#and we officially pulled a ‘’Scott pilgrim’

[2deadkat]

The Redtiger flashback scene from Chapter 2 of Autopilot by @which-star | Hot stuff.

Highly recommend you read the rest first lmao, it’s redpapertiger goodness.

[jeongyunhoed]

Hi, just gonna go and drop these headcanons real quick:

Mitsuya is always "another day another slay" because what can this man not do?

After official Toman meetings they all get together, most likely at the Mitsuya household or maybe in someone's garage to practice

Likely betting that the Shiba house becomes a practice room.

Akkun tries not to brag that the band is just THAT GOOD to the rest of the Mizo crew but he just can't help it.

Think something you'd hear from the Scott Pilgrim movie. "We are Sex Bo-Bomb!" type of stuff

Hakkai and the Mizo crew are the roadies. They're surprisingly efficient at bringing everything if they're playing somewhere.

They've tried to keep Baji away from the instruments at one point -- Chifuyu's had to wrangle him to keep him from smashing anything.

Angry's had to do that to Smiley too.

One time they were all walking home with their instruments and it took everything in most of them not to hit their possible enemies with them.

Kazu and Takashi think of having Shinichiro take a look if those do get damaged from a fight.

spoiler alert: Inupi uses Koko's money to buy them new ones if Shin can't fix them (he really can't). He's got the bag after all hee hee.

They invited Mikey, Draken and many other Toman members to come watch them practice. It becomes a regular thing whenever they weren't doing anything.

The TokRev girlies including Luna, Mana, and Hakkai, are incredibly supportive. They even pull together to have merch made for each of them.

Also count on them to always show up and watch if they're playing somewhere.

To their surprise, or maybe not, they got a fan in Rindou Haitani.

these HCs went downhill because my brain be foggy right now. I'll probably think of more later.

The head-canons that could be written for this on new canon info is too great—

First order of business: Hakkai is #1 Mitsuya Fangirl with idol lights, headbands, tee shirts and everything

Angry as drummer makes so much sense. He doesn’t know what he’s doing half of the time, he just has that good of beat awareness and rhythm control.

Kazutora BEEN knowing how to play Guitar. He and Baji tried learning together, but Baji kind of got bored of it.

I could write guitarist Baji headcanons for days, but my first line of thought is that playing couldn’t keep his interest.

Kazutora has naturally long fingers that make reaching all the notes really easy. He’s very good, and learns all his favorite songs as practice before the band was even put together.

Akkun thought learning base would make him look cool, initially. He liked the deep cords and also caught on pretty fast.

Akkun’s always has spare guitar picks on him, which is great when Kazutora always forgets his.

Mitsuya…….. now Mitsuya-

He just naturally has beautiful vocals. He’s written a lot of solo songs where he can express his vocal range.

Luna and Mana Love listening to their brother, and often he will sing them lullabies of his own creation to sleep …

The Band is definitely more Punk Tone.

They all try to write songs together, but they can never agree on anything when working collaboratively like that.

They all actually get along really well, and don’t fight often. It’s just that while they play great together, they’re not often on the same page with collaborative ideas.

Just how Angry just flows well with whatever beat Akkun and Kazutora give him, Mitsuya will just listen to them play and come up with genius lyrics to match

Kazutora does better when he’s given a script, or cord inspiration.

“Play something close to Asterisk*, and we’ll go from there.” “Okaaay!”

Idk that’s all I got I know it’s silly and nothing but.

If you come up with more headcanons pls tag me in them ♡ preferably something with more Angry !!

[yikeslads]

A Relaxing Evening - Yandere Sero Hanta x Reader

Trigger Warnings! - 18+ only. Non Con (sex and non con drug use). If this bothers you p l e a s e do not read this fic! You are responsible for your own consumption and this is your official warning. Also they smoke a lot of weed in this but I don’t think that really needs a warning but idk

Author’s Note: Hey guys! Long time no see (please don’t kill me, I’ve been hella busy). I’ve started my last year at university so I am super thrilled about that, just turned 21, and I have spent my entire summer working full time. But enough about me, I’m sure everyone is dealing with a ton with the pandemic plus whatever they have. Anyways, I will be doing my best to update more! I have a WIP that should be released soon (i only have like 400 words left) so that should be fun. 

Big big big big thanks to @yanderart ! If you don’t know recognize the name, she is a phenomenal artist (both in visual and literary works, an icon) who shares the yandere/dark love. Thank you SO much for your super helpful edits/comments/encouragement with this <3 

Also thanks to @opheliadawnwalker3 for the advice to start small when getting back into the writing game! I took that to heart and tried to keep it shorter this time and helped me get this out so thank you!

And thanks to @rat-suki @weebsinstash @drxwsyni because I have definitely binged all of y’alls content and used the immaculate yandere vibes you write as inspo so thank you <3 

Now let’s get started!

It was eerily silent in the hallway as your feet made their way to their destination through the mostly abandoned college dormitory. Your mind was so preoccupied with the many thoughts that demanded your attention that you weren’t paying attention to where you were going. Not that it mattered. You had made this walk so many times, you could find your way even if you were blindfolded and hammered, that you were allowed to fully slip into your thoughts without having to worry. Before long you were standing in front of a very familiar door, the only one in the hallway with light peaking through the crack at the bottom. Music could clearly be heard through it, Jimi Hendrix’s singing the only sound of human life that you had encountered during your entire walk over here.

It took you a moment to snap out of your thoughts and come back to reality and notice that you were already standing at your destination. Clearing your throat awkwardly at the realization, you raised your arm and knocked solidly on the door to be heard above the music and waited as patiently as you could for an answer.

From behind the door you could hear someone swear, causing a small smirk to rise on your face, along with the sound of some rustling. A few moments later the door cracked open a bit as the familiar raven haired male peaked into the hallway, a bright smile pulling at his lips as he  regarded you.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise!” Sero chirped, opening the door all the way, seeing that it was only you standing in the hallway. “What can I do for ya, sunshine?”

His cheery, warm response to your presence unknowingly brought a small smile to your face, a needed break from your tense, concentrated expression you had been wearing when Sero first opened the door.

“Sorry to bother you, Sero,” you began, stuffing your hands into the pockets of the jacket you were wearing to stop you from wringing them anxiously. “I’ve just been really stressed with final exams and choosing which agency I want to officially sign for and… it’s just been a lot.” As you explained, Sero’s face softened slightly as he listened intently to your words, not liking the fact that you were so stressed.

“Anyway,” you continued with a chuckle, bringing yourself back onto the subject, “I was wondering if you had any of your stash left that I could buy from you? I know I bought from you a little while ago, but I’ve been more stressed out than I can handle,” you admitted, hoping that Sero might still have some weed hidden away in his room somewhere that you could use.

It was a little into sophomore year of college that you found out that your classmate, Sero, was a bit of a stoner. And as someone going through the hero course, you are understandably dealing with a lot of stress. So what’s wrong with smoking a little Mary J every once in a while to relax, right? Or at least that’s what you told yourself when you first asked Sero if you could buy weed from him. Ever since then he had been your personal plug, but over time, you two became close friends. “I think you might be in luck, sunshine, I think I have some on reserves. Come on in,” he welcomed, and you crossed the threshold without a second thought. As you stepped inside and took off your shoes, a large but gentle arm carefully looped around your shoulders, gently pulling you into the tall man’s side as you led you to the couch and sat you down on the soft fabric in front of his laptop that was open and had various work assignments in different windows.

“Tell ole Sero what’s troubling you,” Sero propositioned as he moved to his desk, opening a drawer and grabbing his needed paraphernalia as he waited for you to begin speaking. He settled down next to you on the couch, pulling the small table holding the laptop in front of you a little closer as he set down his bong, and pulled out his grinder and began the process of loading you a bowl.

You were about to begin venting, but you paused as you took in the sight of Sero wordlessly working for your benefit, and you pulled your wallet out of your jacket pocket after a few seconds. “Sorry, before I forget, how much do I owe you?” You asked, opening your wallet and beginning to pull out a few bills. You didn’t get far though, as a warm hand covered yours, drawing your eyes to meet his black ones. He gave you a boyish smile and shook his head at you, giving a small laugh. “No way, sunshine. You need a little break, this one is on me,” he offered with a grin. You were hesitant for a few moments, not seemingly convinced that you should let him give you part of his stash for free. The potential feeling of guilt ebbed away as Sero’s warm smile never faltered, kindness seemingly exuding from his every pore. What was the harm, right? Nodding, you gingerly took the loaded bong from his large, calloused hands into your own smaller ones.

“Alright,” you agreed thoughtfully as you mirrored his smile, “but I want you to smoke with me. It’s no fun getting high alone,” you countered to which you could almost see Sero’s eyes sparkle in response at your words.

“I would be happy to,” he assured, never one to miss out on the chance to smoke, especially with you, but you added one more condition.  

“And,” you drawled, his eyes never leaving your face as he waited patiently for you to continue. “Whatever food we order when we are stoned off our asses is on me.”

A soft chuckle resonated from Sero’s chest as he nodded along to your stipulation, finding no qualm with having the promise of food.

