#Unless Dan & Ellie are also there in which case

[puppetmaster13u]

Throughout the years, Danny and Ra's get into fights. Unfortunately for Ra's, Danny's a biter. Unfortunately for Danny, biting immortals are never a good idea. Especially when your own DNA is beyond messed up

Imagine the look on Ra's face when they guy he likes fighting shows up with a baby in hand and says, "congratulations, you're a father"

Repeat it two more times because Danny just doesn't learn

Ohohoho, now this is quite fun. And this could be completely new children, or, this could be the three Al Ghul children. Which if it is? Is hilarious. And hey, Dusan even has Danny's white hair and green eyes!

But seriously I love this. Logically, Danny should learn to not bite, in fact? He knows how to fight, and can do so without biting. He's just also a petty little shit who will go feral when fighting this one asshole [insert relationship here].

Even more hilarious if Danny shows up throughout time too. And it's not like they exactly explain to anyone on the outside of their [insert relationship here], which definitely leads to so many misunderstandings and rumors.

Love the idea if this is even a semi-normal ghost thing. Just, usually the mixing of ecto is done on purpose, and not usually having to be worried about happening via blood. But Danny? Is a halfa, meaning that he is half human. And if he bit anyone else, it would probably have no effect, except for the fact that the human mouth carries quite a bit of bacteria and en ecto-contaminated one more so. So for anyone else, biting is an actual good option, but Ras? Also ecto-contaminated via Lazarus Pit.

Which is a different type of ectoplasm, like comparing saltwater to freshwater, but is still ectoplasm. If anyone else bit anyone else, it wouldn't happen. But no, Danny just has to have the habit of biting his immortal sparring asshole of a rival-buddy. And said buddy better be fine with co-parenting otherwise he's taking child support.

[learnfromwebtoons]

Lesson 1- Follow Through

(Thank you all for following! And thank you Dan for the promo!)

Right then, let’s begin!

Today’s Lesson: Follow Through

Today’s Teacher: Third Shift Society by Meredith Moriarty

When you create a character, you need some character traits: things that describe this character. These traits can be external, like their job and appearance, or internal, like their personality. Is your character impulsive or methodical? Sweet or snarky? Easily scared or stupidly brave?

Third Shift Society introduces its protagonist Ellie McGuinness as a college dropout behind on her rent who’s just been let go from her job at a vintage furniture store. She has exactly one friend, who is supportive but can��t help her in her plight. A quick montage of her failing at other minimum wage jobs she’s attempting further establishes that Ellie is also prone to clumsiness.

[Image descriptions: series of panels showing Ellie spilling drinks as a waitress, burning cookies at a bakery, knocking over shelves at a library, failing to win a credit card at a skill crane machine, and lamenting that she is bad at adulthood.]

And then the plot arrives in the form of a pumpkinheaded suit-wearing man and none of these things matter ever again.

Ichabod offers Ellie a job as his “paranormal detective” partner, Ellie says yes (without asking when or how much she gets paid, something you would expect a person at risk of eviction from her apartment to be concerned about), and the next episode they’re already in the middle of a case, with no space dedicated to Ellie processing this sudden and massive life change. 

Things like being short on rent and unable to pay bills for any amount of time will leave a lasting impact on a person’s spending habits and relationship to money. Being clumsy is a trait that’s very difficult to train yourself out of. And yet, once Ellie becomes a paranormal investigator, her clumsiness never affects the investigators’ ability to solve a case, and her finances are never mentioned again. When Ellie finally gets paid for her first case, her reaction is simply: “Hmph.” 

Ellie has become a generically nice audience surrogate who, as someone new to the supernatural world, asks all the questions a reader might have about the lore in this story, never makes mistakes (unless she’s deliberately misled into making them) and reacts to situations like any reasonably well-meaning person would. The distinctive personality traits she had in the first episode all fell away as soon as the story got going, leaving the comic with a blank slate of a protagonist.

Characters should grow and change as a story develops-- that’s what a character arc is! But if an author creates a character with a personality that is discarded entirely once it becomes inconvenient, that is inconsistent and underdeveloped writing. Changes in a character’s core personality are more interesting when they happen slowly, gradually, and through a combination of external and internal influences. That’s what makes character-driven narratives compelling: a good character-focused story makes readers care about the characters’ emotional journeys.

A Webtoon I’ve read recently that does this particularly well is This Magical Moment by Yunhui Na, which is unfortunately a Daily Pass comic now so I can’t share screenshots of later episodes to illustrate this character growth. This Magical Moment, like Third Shift Society, is an urban fantasy comic, following a group of four 20-somethings who, while they begin their relationship at odds with each other, slowly become a tight group of friends. Sara is a Christian girl raised in an orphanage who dreams of becoming a nun, and while she is kind and gentle from the start, she’s also prejudiced and afraid of witches-- and her first impressions of potion-specialist witch Bakha don’t help. Meanwhile, Bakha starts the story as impulsive and irresponsible, only studying in the pharmacy department because it’s what her family wants her to do. Meeting Sara helps Bakha decide to take figuring out her plans for the future seriously, while Sara learns that she and witches have more in common than she thought.  The Sara and Bakha that appear in the final episode resemble the characters that appear in the first, but older, wiser, and happier for the friendships they’ve gained over the course of the story.

[Image description: Sara kneeling in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary in the orphanage garden, lamenting that she didn’t have time to stop Bakha’s dark arts of cleaning the laundry.]

[Image description: Bakha thinking that her mom is too worried about her future.]

Exercise: Make up a character (or use a character you have already if you have one.) List three to five of their personality traits. Then, keeping those personality traits in mind, describe how this character would a) get a cat down from a tree, b) study (or not study) for an exam, c) spend a day in a city unfamiliar to them, and d) obtain dinner. 

Now do it again for a different character, with a different personality! How would these different characters approach the same situation in ways that make sense for both of them? 

Repeat until bored.

Webtoon Recs of the Day: This Magical Moment is on Daily Pass, which means a new episode becomes available for free every day once you start unlocking episodes, and annoyingly enough so is the other Webtoon I was going to rec for this week which is Devil Number 4. Gourmet Hound, however, isn’t (yet) and I’m definitely going to talk more about Gourmet Hound later because it’s a fantastic comic that does a lot of things really well, character writing included.

[execufirst]

TV shows like Schitt's Creek | Apartment Therapy

The “Schitt’s Creek” series finale aired a month ago (well, unless you only watch “Schitt’s Creek” on Netflix, in which case, you have so much to look forward to when season six becomes available), and I’m still in mourning. Over the course of six seasons this Canadian series about what happens when the ultra-rich Rose family lose everything and are forced to live in the motel of a town—the titular Schitt’s Creek—that they once bought as a birthday gag gift, has been equal parts hilarious and heart-warming. It deftly walked the line of being a sitcom filled with joy without ever letting itself get saccharine. It will be deeply missed. And yet there is hope! Although nothing can truly replace this show, there are other comedies out there that might ease the pain even just a little bit. 

Although I’d be surprised to find a lot of “Schitt’s Creek” fans who haven’t already watched “Parks and Recreation,” I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind people how closely related these two comedies are. Like “Schitt’s Creek,” “Parks and Rec” is a silly, smart comedy with lots of heart. You’ll instantly fall in love with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and her colleagues at the Parks and Rec department in Pawnee, Indiana. Speaking of Pawnee, if you love the small-town wacky vibe found in Schitt’s Creek, dare I say, “Parks” actually does that better? On top of all of this, if your favorite part of “Schitt’s Creek” was the rom-com feel it provided thanks to David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) and Ted (Dustin Milligan), oh boy, just wait until Lelise meets Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott). If you thought you were done crying tears of joy over a sitcom, you were wrong. Streaming on Netflix

Do you already miss David and Alexis arguing over who gets murdered first but also loving each other deeply? Let me introduce you to another set of siblings who aren’t living their best lives, don’t always get along, but share a deep affection for one another: Meet Cary and Brooke Dubek (Drew Tarver and Heléne York). Their teenage brother Chase (Case Walker) becomes a viral music sensation making them even more acutely aware of their failings as adults. They attempt to help Chase navigate his new-found fame while also trying to get their lives together. Usually it’s a disaster in the best way possible. Streaming on the Comedy Central app and on demand

One of the charms of “Schitt’s Creek” is the fish-out-of-water framework. What TV character is more of a fish-out-of-water than Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) who moves to New York City after being held hostage in a cult for 15 years? Although she has a harrowing origin story, Kimmy is nothing if not positive, looking to find the joy in the world. Compared to “Schitt’s Creek,” “Kimmy Schmidt” slings jokes at you at an incredible speed, and its clever pop culture references are a thing to behold. Although the tone of the show is different, it’s always fun to watch someone try to figure out a world where they don’t completely feel at home in. Streaming on Netflix

This content was originally published here.

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Jenny’s Belated Live Blogging - 24th June 2019

- Quality Robron content tonight, which can elevate a whole episode for me, because otherwise, I probably would have been pretty bored. Getting surprise Robert/Robron content now is such a gift. I am pleased. 

- I liked the little morning scene, getting some Rob/Liv in there and of course the bit about Aaron stealing Vic’s expensive hair stuff. Reminds me of Noah stealing Robert’s thirty quid shower gel. I approve. And I love even more that they paid off that bit at the end of the episode with Vic confronting Aaron about it. I loved it. 

- Aaron at the pub with the football crew was great as well. I love any time Aaron is forced to interact with other people. That’s literally the only time I mildly appreciate Bear because I just love how much Aaron cannot stand the man. And I loved his banter with Chas about Paddy and Marlon and them being the mascots. 

- And of course Robert showing up at the pub made me very happy and then even more so when we actually got Aaron saying ‘because I’m playing and I’ll be in my shorts’. Haha. That line alone was worth the whole episode. Even funnier because it’s not like you can actually see his legs since he’s wearing those running tights things tomorrow. Oh Aaron. 

- Interesting that Vic is moving out already. I wonder if she’ll be back again after Lee and his mum come around. But still, I’ve liked how they’ve handled Aaron with Robert during this whole thing. He’s very clearly guiding him through it and how to react and respond to Vic, but he’s not doing it in a super judgy way. I think he gets how hard this is for him because he’s got a little sister too but he understands Vic too since he’s been through this unfortunately. I still think they’ve mostly struck a good balance and that makes me happy since we’re on borrowed time. 

- The other scenes I really liked today were the Liv and Jacob scenes. All of a sudden Jacob was tolerable again, not that he spoke much. But I loved Liv talking to him through the door. Just being there and keeping the mood light and joking around, telling him all the village gossip. I really think that’s what Jacob needs right now. Liv’s just treating him like a person, a little gently maybe, but still, a person. Reminds me a little bit of how Adam handled Aaron after his suicide attempt. In any case, I’m glad to see that their friendship is still in tact because it was one of the things I always liked about this story. Also, I appreciate the dig at his hair. I shudder to think of the reaction if we ever have to witness those braids he was sporting the other day in those pictures on screen. If he does ever have that, I hope Liv mocks the hell out of him. 

