#and it was walt who actually got him out of the game not mike at the end of the day loool

[izzythehutt]

Me: Fandom trends and fandom polls are pretty subjective, taste varies, people like what they like and you can’t take it too seriously

Also me: The Breaking Bad fandom on tumblr voting for Mike/Jesse as the “best dynamic” on the show in a fan poll is Objectively Wrong (tm)

[lizwontcry]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Breaking Bad Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jesse Pinkman/Walter White Characters: Jesse Pinkman, Walter White Additional Tags: I hope y'all like kissing Summary:

A small, quiet conversation that turns into more. AU take on the scene from 5x6, Buyout.

Jesse lets go of Walt’s hand and Walt questions why he immediately feels so intensely disappointed, but Jesse doesn’t alter his gaze off Walt’s face. Instead, he gently removes Walt’s glasses and puts them on the coffee table. Walt is so moved by this seemingly innocuous gesture that it renders him speechless. And apparently Jesse has decided they don’t need words, anyway.

____

He's losing him. Walt is losing Jesse and it's making him feel the worst kind of helpless. Ever since he took down Gus, their partnership--hell, their relationship--has been thriving, and now he feels like he has to think quick to get them back on track. Ha, back on track--ironic since they almost got away with robbing the train of its methylamine, and then...

He can't lose Jesse. Not now.

Walt reaches out and puts his hand on Jesse's shoulder. It's a little damp from sweating under their cumbersome, restrictive protective gear. The occupational hazards of cooking meth, Walt supposes. They were just taking a lunch break in another random stranger’s house when Jesse stumbled upon a news story about the kid in the desert.

Jesse is, understandably, still unhinged about Drew Sharp. Walt gives a half-hearted speech about “running the business their way” and soul-searching after they’ve made all their money, but he knows he's not getting through to Jesse. It's so frustrating to feel like Jesse is slipping further and further away from him when Jesse is the only person who remains faithful and loyal. The only person he can truly trust.

"Listen, why don't I finish this up? Why don't you... why don't you go on home, hmm?" Walt says. Maybe if Jesse had more time to himself, some peace and quiet, he'll calm down. Walt’s starting to see that’s not likely, however. He may not ever be the same. Walt is almost certain he at least used to possess as much empathy as Jesse has, but he can’t actually remember a time when he did. It’s sort of disconcerting.

“You sure?” Jesse asks.

“Absolutely,” Walt says. “Yeah. I’ll take care of this.” He claps Jesse one more time on the shoulder and gets up to go back into the tent. But Jesse grabs his hand and causes Walt to abruptly turn around. Walt is a little shocked by this gesture--Jesse rarely touches him; in fact it seems like he goes out of his way not to most of the time.

“Mr. White… I can’t go home--what's the point? I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I want to find Todd and I want to--ugh, I want to strangle that piece of shit!”

“I know. I know you do, and I've told you over and over again--we will deal with Todd."

"Oh, yeah? How is that? How are we going to deal with this nazi asshole who just shot a kid right in front of us? We have to talk to Drew Sharp’s parents, Mr. White. We have to do something."

"Saul is going to handle all of that, don't worry. That's why we pay him, Jesse. To deal with things like this. And Todd is not going to go unpunished. I promise you."

Jesse does not look convinced. Walt gets it--Jesse has a certain affinity for children; he can relate to their innocent young souls, or something. Walt is not made of stone--he mourns the senseless death of the kid, too, but he's become numb. It's just easier to be numb than to think about all the carnage that has fallen around him. Because of him, some might say. Walt disagrees, but that's another subject entirely.

Perhaps giving in to Walt's attempt at compassion, Jesse sinks into the couch next to him. Walt pats Jesse on the shoulder again; Jesse looks up at him, a somber expression on his face. His eyes are wet with silent tears.

"I just... don't know how we're going to move on from this," Jesse says softly.

"I know, but I will handle it. Come on, don't you trust me?" Walt asks.

Jesse shakes his head. "I don't know, Mr. White. I want to. But it just keeps happening, yo. Everywhere we go, someone dies. I can’t… I can’t do it. I can't keep doing this.”

Walt’s heart sinks a little. Again, he wishes he had the gift of comfort, but he’s never been very good at that. So instead he sits down with Jesse and awkwardly puts his arm around him. To his surprise, Jesse sighs and puts his head on his shoulder. Again, Jesse rarely shows any signs of physical affection towards him, but Walt isn't going to deny him of it. Jesse seems to need it now more than ever. The weight of Jesse’s head on his chest, his steady breathing, the warmth of his body… Walt feels like his heart is beating a little faster now. He tries not to think about that too much.

"Jesse... listen to me," Walt says in a low, controlled voice. “We've been through a lot together this past year, haven't we? And with everything that happens, I've managed to keep us moving forward."

"Yeah... I guess," Jesse says, sniffing a little.

"We got out of the Tuco situation, remember? My plan worked."

"Yeah, but you kinda got us into that one, too," Jesse points out. "I know you went all Rambo or whatever on him when I was in the hospital, but still... you got us mixed up with him in the first place."

Walt nods; he'd concede Jesse the point. "Okay, well, how about killing those dealers before they could kill you first?"

"Yeah, but I pretty much repaid you for that one, yo," Jesse says. He squeezed Walt's hand for emphasis. "Don't you think?"

Walt nods, and sort of feels bad for making Jesse think about Gale yet again.

"Yes, you did. Of course you did, Jesse. And I can never thank you enough for that.”

Walt is quiet for a moment. He doesn't want to lose this momentum they've been building up together, so he continues. "The point is... you can trust me. Saul will deal with the boy's parents and Mike will figure out what to do with Todd. We can overcome this. And I want you by my side when we do--I can't do this without you."

Jesse chuckles. "That's bullshit. You can get any asshole off the street and teach him what you've taught me. No big deal."

"That's not true. And even if it were, I wouldn't want to. It's you and me, Jesse. It's always been you and me."

Jesse looks at him again, his glistening blue eyes shining in the harsh light of the living room. Walt knows firsthand how much Jesse can get away with, with those eyes of his. How charming he can be when he really wants to. Walt admires the ease of Jesse's good looks.

“One more thing… one more reason to trust me--I got you into rehab, Jesse. I found you in that disgusting hellhole you were in and I picked you up and I brought you out of there. But first I held you in my arms, remember? I held you while you cried. And I made sure you would be okay. Doesn't that mean anything?" He's not trying to lay it on so thick, but Walt is getting a little emotional just thinking about it. The way Jesse clung to him that day, never wanting to let go. Walt's shirt was drenched in Jesse's anguished tears by the time he finally got him out of that godforsaken house.

"Yeah... I remember," Jesse says. He finds Walt's hand again and lightly intertwines their fingers together. Walt wonders where this is coming from, but he doesn’t want it to stop. In fact, just like everything else in his life lately, he needs more.

"I don't know what would have happened if you didn't take me out of there, yo. Honestly, I don’t even know how I ended up there in the first place. It’s all a blur."

“Well, that’s all over now. You’re safe, and I will always do my best to make sure you stay that way. That’s all I want, Jesse. That’s all I want you to know.”

“I get it,” Jesse says, but there’s no hint of the usual annoyance in his voice. Instead his voice is calm and unwavering.

Jesse lets go of Walt’s hand and Walt questions why he immediately feels so intensely disappointed, but Jesse doesn’t alter his gaze off Walt’s face. Instead, he gently removes Walt’s glasses and puts them on the coffee table. Walt is so moved by this seemingly innocuous gesture that it renders him speechless. And apparently Jesse has decided they don’t need words, anyway.

As Jesse leans in, Walt grabs his neck--maybe a little more forcefully than necessary, but god, in the moment in between Jesse looking at him and then meeting his lips, Walt decides he needs this. He needs Jesse, and more than that, he wants Jesse.

Jesse groans a little as Walt crashes into his lips. It’s as though if Walt doesn’t immediately claim Jesse as his own, this will all come to an abrupt end. And Walt can’t have that.

After a moment of desperate kissing, Jesse roughly pushes Walt back. “Jesus, Mr. White, you kiss like a fuckin’ bull in a china shop. Slow down, yo. I’m not… I’m not going anywhere.” He sounds so vulnerable (albeit somewhat annoyed), and Walt is finding himself captivated by this kid he’s taught so much. It makes him feel... defenseless. Exposed. He’s so used to feeling the exact opposite towards Jesse that this is really throwing him off his game. But Walt kind of enjoys the sense of being out of control for once. Especially with Jesse.

“Show me,” Walt says softly, almost in a whisper. “Teach me.”

Walt can’t prove it but he swears Jesse’s eyes get even bluer as he leans in again and places a gentle kiss on Walt’s lips. He moves even closer to him, nearly in his lap, and the tenderness of Jesse’s delicate kisses makes Walt weak in his already bad knees. If he wasn’t sitting down, he’d probably be falling to the ground right about now. And although they both probably smell like the chemicals they're using to cook, Walt can't help but appreciate Jesse’s natural scent as the kissing intensifies. Somehow the smell of tobacco on Jesse’s breath and the taste of saltiness from the chips he ate for lunch is only turning Walt on more.

“Come here,” Walt murmurs. “Come closer.” As always, Jesse obeys. He faces Walt on his lap, straddling him, his knees buried in the couch. He wraps his arms around Walt’s neck as he kisses him even more fiercely, while still keeping it soft and steady. Walt takes Jesse's lead, melting into the kisses, not being aggressive or rough; just enjoying how Jesse can't seem to get enough of him.

Walt moans as Jesse’s tongue finds his own. He moves his hand under Jesse’s thin black t-shirt and strokes his back as their lips continue to meet, over and over again, almost uncompromisingly. His back is so warm, and Walt can’t help but sink his fingertips into Jesse’s lean muscles, slightly scraping his skin with his nails. Jesse gasps and stops kissing Walt for just a moment, and Walt gets another look into those moody ocean eyes.

“Mr. White…” Jesse whispers, and Walt gets it. They should stop doing this. They never should have started in the first place. Why are they even doing it? To distract themselves? There's a million other ways to accomplish that, none that involve sticking their tongues in each other's mouths. This way does seem to be the most effective for the time being, though.

“I know, Jesse. It’s okay. I want this, too."

This seems to be what Jesse needs to hear, because his lips make their way back to Walt’s. Walt bites Jesse’s lip just slightly. Jesse groans a little.

"Sorry... you just taste so good," Walt says into Jesse's ear. He licks Jesse's earlobe and enjoys how Jesse trembles under the tender touch of Walt's tongue.

When Walt returns to his waiting lips, Jesse makes this humming noise that goes straight to Walt’s groin. He moves his hands down to Jesse’s hips; his pants seem to fit him better these days but Walt is still able to run his fingertips over the tender curves of his hip bones. Jesse gasps into Walt’s mouth. Walt’s heart is positively racing now and all he wants to do is lay Jesse down and explore every inch of his slight, diminutive body.

Walt loses track of time as they keep coming together. All he knows now is Jesse's lips, his tongue searching his mouth, his fingertips brushing Walt's neck, his shoulders, his collarbone.

Jesse finally pulls away, which is probably a smart idea because Walt’s about to consume him whole if they don’t stop soon.

They both try to calm down and steady their ragged breaths before either of them figure out something to say. Or if they even need to say anything at all.

Jesse manages to speak first. “I think I’ll go ahead and take off, man. Um… Look. I’ll be at home. For the night. If like… you want to stop by or whatever.” Jesse is so cute when he can’t even meet Walt’s eyes.

“Good,” Walt says, nodding. “I might just take you up on that.” Might? Walt has never looked forward to anything so much in his entire 51 years. He can just imagine pulling up to Jesse’s house, finding his way to his bedroom, slowly undressing him… but he’s getting ahead of himself. Maybe steady heads will prevail by then; maybe either or both of them will have come to their senses. But from the way Jesse’s gazing at him now--and the heat coming from Jesse’s jeans that grew stiff while he was on top of Walt--he knows that’s probably not a possibility. He hopes it’s not a possibility.

“Yo, that’s cool. See you later. Oh, and thanks for finishing up here,” Jesse says. Walt just nods, and watches as Jesse gets his things, takes one last look at Walt, and hesitantly leaves the house, closing the door behind him.

Walt can’t help but whistle as he finishes the cook.

