#Morton smith’s commentary is not good

[aristoteliancomplacency]

Trying to write a thing about GEMF 60 (= PGM XIII) that needs to be finished like, ideally next week. And, it’s still the case that the only commentary on it is fucking Morton Smith from 1986 and A NEW COMMENTARY IS COMING OUT “SOON”. Volume 1 of the new commentaries came out last year and it finishes at GEMF 54 ;__;

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Which royal books/biographies do you think are the most accurate?

Honestly, I don’t think you can judge. They’re all problematic and it comes down to the author’s bias towards their subject.

Scobie and Morton are the worst. They let their subjects ghostwrite.

Tina Brown and Lady C are gossipy, but they have good society connections. Sally Bedell Smith also has society connections but I don’t think she’s as gossipy.

Tom Bower does good research and he digs up a lot of stuff, but it’s never as scandalous as he hints it is so it’s a bit of a let down.

Robert Hardman recaps a lot of popular stories with little new commentary or reveals. I haven’t read his new Charles 3 biography yet, though it’s sitting on my shelf.

I can’t take Katie Nicholl seriously because she coined “Waity Katie” and completely denies that she did.

[aion-rsa]

MrBeast, Charli D’Amelio and More Nab Big Streaming Award Noms

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

MrBeast and Charli D’Amelio are among the nominees for the 2020 YouTube Streamy Awards. The tenth anniversary of the awards will stream exclusively on YouTube on December 13, and you’ll be able to watch them right here.

John Krasinski, James Charles and Addison Rae have also received nominations this year, as have Will Smith and Jack Black. Disney and Netflix will almost certainly be fighting it out again to snag the top brand award.

MrBeast aka Jimmy Donaldson is also up for a Social Good award for his Feeding America Food Drive. The popular streamer dropped out of college to pursue a full-time career as a YouTuber, and has become one of the most-watched creators on the planet, dabbling in a winning combo of expensive stunts and philanthropy.

Here’s a complete list of 2020’s YouTube Streamy Awards nominees:

Overall Awards

Creator of the Year

Addison Rae Charli D’Amelio David Dobrik Dixie D’Amelio Emma Chamberlain James Charles Larray Marques Brownlee MrBeast Sarah Cooper

Show of the Year

A Heist with Markiplier • Markiplier Binging with Babish • Babish Culinary Universe Challenge Accepted • Michelle Khare Epic Rap Battles of History • ERB Game Master Network • Rebecca Zamolo Good Mythical Morning • Good Mythical Morning Instant Influencer • James Charles Liza on Demand • Liza Koshy Nikita Unfiltered • Nikita Dragun UNHhhh • WOWPresents

International

HIKAKIN (Japan) Mikecrack (Spain) Mythpat (India) Sandra Cires Art (Cuba) Whindersson Nunes (Brazil)

Individual Awards

Breakout Creator

Addison Rae Charli D’Amelio Dream Spencer X ZHC

Collaboration

David Dobrik and Justin Bieber – SURPRISING PEOPLE WITH JUSTIN BIEBER!! The Hype House – TURNING THE HYPE HOUSE INTO A TRAMPOLINE PARK! Jackie Aina and Naomi Campbell – NAOMI CAMPBELL GETS GLAM WITH ME!!! Sway LA – Most Likely To Challenge! Zach King and David Blaine – David Blaine Tricks Zach King with Zoom Magic

Crossover

Jack Black Jason Derulo Kevin James Naomi Campbell Will Smith

First Person

Alex Warren David Dobrik Emma Chamberlain Larray Logan Paul

Live Streamer

NICKMERCS Ninja Pokimane Shroud Typical Gamer

Show Awards

Indie Series

20 Seconds to Live Arun Considers Choose Me: An Abortion Story Chris and Jack The Lock Down Buddy

Live Series

BET’s House Party Bright Minded: Live with Miley Cyrus D-Nice’s Club Quarantine Reunited Apart with Josh Gad Verzuz

Live Special

Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020

MrBeast’s $250,000 Influencer Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament Some Good News Prom with Billie Eilish, Jonas Brothers, & Chance the Rapper Travis Scott and Fortnite Present: Astronomical YouTube Dear Class of 2020

Podcast

Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain H3 Podcast Impaulsive On Purpose with Jay Shetty ‎ VIEWS with David Dobrik and Jason Nash

Scripted Series

A Heist with Markiplier • Markiplier Could You Survive the Movies? • Vsauce3 Epic Rap Battles of History • ERB FPS Logic • Viva La Dirt League Liza on Demand • Liza Koshy Unscripted Series Brave Wilderness • Brave Wilderness Challenge Accepted • Michelle Khare Instant Influencer • James Charles Jeff’s Barbershop • Jeff Wittek UNHhhh • WOWPresents