“Deal,” he agreed, and with that you went to take your first bong hit of the evening.

~~~~~~~~~~

Your sides ached as you tried to force yourself to stop laughing, but your efforts seemed trivial as Sero laughed just as hard, if not harder, alongside you as you finished Sero’s favorite flick, Scott Pilgrim vs the World. It felt so good to let go and really laugh, it had started to feel like it had been too long. Time seemed a distant concept to you at the moment, as nothing from the outside world weighed on you as you merrily enjoyed your high with Sero.

Your eyes were pink from smoking, little tears forming at the base of your lower eyelashes as you gasped for breath as your laughing fit began to subside. You don’t even remember what you had been laughing about exactly, but you couldn’t really bring yourself to care. Your attention was brought back to Sero as he began to rise from his spot beside you on the couch, your eyes following his lazy movements as the movie credits began to roll.

“I’m getting a bit of cottonmouth,so why don’t I get us some drinks while you choose something else for us to watch?” Sero offered to which you agreed, lazily beginning to scroll through the other titles that were currently available on Netflix as Sero made his way over to the little kitchen he had equipped.

“Thirsty for anything in particular?” You heard his voice call out to you, but you didn’t take your eyes off the laptop screen, still searching for another flick to watch.

“Just water would be fantastic,” was your response as you searched through the comedy section, knowing that Sero preferred comedies.

A few moments later, Sero had returned to your side, a glass of water in one hand for you and a soda can for him in his other hand. Thanking him as you gently took it from his hands, you took the glass and raised it to your lips. Taking large sips, reveling in the cool feeling of the water flowing over your tongue and to the back of your throat, you failed to notice a pair of eyes watch your every movement adoringly.

“Wanna take another hit?” Sero asked as you finished taking a drink, setting down the mostly empty glass back down on the table.

You hummed in thought at his question, before nodding, a small giggle escaping your lips, “What’s one more hit, right?”

Sero, the practiced stoner he is, had another bowl set up for you ready to go in what seemed like seconds, graciously handing you the now loaded bowl. Gently taking it from his hands and placing it in the bong, you fired up the lighter and took a huge hit.

A h u g e hit. It was a little larger than you had meant, but being high had made your judgement a little empaired. You coughed a bit as you expelled the wave of smoke from your lungs, waving your hands as Sero laughed.

Your cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment at Sero laughing as you tried to regain your composure. “S-Stop laughing!” You cried, setting the bong back down, but Sero just shook his head.

“I can’t help it, sunshine. Seeing you not being able to take that hit is hilarious,” he continued to laugh, as your cheeks burned warmer at his words.

“Its not my fault that I don’t have your iron lungs,” you mocked, picking up your glass once more and finishing the contents in an attempt stop your coughing fit. “Not all of us are stoners.”

A small gasp tore from Sero’s throat, as he held a hand to his chest, pretending to be surprised by your words. “Me? A stoner? How could you even say such a thing?” He asked, shooting you a kicked puppy look which just made you giggle in return, your head feeling a little fuzzy from the extra hit.  

“Oh don’t be a baby,” patting the spot next to you, you flashed Sero a loopy smile, “come on, lets watch another movie,” you countered to which Sero agreed to, settling back down in his spot beside you. You reached forward, setting your now empty glass next to the laptop and hit play on the movie, before moving back into the cushions. Your body began to feel heavier as  you gingerly leaned into Sero’s side, who in return wrapped his arm around your shoulders and gently tugged you a little closer to his chest as the intro finished and the movie began.  

You weren’t long into the movie before you were struggling to keep your eyes opened. You shifted slightly, trying to force yourself to wake up, but the more that the time wore on, the harder it became to stay awake.

It wasn’t more than twenty minutes into the film before you were out cold, your deep and even breathing soft in Sero’s ear as your tired figure slept against his shoulder.

“Sunshine,” Sero whispered, tentatively placing a hand on your knee and gently shaking you. He watched your face carefully for any sign of rousing, but your breathing continued at its deep, even, undisturbed pace. An eager smile danced across Sero’s visage at your lack of response, his heart pounding in his chest in excitement. Wrapping his strong arms around your pliable person, Sero gently maneuvered your sleepy shape to be laying on your back, tummy up, the skirt you had worn riding up on your thighs as your leg lay limply, slightly apart.

Sero took a moment just watching you, drinking in all of your beauty. You looked so sweet and vulnerable asleep on Sero’s couch defenseless. He gazed at your unconscious body oh so lovingly as you lay completely helpless to the danger that lurks around you. It makes Sero’s heart squeeze in his chest in realization that you need him. You needed him to protect you and Sero would happily be your knight in shining armour.

“Her knight in shining honor”, Sero thought to himself merrily, infatuated with protecting his little ray of sunshine. His fingers began to skim the skin of your thighs, slowly pushing your skirt up higher and higher. Shouldn’t your knight get a little reward for his services? Sero certainly thought so, afterall it was only fair that he get to enjoy his sunshine in return for all he does for you.

Sero’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of your black laced panties, skirt bunched up past your hips, leaving your panty clad intimate parts exposed for his greedy eyes. There were no such things as imperfection to Sero when it came to you. All of your little bumps, blemishes, and things you didn’t like about yourself were all things that Sero adored about you. It's what made you you, and he simply ached to worship you.

Hungry hands hooked fingers into your panties, swiftly pulling the soft material down your supple skin in earnest. A groan tore from Sero’s throat at the sight of sticky, clear strings sticking from the fabric to your little treasure.

Fuck was he glad he slipped you an aprodiasic alongside the sleeping pills. Seeing your hole already wet and begging for his attention had his pants quickly tenting uncomfortably. He could not wait to get started.

Moving quickly and silently, he settled himself on his stomach between your thighs, carefully placing your thighs over his shoulders. His starved stare meets your slick slit and he couldn’t stop himself from licking a stripe up your lips, moaning at the delicious taste of your essence. His eyes flickered back to your face where he found you still sound asleep, unaware of reality.

“Perfect”, he thought to himself at your unconscious state, “just like last time.”

Confident in his security, Sero began to feast on your unprotected pussy, his tongue swiping through your folds as he drank every ounce of you in. His eyes almost rolled into the back of his head at your taste as if he was tasting the most divine thing ever created. He couldn’t seem to get enough as his hands encased your thighs, hungrily pulling your closer to his famished mouth. Your breath quickened in pace at Sero’s ministrations but the sleeping pills kept you nestled peacefully in between complete unconsciousness and your dreams, deep asleep. It seemed almost as if Sero had been eating you out for hours when he had finally come up for air, sucking in deep gulps of air into his lungs greedily.  He knelt in front of your vulnerable body, lips and chin shiny with your slick as he slipped a finger into your heat, quickly followed by another as he gently began to scissor your walls apart. Your warmth gushed around his fingers as he worked you open for him, using his free hand to slip down to his belt and make quick work of that before tugging his boxers and pants down. His cock now free of confinement slapped against his abs before he gently removed his fingers from your heat. Your juices completely soaked his hand as he brought it to his cock, using your wetness to get him slick for you. He watched your sleepy face as he stroked himself, his bottom lip caught between his lip as he intently drank in your features. With both of your bodies prepped, patience grew thin, so he tilted his hips down, nudging your dripping entrance with his plush tip, your legs lazily spread and looped loosely around his hips.

Slipping himself between your folds, Sero took a deep breath before pressing himself into your warm, wet, tight cavern. He didn’t stop slowly driving his cock into your twitching heat until he became fully sheathed inside your awaiting pussy. He groaned softly at the feeling of his cock being encased by your velvet walls, his eyes never leaving your face as he adjusted to the delicious feeling you were giving him. After a few moments of adjustment, Sero pulled his hips back, feeling his manhood drag against your plush walls, a soft moan escaping your sleeping shape as you stirred slightly in your hazy state. Once you settled and he was positive you were going to stay asleep, he drove his hips forward into your cunt his eyes moving away from your face and down to where his cock was buried deep inside of you. The erotic sight of you being fucked by his cock kicked him into gear as he soon found a steady rhythm as he pounded into you.

With every thrust of his hip, your cream coated his silken rod, making Sero almost feral with the sight. It took every ounce of self control he had to not fuck you the way you deserved, the way you needed him, but he couldn’t risk having you wake up during your little relaxation session. It took every ounce of self control that he possessed to keep himself from fucking you silly, but with plans for the pair of you in the future, he was willing to wait to rock your world for when you were awake and in more of a … receptive position to receive the full force of his love for you.  

It wasn’t long before Sero found himself reaching his end, much to his displeasure, but he knew it wouldn’t be long until he was able to get to do this again. He always made excuses to get the two of you alone, for “purely innocent reasons” according to your knowledge. He couldn’t help it! He loved you too much, and he needed to get his fix.

“F-Fuck,” he moaned as he fucked himself into your pussy, panting softly as he drew close to his completion. “You feel so good, sunshine. You were made for my fucking cock, shit,” he swore, his thrusts becoming increasinly sloppy. He pulled himself out before he came, hips hovering over yours as his hand frantically worked his length trying to finish himself off.

“Fuck yes!” Sero growled as he came, hot white, sticky ropes of cum decorating your glistening pussy as he furiously worked his hand over his cock. “God, love you so much,” he groaned as he finished,  hovering over you as he caught his breath. His eyes watched as his cum dripped down your pussy, becoming entangled with your own juices. Without skipping a beat, Sero reached over and grabbed his phone, taking a quick snapshot of your fucked out pussy covered in his essence and saved it in a secret gallery of pictures he kept of you. He needed to add to the collection, something to help tide him over until the next time. Setting his phone back down, he leaned over you and gently kissed you, like a lover would, savoring your lips while you were still asleep. Breaking the kiss, he gazed lovingly down at you, gently playing with a strand of your hair. He wished this moment would never end, but he knew that he had to get going, sighing softly to himself.

It was time to start up the cleaning process.

~~~~~~~~~~

A phone ringing caused you to stir from your deep slumber, a deep yawn escaping your lips as you stretched your stiff body from sleeping on the couch. You rubbed your eyes slightly as you woke up, before you took in the room before you. You saw Sero back turned to you as he spoke in hushed tones over the phone, hearing Bakugo’s voice grunting something to him over the phone about working out later that day. You glanced around the room as you yawned again, slightly confused as to how you got here before remembering coming over to Sero’s place the previous night after being really stressed and wanting to take a break. It wasn’t long until Sero finished his phone call, turning back to your and finding you awake, looking back at him.

“Sorry,” Sero began, rubbing the back of his neck, “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he apologized sheepishly with a small smile, taking in your figure.

“It’s no worries,” you hum out sleepily finding yourself naturally returning his smile. “Did I pass out last night?” You asked, not fully remembering what had happened after that last bong hit.

“Yeah! You fell asleep about maybe half way through the first movie? I don’t remember exactly when, I was paying too much attention to the movie,” he lied smoothly, your face showing telltale signs of embarrassment at having fallen asleep during the movie. Especially in Sero’s room after having come to his room for a favor. How could you ask to hang out with someone then fall asleep on them!”

“Oh… Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you like that,” you laughed a little uneasy, but Sero was quick to reassure you. “Don’t worry about it! You said yourself that you were stressed out of your mind, and it seemed that you needed to give yourself some rest. No need to apologize,” Sero soothed you easily, a smile returning to your face as you nodded. He almost felt bad lying to your face, but this was just more proof that you needed him! He had placed all your clothes back on properly, cleaned up the mess last night and you were none the wiser! Your lack of realization of what had happened, though it pleased Sero to know he got away with his little love session, cemented your need for him in Sero’s mind.  

“Well will you let me buy you coffee as a thanks for letting me crash? We can study together at that cafe near the gym if you want? ” You offered, wanting to express your gratitude to your friend, who graciously accepted your idea, pleased to spend more time with you.

“Now that sounds like a good idea,” he chirped, quick to pack up his things in his backpack and get ready to go.

The sun was rising slowly from the horizon, fluffy white clouds moving lazily across the sky, as the two of you walked to the cafe together. The birds sang so sweetly as the pair of you made your way, but their songs meant nothing to Sero, too entranced with your own sweet voice as you chattered happily with him about whatever came to mind.

Opening the door for you once the pair of you arrived, you flashed him a sweet smile in response before stepping inside the warm coffee shop. The smile you gave, to him, was brighter than the sun, warmer than the core of the Earth, and he realized he needed it. Just like you need his protection, he needs you, his sunshine, to bring warmth into his life and make him whole. With your back to him, browsing the menu of its many drink options, you failed to notice the pair of eyes drinking in every inch of your form with intense infatuation. You had no idea the danger that lurked behind those kind eyes, and unfortunately for you, you didn’t notice that Sero’s friendliness was more until too late.  

[thewincestgospel]

Adam deserved better….

but that last episode was pretty damn good so with that in mind how about a list of stories that feature baby boy Adam Milligan Winchester

Boston's Saints by   NaughtyPastryChef  Sam and Dean Winchester are a little rude, a little crude and would rip the world apart to save each other. A Wincest retelling of the movie Boondock Saints.        

The Brother Kings  by keep_waking_up   There were stories about them.  The Brother Kings of Winchester.    

Brother Mine by etrix John was out on a hunt when the call came: Kate Milligan was dead, and John was named in her will as the guardian of her son—his son—Adam. Pissed but knowing his duty, Dean pulled Sam out school during exam week, and they went to Windom in the thick of the Minnesota winter. 7-yr-old Adam was a lot like Sammy at that age, but Dean wasn't ready to accept him as another Winchester. Then the boy's life was threatened and all bets were off.

Dean Winchester vs. the World  In order to date his brother, Dean Winchester has to defeat Sam's seven evil exes. Inspired by Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Flowers in the Impala by Evandar Kate wants them to be a family - really, she does - but there's something wrong with John's boys. 

Gamble on a Little Sorrow  by  nigeltde   Adam wakes up in hospital after the events of Jump the Shark, his mother dead, his face cut up, and his right arm gone from the elbow. His life destroyed and out of his depth, he joins his new half-brothers on the road to the apocalypse. They introduce him to Ellen and Jo, and Bobby; they teach him how to shoot, and lie, and be a Winchester. But Sam and Dean are dealing with their own demons, and the cost of war is heavy.       

It's a Long, Long Road by  Twisted-Slinky   Pre-series AU. Dean's sleeping off a hunt when he gets a call from a kid claiming to be his half brother. The weirdest part? It's true. He's already had one brother leave him, and Dean doesn't want to chance another rejection from his own blood, but for some reason, he can't simply forget Adam Milligan exists, even if he knows it would probably be safer for both of them.      

Keep This Secret  by ellerkay Sam and Dean travel to the fairy realm hoping to make a deal to get Adam released from the Cage. The price: their shared secret.                

Living Like a Fucking Happy Family by Eipos John killed the Yellow-Eyed Demon. The Winchester's mission is done. So John brings his boys to Kate and Adam to try and have a normal family.However, Sam and Dean don't know how to live normally. They've been on the run all their lives. They know how to kill a monster in fifty different ways. They don't know how they're supposed to let John and Kate take care of them. They don't know how to stop looking over their shoulder.But they have each other and that's not going to change.

The Middle Child by  morrezela   In a world where all three Winchester brothers made it out of that building without becoming angel suits, Sam has to adjust to his new role in Dean’s life and Adam’s obsession with his sex life.

Pendulum's Resolve  by  bluebells  Adam doesn't want to upset the delicate balance between his brothers, but said brothers have stubbornness issues.

Shell Game by rivkat   Sam and Adam Winchester know when they’re being conned. Problem is, this new guy Dean Milligan seems to really be their half-brother. Adam is unamused, Sam is unfazed, and Dean is inappropriate.            

SkyFall V.1 by SilasSolarius   Summary: AU! Post Season 7. After failing save Castiel from the leviathans, the boys find themselves awakening in the past, in the time before Dean made the deal and their father is still alive. Can the handle juggling the knowledge of the impending apocalypse, their horrible future, and Sam's broken mind, all the while hiding their more than brotherly relationship from their suspicious father.                                    