- And then the rest....Peter, Peter...proposals do not solve everything. Just ask Dan. Actually don’t, unless it’s off screen. It’s a shame that they did this to Pete and Rhona but it needs to end now, badly. 

- Kim and Rhona still have good chemistry even when they’re shouting but god I just don’t care about Jamie and Andrea. At the very least, Graham was not in that scene. Thank god. 

- However, happy to see Lydia in whatever capacity.

- It’s a bit odd having so much of the Jessie/Billy/Ellis/Marlon/April family unit again because it’s like ‘hurry up and show how much they care about one another before we have that siege tomorrow’ haha. It’s just...a lot. Jessie being so MIA for so long just really didn’t work for a lot of things. 

- That said, April is still adorable and I appreciate anytime she drags Marlon. Also, her and Ellis are still wonderful together with their secret handshake. 

- And I guess I have to give Billy some credit because going to the police was the smartest thing he’s done since he got out of prison. Too bad the Hotten PD are utterly useless.

[riley1cannon]

Favorite books of 2017

A Murder is Announced, Agatha Christie; Miss Marple mystery

The Zig Zag Girl, Elly Griffiths; first in the Magic Men mysteries (Brighton, after the war; DI Edgar Stephens & Max Mephisto – if you want to picture, say, Dan Stevens and Matthew Goode, I certainly won’t object – are on the case.)

Wouldn’t It Be Deadly?, D.E. Ireland (Eliza Doolittle has to prove Henry Higgings didn’t murder someone. Yes, I know, and honestly my expectations were set really low for this one, but it was vritually free so what the heck. Turned out to be fun, however, and the main trick was fancasting the characters in my head to provide distance from the musical.)

Ghost Talkers, Mary Robinette Kowal (The Great War, mediums employed – in a scheme dreamed up by Houdini and Cona Doyle – to debrief soldiers who have passed over; a cameo by J.R.R. Tolkein; a tear jerker romance; a murder and other skullduggery to solve; and ghosts.)

Design for Dying, Renee Patrick (Our heroine, Lillian Frost, teams up with not-yet-legendary costume designer Edith Head to solve the murder of a starlet – and Lillian’s former roommate – Ruby Carroll in 1930s Hollywood. Look for cameos by Preston Sturgess, Bob Hope, and Barbara Stanwyck, along with a fun cast of original characters, and a pretty good mystery.

Rules of Murder and Death by the Book, Julianna Deering (Books one and two in the Drew Farthering Golden Age-style mysteries. One head’s up: These are from a Christian book publisher, and matters of faith do pop up. It’s not pervasive or preachy, however, so unless you just absolutely loathe even the tiniest whiff of that, you should be able to enjoy these. Example: There is a romantic subplot going on, and while things are kept chaste and above board, there is plenty of sizzle going on between Drew and Madeline.)

Lost Among the Living, Simone St. James (The author’s farewell to the 1920s, but still featuring a heroine getting to the bottom of a what’s behind a haunting.)

A Fatal Winter, G.M. Malliet (The second Max Tudor mystery, and rather better than the first, although I enjoyed that too, with a couple of reservations. Max is former MI5 agent who left the service after a mission went bad, and found a new calling as vicar Nether Monkslip. His former skill set serves him well when murder comes to his parish. If you love Grantchester, this should go over well. Frankly, Max may prove better company than Sidney does at times.)

Lois Lane: Fallout, Gwenda Bond (While I didn’t love this one as much as hoped, it was still a lot of fun. There is a strong Smallville vibe, and that’s not a bad thing.)

Holding Court, K.C. Held (The other YA title on my list. This one is a mystery, with some romance, some laughs, and twist or two along the way. It’s a stand alone title but could easily be the start of a series.)

Speaking From Among the Bones & The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, Alan Bradley (Books five and six in the Flavia de Luce series.)

The Invisible Library, Genevieve Cogman (Librarians saving the universe, w/steampunk fanasty elements. Difficult to describe; heap of fun to read.)

Claws for Alarm & Crime and Catnip, T.C. LoTempio (Books two and three in the Nick and Nora cozy series. Nora is a former true crime reporter, now operating a sandwich shop in a fictional SoCal town; Nick is the cat who adopted her after his other human, a private eye, disappeared. If you like cozy mysteries with cats, this is a good series to check out. And in case you don’t know, cozy mysteries with cats is a huge, huge thing.)

Romancing the Duke, Tessa Dare (A romantic frolic with engaging characters, and enough substance to maintain interest. Just when you think it’s going right over the top, it doesn’t. If that make any sense. Steam rating: High.)

Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch (Wacky paranormal hijinks for Peter Grant in the English countryside. So, you know, par for the course, and enjoyable as the preceding books. Bonus points for this one for giving us some more insights into Nightingale, although the man himself doesn’t appear very often. And when am I going to get around to reading The Hanging Tree? It’s been in my to read stack for ages now...)

Indigo Slam, Robert Crais (Private eye novel featuring L.A. detective Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. This time the guys are hired by some kids to find their father. Since it’s Elvis and Joe, of course things get way more complicated.

Property of a Lady, Sarah Rayne (Another ghost story/mystery, the first in a series featuring Oxford don Michael Flint and antiques dealer Nell West. The story revolves around a creepy old house, and there are some genuine chills as Michael and Nell investigate. Their primary means of investigating involves discovering hidden documents. That begins to strain credulity a bit, but I found I coud put up with it. I will probably read more, to see if something at the end of this one is followed up in a subsequent book, and to discover if we ever actually meet Michael’s cat, Wilberforce.)

Night of the Living Deed, E.J. Copperman (Another cozy, this time with ghosts.)

Borrower of the Night, Elizabeth Peters (The first Vicky Bliss novel, and a fun intro to her and her life. John won’t turn up until the next book but there are other romantic interests. Not to mention mysterious shennanigans in a creep old castle, some shivery moments, and a bit of history along the way.)

A Familiar Tail & By Familiar Means, Delia James (Another cozy cat mystery, this time with a pinch of witchcraft as well.)

Whiskey Beach, Nora Roberts (Suspense, romance, family ties, longer than it needed to be but someone I mind that less with Nora than some other authors. Steam rating: Moderate.)

Garden of Lies, Amanda Quick (One of the things I love about AQ books is that along with the romance, we usually get a murder mystery to solve, often with paranormal elements. Another thing is, that although she has some Regencies in her backlist, she’s staked out the Victorian Era as her primary time period. Nothing against Regencies but this reader does sometimes need a break from the ton and all that. Now AQ appears to be moving into the 20th century, which this reader also applauds. Bring on the Jazz Age, baby! Anyway, I liked this one and only wish it was the start of a series of Ursula and Slater mystery romances. Oh well… Steam rating: Moderate.)

Agatha Christie: They Came to Bagdhad; A Pocketful of Rye, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, Murder with Mirrors, 4:50 from Paddington (The first is one of her non-series novels, a fun thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, and also made me wish Dame Agatha had turned her hand to spy thrillers more. The rest are Miss Marple mysteries.)

Mary Stewart: This Rough Magic & Madam, Will You Talk? (This Rough Magic was a reread, and one that held up quite nicely. Young actress on holiday on Corfu, intrigue, romance, gorgeous scenery, and a charming dolphin. Madam, Will You Talk? is her first novel, but just as polished as the later ones. Young, war widowed teacher on holiday in France, brooding hero with dark past, gorgeous scenery, and even car chases. Why there aren’t a series of movies based on these books mystifies me.)

Those were the print books. Here are the ebooks that made a good impression:

Little Clock House on the Green, Eve Devon (Contemporary romantic comedy set in a quirky English village. My only complaint with this one is that certain reveals, re: the heroine’s motivations, took too long to come to light. It wasn’t a huge problem for me, though. The characters were good company. Steam level: practically Hallmark Channel.)

Murder at the Brightwell, Ashley Weaver (First book is the Amory Ames mystery, an homage to the Golden Age, and this one isn’t bonkers. Amory is at the Brightwell, a resort hotel, to help out an old friend--and one-time romantic partner--as well as evaluate the state of her marriage to husband Milo. And then of course there’s a murder. I went into this one expecting one thing to happen, re: Amory and the men in her life, and wound up rather nicely surprised at developments. The mystery was good too.

The Yankee Club, Michael Murphy (Another historical mystery. This time we’re in 1930s New York, with a private eye-turned-mystery writer back in town and getting involved in the murder of his former partner, reunited with his former girlfriend, now a Broadway star, and winding up hip deep in a conspiracy that threatens the very foundations of America. There’s some actual history to back that up, however, and it doesn’t play as over the top as it may sound. Like Design for Dying above, there are cameos by real life celebrities of the time like Cole Porter.)

Bed, Breakfast & Bones, Carolyn L. Dean (Young woman in need of a change moves to a small town on the West Coast, decided to revive the bed & breakfast, finds a body--the usual cozy formula. It’s played well here and I wouldn’t mind reading more books in the series.)

Southern Spirits, Angie Fox (This time our cozy heroine is struggling to keep her ancestral home, while she gets involved in a mystery and is assisted by both the local hunky sheriff and a ghost. I went in expecting nothing, and in fact anticipating to wind up deleting it, and wound up pleasantly surprised. An instance of: don’t judge a book by its cover.)

The Undateable, Sarah Title (Contemporary romantic comedy. A librarian finds herself part a meme that goes viral. This leads to a makeover and a quest to prove she is not the most undateable woman in San Francisco, and it is really way better than I’m making it sound. Promise. Steam level: practically Hallmark Channel.

Act Like It, Lucy Parker (Contemporary romantic comedy, set agains the background of the British theater world, and employing the fake dating trope. I loved it. Steam level: also moderate.)

Marriage is Murder, Emma Jameson (Historical mystery once more. England just before the War, and our doctor hero is sent to a small town in Cornwall, the same town his wife left behind her, and where secrets abound. They no sooner arrive than the wife is killed in a hit-and-run, and the husband left badly injured. Horrible accident or was it murder?)

There were other books–58, total–and many not listed here had their merits, but this batch were the ones that were the page turners, the don’t want to put it down and go to bed ones, the can’t wait to get back to it ones.

There were several books started and not finished; there were others started and put back the shelf to try another time. The latter, I think, is the better option. They may win me yet.

I have no reading agenda for 2018. Just more books, good books, and if I’m lucky one or two that surprise me by being so much better than they looked going in. Love when that happens.

[monotype-on-phantom]

Hi there! Just wanted to say I really like your blog! Your analyses are very well thought out ^^ Also, I hope this question doesn't seem dumb or anything, if Danny, Dani and Dan/Dark Danny had to work together to survive for some reason, how would you think it would go down?

Thank you! I really appreciate all the support I get. And don’t worry about it. There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers. Which puts a lot of pressure on me, but at least you’re safe. I’ll just have to do my best!

Joking aside, this is actually one of my favorite trios to think about in a situation like this. In particular, I like thinking about Dan and Ellie interacting while Danny freaks out about it on the side.

Have you ever seen Brother Bear? I see Danielle being like the Koda of the group. Dan and Danny are pre-development and post-development Kenai dialed up to 11. Or more.