Subject Awards

Animated

illymation Jaiden Animations Ketnipz The Land Of Boggs TheOdd1sOut

Beauty

Bailey Sarian Brad Mondo Hyram Jackie Aina James Charles

Comedy

Brandon Rogers Brittany Tomlinson Gus Johnson Nigel Ng Sarah Cooper

Commentary

ContraPoints D’Angelo Wallace Danny Gonzalez Jarvis Johnson Tiffany Ferguson

Dance

BFunk Dytto Matt Steffanina Michael Le Sofie Dossi

Documentary

AntsCanada Justin Bieber: Seasons Nikita Unfiltered The Secret Life of Lele Pons State Of Grace

Fashion and Style

bestdressed Bretman Rock LaurDIY Sneaker Shopping Wisdom Kaye

Food

Alex French Guy Cooking Babish Culinary Universe How To Cook That Joshua Weissman Tabitha Brown

Gaming

Dream FGTeeV Jelly LaurenzSide PrestonPlayz

Health and Wellness

Chloe Ting Demi Bagby Doctor Mike The Fitness Marshall Kati Morton

Kids and Family

A for Adley Goo Goo Colors Kids Diana Show Rebecca Zamolo Ryan’s World

Learning and Education

ChrisFix Mark Rober NileRed onlyjayus Peter Sripol

Lifestyle

Alexa Rivera Calle y Poché Jennelle Eliana Larray Rickey Thompson

News

All Gas No Brakes Complex News HasanAbi The Philip DeFranco Show Some More News

Sports

2HYPE Braille Skateboarding Dude Perfect No Days Off: Sports Prodigies Ryan García

Technology

iJustine Marques Brownlee Michael Reeves Simone Giertz Stuff Made Here

Craft Awards

Cinematography

Cole Bennett – Lyrical Lemonade Devin Graham – devinsupertramp Niels Lindelien – Lindsey Stirling Peter McKinnon – Peter McKinnon Pierre Wikberg – Climbkhana TWO

Editing

Casey Neistat – CaseyNeistat derkslurp – derkslurp Emma Chamberlain – emma chamberlain Evan Puschak – Nerdwriter1 Hayden Hillier-Smith – Logan Paul

Visual and Special Effects

Aaron Benitez – Aaron’s Animals Buttered Side Down – Buttered Side Down CyreneQ – CyreneQ Sam Wickert and Brendan Forde – Chalk Warfare 4.0 Zach King – Zach King

Writing

Akilah Hughes, Milana Vayntrub, Brian McElhaney, and Nick Kocher – Making Fun with Akilah and Milana CalebCity – CalebCity Chris W. Smith and Jack De Sena – Chris and Jack James – Casually Explained Zach Sherwin, Nice Peter, EpicLLOYD, and Carter Deems – Epic Rap Battles of History

Social Good Awards

Company or Brand

Barbie – Career of the Year • Mattel Dave’s Killer Bread – Second Chance Employment • Tastemade Lyft – Undercover Lyft with Alicia Keys • LyftUp

Creator

The Game Theorists – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital #CancelCancer LIVE MrBeast – Feeding America Food Drive Nabela Noor – NoorHouse

Nonprofit or NGO

Arbor Day Foundation – #TeamTrees • MrBeast and Mark Rober COVID-19 Response Fund – Post Malone x Nirvana Tribute – Livestream • Post Malone Equal Justice Initiative – Bear Witness, Take Action • YouTube Originals

Brand Awards

Agency of the Year

BEN Portal A R and CPMK Reach VaynerMedia

Brand of the Year

Barbie Disney Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Netflix Old Spice

Brand Engagement

100 Thieves Cash App Compound Reveal – Cash App 5-Minute Crafts – Barbie Need for Speed Heat x David Dobrik – Electronic Arts Rihanna’s Summer Fenty Face Tutorial – Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Under the Influencer – Comedy Central

Branded Content: Series

Cold as Balls – Old Spice • LOL Network No Days Off: Sports Prodigies – Got Milk? • Whistle Second Chances – Dave’s Killer Bread • Tastemade Under a Rock with Tig Notaro – Amazon Alexa • Funny Or Die Undercover Lyft – Lyft

Branded Content: Video

Aladdin Meets Parkour in Real Life – Uzbekistan Tourism • devinsupertramp ASMR SNAP SHADOWS TUTORIAL W/ AMANDLA STENBERG – Fenty Beauty by Rihanna I Trained Like Black Widow – Marvel Strike Force • Michelle Khare James Charles Spills the Tea on His Glow – Ole Henriksen Skincare • James Charles We Lost A FaZe Member – G FUEL • FaZE Clan

Creator Product

Chamberlain Coffee – Emma Chamberlain Dragun Beauty – Nikita Dragun Hairitage – Mindy McKnight McKinnon Camera Pack – Peter McKinnon Pro Ant Farms – AntsCanada

