luxurious suite and looked through the windows with panorama view – being able to oversee all of the Citadel from this high place. No, actually the huge scale had already begun to show itself when he had been told to shower, was given clean and expensive-looking clothes and then led on the stage, looking around the huge hall and down at all of those rich and fancily dressed men, who began to bid on him as if he was just a piece of meat. Expensive meat, none the less, as he had listened in shock at how much they were willing to bid for this one night with him… The auction winner wore more clothes than he did right now, still clad in his white shirt although unbuttoned, merely his tie gone and resting innocently on the nightstand. He did have the audacity to pull off his pants and underwear though, his naked and slightly hairy legs intertwining with Morty's own. For having the money to "waste" it on something like this and having worn such a fine business suit, it was obvious to the teen that he wasn't just some blue collar worker Rick, but someone who stood in the higher ranks on the Citadel. Probably some kind of CEO, if Morty had to guess. Another gasp escaped him as he felt the fingers again – this time cold and slick – gliding over the pucker of his back entrance. It was all just so surreal. Until a week ago, he hadn't even known that this was a thing. That Ricks on the Citadel were paying good money just to take a Morty's virginity. But it was very real and he was here right now and about to lose his… "Ahh!" He couldn't help but squirm as a lone slim finger suddenly slid into him. A hand stroked reassuringly over his stomach, massaging the muscles that had tensed up in reaction. "Relax, sweetheart…" The gentle touches and the sensual voice did wonders to his body and Morty slowly relaxed again. It was okay. It was only this one time and he would never have to do this again. He would never get to see this Rick for the entire rest of his life again. And it was probably going to be over sooner than he'd expected. …as much as he tried, these thoughts did very little to calm his still jittering nerves. Again a moan as a second digit joined the first, slowly sliding out, then back in again, rotating against the tight muscles. The fingers spread in a scissoring motion, trying to open him up more, moving more insistently against his insides and Morty didn't know any more if he wanted to move away or closer towards them. "Hmm~ you're so tight and hot. I can't wait to be finally inside you." The hot whisper against his ear send shivers through the brunet's fragile body. Movements became faster, displaying the Rick's growing impatience and before Morty knew what happened, three fingers were thrusting in and out of his orifice. When they eventually retreated all together, he unconsciously whined, suddenly feeling so empty and his hole clenched around nothingness. The next moment, he felt ashamed of himself again. He really shouldn't be enjoying this so much, it was just business after all. If it wasn't for the money that he so desperately needed, he wouldn't even be here right now. With a face as red as a cherry, he looked down as the Rick rearranged his legs, forcing him to spread them wider as he placed his feet to rest on the man's thighs. Now opened up and granting the other better access, the elder positioned his cock at his entrance. 'This is it…' Morty thought with a strange mix of fear and excitement as he felt the pulsing head pressing against his pucker, his heart hammering wildly against his ribcage. A brush of lips against the lobe of his ear was his last warning. "Deep breath now." "Aaahn!" Morty flung his head back as the Rick entered him the next moment in a single thrust. Instinctively, he clamped down on the intruder, his body trying to force out the foreign object, which did not belong there. Morty gasped for air, tiny tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. Thanks to the preparations, the pain wasn't that intense, but it was still there. Soft kisses were peppered over his cheek. "Shh, shh, sweetie." Again, the gentle gestures combined with a hand that was stroking his thigh, helped him slowly relax again. Taking deep breaths, he felt how his insides released their tight grip on the hot flesh. The Rick almost purred and the boy moved his head against him like a grateful cat that was nuzzling against its owner's hand. "Good boy…" The low murmur sent another wave of heat through Morty's body. "…still halfway to go…" What?! Again, the brunet threw his head back as the other entered him the rest of the way with another powerful push of his hips. "Uuuhnn!" Tears streamed over heated cheeks now. He felt so full, the other filling him in a way that he couldn't put into words. It was as if the length was penetrating him more than should be possible, as if Rick was invading far deeper and the girth stretching and filling more than just his body while he was nestled balls-deep inside. As if they had been joined on more than just the physical plain when he had forced himself so intimately inside him. Thankfully, it wasn't as painful as the initial entering, but it still felt uncomfortable as his walls tried to accommodate to the silk-covered steel. Again, he was reminded that he wasn't alone in this and once more lips brushed over his glowing cheek. "So good…you feel heavenly, Morty…" The praise made him feel hot and cold at the same time, gliding through him like a melting piece of butter in a heated pan. One of Rick's hands reached for his cheek and angled his head so he could engage in a kiss with the younger. Morty didn't resist. Somehow, it felt like he had lost. Lost a battle of some sort. But, he decided that he didn't care anymore as he gave himself completely over, succumbing to the other's lips and tongue. A muffled whine echoed through the spacious room when the elder decided that he had given them both more than enough time and began to move, drawing out a small distance only to push back in again. Rick quickly set a rhythm, opting for a decent pace that wasn't slow, but also not too fast or hard yet. Whatever kind of discomfort Morty may have felt before was quickly forgotten and he groaned in the other's mouth, being a little surprised when Rick answered in kind. They continued to make out passionately for a while until the elder separated from him again, stopping his movements to reposition the younger a little. Morty wondered what that was about, but practically screamed as the other began to fuck into him again. Bright dots were flashing in front of his eyes, the slight shift allowing the other to touch a spot inside him that literally made the teen see stars. Rick stuck to that angle, driving inside the tight heat again and again, and slowly made the brunet go insane. The foreign feeling of having that pulsing flesh move inside him had been odd, but also strangely good and arousing after he had gotten used to it. However, this was on a different level. Having this one special spot touched was so amazing that he couldn't describe it, the closest equivalent to it was probably like being jerked off from the inside. Also, he noticed that he was quickly approaching his orgasm and released another whining sound. Morty tried to hold on, the fingers that were still buried in the soft pillow clenching tightly, his other hand leaving light scratch marks on the skin of Rick's hip. He was so close, all he would need was just one small touch, but he wasn't allowed and Rick wasn't touching him, denying him this relief. Still, he felt like it became too much and not knowing what else to do, weakly tried to squirm away. His attempts were halted and Rick firmly pulled him back into his next thrust. "Naaaahh!" Morty's back arched slightly, his moan laced with surprise as hot wetness suddenly spilled over his abdomen, his hips giving another jerk. In disbelieve, he glanced down, confirming for himself that he had just ejaculated. Just how? Rick hadn't even touched him! Morty hadn't known that this was even possible. Still, the urge to give himself a few relieving squeezes was there and without even thinking about it, his hand wandered to his still angry red cock. The moment that he brushed against the heated flesh, long fingers wrapped around his wrist and pulled the hand away again. The silent command "Don't touch!", rang loud and clear in his head with the action and as he let his limb be guided back to its former place against Rick's hip without resistance, he didn't dare to disobey again and obediently stayed there this time. The elder was still thrusting into his now hypersensitive opening, his movements having slowed a little though. Eventually, he halted altogether and showed at least an ounce of mercy for the poor boy, grasping the sensitive organ that still begged for contact. With strong and deliberate strokes, he milked the member, forcing out the last droplets of cum that dribbled on Morty's abdomen to join the rest, the boy moaning weakly as he did this. Rick let go of his length, his dick flopping back to rest on his pelvis and to the brunet's surprise he was still half-hard – or maybe he was getting hard again already? A part of Morty expected the other to start moving again now, still being aware of the hot presence inside him, but he gasped when he felt slim fingertips instead. With hooded eyes, he watched how Rick played with the small puddle of semen, slowly smearing it over his quivering stomach and all the way up his chest. "Ahh…hah…" The teen couldn't help but moan softly again from the teasing touches, his body trembling like a leaf. He lost sight of the fingers when they left his skin and rose higher, but he could hear the unmistakable sounds of the elder licking and groaning afterwards. "So delicious~" Again, a wave of heat shot through the younger's body from the praise and the thought of the other tasting his cum and —god, just why did he have to do that?! "Haaaah!" Rick began to move again, his thrusts quickly gaining speed. It was apparent that the elder was beginning to get impatient, seeking his own climax now. So, his fingers dug into the teen's hip and soft thigh, hard enough to leave bruises, as he rutted into him. Also becoming more vocal now, his heavy grunts and moans entered Morty's ear and the difference was so drastic from the gentleness before that the teen felt as if he was suddenly in bed with a wild animal…which didn't deterred his arousal in the slightest though. The teen was getting louder now, too, practically screaming as the elder's hips repeatedly slammed into him, deep and hard, and hitting that one spot again. As if he would still need the incentive, fingers wound around his again fully hardened length now and stroked it in a matching rhythm to the thrusts. Morty knew he wouldn't be able to last long like this, his cock drooling precum like crazy and slicking up his shaft and Rick's hand, aiding the pumping movements. "Fuuuck… so good…for me…" Hot breath fanned over his ear and cheek as the other cursed. He could only whimper in answer. "Hngh…hah…aaah! R-Rick…I…uhnn…Oh god!" The hand that had previously been twisting the pillowcase held tight onto the other's arm that had slithered behind his neck as Rick was searching for better leverage. His other hand was reaching around the elder's back as he tried to meet the hammering motions. He felt so hot and was so hard, it was almost painful. "R-Ri—AAAAAAaaaaahhh!" His back arched sharply and the back of his head dug into the pillow as his seed spilled over his sweaty chest. He could feel his insides spasming around Rick's hardness, the rhythmical squeezes triggering the elder's own orgasm. A powerful and deep thrust and Morty called out once more as the head of Rick's cock jabbed into his prostrate again, forcing another spurt from his dick as hot liquid spilled inside him. The elder rode out his orgasm. Another hard thrust, releasing more of his cum inside the teen while more jizz shot onto Morty's chest. "Uhn!" It almost became too much for the brunet, each strong thrust feeling like a climax on its own now, as if the waves of pleasure would never ebb but only rise higher to swallow him whole. …and then Rick stopped, buried as deeply as he possibly could, emptying the last he had to give. Heavily, Morty collapsed back on the bed, panting as if he suffered from an asthma attack, his mind not yet entirely returned from its journey to heaven. A pained whimper escaped his mouth as the other withdrew from his hypersensitive opening and the body underneath him shifted to lay down more comfortably. Silence followed, safe for the gasps of the bed's occupants. As cum dribbled from his used hole, Morty felt this strange emptiness inside him again. He began to worry his lower lip out of habit, feeling the awkward atmosphere return that he had first felt when he had entered this room and didn't know what to do or to expect. Just this time, it felt even heavier than before. His sweaty body began to shiver as it cooled down to room temperature, which wasn't that high in the air-conditioned suite. Trying to hold back a wince, he rolled over to sit up on the bed, looking for his clothes to get dressed again. "You don't have to leave right away." Rick's voice interrupted his careful scanning of the floor. "The room's already paid, so you can stay the night. If you want. I don't really care." The teen could feel the nonchalant shrug, before the other also got up to raid the mini-bar. He turned to watch how the older retrieved a small bottle from the fridge, opened it and swallowed its contents in one go. Then his eyes wandered over the mattress and crumpled sheets. This bed was certainly better than what would await him back in Morty Town and even if he was going to get quite a hefty sum of money now, who knew when he would ever have the chance to spend a night in an actual suite again. Rick placed the empty bottle on the nightstand next to his tie and grabbed the remote to turn on a giant flat screen TV as he got back into bed and drew the covers over his body. His disinterest clearly showed that he gave zero fucks if the boy would decide to stay or leave now. In fact, he was acting so indifferent about it as if this hadn't been a big deal for him at all, as if these auctions were normal for him and he bedded a virgin Morty every week. …Maybe it really wasn't such a big deal to Rick, but it kind of felt like one to Morty. Even though he knew that he should feel about this as uncaring as the other. He looked down at the sheets again, spotting the stains that were slowly drying up to crust on the otherwise pristine bedspread, pondering. "…is it really okay if I stay the night?" "Eh, sure." Rick didn't even look at him. "You were a good fuck and the bed is big enough for two. And as I said, all of this is paid already, so would be kind of a waste, right?" Giving a slight nod, the brunet turned around again and crawled under the covers, drawing them up to his nose. He closed his eyes and blended out the sounds of the TV, feeling so alone right now despite the other's presence. It should be okay for this one night, Morty thought and exhaustion took over, guiding him slowly into the land of restless dreams. After all, he already lost, so there was no point in fighting anymore…

#rick and morty #ram #rnm #rickmorty #rickorty #rorty #rick #oc rick #morty #oc morty #citadel of ricks #citadel #smut #dark #angst #fanfic #fanfiction #hopesfanfictions

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baldwin-montclair · 5 years ago

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Baldwin’s Nightingale (Part 2)

Characters: Baldwin Montclair/OC

Timeframe: Before the S1 Finale, TV Show canon only (haven’t read the books yet)

Summary: (Im)patiently awaiting Baldwin’s return to the city and their ‘date’.

Tag requests: @christi14 @poemfreak306

PART 1

“Michael!” Alisha beamed as the lanky daemon lowered his head to just brush the top of the lounge doorway and dumped his luggage beside his worn chair.

“Ey-oh shortarse!” He drawled in his warm English midlands accent and gave a light ‘oof’ when Alisha launched herself at him in a hug. He chuckled and returned the hug before placing a patrician kiss on the top of her head.

“How was Paris?” Alisha asks as he collapses in his chair.

“No idea since I was in Venice.” He leans back, removing his glasses to rub his weary eyes.

“You okay?” She asks and he gives a nod, closing his eyes.

“Don’t concern yourself with me Poppet, I’m just glad to be home.” He answers but seems to sense her still regarding him with worry.

“Gonna throw a cuppa on? Haven’t had a decent brew in days!” He added.

Deciding to humour him despite the obvious attempt to distract her, she went to the kitchen and began the fiddly process of tea preparation he had taught her. She remembered how he stared in horror the first time she made tea by adding boiled water into mug with a teabag.

Loose leaf, tea strainer, porcelain teapot and teacups.

“How are things at the Philharmonic, running the place yet?” He called from the lounge.

“Just First Chair.” She answered, opting to not mention the confrontation of five days ago.

“That’s my girl!” He answered as she returned with the tea tray, a plate of ‘biscuits’ perched on the edge.

“What’s in Venice?” Alisha prompted.

“An old mucker from Cambridge found an art piece he thought I should take a look at, just rediscovered, still under hush for now.”

“Did you get photos?”

“Okay, what are you not telling me?” He puts down his cup, looking at her over the top of his glasses.

“Nothing, what are you talking about?” She realises how defensively high pitched her voice just became.

“Since when have you been interested in an art slideshow?”

Since I agreed to go on a date with a vampire!

She had the good sense to keep this part quiet.

“Fine, showing an interest out of sheer pity, you got me!” She covers and the smug smirk he flashes confirms she got away with it.

“I‘m well aware of that but since you brought it up...” he goes into his bag and removes his digital camera, handing her the memory card, “into the telly with it, I’m about to explain every colour in detail.”

“You coming?” Alisha shook her head at the smoking area bound cellist.

Post-Show smoke break was traditional but Alisha realised she wasn’t even craving one, despite not having lit up since Baldwin’s directive.

She wasn’t aware vampires had Paul McKenna style hypnotic abilities, given that he himself is a daemon.

“Thanks but, I quit, just the other day.”

“Wow, still though, well done!” Susan gave her a friendly pat on the arm and Alisha realised she hadn’t actually said it out loud yet.

“Thanks, I just-“ she stopped when she noticed Susan’s bemused face, “what?”

Alisha turned to see the company director approach with a bouquet of roses, pinkish peach.

“These would be for you!” Jonathan handed Alisha the bouquet with a teasing smile.

“How come you never give me roses?” Susan challenged.

“Yeah,” Scott, the flutist, chimed in from behind them, “where’s my flowers bro?”

“They’re not from me, although I appreciate your contribution, as I do all of you!”

“Yeah, say it in roses!” Scott yells after him as Alisha locates the small envelope.

“Come on, who are they from?”

“Fifteen Minutes!” Alisha reminds her.

“Huh?”

“You have fifteen minutes before we have to reset for tomorrow night, you should probably go have that smoke break now.”

“Touché!” Susan narrows her eyes on Alisha before breaking into a friendly smile.

“I need some romance!” Susan heads off to the smoking area, Scott following behind.

“I could light your cigarette for you like in an old movie,” he offers, “then we can kiss by shoving our faces together like we’ve never interacted with another human being before.”

