#behind the scenes include his aft on fire

[ny000mdraws]

RUN, SMOKESCREEN, RUN!!

Art trade with @maximumcyborgs!!

[tealin]

Scene 1: Int. Cape Evans, Men's Quarters

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It’s time to step into the Terra Nova hut. Look, the door is already open.

It’s open because the Antarctic Heritage Trust is here doing their annual check-up. Just because they’re here, though, doesn’t mean you don’t have to do the same boot-brush-and-sign-in routine that you do at Hut Point, so you do that. Here’s the guestbook. Have a go.

Since we’ve got a moment here, allow me to draw your attention to the cloth hanging above the wood plaque. It’s a plankton net, probably one of the ones Nelson used as he studied the biology of the sea over which we’ve parked our snowmobiles. At our feet is an enormous bright red fire extinguisher, which is very important – ironically, on this continent of ice, the greatest threat to the historic sites is fire. We do not want this hut to burn down. No, no.

Between the sign-in table and the fire extinguisher is a stack of skis, and I’d like to draw your attention to one in particular.

This ski (and its partner, not pictured) belonged to Edward Leicester Atkinson, expedition surgeon and commander during the second winter, after Scott had died. They were returned to the Antarctic Heritage Trust 100 years after Atkinson left Cape Evans and are now back home. It’s good to see them here.

Now we can step inside, through the small vestibule which had been the original entrance to the hut, before the porch was built. The cylindrical device for generating acetylene gas from calcium carbide should be here, but the AHT is conserving or photographing it or something, so it’s in pieces somewhere else. That’s fine, because what we really want to see is this:

We are standing in the mens’ quarters – the hut is arranged like a Naval ship, with the officers at one end and the ‘men’ – the ordinary sailors – at the other. As the men’s quarters on a ship tend to be at the front end, we can call this area ‘forward’ and the officers’ area (which you can see down the passageway) ‘aft’, and therefore the sides of the hut are ‘port’ and ‘starboard.’ I will use these terms to describe where we are because they don’t change relative to which direction you’re facing, as left and right do. In this picture, port is to the right and starboard to the left. To orient yourself with the outdoor photos, the sea, from this viewpoint, is to starboard (left), where the sun is coming in, and Wind Vane Hill is a little forward (behind us) to port (right).

Everything is easier with some visuals!

This post, I’m just going to be showing you around the forward part. Future ones will cover the officers’ quarters, in sections, because there’s a lot to see and I have so many stories to tell you.

Right, clear as mud? Let’s continue!

I have walked around this hut many, many times in my mind, aided by historical photos and some modern ones, so actually stepping through that door and seeing it for myself was a very emotional experience. The wash of feelings was cut short, though, by noticing this object on the mens’ table:

It was so exciting I put aside my feelings entirely, because I didn’t know this thing still existed! It doesn’t look like much, but it was a tabletop game that might possibly have saved the mental health of the expedition, their second winter. Silas Wright can explain:

I do not think any chess games or indeed card games were at all common, but someone in the party had received a toy which proved to be most popular with all. I think it may have been called bagatelle; at any rate there was a wooden board about 4 feet by 5 feet, with a number of wooden balls, approximately spherical, a miniature billiard cue and a bridge across one end of the board with a number of arches which were wide enough to permit the passage of the balls. Of course all the balls did not long retain their original spherical shape and there was one which had early lost an appreciable amount of wood to which Demetri (I think it was) gave the name "British Pluck." Its movements when struck by the cue were extremely erratic. I mention this childish game we all played. It may surprise my readers (if any), but it does give me a chance to say that the reversion to childish games was of real value in holding the party together. So firmly do I believe this that I would suggest that no small party such as ours should be without the wherewithal to play "darts" and "shove ha’penny" which do not really demand the surroundings of a bar as in the old English village "pub.” (Silas, pp.281-2)

They set up weekly bagatelle tournaments, where the winner would get a ‘medal’ and the lowest scorer would be ‘the Jonah’ for a week. That this vital piece of equipment should have survived to the modern day, and be displayed so prominently, was a tremendous joy. It may have lost its broad base board, but it’s far better than not existing at all.

Anyway. The wall behind the table, continuing the nautical tradition, was known as the ‘bulkhead’, and was made of packing crates full of food, stacked on their sides so they could be opened and their contents removed as necessary, then the empty crates used as shelving. In the most recent photograph I had seen of the restored hut, the bulkhead was largely missing, so I was glad to see it back. It looked like it had been largely reconstructed out of crates from outside, as the paint had prevented some weathering before finally weathering away itself.

Here is a historical photo of Tom Crean and Taff Evans mending sleeping bags against the bulkhead. You can see the shelving unit behind them, though back then it stood in front of the bulkhead rather than forming a part of it.

This bulkhead is the source of much criticism of Scott’s leadership style in modern times, dividing the officers and men into two units. I am not here to pass judgement, but I do invite you to consider the following question for yourself: If you were at a work retreat that was going to last for two years, would you want to sleep in the same room as your boss? Call me ‘not a team player’ but that wall would have been my favourite thing in the hut.

OK, to get your bearings, turn around, and here is the door we came in:

If you keep turning, you will be facing the galley, which is to port of the door. Nearest the door is the cook’s table, strewn with things useful to the preparation of food.

Turn slightly further, and you can see the cook’s bunk. For the first winter, Thomas Clissold (pictured above) slept here. He was first and foremost an artificer – like a machinist – and found novel ways to advance his culinary arts through metalwork, including, quite possibly, that tray on the table, which might have been used to make sausage rolls. His most cunning invention was a rising bread alarm: he would wake up early, get the dough going for the morning bread, then put it under his device. Once the dough rose to the desired height, it would trigger a bell and a flashing red light, which would wake him from the couple hours’ extra sleep which his ingenuity had earned.

Our tour will continue next week with the starboard side of the officers’ quarters, the section historically known as ‘The Tenements.’

[harleydavidsonbikepics]