[t4tozier]

your trans Richie hcs are pure 24k gold!!! do you have any hcs on how he came out to the losers?

thank you love!!! and fuck yeah i do!!!

so it goes one of two ways:

1. they’re all hanging out together and he just blurts it out because he made the decision to tell them that day and once he did he had really bad anxiety about it so he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret or do it in any sort of organized way

or 2. he tells them all separately but in a short period of time for the same reason

and if that’s the case then this is how he does it!

stan

he comes out to stan first because he knows stan won’t judge him or make fun of him. not that any of them would and realistically he knows that but he’s still terrified and he trusts stan to react calmly to it

so he goes over to stans house and knocks on the door and then just walks in because that’s the kind of friends they are

stan will still knock and wait outside for someone to come to the door because he’s polite but richie knows stan and his parents don’t care if he just comes in so he gives no warning and just shows up whenever he wants

stan’s upstairs so he waves hello to stan’s parents and goes into his room and is just kind of awkwardly like “hey stan the man what’s crackalackin”

and stan just gives him a glance at first because he’s used to that kind of stuff from richie but then he takes in how he’s biting his lip and his fingers are touching themselves shakily to his thumbs and he knows something’s up

so he takes off his headphones and sits up straight and pats the bed next to him and just says “tell me what’s wrong, [deadname]” in that special tone he reserves just for richie when he gets like this and people may think it’s condescending but it’s not and richie knows it

but richie winces at the sound of his deadname—he hasn’t chosen a new name yet because he can’t find anything that fits but he just knows that that one’s wrong—and stan immediately frowns and there’s a glimmer of something in his eyes but he doesn’t quite get it yet

and richie looks down at his fidgeting hands, his leg jiggling like mad and just really quietly whispers “i’m trans” and his heart is beating like crazy but it feels like there’s a sudden weight off his chest because he’s never said it out loud before

and stan’s eyebrows raise just slightly and he puts his hand in between them, palm up, because richie doesn’t like to be touched all the time, but richie immediately grabs onto stan’s hand and squeezes like it’s the only thing keeping him on the ground

and very slowly his eyes raise to meet stan’s—or not quite meet, but close—and stan just smiles at him and whispers “okay” back and then richie grins and squeezes stan’s hand harder

and they stay like that for a little until richie gets fidgety again and pulls away, wiping his hand on his jeans, and then stan asks if richie wants him to use he/him for him and richie nods

“thank you for sharing that with me,” stan says softly, and even though they’re both young richie knows that he just gets it. “mom’s making chili if you wanna stay for dinner.” and that’s that.

richie does stay for dinner that night

bill

the next person he tells is bill because even though this isn’t what young teen richie is thinking is the reason he knows that bill knows what it’s like to feel completely alone in a crowd of people

they’re playing call of duty together on bill’s new ps4 because bill’s parents replace parenting with material things

and while that’s not what bill needs he has to admit it can be nice when he gets new video games

and he likes that richie’s “not like other girls” in that he likes playing video games with bill instead of playing with makeup

so anyway they’re playing call of duty and richie dies but instead of throwing the controller down and making frustrated noises like he usually does he just sets it down gently and turns to bill, pulling his knees up to his chest

and bill doesn’t pay much attention to it at first because while he’s very attuned to people’s feelings, he’s pretty focused on this game

so it’s not until he dies himself that he turns to richie and cocks his head and richie just blurts it out because sometimes bill stares at him in this way that makes him feel like he already knows the truth

but bill’s open mouth and raised eyebrows show that he had no idea, he just thought richie was a boyish girl

but richie squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, kind of like he’s trying to avoid looking at his friend’s reaction because he’s expecting it to be followed by him being told to leave

and bill starts, “h-h-hey, no, d-don’t w-w-worry—” and he’s about to say richie’s deadname when he realizes that’s probably not what he needs and it’s a good thing for once he stuttered before he could get it all out

and he’s a little more curious than stan was, at least outwardly, or at first, but he has more questions and richie doesn’t quite know how to answer all of them but he tries and it’s a little awkward but finally bill cracks a smile and turns back to the video game

and richie smiles shyly to himself before picking the controller back up and leaning into bill as they continue playing

mike

mike finds out because one day richie visits him at the farm, biked all the way out there, and he normally never does that unless there rest of them are with him

he doesn’t actually know richie’s there until he goes out to milk the cows, because richie’s standing in the middle of the field with his arms around one of the big cows and his face pressed into her neck

and mike is a little confused at first but then he grins and goes over to them, setting down his milk pail and the stool

and he greets richie happily and doesn’t notice how richie’s hands bunch in the cow’s fur

“teach me how to do farm work.”

it’s muffled, and mike frowns and has to ask him to repeat himself a couple times because richie doesn’t move his face from the cow’s neck, but then his eyes light up

“sure! dad would love to have some more help around the farm. is it just ‘cause you’re bored, or...?”

‘cause he knows richie needs more stimulation than he gets sometimes but conversely he needs less stimulation than he gets sometimes and the farm is perfect for both situations

but richie shakes his head and then slowly moves so that his cheek is pressed against the cow instead of his whole face

“i wanna get big like you. muscly.”

and mike’s never thought of himself as particularly muscular before so he blushes as he asks, “can i ask why?”

“so i look like a guy.”

and it takes some back and forth before mike finally understands that richie is transgender

and richie’s not stupid. he knows that not everything on the farm will get him muscular and that it takes a lot of work. he gets that part but he still wants to do it

so while mike stumbles sometimes because richie still doesn’t know his name so he’s not sure what to call him they start working together on the farm on weekends and richie has the fucking time of his life

ben

richie finds ben in the library after school one day while he’s waiting for maggie to come pick him up and he decides that now is a good time to tell him

so he plops himself down in front of ben and it takes him a while to notice that he’s even there because he’s so invested in his walt whitman book

and richie’s fidgety, fingers touching each other and shoulders up to his ears, but ben doesn’t notice for what seems like forever

it’s only three minutes

but when ben finally does he’s got the brightest smile on his face

richie secretly thinks that ben forgets he has friends sometimes which is why he’s always so happy to see them, ‘cause it’s a reminder that they haven’t left him

but he doesn’t say that

instead he loudly asks, “can i tell you something?” because volume control? never heard of her

and he’s immediately shushed by the librarian and he winces, but ben, who’s used to this, just smiles and leads richie out of the library so they can talk

richie paces as he tries to find the words to say what he wants to say and he thought it would be easier after the first three times but it’s not

he ends up talking about maggie picking him up instead of being trans for much longer but finally he tells him “and she said she’d be here at 3:30 exactly and now it’s 3:34 and she hasn’t texted me i haven’t told her i’m transgender yet but she’ll be here soon”

and it takes ben even longer to process and he’s way beyond the topic by the time he does and then he doesn’t quite stop him but he manages to get in a soft little comment of “that’s really cool! also i hope she picks you up soon”

he got picked up two minutes later and didn’t mention being trans again once

ben later brings it up to mike because he’s not entirely sure if he heard him right but it turns out he did! and he wants to support him but he’s not quite sure how

and mike just tells him to give it time because he doesn’t know if he’s told everyone yet

brady

richie’s kind of nervous to tell brady and he’s not sure why

probably because he’s way too cool for him and he’s scared he’s gonna judge him

he actually really hates the smell of smoke but it’s the only time brady’s ever by himself

so when brady sees richie making his way over to him he stubs out the cig and gives him a crooked smile

and richie’s intimidated as fuck because being the only girl in a group of guys is scary but brady’s the scariest guy of them all

brady doesn’t rush him, though, even though he knows there’s something up, and when richie eventually spills, he grins and just says, “cool. me too.”

and thats how richie finds out brady is bev

she tells him she’s known for a long time but she didn’t know how they’d take it, but now that richie’s come out she feels much more comfortable with it

she offers to give him some of her clothes that’ll probably be a little too big but in exchange she’ll take his dresses and flowy shirts

and even though richie knows that all his friends will support him he’s elated to have a trans friend because he didn’t know any other trans person and now not only does he, she’s one of his best friends

eddie

richie’s the most scared to come out to eddie

it’s no secret that he’s sheltered, in every sense of the word

and he’s terrified that eddie won’t want to be his friend anymore when he finds out

he walks him home from school because he doesn’t know how else to get to him

sonia won’t let eddie hang out with him because she thinks he’ll corrupt him or something, eddie’s never been really clear about it but all richie knows is that he’s not allowed over

but they walk home together, richie’s hands clenching and unclenching rapidly and eddie running his fingers along the soft lining of his coat

they’re both nervous, richie for obvious reasons and eddie because he doesn’t know why richie’s walking him home

even as eddie’s going on about some car that richie knows nothing about but is still eager to listen to, he’s wondering what’s going on and if something bad happened because he’s usually only alone with one of them if something bad happened like when bill told him georgie died

and richie’s hands clench faster and faster until they can’t hold back the words he’s trying to hold back and he blurts out, “i’m a transgender boy and i hope you still wanna be my friend because we’re best friends and i don’t want your mom to find out and take you away from me.”

and eddie’s so taken aback he stops in his tracks, his mind still racing with thoughts about the car but now occupied with this new information

and at first richie’s right. he’s a little scared. because he’s never known any transgender person and his mom has always told him that gay and transgender people were bad

but then he realizes that this is richie, this is his best friend, and if they were best friends one minute ago there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be best friends now

so he smiles and nods and asks him a couple questions because he’s barely even heard of being transgender and richie isn’t much better equipped to answer them any more than he was when bill asked them but he leans into eddie as they walk home and eddie leans into him back and it’s really okay

and once all the losers know, they get together at the quarry and have a little coming out party where bev also comes out and that raises the question of what richie’s name is going to be

and it takes some debating but when richie comes up with his name he knows in that moment nothing will ever feel more right than being richie, surrounded by all his friends who accept him for exactly who he is and never expect anything from him like other people do. he’s richie fucking tozier, and he’s never been more proud to be him.

[hmel78]

In conversation with Ray Thomas ...

Ray Thomas (29.12.1941 - 04.01.2018)

RAY THOMAS – Founding member of The Moody Blues, admits that success happened quickly for “a bunch of lads from the Midlands who could play a bit”. For Ray himself that musical journey began as a boy –  “I always sang, being a Welshman” laughs Thomas “ in school choirs, and the Birmingham youth choir”.   Progressing to a one string bass in a skiffle group in the 1950s, Thomas eventually bumped into fellow ‘Moodies’ founding member, Mike Pinder. The two headed to Germany where Ray admits that they were “ripped off”, and returned to Birmingham aged 21, determined to carry on as musicians.  

Thomas recalls that what they found on their return to Birmingham, amongst the 250 or so bands on the circuit, was “complete disillusionment! – ‘Brum beat’ wasn’t taking off as the next ‘Mersey beat’ like people had anticipated, and bands were breaking up left right and centre”. Having heard Blues bands touring the circuits in Europe, and in the midst of the scene in Birmingham falling apart, Thomas and Pinder decided that Blues was the way forward.  The only other Blues artist in Birmingham at that time was Spencer Davis.   Together, Thomas and Pinder approached Denny Laine, who was living with Graeme Edge and his parents;  landing Graeme the drum stool on Denny’s recommendation.   Disappointingly for the band, John Lodge was not in a position to turn professional musician at the time, and in his place they recruited Clint Warwick. “We Bascially formed a Birmingham supergroup!” exclaims Thomas, “I don’t really think any of us expected the speed at which things took off for us after that”.   And it’s true – after only a short spell playing in Clubs around Birmingham, ‘The Moody Blues’ were picked up by a management company, and moved down to London.   With the current re-release, marking the 50th Anniversary, of their first album “The Magnificent Moodies” [Cherry Red Records] -  I caught up with Ray Thomas for a chat about the beginnings of a Birmingham Blues band,  who went on to be considered as global pioneers of progressive and orchestral rock ...

HR :  “The Magnificent Moodies” is a very fitting title for a first album, considering the success you went on to have!  

RT : We felt, at the time, that it was a bit pretentious to call it that, but management thought it was a good idea!

HR : Do you have any particular memories of recording the album?

RT : It’s been 50 years, and you tend to forget certain things, you know? But I do remember finding “Go Now” ...

We were a working band at the time, just moved down to London, and we’d play anywhere.   One night “Manfred Man” pulled out of a show at The Marquee Club, and we stepped in for them, which lead to us being offered our own regular night there. It was a major breakthrough for us in London. The Marquee Club was the place to be seen, and people would queue around the block to see us perform heavy blues. We had talked about putting together an album of songs that we performed live, but Studio time was like gold dust in London at the time and we just couldn’t get in anywhere to start and lay anything down. A friend of the managers from America used to send over boxes of singles and acetates, and one day we came across “Go Now” by Bessie Banks and her brother. It hadn’t been released, but she had laid it down as a demo which was very much lighter and slower than our version, but we loved the song.

At the same time, the Marquee were building a studio at the back of the club.   We asked if we could go into the studio and record it.   However, the studio was still pretty much a building site, apart from the control room which was almost finished.   So we went in there and set up amongst ladders and bags of cement, and recorded “Go Now”. We were the first band to record in Marquee Studios -  we were lucky with that.   We ended up doing about half the album there – and the other half was recorded at Olympic Studios.

HR : When “The Magnificant Moodies” was released, did you ever imagine what followed?

RT : It was a bit of a shock, because from forming the band to having a number one with “Go Now”, it was a relatively short space of time.  

We were all elated , but didn’t realise what a big hit it would be. We were a bit naive really ... It was a massive hit across Europe, especially France.   We spent a lot of time touring France, with a lot of the big blues artists. And proof of how naive we were :- We used to stay in Paris  – on the West Bank, in the ‘artists’ area. We rented a studio there and recorded a song that Denny wrote called “Boulevard de la Madeline” – he’d seen the signpost on the street and romanticised about it to the point of writing the song, but the Parisian’s ended up in arms about it. When we played it on stage we would silence the audience! What we didn’t realise is that “Boulevard de la Madeline”, was bang in the middle of the red light district! We didn’t know!

We had success in a LOT of countries, incredibly. America loved us, but oddly enough - “Go Now” wasn’t a hit in the states. They released “Tuesday Afternoon” instead, and that did OK.

HR : “The Magnificent Moodies” was the only album that you recorded as that first 1964-66 line-up wasn’t it? Would you have been happy to carry on and record more music in that genre, or were you ready for a change? Did you embrace what came after Denny and Clint left?

RT : The thing was, Clint was married with a couple of kids, and his wife wasn’t happy about the time he was spending on the road , so he went back to Birmingham to run the family business.

Denny left more or less at the same time, to go solo – he fancied trying out songs with a string quartet, which he did, and had a certain amount of success.

I felt like The Moodies were worth the perseverance, despite things having slowed down a bit for us, and had no real issues about carrying on with a change of band members. I’d worked with John Lodge in a band called “Elright and the Rebels” – I was Elright of course – a right a bloody prat! John was actually our first choice of bass player when we formed ‘The Moody Blues’, but his dad wouldn’t let him do it until he’d finished his apprenticeship. Same as my Dad, but I was a year older than John. We all came from working class backgrounds where our parents knew that music was a dodgy game, and wanted us to have a trade to fall back on. In that 12 months whilst John finished his apprenticeship, we’d had a number 1 hit with “Go Now” – so when I called him up, he was down to London like a shot!