Influencer Campaign

ALLNIGHTERLEGEND – Urban Decay

HotGuysMakingLipstick – Bite Beauty

Google Pixel 4 Nebula Superstars in Training – WWE

Multi-Platform Campaign

Disney+ Launch – Disney Gift it Forward with Cardi B – Pepsi The Greatest Challenge of All Time with Cristiano Ronaldo and Marta – Clear (Unilever) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Star Wars Tito’s Made To Order – Tito’s Vodka

Social Good Campaign

DistanceDance – PandG • Charli D’Amelio

My Vaping Mistake – The Real Cost • AwesomenessTV Seize the Awkward – The Jed Foundation • Ad Council Teens for Jeans – Aéropostale • DoSomething.org Undercover Lyft with Alicia Keys – LyftUp • Lyft

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The post MrBeast, Charli D’Amelio and More Nab Big Streaming Award Noms appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3of9HLb

[fromtheringapron]

WCW SuperBrawl III

Date: February 21, 1993

Location: Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, North Carolina

Attendance: 6,500

Commentary: Jesse Ventura & Tony Schiavone 

Results:

1. The Hollywood Blonds (Steve Austin & Brian Pullman) defeated Erik Watts and Marcus Bagwell.

2. 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Chris Benoit. 

3. Davey Boy Smith defeated Bill Irwin. 

4. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Cactus Jack defeated Paul Orndorff. 

5. Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) defeated The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) w/Jim Cornette. 

6. WCW United States Championship Match: Dustin Rhodes (champion) defeated Maxx Payne via disqualification. 

7. NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Barry Windham defeated The Great Muta (champion) to win the title. 

8. White Castle of Fear Strap Match: Big Van Vader w/Harley Race defeated Sting. 

Analysis

While 1993 isn’t remembered as a great year for WCW, or wrestling in general, it’s also a year of significant change in the promotion’s leadership. They would fire problematic executive vice president Bill Watts after months of creative malaise and replace him with the younger, craftier Eric Bischoff. To say this decision would have long-term repercussions is an understatement, as Bischoff would lead WCW to its peak. The first show of this new era, SuperBrawl III, still feels like a Watts show from many angles, but there are glimpses of a bright future throughout.  

Aesthetically, this show immediately feels lighter compared to anything from the Watts era (Halloween Havoc 1992, for example, looks like it’s being held in a cave). While Watts wanted to take wrestling back to its gritty, smoky past, this new era isn’t afraid to inject some color and vibrance to the proceedings. That’s not only just apparent in the production, but also in the in-ring action. The Benoit/Scoripio match in particular feels like a precursor to the cruiserweight bouts we’ll see on Nitro a few years later, and a move away from Watts’ less than favorable stance on high-flying.

Of course, there are still a couple of things here that don’t work. The NWA title match is deathly boring, which makes it all the more unsurprising when WCW severs ties with the organization later in the year. Also, even though the angle is entertaining, the White Castle of Fear is proof of the promotion’s creative aimlessness during this time. Filming a convoluted mini-movie about a Sting/Vader tug-of-war in a mystical castle in the Rocky Mountains feels like a lot of work for what’s essentially your basic strap match. Fortunately, Sting and Vader rise above the silliness to deliver one of the more fondly remembered main events of the time period, complete with some bloody imagery that lingers in the mind long after the match is over.

Lastly, in addition to power shifts backstage, this show sees the return of Ric Flair. He doesn’t play a huge role here, but it’s interesting to note how he’s welcomed back with open arms. The crowd in Asheville chants his name, showing how much he’s been missed in his year-and-a-half away. Even if Flair had spent much of his run before then as a heel, it’s clear WCW’s most loyal fans still view him as an essential component to the promotion’s identity. 1993 would still be a rough year, but with Flair back in action, WCW at least has a solid foundation to build upon going forward.

My Random Notes

On the White Castle of Fear: I love WCW’s mini-movies and this is no exception. Perfect example of their high-concept bullshit. I love how we’re supposed to be super familiar with the White Castle of Fear, as if it were some nationally recognized establishment for fine dining and intellectual discussion. Also, that Harley Race even agreed to do something like this makes it even better. I empathize with the poor member of the production team who had to explain the entire thing to him.

Wow, I didn’t realize how quickly Flair jumped back to WCW. He literally wrestled on a WWF pay-per-view only the month before. When he got out, he got out.

I mainly appreciate the Falls Count Anywhere match for how it’s basically a showcase for Mick Foley’s incredibly painful bumps. A sunset flip from the ring apron onto solid concrete so you can ruin your spine for good? Sure, why the fuck not?

Oh my god, the dynamic between Jesse Ventura and Tony Schivonne is amazing. It’s great because Tony is exactly the type of pencil-necked geek who’d otherwise be crushed under Jesse’s thick Minnesotan huff and puff, but he just keeps pressing forward with these lousy retorts and clap-backs as you hear him die a little on the inside. <3<3<3

Max Payne’s ring gear looks like the bathing suits people wore in the early 20th century.