We Make Our Own Future by Eilonwy_the_white   In an A/B/O universe where there are two genders (male/female) and three designations, life could be better for an om. Federal and state laws are restrictive, making life for an unmated omega all but impossible to navigate. Sam Campbell and Dean Winchester meet when Dean is enrolled with his younger brother, Adam, in a boarding school that trains alphas to be hunters. Adam and Dean's father, John, is a transient hunter while Sam's grandfather is a powerful official with the Federal Department of Hunters, but despite their differences the three young boys become friends. When Dean presents unexpectedly as an omega and is expelled, his friendship with Sam is fundamentally changed. Dean goes on to be a hunter and Sam goes off to college, returning to the life after a few years.Now all grown up and active hunters themselves, Sam and Dean hate each other. Or do they...? One night, a hotel room, and a Lord of the Rings drinking game are about to change everything.

the world will end in fire  by: a.lakewood Sam and Adam fall into a clandestine relationship, and the strain of the job and the secret eventually takes its toll on them. Then Dean finds out.            

[rarestereocats]

rundown of tonight’s game!

the morning is one of moral conflict already as some of us are leaving to speak with mayor,  including Xaren,  and he’s left with a choice over who gets to watch the camp.  the obvious option being Rikius,  but an annoying soldier named Thompson practically begs him to choose someone else.  Tenin licks his lips in anticipation.  he can do it.  he can watch this camp like nobody can.

Xaren chooses my boy and Thompson dies a little on the inside.  Tenin probably dies a little bit too,  but he chooses to keep vigilant anyways.  with the magic amulet Elathera got,  he’s a free man now.  he can live all his dreams,  including bird watching.  he really loves to bird watch now,  guys.  it’s adorable.

we talk to the mayor and things are simple as fuck.  it’s the small victories.  she tells us she’ll get word around about our work and we head back to camp.  Xaren pulls me aside to ask how my night was and we watch Elathera and Elliot trying to creep in on this,  so we go behind a tree.  Elathera does her best to sneak up and get some juicy gossip,  but literally nothing escapes my eagle eyes and it’s amazing that that mysteries of this universe continue to elude me despite that.

after Elathera and Elliot run off,  i tell Xaren the news about me and Rikius being official.  he’s happy,  i’m happy,  but yet there’s one obstacle i have yet to overcome.  become scott pilgrim and battling his evil exes apparently.  i explain that his ex has some problems,  especially letting go,  and he tells me to point her out when she arrives so we can all look at her with casual disdain and disgust.  cuz that’s what friends do.

as we speak,  the devil herself strolls up to camp with a bouquet of flowers,  a book,  and a box of chocolates.  Tenin and Industria watch her approach and after talking with her,  Sephi shoves the stuff to Industria and tells her to give it to Rikius.  Tenin is tasked with retrieving Xaren who speaks with Satan Sephi and Industria gives Tenin a new mission to go deliver the goods.

i see Tenin and ask him if he has a hot date,  but he says a woman brought this stuff for Rikius.  realization hits me and i yell at him to destroy that shit.  with the death of chocolates nearing,  Industria hears their delicious cries for mercy and arrives on scene to collect them.  her and Tenin fight over them,  but she manages to win her sweet confections and goes over to the tree to down the entire box.

meanwhile,  me and Xaren talk Tenin down and he hands the bouquet to me.  i promptly punt the flowers into the wilderness as Tenin watches on in confusion.  Xaren covers for me by saying i’m allergic to them and while still confused,  he doesn’t question this further.  Industria finds a love note penned by Sephi inside the box,  but tough luck,  he’s mine now -hair flip-.  get fucked

Xaren tucks the note away and leaves the scene as Rikius arrives.  almost great timing on his part as Industria hides the empty box.  he notices the flowers in ruins and is a little miffed,  but when he can’t find a tag or note,  he leaves them be.  he notices Tenin holding a book and Tenin notices him noticing him,  so he cracks the book open and reads;  startling us all momentarily.

after this Human Experience of hobbies that don’t involve patriotism and swords,  he hands the book to Rikius and i jump in a bush thinking we’re all found out,  but he simply says a woman dropped it off for him.  and like the nerd he is,  Rikius cracks it open,  but not before questioning why i have reverted back to my Bush Baby ways.

i say i’m gathering my thoughts,  but Industria takes this as a chance to drag me and asks if Rikius is honestly that surprised by this.  i’m offended and she brings up all the times i’ve woken up in a bush and i say i’ve grown from those days.  Rikius drags Industria (get her,  boo) by saying she’s devolving.  she tells him to shut up and she’s roasted again with “she’s even running out of witty comebacks” and surprisingly,  this actually hurts her feelings.

Elathera and Elliot go watch horse races.  Industria enters Arnor in and of course,  they bet on Arnor because in this party we love and support each other despite our flaws and sometimes glaringly obvious issues.  he’s great at the races!  but in a total dick move,  he decides to stop short at the finish line and lose just because he can.

on the way back,  somebody compliments Industria on her angel cosplay and of course,  here it comes,  guys.  asks to pet her wings cuz good luck and all that.  Sephi arrives at camp unfortunately and sends Tenin to get Rikius.  Tenin,  after thinking the chocolates from earlier were a total attempt at assassinating him,  leans in and warns Rikius to be careful as she’s gonna poison him.  Rikius tells him to tell her he’s busy,  so Tenin leads her to go get settled in.

next morning,  we’re off for Werthington.  one refugee expresses disgust as the place is full of rich fucks and the community is a circle jerk of bigotry apparently.  we pile into the carriage and i out myself by wrapping my tail around Rikius.  totally subconscious.  yep.  i feel eyes on me as Elathera and Elliot are staring with smiles and as i try to roast them,  Elliot keeps his crown as the Roast Master.

they feel accomplished that the double date worked,  but that accomplished feeling doesn’t last long as they realize literally everybody else already knew or put it together.  we reach Werthington and it’s as bad they say.  Industria is tasked to take lead here as these people aren’t willing to listen to a drow or anything non-human really.

as Industria,  Elathera,  and Rikius leave to speak with the HOA (it’s a guild),  me and Xaren catch somebody slinking around camp.  with Tenin lovingly eyeing birds lately,  he didn’t notice the kid dressed in dark clothes passing him by.  but as i said earlier,  nothing gets past me and Xaren also notices,  so Buddy Cop Duo rolls out to apprehend the suspect.  the kid says he was totally looking for a party,  but he tries to steal something off of Xaren before we send him on his way.

i track him down with Samuel,  but nothing ever goes according to plan and the kid figures out we’re there.  after some shittalking,  we take him and his attitude back to camp to give him some supplies to hand out to the refugees who won’t leave with us.  he pulls out a full fucking vase he took and bids us farewell.  Xaren returns the vase to its rightful owner and it turns out it was an urn!  that kid almost stole somebody’s grandma!

The HOA Squad arrives at their destination and sees an impeccable,  warm,  green lawn despite the winter weather.  they’re whisked inside by a very excitable woman and are treated to refreshments and baked goods.  the meeting begins and as the speaker proposes they raise taxes in the next city over for bad landscaping,  Industria steps up to the plate to sucker punch capitalism and makes some progress.

after,  she tells them to gather up their refugees as we’re taking them and these people don’t fight it.  they couldn’t be happier with that because rich people are just like that.  this game’s too real now.  we also have them gather a small political entourage and we’re gifted two annoying diplomats for our journey.

Xaren has another vision of Remy and Lucky.  they’ve escaped the island of Basilla and are on Sicily,  the place we vacationed at.  they’re trying to get into the temple of the dead,  but with no way to solve the riddle,  Lucky says they’ll have to come back later.  as they make their way back into the city,  Xaren wakes up.  he has a talk with Industria who opens up about the conversation she had with her dad a few nights ago.

i get to wake up to Rikius changing,  so i mutter a small “good morning” before taking in that sight cuz i have that privilege now.  Elathera wakes up with Elliot’s arm around her and as she tries to leave without waking him,  he asks her to stay.  eventually we’re all collected and accounted for,  so Xaren shares his vision with us and we all try to figure out how to get more of it pieced together.

he focuses hard and gets flashes of something.  an ornate dagger,  though not the one Lucky crafted.  Remy is using it on themselves as fire surrounds them and Lucky’s there,  watching.  but that’s it.  desperate for more,  we run through our options.

with options limited,  Elathera summons a fortune teller’s tent cuz why the fuck not?? and decides to give her crystal ball a try.  we all pile in and she goes through the routine,  telling him to focus on the vision and close his eyes.  nothing.  sudden realization hits me and i slip Lucky’s dagger into his hand and Elathera shoots me a thumbs up before continuing.

she starts sweating nervously as nothing is happening still and shoos the rest of us out.  she tells Xaren to focus again and the smoke inside the crystal ball finally begins to swirl.  As Remy,  they approach Lucky at the temple to look at the note.  it’s the riddle we had to solve.  they head back to the inn,  holding hands, and as they talk,  the smoke swirls black before fading into a pinkish white.  Xaren is pulled back to reality.

we gather up the refugees and hit the road for the town of Guenley.  on the way,  we see feathers covering the road eventually leading to blood staining the snow and dirt.  unsure of what’s going on,  Industria folds her wings to hide them and tells Elathera to desummon Tenin.  we reach the town and it’s in ruins.

and that’s where we left off for tonight.

[allbeendonebefore]

What are your headcanons for British Columbia?

ok so disclaimer here is that i’m a fake british columbian even though i kind of sort of live there, i live on the island and the majority of my bc friends are from the coast and not the interior so most of what i can say about the interior is ‘i have driven through it a lot’ but i’ll do my best.

- on that subject bc is like… layers of depth that most people don’t see. lots of people just brush her off as a flaky ditz who is never paying attention to the rest of the country but i seriously feel she’s got a lot of Depth and a lot of spiky barbed inner monologues. She’s really geographically and emotionally impenetrable and doesn’t really let you in on what she is thinking or will do something unpredictable.

- like i don’t think people really get how contradictory bc is? its a climate of extremes that has a reputation for being mellow, its a place that is “liberal” where the Liberals are in reality worse than the alberta pcs (LOL WHAT AN ELECTION I TELL YOU), it’s a place that’s one of the resource-richest provinces in the country that makes it impossible for its own citizens to afford… etc. I think a lot about things like this when I think about how her personality works- she’s not necessarily finicky, she’s layered.

- bc has a reputation for being different than the rest of canada and its absolutely true. like as the second most western province we still tend to think of ab/sk and maybe mb depending on our mood as ‘western canada’ and bc as ‘and bc’. She’s the sort of person who Always goes her own way and makes her decisions on her own, she’s more outward looking than the others for sure.

- worst driver. Hands down. Terrible. everyone blames AB for it but it’s her, the only thing ralphie is worse at is parking. 

- if she can’t see the mountains she feels naked and exposed and can’t stay too far out of sight of the mountains or she goes Nuts

- she probably lives in a relatively modern and expensive house- everything is immaculate, she has a lot of interesting artefacts and souvenirs around her house, her garden is manicured and perfect and everything smells like cedar but it also gives you the distinct impression that no one actually lives there. Looks more like a gallery because she’s trying to support local (esp indigenous) artists. no basement. cute car port and shed rather than a garage.

- she finds emotional attachments really Difficult. like it’s just genuinely hard to tell whether she likes you or not because she can be kind of backhanded or condescending even when she’s expressing genuine fondness. She makes a huge deal about being a romantic place but doesn’t really fall for anyone easily, either she gets bored or she doesn’t want to lose a friendship or w/e

- like for someone who makes a big deal about being compassionate for animals and nature she really doesn’t feel that much compassion for people- or rather, when she does it’s not easy for her to express to them

- There’s an ongoing joke that BC stands for “Bring Cash” and its absolutely true. If you want a chance with her/to impress her you have to spend like you mean it. Its not that she’s high mainten- yes she is definitely high maintenance

- Makes a big deal out of being interesting and fun but when she’s at home alone she just sits around in her underwear under a huge pile of blankets/a snuggie and watches the Beachcombers. possibly while high.

- ‘is this matcha’ ‘does it have matcha in it’ [pouring sugar in her tea] ‘matcha is like… sooo good for you… i don’t even [pouring milk and honey in her tea] like this is just so refreshing you know [more sugar]

- you know that scene in scott pilgrim where ramona reads out her entire tea cupboard to him and some of them sound made up, that’s bc. come to think of it she really is a manic pixie dream girl but one who is merciless and apathetic and could probably easily wreck you

- tea snob, the sort of person who is like ‘coffee is like so bad for you it stresses you out man’ but also a coffee snob who can’t wake up in the morning without it so its a lose-lose situation for you

- definitely volunteered with greenpeace in the 70s lol

- ‘ya i live in vancouver’ - actually lives in like PoCoMo or whatever

- once called the spoiled child of confederation and she hasn’t let that go, she probably has it embossed on a trophy somewhere in her giant collection of trophies that she has on display in the fame gua of her perfect feng shui living room

- she only makes a big deal out of ‘canadian’ things when it makes her money, she actually feels very cut off from the rest of the country but will Always appear immediately when there is a competition of any kind because she’s The Best.