I found Justin quite by accident really.   I was sitting in a club called the “The Scotch & St James”, which was the meeting place for bands back then, having a drink with Eric Burdon [The Animals] and he was in the throes of putting a new Animals together. I mentioned that I was looking for a new guitarist / singer.   Eric had put an anonymous advert in the NME, “Top recording band needs guitarist”, and found who he wanted - so he gave me all of the applications he hadn’t yet gone through, and fate handed me Justin.

And that was the new Moodies.

HR : When you enlisted John and Justin, the band took a different direction musically ... RT : Musically we were moving towards using strings and stuff anyway -  If you could have listened to what Mike and Denny were writing towards the end of that time, you could hear that influence creeping in.   Justin aided that because he had a much softer voice ...

HR :  “Days Of Future Passed” was the first album released with the new line-up; the rhythm and heavy blues, suddenly having been replaced by the orchestral opening of ‘The Day Begins’, and a very different vocal sound ... How was that received?  

RT : To tell you the truth, it went down like a cup of cold sick with the record company! [laughs] Before we recorded it – Decca, who we were signed to, had installed this new ‘Deramic’ sound system – best described as Wall to Wall stereo, instead of that old ping pong stereo sound.   They wanted us to do a demonstration disc for this sound system, to send out with their reps, and asked us if we would go in and play a couple of standard Rock and Roll numbers; to compliment that, they wanted Peter Knight (composer) to record a couple of classical numbers, and these would become the demo ... but it was going to be rubbish!

So, Tony Clarke  - one of Deccas top producers - and Peter Knight put their necks on the line for us at that point.   Again - We couldn’t get into the studio to record ‘Days Of Future Passed’, so we approached Tony and Peter with the idea. They liked it, and helped us to record the whole thing in about 8 days  -  we recorded “Legend Of The Mind” in the same session.

We never actually recorded with the Orchestra ourselves. The roadie would take over what we’d worked on each night, to Peter, and he would then write the bridge for the song. At the very end Peter recorded the orchestra, and then stitched it all together.

We were absolutely bowled over by it. We had achieved exactly what we wanted.

Every Tuesday, Decca would get all of their producers together with what they’d recorded during the week, and the powers that be would sit and listen and decide what they were going to do with it.

Tony played them “Days Of Future Passed” and they said “What the bloody Hell is that?” They didn’t know how to market it because it didn’t fit into any of their pigeon holes.   Fortunately for us that afternoon, a chap called Walt Maguire who was over from America -  the head of London Records [American Decca] - said “Christ! If you’re not going to release that here, give it to me, I’ll release it in America. It’s fantastic!”

So they decided to give it to him and agreed he could do that, and also decided to release it here. Nobody got into trouble, on our account, and that was the beginning of the new ‘Moodies’, with “Days Of Future Passed”!

We had ‘The Beatles’ come around to our house that night and played it to them ... and they loved it.   We were good friends with them, especially George and John.   They used to bring stuff for us to listen to too, because they trusted our judgements on it.   There was none of that back biting in those days. Everyone was just busy being creative.

We supported them on their last English tour – with Denny and Clint.  That was a hoot! I don’t think I dare say too much about what we used to get up to ... But you could see they [The Beatles] weren’t going to do anymore. They were writing some beautiful songs, but you couldn’t hear them. All you could hear was “Ladies and Gentlemen, The B ..” and then there’d just be screaming. The truth is, that they got totally cheesed off with it. They wanted people to listen to what they were doing. The fans were their own worst enemies really ...

HR : Talking of your connection to The Beatles - You were managed by Brian Epstein for a while. Surely that couldn’t have gone better could it?

RT : Well that’s debatable actually. Brian Epstein, was in love with a Bull Fighter in Spain and used to go over there a lot. He had a big organisation by the time he was managing us, but when he wasn’t there, nobody was making any decisions in his absence.   We were reliant on all of these people to get us the work, and look after our affairs. They were our agent as well, and things had been quiet for us for a while when a promoter in France contacted Epstein’s team wanting us to tour over there again. So we agreed to it. We touched down at the airport in Paris to crowds of press folks, and screaming fans!   We didn’t know that the record company had released “Bye Bye Bird”, and it had been a massive hit there. In short - This promoter had literally paid us peanuts for this tour, and we were a bit pissed off about it all. We went down to see Brian at his house as soon as we got back. There was a bit of a heated debate and I actually said to him “You’re the head of a crap organisation” – so he had a dramatic tantrum, threw us out of his house, and told us to meet him at the office in the morning. When we arrived there,  he’d got together all his heads of department and in front of us asked them all about what had happened. He just got blank responses. At which point he stood up and said “You’re right, I am the head of a crap organisation”.   Then he asked us what we wanted, and we asked for the contract back. So he sent his legal guy to get the contract, ripped it up into pieces in front of us; told us we were free, wished us luck, and we left the office ...

HR : Well his luck must have rubbed off on you, given the continued success you went on to have.   You’ve got a fairly impressive discography there, as proof!   RT : Yes I suppose I have really! I’ve lead one hell of a life!! [laughs] I was with ‘The Moody Blues’ for over 40 years, until my health prevented me from carrying on in 2003. It wasn’t a falling out or anything like that, I just had to pack it in. On Doctors orders! I’ve no regrets though. I was approaching 61 years old, had played everywhere I’d ever wanted to - except Sydney Opera house which I would have love to play!

Do you know? We were the first band to play Madison Square Gardens, in New York, twice in the same day, and the City Council put a block on that ever happening again because it brought the traffic in Manhattan to a standstill with everyone trying to get in and out!   [laughs]. I went for a walk between shows that day, with our publicist, and thankfully nobody recognised me. We used to get mobbed wherever we went as a group, and to be honest that day I just fancied bit of fresh air and some roasted chestnuts from the street vendor! As we’re standing there, some folks walked up to us asking if we had any tickets – they thought we were ticket touts! It annoyed me even back then, people asking $400 dollars per ticket! So I walked up to one of these touts and asked him how much he wanted for two tickets, and he actually only wanted $200, so I handed it over, and carried on eating my bag of nuts! Next thing, a young couple came up asking for tickets and I said, “I have got some actually” – and gave them to them for free.   Our publicist looked at my like I was crazy and said “What the bloody hell did you do that for?” and I said “because I’m going to get one hell of a kick out of knowing that when I walk out on stage later, that that young couple will look up and realise that I’m the bloke who gave them their tickets!”

HR : Do you have a favourite album amongst the 14 that you recorded with the ‘Moodies’?

RT : Well I don’t know really because I always say that they’re all our children. I have different memories of different albums and they all mean something. I love them all. You know, when you start with absolutely nothing and end up with something like “To Our Children’s Children’s Children” – it’s very rewarding.   We had a lot of fun playing around with sounds over the years.  They were happy days.

HR : And what are you up to these days, post ‘Moody Blues’?

RT : I’m still doing a lot of recording –  I’ve never stopped recording really. Solo albums, collaborations and all of that.

Just before Christmas (2014) I was working with John Lodge again. His solo album comes out soon. It was just like old times ...

I’m hoping to record a new solo album this year too – gives me something to do amongst fishing trips! I like to keep busy ...

I’ve just recorded with an Italian ‘Prog’ band, who paid me in Pasta! [laughs] I’m not kidding ... about a month later this huge box of pasta turned up on the doorstep from Naples!

And then I went out to record with a Russian band -  the son of a billionaire oil baron, who thought that I was God!

HR : Well You are regarded as a pioneer of progressive and orchestral rock – that’s verging on God-like!

[laughs] At the end of the day -  I’m just a guy from Birmingham, with a bit of talent, who got lucky ...

[nerdsies]

Newsies @ Disneyland

inspired by a post by @fresh-new-yoik-watah on going to Disneyland with the toursies

jack originally wanted to take the littles, but then Les told Davey who told Crutchie who told Mush and it snowballed

Davey’s the guy who knows facts about all the rides. Everyone pretends to be bored by him, but it’s actually kind of interesting? Romeo uses the facts to hit on people in the long lines

Kid Blink is afraid of heights but absolutely loses his mind over “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.” Les is 100% down to join him every time

Race, Albert and Spot got lost in the haunted house and had to text Graves to help them out. Spot bought him Mickey Mouse ears as a thank you

Smalls tries to convince everyone that the Walt Disney statue is actually Disney’s preserved body. Sniper believes him and Tommy Boys gets in a (very heated) argument with Smalls about it

Finch dares Henry to try every flavour of cotton candy. He does

Buttons is obsessed with the Matterhorn and tries to trick Blink into going on. They make it to the front of the line when Blink sees the ride sign and ducks out. Elmer happily takes his place

Mike and Ike went on the teacups and tried to see who got dizzy first. It was both of them —they had to sit out for a couple of hours and drink Ginger Ale to settle their stomachs

Crutchie loves  — loves  —the Pirates of the Carribean ride

Jack has to be dragged away from going on “Indiana Jones” for the 9th time

Katherine and Sarah dress as princesses and lead the littles to the employed princesses

It was a hassle getting everyone in one place to watch the fireworks, but somehow they managed. Specs had his hands over his ears the whole time (he claims it was to show the littles how to block out the loud noises, but no one belives him)

Finch was asked to leave the jungle safari ride because he snuck his slingshot onto the boat and used it to shoot rocks at the animatrons

Race, unsurprisingly, owned the racecar game. Refusing to admit defeat, Spot challenges him again and again until he owes Race $75, two dinners, and a Disney serenade of at least 4 songs

Your OTP proposes in front of the castle on the last day (the answer is YES and it goes viral on every single social media platform)

[emblem-333]

The Third Bronze Medal Game

Super Bowl VII

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Dallas Cowboys

What changes: Don Shula does not give the reins back to Bob Griese and sticks with Earl Morrall. The Dolphins offense continues to struggle against the Steel Curtain and fall 17-10, thus ending their perfect season. Another alternative for Pittsburgh is what-if Terry Bradshaw wasn’t knocked out of the game with a concussion?

For Dallas, Tom Landry turns away from Roger Staubach after his heroics versus the 49ers erased a fifteen-point deficit. Craig Morton held the job as starter even after the ‘71 Super Bowl season because he didn’t break away from the designed plays. Roger was a loose cannon and at times could not be trusted. In his two games against division rival Washington, Morton compiled a respectable for the time, 21 of 44 passing, 235 yards, two touchdowns and the same number of interceptions, and a rushing touchdown. Dallas also averaged 27 points in two games against the NFC’s best defense.

The Morton-Staubach controversy is one of those quandaries at the time you could’ve seen yourself on either side. With the hindsight of history, Staubach obviously is far and away the superior option. Except, even after his Super Bowl winning stint as Dallas’ starter, the reliability of Morton, the known quantity enticed Landry more than the high ceiling of Staubach. Morton was a carbon copy of previous Cowboys great Don Meredith. No really! Look at their statistical outputs:

Craig Morton ‘69, ‘70, ‘72

(Morton started just four games in 1971 before Staubach usurped him)

Win/Loss: 28-9-1

Yards: 6,834

TDs: 51

INTs: 42

Cmp%: 53.07%

Attempts: 846

Completions: 449

Don Meredith ‘66-‘68

Win/Loss: 27-9-1

Yards: 7,139

TDs: 61

INTs: 40

Cmp%: 52.4

Attempts: 908

Completions: 476

In ‘71, the ten-games Staubach spent as starter he threw the ball just 211 times. His throws were brilliant, long range and electrifying contrasted with the methodic Morton. But to put into context how little trust Landry had in Staubach, Colin Kaepernick in the 7 regular season games he took over for Alex Smith in 2012 he attempted 218 passes.

The Cowboys never fancied themselves a team who did their damage in the air anyhow. The speedy backfield tandem of Calvin Hill (1,400) and Walt Garrison (1,174) accumulated 2,574 yards from scrimmage combined. More yards than Miami’s Larry Csonka (1,165) and Mercury Morris (1,168) mark of 2,333.

Staubach laid the biggest - maybe his only - egg of his career against Washington in the NFC Title Game. George Allen’s “Over The Hill Gang” mercilessly punished Roger sacking him three times, Dallas offense completing just 8 first downs. Washington would go on to be Miami’s final victim in their 17-0 season in the subsequent Super Bowl.

Dallas arguably, with Morton win against Washington and we have a rematch of the previous year’s championship game. Staubach needed the setbacks of ‘72 and ‘73 as learning curves. Morton, however, was already experienced enough.

For Pittsburgh, it was the first year of the Steel Curtain reshaping the identity the Steelers had of being a bunch of bottom-dwellers. Chuck Noll was hired in 1969 the Steelers from their inception in 1933 up until that point made the playoffs just once, in 1947. Noll inherits the worst team in the NFL. Many fans wanted a quarterback heading into the ‘69 draft where Pittsburgh occupied the fourth pick. Cincinnati product Greg Cook was tagged by many as a Steeler in waiting. Instead, Noll opted not for a quick fix and selected linebacker from North Texas Joe Greene. Fans were irate. Greg Cook is a story for another day. For the sake of brevity, Cook was described by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh as the greatest quarterback he’s ever seen. This is the man who worked with Joe Montana. Cook dazzled in his rookie campaign leading the NFL in passing. Playing the second half of the ‘69 season with a partially torn rotator cuff, Cook only played one more game after his rookie year before Paul Brown told him to “get on with your life.” Perhaps if Kansas City Chiefs defenseman Jim Lynch hadn’t tackled Cook his bust would be in Canton, Ohio today.