American Flat Track Racing At Rolling Wheels Half-Mile This Coming Weekend

The second half of the American Flat Track Championship begins this coming Saturday night in New York. Photo by Andrea Wilson, courtesy of AFT/AMA Pro Racing/DMG. American Flat Track's title chase rolls on to Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Bryan Smith and Shayna Texter top their respective classes heading into the 2nd annual Rolling Wheels Half-Mile DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 5, 2017) – Now that the fireworks have cooled off from America’s Independence Day celebrations, the world’s top dirt track motorcycle racers are set to create some fireworks of their own in upstate New York. On Saturday, July 8, Rolling Wheels Raceway Park will play host to the 10th round of the 2017 American Flat Track championship. This year’s event will be the second running of the Rolling Wheels Half-Mile and also marks the start of the second half of the 18-round season. This turning point is not lost on rivals Bryan Smith (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle Rogers Racing Scout FTR750), who are once again locked in a heated battle for the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines title. The pair are also seeking some redemption at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, but for different reasons. At the moment, defending Grand National Champion Smith holds the upper hand with a five-point lead over Mees. It’s always good to have an advantage, but the champ wants to get back to winning, especially considering his crushing loss to Mees in the inaugural Rolling Wheels Half-Mile. In last year’s contest, Smith was the class of the field throughout the majority of the event, but saw the win slip just out of his grip in the Main Event. “I was the fastest guy there all day last year, but I didn’t get the holeshot. Mees did and he beat me,” Smith said. “I want to be the fastest guy all day -- including the Main this year. We were dead even. He got the holeshot, I was second off the line and he beat me. Everything I tried to do, I just kept messing up and getting further away. I’d catch him, and go further away. So, I just want to win. Period. I feel like I need to win it and beat him, no doubt.” As for Mees, his need to redeem himself is much more recent and he has something to prove after a frustrating Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle – an event which he also promoted. The three-time Grand National Champion made a costly error, jumping the start twice in his Semi and failing to make the Main. Although that error only cost him a five-point deficit, Mees is eager for a fresh start as the season heads past the halfway point. “I’m looking forward to this race,” Mees said simply. “I need to get back in my groove after my mistake in Lima. The season starts here; nine races down and nine to go. Let's go!” Trailing Smith and Mees in the standings is fellow Indian Wrecking Crew member, Brad Baker (No. 6 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750). The 2013 Grand National Champion is equally eager for the win, and has been on the verge of his first 2017 victory all too often in nearly every event this season. Although Briar Bauman (No. 14 Zanotti Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650) was the first rider to bust up Indian Motorcycle’s win streak at the previous round in Lima, Ohio, Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Estenson Logistics Yamaha FZ-07) has consistently been able to run with the Wrecking Crew. Halbert currently sits fourth in the AFT Twins points standings and is also looking for his first win of the year. Sitting fifth in the championship, Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Carver’s BBQ Kawasaki Ninja 650) continues to impress. Carver Jr. scored his first podium of the season at Lima, and did the same last year at Rolling Wheels. The Illinois native will look to build on his growing momentum and have a go at the top spot this weekend. Bauman sits sixth, followed by the young Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere Beaverton Motorcycles Kawasaki Ninja 650) and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R), who leads the charge for the factory Harley squad. It’s also a safe bet to look for Robinson's teammates -- Kenny Coolbeth (No. 2 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R) and Jake Johnson (No. 5 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R) – who are sure to show strength on the red clay in upstate New York. AFT Singles In the AFT Singles class, Shayna Texter (No. 52 Richie Morris Racing Honda CRF450R) continues to lead the way with a 22-point gap on Brandon Price (No. 92 DPC Racing/Don's Kawasaki KX450F). Although considered a specialist on the Miles, Texter has renewed confidence on her 2017 Honda CRF450R and looks to take some Half-Mile wins in 2017 to expand her points lead. However, she’ll certainly have her work cut out for her this weekend as she continues to have a host of young talent nipping at her heels and pressuring to steal the victory at the end of every AFT Singles race. Leading the Rising Star charge is Price. The 17-year-old from Maryland has been on an upward climb since his debut in the series last year. Price equaled the best result of his debut season with a fourth-place finish in New York last year. This year, now that he has a taste for winning, Price is looking to score more wins to close the gap on Texter in the title chase. Still chasing his first win of the season is Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda CRF450R). Like Mees, Carlile is also searching for some redemption after missing the Main at Lima due to a stroke of bad luck when his exhaust system fell off while he was leading his Semi. It was a tough blow to Carlile who had been running strong all day, but he looks forward to rebounding with a win in a big return to his home state of New York. Exclusive Entertainment There are plenty of off-track activities to enjoy in addition to the spectacle on track with a live rock cover band, Side Affect, a Strider Kid’s Adventure Zone providing hands-on entertainment for the latest generation of AFT fans, and on-site activations which offer fans the opportunity to register for their chance to win the latest in two-wheeled offerings from Harley-Davidson, Indian Motorcycle and KYMCO USA. Gates open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET with on-track action from with the stars of the AFT Twins and AFT Singles riders taking to the track for practice and qualifying. Opening Ceremonies kick off at 6:00 p.m. ET, with racing action set to begin with the Heat races at 6:30 p.m. ET. Race finals will fire up later in the evening, with the AFT Singles Main slated for 8:40 p.m. ET and the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main set to begin at at 9:10 p.m. ET. Tickets for the Rolling Wheels Half-Mile are now on sale, going fast and can be purchased at https://www.showclix.com/event/rolling-wheels-hal... Catch all the Action on NBCSN and FansChoice.tv As part of American Flat Track’s television broadcast package with NBCSN, the cable network will air the Rolling Wheels Half-Mile in a primetime telecast on Thursday, September 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The one-hour show will feature flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events along with exclusive features giving fans a behind-the-scenes window into the sport. Live streaming coverage of every second from the Rolling Wheels Half-Mile can be viewed on FansChoice.tv at www.fanschoice.tv/watch-live/american-flat-track. Fans can keep up-to-date with American Flat Track on Facebook (@American Flat Track), Twitter (@AmericanFlatTrk) and Instagram (@AmericanFlatTrack). AFT mobile apps are available for iPhone on the App Store and for Android at Google Play. For more information, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com. How to Watch: NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track events. All 18 rounds, from the season-opening Harley-Davidson DAYTONA TT to the American Flat Track Finals in Southern California, will air in one-hour primetime telecasts throughout the summer and fall on NBCSN. FansChoice.tv remains a cornerstone of AFT's digital strategy and provides live streaming coverage of every event. Click here to see the complete NBCSN telecast schedule: http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn About American Flat Track: American Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN. Let's block ads! (Why?) Google Alert - harley davidson events Click to Post

[energonalucard]

Story of a Lost A.I.

Scene 1 - 3: HERE                                                                Scene 4 - 6: Coming Soon

Rating: Teen / PG

Warnings: Violence (certainly) and Character Death (minor)

Fandom: Brave Police J-Decker

Characters: Duke, Gunmax, Drillboy, Power Joe, Dumpson, McCrane, Tomonaga Yuuta, Tomonaga Azuki, Tomonaga Kurumi, Deckerd, Shadowmaru, Regina Argine

Genre: Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, Family.

Summary: Deckerd is still gone after the Chieftains beat the Braves. Regina and Duke’s arrival was not a welcome one, either. Even if Duke hides behind Regina's training to be "the perfect policeman," he can still feel the hate in his team towards him. But one day, it'll be too late to save Duke. And Gunmax can't help but sneak around since Shadowmaru is still hurt.

Scene I : Discomforts and Double Edged Swords

Gunmax mentally sighed as the normal activities of the Command room played out like any Sunday. Power Joe and Dumpson arm wrestled and McCrane polished his rifle as he growled every time Power Joe got his arm slammed down harder each time he lost, which was a lot. Drillboy sat on his small desk and bounced a soccer ball with either his hands or with his foot on the floor and he would eventually try basketball finger-spinning his soccer ball on his feet and just watched it spin. He saw Yuuta with his head down on his desk that over looked the room on the humans balcony.

Poor mini boss. Not a a day or two ago did they lose Deckerd to the Chieftain twins. Those two fuel snatching fakers decided to drag themselves out of whatever hole they thrived from and go on a killing spree for J-Decker. They had attacked Shadowmaru and almost killed him if it hadn’t been for Seia (she runs the Navy, apparently) saving him from bleeding to death in the ocean. Shadowmaru would have drowned in the ocean and drained of all his special oil in the salty water, slowly sinking to the abyss of the reef. And they had the nerve to kick Gunmax’s aft too when he got to the scene! It was frustrating! He barely got to the fight and even then, his bike was so bad, he thought about just running there if it hadn’t been for the fact he couldn’t move much.

And then their was Deckerd’s murder…!

No. Gunmax didn’t go there. He wasn’t going to bring it up, he was to fond of Deckerd to get mad at his death. Gunmax had a respect for the blue cop car ever since Deckerd had hand cuff themselves together… Long story; involving Gunmax being framed for a previous partners crimes, Gunmax’s mood swings and constant disappearing (he was just driving laps around the city), and Deckerd being one of the only ones to truly believe in Gunmax’s innocence (everyone was spectacle, okay?) and Deckerd smacked cuffs on him. When they were in that forest… they became… friends? Brothers by oil barrel? It was fun tricking that hillbilly old man that they were “confiscating” his oil for tampering in supplies at “the factory”! Good times…

And now, those Chieftain give Gunmax the worst feeling in his… everything. From his pede, through his body, in his tanks, in his neck cables, and to his Super A.I..Gunmax still couldn’t believe moral was so low… in the board room, it actually looked like a normal Sunday night.

Dumpson and Power Joe actually being entertaining (to themselves mostly), McCrane polishing that old rifle of his, Yuuta sulking because he had school tomorrow, Shadowmaru off doing whatever-it-is he does, and Duke on last night patrol. But it couldn���t be more difficult. He knew Dumpson and Power Joe were venting under hushed breaths as they wrestled, McCrane was polishing a deadly weapon (focusing on nothing but the deadly weapon), Yuuta was mourning for Deckerds death, Drillboy wasn’t enjoying anything his mostly prized soccer ball could give, Shadowmaru was still in a dead sleep while the engineers fixed him up, and Deckerd was under the control of that stupid eye rock alien that had a metal fetish! 

... Another long story…

Gunmax stopped staring at everyone when McCrane glared at him and McCrane himself stopped polishing that metal and wooden stick to reload the rounds within the barrel. 

'Good, why not go to the shooting range next?' Gunmax groaned in his head as McCrane swiveled his chair.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, the newcomer and self-proclaimed “leader” of the Brave Police, Duke “Knight” came walking in with all his glory. If your wondering how the Brave Police got an ambulance on their team (an ambulance knight, no less) then listen close. Not barely thirty seconds after Deckerd died, a pristine and curvy ambulance pulled up and a blonde lady with a black body suit and a tiny red shirt over the suit got out of it and helped them chase off the Chieftains.

The ambulance was very attractive he must say but the moment he was sitting in Deckerd’s seat and telling them it was a simple “leaders” seat made him even more alluring. He kinda liked this mechas' moxy.

When Duke walked in, the room went cold and silent. He went straight for the fire truck in the back of the room but he had to walk past a glaring Dumpson, a growling Power Joe, a practically-oblivious McCrane, and a saddened Yuuta.

A giant red fire truck in a meeting room, you must be asking, why haven't you mentioned it? Well, Gunmax didn't care. It's been there for a while and just sits in the corner, so he forgets about it. The fire truck is non-sentient, sadly. It's Duke's combining buddy and upgrades the ambulance to a hulking giant protection suit called "Duke Fire".

Who else can combined? Gunmax with his bike but... Gunmax didn’t include himself, he was telling this narrative right?

Duke made his way back to his combining buddy and checked something on the side of the fire truck. Duke just stared at it for a minute before he started to walk to Deckerd’s seat (A.K.A. the “leaders” seat). As he made his way over, Gunmax heard Power Joe growl and he almost acted on the instinct of throwing his pistol for the fun of it at the yellow power shovel's head. His pistol had a homing device in it, it always comes back to him.