- grew up extremely fast. in my mind she represents ‘ (lower) mainland bc’ while the island i represent with victoria as shorthand- they had to move in together to save money and both of them really dragged their feet about it. She’s still kind of wary about the island ditching for independence again but doesn’t REALLY take it seriously. Is the youngest of the provinces but does her best not to act like it.

- actually super confrontational like she will be doing yoga on a rock as the tide is coming in and be One With The Universe and you could be walking past her and say ‘actually vancouver’s kind of overrated’ and she will dive in the ocean and rise out of the water covered in sea onions and seaweed and barnacles like a horror movie and be like “wHaT dId YoU SaY AbOuT mE!”

- exactly the sort of person to get a tattoo in another language that vaguely is correct but actually grammatically Off like… you grow up with people like Amor de Cosmos and this is what you get

- not actually gluten or lactose intolerant, just likes being morally superior (’and like… almond milk just tastes better yknow more wholesome’)

- that person who always ends up with people mooching off her or crashing at her place- she doesn’t actually mind too much, she’s just frustrated that people only seem to come bother her when it’s convenient for them. But she doesn’t like to admit when she’s feeling lonely so i mean… xD

- also really into ghosts and spooky things. she goes along with bert/yk to hunt sasquatsch and externally rolls her eyes the whole time but tbh she has honestly seen sasquatsch like 10 times and has all the blurry photos to prove it. Same with ogopogo. 

- goes into woowoo new age stores and spends hours looking at tarot decks and crystals and incense. judges you based on your astrological signs.

- has proposed moving in with kate like 3 times but gets rejected every time lmao

- firm believer that tea solves everything. emotionally compromised? hot leaf juice. emotionally compromised during summer? cold leaf juice. eat an entire fruit. eat ten fruits. decorate with kale. eat the decorative kale. got herbs? make rosemary tea. stain all your dishes yellow and make turmeric tea. literally down an entire jar of capers, idgaf. 

- she likes to make her backpack as heavy as she can, blast her own music so everyone can hear it, then schlep it all up a mountain. set everything down and turn it off, sit high up and alone with her little hibachi grill and eat salmon, watch the ravens. paint something on a giant leaf. smoke a joint. look at the ocean. whatever. 

- i think exercise is her replacement for emotionally connecting with people. she rides her bike white knuckled through the rain up a hill and loses feeling in her fingers and zooms back down. Pushes herself to adrenaline rush, always trying to get better, better. 

- i say a lot about her not really connecting with people but at the same time shes the sort of person that… when you’re in crisis mode and you’re under a literal or a figurative avalanche, she will spot you, grab you and pull you straight up out of it with one arm by the scruff of your neck. She’s actually really generous at heart but has just become kind of closed off after being taken advantage of too many times. Will take you home and dry you off and make a big meal for you and wait for you to tell her what’s wrong.

- I don’t know if she actually owns a boat-boat, but definitely kayaks a lot. long boards. surfs.  

- hates BC ferries with an unholy passion, like… that’s a way to trigger a rant right there

- slaps I

- her low tolerance for cold is exaggerated. her high tolerance for cold + wet should be Feared. 

- has her hidden rednecky side. makes a big deal out of being vegan and w/e but does go hunting and dirt biking once in a while, knows her way around a stick shift etc. Dunno if she really drives that much - probably has invested in electric cars before but kind of dissatisfied with how much she can actually do with them re: steep hills, roadtrips, etc. 

- has had to deal with a lot of paranoia, racism, etc in the past that she struggles to reconcile. really learning to take pride in herself again, i think she’s chinese/british, yeah but there’s also some first nations heritage too that factors into her mixed identity. 

- in official positions she might skip french and go straight to mandarin/canto if the job is bilingual, not that she doesnt like french she just Forgets xD. 

i feel like i’ve been talking all day so i’ll stop there but feel free to ask for elaboration or something i guess

[newstfionline]

Return to China: One reporter finds a nation that has gone from bicycles to bullet trains

Ann Scott Tyson, CS Monitor, January 21, 2018

SHANGHAI, CHINA--The ultra-sleek bullet train, floating on a magnetic cushion, accelerates as it leaves Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport for the megacity of 24 million people. Outside, a futuristic metropolis unfolds. Curved skyscrapers and raised freeways flash by until they blur. Inside the car, green digits above the doorway shoot upward: 200 kilometers per hour ... 300 ... 431.

The car is uncrowded, its well-dressed passengers unimpressed by the world’s fastest commercial train. Some riders stare at mobile phones. No one speaks. Less than eight minutes later, the train glides to a stop and passengers alight, stepping past stewards wearing long coats into a high-ceilinged station.

I’ve arrived in China, but I feel worlds away from the country I first encountered decades earlier. A gray, frozen landscape greeted me when I flew into Beijing one wintry November day in 1983. The airport road was empty but for a few people bundled in ragged clothes pedaling bicycles, and a panting horse pulling a wobbly cart. I was fresh out of college and taking up residence as a novice reporter.

It had been only seven years since Mao Zedong’s death in 1976 and the end of his fanatical Cultural Revolution. The country was isolated and poor, its 1 billion people exhausted and traumatized by economic stagnation, famine, and political purges. China’s 800 million peasants toiled on “people’s communes.” Urban workers had an “iron rice bowl” of assigned jobs and food rations.

For most of the next decade, I lived in Beijing and Hong Kong, taking a front-row seat as pragmatic leader Deng Xiaoping jettisoned communism for capitalism, and China sprang to life. In the spring of 1989, I watched the buildup of a pro-democracy movement. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese rallied in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, only to face a brutal military crackdown on June 4.

Many of my contacts disappeared into hiding, jail, or exile. Few Chinese dared speak with me. Taking my infant son for a stroll in Beijing’s Ritan (“Temple of the Sun”) Park was one way to have innocuous contacts. Even then, plainclothes police sometimes followed us. Later, I managed to evade authorities and travel, capturing the life stories of several Chinese for a book I co-wrote. By the time I left in 1992, China was a second home. I spoke and often dreamed in Chinese. In many respects, I knew China better than I did my own country.

Now back to visit my son in Shanghai, I am eager to rediscover China after 25 years--and see whether I can reconnect.

What most surprises me about Shanghai and the country are the extremes, the sheer magnitude of it all. China, I know, is the world’s biggest trading nation. Soaring growth has lifted more than 700 million Chinese from poverty since 1990, creating a robust middle class and hundreds of billionaires. After a mass migration from villages, more than half of Chinese now live in cities. Still, I was skeptical about China’s ability to modernize against such huge odds. In Shanghai, those doubts vanish.

“China has with remarkable speed restored itself to ‘wealth and power,’ fuqiang, the watchwords of Chinese nationalists from the late 19th century on,” says Chas W. Freeman Jr., a veteran United States diplomat now in academia.

Mr. Freeman recalls arriving at Shanghai’s airport in 1972 as an interpreter on President Richard Nixon’s historic trip, and hearing birds sing. “There were no aircraft,” he says. China “was a cultural desert in the middle of [Mao’s] Cultural Revolution.”

Today, Shanghai is a thriving, cosmopolitan metropolis, every bit as chic as Paris or New York--and with more people than any other city proper in the world.

From the window of my son’s apartment, skyscrapers stretch across the horizon. Far below, people flow down tree-lined streets by bicycle, scooter, automobile, and DiDi car (the Chinese ride service now rivaling Uber). Shanghai has 1,000 bus lines and the world’s largest subway system, its riders orderly and aloof.

The city boasts the world’s busiest container port and fourth-largest stock exchange. “China is not trying to make revolution anymore; it is trying to make money, which is much more wholesome,” says Freeman, a senior fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.

I stroll down Shanghai’s upscale Nanjing Road, past displays of Swiss watches and designer fashions. At the 1920 Art Deco French Club, now a hotel in the former French Concession, I discover an extravagant Chinese wedding complete with rose petals strewn on a spiral staircase. The bride poses for photos beneath nude sculptures, which are again on display after being boarded up during the Cultural Revolution.

On Fumin Road, school lets out and uniformed children crowd sidewalks and shops, buying snacks such as boiled tea eggs and warm soy milk. Shanghai’s upwardly mobile residents pay $30,000 a year to send their children to private high schools and pave their way to college overseas. Since China’s opening in the late 1970s, millions have left to study abroad, including some 300,000 now at universities in the US.

Chinese are traveling more than ever. On Shanghai’s colonial-era waterfront, the Bund, crowds of Chinese tourists listen to guides describe a “century of humiliation” under foreign powers. Indeed, Chinese tourists far outnumber foreigners at every historical site I visit, from Mt. Huang in the south to Buddhist caves on the edge of the Gobi desert.

But Shanghai, I know, is only one side of China’s story. From there I head west, to the hinterland.

Riding by train through rugged Gansu Province along what was once China’s ancient Silk Road, I scan the landscape of wind-blown loess, expecting to see farmers tending terraced fields as years before. Instead, I see a strange moonscape, a parched expanse. The few clusters of mud-brick homes appear dilapidated and sparsely inhabited, with only some small groups of people harvesting cotton.

The train’s interior seems empty, too, compared with those of the “hard seat” cars I rode in years before. Gone are the crowds of people, jostling and chatting together on wooden seats as they cracked sunflower seeds and sipped jasmine tea from enamel cups.

Occasionally, the train passes a “ghost city,” a jarring block of unoccupied high-rise apartments, evidence of futile government efforts to lure more Chinese to the remote region. A vast wind farm appears, its thousands of alien-looking turbines motionless because of a lack of both demand and transmission lines.

Rural Gansu is the land of China’s have-nots. Its stark contrast with Shanghai underscores the country’s new inequality. In the 1980s, China was one of the most egalitarian societies in the world. Now, it is one of the most unequal. As coastal cities flourished, the rural interior lagged. Shanghai has roughly the same population as Gansu, but is five times as wealthy.

“They have not gone nearly far enough to bridge the gap” between urban and rural areas, says Kenneth Lieberthal, an expert in Chinese politics who has conducted on-the-ground research in China since 1976. Health care and education remain “primitive” in much of the countryside, where most Chinese youth still grow up, says Mr. Lieberthal, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan and a former Asia senior director on the National Security Council.

Migrant workers lack access to urban benefits, including public schooling for their children. They leave behind children and elderly parents, who often struggle.

“I used to grow cotton and corn, but the lack of rain, and the low grain prices made it impossible for me to make a living,” says one older farmer in northern Gansu. A year ago, he took a job as a street cleaner in a nearby town, making about $165 a month. “The wage is low, but many people need jobs so we need to spread it out,” he says.

As China’s population rapidly ages, a consequence of the recently relaxed one-child policy, a pressing question is who will care for the rural elderly, most of whom lack a government pension. Urbanization is hollowing out rural areas, causing the abandonment or destruction of more than 900,000 traditional villages.

“All the young people have left,” says Hu Ziyong, born and raised in a riverside village in Sichuan province, which borders Gansu. She tells me her four children couldn’t make a living farming. Illiterate, she lives alone in a moss-covered stone house, raising a few ducks and chickens.

Venturing beyond China proper, I head upland by bus, toward the country’s ethnic frontiers. China’s population is 91 percent ethnic Han Chinese, but vast border regions--about a third of its territory--are inhabited by Tibetan, Uighur, Hui, Mongol, and other ethnic groups.

Tensions have long simmered as ethnic and religious minorities press for autonomy, bringing harsh reprisals from China’s atheistic government. But there are exceptions.

As the bus rolls past cornfields and into the foothills, I am surprised to see dozens of mosques, each with distinctive domes and minarets, towering over the countryside. This territory belongs to the 10-million-strong Hui ethnic group, which has long assimilated with Han Chinese, speaking the same language, intermarrying, and living dispersed throughout China. Unthreatened by the Hui, Beijing is unusually tolerant of their religious activities.

In contrast, the government is tightening controls on Buddhists in Tibet and Muslims in Xinjiang, where authorities have reportedly destroyed mosques, forbidden officials from fasting at Ramadan, and imposed other restrictions on worship in the name of preventing terrorism.

The bus climbs into the mountains, past a white stupa draped with prayer flags, and stops near Labrang Monastery, a major center of Tibetan Buddhism with about 2,000 monks and six colleges. At dawn, Tibetan pilgrims in long-sleeved cloaks circle Labrang, chanting and spinning prayer wheels.

Security cameras inside Labrang monitor the monks’ activities. Monks are required to undergo political indoctrination critical of their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who seeks greater autonomy for Tibet, and are barred from displaying his portrait.

In and around Labrang, I spot only one photograph of the Dalai Lama, high on the wall in the corner of a Tibetan clothing shop. “Whenever there is a crackdown, I cover it,” explains the shopkeeper, using a yellow silken cloth as a quick curtain. She folds her hands and bows toward the image.