Greene is the first player drafted in the formation of the Steel Curtain. Mel Blount, Mike Wagner, and Jack Ham followed. In 1972, only Miami’s “No Name Defense” held opponents to fewer points and by the slim margin of 4. The Steelers created an aura of being a team of destiny after their miraculous last play victory over the Oakland Raiders, dubbed “The Immaculate Reception.” Heading into the forth and final period, the Steelers lead Miami 10-7 and were a quarter away from the Super Bowl. Bradshaw had left the contest giving control to Terry Hanratty, he completed and attempted the same as Bradshaw, 5 of 10, but for fewer yards, 57 to the Blond Bomber’s 80. Bradshaw did throw a touchdown, though he also tossed two interceptions. Hanratty put Pittsburgh’s kicker Roy Gerela had his attempt blocked, the score stayed 14-10.

Shula pulled the struggling Morrall and Griese lead the Dolphins downfield, thanks to a 52-yard completion to deep threat Paul Warfield set the stage for one of Jim Kiick’s touchdowns putting them back in the driver's seat. Bradshaw heroically returned in an attempt to resurface the fledgling Steelers. Down 21-10, Bradshaw completed four consecutive passes for 71-yards, hitting Al Young (who doesn’t have a Wikipedia page) for the touchdown. The ensuing Dolphins possession ended in a punt. Life was back in the Three Rivers crowd. Perhaps they really are a team of destiny.

Turns out, there’s no such thing. Bradshaw threw back to back costly interceptions icing the game for Miami.

The loss wouldn’t be the only thing weighing heavily in the hearts of Steelers fans. Later that day, Pirates all-time great Roberto Clemente in the prime of his life and career perished in a plain crash in route to Nicaragua. Through all the despair hope remained on the horizon. But outside of 1976, I’d say this is the one Pittsburgh fans who were fortunate to live through their era of dominance wish they hadn’t left on the table.

So what-if they haven’t? What-if we had a Steelers vs Cowboys Super Bowl three-years before we actually got it?

The makeup of both these teams are different, for one. There is no Lynn Swann or John Stallworth to throw to. Ron Shanklin was Pittsburgh’s leading receiver with 38 catches. Frank Lewis lead the wideouts in touchdowns with 5. Though unglamorous, the Steelers offense got the job done thanks to thousand yard rusher rookie Franco Harris.

The Cowboys most prominent receivers were their aforementioned running backs. Ron Sellers lead the wideouts with 37 receptions. Veteran stalwart Mike Ditka was at the end of his rope and only caught 17. 1972 was his final year in the NFL.

Dallas on defense were lead by Pro Bowlers Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, and free safety Cornell Green. These two teams met earlier in the season back in October, a game Dallas won 17-13 thanks to Landry’s trickery. Calvin Hill threw to Sellers for a 55-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score. The Steelers offense did much of nothing that day. Excluding the 55-yard play, the Cowboys didn’t do much better.

The contest starts slowly, as expected. Neither defense budges one iota. Flashbacks to Super Bowl V replay in Landry’s mind as he watches Morton wear black and gold. The Cowboys offensive line can’t maintain themselves in the face of the Steel Curtain. The Cowboys are scoreless at the end of the first half of play.

Pittsburgh fares better. Bradshaw marches his team up the field twice for two Gerela short range field goals and right before the end of the first half, Harris punches it in from the 5-yard line to give his team a commanding 13-0 lead. Landry contemplates handing the reins back to Staubach. His stinginess wins out this time and he sticks with Morton.

His faith in his quarterback is rewarded when Morton hits Sellers for a 15-yard pass to give the Cowboys six-points. After a Steelers three-and-out, Morton picks up right where he left off. On a 3rd & 10 at the Steelers 38, Morton hits the aging Ditka for a 13-yard gain. Two plays later, riding high off the momentum, Morton again Hits Sellers for surrounded by Steeler defenders for a 14-yard gain. Hill accepts the handoff a play later in red zone territory and passes the goal line. A Toni Fritsch extra-point gives Dallas their first lead 14-13.

In desperate need of answers the Steelers are left puzzled as another three-and-out gives the ball right back to the surging Cowboys who waste no time in trying to deliver the decisive blow. The red hot Morton manages to hit Sellers for 22-yards positioning Dallas well in Pittsburgh territory. At the Steelers 15, it was all or nothing at this point for both sides. Landry knew the next few play calls would define this game. Garrison is stuffed on back to back rushes, and Morton finds little options rolling out before being tackled for a gain of just two. Fritsch manages to extend Dallas’ lead 17-13 meaning Pittsburgh would have to drive the length of the field in order to squeak out a win.

Accepting the ball with 6:18 left, the Steelers again go three-and-out. Angst defines the best of the Steeler sideline. On forth & 12 the length is too long to contemplate going for it. Noll elects to punt in hopes Dallas fails to both take time off the clock and score. Garrison gets the ball and runs up for twelve-yards near midfield. The Cowboys look ready to silence every demon they’ve ever conjured through past playoff failures. Instead, they come right back. Morton’s intended pass to Sellers is picked off by defensive end Dwight White, and just like that, the Steelers get the ball back with prime field position to boot.

Marching to Dallas’ fifteen, the pocket collapses on Bradshaw forcing him to scramble. He scurries for the score diving at the last second before Super Bowl V MVP Chuck Howley could stop him. The Steelers regain the lead for which they wouldn’t relinquish this time and capture their first world title.

2nd

PIT - Roy Gerela FG 37 yd

PIT - Roy Gerela FG 38 yd

PIT - Franco Harris 5-yd run TD

3rd

DAL - Ron Sellers 14 yd pass from Morton TD

4th

DAL - Calvin Hill 4 yd run TD

DAL - Toni Fritsch FG 32 yd

PIT - Bradshaw 15 yd run TD

Pittsburgh 20-17

Morton - 16-26, 176 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

Bradshaw - 15-20, 186 yds, 1 rush TD *Super Bowl MVP*

Pittsburgh: 286 total yards

Dallas: 283 total yards

In what would turn out to be Morton’s last stand as QB for the Lone Star team, Landry learned to make his peace with the rowdy Staubach and gave him full autonomy of the offense the following season and wouldn’t live to regret it. Meanwhile, jubilation overcomes the Steelers who scurry on the field embracing any person within arms reach. From the laughingstock of the NFL to becoming the envy of all, Pittsburgh overcame all of the odds mounting three straight come from behind victories en route to their championship.

[multifandomaddictedfangirl]

Misconceptions about Breaking bad ~ my theory (Spoilers!)

So I’ve just finished watching Breaking Bad. All seasons. I really loved the show. It was well written, well directed, well thought in every details, very well played with such talented actors. It is a masterpiece. Clearly, it was a show that had been thought of and worked on for a while to be perfect (like no plot holes, no OOC actions, no wasted moments, no pointless moves, no useless lines, etc.). Besides, this show had everything: badass action, fighting scenes, tension, drama (big time), humor sometimes (not often) and emotions (a lot).

However, I think there is a HUGE misunderstanding to what this show is about and an ENORMOUS misconception of why it’s so good and really likeable.

A lot of people I have met IRL, or read online, really loved this show as well. That’s not a surprise. As I’ve said, this show was really good for a lot of reasons and I will never deny that.

But as I was reading them/talking to them IRL, I’ve realised something. They loved Breaking Bad because they loved the story and the character of Walter White. They loved the story of an american middle aged white man, with a normal life, a traditional family and a boring job, becoming this super extra badass who ends up building and controlling a meth empire. Usually, they particularly loved season 3-4 when Walt is supposedly at its greatest moments. They loved Walter White and what he has become: a badass, a smart ass meth dealer, a dominating boss, a good provider for his family... a real man. They loved him as a hero. They loved him as a protagonist who should succeed and get what he wants in the end. They loved him as a character that they were rooting for. They also loved the dream of a normal guy starting off nothing and ending up being the big boss in the game. They loved the idea of having this exciting/dangerous/ illegal/ outlawed/badass “dream life”. Like in an action movie. They loved the fantasy that Breaking Bad exposes.

So here’s the thing... Those people don’t like Breaking Bad. Because that’s not the show. That’s not its point. That’s not its essence. That’s not what it’s trying to show us. That’s not what it’s about. At all.

Obviously, there are multiple interpretations and levels of lecture in a piece of art. And I don’t think some are overall better than others. I think it’s pretty condescending and arrogant to believe there is a “good way” of consuming medias/arts, and a “bad way”. There are just different ways. And that’s great.

However, if you pay attention to the show, for like 10 minutes, it’s pretty clear what it is about.

Breaking Bad is a criticism of Walter White and of this fantasy of a badass action-movie lifestyle. The whole point of the show is basically to say: “Look at that kind of lifestyle society makes you fantasise about, and look how you really don’t want to have it cause it actually sucks. Look at how you DON’T and SHOULDN’T want to become Walter White.”

Walter White isn’t portrayed as a glorious badass mastermind hero by the show. He shouldn’t be read like that. Of course, he is the main protagonist and so, the audience is meant to follow his story. But Walt is first portrayed as a bad guy. Not only like a villain. But as a bad person. Someone you should despise for his personality. Someone who should disgust you. Someone you should hate for who he truly is. Someone you shouldn’t be rooting for. Someone you should quite quickly want dead.

When the show begins, yes, he is portrayed as a normal family man, working a basic job, providing for his family which he seems to care about. But the show already makes it clear that he is a very proud man, who thinks he deserves better than his current life, who thinks he can do better and have better just because. Just cause he is Walter White, a chemistry genius. His world, what he has, doesn’t seem to be enough for him.

(Btw some of my friends argued that Walter White wasn’t such a bad person in the beginning of the show, and that “the meth dealing turned him into an asshole”. While I would agree with that, I also wanna point out that in the beginning of the show, Walt isn’t the greatest person neither... His life is built around a very sexist scheme. He always expects Skyler to do breakfast for him and basically all the housework, because she is his housewife and that’s the way things are supposed to be. We never see him being grateful for what she does. If he’s the only one working, “providing for his family”, it’s more likely because he didn’t want Skyler to. Skyler is a competent woman, she could have found a job with a better income than high school teacher. But I don’t think Walt, fulled with pride, would have accepted to be taken care of by his wife. He wanted to be the alfa male since day one. Because he more likely already had internalised pride, sexism and toxic masculinity and fake virility. We never see him share his true feelings with Skyler. He doesn’t want to look vulnerable. Never. He’s never real with anybody. He refuses to admit that he feels bad about his life and prefers to hide behind a mask, which he will continue to do throughout the show. Because expressing your true feelings to someone who cares about you is not an alfa male move, so Walt rejects this idea. So no, I don’t believe Walter White was such a great person in the beginning. He already was an asshole. He just became waaaaaaaay worse.)

Anyway, then he got diagnosed with cancer. And the money issue appears. If the family pays for Walter’s chemotherapy, they will take a huge risk of bankrupt. They need more money. The family needs more money. But let’s note that Walt’s friends, Eliot and Gretchen, DO propose to pay for his therapy. But Walter refuses, again because of his pride. All the events that follow, all the murders, all the meth dealing, all the horrors, EVERYTHING could have been avoided if Walter White hadn’t decided to be an arrogant jerk and say “suck it” to genuine help.

The money and the (supposedly) rightful idea providing for his family will be Walter’s justifications for ALL his actions during the ENTIRE show (even when his cancer is cured and the family doesn’t necessarily needs this huge amount of money anymore).

The truth is Walt never just wanted the money for chemotherapy or to help his family. He wanted the money because money equals power and influence. And Walt dreamed of power and control over the others. He wanted to be the only one capable of providing, the one everyone else would praise, admire and thank for the rest of his life. He wanted to be a god. Before even cooking his first batch, he already was a narcissist self-centered and arrogant prick, only thinking about his own good.

When he starts to cook meth, it just becomes even worse. The show gets darker, bloodier, more violent. Everything breaks bad, as thev title of the show clearly explicits. Walt finds a new way to express his desire of control, his dream of being finally respected/feared, and the silent violence which he was hidding inside of him.

(I think Walt somehow wants to turn the symbolic violence he was victim of (not being manly enough, especially compared to his brother-in-law, Hank who kinda bullies him in the beginning of the show) into a physical violence he is now in control of).

He then becomes a monster, who is capable of the most cruel, creepy, insane actions to get what he wants. He completely looses sense of reality. If we sum up what he did: he started cooking meth, he missed his daughter’s birth because of the meth dealing, he lied to everybody who cared about him, he tricked his DEA agent brother-in-law Hank, he mentally abused and manipulated Jesse to make him his puppet, he provoked Hank’s accident paralysing him for a while, he turned Junior against Skyler, he abused Skyler and made her part of his business letting her no other choice, he killed Gus’s men, he disolved murdered bodies in acid, he let Jane died while he could have saved her, he made Jesse kill Gale, he blew up a old people’s house killing Gus and hurting multiple innocents, he told nazis where Andrea lived and therefore caused her death, he ordered killings in prison, he blackmailed Hank with a fake confession video, he kidnapped Holly, he caused Hank and Gomez’s deaths, he killed Krazy8, he killed Mike, and he poisoned a child.

And the show makes it pretty clear that it’s not sane, that NONE of this is cool/badass, that it’s just miserable actions provoked by a desperate man, that it will just bring him sadness, loneliness, loss, misery and disfurtune, that Walt slowly but surely goes down this path of destruction and cruelty and that he will never come back. That what he once had (a family who loved and respected him, friends who cared about him, friendly neighbors, a stable job which had always been enough to provide for the family, a beautiful house, a great life, really) will be gone forever. And he will never get all of that back. Even if Walt just realises that in the final episodes.