But when Duke didn’t take a seat, he just stared at the desks contents and searched the reports that piled up a little, the American grew curious.

“Why don’t you sit down, throw your feet on the desk?” Gunmax asked as he leaned back in his chair for emphasis.

“That does not sound pleasing. Putting dirty limbs that are bound to be covered in mud or caking dirt on these desks, that the humans spent so long to sanitize when we leave, does not appeal to me.” Duke said but didn’t look at Gunmax til the next sentence, “And it’s very rude. Lady has taught me better.”

… Now even relaxing felt like a crime.

He felt the urge to throw his pistol again when he heard Power Joe growl and actually started to hold his arm against Dumpson’s before it slammed down again. He was getting angry, Gunmax could tell now because the green optics that belonged to the power shovel were darker in hue but practically glowing with "emotions". Gunmax chuckled mentally, it's a wonder Power Joe’s A.I. hadn’t blown out yet.

“You’d all be fit to join me.” Duke said as he toke a random report out of the middle stack and looked over it fully.

Power Joe ripped his arm from Dumpson’s grip, stood up in a rage, and stomped his pede. “Really?! What would you be doing that we so begrudgingly need.”

“Well, I think some of you can join me in getting our jobs done. Paperwork, faxing, or patrol.” Duke said and held the report more firmly, “Others, I recommend asking Mr. Toudou or my Lady to teach you anger management or to some extent, some respect.”

Power Joe howled and launched at Duke, only to be stopped by Dumpson arm locking him and Drillboy (abandoning his ball) holding his chest just incase he wiggled away from Dumpson. McCrane forgot about his rifle entirely and stood up in between the restrained Power Joe with his brothers and Duke. Yuuta stood up quickly but didn’t move in any other way, as did Gunmax.

“You piece of scrap metal!” Power Joe yelled to Duke as he returned to reading the report and apparently the newspaper that went along with it, “How could you just stand there and act like you didn’t do anything?!”

“Because I didn’t,” Duke said and gathered his papers, “I merely suggested what we truly need to be doing. I didn’t want you to actually prove that you need it... Stress relief or not."

Power Joe cried out again and fought against two of his brothers even more as Duke began to leave with what he came for. Gunmax caught Duke’s face when he left, and he saw just before his visored optics couldn’t see Duke’s own face anymore, that Duke’s plain and emotionless orange optics turned a sad and distressed yellow.

Gunmax would have pointed it out if (oh, he knew this was making it worse) Power Joe screaming revolting things after the ambulance.

“You giant wast of metal! Running back to your tiny, creepy corner in the base where trash ends up!” Power Joe just kept going and going, “Running back to the your little British master so she can find a new flaw in your head and make you more of a bastard! You --!”

“POWER JOE!” Yuuta cried and when everyone turned their helms, they saw everyone standing there.

The General was frowning deeply while Toudou was whispering to him, both looking grim. Yuuta and his sisters, Kurumi and Azuki, were standing there, Yuuta crying full and hearty tears as Azuki looked extremely pale. Seia and Ayako stood there with pure surprise and horror on their faces as the door behind them slammed and a young blonde girl stepped out. Regina glared out amongst the crowd but didn’t say anything at first, Gunmax knew she must have been mad at them for distressing Duke and putting “human” inside his “perfect” A.I. Regina had made…

“I could thank you.” Regina said and caused most of the room to go astonishingly more quiet, “But I won’t.”

With that note, she turned and left instantly with a huff. Gunmax… could not believe it. Regina, the head engineer that graduated at the age of 10 from an engineering college, made Duke out of spare parts (literally) and a half made blueprint (okay, exaggeration)… had just thanked them for letting Power Joe verbally abuse Duke.

After a minute of stunned silence, Ayako hit the desk with her fist and glared, “Baka! How dare you say such things to Duke! And how dare all of you-- !” she pointed at everyone else, "--dare to let Power Joe continue!”

“It’s not our job to control to control Power Joe!” Dumpson said and shoved the power shovel away now that he wasn’t struggling, “And Duke was taunting him!”

“Even if so, you do not retort back!” Seia stepped in, “I am a military commander and I have seen things like this in my ranks! Someone says something and the person getting spoken to gets angry and attacks the offender! The beginning aggressor never gets as much punishment as the soldier who attacks him, even if he starts! And I’m sure if you had maimed Duke liked you wish, he’d just come back because of Toudou and Regina’s engineering, and you’d be the one getting your A.I. refreshed!”

Gunmax didn’t stay anymore after that, he ung around swiftly. He was going to consult Duke; but before he left, he left on a sour note… 

“I could have cared less if I ripped the Super A.I. from his processor and he slowly died under my fist-- !” Power Joe, that fool...

Scene II : Taxi Downtown, Gunmax style

Gunmax's jaw line was snapped shut and pursed in a straight line. A very bad note to land on if you were sensitive to topics like this, and Gunmax wasn't a stranger to the whole "team hates new guy" thing. He had been the new guy in the American division once and they were slightly welcoming people. Some were greedy little monsters, because he would wake up from recharge and their would be some random soldier in his quarters and they'd be snooping through his rooms contents. He could still remember his partner being the only one assigned to him that would just sit in a chair and relax and wait for Gunmax to wake up and not snoop his room.

Those days were gone. He was in Japan and with a very crippled team, and right now, he was the glue that was going to fix these mechs. And going to do a pretty good job about it.

He rounded a corner and Gunmax couldn't help but think about what had happened in the Deckerd command room that made his tanks churn just a little. He had never felt so... nervous or this upset. This new guy, he was... Green. He knew the new guys always saw how everyone functioned in a team, like a black and white scanner of sorts, and what each team member was good at in their roles. At least he hoped Duke could see so...

He just hoped that he could at least teach Duke ABOUT the team. Cross his fingers he wasn't too late.

He rounded another corner and saw he was coming up to the Brave Police's engineering room and there were voices coming out of it instead of the usual sound of cutting metal and shifting feet. He stopped at the doorway and softly peaked into the room. The room was empty shy of three figures, two larger then the other. The little figure on the balcony was growling and demanding things from the tallest thing in the room couldn't seem to answer. Duke and Regina. Another figure was on a slab made for the human engineers to reach the Brave Police entirely and he was just laying there. Offline. Shadowmaru. Gunmax snickered but went quiet as Regina snapped at Duke again.

"I will hear no more discussion of it!" Regina said as Gunmax peaked a little more, just enough to see them entirely.

"But Lady! I can make a change. A difference in their perspectives." Duke pleaded, Gunmax's actual optics widen at the emotion it was leaking, strain, "I can show them they don't need Deckerd as a leader, and that it can be different."

"You won't." Regina said as she gripped a device in her hands, it wasn't really finished but it looked like a remote control, "They're too fond of him. You'll never be excepted into this team the way I made you for."

"Lady, to be fair," Duke began again and he almost growled at the kicked puppy look Duke was giving Regina, "I...I could care less if I'm seen as the leader, I just want to have the team-- a team again. This isn't Scotland Yard, your not the leader anymore. This is Japan, we have a direct superior now. Both of us."

"That is correct. We are not in Scotland anymore." Regina hummed.

"Thank you, Lady." Duke sighed. It couldn't be simply over just like that with Regina...

"That only means that you need to be reprogrammed." Regina began again and Gunmax winced, "The perfect policeman does not care to appeal the team. A perfect policeman does not care about where he is living and working, everything follows you no matter where you go..."

"Lady! Please." Duke called.

"And the perfect policeman does not beg and whine when someone does not rule in their favor!" Regina finished and held up the unfinished device, "This machine is going to be a switch. A switch for your A.I. and only I decide when you get shut down!"

"That's not what we wanted, Lady." Duke choked, "I want nothing to do with any of... THIS."

The sound of running meet his audios, as they grew closer, he pressed against the wall as Duke ran past him, his running stance sloppy and rushed. Gunmax watched the distressed ambulance run and he heard within the room he had previously been spying on. Just as he was about to run in the room, to demand what was going on, he heard a slight scoff from the room Duke had exit...

Gunmax frowned, growling softly as he made his way after Duke, the ambulance couldn't have gone far.

Stupid accusation! Turns out the ambulance could get as far as he wanted when he was upset. And he was very much ready to say, "Okay, I did my fair share of work, let him work it out on his own. I did."

And that almost made him smack himself, he hadn't done anything and it was hard for him to claim the prize of participation when all he did was eavesdrop and fail to give chase. He sneered and smacked his face, avoiding his visor to avoid dramatic stupidity, and slowly moved it down off his face in a gesture of stressed aggravation.

"Gunmax!" Drillboy came over frantically and in such bad hysterics that he would sometimes stumble on his one repeated word.

"Drillboy? Drillboy!" Gunmax said and tried to pay attention to the gibberish he was receiving.