“Good old-fashioned Hollywood romance.” Susan adds as the door closes behind the conversation

Alisha cradles the bouquet in her arm in order to open the small envelope with the message.

Can’t make the show tonight, meet me in the foyer tomorrow.

- B

He didn’t waste words.

Tomorrow night it would be, and she found herself wondering how far she was willing to take it.

“Alisha!” Michael’s voice interrupted her considerations, making her very pleased that Baldwin had put off the date by one night so as to not lock horns with her mentor.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were coming!” She smiled.

“I wasn’t, I needed to talk to you! Is he here?”

“Who?” She asked innocently but the serious look on his face told her he knew, especially when he looked over the flowers and plucked the small card from her hand to skim the words.

“Montclair,” he answered abruptly, “is he here?”

“No, as you can read, I’m seeing him tomorrow night!”

“Not happening.”

“Michael, you can’t just-“

“Finish up what you need to do here, I’ll drive you home!”

He left, angrier than she’d ever seen him and she had to wonder just what it would take for such a usual gentle giant to become so furious.

Also, how did he even know?

The night had certainly taken an unwelcome turn but she realised also this was on the cards anyway, she’d just hoped to have it be later.

That option gone, she would just have to face the music, as it were, apologise for the secrecy but be clear in her conviction, a conviction she only just realised she felt. She wanted to see Baldwin again regardless of Michael’s opposition.

She was going on that date!

_______

PART 3

#baldwin montclair #a discovery of witches #stern dom baldwin #baldwin fic #adow baldwin

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asleepinawell · 6 years ago

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Things That Go Bang In The Night

Shoot Haunted House fic for halloween, except not really scary at all and mostly silly. Arranged as a series of shorts, or incidents as the case may be.

Based very loosely in my chaos au, but the only thing you need to know is it’s post-samaritan and shoot are a firmly established relationship at this point.

_________________

Nighttime Disturbances

John is cooking an aggressive amount of pancakes when Root comes downstairs. Root looks at the heaping plates full of breakfast food on the counter of the surprisingly modern kitchen and then at the dark circles under John's eyes and manages not to laugh. She does, however, smile ever so slightly and John's eye twitches just a fraction.

Shaw is the next to show up, wearing a shirt Root thinks might actually belong to her, but the mutual clothing-theft has gotten to the point where it's basically irrelevant. Shaw looks at John and John glares at Shaw and Shaw smirks for all she's worth. She takes two overflowing plates of pancakes, tucks a bottle maple syrup in the crook of her arm and secures a seat for herself at the big stone table in the kitchen. She looks at her plates for a few seconds and then shuffles the pancakes around with a fork until all but three are on one plate. The smaller helping gets pushed over in front of Root.

By the time John joins them at the table, Shaw has eaten half her pancakes, but she still eyes the plate of bacon and eggs he has. He puts a protective arm around his plate before he starts in.

Root waits until he’s drinking his orange juice before asking, innocently, “Did you sleep well, John?”

She's disappointed when he doesn't spit out his drink, but he does scowl at her around his glass.

Fusco shows up before John can answer and collapses into a vacant chair.

“Boy, when you said this place was haunted, you weren't joking.”

Root does not smile even a little bit. Shaw stuffs more pancakes in her mouth, a look of intense concentration on her face. On the other side of the table, John is grimacing.

Fusco doesn't seem to notice. “Creaks and bangs all night and ghostly moans. I don't think I got a wink of sleep.”

Root adjusts the collar of her shirt a little and she sees John's eyes narrow when he focuses in on the movement.

“Maybe we should attempt an exorcism tonight,” he says. “Pour some cold holy water all over the ghosts when they start being a nuisance.”

Fusco's forehead wrinkles in confusion. “I thought that was for vampires.” He gets up to investigate the pancake situation. “You really cooked a lot of these, huh?”

“I had trouble sleeping. For some reason.”

Root is done with her breakfast, but Shaw's still going strong. Root watches her stuff her cheeks like a squirrel preparing for winter.

“You two hear anything?” Fusco asks.

Root pretends not be watching John out of the corner of her eye. “Not that I can recall.”

“Funny. It was really loud. I was scared out of my mind. Spent the whole night pointing my gun at the door.”

“Do bullets even work on ghosts?” Shaw asks, her mouth momentarily pancake-free. “Silver bullets maybe?”

“That's werewolves,” Root corrects and Shaw shrugs as if defense against the supernatural is not an extremely important topic.

“I'm sorry we missed the excitement,” Root says. “I rather enjoy things that go bump in the night.” The eyebrow waggle might be a little too much, but she can't help herself.

John stands up, maybe just a little too fast.

“I'm going to go explore the rest of the house.”

_________________

Cleaning out the Attic

“Still don't see why we have to do this,” Shaw grumbles after she recovers from another sneezing fit. Everything here is covered with a thick layer of dust and it feels like her lungs are full of it, and Root has it even worse with the sneezing and itchy eyes. What a dumb mission.

“She thought it would be nice for all of us to get out of the city for a few days,” Root calls from the other side of the room. The boxes here are stacked high enough that Shaw can't see her over them.

“She could have given us an actual vacation then, not digging through moldy paperwork in a drafty old house in the middle of fucking nowhere.”

Root pops her head around the nearest stack of boxes. There's dust in her hair, a grey smudge across one of her cheeks, and she's wearing a shirt with an overly cute little ghost on it that says 'hey boo-tiful’. Shaw shouldn't think she looks hot like that. She blames it on the boredom. And on the glasses which she knows Root doesn't need for this but she's wearing anyway as some sort of attack on Shaw's sanity.

“Am I not entertaining enough for you, sweetie?” Root's practically leering at her now which looks really dorky with her wearing that shirt.

Shaw drops a stack of paper onto the floor and brushes her hands off. “We can do that anywhere. Preferably somewhere warmer with room service.”

“But we'd be missing out on the added bonus of messing with the boys.” Root prods the stack of papers. “Nothing in these?”

“Not unless she's interested in a detailed hand-written accounting of how much it costs to redo the roof like eighty years ago.”

Root taps her lower lip with one finger. “Hmmm.”

“You can't be serious.”

Root shrugs helplessly. “She says you never know what She might need some day.”

Shaw has been basically over the Machine's new data collecting obsession since it started three months ago. She can acknowledge that there is a ton of information and history out in the world that's never been digitized and that some small fraction of it might help the Machine help humanity, but this is ridiculous.

The Machine can hardly rely on just them to dig up every paper document in the city, let alone in the world, and Shaw suspects she has a lot of people working for her without them realizing what their employer is. They get sent on occasional random missions though, most of which are horribly dull and involve a lot of sorting through paper and not a lot of knee-capping.

“If she really is going to want every single piece of paper in this house, she should say that and we can get a bigger van and just cram everything in there and let someone else sort it out.” Shaw has Claire still working on scanning in the thousands of pages from their last little trip, and that had been months ago.

“Afraid that's not the mission, Shaw.” Root prods the half-full box in front of Shaw meaningfully with one long finger. “And how often do you get to stay in one of the most haunted houses on the east coast?”

“I'd think New England would be lousy with the things.” Shaw takes in Root's expression, gauging her options. She knows she can get out of this, but she's got to approach it the right way. “Anyway, it's not like we've seen any ghostly activity here. Scariest thing to happen was that kale disaster Reese made for dinner last night.” Reese is a decent enough cook, but there are sometimes lapses in his judgment.

“Maybe we'll get lucky and see something spooky tonight since John exiled us to the east wing. It's supposed to be where most of the haunting has taken place historically.”

Reese had half-ordered, half-begged them to move to the other wing, and while Shaw doesn't take orders from him, she’s decided to be merciful. Most rooms in the house are huge and empty which lends it some interesting acoustics and, well, Root never was much of one for keeping quiet. Which brings Shaw back to her current mission to get out of sorting papers.

“You know,” Shaw says, shifting her weight to move herself a little closer to Root, “we could get lucky right now.”

The Machine must really want these damn papers because Root actually hesitates, but Shaw knows Root has no defense against a smooth come-on like that. She bites her lower lip (an unfair move) and sees Root's already-weak defenses crumble away in a flash.

“Attics are notoriously haunted,” Root says thoughtfully. “Might as well give this one a reputation.”

There's paper carpeting the attic floor by the time they're both worn out, some of which the Machine is probably going to yell at them for irrevocably damaging, but it's so worth it.

Root rolls over in the nest of scattered papers, looking for her shirt, and picks up a paper instead.

“This is about that kid that died here.” Root hands the paper over to her. “He was found drowned in a bathtub in the east wing. Everyone suspected his older sister, but no one could ever prove it.”

Shaw looks over the paper. It's got a clipping from a newspaper attached to it talking about the death of some kid called Phillip. She vaguely remembers Root talking about the whole thing on the drive up here. Supposedly the kid's ghost haunts the house and grounds and once drowned a gardener in one of the fountains on the lawn.

“Does the Machine care about stuff that's clearly just superstition?”

Root gets up and pulls her shirt back on, much to Shaw's disappointment. “She cares about how humans react to death and grief and fear, so in that sense, yes.”

“What about you? Do you believe in ghosts, Root?” Shaw teases.

“No.” Root smiles, but it's one of those hard, cold smiles, not one of the happy ones. “Ghosts tend to haunt people who wronged them during their life, right?”

“I guess?” She thinks there's something with loved ones getting haunted too, but she's hardly an expert on these things.

“If anyone was going to have been haunted…” Root trails off and shrugs. “So the odds are against them existing.”

Shaw rolls her eyes, because of course Root's ego would dictate that if she hasn't seen a ghost no one could have.

Root offers her a hand up off the floor. “What about you, Sameen?”

“Most things people take to be ghostly activity can be explained by quantifiable, scientific means. People are always blaming things they can't explain on the supernatural. It's lazy.”

Root grins and leans in so her face is right near Shaw's. “So what will you do when the ghost of little Phillip comes wailing down the hall to drown you in the tub?”

Shaw headbutts her gently in the face. “Any ghost shows up, I'll punch its ethereal teeth in, okay?”

Root backs up, clearly amused, and then glances around at the mess they'd made. “I think we should try the library. We can let Lionel finish up with the attic.”

“He'll love that.” Shaw hasn't been looking forwards to cleaning up the mess they made. She looks around the paper-covered floor one last time and then follows Root back down into the main house.

_________________

The Face in the Fountain

It's cold outside and Root wishes she'd brought a jacket, but the house and grounds are so large that going back for one would take at least twenty minutes. It might be worth it, except she's really tired and doesn't want to budge from the edge of the fountain she's perched on. The house has an unfortunate number of steps and she's been lugging boxes up and down them for the last day.

From out here she's got a pretty good view of the entire house. It's a massive thing, built out of grey and brown bricks with dark, empty windows lining every side. There's two distinct wings coming off the main house: the west wing which juts out onto the front lawn at a right angle from the rest of the house, and the east wing which, inexplicably, does the reverse and sticks out into the woods behind the house.

The front lawn has a few pathways across the overgrown grass, all in poor repair, and a handful of crumbling, ornamental fountains full of brackish water, including the one Root's sitting on. The back lawn has what was once a hedge maze but is now an impassable wall of brambles that the forest is hurrying to reclaim.

Shaw is running laps around the front lawn. Root figures she's working out the frustration of being stuck here for a week with no one to shoot. Shaw pauses next to the fountain on her next lap.

“You don't have to wait for me out here if you're cold.”

“I don't mind.” There's no easy way to watch Shaw work out back in the city, but here she can watch the full length of every lap Shaw runs and discreetly take pictures with her phone.

“Probably shouldn't stay by these things too long anyway.” Shaw peers into the murky water in the fountain with distaste. “Who knows what sort of shit's growing in there.”

Root looks in as well, but other than a distorted reflection of herself she can't see much.

“Maybe breathing in spores from whatever's growing in this toxic sludge is where all the ghost stories come from in the first place,” Shaw says. She drops a large rock in and it vanishes below the surface with a sploop noise. Ripples run across the surface of the water further distorting Root's reflection and stirring up the mud from the bottom. Something moves in the murky depths.

Root jerks back from the water and falls off the edge of the fountain to land on the ground.

“Root?”

Shaw looks at her like she's gone nuts and Root takes a second to get her breathing back under control before she answers.

“I didn't want to get splashed.” She gets back to her feet and tries to brush the dirt off, but the lawn was still damp from the rain last night so her pants are pretty much hopeless.

“It didn't even splash.” Shaw peers at the water as if she's expecting to find some other cause.

Root keeps her distance from the fountain. “We should head back inside and get changed before dinner.”

“Guess so.”

Root resolutely doesn't look back as they head up to the house for dinner. She knows it was just her imagination combined with reading stories of this place, but she can't quite shake the image of a corpse-pale face floating under the water, it's glassy eyes opened wide and staring at the sky.

_________________

The Face in the Fountain (continued)

They eat all their meals in the kitchen because the dining room is enormous, dusty, poorly lit, and even Shaw can admit it's a bit creepy. The kitchen is more than large enough and one of the few mostly clean rooms in the house. It should be a nice, friendly team dinner, but Fusco is exhausted and freaked out from the ‘ghost activity’ the previous evening, Reese is still sulking, and Root has been quiet since they came in for dinner. Shaw isn't sure what's up with her, but she figures it's nothing Root's going to open up about with the other two here.

After dinner they have to get their bags from their rooms to move to the east wing. Shaw brings a flashlight along since the electricity here seems to have a mind of its own and the wiring in the east wing is supposedly even worse. She thinks about calling the whole thing off and staying in the west wing, but she knows she'd get shit from Reese about being scared of ghosts if she did.

She briefly reconsiders again though because Root is still acting weird and making sure Root is okay is more important than not being teased by Reese, but Root doesn't seem to have any issue with switching wings. Still, she knows something is still up because Root doesn't hit on her once during the walk over and she's being all jumpy. Maybe she should have brought Bear along after all.

The rooms here are larger and probably had been nicer once upon a time, but now they're mostly dusty and full of covered furniture. The cleaning service the Machine had sent here ahead of time had salvaged a few bedrooms in both wings so there's a few habitable ones the choose from. Root opts for the smallest and Shaw doesn't argue because the rooms here are unreasonably large.

She waits until they climb into bed for the night before she tries to get an explanation out of Root.

“You've been quiet.”

Root murmurs something in response but it's muffled by her pillow. Shaw speaks evasive-Root-tactics well enough by this point that she can figure out by the pitch of Root's voice that she's brushing off the question. Shaw might have pushed further normally, but she's tired from lugging boxes of papers up and down stairs all day so she settles for rolling over closer to Root and dropping her arm over her. Root puts her hand over Shaw's and settles in.

Shaw isn't sure what wakes her up in the middle of the night, but she's suddenly wide awake and Root isn't next to her anymore. An unnecessarily dramatic flash of lightning from outside shows her that the other half of the bed is empty.

She figures Root probably just went to the bathroom, but the whole creepy house situation seems to merit her checking just in case. The bathroom is empty and Shaw stops back in her room to grab a flashlight before looking any further. Root took her slippers with her, she notes, so it wasn't like she ran out in a panic.

There's only a few places in the house they've all spent any amount of time in. She knows Root wouldn't go to the library since the extreme amount of dust there had caused her the sneezing fits that had sent them outside earlier that day. She wouldn't have a reason to go back to the room they'd stayed in previously, and a quick check of the main entrance hall has it full of shadowy corners but empty of Root. So that leaves the kitchen.

Root's sitting on the counter in the dark eating ice cream out of the container. Her hair is back in a messy ponytail and her bunny slippers are on her dangling feet. Shaw admits that she's maybe a tiny bit relieved by the sight even though she hadn't really thought anything bad had happened.

“I couldn't sleep,” Root says by way of explanation.

There's another flash of lightning outside followed by a peal of thunder and then it starts pouring. Raindrops hammer on the windows.

Root's face lights up in glee.

“Thunderstorm in a haunted house. Another item to cross off the bucket list.”

At least she seems to be in a better mood now even if she is working her way through their entire supply of ice cream. Shaw tries to rescue the remains of the pint, but Root loops her stupidly long legs around her and traps her there up against the counter. Root holds a large spoon of ice cream up and pushes it at Shaw’s face and no way is Shaw letting herself be fed like a child even if it is ice cream.