Danielle isn’t nearly as naive or optimistic as Koda is, but she has that kind of side to her. She might be somewhat cautious because of her past with Vlad, but she’s still only a few months old. For example, when she first sees Valerie, she’s frightened. Once she reveals her ghost half to her, though, she’s quick to assume they’re going to be on friendly terms. Even after Valerie surprises her by revealing that she’s working for Vlad, she quickly trusts her again when she claims she wants to meet Danny Phantom.

It’s also shown in both Kindred Spirits and D-Stabilized that Dani’s not as concerned with keeping her ghost half a secret. The only time she’ll hold back on using her powers is if it starts weakening her. She’s totally fine with using them to play pranks and cause/get out of trouble.

This all makes a lot of sense when you consider what her life’s like. While Vlad hurt her, she’s still only a few months old. All of her meaningful relationships have been made quickly. She hasn’t had a lot of time for anything else. Danny became the person she trusted the most in around 24 hours. The world shattering revelation that Vlad didn’t care about her happened over a few hours. Going from being wary of Valerie to wanting to befriend her so quickly just feels natural to her. As for her powers, she’s never been without them. They’ve always been a part of her, so it’s not her first instinct to avoid using them.

Ellie’s been through some terrible things, but she’s still young and inexperienced. Upon meeting Dan and seeing the familiar logo on his chest, she’d probably warm up to him pretty quickly. She seems terrible at reading the atmosphere, so unless he did something to directly hurt her, I doubt she’d notice something was off about him. It’d give Danny a stroke, but that’s how she is.

In my opinion, Dan would be the most intriguing member of this trio. Most of the time, I don’t consider him especially interesting. What makes him work is his history, so to add anything to his character, you need to include something from his past. In this case, though, it’d be something that wasn’t in his past.

Dan is characterized by combining apathy with malice. Even when surprised, he recovers quickly and goes back to not giving a fuck about almost anything. Most of the people he comes across are ones he knows very well, so he can easily determine how to handle them.

Danielle is an entirely new person who, despite never meeting him, is more deeply connected to him than anyone aside from Danny. She’s a family member. A clone that was created by Vlad. Even though I don’t see Dan as 50% Vlad, it’s still worth noting his origins. The two ghost halves that created him belonged to the only people Ellie ever considered family.

Her relationship with Danny is also completely unique. Whether you see Danny as her cousin, older brother, or dad, it’s something he’s not used to being. We don’t see any other cousins in Danny’s life. He’s always been the youngest in his family, so a little sibling is new. Before her, the only one who depended on him so much for safety and care was his gerbil. All of these relationships are new experiences for Danny.

To top that off, Dan never had a part ghost ally. In his timeline, he and Vlad were the only ones who ever existed. The person who could relate to him the most was a corrupt, manipulative, wealthy man in his 40s who wanted to destroy him or make him his own. Ellie’s just an innocent little girl trying to find her place in the world. She’s even more like Danny than Vlad. She literally came from a part of him.

It’d be fascinating to watch Dan try to figure out how to react to all of this. He wouldn’t want to care, of course, but he still has the logical parts of his personality. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself from questioning and wondering. How would he have felt about this had he gone through it? What sort of person is she? How should he deal with her? What is she supposed to be to him? An enemy? An ally? Nothing?

If you throw in Ellie actually getting attached to him, things could get complicated really fast, and it’d be amazing.

All of this craziness would leave Danny in the position of “the straight man.” He knows more about these two, their personalities, and their histories than most people they’re liable to come across. He has very strong, personal feelings toward both of them. Danielle is his family. She’s someone he needs to protect. He’d even risk his life and freedom for her sake.

In contrast, he despises Dan. Dan represents a future where Danny loses everything that matters to him and becomes everything he fears. Dan has actively tried to kill everyone Danny loves, multiple times in some cases. As long as he exists, Danny still has to wonder if that future is still possible.

He has every reason in the world to not want Dan and Ellie to have ever met, much less for them to continue interacting. Dan could so easily hurt her, and in Danny’s eyes, he’d obviously want to. Dan wants Danny to lose everything, and if he sees Dani as a threat to his existence, she’s in serious danger from him. No matter what, he wouldn’t be able to let his guard down or even think of trusting Dan.

If they had to team up in order to survive, obviously the three of them would cooperate. Dan has a sense of self-preservation, Danielle obviously doesn’t want to die, and Danny has his dreams and responsibilities. That wouldn’t stop things from being complicated, though.

Danielle’s still trying to figure out, well...everything. Dan has no idea what to make of Dani or the fact that he’s stuck in this situation. Danny just wants to keep everyone, especially Danielle, safe and get rid of Dan for good.

It’s just the kind of setup that could lead to fantastic character interactions and development. I would’ve loved this.

[ryanellisphoto]

#155 — Saturday, March 26th, 2019 — Ryan Ellis Photography - Detroit Street Photography Session #155 — Nikon Nikkor Ai-S 35mm f/2 (ca. 1982-3)

Photograph or Flight Response Tested - Roy R. Rowlands - Flags Hart Plaza - Brush Street Study - Homeless Goat - Two Tents Equal A Fifth - Homeless Man Pitches At Tigers Stadium - Spring Loaded - Selfie By Hudson Site - Lines Looking Up And Lines Looking Down - Greektown Worm Moon Rising - Greektown After Morning Twilight - Greektown Homeless Man - Knowledge Is Power - Library Vs. School - David Bosco Willis - The Man With Three First Names - Happy Lass In Downtown - Self-Professed G.O.A.T. Meets Goat - Diptych - Triptych 

Arrived @ 7:15 AM

Departed @ 3:30 PM

1,036 photos (and also 18 videos) taken in 8¼ hours with 56 “keepers” among them, rendering a pauper’s percentage with just a 5.4% “success” rate at a king-size pace of 121.88 shots per hour (I desire the most at least to achieve a 10% “success” rate and 100 shots per hour).

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PREFACE:  A few years ago, I saw a CL listing for a camera gear lot that appeared to be from the non-Ai-era of Nikon’s camera line history. Included in this lot was a “Saligar” 35mm f/2.8 (ca. 1964) lens. The owner of it told me that if super glue had been invented in the early sixties, when he accidentally dropped the lens, he would have fastened it back together with that, but, instead, it was held together by masking tape. This same man in a past life headed the crash test dummy department at GM in the 1980′s, making his living by developing the safest cars possible (quite honorable). The lens makes issues with the shutter. It puts odd shadows across images. I would use it artistically if I could predict and/or control the obscurations better. This lens has taken some fantastic shots, but the mechanical pain of having to disconnect and reconnect it all the time keep it low on my roster.  :—:— A couple years ago, I bought a Nikkor-S 35mm f/2.8 (ca. 1964) lens from a mysterious French woman in Royal Oak. I had the price readjusted when I examined it, finding hundreds of scratches on the front element glass. The lens blew out brighter parts and seemed a bit dull in the focus. I thought the thing might be useful for artistic, niche things, but it is only good for video some of the time and for photography hardly any of the time. :—:— This week, I found a Nikkor Ai-S 35mm f/2 (ca. 1982/3) lens used on CL and sprung for it. I wish the story of this second lens purchase were more interesting, but believer’s bias is no better than bias because of reality. :—:— I read on Ken Rockwell’s website that this particular lens was a trouble regarding lens flare and barrel distortion. I never shot a good 35mm lens, so this was my chance to shoot a good one yet be disappointed somewhat unavoidably by its persistent flaws in spite of all other circumstances being the veriest operative. :—:— I wanted to see how today might go with this newest (to me) 35mm lens.     

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PATH TAKEN:

Greektown - It was 26° F with low winds outside when I arrived in Detroit. “Tergiversate” is a word that many times aptly describes me. I do it often. I did it often upon my arrival in Greektown. Saturdays (my habitual Detroit street photography day), I frequently get street side only to return to my vehicle for something I forgot. This happened about three (or [sadly] more) times when I arrived. I love the old pastor’s explanation as to why David brought with him five smooth stones from the river when there was just one Goliath of Gath to vanquish—in case Goliath had four brothers with him when David arrived to defeat Israel’s anthropic Apollyon. Likewise, when I go out shooting, I take only what I need—as well as more in case I need it as well (my incurable optimism and hopeless hoping binds me to such measures). All that said, I unhappily admit I felt a bit dazed in my focus; I felt early on the weight of the world upon me. I thought, “what am I doing here?” I was sad that I have had these three years (all my time doing photography seriously) of famine in my photographic pursuits, profits-wise. I hoped to crush the proverbial skull at Golgotha with the cross I bore upon its placement atop the mount of sorrow I climbed today (to slightly borrow another preacher’s extra-biblical tale). :—:— I am awful at posing folks. That is something I wish to learn by observing folks far, far better than myself at posing others doing just that. When I take a people shot, I take the shot. Haha. I have no instructions for the subject(s), though I tell groups to gather nearer to one another for my final shot. A homeless man approached me asking me to take his picture. He was insistent that I would do that, so I did. I did not know he was homeless until a few shots in, because he told me as much as most do, which is to say that he talked of his need to find a job and some money. He even said that he wanted me to photograph his struggle as a homeless man. With that, he laid on the ground and closed his eyes as if to sleep. I warily proceeded photographing him in this and other poses. Finally, I gave him my card with instructions on how to get the best shots, should he find himself with a phone or online, and I told him all that I knew regarding getting help and getting employment. I really need to learn what proper local resources there are for the homeless. I meet and converse with maybe a half-dozen or more every week.

Brush Street - Trying to do something novel in order to write off my woes, I turned left on Monroe Street before it exited Greektown (instead of following it up to Campus Martius Park). I thought the light made the scene I saw look nice, so I took a three-shot burst of it (I shot bracketed with a third of a stop between shots to minimize the need to edit out bad lighting in post-processing). Thinking of my study of the RenCen video from a couple months back ( https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq51gEvn25a/ ), I continued this three-shot burst of the same scene of Brush Street until I ended up inside of the RenCen itself! Mayhaps, I might make this into a mini-movie with music underneath on my ‘gram!  

East Larned Street - I admit I have not the keenest eye for distortion. This lens I shot with today (Nikkor 35mm f/2 [ca 1982-3]) was put down by Ken Rockwell for having pretty bad distortion (it makes straight lines look curved as the image moves from the center to the edges). This annoyance was pronounced when I shot the brand new Plum Market’s dining room from outside. I could not satisfactorily get straight lines on the edges of my very boxy composition.