So is the R&R Express/Heavenly Bodies tag match the first time the same match occurred in two different promotions within the same year (although if we were to get a bit more technical, Stan Lane was swapped out with Jimmy Del Ray by the time of Survivor Series 1993)? I feel like it’s not but I’m too lazy to find out.

Here are a few things you can do that would take you less time than watch the NWA title match: make popcorn, put a load of laundry in the wash, water your plants, vacuum your rug (you know you haven’t), check Facebook for the ten thousandth time of the day, put 10 Hot Pockets in the microwave (not all at once, of course), prepare a lunch for work tomorrow, do jumping jacks, make flap jacks, brush your teeth to rinse out the taste of last night’s vodka, take a few vodka shots to make the match more enjoyable, etc.

I really enjoy Erik Watts’ “promoter’s son who sucks at everything” gimmick.

On the British Bulldog: Add him to the list of guys who I constantly forget were ever in WCW. I always have a hard time putting the two together. Like, his presence on this show looks like someone photoshopped his image from a WWF magazine circa 1992. It’s strange. His 1998 run is way more forgettable than this one though. Wasn’t his most memorable moment during that run getting injured on Warrior’s trap door?

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.82 / Roy Of The Rovers & Tiger group editor Barrie Tomlinson with Mark Watkins.

MW : Where do you live and what do you enjoy doing in the area?

BT : We moved to Yorkshire at the end of 2018. It’s my wife’s county and I’m really enjoying it here. I like walking but I can only manage short distances these days. I like eating out and there’s a great selection of pubs and restaurants in this area.

MW : How did you get started in the world of comics?

BT : I saw an advertisement saying ‘Beginners wanted for children’s comics’. I was seeking a job in journalism and this seemed a good opportunity. I found I fitted in to the world of comics and the rest, as they say, is history. 

I started as a sub-editor on Lion, then moved to Tiger. I eventually became editor of Tiger, then launched Roy of the Rovers as a separate title and became group editor of the sport and adventure department at IPC Magazines.

I launched the new Eagle, Scream, Speed, Wildcat, Mask, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and worked on lots of annuals and specials. 

A comic editor’s job is to decide on the format of a title and the sort of stories to be included. Then the editor has to choose his team of writers and artists. I was very lucky that I had the use of a very successful and experienced team of contributors and it was the editor’s task to select the team and then work closely with them on story developments and what happens next. In my case, I liked to include events which would get us good publicity in the media. That was a very important and I had a particularly good relationship with newspapers, radio and television.

MW : Explain IPC and Fleetway…

BT : When I first joined the comics in 1961 it was at Fleetway Publications. This later became part of IPC Magazines but the Fleetway name was retained. IPC standing for International Publishing Corporation.

MW : Roy Race first appeared in Tiger in the 1950's. How did you and others pull of his ageless effect and over several decades?

BT : The great joy of being a hero in a comic is that the hero doesn’t have to age. (Unlike comic editors!). But Roy did age a bit at first, starting as a lad straight from school, then growing up and getting into the first team. When I decided that Roy would have a life off the football pitch, as well as on it, he became the first boys’ comic hero to get married and became a dad. - that aged him a bit!

MW : How did the name "Melchester Rovers" come about?

BT : I don’t know the answer to that. In 1954, Tiger editor Derek Birnage and Roy writer Frank Pepper would have thought that up, before my time on comics. I do know that the name 'Roy of the Rovers' was first suggested by Lion editor Bernard Smith.

MW : Name your favourite Melchester Rovers team…

BT : That’s a bit impossible. All the players were my favourites but I guess the side would have to include Roy, Blackie Gray and Tubby Morton, as well as the real life players I signed: Emlyn Hughes, Bob Wilson, Steve Norman and Martin Kemp.

MW : Tell me about some of your star writers...

BT : When England goalie Gordon Banks won the Tiger sports Star of the Year competition, I presented him with the trophy and asked if he’d like to write for Tiger. He quickly agreed and I introduced the idea of top sports stars writing for Tiger. Jackie Charlton, Mike Channon, Malcolm Macdonald and Trevor Francis were some of the other footballers who wrote for Tiger over the years.

In fact, “Trev's” contributions to Tiger were always popular. I visited him and his wife in the USA when he was playing for Detroit Express and got some memorable Tiger photos. 

MW : Did they write their own columns? 

BT :  The sports stars provided their own copy.  Most times, I left the choice of subject to them but on special occasions I would suggest a theme for a special article.  That worked  very well. Fortunately, all the stars who wrote for us were enthusiastic fans of Tiger, which helped a lot.

MW : Tiger covered a range of sports, including cricket with columns from  Tony Greig and Geoffrey Boycott..