She ends up with ice cream smeared across her face before she escapes from Root's hold. The whole thing is extremely undignified and she's glad Reese isn't here to see it. She might discreetly wipe the remaining ice cream off her face with one hand and then lick it off her fingers, but there's no proof.

“Are you done now?” she asks, still indignant, but somewhat mollified by the delicious chocolate goodness.

Root evaluates her almost empty ice cream carton. “I suppose so.”

The ice cream goes back in the fridge and they walk back together by the light of Shaw's flashlight. Root seems okay now, but Shaw is still curious about earlier. She doesn't like it when she doesn't know why Root's upset, and if she doesn't find out what caused this round how can she prevent it next time?

“Did you see something when we were outside?” she asks as they cross the entrance hall. “In the fountain?” That's when this had started.

Root makes a small hmph noise. “Ghosts aren't real.”

“You saw a ghost out there?”

“Obviously I couldn't have since they're not real.” Root's tone is a bit condescending which Shaw takes as an improvement.

“Sure, but there could have been a dead animal or who knows what else in there. We can go take another look tomorrow if you want.”

“Yes, maybe that's just the thing.”

The way Root says it is maybe a bit ominous, but Shaw is glad enough that Root’s in a better mood that she doesn't read into it too much.

The next morning Root is already up and gone when Shaw wakes up. Shaw heads down to the kitchen and after a few very pointed hints from Reese makes a detour to the front lawn.

There is a huge truck parked on the front lawn. And a bulldozer.

Definitely suspicious.

Shaw goes back inside and gets coffee before investigating further because asking her to deal with Root's shenanigans without caffeine is cruel. When she gets over to the truck she sees some workers have a huge black hose running into the fountain Root had been sitting on yesterday and are draining it. Root stands nearby watching over the proceedings.

“When I said we could take another look…” Shaw trails off.

Root beams at her. “It was a great suggestion, so I figured I'd get right on it.”

“Right.”

The workers at the fountain wave them over. One of them points at something in the bottom of the drained basin. Shaw goes over to look and there, nestled in the wet weeds and filth, is the most repugnant looking baby doll she's ever seen. It's face is ghostly white and cracked and its glossy black eyes are wide and gaping like a fish's. If there'd been hair on it once it’s long gone now and most of the body is crushed.

“This what you saw yesterday?” Shaw can understand why seeing that bob up under the water might be disturbing, especially given the setting and the whole gardener-drowned-in-the-fountain story.

Root has a nasty glint in her eyes. “Unimportant now.”

She steps back from the fountain and waves an arm at the woman driving the bulldozer. Shaw sees where this is going and retreats to a safe distance. She'd ask Root if destroying the fountain is strictly necessary, but she already knows the answer she'd get and anyway Root just looks so pleased with herself and it's kind of endearing.

It's a weird sort of morning, she thinks. She's standing on the lawn of a haunted mansion wearing her boxers and a hoodie and Root's bright pink flip flops and drinking coffee out of a mug with a cartoon penguin on it. Root's next to her watching the bulldozer demolish the fountain with a look of intense satisfaction on her face. Her clothing situation isn't much better, though she at least managed to put on pants. She's got a new shirt Shaw hasn't before yet that says ‘ghouls just wanna have fun’ on it (Shaw is sensing a theme here) and an oversized flannel that Shaw thinks she might have stolen from one of their recent numbers and is barefoot much to Shaw's horror.

“Can I have a sip of that?” Root asks as the bulldozer backs up to make another pass at the ruined fountain.

“No,” Shaw says and hands her the mug.

“Thanks, Sameen.”

_________________

The Monster in the Conservatory

Fusco is red-faced and out of breath when he comes running into the lounge.

“It's...it's in the…” He pauses panting for breath.

Root waits politely for him to finish. Or leave. She's not picky.

“In the conservatory,” Fusco manages to get out.

Root sets down the ornamental dagger she's been considering accidentally acquiring for herself. “What is?”

“M-monster.” Fusco collapses into a mildewed arm chair.

Shaw peeks around the door frame from the next room. “What sort of monster?”

“Big...angry…teeth…”

“Evil dentures in the greenhouse sounds like a John problem,” Root says and ducks down to open the cabinet under the table.

“I want to fight the monster,” Shaw says. Her tone allows for no arguments.

Root can't not watch that so she gives up on robbing the place and follows Shaw. They pick up John from the smoking room along the way and head, not to the main entrance to the conservatory, but upstairs to the walkway entrance.

The conservatory is relatively newer than the rest of the house, a two story greenhouse built out of thick sheets of glass to let the sunlight in. There's a walkway on the second level of it that's accessible via a small staircase in the conservatory or an actual door from the second floor of the main house.

Shaw pauses as they near the door and reaches behind one of the creepy statues that line the hallways to pull out...a sniper rifle.

Root is impressed and slightly turned on. Maybe more than slightly. She wonders how many guns Shaw has hidden all over the house now.

“Let's see what this monster is,” Shaw says and pushes the door open.

The air inside smells awful, like rotten plants and soil and Root wrinkles her nose in disgust. Left untended, everything in the conservatory has either died or spread out to overtake all the other plants. There's vines and small trees below them and it looks a little like a jungle.

Shaw holds a finger up to her lips and then drops down to her hands and knees on the metal walkway to peer down into the forest below. Root looks over the edge of the railing, but nothing catches her eye. Maybe Fusco was imagining things.

Shaw smacks her on the leg and points and sure enough there's some leaves and branches rustling in the far corner. At first Root thinks it must be a squirrel, but it's pretty clearly something much larger. Maybe a deer?

All three of them watch the greenery closely as the shaking foliage gets nearer and nearer to the center of the room. Their quarry bursts out of the leaves and raises its large face to gaze up at them and sniff the air.

“Not a monster after all,” Reese says as they watch their new companion yawn hugely and show off its massive teeth and pink tongue.

“She's beautiful,” Shaw says softly, her voice full of wonder that's usually reserved for dogs.

Root isn't sure ‘beautiful’ is the word she'd use for the massive black bear munching on things in their house, but Shaw's obvious delight is adorable. Root, however, now feels totally justified in her previous caution about bears as those teeth are very large and its paws look impossibly huge. She's glad they're up high.

“There's a broken pane in the back,” Reese says. “She must have wandered in looking for food.”

Shaw frowns. “I hope she didn't step on any of the glass. Maybe we should check…”

Root is about to ask just how she plans to do that, but John seems to be one step ahead of her.

“We are not tranqing the bear, Shaw.”

Shaw actually pouts, lower lip stuck out like a child.

“But she might be hurt.”

They all watch the enormous bear stand up on its hind legs to rip a branch off a little tree. The walkway is high enough that she couldn't ever reach them, but it's still intimidating.

Shaw sighs. “Fine.” She sits down with her legs dangling over the side. Root figures she's staying until the bear gets safely away. She's torn between wanting to stay and watch Shaw watch the bear and going back to investigate the possibility of further fancy weaponry in need of a new owner.

Staying with Shaw wins out easily in the end. They sit side by side with their legs hanging off the walkway watching the bear snort and huff its way around the floor. Shaw's theory is there was some sort of fruit tree or berry bush down there and the bear is searching the ground for leftovers. Shaw takes the scope off her rifle so she can watch it close up.

After about an hour, the bear must run out of food because it lumbers back out the broken pane (Shaw watches with concern) and back into the woods at the edge of the property.

“I hope she's okay.”

“She'll be fine, Sameen.” It's sweet the way Shaw worries about some things so much, often things (people, animals) that no one else seems to care about. “Should we rip your clothes a bit and mess up your hair so we can tell Fusco the tale of your epic battle against the greenhouse monster?”

“No clothes ripping.”

Root could say several somethings about the hypocrisy of that, but she doesn't want to discourage Shaw from future over-enthusiastic clothing removals.

“We should make it look good though,” Shaw says and offers her a hand up. “Guess you'll need to give me a hand with that.”

“My pleasure.”

_________________

The Ghost of the East Wing

Root has to admit that the east wing of the house has a good, spooky atmosphere. There's scorch marks on some of the walls from a fire that partially burned down the wing years ago (the stories have it that you can still smell the smoke in the air, but Root has yet to smell anything other than mildew), and all the furniture is under white sheets. The wind howls through the cracks and rattles the windows enough to be irritating and make the whole place chilly. And then there's the fact the forest has grown in thick around this wing so there's nothing but dark woods outside the windows.

But the heating works well enough to keep the place comfortable and she's got Shaw as an extra heater, so it could be much worse.

Shaw whines in protest when Root sticks her cold feet up against her leg to warm them up. It's a cute enough noise that Root pulls her feet back and pushes them up against Shaw's other leg to see if she can get a repeat.

What she actually gets is socked in the face with a pillow.

It takes a few minutes of shuffling around before they're both comfortable enough to drift off and Root is so worn out from all the excitement of the day that she falls asleep quickly and doesn't wake up again until Shaw shakes her by the shoulder.

“Hhzzmhh?” Root asks. It's pitch black and she's still tired.

Shaw lays a finger across her lips to shush her and tilts her head to one side as if listening. Root goes as quiet as she can, barely breathing, and focuses on every little noise the house is making.

Footsteps. Those are definitely footsteps, and they're coming closer down the creaky floorboards of the hall.

Shaw rolls out of bed and drops to the floor in a crouch. Root knows for a fact that there's no way to move across the floor in this room without the floorboards making a racket, and yet Shaw is completely silent.

The footsteps are getting closer, and even though Root knows that ghosts don't exist and that the house isn't really haunted, she still feels a slight twist of fear in her stomach. She grabs her taser off the nightstand since Shaw has a gun already and if somehow she's been wrong all these years and ghosts really do exist, then maybe an electric current will be more effective against them than a bullet.

The door bursts open and there's a tall, formless white figure in the hallway.

“OoooOOOooooo,” it moans.

Root sighs. He wasn't even trying very hard, was he?

Shaw leaps up from where she was crouched next to the door and socks the ghost squarely in where it's face would be.

“Oww!” the ghost yells.

Shaw kicks it in the leg and slams into it so it falls over, twisted in its own sheet.

Root gingerly climbs out of bed and winces when her feet hit the bare floor. She tests the power on her taser as she moves towards the fallen ghost. Sure, she knows it's John, but he doesn't know that she knows so who could blame her for defending herself?

It's hours before anyone gets back to sleep.

_________________

Reassignment

Shaw wakes up to the news that they've been taken off the mission and are to return to the city immediately. She'd sort of been hoping to see the bear again, but otherwise she's pretty glad to get out of this place.

The list of reasons Root gives for their sudden departure is hard to argue with. The many incidents the Machine took issue with include: destruction of valuable historical documents, destruction of historic architecture, petty larceny, grand larceny, discussion of unsafe animal handling techniques (Shaw rolls her eyes at that one), excessive sneezing on valuable books, using historical stone gargoyles as target practice, attempted assault on an asset with a non-lethal weapon, and successful unarmed assault of an asset leading to a mild injury.

It's an impressive list and Shaw figures it's no wonder she feels so tired.

Reese is loading the car when she gets outside. He still isn't speaking to her and is holding an ice pack to his bruised jaw. Really he should be grateful she'd stopped Root from tasing him. It's not their fault he decided to try and scare them and they're hardly to blame for retaliating.

Root is a little sad they're leaving early and still sulking about missing out on a good tasing, but she seems eager to get back home as well. She steals the passenger’s seat before either of the boys can try to claim it.

Fusco is grumpy despite being the only one to have gotten a full night's sleep. “Next time you three need help, don't call me.”

Reese broods intensely in the back seat.

“Guess it'll just be you and me for the next haunted house,” Root says.

Shaw considers pointing out that basically every single strike against them from the Machine was either her or Root's fault (though Reese had brought that slug in the jaw on himself), and that the chances of either of them ever being sent on a similar mission are slim to none.

“I think we're scarier than a bunch of ghosts,” she says instead.

Root looks quite pleased with that response and begins listing off directions to get them back to the highway and out of this desolate area. Shaw starts the car down the driveway, the slightly-more-decrepit-than-they'd-found-it house in her rearview mirror.

#person of interest #shoot #my tumblr fics #mp #will be posting on ao3 as well at some point soon #happy halloween y'all #line breaks no longer show up on mobile thanks tumblr #i wrote something in present tense and hated every second of doing so

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infectedworldmind · 6 years ago

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On an unseasonably warm Saturday morning in early February, my wife suggested that I take a break to go see the new Black Panther movie on our way back from a local Chinese New Year parade. We were having a very good day after an exhausting, impossible week. At the time, I did not know that this pattern would repeat itself over the following four months. We had a great breakfast at one of our favorite local spots (Zoi’s, which makes terrific breakfast sandwiches) and I successfully convinced my son that the colorful dragons marching in the parade were fun and not frightening (“See? They’re not real dragons, they’re just costumes!” <man under dragon costume gives a friendly wave to skeptical son>).

We discussed the Black Panther phenomenon while we munched hash browns and sipped coffee – it had premiered a few days earlier and was already a giant success at the box office and in the culture. I was curious and she was ambivalent – while the concept and creative folk involved piqued her interest, she mostly checked out on Marvel movies after the underwhelming Avengers film in 2010. When she made her offer later that morning, I thought about declining until I realized that if I didn’t accept, I probably wouldn’t see Black Panther until it arrived on Netflix (or whatever over the top digital service Disney comes up with). So I accepted her offer and was surprised by how excited I felt.

I found an amazing seat at our local theater (a spot that made up for its lack of modern features with decent screens and pleasant staff). I was surrounded by a representative sample of New Haven – earnest college students from a wide variety of backgrounds, excited African Americans from the local community and pleasant Yale/Yale New Haven Hospital retirees. There was a lot of conversation in the room that died down when the trailers and commercials and PSAs ended. Everyone focused their attention on a dark screen and heard a boy ask his father to tell him a story.

A few hours later, another curious boy asked a man who he was, and the screen faded to black. There were two more scenes tucked in a seemingly endless scroll of credits, but they felt like post-film trailers for future Marvel movies, a reminder that Black Panther takes place in a larger (and quite lucrative) narrative and a suggestion that the cinematic Wakanda will play a much more prominent role in the Marvel movie universe than its comic book counterpart. Some stayed for the scenes, and others did not, but it was clear that the boy’s question was the end of the story that Ryan Coogler spent 200 million dollars to tell. Some people were energized, others were talking about their favorite scene or which one of the many attractive actors in the film was the most stunning. I saw a few people with tears in their eyes, a few repeating Michael B. Jordan’s last line in the film.

Black Panther is an excellent film, possibly the first Marvel movie that feels completely engaged with our world. Coogler sustains an emotional resonance throughout the entire film that can only be found in isolated sequences in other Marvel films – a glance from Jeff Daniels, a provocative question asked by Cate Blanchett, a moment of intimacy between Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan. These genuine, emotionally honest moments are as important to the Marvel Studios storytelling formula as all of the third acts filled with expensive digital effect sequences and schematic plots. Black Panther departs from this formula by grounding these moments in a personal story with meaningful stakes. The stakes of the story matter because all of the artists involved in the movie – from the director, writers and cast to the costume designer, the makeup and hair people and the experts who helped with dialects – worked to make all the characters feel fully realized, with hopes, dreams and flaws independent from our hero and his journey. We care about the fate of Wakanda because we care about the characters who inhabit it – and T’Challa’s family turmoil matters because the love, joy and resentment expressed by the family members feels real.

Coogler reminds us that the desire for representation in the African American community isn’t just about seeing black faces on a screen. We want to be taken seriously, to feel like our gaze is as valid and important as the white gaze that we are accustomed to seeing in Hollywood films. We want to see a dramatization of the kinds of debates and tensions that exist within the black community without an explainer for everyone else. We want movies where dark skinned people are properly lit and stories that aren’t mediated by the perspective of outsiders (even the very well meaning ones).

Coogler uses a familiar hero’s journey framework to tell a story about community, societal boundaries and black liberation. Black Panther dramatizes the discourse within the black community about identity and freedom in mythic, larger than life terms without sacrificing the black perspective. He invites the audience to view in-group conversations without translating anything for them. It’s a mainstream movie about black lives that cheerfully ignores the urge to reassure or defy the “little white man deep inside all of us” who wants to limit our freedom to imagine and create fictional worlds.