His problematic lack of trust (even towards Jesse who never betrayed him!), his egocentric paranoia (the fact that he always thinks he is the center of some sort of conspiracy in the meth empire, despite the fact that it is a huge business and he is just not alone in this), his insane quest of power (the fact that he is never happy with what he has and always wants to extend his market/to extend his influence) and his huge PRIDE will always and constantly lead him to making huge mistakes and screwing up everything, making everything way worse. Walt is often the cause of his own failures.

But rather than learning from his mistakes, grow up and adapt, those mistakes just reinforce his beliefs, his fears, his desires, and justifies somehow even more his further actions. Walt is stuck in a vicious circle that, you know already from season 1-2, will lead him towards his end.

Everytime Walt tries something, he fails. He is not a badass mastermind meth dealer. He takes a lot of stupid decisions because he is too impulsive and doesn’t know how things really work in the real life. There is plenty of things he doesn’t know, even if he never admits it. He always have more competent person around him to do the job. Sure he cooks meth better than anybody else (except maybe Jesse in season 5), but meth dealing isn’t just cooking. Without Jesse, without Gus, without Mike, Walt would have never been Heisenberg.

Relying on other isn’t a bad thing (on the contrary), but that’s not what Walt does. Walt USES people. He manipulates them, he mentally ABUSES them, destroys their self esteem, threatens them, makes them believe they have no other choices but to order him. He did that with Jesse (big time), and also with Skyler for instance. The truth is Walt sucks and he needs others but he always denies it because he doesn’t want to admit that he is vulnerable and lost and that he actually is not “the big boss in the game”.

And whenever he makes a decision by himself (usually to cross someone), he FAILS. Like dramatically. He always puts himself in a position that is worse, usually more dangerous, just because he couldn’t shut up and keep his pride. Yes, sometimes, he also succeeds but it’s then quickly shown that what he thought was a success will turn up against him.

Even when Walt does look badass, it’s during short moments taken apart from big story. Yes, if you take some scenes out of context, Walt looks cool. But if you just take some time to analyse the context, than the scenes loose all its power and Walt appears the way he is inside: powerless, weak, insecure, pathetic.

For instance, when Walter says to his wife “I’m the danger”, it’s not meant to be seen as a badass line (and it has, by many people). It’s pathetic because he has, at that point in the show, lost control in his professional life. So he’s trying to regain control and influence in his private life by terryfing someone who looks weaker than him. He cannot hurt or scare his actual enemies in the meth empire because they are more powerful than him. He is at this point lost, confused and vulnerable. He needs to regain his manhood, his position of power, his role of alfa male. So to do so, he decides to terrify his wife, who is just a normal person and doesn’t know the meth world (and so, who has to take anything Walt says for granted). He’s like a bully, in school, attacking the weakest because they are in quest of manhood and influence. And we know bullies are actually the most insecure kids.

Besides, when Walt fails, he doesn’t even admit he screwed up, says sorry and learns from his mistakes. He denies he made a mistake and takes the blame on others. That’s, again, profoundly PATHETIC. He lies to everyone. While he claims that he doesn’t want anybody’s pity, he keeps lying to make it look like he was just the victim of unfortunate events against him. That’s why Walt isn’t even a good likeable villain. He denies what he truly wants (money, power, control, sense of manhood...), he hides behind a fake justification, and he doesn’t realise or admit that his means are deeply cruel (murder, mental abuse, meth dealing, child poisoning, lying, bloodbath assassinations...). Even if he has convinced himself he’s doing all of this for a good reason (provide for his family), it’s like he is not aware of the monstrosity of his actions. He never admits he has become a merciless monster. Not to his family, not to his wife, not to his partners in crime. Most villains would say: “I believe what I do is fair and justified, but to do so, I have to become a monster and do unspeakable things and that’s what I’m gonna do”. But Walt doesn’t.

(Walt would probably say something like “I’m a good person, I want to help my family which totally explains all my actions which weren’t even THAT bad if you look at it a certain way and there was no other choice anyway, I’m just a victim, but I’m still powerful, but I had to, but I’m in control.” And honestly? UGH.)

Walt is a looser, who tries to hide the fact that he sucks. He is not a badass, or a mastermind. He’s mostly scared, pathetic and lost. Breaking Bad always show us that. Breaking Bad is about the fail and the path towards the end of Walter White. It’s about Walt becoming worse and worse, but not by doing things more and more illegal/horrible. He’s becoming worse and worse as a person. More pathetic as the show evolves. More miserable. More lost. More desperate. And he ends up with NOTHING.

Walter White looses everything. His friends are so terrified of him that they don’t want to have any contact with him. His wife completely despise him. His son is ashamed and disgusted of him. His daughter will grow up without a father. His former associates are mostly dead. His partner, Jesse, hates him and runs away from him. Walt dies alone, abandonned by everyone, knowing nobody will miss him and that he has failed to do what he first wanted (take care of his family), that the person he once was, who had a great life actually, is gone.

The show makes it very clear that following Walter’s path is not something cool. It’s not something you should want or dream about. Because in your fantasy, the meth business is badass and cool and fun. But in reality, it’s difficult, horrifying, dangerous and life-ruining. The point of the show is to stay: Walt got stuck in this because he was, and always had been, a proud, narcissist and pathetic person and he has LOST everything when he tried to be the badass he never was.

This fictional lifestyle, based on pride, toxic masculinity and badass action fantasy, that is nourished by a lot of fictions and medias that we consume, is BAD (hence the title). The show criticises it over and over again.

And in my opinion, that’s why it’s so good. The show doesn’t glorify what society already praises to be the dream. It questions it, it shows us its true nature, and criticises it. At the end, Breaking Bad isn’t just a badass exciting action-movie turned into a serie (it would have been quite boring if it was). It’s more than that. It tells a story about us as human, as people, and it deconstructs a fantasy we all have had at some point. And it does it perfectly. So I really loved this show, but it saddened me to see so many people having this misunderstanding about what the show was trying to say.

[maxgrayarchived]

This is gonna be kind of a weird post for my blog, but I think it’s still relevant.

So I’ve been rewatching PewDiePie play the Walking Dead and I just finished season 2, and I’ve noticed some... Problems.

Now, don’t get me wrong- I fucking love these games, and I think Telltale as a whole is really talented and make great games. I just think they have some things to fix in the way they present diversity.

The first thing I want to address that actually make me genuinely upset earlier is that there is literally only TWO LGBT+ characters in all four seasons- In all 20 episodes, we come across two queer men in a relationship.

The first man dies before we even know his name ((Nick you stupid motherfucker)). The second man, Walt, calls Matthew his “partner.” Now, in real life, I don’t have any problems with people calling each other their partner because what the fuck, who would? But in media, it’s a pet peeve of mine when two cis people of the same gender do that because it feels like a copout.

It’s like the game developer saying “they COULD be boyfriends... But partner means a lot of things! Everyone’s happy!” No, you’re a coward.

I’ve watched Felix play season 2 three or four times now and I JUST now got it that they were together romantically. That could have just been me being naive when I was watching it before, but I did end up having to look up on the wiki to find out they were together. It didn’t help that Luke calls Matthew Walt’s “friend” and not “partner” or “boyfriend.”

By the way? Walt dies, too.

Kill all the representation, amirite?

The second thing I noticed is that- And correct me if I’m wrong -there isn’t a single black character who doesn’t display traits of impulsive anger. That’s like??? one of the most obvious tropes to avoid when writing black characters.

Lee, the main character in season one, the first time we see him is in a fucking cop car for god’s sake, with a white driver, going to jail for murdering the man who cucked him. Also... I’m CERTAIN I’m wrong on this, but I can’t actually remember another black character in season one? At all?

In season two, the second we meet Rebecca, she’s a total fucking bitch to us. Now, she comes around ((this might be a determinant by the way you treat her, I don’t know)), but still. She’s angry and she’s yelling at a little girl for God’s sake. She also mentions that if Alvin, her husband (also black) finds out that their baby might not be biologically his, he “will kill her.”

Mike? The first thing he does is yell at us before we even look his way because we’re being “too loud-” Aka, talking quietly on the otherside of the courtyard. He, again, comes around. What a redemption arc!!

And, I’m sure there’s more, but the last thing I noticed is that- Who’s the people who attacked us at the end of season 2? The Russians. Literally, they’re all Russian. All of them. Also the only Russians in the game. Good job, Telltale.

Feel free to discuss/debate this with me, I just had to get it off my chest. The final season honestly has some Strong Queer Vibes(tm), and I have a lot of hope for it. I’m really hoping Telltale games can get their shit together, because this isn’t okay.

[lovingunderratedcharacters]

Generation Kill Awkward First Dates

Anon:  Can i request a Headcannon for awkward 1st dates with generation kill characters

(This was painful to write.)

Brad “Iceman” Colbert: Every date with this man is awkward. He took you out on a coffee shop date, and it started out fine. But then, he spilled his drink all over you, and got so embarrassed that he had to excuse himself and go into the bathroom for a few minutes. Then, when he came out and you assured him it was fine, the two of you started asking each other questions. It started out cute and then it turned into a weird version of an interrogation, the last question he asked being “Do you think you’ll live to be 80 years old?” 

Josh Ray Person: He showed up to the concert high as a kite. He then proceeded to jump around in his seat like a maniac and when he was asked to leave, he threw up on you. Your car wouldn’t start so you had to drive his. You dropped him off at his house and you ended up staying overnight.

Harold “James” Trombley: He picked you up in a beat to death car and then took you to the cheapest diner around. Although you weren’t impressed at first, the food was great and the conversation was good. At least, it was good until his wife showed up.

Evan “Scribe” Wright: You two were in a fairly nice restaurant. The conversation was pleasant and the two of you were really clicking. Of course, he got a call from work in the middle of the date and left you to pick up the tab and get a ride home.

Tony “Poke” Espera: Politics. That was it. You sat down at the table in the restaurant and the race was on. At first it was fine, because you didn’t mind a bit of a debate, but then he got loud. And then he yelled at the waitress for interrupting him. And then he hit on her.

Walt Hasser: The two of you went to a movie and then pizza joint. The movie was good, but once you went to get pizza, you realized that there was a problem. Neither of you had anything to say to each other. It was a half an hour of awkward silence.

Rudy “Fruity Rudy” Reyes: He commented on everything you ordered and ate. And he refused to eat. He also commented on your weight (no matter what you weigh) and said “we’ll get to the gym and do something about that,” gesturing at you.

Larry Shawn “Pappy” Patrick: He picked you up in his truck for a picnic and the two of you went off to a park. It started raining just as you had settled down to eat so the two of you had to quickly pack up. The two of you got soaked and his truck got stuck in the mud, so he had you get out and push fro behind. You fell in the mud and was driven home dirty and soaking wet.

Anthony “Manimal” Jacks: He took you to a monster truck rally and brought his friend with him. They both got massively drunk and his friend tried to feel you up. The two of them got into a massive fight and all three of you were kicked out. His friend left and Manimal let you know that he was massively turned on and he wanted to take you back to his place.

Mike “Gunny” Wynn: He was thirty minutes late and he showed up smelling intensely bad and covered in dirt. He honestly kind of looked like he had just finished burying a body. He was even panting and everything. He offered no explanation and asked to see you again at the end of the date.

Nate Fick: He gave you backhanded compliments all night. “You’re so cute when you try.” “You’re really pretty for a (insert obvious label).” When you pointed it out, he got angry and stopped talking to you. He also sat there while you picked up the check.

John Christeson: The two of you went to a party for your first date, and he proceeded to get so drunk that he passed out and you had to call an ambulance. You spent the night in the hospital and fell asleep next to him. When the two of you woke up in the morning, he yelled at you for getting him in trouble.

Evan “Q-Tip” Stafford: You were expecting to go out somewhere, but when he picked you up, he brought you back to his house - which already freaked you out - and then had you sit around and watch while he played video games. He asked you to make him a sandwich, at which point you walked out of the house and back home.

Timothy “Doc” Bryan: He barely said anything to you the entire date. You guys spent an hour at a nice restaurant and he uttered maybe two sentences to you. He actually said more to the waiter, who unfortunately screwed up your order and was nearly brought to tears by what Doc said.

Craig “Encino Man” Schwetje: He actually managed to get food on his forehead. Not kidding, there was a spaghetti noodle going from the top of his head to his forehead. You’re not even sure how he got it there, but when you told him, he got overly embarrassed and then pissed off at you for embarrassing him.

Dave “Captain America” McGraw: You were late because of traffic, and he yelled at you. In the middle of the coffee shop. With everyone around. And then he asked you were you wanted to sit.

[vickiabelson]

One of the greatest storytellers I've had the joy of spending time with, Peter Onorati is a gas! The good kind. As great an actor as he is, bringing truth, depth and unique flavor to every character he portrays, he brought that plus incredible warmth, humanity, and loads of the funny. And, funny people. I feel like I interviewed his whole family.... and Bobby DeNiro. Peter made it so easy… each question sparked a multitude of tales, one more astonishing and entertaining than the next… his grandfather’s secret, his mother’s master manipulation, from football to wrestling to wrestling naked with Kim Cattrall on Sex And The City, the actual Sopranos, fantastic Cop Rock stories from Kathleen Wilhoite to Mike Post; Steven Bochco, who transitioned him to leading man, Civil Wars and Mariel Hemingway. Starting out at Ford Motor Company, getting an MBA and kicking ass at McCall’s Magazine, a sales and marketing maven, he brought those skills and business acumen to his new career -  first improv, where he met his bride of 30 years and three sons, Jeanette Collins, a glorious Emmy Award winning writer, then to standup, commercials, Goodfellas, where he finessed Scorsese, Kate and Allie, and off he went. We got current with This Is Us and S.W.A.T. and talked his fitness, “The gym is the only place I go where my goal is to leave.” But go he does, and boy does it show. WOW, what a specimen. What an actor, what a human! Suzy Soro, I owe you big time for the connection. Beyond this show, these are people I hope to know. Thanks Lynne Stewart, I felt like you were in the room with us. And what good company that is. I had a phenomenal time, before, during and after the cameras rolled. From the first moment we said hello, Peter was  an incredibly easy person to get to know. Does it get any better than that? Yes, add Pete George.