BT : Yes, Geoffrey Boycott was the first cricket star to write for Tiger and we had a long, happy association with him.  He eventually became Chairman of Melchester Rovers and I edited The Geoff Boycott annual for Fleetway. 

Other big cricket names who became Tiger writers included Tony Greig, Ian Botham, David Gower and Dickie Bird. 

Talking of cricket in Tiger, I’m rather proud that it was my idea for Billy Dane, star of the brilliant Billy’s Boots story, to start playing cricket in the summer!

MW : Tell me about the time when two pop stars signed for Roy's team...

BT : Spandau Ballet was a massively popular band at the time and the Roy circulation was just starting to be in line with the general trend of falling circulations in the comics world. I thought the extra publicity we got by signing Steve Norman and Martin Kemp was well worth it. And remember, of course, they were actually very good footballers!

MW : Tell me about Mike Read’s involvement with The Eagle...

BT : Listening to Mike Read on the radio, I knew he was a big fan of comics so when I launched the new Eagle, he was a natural to write for us. I felt this was a good move as it not only gave us a popular writer but it meant we would get the occasional mention on Mike’s radio show. It was always my policy to involve star names in my titles and it’s something I did on Eagle until I was told by management that I was too starstruck and told to remove all the big names who wrote for us. I was not a happy group editor!

MW : How did you usually plan the content for your comics? 

BT : It was my job as editor to work out the format of each title. How much feature material and how many picture-strips. With new titles I quite often thought up each story and sometimes wrote the first instalments myself. I was given great freedom to do what I wanted. For PR events or major developments I would always consult the editorial director and usually got great support from him. 

When I produced Scream from my group that all changed and the editorial contents were challenged by management, which made it a very difficult title to edit. Previously all my titles had been safe family buys but Scream was a bit different. Despite having a short life, I think we produced a good title which is still well remembered.

MW : Did any celebrities on the covers at Christmas become your friends?

BT : Yes. Ernie Wise was a good friend and he always attended Tiger functions. Geoffrey Boycott is also a good friend and we still keep in touch. Big Daddy the wrestler was also a mate and I worked closely with him on The Big Daddy Annual. Travelling around with him, it was clear to see how much the public loved him. I once gave him a lift in my car and the front seat was never the same again!

MW : Were Shoot! rivals?

BT : When Tiger editor David Gregory became editor of Shoot!, he recommended that I took over Tiger. Shoot was much more of a feature title so it wasn’t really a rival. But I was delighted when we beat them to get the scoop of first printing colour photos of Gordon Banks’ amazing save from Pele, in the 1970 World Cup.

MW : Tell me about (Shoot!) cartoonist Styx...

BT : Styx was another very good friend of mine. I first met Leslie Harding when I finished my national service. He taught me a lot about humour and I was delighted when he started drawing cartoons for my titles. He went on to Shoot! and worked as their regular cartoonist.

MW : Were Fleetway annuals mostly new material created for the Christmas market, or utilising leftover features from the year?

BT : The annuals were mostly new material. With regular contributors busy working on the weekly titles, it was a good chance to try out new contributors in the annuals. 

We had to plan the annuals well in advance and it was sometimes difficult to include topical items, as the annuals would go to press many months in advance of their publication date. 

I enjoyed editing the star names feature annuals, such as The Geoff Boycott Annual, The Big Daddy Annual and The Suzie Dando Annual. They were a bit different from the things I normally worked on.

MW : Tell me about your new books on sale now…

BT : There are two books on sale now: ‘Real Roy of the Rovers Stuff’ tells how I made Roy a star. There are lots of photographs and it’s the real, true story of all the big events in Roy’s career. 

‘Comic Book Hero’ is about all the other titles I edited. Again, that’s full of photos and ideal for anyone who read my titles as a youngster. I’m working on my third book which will be life story, including another big section on comics.

MW : What are your other interests? 

BT : I should do more reading! I still enjoy listening to the old big band music and Ruby Murray songs (always my favourite). Of today’s stars, I like listening to Eliza, Bruce Springsteen (my wife insisted I included him) and radio shows like Mike Read’s on United DJs Radio.

https://www.uniteddj.com/

https://twitter.com/MikeReadUK

I’ve taken up painting and we have joined a local group. I find painting very relaxing but I’ve got a lot to learn! I still enjoy writing. 

I also like keeping in touch with people on Twitter. It’s good to chat to people who were readers of my comics. 

 https://twitter.com/BarrieEditor1

MW : BBC 5 Live or Talksport?

BT : BBC 5 Live, because that’s the station which wakes me up in the morning and I sort of stay with that.

MW : If Roy Race was on Desert Island Discs, what would be his book, record and luxury item choices?

BT : I’m talking about the old Roy here. His book would certainly be 'Real Roy of the Rovers Stuff' by Barrie Tomlinson! His record would probably be something by Mariah Carey. Luxury item would be a radio, so he could listen to commentary on Melchester Rovers matches.