Coogler trusts his audience. He trusts them to tease out the distinctions between and within the liberal and radical visions for black liberation presented in the scenes and layers the narrative with allusions to events and ideas relevant to the African American experience.

There are limits to the scope of ideas explored in Black Panther. The film is set in Africa and is filled with images and items that we associate with Africa, but its narrative is driven by the concerns, dreams and dilemmas of the members of the African diaspora who were brought to America hundreds of years ago. In one sense, there aren’t many African American characters in Black Panther, but in another, we are everywhere. We are asked to reflect on the obligations that a privileged black community owes to less privileged black communities and while the characters do reference the struggle against white supremacy (not named, but you know…) in global terms, the visual reminders of oppression and that struggle are all tied to America, and the African American civil rights movement (in the early nineties) serves as the catalyst for the story.

This dynamic is not confined to the film version of Black Panther. In the late winter, I planned to (and may still) write about Black Panther and Wakanda as incomplete afrofuturist projects. Here’s the gist: Black Panther and Wakanda were created by two Jewish American comic book creators in the 1960’s, and while a number of Afro-diasporic writers and artists have helped shape our understanding of the Black Panther’s world over the years, almost all were telling stories from a perspective that was both African and American. They explored African American hopes and fears about empowerment, colonialism and intergroup conflict, but rarely incorporated the viewpoints of other members of the diaspora, particularly those who remained in Africa. I found great value in exploring the dreams and possibilities of the African American experience through a story like Black Panther (and a nation like Wakanda), but wondered if the absence of non-American perspectives (particularly African ones) blunted its potential impact. I also wondered how much sharper – and more transformative – the story would be if we were reading/watching a story that Africans were telling us about their world.

Black Panther is also a Marvel Studios movie, and cannot escape the positive and negative associations of that corporate relationship.

It shares the basic plot structure as many of their films centered around a solo hero, from the role of the two villains in the narrative (and how they are introduced) to the hero’s fall from grace and eventual triumph in a CGI fueled battle.

I wonder if that relationship contributes to the intriguing tension between the radical and conventional elements in Black Panther. The film’s visuals shake mainstream (at least in the world of blockbuster commercial Hollywood filmmaking) assumptions around beauty and power, with a diverse, nearly all-black cast presented as larger than life figures and shot in a manner that highlights the richness of their individual skin tones.

We are shown pieces of culture from all over Africa in a way that makes them feel modern and vital (and not ancient or exotic). But while the story gestures towards quasi-radical politics, it ultimately delivers a full throated defense of traditional monarchy that would’ve seemed downright reactionary in another film. The dialogue that evokes a long history of black nationalism/radicalism is delivered by a character presented as a violent faux populist tyrant. T’Challa’s plan to reengage with the world felt audacious on my first viewing, but upon reflection, it sounded pretty vague. My wife (who watched the movie with me when it was released on Blu Ray) remarked that she expected T’Challa to announce an initiative that would improve the material circumstances of the people of Oakland – a housing or education or employment program.

The Africana spread throughout Black Panther highlights this tension. The visual look of the scenes set in Wakanda is thoughtfully considered and creates a distinctly non-American context for the story. The interviews and profiles surrounding the movie make it clear that the visual aesthetic for the film is intended as a celebration of a wide range of African cultures, a rare thing for mainstream American films. This celebration is complicated by the film’s narrative, which is mostly set in a fictional isolated African nation. In this context, the blend of different African cultures in a single place without any in-text explanation becomes a reminder of our troubling habit of treating Africa as if it were a single location. A cinematic Latveria (the fictional Central European home of Fantastic Four villain Dr. Doom) that just combined elements of Greek, Czech, French and British visual and physical culture wouldn’t seem authentically ‘European’, it would feel artificial, the product of an outsider unfamiliar with the diverse cultures and societies on the continent.

Latveria, from a bad Fantastic Four movie. This needs some Greek columns and a couple of domes. Maybe a circuitry covered henge in the background.

The mix of conventional and radical elements make Black Panther feel less satisfying and more substantial. I would have wholeheartedly welcomed a mainstream Hollywood funded full throated meditation on dismantling white supremacy and the pain caused by colonialism, but I know that Americans – that we – have a limited appetite for blockbuster films that unnerve or threaten. I still want to see a movie that shows the non fictional black community – my community – through a non-tragic lens. Many countries in Africa still face huge challenges, but there have been a number of meaningful improvements of social and economic conditions in nations throughout the continent over the last two decades. African Americans still face a wide range of disadvantages relative to European Americans, but there has been (some) progress (particularly in the areas of education and wages). We are more than nameless youth at an urban basketball court. The scenes set in Wakanda are triumphant and transporting, but I couldn’t shake the thought that there are also happy and prosperous and successful (in the broadest definition of the word) black people who live in actual neighborhoods in real countries.

Coogler’s Black Panther is a piece of entertainment, a commodity owned by a multi billion dollar corporation that has a mixed history with black people and social justice and which is unlikely to green light a blockbuster with radical politics or that challenges viewers. It’s also a thrilling and thought provoking work of art made by a promising young African American director who has successfully infused social commentary and emotional honesty in a series of mainstream films of steadily increasing size and scope. Black Panther’s success is a win for films made by and starring black people, but it’s also a big win for Disney shareholders. It’s a story that excites by centering the perspective of African Americans (even in allegorical terms), but leaves one hungry for more that reflects the experiences of people from other parts of the diaspora.

It’s a movie that entertains and inspires, but as Yasiin Bey might say, it can’t save us. Thankfully, no one promised that it would.

Next Week: Second Take (Four Things).

Black Panther: First Take. In which I finally put some thoughts about a popular movie into writing. On an unseasonably warm Saturday morning in early February, my wife suggested that I take a break to go see the new…

#Afrofuturism #Black Panther #Ryan Coogler

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baileyfrom-blog · 6 years ago

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How much does a logo cost?

The difference between the $100 logos, $1.000 logos and $10.000 logos

“My designer quoted me $600 for a logo. Is this a fair price, or are they ripping me off?”

“That's way too much. I can recommend someone who can do it for $50.”

I've witnessed this kind of conversation many times. I've decided it's about time I talk about this heated topic here on my own blog to explain what the whole deal with pricing logos is about.

Discussing prices is touchy because people can easily become defensive. It's not my intention to belittle anyone whose budget can only afford them low priced logos, nor to convince anyone that they should buy a more expensive logo. I want you to become aware of what you're buying. I want you to have realistic expectations of what your budget can afford you, so you don't end up disappointed because you didn't get what you wanted. There's a logo for every price point, and there's a good reason why they cost as much as they do.

People outside of the design industry who don’t understand the nuances behind logo design are legitimately confused by the prices. Logo prices vary wildly, from 5 dollars to millions of dollars. What’s the deal? How can the same thing cost $5 and $5 million?

That’s the point—it’s not the same thing.

While this topic is a lot more complex than I can cover in a single article, I’ll simplify things a bit and divide the typical logo ranges in 3 tiers: the low-end ($100-$999), the mid-end ($1.000-$9.999) and high-end ($10.000+). I’ll explain what happens at each of these levels, and why it costs as much as it costs.

First things first: What is a logo?

In order to qualify as a logo, a graphic must satisfy several conditions. It must be:

A vector graphic, blown up to any size without any loss in quality.

Clearly convey meaning even when scaled down to the size of a stamp or an app icon.

Suitable for use in a variety of media (print, digital, engraving, embroidery etc.)

Unique—there are no other businesses using the same graphic.

$5 “logos” are not logos

The reason I’m not even considering Fiverr gigs a part of the legitimate logo design industry is because the results you get from those gigs are not logos. What you typically get are plagiarized graphics placed on a white background (if you’re lucky), which makes them literally useless for any practical purpose.

So let’s move on to actual logos. What’s the difference between low, mid and high end logo design services?

The main difference is the process

When I said that $100 logos, $1.000 logos and $10.000 are not the same thing, what I meant is that the process used to get to these logos differs. While the result might appear similar to an untrained eye, the work that went in it is of a different order of magnitude.

I’m not even talking about the operating costs here.

A legitimate business pays taxes, their own healthcare, bookkeeping fees, expensive professional design tools and equipment. People in the Western Europe, North America and Australia have higher costs of living than those in Eastern Europe, South America, Africa or most Asian countries. All of these conditions factor into the designer’s rates—someone might be able to offer the same level of service for a lower price because their operating costs are lower. (That’s why my services are cheaper than that of an American or British designer of comparable level of skill and experience.) But let’s put that aside for now, because we could be here all day analyzing spreadsheets.

Before we get into the process thing, I’d like to point out one other difference that’s rarely discussed in the design circles.

Logo price also depends on the client

The value of the logo is not solely in the designer’s work: it’s in your company’s potential to profit from it. A corporation who will profit in millions every year from a branding project should pay more for a logo than a non-profit or a small family business.

Non-profit organizations and local micro-businesses have lower budgets and don’t expect a big return from a re-branding project. Designers often decide to lower their price, or even offer pro bono services in order to meet the needs of their less profitable clients.

Businesses who are serious about using design to gain more customers and be perceived as a premium brand are willing to invest more money, because this investment will lead directly to higher profits.

Two different companies may pay a different price for what can be considered the same amount of work, and this is not unfair: it’s called value based pricing. If the logo will help you get more customers at a higher price point, this translates into profit. Designers who help you achieve that deserve a piece of that pie.

Now that you know the two other factors of logo design prices—operating costs and value based price—let’s circle back to the main topic of this post: the differences in the design process.

The $100 logo design process

$100 is the least you can expect to pay for a decent logo, though by First-world standards that’s still cheap.

I have two explanations for how it’s possible for designers in developed countries to charge $100 per logo and still make a living:

They’re not full-time designers.

They create 10-20 logos per month.

If someone has a second job that’s paying the bills, or is still in the university and their life is funded by parents and student loans, it figures that they won’t value their services as much. They don’t need the money to survive—they can afford to put a ton of work into a project and only get a fraction of what they deserve.

If we’re talking about a full-time designer that’s still somehow managing to make a living off of $100 logos or cheaper, you have to wonder: how much effort are they able to put into each one? If you know your logo is just one of half a dozen they’re working on this week, can you be confident in the quality of what you’re getting?

When the designer is forced to rush through a project, they have to cut corners.

There is no way logo design can be optimized like a factory and be done in a few hours every single time. Creative process doesn’t work that way.

Typically, the first thing that suffers is research.

Design research is the first step in the logo design process. It’s an essential step, because logos are not created in a vacuum—we need to establish what’s already present on the market, and how to differentiate from your competitors. If we don’t do that, the results will likely be a generic cliché that’s already been seen a thousand times.

That means that the designer has to work based on client’s input alone, and jumps quickly into the creation process. Such process might involve:

Asking clients for design direction (favorite colors, fonts, symbols, moodboards etc.).

Creating several variations quickly and offering the client to pick their favorite.

Refining the chosen option based on client’s input.

Sending the final logo and the invoice.

This can realistically be done in a few days, so it explains why the price is so low. The question is, do you want to put the symbol that will represent your company for years to come into the hands of a student, designer with a second job, or a designer who is juggling many other projects alongside yours?

The $1.000 logo design process

For $1.000 or more, you can get a pretty good design solution, provided that the designer has plenty of experience and adheres to professional standards.

A complete logo design process involves the following phases:

Researching the client and the competition.

Setting the design direction (through the use of a design brief and/or a moodboard).

Creating many design concepts.

Refining concepts with the most potential.

Choosing the concept that best communicates the client’s values and brand message.

Presenting the logo proposal to the client (with examples of everyday use).

Revising the logo based on feedback (optional).

Preparing multiple color and composition variations of the logo.

Designing the branding guidelines.

You can see there’s a lot more involved in the mid-end design process than it is in the low-end. A single project can take anywhere from 20 to 50 or more hours to complete. The project can last between 2 and 6 weeks, depending on how many projects the designer is working on at a time, and if there’s additional graphics included with the logo.

The phases in my own logo & brand design process

Experienced freelancers in the US and the EU will typically fall into the 4-figure dollar price range, but there are also freelancers charging 5-figure rates.

And at the 5-figure range and beyond, we have branding agencies.

The $10.000 logo design process

The high-end logo design process follows a similar structure as a mid-end one, with one key difference: it involves a team of designers and marketers.

Instead of one dedicated professional, you get 2, 3 or more, all working to make your project a success. Since there’s more people and resources involved, you’re getting a lot more done:

The research phase is more thorough.

More designers equals more ideas.

Design may involve active participation of the client or a customer focus group.

Business naming and taglines are often included in the agency brand design package.

This type of process can last several months. Large companies with so much at stake wouldn’t dare to rush it because if they don’t let the agency get it right, it might cost them a lot of money.

With so many people involved, and all of them giving their focused attention to your project, prices of the agency logo designs practically have no upper limit—they can go up to millions of dollars for big clients like MasterCard, Pepsi and Airbnb.

Different design processes deliver different results

A “deliverable” is an item that you as a client get once the design is finished. The more money you invest, the more deliverables you get to take home.

With a low-budget logo, you get a logo. That’s it.

With a mid-budget logo, you get:

Multiple logo variations (color, black, inverse, vertical, horizontal, icon etc.)

Brand style guide.

Additional graphics (optional, depends on how much you’re paying).

Brand strategy (optional, not all freelancers do this).

With a high-budget logo, you get:

Brand strategy.

Multiple logo variations.

Brand style guide.

A comprehensive selection of all the graphics you will need.

Optionally, brand name and tagline.

I hope this post has clarified why the logo prices vary so much. It’s not that designers are trying to cheat you, it’s that logos are not trivial.

I see logos as the most challenging type of design project there is.

Not every designer can do logos well—it’s a highly specialized skill. I don’t teach business owners how to design their own logos because honestly, by the time you learn how to do it properly, you spend so much time that simply paying someone else would be faster and easier.

There’s no template or “best practice” that guarantees a logo everyone will love. So much can go wrong when an inexperienced designer takes on a logo project (for example, ending up with an unintentionally vulgar logo). The company’s reputation is at stake, because logo is a business tool that wears many hats.

If a logo design project turns out unsuccessful, re-branding will invite even more costs. You’ll need to re-design and print all the promo materials over again, like websites, apps, brochures, signage, vehicle graphics, business cards for all employees... The costs just add up, which is why companies avoid re-branding if they can help it.

Saving money on a low-cost logo today might mean having to invest more money later to fix what isn’t working.

Don’t rush into a logo design project.

If you don’t have the budget for what you want right now, save up for it rather than spending money on something you won’t be happy with. And if you choose to stick with a low-priced logo, I support your decision—but please, do your research so you don't get ripped off by a logo designer.

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freebestbettingtips · 6 years ago

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Premier League: Wolves 0-2 Liverpool

New Post has been published on https://bestfreebettingtips.com/premier-league-wolves-0-2-liverpool-2/

Premier League: Wolves 0-2 Liverpool

Artwork by @chapulana.

Liverpool make sure that they are four points clear at the top of the Premier League after a convincing win over Wolves. It also means that the Reds maintain their unbeaten run which has been one of the greatest assets of Liverpool since the start of the season. At Molineux, goals from Mohamed Salah and Virgin van Dijk were enough to seal an important win that guaranteed Liverpool would top the league on Christmas Day. In this tactical analysis piece that is supported with stats, I will be taking a closer look at how Jurgen Klopp and his side performed and got what they wanted.

General Overview

Well, we are now accustomed to seeing Jurgen Klopp field his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation that turns into a kind of 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1 in defence. That was actually the case against Espirito Santo’s 3-4-1-2 that turned into 5-3-2/5-2-3, as you can see below, while defending. The idea behind building a such a defensive line was to stop Liverpool from attacking through the centre, which seemed to work to a degree especially in the first half, in my opinion. Liverpool couldn’t produce as many chances as they had used to and the goal in the first half came following a set-piece – from which Liverpool had managed to score 9 goals in total this season.

Liverpool, with a brilliant unpredictability, looked to switch positions a lot in the attacking third. It was possible for us to see Firmino supporting Salah up front or sometimes playing up front alone himself, Keita supporting the centre of midfield although positioned off the left flank, Salah trying to find spaces and Mane in an effort to move into channels.