Peter Onorati on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Wed, 4/17/19, 7 pm PT/ 10 pm ET

With Pete George

Live on The Facebook

Full show replay

https://bit.ly/2DlHlco

For the video without the blur 

https://youtu.be/WhxseNNycOg

All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on

iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3 

Soundcloud http://bit.ly/2hktWoS

Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fl

tunein bit.ly/2gGeItj

This week's BROADcast is brought to you by Rick Smolke​ of Quik Impressions​, the best printers, printing, the best people people-ing. 

quikimpressions.com

And, Nicole Venables​ of Ruby Begonia Hair Studio Beauty and Products​ for tresses like the stars she coifs, and regular peoples, like me. I love my hair, and I loves Nicole. http://www.rubybegoniahairstudio.com/

Special thanks to Kevin Walt for our Blue Yeti

[hermanwatts]

Sensor Sweep: Andrew Offutt, The Broken Sword, Walt Simonson, Siege of Malta, Lovecraft Lunch Bags

Authors (The Silver Key): Andrew J. Offutt was a complex, deeply flawed man. A resident of rural Kentucky, Offutt was a husband and a father who supported his family with a successful insurance business, a job which he did not love and ultimately abandoned to make the bold leap into full-time writing. He was at one time a promising science fiction writer. He also subjected his children to emotional neglect, held baseless grudges against various personages, lacked a full emotional maturity and cohesive personality, and held a life-long obsession with pornography.

New Release (DMR Books): Next week will see the release of the 20th title from DMR Books. After publishing numerous excellent authors past and present, for the first time I’ll get to release a collection of my own writings! Necromancy in Nilztiria contains thirteen stories of adventure and wonder with a touch of gallows humor. A few of the tales have appeared before in other publications, but most will see print here for the first time (including “A Twisted Branch of Yggdrasil,” which was supposed to be included in the ill-fated Flashing Swords #6).

Fiction (Dark Herald): It was written in 1954, you can tell it was written in 1954 because it couldn’t be written today. This is a work of high tragedy that is strongly influenced by the Norse sagas.  If you like Game Thrones but would prefer that it be written by a non-sadist that can actually fit a story that should only take two hundred pages, into two hundred pages.  This is the book for you.

  RPG (Kairos): A speculative element is what sets the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror apart from literary fiction. There’s no element more speculative than magic, and it’s become a common term of art to speak of an SFF universe’s “magic system”. By reader request, here is my philosophy of magic in genre fiction–with advice on how to handle magic in your secondary world.

    Lovecraft (Tentaculii): So, kiddies, it’s back to school on Tuesday 1st September. Here are a few suggestions for last-minute rush-orders for school stuff, to arrive Monday. All available now on eBay… The H.P. Lovecraft shoulder bag for all your stuff, robust in black and blood red…

History (Compagnia san Michele blog): A common misconception is that the siege of Malta of 1565 was a one-on-one battle between an army of Hospitaller Knights against an all-Turkish invasion force. The opposing forces, in reality, were composed of troops hailing from a number of locations. In this write-up we will look at some foreign forces assisting the Order of St John in the defence of Malta. According to contemporary sources such as the diary of Francisco Balbi di Correggio, who served as a harquebusier during the siege, and from later historiography such as the work of Giacomo Bosio, the total defending force comprised of approximately the following:

Art & Philosophy (Chrislans Down): Over at Amatopia, Alexander Hellene discusses nihilism, primarily in art. It’s a good post, worth reading. There’s one segment of it that I want to discuss, though, because I think that it somewhat misses the bigger picture. There are two ways in which this misses the bigger picture.

Fiction (Amatopia): The Fall of Hyperion may as well be titled Hyperion: Part Two, as it picks up right where the first book in Dan Simmons’s Hyperion Cantos abruptly ends. Yet The Fall of Hyperion doesn’t merely pick up the story, it runs with it into wild, exciting directions before delivering a deeply satisfying conclusion that actually resolves mysteries while creating a few new ones to propel the narrative into the final two books of the series.

Pulp Science Fiction (Pulp.Net): Ray Cummings (1887-1957) is one of the “founding fathers” of pulp science fiction who unfortunately never got out of the “pulp getto.” During his career he wrote some 750 works, most for the pulps, and mostly science fiction. I was surprised to learn he had written quite a bit outside of sf. His most well-known work is Girl in the Golden Atom. This was his first original professional sale as the short story “Girl in the Golden Atom” in All-Story Weekly in 1919.

Science Fiction (Porpor Books): ‘Cestus Dei’ (283 pp) was published by Tor Books in June 1983. The cover art is by Kevin Eugene Johnson. This novel first was published, in greatly shortened form, as a hardback book titled ‘The Strayed Sheep of Charun’, issued by Doubleday / The Science Fiction Book Club in 1977. ‘Charon’ was John Maddox Roberts’s (b. 1947) first published novel. Roberts went on to be a prolific sci-fi and fantasy author during the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, writing novels for the Dragonlance and Conan franchises, as well as for his own ‘SPQR’, ‘Stormlands’, ‘Cingulum’, and ‘Island Worlds’ properties.

History (Western Fictioneers): Happy National Rum Day! This Sunday (August 16) is National Rum Day. I felt inspired to write an article about my personal favorite form of alcohol – along with some other libations your character would have been exposed to in the Old West. The first North American distillery began making rum in present-day Staten Island, New York (or New Amsterdam) in 1664. The earliest spirits distilled in the colonies were rum, gin, and brandies.

Comic Books (Diversions of the Groovy Kind): Walt Simonson’s birthday was this past Wednesday. If you ever wondered how much Ol’ Groove loves the handiwork of Walter Simonson, just check out any of the 66 (this will make 67) posts he’s featured in here on DotGK! There’s a reason the Marvel Bullpen nick-named him “Wondrous”! Here’s a huge pile of spectacular Simonson masterworks for you to ooh and ah over–then go check out all those other posts to give it all some context–and yourself added joy! Happy 74th, Mr. Simonson! Groove City loves you tons!

Edgar Rice Burroughs (DMR Books): The two defining works of ERB’s career, A Princess of Mars (1912) followed shortly after by Tarzan of the Apes, hit the pulp readership of All-Story Magazine like a bombshell. Nobody had ever read anything quite like those novels. Movies and hardcovers soon followed. For the mass market impact, the movies were more important. However, the hardcovers allowed young, aspiring writers who never had a chance to read the original pulp appearances–authors like Robert E. Howard, C.L. Moore and Fritz Leiber–to devour the early Burroughs classics.

  Alt History (According to Quinn): One of the causes for the decline and fall of the (Western) Roman Empire is the revival of the old enemy Persia under the vigorous Sassanid dynasty. This gave Rome a major military threat to the east at the same time the Germanic tribes were growing larger and more organized and the weaknesses of the Roman imperial system (namely how the armies could make emperors in the provinces) were becoming apparent.

Pulp & Comic Books (Mens Pulp Mags): Lately, I’ve been on a Mike Shayne kick. My reading and watching involving that famed Miami-based Private investigator has led to a series of posts on this blog, starting one about the first appearance of a Mike Shayne story in a men’s adventure magazine, “The Naked Frame” in BLUEBOOK, February 1953. I blame my Shayne trip on my new friend Bill “Mad Pulp Bastard” Cunnigham and my old friend, novelist, editor and retromedia maven Paul Bishop.

RPG (Monsters and Manuals): Dickheads bring sexual content into a gaming session. This is one of the fairly large number of things that traditional conservatives and woke types can merrily agree on: don’t bring up the issue of sex unless you are really sure it’s appropriate. And never bring up the issue of rape at all, because: why are you doing that other than to either be deliberately edgy, or be a creep?

Dickheads hog the limelight. If you feel like you are talking too much, you probably are. If you don’t, you still probably are.

Fiction (Chrislans Down): Over on Twitter, Benjamin Kit Sun Cheah wrote a very interesting thread on Wuxia (Chinese heroes) and the meaning of this genre. He kindly gave me permission to quote it in full here since that’s much easier to read than a Twitter thread if you’re not used to Twitter.

Fiction (Paperback Warrior): Using a combination of the names Ian Fleming (James Bond) and Alistair MacLean (Where Eagles Dare), author Marvin Albert (1924-1996) conceived the pseudonym of Ian MacAlister in the early 1970s. The prolific author of crime-fiction, tie-in novels, and westerns authored many books under his own name as well as the names of Al Conroy and Nick Quarry. Conveniently, at the height of the 1970s high-adventure market, Albert used the MacAlister pseudonym to write four genre novels.

Paranormal and Fiction (Tellers of Weird Tales): Six months ago, before the world fell apart, I wrote about the evolution of the flying saucer from nineteenth-century airship to twentieth-century flying disk. Now I write again. It seems to me that the conceit of the nineteenth century was both progressive and romantic. The conceit was that Science, this new and exciting force, could be and would be used to solve previously intractable human problems. Airships were a symbol of this kind of thinking, the belief being that airships, because of their great power, would render war impossible to wage.

Crime Fiction (Pulp Serenade): I initially reviewed Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg’s By Hook or By Crook, and 30 More of the Best Crime and Mystery Stories of the Year (2010, Tyrus Books) when it was new, and when we could count on new anthologies from its editors every year to highlight a fine array of stories from writers new and old, our favorite writers of today and tomorrow. How I miss those times. Cancer robbed readers of both of them, Greenberg first, in 2011, and Gorman in 2016.

Manga (Karavansara): Hiroaki Samura’s dark fantasy Blade of the Immortal was the last manga that I bought regularly before I decided it was too expensive a hobby, and I did not like the local fandom anyway. The fact that the Italian publisher of the series went belly up halfway through the comic’s run was also part of my decision to let it go, and with it let go of the whole hobby for a decade or two.

RPG (Skulls in the Stars): Operation Seventh Seal (1985), by Evan Robinson. Let’s look at an adventure from another TSR roleplaying game, Top Secret! Top Secret was introduced in 1980 as a contemporary espionage roleplaying game, designed by Merle M. Rasmussen and published by TSR. Looking back on playing Top Secret as a teen, I’m struck at how strange it is: it is effectively “spy D&D,” with a group of 4ish spies accomplishing missions. But can you imagine anything less practical than doing espionage as a *group*?

Sensor Sweep: Andrew Offutt, The Broken Sword, Walt Simonson, Siege of Malta, Lovecraft Lunch Bags published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

[ifuseethisturnback-blog]