Spirit of Detroit Plaza - I struck up a conversation with a man carrying a large backpack with Iraq-War-style U.S. camouflage patterned throughout its sections. I jokingly asked if he had brought everything he needed, and he laughed and replied, “No, I do not have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” I replied, “Some folks are deathly allergic to nuts, so maybe that was a good thing!” He said, “Well, I am not, so I would still take the sandwich!” :—:— From here, we went back and forth in conversation. I asked if he had served in the military, and he said that he came from a family with several sisters, and because he was the only man amongst his siblings, he was told and also decided to not serve in the military in order to carry on his family name. He added that he had several family members that had served. His father was a marine. His uncle served too (and others). He said that he was a firearms instructor and taught many current and former military folks over the years. He was an older gentleman, in his middle years by my estimation, so I asked if he was from Detroit. He said he was born and raised here and only spent a little while elsewhere. With that answer given, I asked if he remembered the 1967 Race Riots in Detroit. He said yes and gave a bird’s eye view recollection of it but confessed he was quite young when it happened. I asked him about Dan Gilbert and Mile Ilitch. He had broadly favorable thoughts on the former and selected favorable thoughts on the latter. I gave him my card, and he told me something I have heard hundreds tell me: “I will contact you!” He caught his bus, and I went on my own merry way as well.  

Hart Plaza - A couple weeks ago, I emailed the office of the mayor of Detroit to file a formal (as much as I could find online at least) complaint that the American flags in the plaza were shredded at the ends or worse (and in dire need of respectful retirement and replacement). Upon sending the request, I received an automated response that I would get a reply within forty-eight hours. Remember, this is the city of Detroit—I never received a response. That said, the flags were all removed today (that is one step closer to a proper replacement). With or without my cue (perhaps, the flags are on a schedule [at least this is what Roy suggested when we later met up]), the government-perpetuated blight was partially fixed. I noticed that the Canadian flag across the Detroit River still flies (and is in immaculate condition as ever). Next, the city needs to raise up brand new American flags. That is not something I will file another formal complaint about, unless Memorial Day comes and goes with no U.S. flags in the plaza. :—:— Ken Rockwell’s review of the Nikkor 35mm f/2 lens (ais) was that it had bad lens flare, so, with the sun still rising and quite visible in the sky, I tested this assertion myself. There was a good bit of flare. I will hopefully make a lens review video with the shots and footage from today. It was pretty bad flare, but I could also see the artistic merits of using it at times. I guess if one was doing a paid gig that required a perfect representation of the world through the lens, the flare would be a huge issue. Fortunately (perhaps) for me, I am doing street photography in this context, and the flare is just wabi-sabi. :—:— In coursing through the different apertures in video mode on my camera (in order to see if the lens flare was helped or hurt depending on the aperture’s given width), I found that the sunstars that the lens made were just exquisite. Hahaha. I found it so funny that this lens that Mr. Rockwell said was not ever (if one wanted good results photographically) to be pointed at the sun was pretty bang-up precisely when it was pointed at the sun when stopped down. True, the flare was bad, but if you could get past that aesthetically, the sun looked marvelous! :—:— I filmed and did a time-lapse of the sun rising over the Detroit River. I was too impatient to wait for the sun to leave the frame, so I got it halving itself on the top of the composition by the end of the time-lapse that I took. It is a good thing I ducked out early, because I had my usual eleven AM meetup to make with Roy, and it was already nearly nine AM when I finally exited the plaza. 

Campus Martius Park 

Woodward Avenue (northeast side of the street) - Inspired by the change in my habitual path earlier (when I took Brush Street all the way to the RenCen), I decided to walk on the less-interesting side of Woodward Avenue all the way up to the Fisher Building (well, that was my ultimate plan at least). 

The Hudson Site - Here I will admit it:  I include self-portraits in my “top ten” shots often even if there may be an eleventh or twelfth shot in my own rankings that is better, because I want to not be forgotten as the person behind the work you experience here and elsewhere. Maybe the victors write the history. Well, the author certainly writes the history either way (though sometimes at the edge of a sword). I take my prerogative as the author, editor, and publisher of my own work to refer back to myself when it is not plain horrible-looking. :—:— The irony about this is that I strive to have a journalistic cleanness and honesty to my shots and write-ups (editorial opinions here and there notwithstanding). I do not edit my photos, except to straighten horizons and maybe crop slightly into the meat of the composition. This might be an excuse from one without photoshop or the like on his computer, but I also like the challenge of getting a photo right the first time. It keeps me striving for perfection (I hope in a healthy way). 

Comerica Park - Keeping with my otherly path today, I turned right onto Adams Street from Woodward Avenue, headed in the direction of Comerica Park. I thought the angle of the sun at that time of the day made the park look lovely, and like a parched, lone vagabond traversing a desert and seeing an oasis (or at least the supposed image of one), I walked toward the park in search of my next picture. The light looked not as good up close as it did from further away (it was but a mirage of a good shot after all). I might have gotten the shot after all had I a longer lens on me or if I was willing to crop the shot taken with my Nikkor 35mm f/2 (ca. 1982/3) lens, but I decided to get super low to the ground (one of my favorite perspectives of all) and make the park look epic. The shots I got were not as inspiring as hoped, so I turned left onto Witherell Street (which runs directly along the side of the Detroit MLB stadium). :—:— Earlier in the day, I photographed a homeless man that I did not initially know was homeless. He asked to be pictured, and that is what I did. As I walked in the direction of Woodward Avenue (heading through the double parking lot for handicap folks), I spied a pair of tents illegally set up in the road that split the two handicap parking lots. The tents were placed atop manholes that leaked excess hot steam that was meant to heat buildings. There were other manholes leaking steam near the tents, and the sun lit the plumes a golden-whitish hue that was marvelous to behold alongside the bright colors of the tents. As I passed by the first tent, I saw a homeless man peak his head out from its entrance, and I jokingly asked if he was camping out already for Black Friday’s deals. He glared at me and said something hateful under his breath. :—:— It is my rule to not photograph someone when they are in an underhanded position, because I would not want the same done to me. It is the Golden Rule put to action, and I commend all photographers to follow it. Having had the rude awakening last week to seeing a homeless woman counting a wad of cash in big bills that amounted by its size to probably more than I make in a week at my day job, I was a bit wary of empathizing with the excuses the homeless made for their oftentimes (anecdotally-speaking) blatant disregard for the rule of law and basic decency and courtesy besides. I decided to break my own rule and photograph the tents at Tiger’s Stadium. My DSLR (Nikon D800) is not a quiet shooter, and so the clicks in three-shot bursts did not maintain a scene deprived of a person for long, as the homeless man rushed out of one of his tents and started shouting at me invectives for daring to photograph his broad-daylight, lawbreaking campsite. I did not say a word but kept shooting, thinking of the three-thousand-year-old proverb that a soft word turns away wrath. The man was clearly on something, because he worked himself (albeit with a clumsy gait) into a froth of anger and made physical threats against me. I was twenty-feet away crouched low to the ground taking pictures of this scene. I figured that if he rushed me, I could get out in a snap. :—:— The man went into his tent and came out with something in his hand. Before I knew it, he threw it at me, trying to hit me. It was a half-eaten orange. I retorted, “that was perfectly good food, man! Why are you wasting food?” I thought about leaving or staying (the classic fight or flight, or in my case, photograph or flight). I decided in a split second to stay. The man went back into his tent and ramped up his verbal threats as well as his threatening posture. Then, he wound up and threw a sandwich in a sandwich bag at me. It loudly thudded when it hit the ground right next to me. He was drunk, and so he missed. I had already made my point that he had wasted food. I saw the sandwich bag next to me, and I considered that it was probably a direct gift from a kind stranger to him. He did not care about that. He only cared about privacy in the middle of a major city (a contradiction in terms). I talk to homeless folks every week. One question I often ask is, “where are you staying?” Many answer, “Under a bridge” or “under a [public structure].” If this man wanted peace and quiet, camping in the middle of a parking lot in a busy side of town (and with two tents just for his single self!) was not a fitting decision. I thought later of this drunken vagrant: “Two tents equal a fifth,” because only the drunks among the homeless that I see are so ambitiously stupid. I said no grievous words to this homeless man, but I had grievous thoughts (borrowing from last week’s hypocritical spectacle). My presence was to him grievous, so, in keeping with the second half of the aforementioned three-thousand-year-old proverb, I fear I stirred up his anger and brought upon myself what befell me (and it could have been worse [I could have been hurt, and/or my gear could have been damaged]). :—:— One way or the other, I adore the triptych that resulted from this experience. It is a homeless man “pitching” in front of the major league baseball stadium in Detroit! I would love to hear from a baseball expert if his form was proper. 

Woodward Avenue (northeast side of the street) - Forcing myself to stay on a different path than usual, I walked on the less-interesting side of Woodward Avenue. 

Detroit Institute of Art - I clearly do not visit this art museum enough. I have not walked through it since last fall, when I went with my good pal, miss S.C. :—:— As proof of my lack of familiarity with this spot, I accidentally mistook the fountain in the front for a staircase, since it went up by steps. Hahahaha. I did not realize the error of my ways until I want almost to the top. I saw that there was a huge gap, and it only then struck me that it was a turned-off (for the cold season) fountain! No one said you had to have common sense to be a photographer. I just point and shoot what looks interesting to me, and sometimes I even think about what I am shooting! Haha. Photography is a little more than seeing and snapping, but only a little. Once all the distractions of knowing why you are doing what you are doing are assuaged, all you are left with is the meeting of preparation and opportunity (should you will to make something of your abundance [and hopefully with humility, grace, and thankfulness]).  

Detroit Public Library 

WSU Department of Mortuary Science - It did not smell like anything outside of this building, but the winds were low, and the temperature was no higher than 32° F outside. 

The Fisher Building - I made it to the Fisher! I admit that (to me) the Nikkor 35mm f/2 (ca. 1982/3) lens is not the best for architectural photography. I had more pleasure shooting with my Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 (ca. 1971) lens that I did with the 35mm lens. It was just too zoom-y for me. Haha. That reminds me of a story I heard about Monty Python alum and thereafter director extraordinaire (on his own), Terry Gilliam. Mr. Gilliam is admittedly an odd fellow (see his body of work for proof). There is one area, where he and I may have pretty close similarities. The man prefers ultra-wide lenses for everything, and he considers a normal lens to be a “zoom” for him. I have to say that I like to get super close to my subjects, and so an ultra-wide is my friend. My 24mm lens is my go-to most weeks in the city (along with my Nikkor 55mm f/1.2 [ca. 1971] [these are my standard camera body companions on my outings]). :—:— Though I desired to use a 24mm or wider outside and inside the Fisher Building, I persisted with the 35mm (even though I brought along [and never used] my 55mm lens in a small camera bag on my side), because today was a day to review this lens, and I was going to use it even when it was not the best choice (as much as I could muster). Once inside the building, I found the folks at the front desk much more hospitable than the ones that occupied it a couple weeks prior   

Woodward Avenue (southwest to northeast side of street) 

East Warren Avenue - Instead of taking Mack Avenue from Woodward Avenue, I took a lesser-known path to Milano Bakery that ushered me past the DMC (Detroit Medical Center), which is the great hospital in Detroit (in my opinion). One day, I will find a neat angle with which to photograph it. Until then, I put my path near its perimeter and gaze at it with a discriminating eye. 

St Antoine Street - A couple weeks back, I joked about the “Knowledge Is Power” phrase engraved into the Vermont marble on the edifice of the Detroit Public Library on Woodward Avenue (in light of the names on either side of the engraving). Well, I took a picture of that phrase at the library, and I saw it again at a school’s marquee, so I photographed it as well. I wonder if they put the phrase there for its own sake or as a nod to the Detroit Public Library (the library would not be a very long bus trip from the school, so perhaps the kids had just visited that same library [who knows?]). The diptych is on my “top ten” shots of the day. 