One of the most important talking points was that Fabinho looked fantastic once again except for his howler in the opening minutes that could have been costly. Apart from that massive mistake, though, he was as cool as you like and moved up the pitch occasionally supporting the attacks. It was a moment to watch when he managed to run into the box with the ball at his feet and provided a perfect ball for Salah who scored with a great simple touch. In addition, Henderson and Fabinho put in a good performance in the centre of midfield with their defensive duties and contributions to the attacks.

As I mentioned in my previous analysis pieces, Jurgen Klopp’s ability in turning Liverpool into a side that plays with a brilliant diversity in terms of tactical shapes is outstanding as it proves to be an unpredictability which is one of the strongest sides of this team. When they play with such a mentality with some great effort, it becomes a natural threat for the oppositions trying to stop them.

The man-marking strategies end up in the trash and the pace, quickness and ambition of the players make it very difficult for the opposition to stop them. No matter what shape they play, they make sure that, especially in the attacking third, they can play in a variety of shapes. Just as this shows Jurgen Klopp’s talents to produce something extra, it also shows the ambitions of the players in the squad to adapt to what Jurgen Klopp demands from them.

On the other hand, it is a fact that Liverpool struggled to produce decent opportunities to score in the first half as Wolves managed to block the passing lines with a densely populated defence. Liverpool’s passing accuracy was 85% and their crossing accuracy was just 13%. They couldn’t produce the best chances to score but one of the most significant points is that they somehow find a way to score even in the games they struggle to create good opportunities.

For instance, against a proper Wolves defence, Liverpool were not having their best day on the pitch but they found a way to open up the scoring in the first half after a set-piece. Although they made some critical individual mistakes especially in the opening minutes, Virgil van Dijk and Lovren performed well enough to stop one of the fastest and physically strong players in the Premier League, Traore.

The whole team supported the defence with a great effort and Fabinho’s constantly-improving performance helped a lot to intercept a lot of Wolves passes. Despite the fact that Wolves registered 4 shots on target in the first half, none of those shots made life difficult for Alisson. Ruben Neves and Moutinho were not really effective.

Things were not that different in the second half, especially for Liverpool. Wolves continued to defend well especially in the central areas but one of the talking points was that after every corner kick, Mo Salah was picking up the loose balls and no Wolves player seemed to be in an effort to stop him.

Considering Liverpool registered 10 corners throughout the game, it was an important job for a team like Wolves to decrease the efficiency of those corners as they are normally good in the air. On the contrary, Mo Salah took control of the ball in the 68th minute after a corner kick and then he sent the ball in where Van Dijk positioned himself to put it beyond Rui Patricio.

Firmino was again the key man, for me. He played a massive role in transitions and setting up the play. He came deep to get the ball and then carried it successfully and distributed quite comfortably with his great talent on and off the ball. He never runs out of energy despite his contribution both to the attacking third and to the defensive play. He has the most interesting and important roles in Jurgen Klopp’s 4-2-3-1. He initiates the attacks, provides key passes, supports Mo Salah and the other attackers, closes down his opposition, blocks passes, sends through balls. He does simply everything.

Conclusion

Although in the past Liverpool led the Premier League twice during Christmas, they couldn’t make that dream come true but, undoubtedly, Liverpool have been writing one of the greatest chapters of their history since the start of the season by scoring 39 goals and conceding just seven and if they keep the momentum up, they will lift the first Premier League title in their history in some style.

If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Get your copy of the FIRST of two December issues for just £4.99 here or preorder the SECOND of the December issues with an annual membership right here.

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maxwellmmeyers · 6 years ago

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Protect your Financial Data With These 11 Simple Steps

The following is a guest post from Mike at Miked Up Blog.

I had an email stop me completely in my tracks last week… I probably receive over 100 emails a day and this is the first one I can remember that made me stop what I was doing, re-read the text twice, and then take a deep breath. The emails reason for being? "After a search of the dark web, we found your email address and [other personal information] listed in multiple locations. Your person data are at risk. You should act quickly…” (that’s paraphrased)

And if this was one of the statements that were usually followed with - “Click here to buy our awesome product and you’ll be protected!!” I wouldn’t have given this email a second thought… But, unfortunately for me, that was not the case. Immediately following the Experian breach, I searched out a credit monitoring service, made a purchase, and started taking the steps to protect my personal information.

If I hadn’t completed the steps in my list below, my personal data could be floating out all over the dark web without me even knowing about it… That’s terrifying… But do you know what’s worse? More of my data could be at risk and even though I’ve paid for a monitoring service - I still may never know.

That’s why I take it upon myself to just assume all of my personal information is exposed… At all times.

So what are we to do - live in fear? Not quite… My personal philosophy is to take all reasonable and necessary precautions available so that we can continue living life as normal - just with a nice kit of body armor around our sensitive personal information.

In order to fight against being blindsided by stolen identity or financial fraud, these are the steps I take to keep my financial life as safe as possible:

Passwords (The Brains)

1- Use a different password for every account, change passwords frequently, and set up a password manager system

This isn’t 2005 anymore and the excuse of, “I can’t remember all of those passwords!!” May sound nice when it leaves your lips - but it doesn’t do you justice when it comes to protecting your accounts.

You know those passwords that certain sites make you create…? The ones with capital letters, symbols, and more than 11 total characters? Yeah - you need to be using a unique one of those for every password that’s protecting one of your accounts.

To take it a step further, you should be changing those passwords up at least quarterly… And, if we’re being honest, probably monthly.

Is that going to get confusing? Hell yes, it will. So that’s why I keep a list of our passwords for every account in a digital place that is secure and at the same time easily accessible to my wife and I. And when I do our regular password updates, it’s a simple edit for each account - then we can move on with our day and not have to worry about remembering a thing (as long as we have the key to the list, that is).

Where you keep that list is entirely up to you. And while I’m not going to divulge all of my secrets here, I will say that there are multiple free options in addition to specific products that are paid for and can address your needs. Either way - this (detailed) Step 1 is a must-do.

2- Use passcodes for your devices

Admittedly, this may be a review for the majority of readers… Regardless - it needs to be stated: Whether your passcode is of the biometric, numerical, or linear variety, every device you use should be protected by something.

What if your phone was stolen? What would they have access to? I could ask the same question for your laptop, tablet, or just about any other device you use on a regular basis. Using a passcode may be a hassle, but it’s sacrificing minimal time from your day and providing a disproportionately high rate of return - in the form of data protection.

3- Use Two-Factor Authentication

This is something that I honestly hated when it was first rolled out by my banking apps, but given a little more time - two-factor authentication (2FA) is an effective way to add an extra layer of protection to your financial data. Rather than just requiring a password or biometric check, 2FA takes your login a step further by sending a separate code to your phone or email (for example) that then needs to be inputted in order for you to successfully log on.

And as I said, the process was clunky and time-consuming in this instant gratification world I’ve become accustomed to, however, by requiring a separate passcode that is sent to a different device or location - you are making it considerably more difficult for evil-doers to gain access to your accounts. This way, if your password is compromised, a hacker would still need to obtain this second (and independent) code to gain access.

I’d rather walk the tightrope while having the safety net in place… And once you get familiar with taking this extra step to login, there isn’t much extra effort required on your part.

Physical Security (The Muscle)

I’m not talking about bodyguards here. Although, if you’re hiring… (I know a guy)

4- Don’t do business on community wi-fi

When you’re at the coffee shop and excited that you used an excellent frugal tip to score free coffee via a coupon, don’t get complacent about keeping your financial information protected. Sure the complimentary wi-fi is convenient - but it’s also incredibly dangerous. Just like it was easy for you to gain access, it is equally easy for someone to see, use, and steal your actions over that public internet connection.

As a best practice, I do not use complimentary wi-fi connections in general. However, if you are more adventurous, you’d be wise to only perform superficial tasks over public wi-fi. Browse the internet, check Twitter, etc. And if you’re in a position where you need to send a few emails or login to an account, it’d be wise to do so using a VPN - which routes your connection through a server and hides your actions. It’s not full-proof, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

5- Physically secure your devices

The strategy here is akin to age-old strategies of staying alert and taking good general precautions while traveling… And basically anytime you are on the go with a device or away from the home (where your devices are), there is a good range of options to put into use to physically secure your devices. Because it’s one thing for someone to hack into your computer and access your keystrokes, it’s another for someone to just grab your device and effectively eliminate the need for sophisticated hacking.

There will eventually be a post on this topic but great general precautions are to stay organized, alert, and flexible when on the go. Meaning - don’t carry more than what you can handle with a backpack, keep your hands free, keep the cell phone in your pocket and you’re head up and eyes open, etc… Self-defense starts with a general air of, “I’m not vulnerable and I know what’s going on around me.”

When you’re away from the home, there are many different alarm or monitoring services that you could use, you could install a safe, keep devices out of plain view from windows or other points of entry, in addition to many other tactics.

You’ve probably heard that “A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.” Take time to examine every link of your chain then fortify the weak spots. Many small positive changes can lead to big results.

6- Shred your statements and other sensitive paperwork (that you no longer need)

You may think, “Nobody is desperate enough to go through my garbage…” But my day job in the criminal justice field will show you that there isn’t much that folks aren’t capable of. In essence, you’d be surprised what people will do to get more money.

While one document may not hold the keys to your financial castle when you piece together a bank statement with your water bill and anything from a cable provider… suddenly someone is able to start piecing together a decent picture of your sensitive personal information.

That’s why it’s always best practice to shred your old documents. Or, we’ll gather the kids around the campfire in the spring and fall, and use those old papers as kindling to get the fire started. Protecting yourself and making awesome memories - priceless.

7- Don’t give out your social security number without already having closed the deal

Let’s say you’re shopping around 4 different dealerships for a new car. And while you’re trying to decide whether to lease a new car or buy either way - the dealers are each trying to close the deal. And each time that one of those dealers ‘pulls your credit’ they’re issuing you a little ding on your report - and thereby reducing your credit score. If you’re trying to boost your credit score, that’s not a good idea.

More than just keeping your credit score in good shape, letting various merchants ‘pull your credit’ to see if you’re an attractive borrower is risky. Why? Because by giving each of those businesses your social security number, you’re just giving out the most vital number in your financial profile to more people that don’t necessarily need to see it - and, unfortunately, may not be a reliable steward of your data. Are they ‘probably reputable’? Maybe. But why risk it? I don’t

That’s why, when, “We’ll check your credit” comes up in a financial discussion - I reply with:

“My credit is excellent and you’ll have to take my word for it until we close the deal.” Then rather than spreading my SSN out to 4 different dealerships across town, I decide definitively where I’ll buy that car from and if I need to finance any portion of the vehicle - only then will I divulge my SSN. And even still, I’m pretty reluctant to give my SSN out.

Your Digital Footprint (The Discipline)

8- Consider locking your credit

If you’re someone who isn’t likely to need a new line of credit anytime soon, locking your credit is a great idea. By locking your credit, you are essentially eliminating the opportunity for some unknown individual to open a new line of credit in your name (without your knowledge or blessing).

After the Experian breach, I took to locking my credit for 3 main reasons:

I was concerned that my data were vulnerable

Locking my credit wouldn’t allow anyone to open any accounts in my name because my credit was - “locked"

I would be notified if anyone tried to open a new account or line of credit in my name

It’s a great way to get ahead of a financial sinkhole. While locking your credit alone won’t completely prevent your financial information from being compromised, it’s a great way to prevent you from ending up with a mountain of debt and unknown financial ruin.

9- Save a little for the imagination on the social media profile(s)

You know all those “security questions” that your financial institutions make you answer when setting up accounts these days… Mother’s maiden name - Best friend in high school - Street you grew up on, etc.

Well, if you’re one of the types who don’t mind sharing anything and everything via your social media profiles, the security question piece will be one part of the puzzle your neighborhood friendly hacker won’t have to work too hard for. So leave a little for the imagination and try to dial back the information shared via social.

10- Be cynical about incoming email

It’s not just a rogue link you shouldn’t click or an attachment that is better left unopened - both from some strange and unknown email address. No. These day’s there are emails coming from senders that appear to be familiar or at least someone who may reasonably send you an email once in a while. For those seemingly familiar senders, you may click a link or open an attachment without a second thought.

However, hackers have the ability to impersonate or “spoof” an email address to show the recipient that an email is coming from a fake origin (e.g. your local bank, alma mater, or a buddy you haven’t heard from in a while).

A great way to get around this issue is to either call the person to verify the email is legitimate or, rather than clicking on the link, retyping the link into your web browser. This way, you ensure the link will take you to the location you intend it to.

11- Regularly monitor your accounts and credit report

This practice has become part of my morning ritual for the last few years. I’ll wake up, check our accounts to verify there are no charges I don’t recognize, use the free credit report checker that my lender has, and then go on about my day.

If there is a transaction I don’t recognize or an issue that comes up, I’ll investigate, get it resolved, then head out for my morning workout.

It’s a quick 3 minutes to give our finances a general checkup, and I don’t know about you but I prefer to have the peace of mind rather than to find out something went wrong last month when I finally get the statement in my inbox.

What about you? Are there regular tactics you use to safeguard your financial information that I didn’t list or do you use some of the tactics I’ve mentioned here? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll keep the discussion moving!

from Money 101 https://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2018/11/protect-your-financial-data-with-these-11-simple-steps.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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cladeymoore · 6 years ago

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Protect your Financial Data With These 11 Simple Steps

The following is a guest post from Mike at Miked Up Blog.

That’s why I take it upon myself to just assume all of my personal information is exposed… At all times.

In order to fight against being blindsided by stolen identity or financial fraud, these are the steps I take to keep my financial life as safe as possible:

Passwords (The Brains)

1- Use a different password for every account, change passwords frequently, and set up a password manager system

To take it a step further, you should be changing those passwords up at least quarterly… And, if we’re being honest, probably monthly.

2- Use passcodes for your devices

3- Use Two-Factor Authentication

I’d rather walk the tightrope while having the safety net in place… And once you get familiar with taking this extra step to login, there isn’t much extra effort required on your part.

Physical Security (The Muscle)

I’m not talking about bodyguards here. Although, if you’re hiring… (I know a guy)

4- Don’t do business on community wi-fi

5- Physically secure your devices

6- Shred your statements and other sensitive paperwork (that you no longer need)

7- Don’t give out your social security number without already having closed the deal

That’s why, when, “We’ll check your credit” comes up in a financial discussion - I reply with:

Your Digital Footprint (The Discipline)

8- Consider locking your credit

After the Experian breach, I took to locking my credit for 3 main reasons:

I was concerned that my data were vulnerable

Locking my credit wouldn’t allow anyone to open any accounts in my name because my credit was - “locked"

I would be notified if anyone tried to open a new account or line of credit in my name

9- Save a little for the imagination on the social media profile(s)

10- Be cynical about incoming email

11- Regularly monitor your accounts and credit report

If there is a transaction I don’t recognize or an issue that comes up, I’ll investigate, get it resolved, then head out for my morning workout.

from Money 101 https://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2018/11/protect-your-financial-data-with-these-11-simple-steps.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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theinvinciblenoob · 6 years ago

Link

The Portal is a head scratcher. It’s a chat app that manifested itself into a hardware through sheer force of will. The first commercially available product from Building 8 isn’t as instantly iconic a piece of hardware as Snap’s Spectacles. In fact, at first glance, the device seems like little more than an Echo Show/Google Home Hub competitor.

And then there’s the matter of timing. In a meeting with TechCrunch ahead of launch, Facebook’s hardware team was quick to list the various ways the company is proactively protecting user privacy, from a camera button to a physical lens cap. The social media giant has always been a lighting rod for these issues, but 2018 has been particularly tough, for reasons summed up well in Taylor’s simply titled post, “Facebook, are you kidding?”

What’s most peculiar, however, is in this age of multi-tasking devices, the Facebook Portal and Portal+ are devices that are designed to do one thing really well. Rather than pushing to develop a true Echo competitor, Facebook’s first ground-up piece of hardware is essentially a teleconferencing device for friends and family.

It is, in the product’s defense, one wrapped in solid hardware design with some clever choices throughout. If the Portal ultimately winds up lining the thrift store shelves of history, it won’t be due to choices Facebook made to serve its core competency.

Rather, it will be due to the fact that the product team has neglected some other features in the name of focusing on video chat — a feature that’s got no shortage of delivery devices. Facebook told me that Portal’s other features will be updated based on user feedback — almost as if the company is unsure what, precisely, customers would want from such a device outside of video chat.