My first blog! Lots of editing to do. But here

A letter to James Dolan Picture this: It is a Friday afternoon. You are in midtown Manhattan stuck in your miserable cubicle perfecting the spreadsheets that your 29 year old boss (You are 34) told you to complete for his presentation to the potential investor next week. He has littered the office with motivational posters about how hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. This is ironic, because you lack both talent and motivation. A rare breed you are. He starts off every morning meeting with a new quote that he found on google about teamwork. Now, he sits you down, and says “listen up, kid (You are 34) I have spent the last 6 months building this startup from the ground, with nothing but elbow grease and a reasonable loan from my fiancées father. We finally have a chance for a breakthrough here, and I need you to be on your A game with these spreadsheets. As he walks out of your lifeless workspace, he takes the last strawberry candy from the extremely tasteful candy bowl you so elegantly placed in the corner desk. You are on the verge of tears now. This was the last candy and you were saving it for after lunch. Why would he take the last candy? Sure, you put the bowl there for coworkers to munch on and, well, if they come take a strawberry candy they HAVE to talk to you. But this was the LAST candy. You won’t be able to restock until tomorrow when you wake up in your studio alone and walk to Duane Reade with a 50% off coupon and argue with the cashier about the expiration date. You know it’s expired, but pay full price for a bag of candy at Duane Reade? That’s just not in your nature, now is it? Internally, you are about to snap. But just as you reach your breaking point, your phone begins to ring. It’s “Mike from college” calling. Wow, he hasn’t answered your last 6 texts. Do you think he’s just seeing them all now and feels the friendly urge to tell you that he never meant to ignore your “what’s the move tonight” text that you sent 3 times? You answer the phone. Eagerly. Way too eagerly. “Mike? Mike? Is that you MIKE.” The hesitation in his voice speaks volumes. The initial silence is louder than a sonic blast. But you aren’t the type of guy who notices these things. “Hey bud…how you been? Got an extra ticket to the Knicks game tonight. They are playing the Wizards at the garden, and was curious if you wanted to come.” Your face lights up. “Holy shit Mike, I would love to! Is it just us??” “Yeah…I only have 2 tickets, and I haven’t been able to find a single person to take it.” You ignore this implication that you are Mike’s last resort. You have one talent, and that is selective hearing. And damn you are good. “Well count me IN, man! Wanna meet up for drinks before?” “Let’s just meet up at the front gate man.” This sounds great to you. You get sweaty and your lips and fingers swell when you drink. You have a medically diagnosed extremely severe case of GERD anyway, so you were never able to keep up with mike and the fellas. So you finish up your spreadsheets, hand them to your boss (He’s 29) and get ready to go home and put on your childhood Patrick Ewing jersey that still fits because you didn’t make it past 5’7”. Now, its 7:30. You and Mike take your level 200 seats and you can’t help but gawk at the view. “Mike!” you say. “These seats are UNBELIEVEABLE” Of course, you hear Mike, but you somehow don’t notice him rolls his eyes as he unenthusiastically says “Yeah man, they are ok.” You are in awe of the light show, the spectacle that this organization puts on. As they introduce the 5 starting power forwards you can’t help but notice how electric the crowd is. People of all cultures unified as one. It’s a full house in the Garden tonight, as it always is. The raucous crowd lives and dies with every single basket. You howl in agony as Julius Randle misses a wide open layup, and you shriek in ecstasy when he gets his own rebound and is able to tie the game at 20. The game ebbs and flows, and you clutch Mikes arm and beg him to stand up so you have a better chance at catching a flying T-shirt. One wizzes right over your head. “Mike, imagine if you got on my shoulders? We could have totally snagged that one!” You have never BEEN so giddy. Mike must be stressed about the game- it’s been a while since he acknowledge your requests to start a “wave” with him. You understand, it’s a heck of a close game. 4th Quarter and it’s tied at 68 a pop. Can you believe? The boys actually have a chance to win this one! You never want to leave this environment. Thousands of people all unified with you in your despair but unabashed optimism. Now there is only 20 seconds left in the game. The crowd absolutely shakes. It is unlike anything you have ever seen before. Warriors fans weren’t this loud when the team was about to win its 2nd straight title. Marcus Morris shakily dribbles the ball up court as the clock ticks down. 10,9,8. As the air tight defense of the injury riddled Wizards move up to blanket him, he manages to get the ball to the power forward that is playing shooting guard. Bobby Portis backs down his defender, and you instinctively place your hands over Mikes, desperate for emotional support. He almost didn't notice how clammy they were. Almost. 4 seconds left now. With nobody who has ever attempted a 3 in their careers on the court, Portis knows his best option is to get the ball to Mitch Robinson in the paint. He heaves the ball up in desperate hope. 3 seconds left, and as Mitch catches the ball 2 feet from the hoop, you can feel the vibrations on your feet of all the fans seizing at such an unfamiliar situation. 1 second left. Mitch dunks the ball as time expires. THAT’S IT! The Knicks win! Walt Clyde Frazier shouts. The screams reverberate throughout the entire facility. Strangers hug. The Garden is roaring. You clumsily grasp for Mike. The Kicks have won their 4th preseason game 76-75 and Mike tells you that he has plans after the game but can you venom him 120 bucks whenever you get the chance? Thanks. Mike and the narrator may not be real, but the infectious atmosphere of MSG during even a routine and pointless preseason game is. This is, of course a blessing and a curse. All the Knicks woes and misfortunes come down to one common theme. James Dolan. The Clown prince of New York. Jimmy could almost be a sympathetic figure. The only reason he isn’t is because he is a gross, cold hearted, relentlessly aggressive dictator who has imprisoned an entire cities fan base into a pit of shame and mockery. Other than that, you almost feel bad for the guy. You see, there is one commonalty between us and him. It is that the Knicks are all we have. Excluding his prodigious band “JD and the straight shots” the New York Rangers/Liberty and Madison Square Garden as whole. But you get the point perhaps. Dolan is a stubborn pillock, but knows the value of what he owns. The Knicks are a money printing MACHINE, and while their head coaches may change every 18 months, that truth will remain absolute. I won’t speak with 100 percent conviction what makes Jimmy tick. Why he acts the way he does. Why he lashes out so extravagantly and embarrasses himself on an annual basis. But I feel justified in explaining why he won’t sell the team. It is a business that he is in charge of. He has stockholders to answer to, and he is, of course stubborn as a mule. One thing that might make you feel better: He is as miserable as the rest of us. There is only one way the Knicks escape from his clutches. An offer he can’t refuse. While that perhaps not impossible, there HAS to be another way. This is where I speak to Jim directly. Please, for the love of God…just get out of the way. If you can’t give up the team, just give up the reigns. We know every decision the Knicks make go through you. The management is absolutely despicable. They remain because they are loyal to you. This is how dictatorship usually works. Here, the best man for the job won’t stay, just the guys who kisses ass. It is time to face the facts. You are not capable of running the Knicks yourself. You knew that about the Rangers. You gave up the reigns with them, and they are a pretty respectable team historically and recently. Hell, does anybody outside of New York even realize you own the Rangers? You MUST be able to see that this has gone too far. You are in a hole you cannot escape from. The world of basketball sees you as a joke, and more notably a cancer. This is the type of perspective one does not simply change or escape from. If you won’t sell, you have but one way out of this mutually painful partnership: HIDE. Just remove yourself from the spotlight. Give someone else the power. GET OUT OF THE WAY. If it works, go ahead and congratulate yourself. You still own the team. But while you are still the guy at the head of the table…nobody will take us seriously. Please Jim, set us free.

[healthcaretipsblog]

10 years ago tomorrow, a show with no discernible qualities of longevity aired on AMC, a network that was only a few months into its first tentpole series, Mad Men, and not yet an established ratings and awards player. Breaking Bad arrived without much fanfare; it was midseason, January, a dreary time of year for a show so propulsive and colorful. And though immediately critically acclaimed – Bryan Cranston won a Best Actor Emmy for the first season – it took years to crystalize as a full-blown hit. Now, 10 years later, Breaking Bad is one of the most beloved and valued series of all time, a behemoth that cleared the way for a slew of imitators, and redefined what Golden Age television looks and feels like.

To celebrate the show’s 10-year anniversary, we’re counting down the 10 best episodes it ever produced.

10. “Say My Name”

Mike is one of the best characters in Breaking Bad history, a legitimate badass through-and-through. He’s hard-worn, but sympathetic. Terrifying, yet tender. Thanks to Better Call Saul, we’ve learned so much more about the lovable killer. But in this memorable Breaking Bad episode, we say goodbye to the man who so challenged our tendencies. Walt’s cold-blooded offing of Mike is hardly surprising this late in the game, and the build-up was certainly there. When Mike refuses to name his men in prison, you know he’s a goner. Still, the framing of the moment – in the middle of a sun-starched patch of long grass, near a churning pond – and Mike’s final words (“let me die in peace”) give it all a melancholy beauty.

9. “Felina”

Breaking Bad is that rare series with a perfect ending. Every loose end is neatly tied, every character winds up right where they should: Skyler safe and far away, Jesse alive and free, Walt dead and gone. Creator Vince Gilligan wrote and directed “Felina,” the show’s swan song, and it’s a masterful capper to his masterpiece. We get the satisfaction of Jesse killing Todd, of Walt finally admitting to Skyler that he did everything for himself, and of  Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” closing out the series as Walt bleeds to death on the floor.

8. “Fly”

A controversial pick, but I’m sticking with it. “Fly,” Breaking Bad’s infamous bottle episode, is actually the result of a budgetary issue. Forced to slash costs, the writers got resourceful, setting an entire episode in the meth lab under Gus Fring’s laundry. Walt, on shift, spots a fly and fears it will contaminate his product, which sends him off the deep end. He ropes Jesse into helping him capture the fly, and as they go about setting traps, they talk – really talk. Walt reflects on life, death, and coincidence. He comes dangerously close to telling Jesse about the true circumstances of Jane’s death, before he’s interrupted with a fly-catching opportunity. Director Rian Johnson kicked off his lauded Breaking Bad career with “Fly,” and his craftiness is ever-present; he imbues the episode with innovative camera techniques, lingers on his actors, and keeps what might otherwise be a stale, drab episode, riveting from top to bottom.

7. “Pilot”

As perfect as the finale is, the pilot is even better. So much happens, and so boldly. That imagery of Walt in his tightie whities. The gas masks in the desert. Two men held captive in the back of a Winnebago. Breaking Bad burst onto the scene loaded with potent imagery, moments that were instantly iconic. The pilot is great the way all good pilots are: it’s a sample size of the show to come. A wacky, funny, beautiful, innovative, scrappy but defiant show that had a lot to say, and knew exactly how to say it.

6. “Crawl Space”

The final moment of this episode is seared into our brains forever. Walt, submerged in the crawl space where he’s been hiding his money, comes home to discover that Skyler has given it to her lover Ted – who, earlier in the episode, suffers a terrible fall. Walt, overwhelmed by the news, and by the walls closing in around him, starts manically laughing. It’s terrifying, monstrous, and Bryan Cranston has never been better at exemplifying Walt’s mania.

Continue Reading The 10 Best Breaking Bad Episodes >>

The post The 10 Best Episodes of ‘Breaking Bad’ appeared first on /Film.

from /Film http://ift.tt/2EW8TDC

[geektechlive]

MARVEL UNLIMITED EXPANDS THIS DECEMBER

Digital Subscription library continues to grow with latest updates

New York, NY—December 6th, 2017—Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s digital comics subscription service, offers members unlimited access to over 20,000 issues of Marvel’s classic and newer titles, delivered digitally through your desktop web browser and the Marvel Unlimited mobile app. With classic and newer issues added every week, here are some of the amazing Marvel titles coming to Marvel Unlimited this month:

Week of 12/4

CABLE #1

WALK SOFTLY…AND CARRY A BIG GUN! CABLE sees the mighty mutant return on a brand-new mission…with all of time in the balance! When Cable picks up the trail of a threat in the timestream, he sets off on a high-speed, history-spanning chase to save reality as we know it. From prehistory to modern day, whether it’s a six-gun duel at high noon or a high-tech sword fight in an ancient land, Cable is the only man who can keep history from unraveling!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #22

DEADPOOL #31

DEADPOOL VS. THE PUNISHER #4

DOCTOR STRANGE #21

GAMORA #5 FINAL ISSUE!

GENERATION X #2

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: MOTHER ENTROPY #5 FINAL ISSUE!

GWENPOOL, THE UNBELIEVABLE #16

HULK #6

MAN-THING #4

MOON KNIGHT #14

OCCUPY AVENGERS #7

OLD MAN LOGAN #24

SECRET EMPIRE #3

SECRET EMPIRE: UPRISING #1

Hydra has made their move and Black Widow enlists the younger heroes of the Marvel Universe – Miles Morales, a.k.a. Spider-Man, Ironheart, Wasp, Amadeus Cho, Falcon, and more, for a dark-ops mission no one – not even the heroes themselves –are prepared for. Can Black Widow forge these champions into a new elite strike force against Hydra’s forces? Or will her time run out and send the younger heroes into the fight unprepared for what’s to come?

SPIDER-GWEN #20

STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA #7

THANOS #7

Week of 12/11

ALL-NEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #3

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #28

AVENGERS #8

BLACK BOLT #2

BULLSEYE #5 FINAL ISSUE!

CHAMPIONS #9

DAREDEVIL #21

DARTH VADER #1

The most fearsome villain of all time returns with an all-new series! When Anakin Skywalker fell, both to the pull of the dark side and to the blade of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he rose back up, more machine than man. Having lost everything that was once dear to him, the former chosen one must take his first steps into a darker world…as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith!

DOCTOR STRANGE #20

HAWKEYE #7

ICEMAN #1

Bobby Drake has been in the super hero game longer than most. But while reflecting on what he’s accomplished over the years, he realizes that the legacy he’s built is a few good one-liners and a string of failed relationships. Not only that, but now a younger version of himself has emerged from the timestream and he’s more put together than Bobby ever was: already a world-class hero in his own right, but also totally comfortable in his own skin, complete with a relationship with a handsome Inhuman to boot. In this new ongoing series penned by Sina Grace (Burn the Orphanage, Self-Obsessed) and drawn by Alessandro Vitti (SECRET WARRIORS), Bobby realizes that the time is never or now, and sets out to build a life and legacy he can be proud of…and be the best ICEMAN he can be!

IRON FIST #4

JESSICA JONES #9

MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VS. THE SINISTER SIX #10

NOVA #7 FINAL ISSUE!

ROCKET #2

SECRET EMPIRE: BRAVE NEW WORLD #1

Steve Rogers, Captain America, Liberty’s most dedicated defender is actually the Supreme Leader of Hydra. Faced with this adversity, the world’s heroes have two choices: stand and fight or fall in line. See how Earth’s protectors come to grips this earth-shattering revelation in an action packed first issue featuring Gwenpool, Giant-Man and Steve’s oldest allies, THE INVADERS!

SPIDER-MAN #17

SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #18

STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE ADAPTATION #3

THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP #6

X-MEN: GOLD #5

ZOMBIES ASSEMBLE #2

Week of 12/18

ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #21

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #8

BEN REILLY: SCARLET SPIDER #3

BLACK PANTHER AND THE CREW #3

CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #23

DEADPOOL #32

DEFENDERS #1

Daredevil! Luke Cage! Jessica Jones! Iron Fist! Individually, these four heroes have been on the front lines of the battle to keep the streets of the city safe and secure! But now, with a deadly enemy from the dim past making a major move to unite the underworld, they will need to become more — they will need to become DEFENDERS!

GENERATION X #3

GWENPOOL, THE UNBELIEVABLE #17

HULK #7

KINGPIN #5 FINAL ISSUE!

MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS: ULTRON REVOLUTION #11

MS. MARVEL #19

OLD MAN LOGAN #25

SECRET EMPIRE #4

SECRET EMPIRE: UNITED #1

Steve Rogers has finally brought peace to the planet, securing the borders of the land that he loves against any and all threats. And his peace will be maintained—by any means necessary. So when skirmishes break out on the outskirts of mutant-controlled territory, Hydra’s supreme leader takes matters into his own hands…

SECRET WARRIORS #3

STAR WARS #32

THANOS #8

THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #21

UNCANNY AVENGERS #24

VENOM #151

VISION DIRECTOR’S CUT #1

One of the most surprising super-hero stories ever told, now better than ever! Experience Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s masterpiece…re-presented with bonus behind-the-scenes content! Behold the Visions! They’re the family next door, and they have the power to kill us all. What could possibly go wrong? Collecting VISION (2015) #1-2, plus extras — including Tom King’s original series pitch, script excerpts, character designs and sketches by Gabriel Hernandez Walta, cover sketches by Mike del Mundo and more.