Mack Avenue 

Milano Bakery - Somehow, I arrived several minutes before Roy did. I used that edge in temporalness to walk up the long (on foot) parking lot to the end, where my security guard pal was parked and on patrol. I used the length of that walk to go back through my camera to find the three shots of the homeless man pitching at Comerica Park (the baseball stadium). We talked about this and that for a couple minutes, and then, I showed my friend the shots. At about that time, Roy pulled up and parked his red Mercedes convertible in the lot, and he walked up to the car to begin talking to the man as well, butting out my part of the conversation. The man is my elder, so I kept quiet and let him get out his complaints about life. He stopped a hair’s length from saying he wanted to off himself; he was in a mood. The security guard tried to paint a picture of rainbows and butterflies, stressing the good in life to instead focus on, but Roy brushed off his tenderness, doubling down on his assurance of his own awful life (and doing so in a dismissive, yet rattled, way). This should have portended a red flag in my mind, but I ignored the signal, focusing on the Roy I was used to dealing with (slightly less-acerbic than that [haha]). :—:— I showed Roy the future triptych of the homeless man chucking the sandwich at me, and he blew up at me in intense fury. We parted with the security guard and started walking in to the bakery. A few steps into our departure, a woman called out to us in the parking lot. She walked up to us and asked if we knew how to get to the pawn shop. Roy, wanting to be the know-it-all said he knew how to get there, but it was clear he was bloviating. Sensing the confusion, the security guard left this vehicle and walked up. “Do you mean Zimmerman’s?” the guard asked. “Yes! That’s the one!” the lady said. Roy butted in again, interrupting the security guard now that he had a place of reference. The guard was endlessly patient with this action, and he let Roy interrupt him again and again. Roy was determined to make himself useful as a power play. Haha. I just stood and watched in bemusement, hoping for a chance to give the guard some backup, should he get uncomfortable with the disrespect. The woman thanked the three of us (I just stood there and contributed nothing, but she was set in her heart to be universally generous), and we once more set out to span the lot to enter the bakery. :—:— Once inside, I plugged in my camera battery charger and my phone charger (in one outlet! [I use an Aluratech USB charger {sadly now discontinued} that leeches power from a plug to charge a device]). Set up and ready to go for a nice, long shoot-the-breeze conversation, I found myself dodging verbal volleys of invectives from a viper I thought was my “dear friend.” :—:— Roy used up the entire time at the bakery to hurl insults and accusations at me (all on account of the picture). He called the photo degrading. He called me disgraceful. And that is about the end of the non-explicit section of his tirade. I should have walked away, but Roy is my friend, and I wanted to get to the bottom of why he was so angry at me. I defended myself, yes, which likely sustained his wrath by giving him an opponent, but I did so in astonished pity for the man. His walls are tall and broad and thick and barbed at the edges—there was no getting through to the guy. I think of the pair of three-thousand-year-old proverbs “reprove a fool, and he will remit from his ways” and “do not reprove a fool, lest he attack you.” I think the contradictory advice from the same author is meant to say that you do not know how correction of another will result. You may be decimated by them, or you may, thankfully, get through to them. I took the chance that my friend was having a bad day (as he had begun the day exclaiming), and I went ahead in reproving him, as a friend. :—:— Maybe the biggest thing that kept me glued to my seat was the fact that I figured no one else would have stayed there through all the insults. To be a difference-maker, maybe one has to be different himself, so I set out to be the exception to his expected end (hoping all the while that I was not feeding abusive tendencies in his heart). :—:— Instead of walking away (I made the excuse in my mind that I wanted to let my camera battery charge yet longer), I finally told Roy, “You have made your point. There is nothing more that I need to hear from you,” and we both sat in profound silence for a long time. I checked the international headlines, reading several news articles as Roy stared through the window to the outside business in the city in his own outworking of quietude. :—:— I have been quoting proverbs from Proverbs in this write-up. The Bible is the greatest book of all time; I know that, because I went to a splendiferous school. It was small (including myself, there were fourteen kids in my graduating class), and it was strict (I joke it was like the movie “Footloose” [which I have never seen but loosely understand] for thirteen years), but it was very good. I credit it with any sort of brain function that goes on behind my babbling. Well, as Providence would have it, after many minutes of this silence, I heard, “Ryan?” Hahaha. Last week, I heard that from my pal, Devin. This week, I heard it from an alumna from my high school. I looked, and it was her and her mother, who was also our third-grade teacher. What a coincidence, and what timing! We got up and hugged and chatted for a hot second. It was a glorious reuniting, but I was uncomfortable because of what just happened with Roy. I kept wondering if they had heard our back and forth. I was embarrassed either way, because I did not go on to conquer the world, as many of my classmates have from our tiny but ambitious school. The two were doing well, and my schoolmate had had a son. I wish them the best. :—:— When we parted to return to our respective tables, I explained to Roy who the folks were, and I added, “Shall we make peace?” Roy stared at me, and I said, “You have said your peace, and there is nothing more to say.” He took this as a completionist’s challenge, and he proceeded to say racist things between curse words lobbed at me. Again, I thought about walking away, but this time it would have been in front of two people that knew me half of my present time on earth. Those folks knew me well. They knew me as a child. I grew up with them, and here I was, carousing (by the looks of it) with a thoroughly vulgar character. I probably do not respect myself enough (I do not respect myself enough). I stayed and faced the onslaught of evil from Roy’s lips. In retrospect, I should have left, but I made excuses and sat through the persecution needlessly. There should be a line in the sand in my heart. I should name my price in the beginning, dignity-wise. I had not considered my own honor enough when I let him continue without my exiting. I regret that. :—:— Roy was not interested in going to the oriental supermarket, suggesting the middle eastern one instead. I agreed, and I said goodbye to my old friends as I left. 

Dearborn Fresh Supermarket - We rode in Roy’s red Mercedes convertible to the grocery store in Dearborn. On the way, I thought about exiting the vehicle at every stop. I thought about never talking to the dude again. I have a huge heart, but that should (if being healthy with oneself) be balanced by a huge sense of self-worth, which I need to work on developing in these areas of personal intrusion (I had too many bad characters reinforce the weakness I still feel). We walked around a bit before sitting in the dining area in the back. Roy’s acid tongue was in full force. I will stop here in my description of the events with Roy. There was a lot said by the man that is far beyond publication for reasons not even hinted at thusfar. 

Greektown - Freedom! I was dropped off here, and I was on my own! I could breathe the polluted Detroit air in peace! 

Donald “Sunn” Anderson’s Street Art Stand 

David Bosco Willis’ Street Sax Spot - I asked my sax pal (with “three first names”) if he had gotten a rental saxophone to replace his broken one. He said no. He told me he had fixed the thing himself! :—:— In asking how he was able to repair the instrument, he decided to educate me in the origin of the saxophone. As he was explaining how Adolphe Sax invented it (hence the name) and how the mechanics of the instrument worked, a passerby finished his sentence! I laughed and exclaimed, “How many times does an expert walk by as you are having a conversation?” Continuing the lesson on the history of the saxophone, my pal David explained the history of the saxophone coming into its own and started being used as a more standout element in music. This was ten-seconds after the interruption, and a second man finished David’s sentence! I exclaimed once more, “This is amazing! Where are these people coming from? Band practice from their orchestra?” David and I laughed. The lesson continued. David was talking about his way of playing the saxophone, and then, a lady interrupted us, saying, “Why are you not playing your saxophone?” Then she turned to me and said, “It’s you! You are distracting him!” Hahaha. I laughed and apologized and said, “He will play his saxophone very soon!” Before parting, as David picked up and played his sax, I stayed a while longer, taking photos from many angles of Mr. Willis. One of those shots made this week’s “top ten.”

The Broadway (and Shoes) - That this place is closed is a sad thing. 

The Belt 

David Klein Gallery - Today was a three-o’clock final-day-of-the-exhibition gathering that including Andrew Kreiger, one of the three featured artists. I gave Mr. Kreiger my card and said hello to everyone. I thanked the nice folks that worked there for telling me about the street photography contest that they emailed me about over a week ago, and I added that I was having trouble picking my “top ten” (I always do ten, don’t I? Haha) for the contest. The gallery director told me I should go with my gut over what my friends suggested. I agreed. :—:— I am not the biggest schmoozer, so I left before the gathering kicked up. I would have sat in a corner otherwise the whole time awkwardly. I do not want to be a bump on a log nor a bother, but perhaps that can be remedied one day. I just need a better angle from which to approach these gatherings. 

Woodward Avenue (southwest side of street) 

The Hudson Site - I saw my hip-hop pal, “Shadow Klan” plying his trade to passersby. I exclaimed his name loudly, and we hugged. We chatted a bit, and I started photographing the man. I showed him the portrait and animated GIF that I took and made from seeing him last week. I said that I needed to get him in front of a more interesting backdrop to make an even better animated GIF. With that explanation received, he and I started looking for an interesting spot very near by to do this next GIF. We landed on being just in front of my favorite cafe in Detroit.  

Urban Bean Co. - This is my favorite cafe in Detroit. Mr. “Shadow Klan” and I worked off one another as we found a rhythm between the camera and the character. I got him in front of the park, and I stood still and low, letting him go in and out of camera and go in and out of focus. It was magical. I look forward to making more of these every time I see him. We could have enough content for a sweet music video one day! 

Campus Martius Park - Automatically interesting: a man with a goat in the middle of a major city. I have photographed this man before at DEMF 2018. I told him to send me a message to see his shots I took of him. I found it challenging to get the goat up close in focus manually focusing at f/2, and I was too stubborn to try for a narrower aperture. Haha. I failed to get an up-close shot of just the goat’s face, but I got a neat shot of a security guard (who explained that because he and his friends deemed him the Greatest Of All Time [G.O.A.T.], he had to stop and get a photo with the goat [”the G.O.A.T. with the goat”]). That shot is in my “top ten” as well. This serendipity made for a beautiful end to the day. It is good to end on a high note, and this seemed like mine!

Greektown 

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WHAT WENT ON ON THIS DAY OUT IN DETROIT?

I shot with a new (to me) lens, the Nikkor Ai-S 35mm f/2 (ca. 1982/3). This was a pleasure (mostly) to use. The sun flare is apparent, as is the barrel distortion. This lens is not absolutely perfect, but it is still lots of fun to use. I love the f/2 maximum aperture for its low-light chops and bokeh fall-off. It magnifies my photographic modus. :—:— I photographed a triptych of a homeless man throwing a sandwich in a sandwich bag at me. I did not get hurt. I left right after. The man was deranged. I think this triptych can live on, though. I see some power in the triple-image I took. We will see over time, I suppose. :—:— I had a bad time with my friend, Roy. He was a grumpy oaf. The move is just a stressful time for Roy, and I wanted to be the light I hope I am in his life. His life has lots of darkness, and there is more oxygen in the air for the guy when I am around I think. :—:— It is always noteworthy to bump into a noteworthy (diligently, quite-successfully-working) artist. Andrew Kreiger was making an appearance at the David Klein Gallery for the last day of an exhibit there that among two other internationally-recognized artists, had his own work on display there. I always ponder if there is anything different about them or everything different about them (or something in between) from the rest of folks. I take pictures; I do not make images or shapes from scratch. I cannot understand (at this point) the mindset to create like these folks do. Going to the gallery to think on this (I hope) helps. :—:— I saw a goat in the heart of Downtown Detroit. I have seen this goat before. Its owner went to DEMF in 2018, and I photographed him and his goat (I called the shot, “Millennial Bohemian,” because that is just what the man appears to be going for [probably without conscious effort]).     