The timing of the device is certainly telling. Facebook is clearly banking on selling a lot of Portals for the holidays. You can practically see the ads playing out, as some melancholy voice sings the beginning strains of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The first spot isn’t as on the nose, but similar heart-strings are tugged, as evidenced by the “Feel There” title. That’s Facebook’s pitch in a nutshell: We know it sucks you can’t be with your nieces and nephews or elderly parents right now, but hopefully this screen will do the trick.

From a hardware design perspective standpoint, I’m on board. The smaller Portal looks quite a bit like Lenovo’s Google Assistant-powered Smart Display, albeit with the different speaker placement. I’m into it. Lenovo’s device is probably the best-looking smart screen around, and the Portal is an identical cousin with a slightly different haircut.

The Portal+ — the model that’s been hanging on my office desk for a few days now — is the more innovative of the two products from an industrial design perspective. It is, essentially, an ultra-wide 15.6-inch tablet mounted atop a tall, thin base. The display is connected to the base via a joint that allows it to swivel smoothly between portrait and landscape mode.

The screen is 1080p — plenty good for video chat, and a big step up from the Echo Show and (especially) Google Home Hub. Of course, the large footprint means it’s going to be tough for those in smaller spaces to find an ideal spot (says the guy living in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City). At present, it’s sitting atop my AirPort router.

The all-important camera is positioned an inch above the screen, like an unblinking eye of Sauron. The 12-megapixel camera can do 5x zoom and capture movement within a 140-degree range. The four-mic array flanks the lens on either side, doing double duty of listening to commands and noise canceling during chats.

Along the narrow top ridge are three inductive buttons — two volume, one to turn off the camera and mic. When you hit that last one, a notification will pop up on screen, and a small red light will illuminate just to the right of the camera, for added assurance. As an extra measure, Facebook also tossed in a plastic clip to physically cover the camera.

I found myself making a point to keep the lens cap on the majority of the time when I was using the device to chat. When I was talking to someone, I slipped it to the side, but kept it clipped on the base. The little piece of plastic is pretty easily lost. If Facebook does end up making another one of these, a mechanical lens cap like the kind you find on a point and shoot camera is probably the way to go.

The button placement is a bit of a shit show. The way I have the Portal+ set up on my desk, the buttons are above eye-level. Makes sense, you want the display right around your face, you know, to look at it. This means when I want to, say, change the volume, I find myself fiddling in the dark for them. Given that they’ve got no tactility, I invariably end up hitting the wrong one, more often than not jacking up the volume in the process.

Similarly, I often end up hitting a button or two when attempting to clip on the lens cap. Next time out, Facebook needs to either go with physical buttons or find a better spot to place them — tough, I know, given the odd shape of the thing.

The screen placement ensures that the display doesn’t obscure the camera in either portrait or landscape — though when swiveling, the corners do eclipse the shot. When in portrait, the bottom of the display does block roughly half of the bottom speaker. This is a bit of a design flaw, though surprisingly, it doesn’t dampen the sound as much as I’d initially expected. That said, when you’re using the device to listen to music, keep it in landscape mode. In fact, I found myself keeping it that way the majority of the time I was using it, regardless.

The sound quality on the thing is decent. I haven’t had a chance to put it up against the standard Portal, but the deluxe version sports a more complex speaker array — 20w (2 tweeters, single 4-inch bass) versus 10w (2 full-range drivers). Like all of these smart displays, I’m not going to recommend this as your default home stereo, but I’ve been using it to listen to Spotify all day, and have been largely enjoying the experience.

The Portal’s interface is an extremely bare-bones experience. The UI flips between two primary cards. The primary is, naturally, a list of your Facebook contacts. Up top are the six you most regularly chat with, and below are your hand-picked favorites. One of the nice bits here is that the people you speak with don’t actually need a Portal to talk. They can chat with you on their phone or computer.

Swipe left and you get a screen full of large icons. From here you can click into Facebook videos or pick from your Portal apps — Food Network, iHeartRadio, Newsy, Pandora and Spotify by default.

Click into the apps icon and you’ll find that that’s really all there is for Portal apps at the moment. Thin soup doesn’t really begin to describe it. It’s a decent enough starting point, but honestly, Facebook doesn’t seem particularly interested in courting more developers or opening up the API to all comers. Again, the company is taking a very wait and see approach to just about everything here.

Still, Portal does bring some interesting innovation to video chat. To trigger the function, say “Hey Portal” and then “call [enter name here].” Simple enough. Though the actual “Hey Portal” features are essentially limited to things like making calls and putting the unit to sleep. Anything beyond that and poor Portal gets confused. Even something like “Hey Portal, turn off camera” is met with an “I can’t do that yet” in Portal’s uneven speech pattern.

For everything else, Portal defaults to Alexa — functionality you can add during the setup process. That the system relies on Amazon’s smart assistant to do much of the heavy lifting here further makes one wonder why Facebook expects users to adopt its product over the Echo.

Portal’s greatest trick is its automatic zooming and panning. Using built-in AI, the system automatically tracks users and follows them around the frame. So you can, say, cook dinner while chatting and Portal will be with you the whole way. The camera will also pan in and out as additional people enter and leave the room, keeping them all in frame. While chatting with Sarah Perez (who was using the standard Portal on the other end), the camera even zoomed in on her dog when she left the room for a moment.

The zooming is smooth and the effect is impressive, owing in part to the fact that the team worked with a Hollywood cinematographer to help polish its execution. By default it moves a bit too much for my liking, slowly zooming in and out in a way that can may you low-level seasick — though you can adjust the sensitivity in settings.

My second favorite part in video chat is the ability to share songs via Spotify, Pandora and iHeartMusic. When I start playing something on my end, Sarah hears it, too. And we can both adjust our individual volumes. You can also pair the system to Bluetooth speakers or headphones, if that’s more to your liking.

This being Facebook, the system comes equipped with AR-style photo filters — 15 in all (with more coming, no doubt). You can turn yourself into a werewolf, add a disco ball — you know, the usual. They do a good job tracking your movements and add an extra little dimension of fun to the system.

Story time is another fun feature for those Portaling with young children. On your side, you’ll see a teleprompter with a story — on theirs, it’s you embedded inside an AR storybook like the Three Pigs. There are only a few stories at launch, but then most kids enjoy repetition, right?

So I sent my mom that newfangled Facebook Portal

Like the Home Hub, Portal defaults to a makeshift digital picture frame when not in use. Naturally, it defaults to photos and videos from your Facebook feed. As someone who doesn’t really use Facebook to put my life on display, the Superframe feature wasn’t really by bag, though the ability to display info like the weather and reminders of things like friends’ birthdays was nice.

Above all, Portal is a bit of a one-hit wonder. Admittedly, it does that one thing (video chat) fairly well, and at $200 for the Portal and $349 for the Portal+, it’s certainly priced competitively (and in spite of Facebook’s insistence otherwise, may be a bit of a loss leader). But it’s a hard sell compared to more well-rounded devices like the Echo Show and Google Home Hub.

And, of course, there’s all the privacy baggage that inviting Facebook into your home entails. Between the camera/speaker disabling button, lens cap, localized AI and the promise not to eavesdrop or spy, Facebook has gone out of its way to ensure users that it’s not using the device as a portal into your own privacy. But given the kind of year the company’s been having, for many potential buyers not even all of that is likely to be enough.

There’s a default screen saver on the device that asks “Hey Portal, what can you do?” It’s meant, of course, to prompt you to click through and discover new features. But it’s an important question — and in its current iteration, it’s not one for which Portal is able to offer a particularly compelling answer.

via TechCrunch

#IFTTT #TechCrunch

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thrashermaxey · 7 years ago

Text

20 Fantasy Hockey Thoughts

Every Sunday until the start of the 2018-19 regular season, we'll share 20 Fantasy Thoughts from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the past week's "Daily Ramblings".

Writers: Michael Clifford, Ian Gooding, Cam Robinson, and Dobber

1. If there was any doubt Brayden Point played over his head during his sophomore year, they should now have been laid to rest. He had 16 points in 17 games and though the shooting percentage was high, he’s posted a high number for his short career so far.

Point was easily the most dangerous forward for the Lightning all through the Washington series and he and Ondrej Palat played very well together throughout the playoffs when given ice time together. It was nice to see Point get consistent top power-play minutes towards the end of the team’s run, as well. If he can stay on that top power play unit next year, this is a point-per-game player in the making. (may25)

2. Mikhail Sergachev: hoo boy. This is a guy with a 40-point season as a teenager while putting up top-10 shot rates among defencemen. The young Bolts’ future is incredibly bright and it’s good to see the pressure of the playoffs didn’t get to him. He’s still playing his game and playing it well. (may24)

3. Nate Schmidt is probably a more valuable real-life defenseman than fantasy defenseman but we shouldn’t overlook his fantasy numbers. After previously failing to crack the 20-point mark on a deep Capitals’ defense, Schmidt posted a solid 36 points (5g-31a) in 76 games this year. Schmidt checked off all the boxes in this league when I added him: decent offense, plus/minus (plus-19), and solid ice time (these are the only categories that are counted among players in this league). In spite of the lack of offense in Washington, Schmidt was a combined plus-34 over his two seasons there, giving him a plus-53 over his last three seasons.

Schmidt led all Vegas skaters with just over 22 minutes per game in the regular season. The only team blueliner who had more offense than him was Colin Miller, who picked up 41 points. Schmidt still has Shea Theodore looking over his shoulder, as he appears primed to make a greater fantasy impact over a full season next season. So, Schmidt’s offensive ceiling shouldn’t be considered that much higher than what he has already produced. Yet, as far as gems that were unearthed from other teams, Schmidt’s name isn’t discussed enough. (may27)

4. Man, Carolina’s Sebastian Aho is going to be a special player – his trajectory of 49 points and then 65 points and then this ridiculous output at the World Championship this year (18 points in just eight games) has me feeling pretty bold about his numbers next season. (may21)

5. Long considered one of the top prospects in the world, Brayden Schenn hasn’t quite lived up to his billing. It’s not too often a fifth-overall pick is traded twice in their twenties while being a NHL player but Schenn has managed to succeed despite it. His most recent 70-point output in St. Louis represents a career high. His chemistry with Vladimir Tarasenko means he’s in a strong position to at least come close to replicating it. (may26)

6. OEL is a horse. He logs a ton of minutes and almost always hits double-digit goals. No seriously, Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored 12 or more goals in six of his eight NHL campaigns. As long as your league doesn’t count plus/minus, he’s been good for at least a half-point-per-game in each of the last six seasons. Toss in a 55-point season in 2015-16 and you’ve had a strong blueliner on your fantasy hockey squad for years. With AZ trending in the right direction, his value will continue to hold steady. (may26)

7. Matt Duchene peaked early in his NHL career with seasons of 0.68, 0.84, 0.94, and 0.99 in his first five campaigns. It looked like a point-per-game pace would become his norm. However, since 2013-14, he’s averaged 0.68 points-per-game (a 55-point pace). The Sen is still a valuable depth piece but not a player to build your fantasy team around. (may26)

8. Some Canucks news came down Friday. The team announced they have signed their most recent first-round selection and top prospect, Elias Pettersson. For my money, Pettersson is the top-rated fantasy prospect in the world. Including the 2018 crop that is about to enter the fray.

P.S. Apparently the proper pronunciation of his name is “Eh-lee-as Peter-son”. (may26)

9. I wonder what this Cup run has done for Braden Holtby’s average draft position (ADP) next year? He burned everyone who drafted him for the 2017-18 season and eventually lost the starter’s job to Philipp Grubauer.

In an alternate universe, Grubauer and the Caps get bounced in the first round and we have a Holtby who lost the starter’s job and couldn’t even get in the cage for the postseason. Instead we have a Holtby who took the job back, helped the Caps come back against the Blue Jackets, posted a .924 save percentage through three rounds, and shutout the Lightning in back-to-back games to get to Washington’s first Cup Final in the Alex Ovechkin era.

He’s probably a top-10 goalie off the board again, yeah? (may25)

10. It’s worth noting Dmitry Orlov averaged two shots, two hits, and two blocked shots a game through the first three rounds despite not cracking any of those benchmarks in the regular season.

John Carlson’s future is uncertain in Washington and it seems like the cap-strapped team might have to let him walk. The top PP unit has been built around a right-handed defenseman who can feed Alex Ovechkin going back to the Mike Green days. Orlov is a lefty. Do they change the PP around to accommodate him or just slide Matt Niskanen to that spot?

I hope it’s Orlov and they figure out a way to make it work. It would easily push him over the 40-point plateau for the first time in his career. (may25)

11. Timo Meier had one of the highest shot rates in these playoffs among all forwards and led the Sharks in this regard at five-on-five. The news about Evander Kane’s signing will draw the attention, but this really rests on the future of Joe Thornton. In my head, I envision Kane/Joe Pavelski as the top line, Logan Couture with Tomas Hertl on the second line, and Thornton feeding Meier on the third line in a sheltered role. That’s my vision, I’m sure the coach would have other plans.

Should Thornton come back, I will be drafting Meier everywhere I can. That’s an if, though, because with Hertl, Kane, Joonas Donskoi, and others in the mix, it might not mean consistent top-6 minutes for Meier. (may25)

12. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Caps’ Jakub Vrana’s individual expected goals per 60 minutes these playoffs: (going into Game 7) 0.91, 10th among forwards with 150 minutes at five-on-five. That mark was ahead of names like James Neal, Jonathan Marchessault, and Rick Nash. The problem is he’s shooting 3.85 percent at five-on-five so the actual production hasn’t been there.

Just add this to the mounting evidence that Vrana will be (or already is) a pretty good player. Upside is capped without the top power-play minutes, but he is a guy who will litter my fantasy rosters come September. (may24)

13. Evander Kane’s decision to stay with the Sharks should serve as great news for his keeper league owners. After all, Kane looked right at home with his new team (nine goals and 14 points in 17 games) mainly set up on the top line with Joe Pavelski. A while ago, I compared Pavelski’s production with and without the injured Joe Thornton, which showed Pavelski’s production actually improve after Thornton’s injury. Let’s do the same for Pavelski without and with Kane.

Pavelski before Kane acquisition: 46 points in 62 games (0.74 PTS/GP)

Pavelski after Kane acquisition: 19 points in 20 games (0.95 PTS/GP)

We don’t know what will happen with Thornton in the offseason. But, regardless of whether he is back, the Sharks need to keep their newly-signed left wing with Pavelski to yield maximum gains from both.

Of course, if you’re in a league that counts shots on goal, you’ll want to move Kane up a little in your pre-draft rankings. Kane was fourth in the entire league with 307 shots. The Sharks as a team were second in the NHL with 34.3 shots per game and could be the league leader in that category next season with both Kane and Brent Burns in the fold for a full campaign. Kane hardly slowed his shot total after the trade, staying in the top 5 in that category after the trade with 80 SOG. (may23)

14. But, can Kane stay healthy? Being able to stay on the ice is important, especially for fantasy hockey. Having to replace a 30-goal scorer with a waiver wire replacement occasionally is fine. Having to do it for a dozen games can be an issue unless you strike lightning in a bottle. His 78 games last year are a career high. Over the last five seasons, he’s missed 23.7 percent of games, which means he’s averaged about 63 games played over those seasons. That’s not nearly good enough. If he can play 80 games, playing with a top-tier center like Pavelski or Thornton (or both!), then he’s 30 goals and 60 points in the making. If that’s 65 games? Not so much.

Given how well he played with San Jose after the trade, both regular season and playoffs, he won’t be a sleeper at the draft table. We’ll see where his ADP falls, but I’ll probably be out on him for 2018-19. (may24)

15. We all know about Mathew Barzal’s breakout season and Josh Bailey’s breakout first half. But, kind of under the radar when compared to his contract situation, John Tavares assembled another impressive season with 37 goals and 84 points – his second-best total in both categories over his nine-year career. Is that the contract year talking?

Much of Tavares’ success in 2017-18 can be attributed to solid chemistry with linemates Bailey and Anders Lee. Bailey had a breakout season (71 points in 76 games), although his first-half numbers (50 points in 39 games) was far more impressive than his second-half numbers (21 points in 37 games). So how much did Bailey’s downturn affect Tavares?