"Gunmax!" Drillboy started again with the hyper speech, Gunmax wanted to smack the drillformer but that would cause the brat to be even more upset, "... Duke left with Yuuta and his sisters!"

Gunmax was tempted to say, "It could be his turn to take them home." but he wanted to smack himself again. Duke hadn't been here for more then almost a day and a half and he's pretty sure no one has had the guts to take over Deckard's job on taking Yuuta and/or his sisters home just yet. So that meant he had to go to mini-bosses home and look for the ambulance, demand a explanation, and stomp all over his teammates for earlier.

He didn't listen to Drillboy anymore as he put his servo on the naive mechas face to shut him up and he made his way to his garage where his bike was waiting for the chase. What he didn't do as he turned the corner, was listen to his orange and soccer addicted counterpart.

"Wait! Gunmax-- WAIT! Duke said something else! GUNMAX!" And Drillboy was left alone.

Scene III : Flashback to Kagero, Highway ambulance heist

Duke hadn't meant to go that far, Lady was probably hastening her advancements on her A.I. remote. He knew he went out of line, he knew he must have made her mad. Her glares said it all.

Duke speed through the hallway and down to the garage which he knew lead to the less used entrance of the building. The Braves’ garage could fit a little more than Super Build Tiger and J-Decker while the two sat, with a slight hunch, hip to hip. But the back garage wouldn't even fit Gunmax very well; though, as the room the humans stored their cars and bikes in, it could fit Shadowmaru's wolf form just fine. Humans storage, not ambulance bots escape route. Yet it was about to become just that.

He should have stopped as an orange frame came around the corner but he didn't. He just didn't. When Drillboy almost fell over him, Duke had halted. The ambulance really only did this because the smaller bot grabbing his arms in an attempt to stabilize himself.

Drillboy must have mistook him stopping as a sign he’d tried helped him from falling because he’d smiled sadly at the British bot, saying, "Thanks, Duke."

"Oh," Duke said, and he’d frowned slightly as the orange mech didn't let his forearms go, "Your welcome, Drillboy. I apologise for running into you but I really must go."

Drillboy didn't let go even when Duke tugged lightly, trying to not raise more suspicion about his rushed exit. Apparently dashing in the halls after what happened in the meeting room sent up a red flag. If he hadn't ran, if he’d set a leisurely pace in the direction he wanted, then maybe he would be scott free and transforming out of the back entrance by now. Maybe he wouldn’t be enduring suspicious looks from the little mech.

"Duke," Drillboy said lightly, "Don't take whatever Power Joe said to heart. He’s just trying to cope with Deckard gone."

Duke grunted but not in response to the drill, just at himself for getting dragged down like this. "Trust me, I won't. Anything Power Joe says "goes out the other ear" as they say. I appreciate your concern Drillboy but I really..."

Drillboy brought on a big, sad, look. Nothing like the usual puppy dog optics he used when the rest of the team tried telling him no. Somehow this was worse. Instead of simply invoking feelings of sadness, this brought unnecessary guilt to his A.I. He had a sinking feeling Drillboy was going to beg him to tell him what's wrong, or--even worse--beg to walk him to wherever he was in such a hurry to go. Duke couldn't see Drillboy casually walking to the back entrance and letting him creep out, not without asking why. He really didn't need the drill upset over him leaving.

"Please, Duke," Drillboy said softly, "Let me at least join you--"

Bloody hell!? Did the little mech just know exactly what other’s didn’t want him to ask?

"--Until I get where I need to be. We’re only a few corners away! I want to walk with you just a little, be next to you in a way."

That . . . actually didn't sound too bad. Drillboy had taken a room and transformed it into a decent soccer field: ball polish, extra balls, air pumps, extra nets and beams for goals, paint for the field he practiced on. You name it and Drillboy had it. Futball maintenance was all the room was good for and it seemed the ball on Drillboy's chassis could use some right about now.

"Fine." Duke said with some interest, watching Drillboy perk up. "We'll walk to your maintenance closet."

"Ah, ah!" Drillboy shouted, letting the ambulance go and waving a finger. "The maintenance closet of soccer professionals, you mean!"

"Whatever floats your boat, Drillboy." Duke smiled and began walking. Drillboy sticking close to his right side.

The maintenance closet was in the same direction as the back entrance and that made Duke less upset about the walk. He had plenty to be upset about today, certainly enough to make this walk uncomfortable: fighting with whatever was left of this team, watching as crippled Shadowmaru tried some physical therapy and landing back on the berth with a heave, Lady showing him the machine that would controlled his basic life, and being tailed by Gunmax for quite a while until he lost him. That was only since the sun had gone down.

"So," Drillboy said with his arms behind his helm, "Where were you going in a hurry?"

Duke couldn’t think of a reason to stay silent, not with the ceiling looming over head, soundlessly demanding Drillboy be treated well. Guilt. Neither did he have a reason to tell the truth. "Fax room. An urgent notion has to be faxed and looked over with care about medical professional not getting paid their wages." Duke calmly claimed.

Drillboy must have accepted it because he hummed and move on with another question, expression blank as he could manage. "Anything fancy happen lately? Anything you might be upset about?"

"Not that I can think of," or that you should know, "nothing urgent anyway. Maybe a few mothers giving birth in my cab as I saved them from buildings upsets me slightly but nothing else bad." Duke sighed.

Drillboy cringed. "Aren't births messy?"

"Yes." Simple answer.

Drillboy looked at him in surprise. "Who helped you clean that out?!"

Duke hummed in thought. "Well, Lady and the generals were too busy, so I think Ms. Seia and a military man cleaned and sterilized my cab."

"You think?!" Drillboy emphasized as they turned the first of two corners.

Duke nodded. He was slightly upset he couldn't actually remember getting cleaned. The births hadn't been lovely, but not all unpleasant. At least he wasn't the doctor who had to birth and control the process or the father whose hands popped and skin turned red as the wife screamed. He was glad he only had to drive to the hospital and not help anyone inside . . .

"Well . . ." Drillboy said after shivering. "Are you sure nothing else’s bugging you? Nothing you want to tell me, or at least show me?"

"No," Duke said. "Not that I can think of."

"You sure Duke?" Drillboy said, his tone interlaced two unknown emotions together.

"Drillboy." Duke snapped lightly and looked at the mech, "I'm fine, everything's fine, nothing is wrong and I'm sorry I have no ‘juicy gossip’ as you call it." He looked at how far they had to go before Drillboy's stop then back to Drillboy, "Why are you so persistent?"

Drillboy sighed lightly, looking at the ceiling, servos still interlocked behind his neck, "Because something is bothering me and I'm upset about it..."

Duke couldn't just let Drillboy leave off there. Duke might be the expendable part of the team, not really a true member , but he couldn't leave the little bot like that. Drillboy had that thing about him where no one could ignore him and it had nothing to do with how the mech was orange and white with a big mouth and volume. That was just his presence. Or the fact Duke was being a hypocrite lately.

"What is it, Drillboy?" Duke asked softly to his walking companion.

Drillboy halted and he lowered his arms, making Duke stop in his tracks in confusion for a second. Drillboy oddly blank look scared realization into the ambulance.

"A certain friend of mine has been lying to me since we started talking. Sound familiar?"

Duke almost choked. Drillboy continued with a light but rigid tone of voice. "He lied about fax reports. He lied about being fine. He lied about not letting a certain brother of mine's words get to him. I think the only truth I've got out of him tonight it the fact his cab has a 50 percent chance of having pregnant lady fluids in it."

Duke mental reeled and did a double take. So Drillboy was more observant than people gave him credit for. He had noticed Duke was walking in the opposite direction of the fax machine, the fact he was hesitant to walk with him after what transpired in the meeting room, and even that the only thing that was true came out of his vocalizer easier than the lies did.

"Kudos, Drillboy." Duke whispered back to him.

Drillboy smiled and then went back to a frown to keep him composure and make sure Duke didn't pull him into a subject chang. "Thank you. Now, will I get a correct answer? Please, Duke . . ."

"I won't tell you the whole truth . . ." Duke said as he stepped in front of the soccer mech. "Maybe some of it though. You did find your way around my steady lying."

"Some?!" Drillboy choked. "But I want to help you!"

"And you will. Just not now." Duke said, getting closer and whispered to the startled and confused mech, "But you're not the one who's going to save me from myself..."

Drillboy looked up in pure concern and confusion as Duke retreated and turned to take a few steps before he heard a beep. It was a comm link. It was too far and muffled to be his own so he watched as Duke stopped and cursed lightly. Someone must have...

"Looks like I have to take the children home, everyone else is unsuitable to roam the streets with children inside them. Like an ambulance is any better." Duke mumbled out loud, turning to Drillboy. "Sorry, you have to walk the rest of the way yourself, I have a duty to fulfill."

Duke disappeared from Drillboy’s sight and the little mech frozen after. He hadn't realized it until Duke was gone, but now he could hearhurried steps from where they--Duke--had stood a few seconds ago. He knew who it was before his teammate perimeter alert warned him.