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⋰B⋰U⋰Z⋰Z⋰W⋰O⋰R⋰D⋰S⋰

“Inside baseball” locations and concepts talked about in this Detroit Street Photography Session  —

●  Cotton Ball - This is my secret weapon on a cold day. A little piece torn off a cotton ball in each ear seems to keep my ears warmer and pain-free (provided I am also wearing a winter hat over the ears as well. I cannot recommend this enough. Yeah, it reduces my hearing, but I talk louder with them, so maybe I am heard better? Hahaha. I hope it is not obnoxious.  

●  RenCen - This is a nickname for the Renaissance Center (I would wager most Detroiters that know the presently-tallest building in Detroit’s name as this are also unable to spell the word “renaissance” without spellcheck or autocorrect aiding them). Then again, I just as much think most Millennials that know the current popular name of their own generation cannot spell the word “Millennial” without spellcheck or autocorrect aiding them. Is this more akin to a fish not knowing it is wet or to a bakeshop owner not knowing that the numbers on his toaster at home correspond to time (minutes) and not temperature?

●  Plum Market - I heard years ago that of all of America’s major cities, Detroit had the least rats and mice in it (New York had the most at the time). The explanation for this aside from how barren the city is of people (compared to most major cities) was that there were no, or only a couple, grocery stores in the city, thus greatly reducing the ready, year-round food supply for the rodents.   The Plum Market is an upscale grocer that just opened up on Woodward Avenue and East Larned Street in the heart of downtown across from the Spirit of Detroit Plaza (not far from Hart Plaza, which is where the city of Detroit itself was founded about three-hundred-and-eighteen years ago. I welcome the fresh produce. I shun the presumed coming influx of rats.

●  Ken Rockwell - This man is the paterfamilias of online lens (and camera) reviews. He is detailed and fair and personally experienced and knowledgable in the industry as well as the art of photography. For one such as myself that uses and seeks “new” (to me) old glass, his website is a constant companion to my journey with photography. Should he not outlive me, I will be sad the day his site ends its updates. No one else does what he does as well and honorably as he does it. Maybe right-brained folks (which are many of the creatives that do photography) are given to more drama than most, but I have never heard a bad word about this man. He is trustworthy. His body of work will be sought and sourced by amateurs (on up to professionals) for as long as the internet (and whatever else down the line arrives) exists, I predict. 

●  Wabi-sabi  - I despise woo-woo concepts. Taking the eastern mysticism angle out (which is there for those gullible-enough to even entertain it), this is the concept of finding beauty amidst (in fact on account of) imperfection.  

●  Sunstar - Imagine an adolescent’s crayon drawing of a diurnal outdoor scene in the summer with a clear sky. The sun would look (perhaps) like a yellow circle with an orange, jagged (saw blade-shaped) outline around its end. Minus the color, this is what a sunstar loosely resembles. So, yes, that was a pretty accurate drawing many kids (including yourself, possibly) produced after all (if you are looking at the sun through many stopped down lenses [not all produce this effect]). 

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If you like what I do, consider supporting me on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/seedetroitlikeido

Check out my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmWGEXMZfJn5tutCOgK_dtg

I have a Twitter that has unique content from the rest of my social media accounts:

https://twitter.com/prayforryan

I have an Instagram that I am proud of. It has neat write-ups for my different works that also appear on my YT versions of the same videos. It also has photos and videos that appear nowhere else:

https://www.instagram.com/rellish3214/

✦ If you ever have any questions, feel free to email me. I am here for you. Email:  ryanellisphoto@gmail.com

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d __ _____.-’ ’-.  ________b

| [__]       /.”“”“.\ _  D800 |

|            // /” “\  \_)           |

|             \ \__/  //             |

| Nikon     `.__.’/               |

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[junker-town]

8 NFL players who deserved to win a Super Bowl

It’s hard to believe Hall of Famers like Randy Moss and Barry Sanders don’t have a Super Bowl ring.

Not everyone gets to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Even some of the best players in NFL history were never able to win a Super Bowl — players who had bonafide Hall of Fame careers.

Greatness doesn’t guarantee a Super Bowl ring, or in some cases even a chance at a ring. Terrell Owens, Tony Gonzalez, LaDainian Tomlinson, Cris Carter, Eric Dickerson, Tony Gonzalez — the number of titans who have come up empty-handed goes on and on.

It’s nearly impossible to list every truly great player who didn’t win the big game. Instead, we picked out eight players we still can’t believe don’t have a Super Bowl championship on their resume.

Randy Moss

Depending on who you talk to, Randy Moss just might be the best receiver of all time. He’s certainly one of the best receivers to ever step on a football field — he was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection last year.

Despite a career that includes 982 receptions, 15,292 receiving yards, and 156 touchdowns, Moss was unable to clinch a Lombardi trophy. That includes his legendary 2007 stint for the New England Patriots. Moss caught an NFL-record 23 touchdowns for a Patriots that took a perfect 18-0 record into the Super Bowl. They ended up losing to the New York Giants 17-14.

It’s almost criminal that one of the best receivers in NFL history never got a Super Bowl while playing for one of the best teams in the history of the NFL.

Moss got one more chance at a ring in his final season in the league. After a brief retirement, Moss came back to play for the 49ers in 2012. They went on to Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Ravens — another close three-point loss for Moss’ team.

Barry Sanders

Arguing that Barry Sanders is the best running back of all time is a lot like making the case that Randy Moss was the best receiver. Neither played long enough to chase down major career records, but both were as freakishly unstoppable as the NFL has ever seen.

Sanders won the Heisman Trophy in 1988 with the most absurdly dominant season of football anyone has ever had. Then he made NFL defenses look silly for 10 years, earning a Pro Bowl nod in all 10 seasons.

He averaged 99.8 rushing yards per game, 5.0 yards per carry, and is one of only three players to ever eclipse 15,000 yards. What he never got was a trip to the Super Bowl — something no Lions team has ever done.

Sanders was a member of the only Lions team to play in the NFC Championship in the Super Bowl era. Detroit lost that game, 41-10, to Washington in January 1992.

His career ended abruptly with an unexpected retirement a couple weeks after his 31st birthday. Sanders did more than enough to be an easy first ballot Hall of Fame entry, but unfortunately, we never got to see him win it all.

Larry Fitzgerald

In January, Larry Fitzgerald announced he’ll return for a 15th NFL season with the Arizona Cardinals. One more year should be more than enough to give him the second spot on the career receptions list (he’s only 22 behind Tony Gonzalez), but it almost definitely won’t get him his first Super Bowl ring. Not unless Kliff Kingsbury is a miracle worker in his first NFL season.

Fitzgerald will probably end his career 0-1 in Super Bowls. That’s a shame because he played some of the most dominant postseason football of any receiver in NFL history.

He finished Super Bowl 43 with seven receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers. That was after he had 152 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the NFC Championship, and 166 yards and a touchdown in the Divisional Round. In four games that postseason, he had 30 catches for 546 yards and seven touchdowns.

His clutch 64-yard touchdown in the Super Bowl put the Cardinals on top late in the fourth quarter:

And it would’ve given them the win if Ben Roethlisberger hadn’t answered with a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes.

Fitzgerald will finish his career second all-time in receiving yards, likely second in receptions, and likely sixth in receiving touchdowns. But maybe the most wild stat of his career is that he’s one of eight players with 10 or more receiving touchdowns in the playoffs. He got there in nine games.

That should’ve got Fitzgerald the Super Bowl ring he deserves. Unfortunately, the Cardinals couldn’t piece things together with enough consistency to give him that chance.

Junior Seau

Seau was the quintessential multipurpose linebacker; a West Coast wrecking ball who had the intelligence, size, and athleticism to cover any situation in an opponent’s playbook. Unfortunately for him, he was star-crossed by being drafted by the league’s most cursed franchise (non-Browns edition), the Chargers. In San Diego, his quarterbacks were some wretched combination of players like Billy Joe Tolliver, John Friesz, Stan Humphries, Craig Whelihan, Jim Harbaugh, and Ryan Leaf. The fact the franchise even made it to Super Bowl 29 is a testament to Seau’s playmaking.

When his Chargers tenure came to an end, he went to the Dolphins as a 34-year-old linebacker, missed 18 games in three seasons, and generally looked washed up. And then, whoops, turns out that’s just a byproduct of playing in Miami, became a valuable veteran presence, and looked like he’d finally win a ring in the most Rodney Harrison-ish of ways — by escaping San Diego and playing for Bill Belichick.

Seau spent four seasons in New England, somehow right at the start of the franchise’s longest championship drought of the millennium. He saw the Pats go 18-0 in 2007 only to get upended by the Giants in that year’s Super Bowl. He retired after the 2009 season, winning zero more playoff games along the way.

His life after football played out like a Roman tragedy, ending with a battle against CTE and his untimely death in 2012, years before his family would enshrine him as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. With or without a ring he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever take the field, but if you’re looking for worthy candidates for “best player to never win a Super Bowl,” Seau’s 20-year career, 1,846 tackles, and 10 All-Pro awards certainly puts him in the running.

Frank Gore

It’s not rare for an elite player to spend the bulk of his career with a bad team. There’s nothing unique about Frank Gore’s situation — but few players who have played at the level he has for as long as he has did it with his level of dedication, work ethic, and satisfaction. Gore rarely complained when the 49ers were a terrible team, and he didn’t complain when he joined the on-the-cusp Colts, who then collapsed, or the Dolphins, who weren’t particularly good when he joined them.

Gore is nicknamed “The Inconvenient Truth” for a reason: five Pro Bowls, nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons (with another three of at least 850 yards), and fourth all-time in career rushing yards. The man runs hard, in every single situation, and just when you think he might be slowing down, he’ll burn you for a huge gain. Throughout his career, opposing players have often referred to Gore as one of the most difficult players to tackle.

It never seemed possible that Gore would reach a harsh decline and then retire. He’d simply chug along, shouldering defenders into the turf until he decided to hang up the cleats. After he continued to produce at 35 years old in Miami this past season, that’s still the case.

Dan Marino

Doesn’t it seem like Dan Marino has a Super Bowl ring? Let’s say it’s weekly trivia night and you have to name as many Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks as you can in one minute so that your team, Tony Romo Knows the Question Before It’s Asked, can beat those nerds at the next table with a name like Trivial Pursuit of Happiness. You’re listing Tom Brady, the Manning brothers, Troy Aikman, Joe Montana ... maybe Dan Marino slips in there. Because it sounds right.