WEAPON X #4

X-MEN: BLUE #5

ZOMBIES ASSEMBLE #3

Week of 12/25

ALL-NEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #4

AMERICA #4

CAPTAIN AMERICA: STEVE ROGERS #18

DAREDEVIL #22

DARTH VADER #2

DOCTOR STRANGE #22

ICEMAN #2

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #8

LUKE CAGE #2

MAN-THING #5 FINAL ISSUE!

MIGHTY THOR #20

MONSTERS UNLEASHED #3

NICK FURY #3

PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1

SPIDER-MAN RETURNS TO THE FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD! The webslinging, wallcrawling wonder returns to New York City in the all-new PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN. A companion series to the best-selling Amazing Spider-Man series, Peter Parker is going back-to-basics for big heroics in the Big Apple. Featuring adversaries old and new, be there as Spider-Man returns to his friendly neighborhood for his never ending battle against crime and the dreaded “Parker Luck”.

ROYALS #4

SECRET EMPIRE: BRAVE NEW WORLD #2

SECRET EMPIRE: UNDERGROUND #1

From a hidden base in the Rocky Mountains a coallition of heroes have staged a resistance against Hydra and their former friend, Steve Rogers. Up until now, their successes have been few—but they may have discovered a way to end the long natinoal nightmare. The only catch? They’ve got to brave the dangers of the Savage Land!

SILVER SURFER #12

SPIDER-MAN 2099 #24

STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL #4

STAR WARS: POE DAMERON ANNUAL #1

Poe Dameron has never been one to follow the rules. So when he disobeys a direct order from General Leia Organa and gets stranded in First Order space…with no ship and little oxygen…how will he survive?

U.S.AVENGERS #7

ULTIMATES 2 #8

WEAPONS OF MUTANT DESTRUCTION: ALPHA #1

Their goal is a simple one…ERADICATE ALL MUTANTS! And they’re starting their hunt with the most dangerous group of mutants on planet Earth — Old Man Logan, Sabretooth, Domino, Lady Deathstrike, Warpath and…the Hulk?! But with an army of genetic cyborgs at their disposal, this may just be the beginning…

X-MEN: GOLD #6

Not a Marvel Unlimited member? Join today!

Marvel Unlimited members have access to some of the greatest Marvel Comics featuring The Avengers, Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, Black Panther,and more! With December’s update, Marvel Unlimited will also be expanding its back catalog with the following series: New Mutants (1983), Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976), Captain Marvel (1968) and much more!

This amazing service is accessible through Marvel Unlimited on the web and through the Marvel Unlimited app on iPhone®, iPad® and on select Android™ devices.

New to the Marvel Universe, and don’t know where to start? Don’t worry! Marvel Unlimited subscribers have access to the DISCOVER section of Marvel Unlimited. Subscribersare now able to discover new pathways into the Marvel Universe by being able to search by their favorite storylines, characters and creators.

With classic and newer issues being added to Marvel Unlimited on a weekly basis as early as six months after they’re in stores, you’ll definitely want to join Marvel Unlimited and enjoy the experience of the Marvel Universe!

Follow Marvel on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marvel, join in the conversation on Twitter with #Marvel, and for all things Marvel, please visit marvel.com.

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.

For more information visit marvel.com.

© 2017 MARVEL

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MARVEL UNLIMITED EXPANDS THIS DECEMBER MARVEL UNLIMITED EXPANDS THIS DECEMBER Digital Subscription library continues to grow with latest updates New York, NY—December 6th, 2017—Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s digital comics subscription service, offers members unlimited access to over 20,000 issues of Marvel's classic and newer titles, delivered digitally through your desktop web browser and the Marvel Unlimited mobile app.

[lovingunderratedcharacters]

Reaction to When They Find Out Reader is Pregnant With Their Child and How They Act as Dads

Anon:  Could we get smutty Mortar Squad preferences please? And possibly Gen Kill guys as dads or how they react to finding out their S.O. is pregnant? Thank you!

(In the wake of my rejection from an agent, I’m deciding to bury myself in my work, both on tumblr and on my own series. So, you’ll all be getting more content coming up very soon!)

Brad “Iceman” Colbert: He stormed out of the house when you told him, and then he came back 30 seconds later because he got worried about you. He went through ups and downs during the pregnancy, debating on how he felt about becoming a dad. He’s such a nerd as a dad, and he for sure is overprotective. He loves his kids so much and he never wants them to go through any of the hell he went through, so he’s actually a very attentive words.

Josh Ray Person: For the first time in his life, he was speechless. He literally didn’t say a word for about five minutes. Eventually, you shook him out of it and he hugged you, telling you he was going to do anything he could to help you. He’s pretty cute as a dad, and has dad jokes down to a tee. And he’s really big on helping out with homework, even though he’s no good at it.

Harold “James” Trombley: He actually got pretty excited to be a dad, and if the two of you weren’t engaged already, he proposed to you right then and there. He’d be hugging and kissing you and wouldn’t let you go for the rest of the night. He gets a bit overwhelmed as a dad and sometimes needs some time away. He can get a bit snappy at the kid but will always be there to tuck them in at night.

Evan “Scribe” Wright: Literally the sweetest reaction ever. He kissed you and then took you out to your favorite restaurant and then bought you flowers and chocolates and anything else you wanted. He’s so into education as a dad, and probably starts the kid with reading as soon as they can hold a book. He has high expectations that you sometimes have to settle down.

Tony “Poke” Espera: He got a bit freaked out, but projected that anxiety onto you, so he kept yelling at you to stop panicking while he was having his own mini panic attack. However, once he calmed down, he did a lot better with you. He’s a dedicated dad, but he can push it sometimes. Every once in a while, he gets overly excited and expects a bit too much from your kid. But he normally is very open to giving them a lot of freedom.

Walt Hasser: He did that cute little blush smile, and then kissed you, promising to keep you safe and happy. He would run out in the middle of the night to get you whatever you were craving if it meant you stayed happy. Also, bawled the first time he held your baby. He’s such a great dad. He “secretly” created a tree house for your kid’s 5th birthday. He is also a PTO dad, he goes to all the meetings and shows up at every event.

Rudy “Fruity Rudy” Reyes: He actually got really scared when you told him he was pregnant. He tried to be optimistic but more than anything he was scared for your health. He knew the problems that came with pregnancy and he was terrified that something was going to happen to you, but when everything turned out okay, he started worrying about his child. That kid is the fittest kid in the neighborhood and, at the age of seven, beat three records made by fifteen year olds.

Larry Shawn “Pappy” Patrick: This man stepped up to the plate. You didn’t even have to tell him, because he saw the test in the trash. He went out and bought you vitamins and food and all sorts of maternity shirts, and then surprised you with them when you came home from work. He’s a great dad, too. He loves taking your child out with him to go fishing or just go on drives in the countryside until they fall asleep and he takes them back home.

Anthony “Manimal” Jacks: He walked out on you at first, and you didn’t see him for about a week. He didn’t say anything, he just sort of left. Once he came back, the two of you had a long talk about what was going to happen. He promised he’d stay by your side, he just needed to calm down. Surprisingly, he’s a really good dad, mainly because he promised himself that he’d never end up like his father, and you made sure he stuck with that promise. He’s big on teaching your child football and other sports. (On a side note, I could totally see him having a daughter who grows up to be very pretty and acts girly, but is secretly the best player on the local football team.)

Mike “Gunny” Wynn: He got really happy and knelt down, kissing and whispering to your belly, which you got a kick out of. He’d always loved the idea of having a family, so when you told him it just lit up his world. He is an overprotective dad. He gets very nervous when your child goes out with friends and he always has to meet the parents beforehand. He does, however, love teaching your kid, and he makes sure they are well versed in a variety of trades.

Nate Fick: He wasn’t ecstatic about you being pregnant, but he’s never been one to mope. He just didn’t think he’d be a good dad and he didn’t want to disappoint you or the child. He can be a bit distant as a dad, and there can sometimes be a disconnect between him and your child, but he’s always there for your kid’s recitals and plays. He’s always cheering them on at sports games. He shows up at graduation with the biggest balloon bouquet he can find. Overall, while he’s distant, he’s also vary loving.

John Chrisiteson: He freaked out. Like, hyperventilating, near blacking out, has to sit down before he faints, freak out. He was only 19, and you were about the same age, too. You were both young and he had no idea how either of you were going to deal with this, but the two of you decided to continue on. He’s a very anxious father, who is either too overprotective or too lenient. He’s still getting his act together and trying to figure out his life while taking care of your child, so there’s definitely a learning curve.

Evan “Q-Tip” Stafford: He had a mini version of Christeson’s freak out, but a lot less dramatic. He’s always kind of had a paternal instinct to him, so he knew that he’d be able to handle it. He was scared out of his mind, but he wasn’t about to let you know that. He makes a really good dad. He can be a bit immature at times, but that can be attributed to his young age. He loves taking your kid out on adventures and he does this thing where he gives them a map and they decide where they want to go.

Timothy “Doc” Bryan: He gets upset, but not for the reason you think. He just doesn’t want to see your child hurt, and after everything he’s seen, you couldn’t blame him. But if your were happy then he was happy. He’s a good dad, but he can be overbearing at times. Your child doesn’t completely understand why, but you make sure to explain it to them when they get older. He just wants to keep them safe and well loved, but he’s so scared that that won’t be enough.

Craig “Encino Man” Schwetje: He wasn’t sure how to react when you told him. He just kind of sat there for a while as you talked him through the options. After a while, he pulled you close and held you, hoping that it would all be okay. He’s not a great dad, but he’s not a terrible one, either. He’s a lot like those suburban dads who come home after work and sit back, maybe trying to help the kid with a couple of homework problems before getting them horribly wrong.

Dave “Captain America” McGraw: He walks out on you. Honestly, it didn’t surprise you in the slightest. You knew he wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of stress. Nevertheless, you do an amazing job caring for your child on your own.

[junker-town]

The refs blew it on the Titans' surprise onside kick vs. Rams

This was a mistake from the officials.

It doesn’t matter which NFL team you follow. You can always find at least one call in every game to take issue with.

When Titans fans make that claim this week, they’re right.

The Titans are fighting for their playoff lives, and they were all tied up, 20-20, against the Rams with 4:23 left in the third quarter. They went for a surprise onside kick, and safety Brynden Trawick recovered it cleanly. The bold kick shocked everyone, including Chris Myers and Daryl Johnston in the booth, and especially the Rams, who didn’t appear to be ready.

A flag was thrown. The referees conferred on the field, and official Walt Anderson announced that the Rams had called time out before the kick.

There’s just one big problem with that. Head coach Sean McVay is the only person on that sideline with the authority to call a time out. McVay looked utterly confused at Anderson’s announcement.

McVay can clearly be seen saying what everyone else must have been thinking: “What?”

Officials huddled up with McVay and special teams coach John Fassel to talk about the time out that wasn’t. Then Anderson came back with another announcement.

“There is no time out. The ball was not put in play. It’s first down ... for a kickoff,” Anderson says.

So the Titans had to kick off again. The chances of pulling off a successful onside kick twice in a row are slim to none. Ryan Succop kicked it into the end zone for a Rams touchback.

What did the Titans say about the play?

Succop said that the refs did put the ball in play.

“Obviously, the referee always tells me, ‘Wait till we blow the whistle,’” Succop said, via Jason Wolf of USA Today. “And he put the ball down, I saw him give the signal like it was a live ball, and I even looked and saw the play clock counting down.”

This is Succop’s ninth season in the NFL. He’s probably got a decent idea of the timing here. But he still doesn’t understand what happened with this play.

“We recovered the ball. And I’m not sure about the ruling,” Succop said. “I don’t know what happened there. But it’s unfortunate. ... I thought it seemed like it should have been our ball, and for whatever reason it wasn’t.”

Head coach Mike Mularkey said after the game that he didn’t even want to talk about the explanation officials gave him for their administration of that play. But he was also angry about two missed roughing the punter calls.

“The punt wasn’t blocked, the first one. That’s the frustrating part. So it was roughing the punter. He was actually hit both times,” Mularkey said. “It was very inconsistent, and I’ll say this, that’s been about the most consistent thing they’ve done is been inconsistent. Week-in, week-out. Not just here, but for us, for sure.”

What did the league say?

The NFL’s vice president of football communications, Michael Signora, told The Tennessean via email that Anderson and crew made a mistake.

“The officials inadvertently miscommunicated to the Los Angeles sideline that it was a full timeout instead of a 30-second timeout” Signora wrote. “When L.A. was not ready for the kickoff due to the miscommunication, the officials decided to shut it down and allow for a re-kick.”

The NFL will review the way the crew handled the play.

“Every play of every game is evaluated, both for calls that are made and those that are not made,” Signora said. “This also includes an evaluation of game administration, such as this situation.”

Former NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino said that the ball must not have been ready for play.

Ultimately, crew ruled the ball was not made ready for play. Ball cannot be kicked until referee gives the 'ready for play' signal. https://t.co/VbbMMKkslR

— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) December 24, 2017

But that doesn’t line up with Succop’s version of events.

The onside kick came right on the heels of a DeMarco Murray touchdown to tie the game up. The Titans had momentum. The flag and the confusion stripped them of it. They went on to lose 27-23.

The Titans can still lock up a wild card spot if they beat the Jaguars on Sunday. But if they lose to Jacksonville, they’ll only get in if the Bills and the Chargers also lose.

Even if Anderson and the rest of the officiating crew do end up facing discipline for the error, it won’t help the Titans a bit.