Monks at Labrang and other monasteries staged demonstrations against Chinese policies in Tibet in 2008, and since then scores of Tibetans have self-immolated in protest. Several monks from Labrang have been arrested, and some remain in jail, local Tibetans tell me.

A large Chinese paramilitary installation stands several blocks from Labrang. Armed police patrol the streets, ramping up during Tibetan festivals, residents say.

China’s heavy-handed religious repression and security presence in Tibet and Xinjiang, along with the resettlement there of millions of Han Chinese, is driven by a greater objective: to secure the country’s strategic and resource-rich periphery at all costs.

The border areas, especially Xinjiang, are critical to China’s ambitious push to expand its economic power, security, and leadership role across Asia and beyond. Under its trillion-dollar “Belt and Road” trade and investment initiative, China will build roads, pipelines, and ports throughout Asia to Europe, a plan involving as many as 65 countries with a total of 4.4 billion people.

“China is moving ahead more rapidly than any of us appreciate,” says David Lampton, a professor of China studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He is writing a book on China’s construction of high-speed railroads. “We need to wake up and realize China is a competitive force.”

Communist Party chief and President Xi Jinping recently called for building “a great wall of steel” around Xinjiang to guard against Islamic extremism. Echoing this sentiment, a sign at a military installation near the Tibetan region likens China’s Army to the Great Wall. Yet the heightened security measures risk backfiring, perpetuating a cycle of ethnic unrest.

As I prepare to catch a flight to Beijing, it occurs to me that while China’s leaders are nervous about minority unrest, they are far more fearful of dissent among the majority Han Chinese.

Traveling across China, two faces are unavoidable--those of Mr. Xi and People’s Liberation Army soldier Lei Feng, the legendary 1960s communist role model.

On a giant video screen above Shanghai’s train station, Xi appears in camouflage fatigues, reviewing a phalanx of troops. At the westernmost watch tower of China’s Great Wall, he hovers larger-than-life in a poster, dwarfing the wall itself.

Lei, in his furry ear-flap hat, looks down on city streets and transport hubs, reminding citizens to help others and practice the 12 “core socialist values”--the state-imposed moral code.

The two images are emblematic of Xi’s consolidation of power to a degree not seen in China for decades, and his aggressive push for Communist Party supremacy and ideological conformity. Xi’s name and “thought” were enshrined in the party’s Constitution in October, and all Chinese--including the country’s 228,000 journalists--are being urged to study it. One Chinese shopkeeper I speak with goes so far as to call Xi “China’s second Mao Zedong.”

As impressed as I am with China’s modernization and confident world outlook, I am troubled by the party’s unbridled impulse to control the Chinese people--reflecting what seems to be a deep domestic insecurity.

The party’s mandate depends on its ability to make good on what Xi calls China’s dream--a nationalistic vision of a strong, prosperous China regaining its place at the center of the world. Rejecting the West as a model, Xi sees China setting the example for other nations.

To achieve this, the party must tackle serious problems: rising inequality, corruption, overcapacity in heavy industry, and severe pollution. China’s growing middle class is eager to secure its hard-earned wealth through property rights and the rule of law. Experts believe China could smooth this process by encouraging civil society and organized political participation, fostering paths to compromise.

Instead, China’s leaders are tightening their authoritarian grip. Beijing is reining in nongovernmental organizations, and arresting activists, human rights lawyers, and bloggers, according to Freedom House, an independent watchdog group.

It is also building a high-tech surveillance state. Authorities use cameras, some enhanced with facial recognition software and artificial intelligence, to watch people, unconstrained by privacy protections. Individuals are monitored for “untrustworthy” behavior at work and in public places, as well as online and on their phones. The government reportedly plans to assign each person a “social credit” score that will affect access to jobs, schools, and even airline tickets.

Chinese officials manipulate the internet, blocking websites, posting and deleting social media comments, and scrutinizing texts. Foreign television is censored in China. I saw CNN and BBC broadcasts cut off when commentary turned critical of Xi. The party controls universities, where lectures are videotaped.

In Beijing, I decide to walk to Tiananmen Square to see the flag lowered at dusk. After passing multiple security checkpoints, I join a crowd of hundreds of Chinese. As white-gloved military guards fold the flag with a flourish, onlookers capture it with cellphones. I wonder how many of these mostly young Chinese think about the 1989 Tiananmen democracy protests, or the blood that was spilled where they stand.

The day before I’d met a Chinese man, his hair speckled with gray, who was a university professor in Beijing in 1989. On the night of June 4, he made his way past soldiers and tanks to the square to make sure his students escaped.

“I always feel ashamed now when I go there,” he said in a low voice. “The Army should never open fire on its own people. It should defend them.” Frustrated by the party’s intensifying controls, he said China needs more democracy and freedom, but many Chinese are blinded to this by materialism.

After the color guard marches off, vans full of police, barking through loudspeakers, herd the crowd out of the square. I walk down a side street, past vendors selling steaming corncobs and sticks of candied hawthorn. Several blocks away, I realize I am being followed by plainclothes police. Unfazed, I eat dinner and return to my hostel down a narrow Beijing alley.

My trip is coming to an end, and I feel an inexplicable sadness.

The next morning, I go looking for my old neighborhood in eastern Beijing. Emerging from the metro, I enter a canyon of concrete and glass buildings and struggle to get my bearings. Finally, I find the gate to Ritan Park, where I used to push my son in his stroller and collect child-rearing tips from Chinese grandmothers.

Walking down a stone path lined with willow trees, I approach a familiar red-pillared pavilion on the edge of a small lake. The sounds of a Chinese erhu fiddle and drum meet my ears, and without warning a wave of emotion sweeps over me. Tears roll down my cheeks as I sit on a bench, listening to the amateur opera group perform, exactly as I remembered. The next thing I know, a middle-aged Chinese man sits down next to me.

“Why are you crying?” he asks, patting my shoulder.

“The music,” I manage to say. He begins describing the opera--Yu opera from Henan province--in halting English. Switching to Chinese, I explain that I know the park. I lived nearby many years ago. “I’m sorry,” I say, “I can’t stop crying.”

“Don’t worry,” he says, trying to cheer me up. “You look like a movie star ... like Nicole Kidman.”

I have to laugh. With that, we begin a long, far-reaching conversation. As fate would have it, he is a journalist about my age, and began living in the neighborhood about the same time I did. He speaks freely of Chinese perspectives on America and of Xi, describing how people evade internet restrictions, and the prospects for China democratizing. Two hours quickly pass. I wonder whether we could stay in touch.

“As a journalist, if I have contact with foreigners, it will bring difficulties for me that I don’t need,” he says. “Ask me whatever you like here, now.”

We talk more, while listening to the opera. I know once the conversation ends, I will likely never see him again. As I prepare to go, I struggle again to hold back tears.

“Don’t cry,” he says. “Don’t cry for Beijing.”

I walk away without turning around, finding another place to sit and gather my thoughts. Several minutes later, I look up. He is standing in the distance watching me. Once our eyes meet, he smiles and waves. I wave back. He is gone.

The meeting brings an epiphany of sorts. Traveling across the country, I was subconsciously searching for the China I knew so well, a place that was slower paced and earthy, less jaded and detached. The park offered a glimpse of it, although in many ways that China no longer exists. Still, the heartfelt encounter makes it all right. Kindness is timeless. The willingness to cross whatever barriers exist to form a human connection--nothing can take that away.

[eddiejpoplar]

Rolex and Motorsports: Partners in Speed

LOS ANGELES, California — “Rolexes are indestructible,” says Hurley Haywood, one of America’s most successful endurance racers, as he stands on the terrace during a private reception at a mansion deep in the Hollywood Hills. Haywood pulls back his shirt cuff, gives a small smile—which, if you’ve spent any time with the laconic race car driver, you know a smile means high praise—and starts to tap on the watch’s sapphire crystal as lights from the Sunset Strip below cast a pinkish glow on his grin. “I’m rough on a watch. It’s got to withstand all of the rigors of racing, all the tax I put it through.” Haywood should know about the watch’s durability—he owns nearly every model of Rolex Daytona ever made, most of them hard won from time in a race car.

Rolex employs official spokespeople to talk up the brand, including Formula 1 champion Jackie Stewart and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, but Haywood, crooked grin and all, isn’t on the watchmaker’s payroll. He’s a genuine fan, converted from the moment in 1970 when he bought his first Rolex for $260 at a U.S. Army post exchange while stationed in Vietnam. “Since then, I always had Rolexes. It’s just the watch I want to wear.”

Haywood isn’t the only race-car driver who has had a love affair with the brand, of course. Rolex and motorsports have been inextricably linked since British racer Malcolm Campbell wore a Rolex Oyster while breaking the 300-mph speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. Campbell is said to have mailed Rolex letters extolling the virtues of its products. But when you think of racing and watches, Rolex and the now iconic Daytona comes to mind. The relationship with Florida’s Daytona International Speedway predates the famous endurance race held at the track. It began when Rolex Watch U.S.A.’s then-president, Rene P. Dentan, forged a friendship with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.

In 1964, Rolex started to award the chronograph to the winning drivers of the Daytona Continental—then an FIA-sanctioned, three-hour endurance race—and added the word “Daytona” to the dial, altering the watch world forever. (The race’s familiar 24-hour format made its debut in 1966.) “It’s all about the watch,” says Scott Pruett, the American racer who has won 15 Rolex watches, including five for overall wins at the Rolex 24, during a career that spans more than three decades. “Every one is sacred, and there are stories behind every one of these watches. It becomes more than a timepiece, it becomes an heirloom and even more so if it says ‘Winner of the Rolex 24’ on the back.”

Aside from its ties to American sports-car racing, Rolex is also the official timepiece of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1. Vintage racing is also high on its priority list—it is the title sponsor of the annual Monterey Motorsports Reunion and is also heavily involved with the U.K.’s Goodwood Revival.

Like a Porsche 911, the Rolex Daytona is instantly recognizable, and over the years the changes to both have been incremental rather than evolutionary. It’s these minor changes—and the obsessive nature of collectors of both products—that add to the lore and start to drive collectors crazy as they obsess over the smallest details. Although Rolex is tight-lipped about most of the changes, it’s not too hard to find a hardcore fan to opine about the tiny tweaks to the dial, bezels, pushers, and significantly, the movements.

“With the Daytona, you had this idea that you were going to market these things to people,” says Benjamin Clymer, founder of the watch website, Hodinkee. “Before, chronographs were really ‘tool’ watches for those in the racing industry, and that’s about it. And Rolex said, ‘OK, we’re going to make this the racer’s watch.’ There’s a history of these watches going on the wrists of great racers. And when you have these famous racers wearing this watch because they’ve actually won at Daytona, it creates a secondary level of appreciation and understanding from the motorsports community.”

A paul Newman Daytona sold at Christie’s for $1.1 million. Not too shabby an investment for a watch that cost only $210 in 1963.

If the racing world wasn’t enamored with the Daytona before, it certainly was after Paul Newman, who was just starting his professional racing career, wore a Reference 6239 on his wrist in 1972. Given to him as a gift by his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, these Daytonas are set apart by subtle but important differences, such as an art-deco font for the numerals on the subdials and small squares at the end of the hash marks.

Although never officially named after the actor, the “Paul Newman” Daytona is one of the rarest and most sought-out variants of the timepiece. You can pick one up in good condition starting around $75,000 and, depending on the year, the prices can skyrocket from there. In May, 2017 at Philips Geneva Watch Auction, a Daytona Ref 6263 dubbed “The Legend” and one of three known yellow gold Paul Newman Daytonas sold for $3,717,906. In 2013, a 1969 stainless-steel Paul Newman Daytona sold at Christie’s for $1.1 million. Not too shabby an investment for a watch that cost only $210 in 1963.

“I never really gravitated to the Daytona, and I passed on many when they were ‘cheap,’ but I’ve learned to appreciate them and like them aesthetically,” says Matt Hranek, author of the new book, “A Man and His Watch” (see page 105). In the book, Hranek weaves the stories of 70 one-of-a-kind timepieces from the men who’ve owned these watches via personal anecdotes.

This steel Daytona belongs to Automobile contributor Andy Pilgrim, awarded for his overall win at the 2004 24 Hours of Daytona.

“Rolex makes real tool watches, and I love the fact that they specialize,” Hranek says. “The Submariner for divers, the GMT for pilots. It’s hard not to love the Daytona in terms of its design and because of its iconic status. A lot of that is due to the famous owners. When I visited Mario Andretti for my book, he pulled out every watch he had ever owned and placed them all on a big table. In the middle was an older Daytona, and I said to him, ‘Wow, look at the Daytona,’ and Mario looked at me, shrugged, and said, ‘Yeah, I did win that race a couple times.’ I just sighed and said, ‘Oh yeah, of course you did.’”