But nope, Marino went to the Super Bowl just once in the 1984 season. The Dolphins got smoked 38-16 by Montana’s 49ers.

Marino had a prolific career, spending all 17 seasons with the Dolphins and getting inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He threw for 61,361 yards in his career (fifth-most in NFL history), 420 touchdowns (also fifth-most), and 8,358 pass attempts (yep, fifth-most), completing 4,967 of them (hey, fifth-most again). He won 147 regular season games, which ranks ... fif—wait, SIXTH all-time. Everyone ahead of him in those rankings is either a fellow Hall of Famer or will be once he’s eligible.

He also helped make the Dolphins popular, which seems nearly impossible nowadays.

Pretty much EVERY Hall of Famer on the Bills teams that lost four straight Super Bowls — but especially Bruce Smith

Jim Kelly. Thurman Thomas. James Lofton. Bruce Smith. Andre Reed. Coach Marv Levy. All Pro Football Hall of Famers. All helped the Bills during their four-year run as the most Sisyphean team in Super Bowl history (though Lofton was only on those first three runner-up teams).

It was a cruel fate for all those men. It doesn’t seem right that none of them can claim a championship. But let’s single out Smith in particular because defenders need love too — and he was one of the best.

Smith’s production can’t be matched — he’s the NFL’s all-time sack leader (with 200!). His longevity is nearly unparalleled, too. He played for 19 seasons and finally retired at the age of 40. He was such a master on the field that pass rushers after him all studied his game — and still do, a decade and a half since his last NFL game.

It’s only fitting that one of Smith’s most memorable plays came in the Super Bowl, the Bills’ first — and closest — loss. In Super Bowl XXV, Smith bulldozed through the Giants offensive line in the blink of an eye to take down quarterback Jeff Hostetler for a safety.

Photo by Gin Ellis/Getty Images

That put the Bills up 12-3 in the second quarter.

It would have been the most defining play of the game, if not for a little something called Wide Right.

Wes Welker

No, Wes Welker probably doesn’t count as one of the best to ever do it, but looking back it’s pretty remarkable that he was never a part of a Super Bowl-winning team. Despite spending six years with Tom Brady and two years with Peyton Manning, Welker never won a Super Bowl ring.

He did play in three Super Bowls, though. He was a member of the record-setting 2007 Patriots team with Randy Moss that lost to the Giants, played for the 2011 Patriots that also lost to the Giants, and the 2013 Broncos team that got annihilated by the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Eight years with arguably the top two quarterbacks of all time and no Super Bowl ring to show for it. Life ain’t fair.

[oldguardaudio]

Gun Control News -> Gun Control Crowd Continues To Misinform With False “Statistics”

Concealed Carry News at Hoax and Change

Concealed Carry – HoaxAndChange.com

Americans

Poll: More Americans Have a Gun in Home Than Ever Before

“Throughout their many failures, gun control advocates have comforted themselves with their belief that gun ownership is falling and that they will be able to achieve their policy goals once the number of …

The Washington Free Beacon3h

Law

Are Gun Laws Really Common Sense..or More of the Same Stupid Stuff?

Let’s look at the gun control laws being asked for today. Do these regulations restrict criminals, or do they restrict honest citizens? Look at the record and decide for yourself. Anti-gun advocates say we …

Ammo Land6d

Crowd

Gun Control Crowd Continues To Misinform With False “Statistics”

Leave it to the gun grabbers to never let the facts get in the way of a good argument. After all, reality has a pesky way of undermining their so-called “facts” when anyone looks deeper, so they don’t give …

bearingarms.com6d

Health Threats From Harvey

Wall Street Gains

Ezekiel Elliott Hearing Over

U.S. Bombing Drills

Arkema Chemical Plant Fire

iPhone 8 Launch Date

Trump Daca

Asteroid Florence

Princess Diana 20 Years

Gun Control

Gun Control Internal Bickering Exposed, Again

In May of 2017 and article was posted here on All Outdoor detailing the internal bickering of gun control groups. Well, here is another example, this time from the Huffington Post – As A Gun Violence …

alloutdoor.com6d

Gun Rights

USCCA Hits Back at Gun Control Advocates Accusing Concealed Carry of Violence

West Bend, WI –-(Ammoland.com)-Gun rights are once again under attack by anti-Second Amendment advocates, and today the Violence Policy Center (VPC) has come out with a misleading report …

Ammo Land5d

University Of Vermont

Gun Control Panel to Launch Janus Forum Debate Series

The debate over gun control is one of the most polarizing in America. Proponents of stricter gun laws point to the fact that Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other developed countries. Opponents counter that shooters …

University of Vermont17h

Crime

Did The Associated Press Look For REAL Causes Of Gun Crime?

The reality is that inner city violence is a complex problem, and gun control is a simplistic answer. The real solutions have more to do with population density per city block, poverty, and culture than they …

bearingarms.com1d

University Of Vermont

Upcoming Gun Control Policy Panel Discussion

The University of Vermont Janus Forum is hosting a panel discussion on gun control policy on Thursday, September 14 3:00 pm-4:30 pm in the Livak Ballroom. This panel will feature Professors Cassandra Crifasi (John Hopkins), Michael Huemer (University of …

blog.uvm.edu1d

Politics

Letter: Fighting the good fight on gun control

Re: the Sept. 7 article “City ends policy on smashing firearms.” Thank you to the Tucson Police Department and Tucson City Council for fighting the good fight. At least some guns were put out of commission. We can only hope that sanity will prevail someday.

tucson.com19h

Gun Control

On the Dan Newmyer Show to discuss who gun control measures are actually disarming

Dr. John Lott appeared on the Dan Newmyer Radio Show on WJJF-AM to discuss how gun control …

crimeresearch.org5d

Gun Control

gun control

Trump said Monday he agreed “quite strongly” with Clinton on banning gun sales to people on terrorist watch lists. “You don’t know whether he really means it or not,” said Minority Whip Steny Hoyer.

BuzzFeed2h

Microsoft Office

Someone Made an Untraceable AR-15 ‘Ghost Gun’ In their Office

… with a true functioning gun for years DIY gun makers have been legally creating their own lower receivers to skirt gun control laws and builds untraceable weapons. I wanted to see if new digital …

americanshootingjournal.com3d

Deafness

Can Jeff Duncan silence opposition to his gun bill?

But it’s one of them. It also provides a personal and emotional element to an issue that is inextricably tied to the equally personal and emotional – and partisan – politics of the gun control debate. …

The Modesto Bee6d

Rage

Gun pulled in rage over ‘stupid’ bumper stickers, officials say

She lost control of her vehicle, hit Burns’ car and slid into a guardrail. Burns pleaded not guilty. He reportedly said Umphenour’s political decals were “stupid” and he pointed the gun at Umphenour …

wpsdlocal6.com4d

Roy Moore

Gun Owners of America: We Need Roy Moore in the Senate to Secure Concealed Carry Reciprocity

Gun Owners of America (GOA) put out a September 11 press release rallying Alabama voters to …

Breitbart News10h

Washington, D.C.

‘Lie And Try’ To Buy A Gun In Washington? New Law Requires Dealer To Report You

Guns and domestic violence are a deadly combination. Now domestic violence survivors in …

OPB22h

Congressional Country Club

Gun News of the Week: Congressional Fall Agenda Includes De-listing Suppressors, National Reciprocity, and Federal Preemption

The Hearing Protection Act is among several significant firearms-related proposals most gun owners want to see adopted this fall. Also on …

Outdoor Life19h

Gun, With Occasional Music

One Shot After Playing with a Gun

When officers arrived on scene, they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound with possible life-threatening injuries. The victim stated that she and her girlfriend were playing with the gun and the …

WKRG News 512h

Columnist

Column: Congress would weaken Minn. gun laws

As a daughter of a hunter, I respect the right of responsible gun ownership. But as a mother of two young children, a former teacher and a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in …

Post-Bulletin20h

Shooting

Teen free on gun charges jailed in daylight shooting of 16-year-old

TRENTON — A teenager freed after being charged in July with firearm possession charges has been detained on a separate first-degree attempted murder charge for a shooting last month. Derrick …

New Jersey Online15h

Photos: Garry’s Gun Shop numbers stay strong

Photos: Garry’s Gun Shop numbers stay strong Alex Lerdal tries out a gun at Gary’s Gun Shop Friday. Lerdal came home to Sioux Falls after being deployed in Japan with the U.S. navy for the past three …

Argus Leader15h

Suspect

Assemblyman accepted campaign cash from gun, drug trafficking suspects

Bronx Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj accepted campaign cash from two men indicted for money laundering in connection with drug trafficking and a scheme to smuggle AK-47s and a rocket launcher to …

New York Post1d

Firearm

You Bought Your First Gun — Now What? Advice for the New Defensive Firearms Owner Part 1

Now that you have taken a step towards your personal defense, where do you go from here? I …

medium.com3d

Helpful cop threatened with gun

When the car stopped at the intersection of Stratford Avenue and Hollister Street Figueroa approached the Toyota with his gun out and ordered Owens and his passenger, 28-year-old Corey Zygmont, to surrender. He then held them there until backup arrived.

Connecticut Post6h

Rochester

Loaded gun found in carry-on over weekend

A North Carolina woman was arrested Saturday at the Greater Rochester International Airport for having a loaded gun in her carry-on bag. A Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the .357 …

The Raleigh Telegram19h

Gun Ownership

Why The U.S. Is Right And The Rest Of The World Is Wrong About Gun Ownership

The problem with all of these arguments is that they are wrong. They don’t understand what gun …

preparedgunowners.com2d

Police

Police say no shots fired, but asks anyone with evidence of gun violence to call them

Please log in, sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Thank you …

The Independent Tribune13h

Gun, With Occasional Music

Marking off the Gun

The hunter’s reaction can prove distracting to the unprepared gundog. The wingshooter should prepare his or her retriever to “mark off” the gun. Use guns in training to condition young dogs to mark off the …

ducks.org8h

Gun Incidents

Four recent gun incidents in region, including one of self-defense

The attack, in the 8400 block of Stoney Lane, came in the course of an argument, and it apparently ended, according to the police account, when one of the two assault victims showed a gun. A police statement said a victim “brandished a firearm in self …

Washington Post2d

SWAT Standoff

BREAKING: Orlando Looters Face Off Against SWAT In GUN Store…

Orlando, FL – A SWAT standoff is underway with suspects who were looting Academy Sports at 3557 Garden Ridge Way near the Mall At Millenia in Orlando. The suspects were seen on store video …

toprightnews.com2d

Indiana

Gun permits help police, panel is told

Terre Haute gun store owner Steve Ellis said Indiana is a “shall issue” state. That means a permit will be granted unless an applicant is categorically prohibited, which can happen because of criminal history. “So if that’s the case, then why make …

The Journal Gazette7h

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Letter To The Editor: Yes, Gun Buybacks Do Work And They ‘Feel Good’ Too

Copyright © 2012-2017 Los Alamos Daily Post. This Site and all information contained here including, but not limited to, news stories, photographs, video, charts, graphs and graphics is the property of the …

Los Alamos Daily Post1d

Gun, With Occasional Music

Witnesses Speak Out About A Gun Incident On School Grounds

A gun brought on campus at Minot High School. Good evening and thanks for watching, I’m Malique Rankin. Earlier this week we reported that there was a gun incident on a high school campus. The …

KXMB CBS122d

Shotgun Shell

This is What Happens When a Shotgun Shell Explodes Outside a Gun

What would happen, however, if you were to make a shotgun shell explode without it being in the barrel of a gun? What if you wanted to detonate it while it was simply sitting freely? Would the projectile still …

speedsociety.com1d

Gun, With Occasional Music

Police: Man Threatens Girlfriend with Gun

RUTLAND, Vt. – Rutland police have arrested a man they say threatened his girlfriend with a gun. Police were called to the area of South Main Street and Hopkins Street around 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Police …

mychamplainvalley.com17h

Mother

Victim’s mother: ‘He just emptied the gun on her.’