MW : What are your greatest achievements?

BT : Making Roy the most famous footballer in Britain! Persuading the Duke of Edinburgh to write an article for the first issue of Roy of the Rovers. Persuading Sir Alf Ramsey to take over as manager of Melchester Rovers after Roy was shot. Achieving my ambition of relaunching Eagle and seeing it last 11 years. Taking Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles comic to over 700,000 copies per issue, at a time when most circulations were struggling.

MW : What did you do after working on comics?

BT : I was very lucky that just as the comics were being taken away from me, I was asked by the Daily Mirror to produce a football strip for them. ‘Scorer’ was the title of the strip and it featured the adventures of footballer Dave Story and his many girlfriends. The strip was a combination of football and glamour and it proved very popular, starting as a single strip, then a double strip, then a treble. It appeared six days a week for 22 years. That’s over 6,000 instalments. I wrote and produced every episode of the strip, selling it to the Mirror as a finished job. I worked with contributors I knew from the world of comics, including artists John Gillatt, David Sque and David Pugh.

© Mark Watkins / April 2019

[eyeliketwowatch]

Minority Report - Cruise Control

Typical Steven Speilberg along the lines of his "blockbuster output" of the last twenty years (There seem to be two Speilbergs, one that wants desperately to be accepted as a 'serious artist', and another that just wants to crank out 'audience thrills' -- sometimes the two intersect in weird ways). Tom Cruise plays a policeman of the future involved with a weird high tech experimental 'future crimes' division that uses a trio of 'precog' mutants to stop murders before they take place. The movie wants to make serious commentary on 'free will' and 'police state situations', etc etc, but gets bogged down in its own self importance and sabotaged by the trappings of a typical CGI hollywood action blockbuster. The movie of course looks fantastic, with all sorts of special effects, and the story has some good things going for it, including an interesting cast (Max Von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton), but the film keeps going and going, with one climactic scene after another, to the point where you don't know where the ending is, and then when it finally does show up, it's a bit of a letdown.

Typical Philip K. Dick (based on one of his stories) material and preoccupations, drug induced mutations, alternate realities, our perception of the world around us based on interfering advanced technologies, but spruced up with a lot of Speilberg over the top presentation and Tom Cruise over-emoting.

The interesting thing to me, though, is how the 'serious' Speilberg keeps showing up in odd places in films like these -- hidden away in 'War of the Worlds' was a wonderful little sequence with Tim Robbins as a crazed survivalist hidden away in his basement, and in this movie there is a wonderful little sequence involving the genetic engineer (played by aging seventies character actress Lois Smith) in an overgrown and weirdly populated greenhouse. Almost like the master manipulator lets his guard slip and a little art sneaks through the veil of artifice.

3 stars out of 5

Released 2002, First Viewing February 2011

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Patriots vs Jets: Five Key Matchups to Watch

Each week the game comes down to the match-ups. These are the top 5 matchups that will determine which team emerges victorious.

The New England Patriots barely hung on to win 19-14 last Thursday night against another tough NFC South squad, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots will take their shortest commute to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to face the surprising New York Jets. Both teams are 3-2 and are tied with the Buffalo Bills at the top of the AFC East heading into week six.

This is the first divisional game for the Patriots in 2017. Last season, the Patriots finished with a 5-1 record against division foes dropping their week four match-up to the Buffalo Bills in their final game before Tom Brady returned from his ridiculous “Deflategate” suspension. Per Patriots.com, New England is an NFL-best 76-22 (.776) in regular season AFC East games since Tom Brady took over at quarterback in the 2001 season, which is the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL in that time span.

This week’s match-up will be broadcast by CBS and be broadcast in the Boston area on WBZ-TV Channel 4. WPRI Channel 12 will broadcast the game to Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Ian Eagle will handle play-by-play duties with Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts as the color analyst. Evan Washburn will be working the sidelines.

This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience on Sports USA. Larry Kahn and Hank Bauer will call the game. Locally, the Patriots’ flagship station 98.5 FM the Sports Hub will carry the game on the Patriots Radio Network. The Patriots are on the radio on 40 stations throughout the nation and will feature broadcasters Bob Socci doing play-by-play and local media member and former Patriots backup quarterback Scott Zolak adding color commentary.

Now that you know how to watch and listen to the game, here are the five key match-ups to watch that will determine if the Patriots continue their winning ways against the New York Jets or if the biggest surprises of the young NFL season will continue their surprising ways and pull off the upset.