"Gunmax! Gunmax!" He ran back the way he came.

Duke sighed as Yuuta was carried into his driver seat unconscious. He wasn't upset at this turn of events with Yuuta's family needing to be taken home. It was a hassle on his plan though, especially when they were asleep inside his cab. Sure, his sisters were awake but the little boss was who he saw everyday. He could get away with acting suspicious around Yuuta as he was blinded by childish naivety, but his sisters... His sister's weren't exactly often called to the police station. They could pick up on his subtle hints of being upset, being older sisters and mature, he hoped they didn't.

They swiftly swung in and the eldest sister buckled in Yuuta's sleeping form. When they were all buckled up, Duke speed out the back entrance and started a steady and relieving pace to the humans’ home.

The night would have been silent had it not been for Yuuta's snoring and the two girls whispering in his passenger seats about bloody knows what. He had no interest on listening in after the baby incident and he gladly just drove straight and--.

"Duke," Azuki said softly, "We want to apologize for what happened today. It was so ugly."

"Yeah!" Kurumi said louder but not loud enough to stir the sleeping boy, "You’re not the one who took Deckard from us, you're also not the one who put yourself in charge! That was all Regina--"

"Please!" Duke said and cut off the middle child, "You'll awaken Yuuta."

"But--" Kurumi was silent when Azuki shushed her dark haired sister.

"Duke," Azuki looked at his dashboard with a loving and calming look, making him feel something in his A.I. that was strangely uncomfortable. "I understand what you're going through . . ."

"Azuki..." He whispered gently, as a warning or as astonishment, he didn't know. He and Kurumi listened to the oldest sister of the Tomonaga siblings who's eyes had grown starry.

"I understand because I've done this about three times." She said softly with that same bloody caring expression, "Shadowmaru and Kagero, I think his name was, were fighting, and I was caught in the middle. Kagero and Shadowmaru were practically brothers when Kagero went rogue and started attacking talking machines, which is how I got where I was."

Duke listened intently, quiet but still paying attention, while Kurumi searched the seat.

"They had a falling out. Shadowmaru held a certain point of view that Kagero didn't. Kagero was going to be wiped of his memories, given new orders, and shipped off somewhere else. To Shadowmaru that was an okay idea, he didn't need Kagero being his "shadow" anymore and this was a chance at a possibly new and better life for Kagero. Kagero didn't agree. While Shadowmaru monologued how much memories were just data, Kagero stated his memories were more than data. Everything built from there. Kagero didn't want to forget everything he knew, didn't want to forget Shadowmaru like he was nothing...

"Because to Kagero, Shadowmaru was his everything." Azuki stopped, tears fresh in her big brown eyes, before continuing, "Shadowmaru let Kagero go and Kagero returned me. I was so tired I fell unconscious . . . when I awake, I got information that scared me to death--" She choked, "Kagero was captured and tampered with... Shadowmaru had to kill him . . ."

Duke watched as she rubbed her eyes and smiled at him, again with such love and misery he was sure it was burning his inner chassis.

"I had to comfort Shadowmaru when he showed up in our backyard with low fuel. He had tried to starve himself to death, would you believe it?" Azuki's voice was softer now. Duke couldn't understand how but it was. "I told him the real Kagero was cheering him on somewhere, and when Deckerd showed up to retrieve him for a mission, Shadowmaru, he fueled all the way back up. Ready to fight..."

Duke heard Kurumi gasp softly as Azuki finished off tortuous last words.

"For him."

"OH NO!" Kurumi cried, surprisingly not stirring the boy to her left. She was looking around frantically as if Azuki's story wasn't heart touching. Either that or this item she was looking for was important.

"Ms. Tomonaga, what are you looking for?" Duke asked as he stopped at their house.

"We have to go back!" She told Duke's dashboard before patting her dress down again. "We left our pagers for the team back on Yuuta's desk. We also left some forms we need for Yuuta's next year on the force!"

Duke made a calming noise. "Don't worry, I have no reason to rush this trip. I can drive you back and Azuki can go retrieve said items from Yuuta's desk. Okay?"

Kurumi calmed down. "Yes, thank you. I apologize for yelling so loudly."

"No need." Duke's tone sounded of a smile while his vehicle form could not.

He set them back into motion and they drove down the street so Duke could get to the intersection and make a U-turn. On the way to the intersection, they paused at a red light leading to a four-way stop. South, the way they came. North were neighborhoods and houses of the city. West was small markets and local service providing places. East lead into the highways of downtown Nanamagari City. Duke sat at the red light for awhile before making a soft noise to gain the attention of the two young women.

"Yes Duke?" Kurumi asked.

"What do you need?" Azuki asked alongside her younger sister.

"Azuki..." Duke said softly, timidly, "Why did you tell me such a story? About Shadowmaru and... Kagero, yes?"

She nodded and hummed, "Well, you remind me of Kagero, excluding the kidnapping and physical dispute with someone else, you are having personality problems. Or in present terms, "getting along and fitting in" trouble. I feel with a little niceness, maybe..."

Duke saw the green light and turned onto the intersection, the blacktop cold and sleek with fresh friction under his rolling tires. He sped down the fast lane, making good headway for the station.

"Just maybe... you would open up to us helping you. Maybe even to the team . . .?"

"OH MY GOD! DUKE, SWERVE!" Kurumi screamed, awakening her brother next to her. She tried to grab his wheel.

Before he could ask why she had screamed once again, a large mass landed and broke the blacktop it crashed onto. A dozen cars on both sides swerved and panicked, crashing into each other, but Duke had no such luxury. He hit what appeared to be a leg, trying to stop the humans from receiving whiplash.

Whatever it was put its foot on his roof and pressed down, making Duke's alt mode creak with strain, and he grunted as the family inside him grew scared. He opened his doors and ordered them out of his alt mode, they quickly complied with his demands. The girls crawled out his right door and Yuuta out his left. With his door now open, they no longer providing essential structural support, his body began to give way to pressure and his roof started cracking.

Suddenly, the foot lifted off of him and Duke didn't take the opportunity to just sit there. The ambulance tried to transform, made challenging with the damage he sustained, only to catch a glimpse of the thing’s foot coming down to kick him in the face with full force as his bipedal form rested after his transformation.

He flew over a five car intersection blockage, an umptheen car pile on, and hit two cars with their humans still inside before skidding on the pavement, taking blacktop with him. He laid there limp as the man and woman in each car screamed in terror as the massive force loomed over them. The being just stood over there, blocking a good chunk of the stars and blending with the empty black midnight abyss he stared at some nights. The form’s optics glistened as they traced his inpudent frame.

J-Decker. The form was J-Decker, the big body couldn't hide those familiar features he recognized the last time they fought. The chassis. The base color clear even in the shadows. The optics burned the same even if they were under the control of an alien force. Said alien force clinging to J-Decker's body.

He quickly pulled out his pistol and cocked the revolver to make sure his ammunition was full before he shot up at his doom. Oil ran down his mouth and from the crack on his forehead, his right optic getting covered in black grease. He spit out said oil as it leaked into his mouth and quickly aimed up at J-Decker as the beast raised its same foot above him.

The humans under his side started to scream louder and the began to giggle their door handles.

The pavement felt twice as cold against his back...

It was going to stomp him. Like some fly it was just swatting out of the air but hadn't killed...

He pulled the trigger four times before that large leg came down at him with full force. All the while he heard the distant sound of a motorcycle revving its engine at full throttle and a human female screaming:

"DUKE! DUKE!"

Sadly, in his A.I. he knew that was the third time tonight a girl had yelled at him.

Sadly, it was the third different female who yelled at him...

Azuki-- no, any women-- had never sound so heart wrenchingly horrified.

[recentanimenews]

The Canonical Timeline of Re:ZERO As Seen Through the Characters' Eyes

After a delay earlier this year, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-’s second season is about to begin. To help catch people up with the story so that anyone can jump onto the newest episodes more easily, I wanted to briefly detail what happened in the first season.

However, I realized two things. First, this is a show that jumps through time and rewrites a lot of events, so it’d be surprisingly difficult to write out the plot and character developments without confusing people. Second, there’s a more direct way to talk about the story, that being what parts actually stick. The audience gets to see all of the time loops and understand what Subaru is going through, but then to the characters, he looks borderline insane and just happens to somehow have great intuition and observational skills.

So instead of going through each episode and listing out what happens, what Subaru learns from his mistakes, and how he then utilizes that knowledge, we’re going to cut straight to the final part of that list and look at what the rest of the world ends up seeing him accomplish.

The first arc of the show, where Subaru meets and befriends Emilia, is almost entirely gone when the time loops are taken out. Instead of wandering the city with the Half-Elf Dragon Priestess candidate looking for her stolen candidacy insignia, Subaru gets saved by the knight Reinhart and then goes to the slums on his own to talk to Felt the thief and Old Man Rom to buy it from them.