Rolex introduced a new Daytona with a black ceramic bezel during the 2016 edition of Baselworld, the watch industry’s top expo, and the news excited even the most jaded watch insiders. The New York Times called it the hottest watch money can’t buy. a waiting list, if you don’t know the right people, can stretch into a yearslong proposition. A few months after its release, we asked Haywood if he had one. “Not yet,” he says. “But I’m working on it.”

The first precision certificate ever issued for a wristwatch, commissioned by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf.

Rolex SA, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis. Wilsdorf reportedly chose the Rolex name because it was short enough to fit on the face of a watch, consisted of symmetrical letters of the same size, and was easy to pronounce in many languages. Today it is the largest luxury watch brand by volume, producing some 2,000 watches a day. Forbes in 2016 ranked the company the 64th most valuable brand in the world with $4.7 billion in sales.

A classic Rolex Daytona Reference 6239 “Paul Newman” sits next to a brand-new, black-over- black Daytona with the very desirable ceramic bezel, courtesy of BobsWatches.com.

For a brand that revolves so much around wealth, Rolex is hesitant to talk about money. Sponsorship terms are not disclosed to the public, and company executives do not do interviews.

Ariel Adams, founder of seminal watch website aBlogtoWatch.com, says Rolex is secretive in most areas, including money matters. “It spends more than any other watch brand on marketing,” he says, “and it’s a key reason for the brand’s success. I’m not comfortable speculating an amount it spends since I have no idea, but I do know its strategy is to sponsor the top-tier events in each sport and to ensure no other watch brands take its place.”

At left, a trademark document for the Rolex name was signed by Wilsdorf himself in 1946.

Rolex in 2015 extended its title-sponsor contract for Daytona’s 24-hour race with IMSA, signing up through 2025. At the same time, Daytona International Speedway began an ambitious, $400 million remodel and expansion of a towering complex. Rolex announced itself as a partner in the undertaking and now has its name on the new luxury lounge along the front stretch. When asked about financial details on the Rolex partnership, a spokesperson for Daytona International Speedway declined to reveal the deal’s value. But it is not difficult to imagine the sums required to keep the brand front and center of a global audience. In 2012, when Rolex succeeded Hublot as the official timekeeper and official timepiece of F1, it was speculated to cost at least $20 million per year.

Rolex signage is inescapable at modern motorsports events. Look for branded clocks, hats, lanyards, advertisements, banners, and flags at the biggest circuits in the world.

Despite Rolex’s significant involvement in the world of motorsports, a spokesperson for the watchmaker told us that its timepieces have never been used to time the races, and the timing in early F1 years was done with Heuer chronographs. So why do so many get so excited about Rolex and its relationship with racing? You could say the connection is symbolic. A Rolex spokeswoman said, “Rolex is very much about individual achievement. We sponsor people, not teams. Think of a race-car driver. Sure, there is a team involved, but it’s just that one person out there on the track.”

Haywood sees a connection to velocity. “They’re really at the top of the line of motorsports,” he says, “but they also do a lot of other sports—tennis, riding, sports that involve speed and timing. So I think they like to have that identification.”

In addition to its connections with sports, Rolex actively supports music, culture, the arts, and scientific achievement with its Enterprise Awards. So what is the return on investment for all those sponsorship dollars? By some measures, Rolex is considered the most powerful luxury brand in the world, with a cachet no one else in the business has been able to replicate. What can’t be measured in dollars, however, can perhaps be measured in influence and the number of watches you see on the wrists of race fans and automotive enthusiasts alike.

“A Rolex is kind of like a Porsche,” says Haywood, who knows firsthand after spending so many years racing and winning for the German car manufacturer. “It’s a brand that’s got a great history to it. I like simplicity, and I like engineering. And that’s what I like about a Rolex. You look at it, and you know what time it is.”

The post Rolex and Motorsports: Partners in Speed appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jesusvasser]

Rolex and Motorsports: Partners in Speed

LOS ANGELES, California — “Rolexes are indestructible,” says Hurley Haywood, one of America’s most successful endurance racers, as he stands on the terrace during a private reception at a mansion deep in the Hollywood Hills. Haywood pulls back his shirt cuff, gives a small smile—which, if you’ve spent any time with the laconic race car driver, you know a smile means high praise—and starts to tap on the watch’s sapphire crystal as lights from the Sunset Strip below cast a pinkish glow on his grin. “I’m rough on a watch. It’s got to withstand all of the rigors of racing, all the tax I put it through.” Haywood should know about the watch’s durability—he owns nearly every model of Rolex Daytona ever made, most of them hard won from time in a race car.

Rolex employs official spokespeople to talk up the brand, including Formula 1 champion Jackie Stewart and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, but Haywood, crooked grin and all, isn’t on the watchmaker’s payroll. He’s a genuine fan, converted from the moment in 1970 when he bought his first Rolex for $260 at a U.S. Army post exchange while stationed in Vietnam. “Since then, I always had Rolexes. It’s just the watch I want to wear.”

Haywood isn’t the only race-car driver who has had a love affair with the brand, of course. Rolex and motorsports have been inextricably linked since British racer Malcolm Campbell wore a Rolex Oyster while breaking the 300-mph speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. Campbell is said to have mailed Rolex letters extolling the virtues of its products. But when you think of racing and watches, Rolex and the now iconic Daytona comes to mind. The relationship with Florida’s Daytona International Speedway predates the famous endurance race held at the track. It began when Rolex Watch U.S.A.’s then-president, Rene P. Dentan, forged a friendship with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.

In 1964, Rolex started to award the chronograph to the winning drivers of the Daytona Continental—then an FIA-sanctioned, three-hour endurance race—and added the word “Daytona” to the dial, altering the watch world forever. (The race’s familiar 24-hour format made its debut in 1966.) “It’s all about the watch,” says Scott Pruett, the American racer who has won 15 Rolex watches, including five for overall wins at the Rolex 24, during a career that spans more than three decades. “Every one is sacred, and there are stories behind every one of these watches. It becomes more than a timepiece, it becomes an heirloom and even more so if it says ‘Winner of the Rolex 24’ on the back.”

Aside from its ties to American sports-car racing, Rolex is also the official timepiece of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1. Vintage racing is also high on its priority list—it is the title sponsor of the annual Monterey Motorsports Reunion and is also heavily involved with the U.K.’s Goodwood Revival.

Like a Porsche 911, the Rolex Daytona is instantly recognizable, and over the years the changes to both have been incremental rather than evolutionary. It’s these minor changes—and the obsessive nature of collectors of both products—that add to the lore and start to drive collectors crazy as they obsess over the smallest details. Although Rolex is tight-lipped about most of the changes, it’s not too hard to find a hardcore fan to opine about the tiny tweaks to the dial, bezels, pushers, and significantly, the movements.

“With the Daytona, you had this idea that you were going to market these things to people,” says Benjamin Clymer, founder of the watch website, Hodinkee. “Before, chronographs were really ‘tool’ watches for those in the racing industry, and that’s about it. And Rolex said, ‘OK, we’re going to make this the racer’s watch.’ There’s a history of these watches going on the wrists of great racers. And when you have these famous racers wearing this watch because they’ve actually won at Daytona, it creates a secondary level of appreciation and understanding from the motorsports community.”

A paul Newman Daytona sold at Christie’s for $1.1 million. Not too shabby an investment for a watch that cost only $210 in 1963.

If the racing world wasn’t enamored with the Daytona before, it certainly was after Paul Newman, who was just starting his professional racing career, wore a Reference 6239 on his wrist in 1972. Given to him as a gift by his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, these Daytonas are set apart by subtle but important differences, such as an art-deco font for the numerals on the subdials and small squares at the end of the hash marks.

Although never officially named after the actor, the “Paul Newman” Daytona is one of the rarest and most sought-out variants of the timepiece. You can pick one up in good condition starting around $75,000 and, depending on the year, the prices can skyrocket from there. In May, 2017 at Philips Geneva Watch Auction, a Daytona Ref 6263 dubbed “The Legend” and one of three known yellow gold Paul Newman Daytonas sold for $3,717,906. In 2013, a 1969 stainless-steel Paul Newman Daytona sold at Christie’s for $1.1 million. Not too shabby an investment for a watch that cost only $210 in 1963.

“I never really gravitated to the Daytona, and I passed on many when they were ‘cheap,’ but I’ve learned to appreciate them and like them aesthetically,” says Matt Hranek, author of the new book, “A Man and His Watch” (see page 105). In the book, Hranek weaves the stories of 70 one-of-a-kind timepieces from the men who’ve owned these watches via personal anecdotes.

This steel Daytona belongs to Automobile contributor Andy Pilgrim, awarded for his overall win at the 2004 24 Hours of Daytona.

“Rolex makes real tool watches, and I love the fact that they specialize,” Hranek says. “The Submariner for divers, the GMT for pilots. It’s hard not to love the Daytona in terms of its design and because of its iconic status. A lot of that is due to the famous owners. When I visited Mario Andretti for my book, he pulled out every watch he had ever owned and placed them all on a big table. In the middle was an older Daytona, and I said to him, ‘Wow, look at the Daytona,’ and Mario looked at me, shrugged, and said, ‘Yeah, I did win that race a couple times.’ I just sighed and said, ‘Oh yeah, of course you did.’”

Rolex introduced a new Daytona with a black ceramic bezel during the 2016 edition of Baselworld, the watch industry’s top expo, and the news excited even the most jaded watch insiders. The New York Times called it the hottest watch money can’t buy. a waiting list, if you don’t know the right people, can stretch into a yearslong proposition. A few months after its release, we asked Haywood if he had one. “Not yet,” he says. “But I’m working on it.”

The first precision certificate ever issued for a wristwatch, commissioned by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf.

Rolex SA, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis. Wilsdorf reportedly chose the Rolex name because it was short enough to fit on the face of a watch, consisted of symmetrical letters of the same size, and was easy to pronounce in many languages. Today it is the largest luxury watch brand by volume, producing some 2,000 watches a day. Forbes in 2016 ranked the company the 64th most valuable brand in the world with $4.7 billion in sales.

A classic Rolex Daytona Reference 6239 “Paul Newman” sits next to a brand-new, black-over- black Daytona with the very desirable ceramic bezel, courtesy of BobsWatches.com.

For a brand that revolves so much around wealth, Rolex is hesitant to talk about money. Sponsorship terms are not disclosed to the public, and company executives do not do interviews.

Ariel Adams, founder of seminal watch website aBlogtoWatch.com, says Rolex is secretive in most areas, including money matters. “It spends more than any other watch brand on marketing,” he says, “and it’s a key reason for the brand’s success. I’m not comfortable speculating an amount it spends since I have no idea, but I do know its strategy is to sponsor the top-tier events in each sport and to ensure no other watch brands take its place.”

At left, a trademark document for the Rolex name was signed by Wilsdorf himself in 1946.

Rolex in 2015 extended its title-sponsor contract for Daytona’s 24-hour race with IMSA, signing up through 2025. At the same time, Daytona International Speedway began an ambitious, $400 million remodel and expansion of a towering complex. Rolex announced itself as a partner in the undertaking and now has its name on the new luxury lounge along the front stretch. When asked about financial details on the Rolex partnership, a spokesperson for Daytona International Speedway declined to reveal the deal’s value. But it is not difficult to imagine the sums required to keep the brand front and center of a global audience. In 2012, when Rolex succeeded Hublot as the official timekeeper and official timepiece of F1, it was speculated to cost at least $20 million per year.

Rolex signage is inescapable at modern motorsports events. Look for branded clocks, hats, lanyards, advertisements, banners, and flags at the biggest circuits in the world.

Despite Rolex’s significant involvement in the world of motorsports, a spokesperson for the watchmaker told us that its timepieces have never been used to time the races, and the timing in early F1 years was done with Heuer chronographs. So why do so many get so excited about Rolex and its relationship with racing? You could say the connection is symbolic. A Rolex spokeswoman said, “Rolex is very much about individual achievement. We sponsor people, not teams. Think of a race-car driver. Sure, there is a team involved, but it’s just that one person out there on the track.”

Haywood sees a connection to velocity. “They’re really at the top of the line of motorsports,” he says, “but they also do a lot of other sports—tennis, riding, sports that involve speed and timing. So I think they like to have that identification.”

In addition to its connections with sports, Rolex actively supports music, culture, the arts, and scientific achievement with its Enterprise Awards. So what is the return on investment for all those sponsorship dollars? By some measures, Rolex is considered the most powerful luxury brand in the world, with a cachet no one else in the business has been able to replicate. What can’t be measured in dollars, however, can perhaps be measured in influence and the number of watches you see on the wrists of race fans and automotive enthusiasts alike.