AROUND COVER32

Jameis Winston channels his inner Ric Flair

Cam Newton lit up the Lions last week

Ranking the top 25 tight ends for fantasy football in Week 6

Predicting the winners of every Week 6 matchup

  NE DE Trey Flowers, DE Deatrich Wise and DE Cassius Marsh vs NYJ LT Kelvin Beachum and RT Brandon Shell

The pitiful New England pass rush has been a continued storyline throughout the 2017 season. However, the Patriots have had the misfortune to go up against a number of mobile quarterbacks in the season to date. Alex Smith was the week one opponent, in week three it was the dynamic rookie sensation DeShaun Watson, in week four they face Cam Newton, and last Thursday night was former number one overall draft pick, Jameis Winston.

Winston and week two’s quarterback, New Orleans Saints’ future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, were the most traditional pocket passers faced by the New England defense. Not coincidently, it was the two best defensive performances by far by the beleaguered group.

When going up against mobile quarterbacks, head coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia have made a habit to have a disciplined pass rush to force containment of the quarterback in the pocket. This forces the defensive ends to go against their better instincts and instead be extremely disciplined in their rush lanes.

This week the Patriots face the 38-year old Josh McCown and the Jets. McCown was not the most mobile quarterback when drafted in the third-round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. McCown has been excellent for the Jets and has completed 71.4% of his passes (all statistic from Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted) despite being sacked 15 times in five games.

The Jets have a new pair of tackles after bringing in Kelvin Beachum (who was let go by the Steelers and then the Jaguars after failing to stay healthy and perform to expectations the past two seasons) and Brandon Shell (the great-nephew of Hall of Fame tackle Art Shell), who started playing in the second half last season after being a fifth-round draft pick in 2016.

Beachum has been adequate, but not the rising diamond-in-the-rough he appeared to be three or four years ago in Pittsburgh. He lacks athleticism and when his hands get low he can be overpowered. Shell is strong but inexperienced. His technique is not consistent throughout the game and his footwork (or lack thereof) puts him on his heels and unbalanced against speed rushers.

Neither tackle is elite, which is good for New England since they desperately lack that elite pass rusher. Trey Flowers has been impressive and leads the team with 3.5 sacks while rookie Deatrich Wise is second with three. Cassius Marsh has been playing starter snaps since coming over from Seattle and though he has just one sack he can generate pressure occasionally.

Trey Flowers may do much of his pass rushing inside if the Patriots can get the Jets into obvious passing downs and tee-off on McCown. Center Wesley Johnson has been terrible and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia may want his best pass rusher taking him on. That leaves Marsh on Beachum and rookie Wise on Shell.

Wise on Shell may be an underrated advantage for New England. Shell has difficulty with smaller rushers like Wise (who was billed as a tweener–not quick enough to be a 3-4 OLB and not big enough to be a 4-3 DE–which was why he dropped in the 2017 NFL Draft). Wise has actually been the most effective pass-rusher in New England this season per my former colleague Cyrus Geller at ProFootballFocus.com who notes “Wise’s pass-rushing productivity rating of 13.6 is tied for the sixth highest among 59 qualified 4-3 defensive ends.”

This is a match-up of a weak pass rush against a duo of poor pass protectors. Something’s got to give. If the Patriots can get consistent pressure on McCown, it will finally take pressure off their secondary and allow them to get off the field and give their offense some extra chances to find the end zone.

NE TE Rob Gronkowski vs NYJ ILB Darron Lee and S Jamal Adams

This is the reason they drafted him. From his first press conference after being the 20th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee he has been asked about covering New England tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Yes, dynamic rookie safety Jamal Adams–who is already showing why he was a bargain as the sixth-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft–will get his chances to cover the best tight end in the NFL.The Jets have adopted a three-safety alignment similar to the Patriots’ “big nickel” defense with Lee in the role of Devin McCourty. However, on first-and-second down, Lee is likely to be covering Gronkowski.

Last season, Lee was overmatched as a rookie and has struggled in the running game as he has been overpowered by fullbacks and pulling guards. However, his short-space quickness, instincts, and pure speed have given him a big advantage in covering tight ends. Of course, David Njoku (three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown reception), Marcedes Lewis (no catches), Julius Thomas (three receptions for 16 yards), Jared Cook (four catches for 25 yards) and Charles Clay (four receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown reception) are hardly in the same class as Gronkowski.

Gronkowski is off the injury report and should play most of the game on Sunday. Despite missing the Thursday night win over Tampa Bay, he has 20 receptions in four games for 318 yards and a field-stretching 15.9 yards per reception. At full strength, he continues to run precise routes, use his athleticism and size to wall off defenders and his brute strength to pick-up extra yards after the catch.

The Jets are definitely better suited to try and slow Gronkowski with the impressive Jamal Adams (who, based on talent should have been the first pick of the NFL Draft) and the improving Darron Lee. However, there are few teams that have effectively slowed down a healthy Rob Gronkowski and this match-up could be the most important of the day for the young and aggressive Jets defense.

NYJ TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins vs NE S Patrick Chung

On the other side of the ball, the Jets under new offensive coordinator John Morton have discovered that it is allowed to throw the football to a tight end. Previous offensive coordinator Chan Gailey eschewed the position altogether in his game plans and the Jets targeted their top two tight ends just 28 times over the entire 2016 season.