Tavares' splits:

Oct-Dec: 49 points in 39 games (1.26 PTS/GP)

Jan-Apr: 35 points in 43 games (0.81 PTS/GP)

Not exactly a steep decline like Bailey in the second half (0.57 PTS/GP) but a decline nevertheless. Just keep this in the ol’ memory bank in case Tavares is back. (may23)

16. The Jets have some work to do this summer. Both Jacob Trouba and Connor Hellebuyck need new contracts, they have a lot of guys in their bottom-six that need new deals or need to be replaced, and they’re a year away from having to sign Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor to, presumably, long-term deals. Not to mention this is the last year of Blake Wheeler’s contract and he’ll be 32 years old.

Winnipeg has most of their core locked up already and I don’t think they want to go through more negotiations with Trouba like they have in the past. A one-year deal would be great for them but seeing as Trouba has one season with 30 points in five years, now might be the time to lock him up long-term. If he breaks out for 44 points or something this year, he’ll be a lot more expensive in 12 months from now. (may22)

17. The hockey world is waiting with impatience to see what a player with no track record of high-level production putting up a 43-goal, 78-point performance being due an RFA contract will get. A month ago, I intimated that William Karlsson’s contract could be similar to what Jonathan Marchessault received in Vegas, if only a bit higher AAV. Repeating 40-plus goals will be near impossible, but that contract would be fine if he settles into the 20-25 goal, 55-60-point range. (may22)

18. Jonathan Marchessault hasn’t peaked. I liked him in the minors, I liked what he did over seven or eight games when Tyler Johnson went down and ‘Marchy’ had first-line ice time with Tampa Bay And, when Florida picked him up I thought it was a great signing with sleeper potential. I didn’t understand why they gave him up to Vegas, I thought it was stupid. And, last summer I traded Evgeni Malkin for a package that included Jonathan Drouin, Viktor Arvidsson and Marchessault. I had Malkin for, what, 13 years? I drafted Malkin (I remember trading Mats Sundin for that second overall pick plus a fourth rounder that became Jussi Jokinen). Last summer I called Marchessault this year’s Brian Bradley – a sudden superstar. (may21)

19. Reilly Smith? He’s peaked. I’m often referring to his track record of having a fantastic first season with a new team but then slowly falling by the wayside over the next year or two. That may not happen next year, but I still think a steady decline is in the cards. (may21)

20. Congratulations Marc-Andre Fleury for winning this year’s Conn Smythe Trophy. I don’t care if Vegas is swept next round, Fleury gets the CST simple as that. I picked Vegas to win the first round. And, again the second round. Big mistake to bet against them the third round. I’m done betting against them, I don’t care who they play. Lesson learned. ‘Uncle!’ I cry. (may21)

Have a good week, folks!!

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/20-fantasy-hockey-thoughts/20-fantasy-hockey-thoughts-25/

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plms-hockey · 7 years ago

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Leafs @ Flyers - Game 32 - Dec.12.17

KEY NARRATIVES

Toronto Maple Leafs (20-10-1) vs. Philidelphia Flyers (11-11-7)

Tonight the Leafs face off for the second time against the team with the second worst uniform in the league (that's right Anaheim, you're an abomination). In the last matchup with Philadelphia, just before Halloween, the Leafs had a terrible showing, losing 4-2. It was at the beginning of the late October-early November skid that included the California Road trip. Lucky for the Leafs, that little hiccup is nothing in comparison to what happened to the Flyers in November. After going two and two in the first four games of the month, the Flyers racked up a horrifying ten straight losses.

It was so bad that even Philly coach Dave Hakstol was speculated to be on the chopping block, though it was denied by the organization. The point is, no matter how secure your job is, ten straight losses will have any franchise and fanbase panicking. Luckily they’ve collected three wins straight wins in the past week which has been enough to calm the all-consuming panic. Unfortunately for the Flyers, in the apocalyptic wasteland that is the Metro division, a ten game losing streak is going to make it difficult to sniff even a wild card slot unless they go on an absolute tear - which doesn’t seem likely.

After an extremely rough year, Flyer's captain and former Team Canada player, Claude Giroux, was moved from center to the wing. This seems to be an extremely smart move by Philadelphia, as the Giroux-Couturier-Voracek line has been far and away the best Flyer's line. They're currently one of the best lines in the league, actually, with 32, 28, and 37 points respectively.

While every player on that line has more points than the top Leafs' scorer, that plentitude doesn't extend throughout the lineup. While the Leafs' have thirteen players in double digits, the Flyers only have seven skaters with ten or more points. That's one reason I'm a little sad my wild hope in the wake of the Kapanen call-up isn't coming true.

Matthews is still out and Nikita Soshnikov was put on the injured reserve list this morning with an undisclosed lower-body injury, allowing the Leafs to call up Kapanen without putting anyone on waivers. For a minute I'd hoped they'd slot him right in and make line matching hell for Hakstol, who will have home ice advantage in that category. These hypothetical lines would look like the following:

Brown-Marleau-Hyman Leivo-Kadri-Komarov JvR-Bozak-Marner Martin-Nylander-Kapanen

While this does make the lineup a little weak to the Flyer's top line, moving both Marleau and Nylander to center and slotting Kapanen and Leivo in puts two plus scoring threats on each line. It also allows you to try and get either the Kadri or the Marleau out against the Flyer's powerline, so it doesn't leave you completely defenseless, especially when you consider Hackstol will be playing the Couturier line more than any single Leafs' line plays (they're ranging from 19:30-21:11 Average TOI currently).

Anyway, as usual, I don't get what I want, though, and it appears Babcock will load up the top nine and keep his more traditional fourth line. Which, fine. It's still a smart move, though I would have liked to see Nylander get more real-time practice at center, especially in a more sheltered role on the fourth line.

Leafs lines based on this morning's skate are below:

Komarov-Kadri-Nylander JvR-Bozak-Marner Hyman-Marleau-Brown Martin-Moore-Leivo

Whatever gets the job done to stay above water in the shitshow that is December.

Some Key Numbers

93 - Jakub Voracek - Right Wing 28 - Claude Giroux - Left Wing - Captain 14 - Sean Couturier - Center 53 - Sayne Gostisbehere - Defenseman

THE HIGHLIGHTS

youtube

THE POST GAME

Score: L 4-2

So I've been complaining a lot recently about the Leafs being bad and winning anyway. Update: being bad and losing is even worse. Who knew?

In spite of almost stealing another one on good goaltending and sheer dumb luck, the Leafs got destroyed last night against the Philadelphia Flyers and actually lost the game. The only line that even looked decent was Marleau's line which gave up the first goal off a dicey faceoff violation and then immediately equalized it. They were the only group that seemed to be able to hold off Giroux's line in any capacity. They were also the only Leafs forwards that finished the night with positive possession.

Unfortunately, the Flyer's top line spent the second most time against Kadri's line which is supposed to be the team's shutdown line. It didn't go well. While the Kadri line was fairly even against the Flyer's second line (which actually contained Voracek, as Hakstol seemed to be spreading his scoring around), they got flipped on their backs whenever they were out against Giroux. That line has had a rough go of it lately, and it's unclear why more scrutiny hasn't been placed on Leo Komarov, who hasn't looked like himself this year. He's been an offensive non-factor and more concerning are his possession stats. For someone who is touted as one of the best defensive wingers in the league, his 5v5 CF% is only averaging 43.98 this season which is the worst on the team for players who have played more than 50 minutes. As sad as it is to say, it's time to break Leo and Naz up.

Speaking of breakups -- it's time for the Leafs organization to admit that Gardiner and Zaitsev aren't working well together either. And that's a pair of players they need to make work considering they just signed Zaitsev to a fairly expensive seven-year deal and he's currently the Leafs defender with the worst possession stats. He doesn't look good either and it's only scarier when you realize some of it may even be getting masked by the fact that his individual PDO is 103.81. This means that the goaltending and shooting percentage has been above team average while he's on the ice, so the fact that the pairing still looks this bad is a huge concern.

While it seemed like one double orange monster (did they draft Giroux and get Voracek because they matched the uniforms??) was on the ice at all times last night, one of the most surprising disappointments was how dominant the Flyer's fourth line was. Usually, the Leafs' have that market cornered considering their depth. Instead, the Flyers had Travis Konecny down there for some reason and, just like his former Team Canada linemate and draft classmate Mitch Marner, Konecny’s line cleaned up against Martin-Moore-Lievo AND JvR-Bozak-Marner.

Literally the only Flyers line that didn't dominate possession and the shot clock was the Nolan Patrick line. You know, the one run by the 19-year-old rookie recovering from an injury.

Neat.

The only real silver lining here is that this might be the wakeup call the team and staff needs. Even with Matthews out, it's easy to support decisions like keeping Polak in and rolling un-optimized lineups while the team is winning. Freddie's hot streak has been both a boon and a crutch in this regard. The team has the pieces, they just need to start arranging them properly. Hopefully, this triggers some change for the better.

Statistics courtesy of Hockey-reference.com, HockeyViz.com, Corsica.Hockey and @ChartingHockey.

#filler1 #filler2 #filler3 #filler4 #filler5 #Leafs #Flyers #Loss #Away #20172018 #121217

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flauntpage · 7 years ago

Text

Dwight Howard is (Quietly) Dominating Again

Dwight Howard's shoulders don't know how to retreat. Perhaps they are unaware of the fact that they're battling on behalf of his third team in three years, or are partly responsible for a fruitless post game, but these shoulders still sit atop a pair of impossibly muscular arms as one of the most effective physical characteristics basketball has ever known.

As I stand beside/below them on Madison Square Garden's sideline during a recent morning practice, it dawns on me that these shoulders should have come to mind when Howard's awkward tenure with the Atlanta Hawks came to a merciful conclusion. Or when he looked closer to China than All-Star Weekend during a dreadful six-turnover preseason opener against the Boston Celtics.

It's impossible to stand so close and believe other players have any chance in hell to corral missed shots while those shoulders occupy the same space. They were molded to plant flags in the paint. (Howard is the career leader among all active players in defensive and total rebound rate, and is currently pulling down 13.2 per game.) Today, they stand tall in the face of revolutionary, three-point-line-backed winds that threaten to wipe them out.

Even though the narrative surrounding Howard's decline—further accelerated by the decrepit trade package Charlotte used to acquire him—has somewhat less to do with his production and more to do with the friction he's stumbled upon with teammates and coaches in recent years, that wide frame, and all the good it can still do on a basketball court, isn't going anywhere. Howard doesn't need to dramatically evolve—what he can do is timeless.

"When we were in Orlando he was just, athletically...I mean really outside of Shaq, I don't think there's been another guy with that type of strength, quickness, explosiveness like he had," Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, says. Clifford, who worked with Howard when both were employed by the Magic, continues, "He's still, to me, very strong, very athletic—not like he was—but he's also much more seasoned. And I think the thing he's never gotten credit for is his intelligence on the floor."

Photo by Jeff Hanisch - USA TODAY Sports

I crouch next to Howard as he slides his feet from American Flag decorated Peak sneakers into a pair of Ugg house slippers that resemble two sheepskin-lined canoes. The cameras that once invaded his personal space in environments just like this one are gone. All he has to deal with is my lone digital recorder. He fiddles with his phone and slides a black Hornets knit hat (with a pom on top) over his head. I ask if and how his role right now is different than it was in the previous two stops.

"No doubt. I'm more involved in the offense," he says. "I have more opportunities to put in some good input within our defensive schemes...It's a totally different system, a totally different atmosphere, and I'm excited about our future here.

"Coach understands that I enjoy playing defense, and he's just allowed me to be who I am on defense within the defensive scheme that we have set as a team. So that's a little bit different than in the past."

Howard is 11 games into his 13th season. It's too early to say if his fit with the Hornets will be successful, but at 32 years old he's got the highest usage percentage he's had since he left Orlando. In some areas that's not so great, like, for example, on the block, where only three players in the entire league have posted up more, according to Synergy sports.

Howard's turnover rate on these possessions makes feeding him down low one of the riskier gambles in the league. Right now he's coughing it up 34.4 percent of the time, an outrageously high number that's 12.2 percent higher than Blake Griffin, who ranks second on that list among all players who've logged at least 50 post ups.

He's been a particularly demoralizing black hole. The second Howard puts the ball on the floor there's a good chance it'll fly out of bounds, get poked away by his own man, or ripped from his grasp by a help defender who knows Howard won't see him coming. The saving grace here is that much like a hot three-point shooter, being this careless with the ball is unsustainable throughout an 82-game season. And when Howard shoots without dribbling, his field goal percentage is an impressive 65.7 percent.

All in all, the increase of opportunity has made him happy. And a happy Howard is an engaged center who can still sway the tide on both ends of the court. His net rating has hovered around +10 for most of the season, and the Hornets look like a 62-win team when he's on the floor. (So far, they're a total trainwreck when he sits—but that also has to do with the fact that Howard usually shares the court with Kemba Walker, and they don't have a backup point guard or NIcolas Batum on their bench.)

Even though he isn't the cape-wearing superhero he once was, Howard still does little things that have value. He draws a ton of fouls, is one of the NBA's better rebounders, and peels defenders off teammates with terrific screens.

"Once these guys get an opportunity to get separation from their man, and get a chance to really look at the basket, it's lights out," Howard told VICE Sports. "I take pride in hitting those guys and making the defense have to work. Jeremy Lamb, Kemba, Malik, when Nic gets back, all these guys can come off pick-and-rolls and get easy shots. So I'm just trying to make sure that I hit their man, roll to the basket, put pressure on the rim, and now our shooters get opportunities to get their shots off."

A perfect example of that came on Tuesday night, when Knicks point guard Jarrett Jack was forced to chuck Howard's roll, freeing Malik Monk up in the weakside corner for an open three.

"I think it's one of the things he doesn't get enough credit for. He's always been a terrific screener," Clifford says. "He had a very good chemistry, both with Jameer Nelson in Orlando and also with Hedo Turkoglu, and I think that he's done the same thing here. He's on his way with both Kemba and Jeremy Lamb, and when Nic comes back it'll be a big part of his game too."

"He's such a great screener and he's such a forceful roller," Hornets forward Marvin Williams says. "You're gonna have to have one or two guys down there stopping him from getting a dunk, and that's where we come in."

Photo by Jeremy Brevard - USA TODAY Sports

Defensively, Howard has been the drop-coverage brick wall who forces long twos, deters shots at the rim, and makes life easier for his teammates as they swarm along the perimeter. According to Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte's opponent shot frequency at the rim is 8.9 percent lower when Howard is on the court, and their accuracy drops 11.0 percent. That is completely ridiculous.

"He's as good with coverages as almost any guy I've been around. He always was," Clifford says. "And that's why I think that we can be an elite team defensively once we get all our guys back and a little more coordinated."

Here he is letting Walker know Karl-Anthony Towns is about to set a screen. Charlotte's cagey point guard isn't caught off guard, and is able to duck under and recover for a decent contest, executing what Clifford wants him to do.

And in a slightly more complicated situation, watch in the opening second as Howard points to a spot on the floor, letting Dwayne Bacon know that Taj Gibson may set a drag screen for Jimmy Butler. The rookie leaps up to ice it and force Butler towards the sideline, away from the middle. Howard is then in good position to poke the ball away.

"He communicates," Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb tells VICE Sports. "He's a great rim protector, whether he blocks it or alters it. He makes them shoot tough shots and that's great to have. If my man gets by me I try not to swipe down, I try to keep my hands up because they have to shoot a tough shot over him."

There are moments where Howard is forgetful on the perimeter, almost daring bigs like Marc Gasol or Kristaps Porzingis to fire up an open three; an irrational disbelief of their ability to make him pay. Clifford also benched Howard at the end of Charlotte's loss in New York because the Knicks went small lineups and were giving his Hall of Fame center some trouble. But all in all his impact on that end has been positive.

And for what it's worth, Howard's teammates have yet to sour on his relentless jest.

"It's been all fun all the time," Hornets forward Marvin Williams says right before he tilts his head back to laugh. The two have known each other since they were 14. "Since he's been with us, I mean, anything that you've heard or read I've yet to see, me personally. And I bet everybody else in the locker room will say the same thing. He's literally all jokes all the time. He loves to joke with other people. He loves when the jokes on him. He's always laughing. He's legit like a fun dude to be around, man."

The sentiment is echoed by Lamb, who met Howard a while ago. Both are from Atlanta. "I knew he wasn't a horrible person like people try to portray...All the things that people say is totally false to me. He's a great teammate on and off the court. When he first got here he was helping the young guys, talking to them about positioning, just talking to them about different things to help them. I'm really happy to have him."