Due to Subaru not being around, Emilia makes it to Rom’s loot house much faster, allowing her to show up before the assassin Elsa. However, that means when Elsa eventually shows up, a full-on fight breaks out, with Subaru only managing to survive more than a second or two due to his experience from previous iterations of fighting her and some help from the others.

Subaru eventually convinces Felt to go get help, and Emilia holds off Elsa for long enough for the thief to get the knight and Sword Master Reinhard, who manages to defeat Elsa, blowing up the loot house in the process. The first arc ends with Felt holding the insignia, it glowing, Reinhard becoming extremely agitated, and Elsa managing to get one last attack off on Subaru, slicing his stomach open before escaping.

The next arc begins with Subaru waking up in an unfamiliar room, his wounds healed and treated. He wanders around for a while before opening a door to a library with a strange girl, Beatrice, reading. Once she drains his mana, he passes out again. This is one of the few scenes in the first season that is never redone. For whatever reason, Subaru waking up the second time is his new save point for future time loops.

When he next wakes up, Subaru meets Rem and Ram, twin maids of Roswaal Mathers’s mansion, Roswaal being Emilia’s sponsor in her bid to win the right to rule the country. In the final time loop, Subaru becomes Roswaal’s servant and is friendly and outgoing with the various townspeople in order to locate the shaman who cursed him (and as a result, killed him) in a previous loop.

After Roswaal leaves for an urgent situation, something Subaru notes didn’t happen in any other loop, he goes to Beatrice to get checked for a curse and realizes that the small stray dog the children showed him is the shaman.

Subaru leaves in order to save the villagers and locate the dog, Rem coming with him as support. In the village, they find that the magic barrier keeping mabeasts away is damaged and that several of the children are missing.

They find the children quickly, but the kids are all bitten and thus cursed, meaning that the only way to save them is to kill the mabeasts who bit them. In the ensuing chase, Subaru is clearly outmatched by the mabeasts, and Rem can only fight off a large amount by going into her oni form, which gives her heightened physical abilities but makes her lose her reasoning. The only way Subaru can think to snap her out of it is to push her out of the way and start getting mauled by the mabeasts again.

When he next wakes up, Subaru is in the village, his wounds treated and healed again, save for some scarring. After he checks on the kids to make sure they’re fine, Beatrice informs him that he has at most half a day to live, since all of the mabeasts cursed him. After realizing that the only way to not die is to kill all of the mabeasts, Subaru realizes that he doesn’t know where Rem is.

Ram then joins the conversation. She and Subaru go back into the forest to find Rem, who is still fighting the mabeasts to try and save Subaru. The ensuing fight eventually ends with Roswaal showing up again and killing all of the mabeasts with a barrage of fire attacks from the sky, ending the arc.

The next arc focuses on Emilia going to the capitol for a ceremony to start the selection process, and Subaru coming along because he needs his gate healed and wants to be around Emilia.

The gate is how most people can use magic in Re:ZERO’s world. Subaru damaged his in the fight against the mabeasts by using the only spell he knows in order to blind the enemy for a few seconds. Rem comes along with the pair as well, to ensure that Subaru gets properly healed, rather than just running off on his own into more danger.

Once Subaru convinces Rem to let him run off to join Emilia at the ceremony, he meets Priscilla, one of the other candidates, and she allows him to get in by being part of her entourage. In the ceremony, Subaru proclaims himself as Emilia’s knight, angering every actual knight in attendance.

After being thrown out of the room, another confrontation leads to a duel between Subaru and Julius, the knight of Anastasia, another of the priestess candidates. The final two candidates are Crusch and Felt, the thief from the first arc.

The duel is completely one-sided, with Subaru getting utterly destroyed, and even his blinding spell not having any effect. The fight only ends when Subaru, beaten and bloodied, is passed out on the dirt floor of the arena.

Subaru in bed after the duel is the next save point, but only after he and Emilia talk. More accurately, Emilia finally gets upset at Subaru always disobeying what she says and trying to do impossible things for her, getting himself in more danger, all while proclaiming that it is for her when it’s really for himself. Subaru tries to explain that she’s saved him in ways that she’ll never know (since many of the things she’s done were in other timelines), and finally admits that if everyone knew everything he’d done, they’d have a greater debt than they could ever repay him, and how every arc would’ve turned out worse if he hadn’t been there. 

Since the ceremony is over and the competition for succession has officially begun, Emilia goes back to Roswaal’s mansion, leaving Rem and Subaru behind with Crusch so that Subaru can heal before returning.

This leads into the White Whale arc, where — in several time loops — Subaru tries to leave Crusch’s protection so that he can get back and be with Emilia, only to die from several mysterious causes ranging from cultists to a giant monster shrouded in fog to a different giant monster at the center of a blizzard so cold that it literally freezes people in place.

By the time we reach the final loop, Subaru has essentially learned politics, using the various candidates’ desires and interests, along with knowing more about the world due to the previous timelines, to incentivize them to help him out so that he can get back to Emilia.

Through negotiations, he manages to bring together Anastasia’s merchant resources for weapons and supply chains and Krusch’s military might, both agreeing in exchange for rights to part of Roswaal’s land and the opportunity to take down the White Whale, one of the monsters that had been a major obstacle for Subaru and which was a major threat to militaries and merchants alike due to its ability to erase people from existence when it killed them, meaning that the dead were not even remembered.

After a massive fight which included three Whales, an old man being thrown several hundred feet into the air, and Subaru actually being helpful in a fight for once, the army manages to cut down the massive Flugel Tree to trap and finally kill the White Whale.

The final arc in Re:ZERO deals with the cultists’ attack. Unlike in previous loops though, Subaru now has allies and an exhausted but trusting military to help him. While the main group prepares to fight the cultists, a smaller group breaks off to meet Emilia at Roswaal’s mansion to evacuate the nearby village that would otherwise be caught in the crossfire.

The cultists have been a presence as far back as Rem and Ram’s backstory, as a group of cultists were responsible for killing their entire village. However, they have only come into focus during the White Whale arc, when Subaru more directly confronted them in a few of the failed timelines.

The cult is specifically the Witch’s cult, referring to Satella, the Witch of Envy. The Witch is supposed to be a silver-haired half-elf, like Emilia, and due to Subaru having more of “the Witch’s Scent” every time he dies and goes back in time, the assumption is that Satella pulled him from Japan to the fantasy world, for whatever reason.

The cult itself is still fairly mysterious, but we get more information due to Subaru’s interactions with Betelgeuse, the leader of the group attacking Emilia. Betelgeuse and the White Whale are both Sin Archbishops of the cult — known as Sloth and Gluttony, respectively — and that the only Archbishop that hasn’t been located yet is Pride. Each of the Archbishops also seems to have a unique ability, with the White Whale being able to erase people from existence and Betelgeuse being able to summon invisible hands that can attack from long range. Additionally, we learn about the cult’s Gospel, which only members of the cult can read and is normally how they first get the Witch’s Scent.

After Subaru and his allies take down Betelgeuse and the other cultists, they learn that one of the cultists was a mole and had planted a bomb in the carts being used to evacuate the town and Emilia. Subaru rushes to catch up and save them, finds them near the Flugel Tree, and barely manages to get the bomb far enough away to not kill him before it explodes.

Finally, Emilia and Subaru are reunited, once Subaru wakes up a while later in Emilia’s lap. The two resolve the tension that had come to a head before Emilia left the capitol before, and Subaru fully admits that he loves her and is willing to wait for her to fall in love with him, however long that takes.

Originally, this was the end of Season 1. However, the Director’s Cut added a final scene to the finale. For the most part, the season is just lighthearted fun, ending with Subaru telling Emilia how Rem confessed her love to him. In response, Emilia simply asks “Who’s Rem?” which is exactly how everyone responded in one of the failed timelines where Rem was eaten by the White Whale.

Now you are caught up on Re:ZERO Season 1, just in time for Season 2 to start. Personally, I’m really looking forward to seeing how some of the hanging threads get tied together. Roswaal mentioned his plan to kill the Dragon that created the country, Betelgeuse wondered if Subaru was the archbishop of Pride, we still don’t have any idea why Subaru was taken to a fantasy world in the first place, and I’m curious about how all of it is going to come together and how each disparate plot will manage to build on the others.

What are some of your favorite moments in Season 1? Let us know in the comments below!

    Kevin Matyi is a freelance features writer for Crunchyroll. He's been watching anime for as long as he can remember, and his favorite shows tend to be shonen and other action series.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[angelinatoms]

The Conception tragedy offers important boating safety lessons. (Courtesy Ventura County Fire Department/)

It was a quiet night aboard the 75-foot scuba-diving boat Conception, anchored on Labor Day weekend in 2019 off Platts Cove, Santa Cruz Island, some 21 nautical miles from Santa Barbara, California. The wind and swells were light, and after dinner, the 33 passengers tucked into their bunkroom after a long day of scuba diving in the clear waters that are like an aquarium filled with colorful fish, sea lions, seals, forests of kelp, and lobster. Four of the five crew also went to their bunks to prepare for the final day of diving on the three-day outing. A last crewmember finished tidying up in the galley, heading to his berth around 2:30 a.m.