She got out of the car and she walked away and he started shooting her. She said the next thing she knew he was standing above her and he just emptied the gun on her. Then all she said is, ‘Why did …

Channel 30002d

Gun Shops

Bill could cost gun shops thousands of dollars

Bill could cost gun shops thousands of dollars A bill waiting the governor’s signature will require gunshops to install expensive protective equipment in front of their stores. Check out this story on …

Redding Record Searchlight3d

Pulling

Man Goes Off on Police Officer for Allegedly Pulling Gun on Him Over Signal Violation

The unidentified cop then approached Minott’s vehicle with his gun drawn as if he had committed a …

allblackmedia.com1d

16-year-old charged with firing gun at younger brother

16-year-old charged with firing gun at younger brother The teen loaded two bullets into a gun, which he then put up to his brother’s temple and then his chest and pulled the trigger three times. Check out …

York Daily Record2d

Mom with gun chases intruder she found near teen daughter with special needs

An intruder was arrested Monday night not long after he was chased away by a mom with a gun who found the man near her teen daughter inside their home in Elyria, Ohio. It was the second time in a …

guns.com3d

Federal lawmakers seek to deregulate gun silencers

I have sufficiently shown they are more dangerous. Click to expand… You’ve claimed that. You’ve shown no actual data or third party study. then you should know that they are less accurate than semi autos, making them more dangerous. Click to expand

Gun Control News -> Gun Control Crowd Continues To Misinform With False “Statistics” Gun Control News -> Gun Control Crowd Continues To Misinform With False “Statistics” Americans Poll: More Americans Have a 

[tessatechaitea]

Kamandi Challenge #1

If this is as big a trainwreck as DC Challenge, I'll definitely solve it before DC does! I still don't think they solved that one.

I'm surprised Keith Giffen is doing the art. Unless this is Koblish trying to look like Kirby but instead looking like Giffen!

Kamandi, the not quite last boy on Earth, races off across town to try to catch the school bus at its last stop. It seems like if he can catch the school bus by cutting through town, he can probably just race straight to school. Not that I know the layout of his town! This is a mystery, by gorsh! Knowing the topographical features of the local locale could give away the mystery! Kamandi is stopped by a cop who takes the law a little too seriously. He says, "I don't care if you're the last boy on Earth, no one crosses against the red." Dude. If he's the last boy on Earth then there's no danger crossing against the red! Unless the last girl on Earth is driving like a fucking maniac and coming from the other direction. Okay fine. I guess the cop has a point. Plus there are all those sentient animals who drive in the future. But maybe in their society, they cross on the red and stop on the green? Take that, Mr. Fascist Cop! Some creatures crash through the sky as if it were just the top of a dome painted like the sky. Kamandi's fellow citizens pull out weapons to begin fighting them and urge Kamandi to rush home. I guess this is Command "D" and Kamandi lives in a simulated environment with his grandmother. Did I just solve the mystery? No? Oh, yeah, that's right. I just comprehended what I was reading. Never mind. I'll get that mystery yet though! The Kangarat Murder Society has broken into Command "D" because there's a bounty on Kamandi's head. The villagers protect him because they're just robots built to protect the last boy on Earth. Kamandi rushes home thinking, "So when I fucked Sarah Lou Ellen behind the bleachers, I actually had my dick in a...a...machine?!"

Is that the mystery? The Case of Kamandi's Missing Parents?

After being shoved through The Void, Kamandi learns he's in a terrible spin-off of Heroes when he hears a voice say, "Find your parents. Save the world." Also, Heroes itself was fucking terrible. I will admit there were some interesting things about it but it was lazy in that the characters in every series were motivated by either a vision of the future or a prophecy. When a writer uses those devices to get the action moving, it means they're terrible writers. Kamandi comes out of the other side of The Void with long hair and three months worth of piss and shit staining his torn up jeans. He winds up in the clutches of the Tiger-men! That means he's about to meet that pervert, Doctor Canus! Did I just solve the mystery? The pervert is Doctor Canus? But before he can meet Doctor Canus, Kamandi must survive in the arena against Tiny. And you know with a name like "Tiny," he's got to be big. Even in the future, they stick to nickname clichés.

Based on what Kamandi knows, this statement makes no sense. Even if he's riffing on what the cop told him earlier, Kamandi has no idea that he's currently the last boy on Earth so if he dies, he'll, um, still be the last boy on Earth but with a slightly altered meaning.

And that's the end of part one! That's a pretty simple cliffhanger to solve! Kamandi just needs to beat Tiny. I bet he's swallowed whole by Tiny and then he kicks his way out of Tiny's stomach from the inside! No wait. That's preposterous. Maybe he'll do that thing that Luke did to the Rancor but instead of using a large thigh bone, he'll use the last boner on Earth. Or maybe Doctor Canus will stop the match because he likes the smell of Kamandi's asshole. However it's solved, I'll find out immediately because Dan Abnett takes over for Dan DiDio right here in the middle of the issue! Oh yeah. Dan DiDio wrote the first story because of course he did. He seems to have called Dibs! on all of Jack Kirby's characters since The New 52 began (and maybe even earlier!). Part Two is called "K is for 'Kill'!" K is also for Kamandi! And kissing! And kleptocracy! Oh! And klue! A klue to the mystery! Which is still a complete mystery! Prince Tuftan watches bored as he waits for Kamandi to be torn to bits. I guess this is entertainment for tigers. It's probably like watching America's Test Kitchen on PBS. It's definitely making me hungry. As Kamandi tries to escape Tiny (who is much bigger when drawn by Eaglesham than when drawn by Giffen!), he discovers the walls of the arena are electrified. Boo! Hiss! That's a cheating shortcut! Electricity is always the way the hero takes out the unstoppable foe! This Cliffhanger Solution rates a 3 out of 10! Did I boo yet? BOO! Tiny is knocked unconscious from the electrified walls. That's got to be a lot of electricity running along those walls to drop a beast like that! I guess the Tiger-men's post-apocalyptic world isn't so bad if it has such generous power reserves. Prince Fuzzypants is impressed by Kamandi's resourcefulness even though that resourcefulness has been used over and over again in all kinds of books and movies and television shows. How lucky that there's always some kind of electrical danger nearby when the hero is about to be torn to pieces. Kamandi is brought to Doctor Canus to be trained. Doctor Canus begins slathering peanut butter all over his cock.

You'd be shocked too if your dog began talking to you while you were crouched in front of it with your crotch covered in Jif.

Doctor Canus takes Kamandi on a walk and shows him Tiger City. Upon seeing the Brother Eye symbol outside the Hall of War, Kamandi tries to investigate it. But it will have to wait until Kamandi becomes best friends with Prince Fuzzypants. For now, he's just a lowly animal being trained to fight in the arena. I hope the second cliffhanger isn't another bout in the arena! Maybe all the cliffhangers will be bigger and bigger opponents in the arena. Great Caesar returns with a load of leopard slaves and a nuclear missile. Kamandi slips his leash and loses Canus in the celebrating crowd. He heads straight to the Hall of War where he was just told he couldn't go. Somebody is going to be called a bad human and thumped on his tender nose. Guarding the Hall of War are a bunch of Jackdaws. They're sentient humanoid crows and probably the next cliffhanger. Oh, no. There are still too many pages left. I guess this diversion was just so Kamandi could learn that the tigers of Tiger City are stockpiling ancient weapons. That might be a clue for later! It's hard to tell though because I still don't know what the mystery is. But I think I do know what the next cliffhanger will be!

Silly tigers! Nukes are for...uh, I mean, they're greeeeeeeeat!

The stupid tigers set the bomb to detonate in five minutes. What a cliffhanger! Kamandi only has five minutes to convince Doctor Canus that the tigers will die if he doesn't disarm the bomb! And he'll only have thirty seconds to do that since he'll spend most of the time licking off that peanut butter! What Did I Learn? Well, I haven't learned what the mystery is yet, that's for sure! Is the mystery how the world was destroyed? Or why Kamandi needs to find his parents? Or why he needs to remember Command "D" (other than so everybody thinks that's his name)? Or why the world needs saving? Or why the tigers are so stupid and careless? Maybe the mystery is how a dog became a scientist! The Ranking! Well shit. It's not too bad because I love stupid gimmick comic books like this!

[afanofmanyships]

He pulls out two decks of cards. One with letters and the other with numbers. Soufflés and spreads them out and ask the recipient to pick one card out of both decks.

Throughout the years, Danny and Ra's get into fights. Unfortunately for Ra's, Danny's a biter. Unfortunately for Danny, biting immortals are never a good idea. Especially when your own DNA is beyond messed up

Imagine the look on Ra's face when they guy he likes fighting shows up with a baby in hand and says, "congratulations, you're a father"

Repeat it two more times because Danny just doesn't learn

Ohohoho, now this is quite fun. And this could be completely new children, or, this could be the three Al Ghul children. Which if it is? Is hilarious. And hey, Dusan even has Danny's white hair and green eyes!

But seriously I love this. Logically, Danny should learn to not bite, in fact? He knows how to fight, and can do so without biting. He's just also a petty little shit who will go feral when fighting this one asshole [insert relationship here].

Even more hilarious if Danny shows up throughout time too. And it's not like they exactly explain to anyone on the outside of their [insert relationship here], which definitely leads to so many misunderstandings and rumors.

Love the idea if this is even a semi-normal ghost thing. Just, usually the mixing of ecto is done on purpose, and not usually having to be worried about happening via blood. But Danny? Is a halfa, meaning that he is half human. And if he bit anyone else, it would probably have no effect, except for the fact that the human mouth carries quite a bit of bacteria and en ecto-contaminated one more so. So for anyone else, biting is an actual good option, but Ras? Also ecto-contaminated via Lazarus Pit.

Which is a different type of ectoplasm, like comparing saltwater to freshwater, but is still ectoplasm. If anyone else bit anyone else, it wouldn't happen. But no, Danny just has to have the habit of biting his immortal sparring asshole of a rival-buddy. And said buddy better be fine with co-parenting otherwise he's taking child support.