“A Rolex is kind of like a Porsche,” says Haywood, who knows firsthand after spending so many years racing and winning for the German car manufacturer. “It’s a brand that’s got a great history to it. I like simplicity, and I like engineering. And that’s what I like about a Rolex. You look at it, and you know what time it is.”

The post Rolex and Motorsports: Partners in Speed appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jonathanbelloblog]

Rolex and Motorsports: Partners in Speed

LOS ANGELES, California — “Rolexes are indestructible,” says Hurley Haywood, one of America’s most successful endurance racers, as he stands on the terrace during a private reception at a mansion deep in the Hollywood Hills. Haywood pulls back his shirt cuff, gives a small smile—which, if you’ve spent any time with the laconic race car driver, you know a smile means high praise—and starts to tap on the watch’s sapphire crystal as lights from the Sunset Strip below cast a pinkish glow on his grin. “I’m rough on a watch. It’s got to withstand all of the rigors of racing, all the tax I put it through.” Haywood should know about the watch’s durability—he owns nearly every model of Rolex Daytona ever made, most of them hard won from time in a race car.

Rolex employs official spokespeople to talk up the brand, including Formula 1 champion Jackie Stewart and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, but Haywood, crooked grin and all, isn’t on the watchmaker’s payroll. He’s a genuine fan, converted from the moment in 1970 when he bought his first Rolex for $260 at a U.S. Army post exchange while stationed in Vietnam. “Since then, I always had Rolexes. It’s just the watch I want to wear.”

Haywood isn’t the only race-car driver who has had a love affair with the brand, of course. Rolex and motorsports have been inextricably linked since British racer Malcolm Campbell wore a Rolex Oyster while breaking the 300-mph speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. Campbell is said to have mailed Rolex letters extolling the virtues of its products. But when you think of racing and watches, Rolex and the now iconic Daytona comes to mind. The relationship with Florida’s Daytona International Speedway predates the famous endurance race held at the track. It began when Rolex Watch U.S.A.’s then-president, Rene P. Dentan, forged a friendship with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.

In 1964, Rolex started to award the chronograph to the winning drivers of the Daytona Continental—then an FIA-sanctioned, three-hour endurance race—and added the word “Daytona” to the dial, altering the watch world forever. (The race’s familiar 24-hour format made its debut in 1966.) “It’s all about the watch,” says Scott Pruett, the American racer who has won 15 Rolex watches, including five for overall wins at the Rolex 24, during a career that spans more than three decades. “Every one is sacred, and there are stories behind every one of these watches. It becomes more than a timepiece, it becomes an heirloom and even more so if it says ‘Winner of the Rolex 24’ on the back.”

Aside from its ties to American sports-car racing, Rolex is also the official timepiece of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1. Vintage racing is also high on its priority list—it is the title sponsor of the annual Monterey Motorsports Reunion and is also heavily involved with the U.K.’s Goodwood Revival.

Like a Porsche 911, the Rolex Daytona is instantly recognizable, and over the years the changes to both have been incremental rather than evolutionary. It’s these minor changes—and the obsessive nature of collectors of both products—that add to the lore and start to drive collectors crazy as they obsess over the smallest details. Although Rolex is tight-lipped about most of the changes, it’s not too hard to find a hardcore fan to opine about the tiny tweaks to the dial, bezels, pushers, and significantly, the movements.

“With the Daytona, you had this idea that you were going to market these things to people,” says Benjamin Clymer, founder of the watch website, Hodinkee. “Before, chronographs were really ‘tool’ watches for those in the racing industry, and that’s about it. And Rolex said, ‘OK, we’re going to make this the racer’s watch.’ There’s a history of these watches going on the wrists of great racers. And when you have these famous racers wearing this watch because they’ve actually won at Daytona, it creates a secondary level of appreciation and understanding from the motorsports community.”

A paul Newman Daytona sold at Christie’s for $1.1 million. Not too shabby an investment for a watch that cost only $210 in 1963.

If the racing world wasn’t enamored with the Daytona before, it certainly was after Paul Newman, who was just starting his professional racing career, wore a Reference 6239 on his wrist in 1972. Given to him as a gift by his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, these Daytonas are set apart by subtle but important differences, such as an art-deco font for the numerals on the subdials and small squares at the end of the hash marks.

Although never officially named after the actor, the “Paul Newman” Daytona is one of the rarest and most sought-out variants of the timepiece. You can pick one up in good condition starting around $75,000 and, depending on the year, the prices can skyrocket from there. In May, 2017 at Philips Geneva Watch Auction, a Daytona Ref 6263 dubbed “The Legend” and one of three known yellow gold Paul Newman Daytonas sold for $3,717,906. In 2013, a 1969 stainless-steel Paul Newman Daytona sold at Christie’s for $1.1 million. Not too shabby an investment for a watch that cost only $210 in 1963.

“I never really gravitated to the Daytona, and I passed on many when they were ‘cheap,’ but I’ve learned to appreciate them and like them aesthetically,” says Matt Hranek, author of the new book, “A Man and His Watch” (see page 105). In the book, Hranek weaves the stories of 70 one-of-a-kind timepieces from the men who’ve owned these watches via personal anecdotes.

This steel Daytona belongs to Automobile contributor Andy Pilgrim, awarded for his overall win at the 2004 24 Hours of Daytona.

“Rolex makes real tool watches, and I love the fact that they specialize,” Hranek says. “The Submariner for divers, the GMT for pilots. It’s hard not to love the Daytona in terms of its design and because of its iconic status. A lot of that is due to the famous owners. When I visited Mario Andretti for my book, he pulled out every watch he had ever owned and placed them all on a big table. In the middle was an older Daytona, and I said to him, ‘Wow, look at the Daytona,’ and Mario looked at me, shrugged, and said, ‘Yeah, I did win that race a couple times.’ I just sighed and said, ‘Oh yeah, of course you did.’”

Rolex introduced a new Daytona with a black ceramic bezel during the 2016 edition of Baselworld, the watch industry’s top expo, and the news excited even the most jaded watch insiders. The New York Times called it the hottest watch money can’t buy. a waiting list, if you don’t know the right people, can stretch into a yearslong proposition. A few months after its release, we asked Haywood if he had one. “Not yet,” he says. “But I’m working on it.”

The first precision certificate ever issued for a wristwatch, commissioned by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf.

Rolex SA, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis. Wilsdorf reportedly chose the Rolex name because it was short enough to fit on the face of a watch, consisted of symmetrical letters of the same size, and was easy to pronounce in many languages. Today it is the largest luxury watch brand by volume, producing some 2,000 watches a day. Forbes in 2016 ranked the company the 64th most valuable brand in the world with $4.7 billion in sales.

A classic Rolex Daytona Reference 6239 “Paul Newman” sits next to a brand-new, black-over- black Daytona with the very desirable ceramic bezel, courtesy of BobsWatches.com.

For a brand that revolves so much around wealth, Rolex is hesitant to talk about money. Sponsorship terms are not disclosed to the public, and company executives do not do interviews.

Ariel Adams, founder of seminal watch website aBlogtoWatch.com, says Rolex is secretive in most areas, including money matters. “It spends more than any other watch brand on marketing,” he says, “and it’s a key reason for the brand’s success. I’m not comfortable speculating an amount it spends since I have no idea, but I do know its strategy is to sponsor the top-tier events in each sport and to ensure no other watch brands take its place.”

At left, a trademark document for the Rolex name was signed by Wilsdorf himself in 1946.

Rolex in 2015 extended its title-sponsor contract for Daytona’s 24-hour race with IMSA, signing up through 2025. At the same time, Daytona International Speedway began an ambitious, $400 million remodel and expansion of a towering complex. Rolex announced itself as a partner in the undertaking and now has its name on the new luxury lounge along the front stretch. When asked about financial details on the Rolex partnership, a spokesperson for Daytona International Speedway declined to reveal the deal’s value. But it is not difficult to imagine the sums required to keep the brand front and center of a global audience. In 2012, when Rolex succeeded Hublot as the official timekeeper and official timepiece of F1, it was speculated to cost at least $20 million per year.

Rolex signage is inescapable at modern motorsports events. Look for branded clocks, hats, lanyards, advertisements, banners, and flags at the biggest circuits in the world.

Despite Rolex’s significant involvement in the world of motorsports, a spokesperson for the watchmaker told us that its timepieces have never been used to time the races, and the timing in early F1 years was done with Heuer chronographs. So why do so many get so excited about Rolex and its relationship with racing? You could say the connection is symbolic. A Rolex spokeswoman said, “Rolex is very much about individual achievement. We sponsor people, not teams. Think of a race-car driver. Sure, there is a team involved, but it’s just that one person out there on the track.”

Haywood sees a connection to velocity. “They’re really at the top of the line of motorsports,” he says, “but they also do a lot of other sports—tennis, riding, sports that involve speed and timing. So I think they like to have that identification.”

In addition to its connections with sports, Rolex actively supports music, culture, the arts, and scientific achievement with its Enterprise Awards. So what is the return on investment for all those sponsorship dollars? By some measures, Rolex is considered the most powerful luxury brand in the world, with a cachet no one else in the business has been able to replicate. What can’t be measured in dollars, however, can perhaps be measured in influence and the number of watches you see on the wrists of race fans and automotive enthusiasts alike.

“A Rolex is kind of like a Porsche,” says Haywood, who knows firsthand after spending so many years racing and winning for the German car manufacturer. “It’s a brand that’s got a great history to it. I like simplicity, and I like engineering. And that’s what I like about a Rolex. You look at it, and you know what time it is.”

The post Rolex and Motorsports: Partners in Speed appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[kylatreblecleff]

Its christmas eve so i feel bad texting any of my friends while they try to enjoy time with their families so hello to anyone who notices my blog :) the snow cancelled my families plans to drive to wisconsin so we are all bored at home. So does anyone else get gifts early? I did. Just some. One from my parents. One from my best friend. Oh and God deemed me worthy of a boyfriend this year! 😄 he asked me to hang out the weekend of my birthday (without knowing it was until i told him) and we started talking early december. On the 18th he came over (again; he gets along with my family a lot) and he had a talk with my dad an officially asked me out. 😊 on friday he took me to a karaoke night with our bible study, and afterwards we walked around rosemont. Some of the group went ice skating, a few of us (my boyfriend and i included) went to his house to watch scott pilgrim. The friends took his couch, and we shared a chair (he sat behind me holding me and kissing my cheek occasionally). He drove me home. In the parking lot of his apartment we were talking and leaning over the middle console of his car. The mood was light and a little drunk although neither of us had been drinking anything. He was smiling at me and i was probably blushing. I started leaning closer, intending to kiss his cheek. But he suddenly puckered his lips and leaned in. I'm pretty sure i closed the distance, but it was definitely both of us. They say your first kiss feels like it will last forever. Mine felt over too soon, only just long enough for me to remember how hot and soft and wet his lips were. Then we broke away. Pulling back is what felt like a life time. Reality rushed back in. I have known this guy since september. We only started talking privately since december. We had only been officially dating for 5 days! What was i doing kissing him? But it didnt matter. My lips were still in the moment, the moment i gave my first kiss to my first boyfriend. He was less surprised than i was. I think i heard him say "oh". I said "woah... That was my first kiss" in hardly a whisper. Then he reacted "wait what? Really?" I nodded. He probed just a bit, not quite sure. Thinking i had definitely kissed an old friend from high school at one point. But i never had. We had just been good friends who flirted mercilessly with each other during school. We held hands the whole drive home. He got a bit worried because i was so quiet. "You sure you're okay?" "Yes." I said. "I'm just..." "Still in shock?" He grinned. "Yeah... But also I'm a writer. I'm committing this to memory." And i think i did. It's been a few days and i can still remember how it felt. This is a double edged sword. Because i want to feel it again. Desperately. But it's christmas and he's going to arizona. And after a discussion on boundaries, he isn't quite ready for us to be at that stage already. Which i agree with. The first time was a total accident. A 50/50 decision we agreed. So now i have to wait until he's ready to kiss me again. He still kisses my cheek. And my hand. And my head when he doesn't want to lean down so far. But I'm so excited for things after that. Patience patience patience.

[the-record-newspaper]

Lawman David Pendry of Millers Creek dies at 74

             David Pendry

By JERRY LANKFORD

Record Editor

Longtime Wilkes County lawman David Allen Pendry had an infectious laugh, a fairness in his judgment, and a word you could count on.

Pendry, age 74 of Millers Creek, a former North Wilkesboro Police Chief and Wilkes Sheriff’s Deputy, passed away Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem after battling cancer.