Success is a magic elixir for even the most grating locker room behavior. And even though the Hornets are 5-6 with a 19th-ranked point differential, they've competed in every game without Nicolas Batum (their second-most irreplaceable piece), while another starter, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, has missed six games. Michael Carter-Williams is finally back in the lineup and guys like Bacon, Monk, and Treveon Graham have been forced to fill holes they aren't ready for.

In other words, Charlotte's best days are likely ahead. In the meantime, Howard has already proven to be an immensely helpful contributor.

"We have an opportunity to be a top three team in the East," Howard says. "With the way we work, and the potential that we have, and the talent that we have, there's no doubt in my mind that we'll be a top three or four team in the East."

Dwight Howard is (Quietly) Dominating Again published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years ago

Text

Dwight Howard is (Quietly) Dominating Again

Dwight Howard’s shoulders don’t know how to retreat. Perhaps they are unaware of the fact that they’re battling on behalf of his third team in three years, or are partly responsible for a fruitless post game, but these shoulders still sit atop a pair of impossibly muscular arms as one of the most effective physical characteristics basketball has ever known.

As I stand beside/below them on Madison Square Garden’s sideline during a recent morning practice, it dawns on me that these shoulders should have come to mind when Howard’s awkward tenure with the Atlanta Hawks came to a merciful conclusion. Or when he looked closer to China than All-Star Weekend during a dreadful six-turnover preseason opener against the Boston Celtics.

It’s impossible to stand so close and believe other players have any chance in hell to corral missed shots while those shoulders occupy the same space. They were molded to plant flags in the paint. (Howard is the career leader among all active players in defensive and total rebound rate, and is currently pulling down 13.2 per game.) Today, they stand tall in the face of revolutionary, three-point-line-backed winds that threaten to wipe them out.

Even though the narrative surrounding Howard’s decline—further accelerated by the decrepit trade package Charlotte used to acquire him—has somewhat less to do with his production and more to do with the friction he’s stumbled upon with teammates and coaches in recent years, that wide frame, and all the good it can still do on a basketball court, isn’t going anywhere. Howard doesn’t need to dramatically evolve—what he can do is timeless.

“When we were in Orlando he was just, athletically…I mean really outside of Shaq, I don’t think there’s been another guy with that type of strength, quickness, explosiveness like he had,” Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, says. Clifford, who worked with Howard when both were employed by the Magic, continues, “He’s still, to me, very strong, very athletic—not like he was—but he’s also much more seasoned. And I think the thing he’s never gotten credit for is his intelligence on the floor.”

Photo by Jeff Hanisch – USA TODAY Sports

“No doubt. I’m more involved in the offense,” he says. “I have more opportunities to put in some good input within our defensive schemes…It’s a totally different system, a totally different atmosphere, and I’m excited about our future here.

“Coach understands that I enjoy playing defense, and he’s just allowed me to be who I am on defense within the defensive scheme that we have set as a team. So that’s a little bit different than in the past.”

Howard is 11 games into his 13th season. It’s too early to say if his fit with the Hornets will be successful, but at 32 years old he’s got the highest usage percentage he’s had since he left Orlando. In some areas that’s not so great, like, for example, on the block, where only three players in the entire league have posted up more, according to Synergy sports.

Howard’s turnover rate on these possessions makes feeding him down low one of the riskier gambles in the league. Right now he’s coughing it up 34.4 percent of the time, an outrageously high number that’s 12.2 percent higher than Blake Griffin, who ranks second on that list among all players who’ve logged at least 50 post ups.

He’s been a particularly demoralizing black hole. The second Howard puts the ball on the floor there’s a good chance it’ll fly out of bounds, get poked away by his own man, or ripped from his grasp by a help defender who knows Howard won’t see him coming. The saving grace here is that much like a hot three-point shooter, being this careless with the ball is unsustainable throughout an 82-game season. And when Howard shoots without dribbling, his field goal percentage is an impressive 65.7 percent.

All in all, the increase of opportunity has made him happy. And a happy Howard is an engaged center who can still sway the tide on both ends of the court. His net rating has hovered around +10 for most of the season, and the Hornets look like a 62-win team when he’s on the floor. (So far, they’re a total trainwreck when he sits—but that also has to do with the fact that Howard usually shares the court with Kemba Walker, and they don’t have a backup point guard or NIcolas Batum on their bench.)

Even though he isn’t the cape-wearing superhero he once was, Howard still does little things that have value. He draws a ton of fouls, is one of the NBA’s better rebounders, and peels defenders off teammates with terrific screens.

“Once these guys get an opportunity to get separation from their man, and get a chance to really look at the basket, it’s lights out,” Howard told VICE Sports. “I take pride in hitting those guys and making the defense have to work. Jeremy Lamb, Kemba, Malik, when Nic gets back, all these guys can come off pick-and-rolls and get easy shots. So I’m just trying to make sure that I hit their man, roll to the basket, put pressure on the rim, and now our shooters get opportunities to get their shots off.”

A perfect example of that came on Tuesday night, when Knicks point guard Jarrett Jack was forced to chuck Howard’s roll, freeing Malik Monk up in the weakside corner for an open three.

“I think it’s one of the things he doesn’t get enough credit for. He’s always been a terrific screener,” Clifford says. “He had a very good chemistry, both with Jameer Nelson in Orlando and also with Hedo Turkoglu, and I think that he’s done the same thing here. He’s on his way with both Kemba and Jeremy Lamb, and when Nic comes back it’ll be a big part of his game too.”

“He’s such a great screener and he’s such a forceful roller,” Hornets forward Marvin Williams says. “You’re gonna have to have one or two guys down there stopping him from getting a dunk, and that’s where we come in.”

Photo by Jeremy Brevard – USA TODAY Sports

Defensively, Howard has been the drop-coverage brick wall who forces long twos, deters shots at the rim, and makes life easier for his teammates as they swarm along the perimeter. According to Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte’s opponent shot frequency at the rim is 8.9 percent lower when Howard is on the court, and their accuracy drops 11.0 percent. That is completely ridiculous.

“He’s as good with coverages as almost any guy I’ve been around. He always was,” Clifford says. “And that’s why I think that we can be an elite team defensively once we get all our guys back and a little more coordinated.”

Here he is letting Walker know Karl-Anthony Towns is about to set a screen. Charlotte’s cagey point guard isn’t caught off guard, and is able to duck under and recover for a decent contest, executing what Clifford wants him to do.

“He communicates,” Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb tells VICE Sports. “He’s a great rim protector, whether he blocks it or alters it. He makes them shoot tough shots and that’s great to have. If my man gets by me I try not to swipe down, I try to keep my hands up because they have to shoot a tough shot over him.”

There are moments where Howard is forgetful on the perimeter, almost daring bigs like Marc Gasol or Kristaps Porzingis to fire up an open three; an irrational disbelief of their ability to make him pay. Clifford also benched Howard at the end of Charlotte’s loss in New York because the Knicks went small lineups and were giving his Hall of Fame center some trouble. But all in all his impact on that end has been positive.

And for what it’s worth, Howard’s teammates have yet to sour on his relentless jest.

“It’s been all fun all the time,” Hornets forward Marvin Williams says right before he tilts his head back to laugh. The two have known each other since they were 14. “Since he’s been with us, I mean, anything that you know you’ve heard or read I’ve yet to see, me personally. And I bet everybody else in the locker room will say the same thing. He’s literally all jokes all the time. He loves to joke with other people. He loves when the jokes on him. He’s always laughing. He’s legit like a fun dude to be around, man.”

The sentiment is echoed by Lamb, who met Howard a while ago. Both are from Atlanta. “I knew he wasn’t a horrible person like people try to portray…All the things that people say is totally false to me. He’s a great teammate on and off the court. When he first got here he was helping the young guys, talking to them about positioning, just talking to them about different things to help them. I’m really happy to have him.”

Success is a magic elixir for even the most grating locker room behavior. And even though the Hornets are 5-6 with a 19th-ranked point differential, they’ve competed in every game without Nicolas Batum (their second-most irreplaceable piece), while another starter, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, has missed six games. Michael Carter-Williams is finally back in the lineup and guys like Bacon, Monk, and Treveon Graham have been forced to fill holes they aren’t ready for.

In other words, Charlotte’s best days are likely ahead. In the meantime, Howard has already proven to be an immensely helpful contributor.

“We have an opportunity to be a top three team in the East,” Howard says. “With the way we work, and the potential that we have, and the talent that we have, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll be a top three or four team in the East.”

Dwight Howard is (Quietly) Dominating Again syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

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yahoo-roto-arcade-blog · 8 years ago

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Week 3 Fantasy Baseball waiver wire: Targeting Tampa's outfield

yahoo

With the season still less than a month old, now’s the time to pounce and be aggressive on the waiver wire. The Yahoo fantasy baseball crew is here to help identify the players to go after:

Q: Which infielder, owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, are you most interested in adding to your fantasy team?

Brandon Funston: GREG BIRD. Bird, spring training’s HR and OPS leader, was one of my favorite sleepers coming into the season and I’m not going to let a 1-for-26 start turn me off of him. After all, we know the power is there – eight Grapefruit League home runs, and 12 home runs in the 57 real games he’s played in a Yankees uniform – and his power profile jibes nicely with the accommodating dimensions in right field at Yankee Stadium. He’s started to turn things around in the past week, and I expect he’ll be back in the heart of the Yankees order, roping extra-base hits with regularity, before too long.

Andy Behrens: This will serve as last call on TRAVIS SHAW, a guy who’s eligible at two spots (1B/3B) and hitting for power in a better-than-advertised Milwaukee lineup. And I’m gonna cheat here and recommend MITCH MORELAND, too. He’s raking, and we know the power will come.

Scott Pianowski: The timing looks right for JEDD GYORKO; he’s off to a reasonable start (.294, three homers) and the Jhonny Peralta injury might push him to full-time activity (although Greg Garcia is around and Matt Carpenter could be a third-base option, too). Position flexibility is the name of Gyorko’s game — he qualifies at all four infield spots — and let’s not forget he clocked 30 home runs last year. (Sure, Behrens, take Moreland off my plate. I see you. I’m putting that in my notebook. For more Moreland propaganda, you can click here, or here, or here.)

DEEP DIVE: Which infielder owned in 20 percent or less of Yahoo leagues offers the most fantasy intrigue?

Funston: TAYLOR MOTTER. He can play every non-battery position on the field and the M’s plan to test those limits when Jean Segura returns next week. Motter is flashing impressive pop (4 HRs, No. 2 in batted ball exit velocity and No. 3 in HardHit%), and his minor league track record also shows the potential for double digit steals.

Behrens: JOE PANIK is just below the 20 percent line as of this writing, and he has a weekend series at Coors Field. This seems like the right time to test-drive a second baseman who’s slashing .300/.368/.420.

Pianowski: It’s very rare I’ll tell you to play the stash-and-hope game on an injured player — injury skepticism is my general fallback — but be aware DIDI GREGORIUS (shoulder) is ready for a rehab assignment and might be back with the Yankees before the month ends. We’ve long thought of him as a defense-only guy, but he quietly grew into a .276-20-70 asset last year.

[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball: It’s not too late to get in the game]

Q: With unfortunate Starling Marte owners in mind, which outfielder, owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, are you most interested in adding to your fantasy team?

Funston: STEVEN SOUZA/KEVIN KIERMAIER. Souza, as I discussed on video this week, has changed his approach at the plate, concentrating now on hitting line drives back up the middle as opposed to swinging for the fences, and the results have been impressive, so far. He’s a physical specimen with good power upside, and also offers a little hope on the base paths. His teammate, Kiermaier, offers a little less pop, but a little more speed. Both can deliver double-digit HR/SB lines, which is what you are looking to replace in Marte’s absence. If steals aren’t a pertinent need, then I’d also be targeting Minnesota’s Max Kepler, who is on a nice roll right now, and has a pedigree to believe in.

Andy Behrens: We just reviewed a few potential Marte replacements on Tuesday, focusing on speed. I’m a fan of KEVIN KIERMAIER’s fantasy game, because he offers double-digit power along with 20-steal speed. He’s capable of delivering a decent Starling impression over the next three months.

Pianowski: STEVEN SOUZA has received plenty of love in various Yahoo spaces, and yet he still trades at the 39-percent mark. His plate discipline has improved and he’s getting quality real estate in the Tampa lineup. He’s not going to steal a bushel of bags, but he can get you 9-13 in that column, too.

DEEP DIVE: Which outfielder owned in 20 percent or less of Yahoo leagues offers the most fantasy intrigue?

Funston: KEVIN PILLAR. I’d strike with Pillar while the iron is hot – he’s on an eight-game hitting streak in which he’s hit five doubles, a home run and has swiped a couple bases. He’s also logging a lot of time in the leadoff spot, which should eventually start paying off in the Runs department.

Behrens: KEVIN PILLAR isn’t exactly an on-base machine, but his fantasy profile isn’t so different from Kiermaier’s. He can provide acceptable pop and 20-plus steals, and he’s been scorching hot in recent days, with 12 hits in his last 26 at-bats.

Pianowski: There are a couple of paths that push MICHAEL CONFORTO into the Mets lineup; the Lucas Duda elbow injury might slide Jay Bruce to first, and Curtis Granderson’s slow start is also a factor. Conforto’s development hasn’t followed a linear path, but he’s shown power, patience, and even some defensive moments in the early stages of 2017.

Q: With Madison Bumgarner getting hurt in a dirt bike accident, which pitcher, owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, are you most interested in adding to your fantasy team?

Funston: LANCE LYNN. If I was looking for a long-term commitment from someone in the sub-50% starting pitcher crop, I’d roll the dice on Lynn. He missed ’16 because of Tommy John surgery, but in the four seasons prior to that, he was a reliable 15-win, K/IP, low-3 ERA type. He’s coming off seven shutout innings against Pittsburgh and has produced an average fastball (92.3 mph) that is right in line with his career average (92.6 mph).

Behrens: We’re three starts into BRANDON McCARTHY’s season, and he’s struck out 16 batters over 17.0 innings, posting a WHIP of 1.18. As long as he remains healthy, he’s a pitcher of interest. Plenty of run support here.

Pianowski: I can’t promise HECTOR NERIS will become Philly’s primary closer, but I can confidently say his ratios will be worth owning in any roto or K/9 format. Let’s chase the skills, and let the roles fall where they may. Neris might already be a handshake contender with the Phils, getting the ball in the ninth inning Thursday. Please do not get in back of Pete Mackanin at the local donut shop. (Lance Lynn, at 40 percent, is also begging for a pickup in medium and shallow leagues.)

DEEP DIVE: Which pitcher owned in 20 percent or less of Yahoo leagues offers the most fantasy intrigue?

Funston: ARCHIE BRADLEY. He’s throwing more than 3 mph faster (95.7 mph average fastball) in his new relief role than he did in the past as a starter, and he’s yet to allow a run in 9.1 IP (11 Ks, too). Fernando Rodney (6 ER in 6.1 IP) is doing his usual circus act in the closing role for Arizona, which means it doesn’t take a leap of faith to add Bradley with the hope that there might be some save opportunities down the line if he continues in the manner that he’s opened ’17.

Behrens: JACOB BARNES is pure evil. He really needs to be closing somewhere. The Cubs had no answers for him earlier this week. If you like triple-digit heat and 90-mph sliders, give him a look. He’s allowed just three hits in 9.1 innings so far this year, striking out 11.

Pianowski: ROBERT GSELLMAN is an eyelash over the 20-percent threshold, but I want him to be in this piece somewhere, so I’m bending the rules. His strikeout rate is over the 10 mark and his control is fine; some bad luck with hit sequencing, and a homer here and there, have pushed his ERA over five. If you believe in the peripheral-based ERA estimators, note the 3.46 FIP and 2.99 xFIP. Let’s trust the raw stuff and K/BB ratio, and see if the story can straighten itself out. The NL East is still a good place to do your business, more often than not.

Follow the Yahoo crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Brandon Funston, Liz Loza and Scott Pianowski

#_author:Brandon Funston #_category:yct:001000854 #_uuid:8bf4d4da-7b73-3308-8a66-9d5523ae351c #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #Fantasy Baseball #_revsp:54edcaf7-cdbb-43d7-a41b-bffdcc37fb56

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