Forty-five minutes later, 34 of those aboard were dead or dying.

Fire is one of the most feared disasters aboard any boat, especially because boats are surrounded by water, and the Conception tragedy is worth examining to understand its causes and effects, and to glean lessons for recreational boaters.

The fire alarms on board were apparently not loud enough to alert the crew and passengers. A crewmember who went to check on a noise he heard below found the salon in flames. (Courtesy Santa Barbara Fire Department/)

Conception was operating as a US Coast Guard-inspected commercial passenger vessel, and thus had different regulations than a pleasure boat. One of the first discoveries made by multiple investigative agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard, is that Conception breached Subchapter T of the Code of Federal Regulations by not having someone on watch throughout the night to sound the alarm in just such a situation, but this reg doesn’t apply to recreational boats.

There are three parts to understanding the Conception tragedy. First, what happened? Second, how did it happen? Third, what can we learn?

Like many other dive and fishing boats, often called headboats or party boats, that carry large groups of enthusiasts offshore on overnight or longer voyages, Conception had a bunkroom forward on the lowest deck. In it, bunks were stacked two- and three-high Pullman-style, each with a privacy curtain. In the bow were heads with showers, as well as curved stairs leading to the main deck salon and galley above.

These stairs exited next to the galley, and the rest of the salon was devoted to bench seating and tables for dining, playing cards or lounging, with an aft exit emerging out onto the after deck. Above the salon/galley on the sun deck was the pilothouse with bunks for crew. The after deck was open, with racks for dive tanks and gear.

What Happened?

All was normal as the divers had dinner in the salon after a night dive, with some staying up late to celebrate three birthdays before heading for their berths. The captain and most of the crew turned in as well, with one remaining to clean up in the galley until 2:30 a.m., when he also went to his berth.

At 3:14 a.m., just 45 minutes later, Coast Guard Long Beach received a mayday call from the captain, nearly overcome by smoke, saying Conception was on fire with 39 souls on board, and adding, “I can’t breathe.”

According to interviews with the crew, a crewmember in the pilothouse heard a noise and went to investigate, finding the salon of the dive boat in flames.

Because the stairs from the pilothouse and sun deck were on fire, the five crew had to jump to the main deck, with one breaking his leg in three places. Finding the salon’s aft passageway also on fire, two crew went forward on the side deck, hoping to reach the salon through a forward window, but they were driven overboard by smoke and fumes.

The crew first noticed the fire in the salon of Conception. Like many recreational boats, egress to the sleeping quarters and berths was through the salon and galley, which blocked the easiest path to escape. (Tim Barker/)

Two other crew and the captain swam to the stern, reboarded, and opened the engine-room hatch, finding no fire. They launched a dinghy, picked up the two crew in the water, and went to a 60-foot Hatteras sport-fisher, Grape Escape, anchored nearby. From there, the captain again called the Coast Guard while two crew returned to search for survivors.

The Coast Guard scrambled to send a chopper, an 87-foot cutter and other assets, but it was a Ventura County fireboat that arrived first, with five additional fire and rescue boats joining the scene, as well as a RIB from TowBoatUS Ventura. The fire was out of control at this point, with explosions presumably coming from scuba tanks ticking off.

The anchor line soon burned through, and Conception began to drift toward the rocky shoreline. Because of its shallow draft, the TowBoatUS RIB was able to maneuver close and throw a grappling hook onto the bow. It pulled Conception off and held it in deeper water while the two fireboats continued to pump water onto the blaze. Conception eventually burned to the waterline, sinking in 60 to 65 feet of water.

Divers went down at daylight to assess the situation and, after waiting several days for wind and seas to subside, Conception was eventually raised onto a barge and sent to a boatyard, where the NTSB and Coast Guard investigations are still continuing.

Built of plywood with a fiberglass overlay in 1981, Conception was operated by a dive company called Truth Aquatics and reportedly well-maintained. It had been in full compliance from two recent Coast Guard inspections, with no problems other than an expired fire extinguisher in 2017. Guests aboard previous trips called Conception and two other boats in the Truth Aquatics fleet among the best and safest dive boats around. One called the company’s boats “immaculate.”

Conception was equipped with the mandatory fire-suppression system in the engine room, plus hoses abovedecks, and the company had installed smoke detectors on board.

How Did It Happen?

Investigators are looking at two areas of concern for both recreational skippers and commercial operators. First, the method of escape needed for those in the bunkroom, and second, how the fire started.

Under consideration are the routes of escape for those in the bunkroom. There was a narrow stairway, wide enough for one person at a time, going from the bunkroom to the forward end of the salon next to the galley. But in this case, the galley area was already on fire.

As required by Coast Guard regulations, there was a second escape hatch in the ceiling of the bunkroom, but this was also useless because it exited into the burning salon above. In addition, it was above a berth, thus requiring passengers to climb to the top bunk, then push up the hatch and exit. The hatch was just 24 inches square, which made it a squeeze, and there remains a question whether the passengers even knew of its existence. Coast Guard rules (from which Conception was exempt) require 32-inch hatches on newer vessels.

Where are the sleeping quarters located on your recreational cruiser? Is there more than one way to exit in the event of an emergency? Is there a hatch to the bow deck? (Courtesy Truth Aquatics/NTSB/)

In the bunkroom, Conception had two home-style smoke detectors, like those found in any hardware store, but they were not linked together into a unified alarm system. The surviving crew in the pilothouse heard no smoke detector alarm.

Li-Ion Batteries

This brings up the cause of the fire and, while the NTSB and Coast Guard don’t expect an official report for at least a year, one intense area of focus has been li-ion batteries.

Li-ion batteries, short for lithium ion, are used to charge every manner of portable electronics, and have grown in popularity because they are lighter and offer more power for devices with high power requirements.

The downside is that they create considerable heat while recharging, which can lead to fires. If not properly vented and protected, the heat from one charging li-ion battery can set off a chain reaction with other batteries. The electrolyte inside a li-ion battery is volatile and flammable, and a catastrophic failure, called a thermal runaway, can drive the temperatures even higher. Tests show exploding batteries shooting off red-hot pieces in all directions.

Compounding that problem is that boats such as Conception were built before the modern world of digital cameras, cellphones, laptops, tablets and, in this case, dive gear that included underwater cameras, lights and scooters. Even the lowly vape cigarette uses a li-ion battery.

Make sure your 120-volt AC electrical system is prepared to handle the increased power requirements of device battery chargers, and try to eliminate both extension cords and power strips. (Shutterstock/)

The original installers of the electric receptacles, in both number and placement, couldn’t foresee the new personal electronics boom, so circuitry might have been sadly undersize for the power needs, especially when used with multiplug strips. Even worse, a power strip overloaded with li-ion battery chargers and then tucked behind a couch can produce fatal results when burning plastics release cyanide, while flooring or polyvinyl-chloride seating upholstery emits deadly hydrogen chloride.

Just a year before, a sister boat of Conception had an incident where a crewmember saw a charging li-ion battery smoldering, and he tossed it overboard.

Such li-ion fires burn incredibly hot—up to 1,000 degrees F—resulting in the aforementioned chain reactions of nearby batteries. Because of four deaths and the loss of four aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration has banned li-ion batteries from cargo holds because the crew can’t monitor them. Li-ion batteries are allowed in carry-on luggage, where passengers and crew can see and smell smoke. Even then, the FAA has recorded 265 air or airport incidents involving li-ion batteries in cargo or baggage. In one case, headphones exploded on a plane. The Navy has severely restricted li-ion batteries, banning all vaping devices on its vessels after they set off numerous fires.

What Can We Learn?

Getting Out: Just as airline crew are required to give a safety briefing before the plane takes off, there should be a captain’s briefing before you leave the dock. Be sure to include placement of fire extinguishers, life jackets and the location of emergency exits.

One question raised by investigators is whether the passengers had been properly briefed, or if the captain’s briefing didn’t mention the second escape hatch, even though it wouldn’t have been useful in the case of Conception.

Early autopsies suggest that the Conception victims died of smoke inhalation or carbon-monoxide poisoning and not burns, meaning they were overcome before they could escape.

On a pleasure boat, do your “what-ifs.” Consider how you would escape at night if your salon was on fire. What if the engine compartment was on fire? What if the galley was on fire? Make sure everyone aboard is aware of alternative escape routes and how latches and hinges work.

Post a Watch: This might be the biggest mistake made by the crew of Conception. We know they failed to have someone on a night watch, as required by federal regulations. No one will ever know, but had they adhered to the rule, it could well have averted the tragedy.

How does this apply to recreational boaters? As mentioned earlier, we’re not required by law to post a watch when overnighting. Yet there are situations like that of Conception in which rotating night-watch duty among crewmembers—so each gets some sleep—is a prudent safety step.