In 2017 through five games tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins 18 times already. He has hauled in 15 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. Seferian-Jenkins has been an outlet option and running underneath routes, rarely stretching the field with downfield routes.

While inside linebacker Kyle Van Noy will be in coverage much of the time, New England will be shorthanded at cornerback with Eric Rowe out. This will have the Patriots in their three-safety “big nickel” look much of the game and featuring Patrick Chung in coverage of the New York tight end.

Chung has been up-and-down in coverage of tight ends this season with strong performances alternating with him being overmatched in coverage. Seferian-Jenkins is extremely athletic but still raw with route-running concepts. This is a matchup that could be a headache for New England if Seferian-Jenkins is able to convert a few third downs and extend drives for the Jets.

NE LB Kyle Van Noy vs NYJ RB Elijah McGuire

Speaking of linebacker Kyle Van Noy, he is going to have his hands full chasing impressive New York Jets rookie running back Elijah McGuire. With Bilal Powell likely out this week and Matt Forte returning from injury, the Jets can lean again on the exciting sixth-round draft pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette.

McGuire is only five-foot-ten (if he is really that tall) but a solid 214 pounds. He exploded onto the scene in week four with 93 yards rushing and a touchdown to go with 38 yards receiving against Jacksonville. Last week the Browns held him to just 20 yards on 11 carries as they kept him from getting outside by setting the edge and funneling him inside.

New England has struggled to set the edge at times in the running game and that has burned them at times. That puts more pressure on linebacker Kyle Van Noy to get off of blocks and chase down the elusive and speedy Eli McGuire.

Van Noy has been playing more in the middle of the defense with Dont’a Hightower slowed by injury. With only two linebackers on the field in non-goal line or short yardage situations, it puts extra pressure on the linebackers to read and react to the running backs on rushing plays and in coverage.

While McGuire has only five receptions on the season, expect him to pick-up the slack with Powell ailing. Expect the Jets to study what the Saints did in week two with their running backs piling up seven receptions for 75 yards including a 38-yard reception on a wheel route down the sideline by rookie Alvin Kamara.

The Patriots’ defense has to stop giving up chunk plays in the running game and by running backs coming out of the backfield or flexing out to exploit coverage. Kyle Van Noy will have a key role on defense to slow the Jets running and passing attack.

NYJ WR Jermaine Kearse vs NE CB Malcolm Butler

Finally, there is one more component in the New York passing attack for New England to game-plan against: wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. While Jeremy Kerley has been his usual quiet-but-effective performer since returning to the Jets, Kearse–acquired with a second-round draft pick for the disgruntled defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson from Seattle–has been exactly what the punch-less receiving group has needed.

Only 27 years-old, Kearse was starting to get squeezed out of playing time by the young receivers in Seattle. In New York, he is the unquestioned number one wide receiver and his presence takes pressure off younger receivers ArDarius Stewart, Robby Anderson, and Charone Peake.

Kearse leads the Jets with 22 receptions for 220 yards and three of the five receiving touchdowns through five games. In Seattle’s balanced passing attack and with first Golden Tate and then Doug Baldwin as the number one receiver, Kearse never topped 49 receptions or 685 yards receiving in a season. This season it looks like a lock that Kearse will top those numbers if he stays healthy.

Kearse is six-foot-one and 212 pounds and originally it seemed that he would likely draw the similarly sized Stephon Gilmore in coverage while Malcolm Butler would do battle with the five-foot-nine 188 pound Jeremy Kerley. Gilmore has had communication lapses during the first four games of the season but played much better in week five.

Part of the reason for the improvement was the Patriots simplified the coverage and had Gilmore follow the dangerous Mike Evans around the field on Thursday night. Gilmore allowed just six receptions for 71 yards in coverage during the game per NESN.com and most of that came in the last ten minutes of the fourth quarter when the Patriots went from tight man-coverage to the prevent defense.

However, news broke on Saturday afternoon indicating that Gilmore would be out with a concussion. With cornerback Eric Rowe already ruled out for the Patriots on Sunday, it leaves New England dangerously thin at the cornerback position. That elevates Jonathan Jones to the number two cornerback for the game and he should see a lot of Jeremy Kerley and Robby Anderson while safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung will likely work out of the slot at the cornerback position as both have done at times this season.

Malcolm Butler should be now be aligned on Kearse and that should be an important battle throughout the game. If Butler can shut down the Jets’ top passing option, it should put a significant crimp in the Jets’ game plan and help keep their offense on the sidelines and give more opportunities to Tom Brady and the offense.

[aristoteliancomplacency]

Nnnnnnng. Normal Friday listening podcast is doing an episode on Secret Mark and idk if I can bring myself to listen.