Pendry was born Dec. 5, 1942 in Wilkes County to Burr Clark and Lora Johnson Pendry. 

He attended Wilkes Community College where he received multiple degrees in Applied Science and Criminal Justice, Protective Services, Police Science and The Governors Highway Safety Program. He was appointed and served on the following boards: Private Protective Services Board from April 2002 until June 2011, Wilkes County Board of Social Services from July 1, 2004 until June 30, 2010, North Wilkesboro Police Department where he served as Chief of Police from 1995 until 2001. 

Pendry was chairman of the board of Millers Creek Fire Department for a number of years.

He is survived by his wife, Marolyn McNeil Pendry, of the home; two sons, Scott Allen Pendry and wife, Angie; and Chad Wayne Pendry, all of Millers Creek; two grandchildren, Austin Allen Pendry and Abby Dawn Pendry; his mother, Lora Pendry Bullin of North Wilkesboro; and one brother, James Fletcher Pendry of Wilkesboro; nieces, Beth Miller, Ashley Carr, Mary Anna Byrd, Crystal Pendry; nephews, Chuck Pendry and Jim Pendry; special Aunt Nancy Duncan; and lots of cousins. 

One such cousin, Larry Pendry, remembers looking up to David, 7 years his senior, throughout his childhood.

“When I born, David told his momma he would look after me and take care of me,” Larry said.

He was true to his word.

Larry said, “I remember one time David and a bunch of his buddies were going swimming in the river and they took me with them. I stepped down in a hole and the water was over my head. All the sudden I felt these big hands come down and pull me up. He saved my life.”

The cousins lived across the road from each other in the Hays community. David lost his father when he was a young boy, according to Larry. He added, “His mother, Lora (who is 99), is probably the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

Those who worked with David Pendry recalled his constant smile and willingness to help.

North Wilkesboro Town Clerk Kay Minton said, “David, or as most of us called him, ‘Pendry,’ was a good friend and co-worker. He was always willing to help anyone in any way that he could and he had many friends. His happy-go-lucky personality is what I will remember most about him. His laughter was contagious and he could always brighten your day with a joke or funny tale. There will never be another ‘Pendry’ and he will surely be missed.”

Former North Wilkesboro Mayor Conley Call said of Pendry, “I think he was a very dedicated and hardworking police officer. He put his life into it. He did it all his life. That’s all he ever had a dream of doing. He was honest. He was the common man’s chief. He wasn’t up in the clouds. He could deal with anybody. I worked closest with him the 10 or 12 years I was fire chief. When we rolled out of that fire department, the police department was out ahead of us and had the roads blocked. We always appreciated that.”

North Wilkesboro Commissioner Bert Hall said, “He is one of the most honorable men I’ve ever known. He was a great friend and I sure am going to miss him. He was great at his job and very compassionate with people. He was just a good person. He’d give a man a break, but if he needed breaking, he’d break him.”              

North Wilkesboro Police Chief Joe Rankin, said he first met Pendry after he moved here as a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper years ago. He also spoke at Pendry’s funeral on Monday.

“He was a dedicated law enforcement officer who served the town and county both,” Rankin said and cited some of Pendry’s achievements as implementing the DARE program and Junior Police program.

“David was very aggressive toward drug enforcement,” Rankin said. “He just wanted it out of North Wilkesboro.”

He added, “You didn’t have to worry about how you stood with David. He was real even tempered. He was from the old school and believed in working hard and doing whatever it took to get the job done.”

North Wilkesboro Mayor Robert Johnson, when asked for a few comments about Pendry said, “I could write you a book about him.”

Johnson went on to say, “David was quite a guy. A great friend. He was always a happy-go-lucky kind of fella. You’d never seen him without a smile. He had that old. low drawl when he talked that drew you to him. He was also a very caring and loving kind of person even though he’d fight a circle saw. He loved law enforcement. Any time you needed anything, any help with anything, he’d be there for you. He and David Felts (another late former North Wilkesboro police chief) were really close friends. I’ve listened to their tales about hunting, and fishing and life together.  He did a great job here as the chief. A job I was proud of. You couldn’t ask for a better friend, either.”

Johnson and former North Wilkesboro Commissioner Eric Williams went to see Pendry a couple of weeks ago at Wilkes Senior Village where he was undergoing rehab.

“We sat and talked with him for two hours or more,” Johnson said. “He was very talkative and really happy. He told us, he wanted to live as long as he could, but that everything was right between him and his maker.”

Wilkes Sheriff Chris Shew recalled his decades-old friendship with Pendry.

“David was fun to be around,” Shew said. “He could always brighten your day. If David was ever having a bad day, you’d never know it. He could take care of himself or whoever he had with him. He was a man’s man. You never had to watch your back if you were working with David. You could believe what he said. He didn’t have to get loud or threaten anybody with jail to get his point across.”

Shew added that he “spent quite a bit of time” with Pendry and the late Butch Holland, who both had served as detectives at the Wilkes Sheriff’s Department. Holland later went to work at North Wilkesboro with Pendry.

In 2010, when Shew, a Republican, first ran for sheriff, Pendry ran against him on the Democrat ticket.

“We were friendly the whole time and we remained friends after the election,” Shew said. “It was always good to see David. Our campaign was probably the most positive on both sides than anyone has ever been. David was never out to harm anyone. He will greatly be missed. He treated people the way he’d want to be treated.”

Funeral services for David Allen Pendry were held at 11a.m., Monday, Sept.11, 2017, at Pilgrim Baptist Church with Rev. Glenn Dancy III, Rev. Derek Kilby, Rev. Joey Moore and North Wilkesboro Police Chief Joe Rankin officiating. The family received friends Sunday evening at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home. Burial was at Scenic Memorial Gardens. 

Pendry was a member of the 1961 2-A State Championship Basketball team at North Wilkes High School. His teammates served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Bain Andrews, Eric Williams, Danny Johnston and Johnny Bauguess.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by one brother, Bill Pendry and sister-in-law, Ann Pendry and step-father, Fred Bullin.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society–Relay for Life, PO Box 9, North Wilkesboro, NC or donor’s choice. 

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

[rob-blog1234]

WEEKEND TV HOT FILM PICKS!

Check out my guide to the top films on TV this weekend and the best of the rest. Enjoy!

LATE FRIDAY 9th JUNE

HOT PICKS!

Film4 @ 2245      The Raid 2 (2014) *****

Back in 2011 Gareth Evans' The Raid became one of my favourite action films, so when I heard the sound of my Steelbook Blu ray of The Raid 2 hit my doorstep I commando rolled to my front door, one inch punched the postman off my drive way, ripped the throat out of the cardboard packaging in seconds. (Then frustratingly picked the corner of the plastic wrapper grumbling swear words for 15 minutes until I found a bit I could open), cracked open the case, launched it into the tray and cranked the surround sound up to bone crunching loud. On my first watch I was blown away. I was nervous coming into my first re-watch. Will it hold up? Hell yeah it did.

This was yet another astonishing action filled adrenalin ride. Gareth Evans has done it. A sequel as good, if not better than the first. The Raid 2: Berandal is superb. A great story, some fantastic characters and most importantly some of the best choreography and action camera work you will ever witness. This is pure skill from every person involved. From the actors, fighters, choreographers, camera operators, director, sound people... Everything is so well planned and put together; everyone pulled out all the stops... And when you think the fight sequences just cannot be topped, along comes the kitchen scene. Absolutely Amazing! Like action? Love this. Looking forward to The Raid 3.

Film4 @ 0140     Animal Kingdom (2010) ****

This is crime drama at its very best. There’s a lot of great films coming out of Oz and this is definitely up there on the list of greats. This is a tense, understated and perfectly paced film focusing on a family with some dark dealings. When J’s mother dies he lives with his estranged family and begins to get embroiled in their criminal activities. Things escalate and J soon finds himself in a very dangerous position with trouble and crisis around every corner. All the cast of splendid, all with a very genuine feel that really translates. It’s extremely well shot, top rate cinematography and with a unpredictable story it feels quite fresh and new - something the crime drama category needed. Don’t miss this.

Best of the rest:

Syfy @ 2100       The Last Starfighter (1984) ***

TCM @ 2100       Fatal Attraction (1987) ****

TCM @ 2330       Caddyshack (1980) ***

Horror @ 0035   Witchfinder General (1968) ****

SATURDAY 10th JUNE

HOT PICKS!

BBC1 @ 1725 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) *****

A lot of peoples least favourite of the original trilogy but I stand strong with my huge appreciation for this Spielberg action epic. I have great love for this action packed adventure. Spielberg ups the ante with some of the most elaborate and spectacular action set pieces with an opening sequence that astounds me every time. Yes, some of the effects look a little dated now but what an opener! In fact Temple of Doom is my most watched of the trilogy (lets us not speak of the fourth!) pretty much down to the opening scene and the mine cart scene alone. I love how completely over the top this film is. With fantastic characters and a much darker story line, this is a truly impressive sequel to one of the best adventure films of all time.

Comedy @ 2100    Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) *****

Colourful comic book carnage. It’s loud, brash and full to the brim with cool references from computer games, comics, films and more. If anyone could step up to the plate to handle such a film… Edgar Wright could - and he did - with super style, none stop action and a great sense of humour. This is an overload for the senses: Scott Pilgrim hits all my buttons. Oh - any Mary Elizabeth Winstead looks particularly amazing as Ramona Flowers.

C4 @ 0000     Horns (2013) ****

Daniel Radcliffe has made some interesting choices whilst attempting to shake off his Harry Potter cloak - Horns is definitely one of them worth catching. On a basic level this inventive fantasy film see’s Radcliffe’s character (Ig) blamed for the mysterious murder of his long term girlfriend, in his grief he wakes up one morning with horns… yep… actual horns growing out of his head. With his strange mutation comes certain interesting results when interacting with his family, friends and everyone he meets. So what is this bizarre film? - well you could say it’s a Horror film as it certainly ticks a few boxes there but with a great blend of Mystery, Thriller and even Comedy in parts this film is one of a kind. Radcliffe is great here and is very watchable.  We follow Ig as he goes on a one man mission to find the truth about his girlfriend’s death. Inventive, unique, entertaining and original - Horns is well worth a watch.

Best of the rest:

Horror @ 1845     Duel (1971) ****

C4 @ 2000            Iron Man (2008) *****

TCM @ 2100        Caddyshack (1980) ***

TCM @ 2305        Poltergeist (1982) *****

Film4 @ 0115       The French Connection (1971) *****

SUNDAY 11th JUNE

HOT PICKS!

Horror @ 0800    Duel (1971) ****

Is 8am too early for the Horror channel? Hell no! The kids will love this hell chase from the 70's. Get it on. Steven Spielberg’s debut film really showed what amazing things we were in store for. Talent is thrown from the screen and with a very limited budget and time frame he managed to pull off a fantastic thriller full of tension and mystery from the very start to final frames. After watching the extras on the Blu ray it’s amazing it even made it to the screen. In the beginning it was created as a film for TV - it follows a man on a long car journey who is terrorised by an unknown driver in a huge truck. The chase is relentless and the tension palpable. If you love Spielberg films - check out where his cinematic success all began.

BBC1 @ 2230   Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) ****

Captain America: the Winter Soldier is one of Marvel’s best. I’ve always liked the character and Chris Evan’s is spot on as our hero. He always needs a little help and in this outing we get more from Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow. They worked well together here. It’s hugely entertaining with top rate action sequences, I love the lift scene. It leaves behind the nostalgia and war of the previous films and brings Cap firmly into the present day - with a tight & thrilling story I think I actually prefer this than the Avengers films. It felt like it has the right balance of action, thrills & comedy that never belittled it’s important story arc. Very worthy of your attention.

Film4 @ 0120   Blue Valentine (2010) *****

Officially ranked number 2 in my top films released in the UK in 2011, Derek Cianfrance’s complexly structured drama is superbly presented with some perfectly pieced together chronology changes showing the rise and fall of a relationship. We follow Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in the very beginnings of their characters relationship. These happy times are interwoven with a heart breaking account of the relationships demise. Showing how their characters have developed, ultimately growing apart and their failed attempts at salvaging what remains. The frustration, anger, just about every emotion is thrust through the screen as Gosling and Williams give us the most stand out performances of their careers. I was extremely impressed with how maturely handled and emotionally potent they were. This film can be an uncomfortable watch at times and ‘cheery’ it is most certainly not, but its power, performances, editing and direction are spot on perfection. Don’t miss it.

Best of the rest:

Film4 @ 1100    ParaNorman (2012) ****

E4 @ 1230         Turner & Hooch (1989) ***

C5 @ 1615         Footloose (1984) ***

ITV2 @ 1700      Despicable Me 2 (2013) ***

E4 @ 1830         Star Trek (2009) *****

Horror @ 2255  House (1985) ****