When at sea or on large bodies of water at night, many things can threaten safety. Anchors drag. Winds shift. Bilges flood. Other boats might not see you. And a fire might break out. A night watchman offers assurance that you can take action quickly and avoid catastrophes.

Watch It or Box It: Li-ion batteries are known as a danger on airliners and, just eight days after Conception went down, the Coast Guard issued Marine Safety Information Bulletin 008-19, which says: “Reduce potential fire hazards and consider limiting the unsupervised charging of lithium-ion batteries and extensive use of power strips and extension cords.”

The key word is “unsupervised,” which, in the case of Conception, seems to have proven deadly. Everyone aboard just plugged in multiple battery chargers and went to bed. If you absolutely must leave li-ion batteries charging overnight, consider getting one of the battery safety boxes now on the market, which isolate li-ion batteries and chargers in a fireproof box that contains heat and explosion.

In addition, make sure your 120-volt AC electrical system is prepared to handle the increased power requirements of device battery chargers, and try to eliminate both extension cords and power strips. Never leave li-ion battery chargers unsupervised, and ensure your electrical system meets ABYC standards and can handle the power demanded.

Find Your Way: An experienced skipper knows that many emergencies seem to happen in the dark of night, and the suggestion has been made that, aboard Conception, the passengers couldn’t find light switches in the smoky darkness. You aren’t going to install an exit sign like a theater, but an illuminated light switch could help your guests find a light to guide them through smoke or fumes. At the same time, your guests should have ready access to flashlights. Look for replacement illuminated light switches that run $10 to $20 at most hardware stores. Flashlights should be handy to every berth, and their location should be included in the skipper’s briefing.

Adding Extinguishers: Coast Guard regulations for recreational boats call for owners to have one B-1-type fire extinguisher aboard vessels 26 feet and under, and a minimum of two for boats between 26 and 40 feet. This is the minimum requirement. If you own a cabin boat and like to overnight at anchor or in a marina, think about adding more fire extinguishers and placing them in easily accessible locations in the berths and other key spaces belowdecks. Even if using an extinguisher isn’t enough to put out a fire, it could hold the fire back long enough to escape.

Alarming: While Conception apparently had smoke detectors in the bunk area, they weren’t linked to any system. It was only by chance that one crewmember investigated a noise and discovered the fire, since the alarms weren’t audible to the crew.

Consider a unified smoke and carbon-monoxide warning system, particularly in sleeping areas, that would sound the alarm for everyone. (Shutterstock/)

Consider a unified smoke and carbon-monoxide warning system, particularly in sleeping areas, that would sound the alarm for everyone. Any electronics shop can also tie these into the horn on your vessel, thus alerting other boats on your dock of a fire.

Extra Gear: We all know that storage is at a premium on board recreational boats, but consider adding extra safety items to your list. We’ve heard of people keeping fire blankets stowed in all berths that passengers can use to throw over a small fire or, in an extreme situation, wrap themselves in to avoid burns while trying to escape a fire.

Read Next: Marine Fire Extinguishers

The official report on the Conception tragedy probably won’t be available for more than a year because the investigating authorities are still working to find definitive answers. But every recreational boater can learn from this tragedy about how to protect their family and guests aboard their own boat in the event of a fire.

#boating #boatingtips #boatingsupplies #boatingnews #boatingshop #wolfcreek

[hudsonespie]

More Legal Action Taken After Conception Fire

Maritime legal firm Fiore Achermann has initiated legal action on behalf of the family of a man killed in the Conception dive boat fire in September 2019.  

On August 31, 2019, 33 passengers and six crew members boarded the Conception for a three-day diving voyage off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. In the early morning hours of September 2, a fire broke out onboard the vessel that resulted in the death of 33 passengers and one crew member.

An investigation into the tragedy found that divers and crew would charge lithium-ion batteries on the boat for cell phones and tablets, as well as their cameras and other equipment. Preliminary evidence suggests the fire started in the galley where the batteries were being charged. 

The surviving members of the vessel's crew were berthed on the pilothouse level of the boat, and they were awakened by the fire, not by an alarm; at that point, it proved impossible to rescue the victims belowdecks. 

The Conception's smoke detectors were not connected together in a unified fire detection and alarm system, as fire systems meeting merchant-vessel standards are not required aboard a small "T-boat" with less than 49 passengers.

After the fire, the U.S. Coast Guard for the first time recommended that crews limit the use of unsupervised charging of lithium-ion batteries to reduce the risk of fire hazards. 

The family alleges that the Conception dive boat was unseaworthy at the time of the incident. The vessel lacked adequate life-saving and fire-safety equipment, trapping the divers in the hull without a safe means of egress. 

Fiore Achermann's filing is the sixth taken over the incident against the vessel owner Truth Aquatics. "Nearly a year before the Conception's deadly voyage, Truth Aquatics had a fire onboard their sister ship, the Vision, which was reportedly ignited by a lithium battery," said Jennifer Fiore, the firm's leading maritime lawyer.

In addition to the duty to provide a safe and seaworthy vessel to the dive-boat passengers, "the vessel owners had a responsibility to know about the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries being charged onboard before encouraging passengers to charge their equipment.” Fiore claims the tragedy was completely preventable.

The NTSB, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Coast Guard's marine safety division, the Justice Department and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are conducting three parallel investigations into the circumstances of the fire. A preliminary report by the NTSB found that no one was designated as a roving watch at the time of the fire.

The NTSB recounts details of the vessel and the events surrounding the fire:

The wood and fiberglass vessel was built in 1981. The vessel had three levels: the uppermost sun deck, containing the wheelhouse and crew rooms; the main deck, which included the salon and galley; and the lower deck within the hull, which housed the passenger berthing (bunkroom) and shower room, as well as the engine room and tanks.

Initial interviews of three crewmembers revealed that no mechanical or electrical issues were reported. At the time of the fire, five crewmembers were asleep in berths behind the wheelhouse, and one crewmember was asleep in the bunkroom, which was accessed from the salon down a ladderwell in the forward, starboard corner of the compartment. The bunkroom had an emergency escape hatch located on the aft end, which also exited to the salon. There were two, locally-sounding smoke detectors in the overhead of the bunkroom.  

A crewmember sleeping in the wheelhouse berths was awakened by a noise and got up to investigate. He saw a fire at the aft end of the sun deck, rising up from the salon compartment below. The crewmember alerted the crew behind the wheelhouse. As crewmembers awoke, the captain radioed a distress message to the Coast Guard.

The crewmembers attempted to access the salon and passengers below. Unable to use the aft ladder, which was on fire, the crewmembers jumped down to the main deck (one crewmember broke his leg in the process) and tried to access the salon and galley compartment, which was fully engulfed by fire at the aft end and by thick smoke in the forward end, through a forward window. Unable to open the window and overwhelmed by smoke, the crew jumped overboard.

Two crewmembers and the captain swam to the stern, reboarded the vessel, opened the hatch to the engine room, and saw no fire. Access to the salon through the aft doors was blocked by fire, so they launched a small skiff and picked up the remaining two crewmembers in the water. They transferred to a recreational vessel anchored nearby (Grape Escape) where the captain continued to radio for help, while two crewmembers returned to the Conception to search for survivors around the burning hull. Local Coast Guard and fire departments arrived on scene to extinguish the fire and conduct search and rescue. The vessel burned to the waterline by morning and subsequently sank in about 60 feet of water.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/more-legal-action-taken-after-conception-fire via http://www.rssmix.com/

[itsworn]

Mooneyes Xmas Party 2017: An Epic Going-Away Bash

In its January 2018 issue, Hot Rod Deluxe announced that Irwindale Event Center—the home of a dragstrip inaugurated in 2001—would cease operation in early 2018. Another track bites the dust. Southern California has indeed lost several of them over the last couple of decades, including Carlsbad and L.A. County Raceway in Palmdale. Thankfully, our friends at Mooneyes, led by Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama, managed to squeeze in a final major show at Irwindale a couple of weeks before Christmas: the aptly called Mooneyes Xmas Party.

It seems that enthusiasts felt the urge to visit, one last time, the beloved venue, turning out in droves at the gates as early as 3 a.m. Ultimately, more than 1,500 vehicles and 15,000 visitors joined the organized mayhem to enjoy a busy schedule of activities. Mooneyes’ extravaganza is a great way to sample SoCal’s custom car culture, as it mixes a most eclectic array of cool rides: hot rods, kustoms, lowriders, vans, muscle cars, air-cooled VWs, and more ape-hanger-equipped motorcycles than we’ve seen in a long time. It looks like some bikers chose to attend the Mooneyes show rather than the Chopperfest that was scheduled for the same weekend, but canceled due to the terrible fires dangerously close to the event’s venue in Ventura.

The Xmas Party also offered a huge vendor area, which enabled the crowd to buy new car parts, artwork, vintage clothing, and even haircuts. Mooneyes had an impressive booth, of course, to promote its diverse product line, some going as far back as the company’s early days when Dean Moon opened shop in 1962. The same part of the vendor area was home to the stage used by several invited bands and, later, by the always popular Pinup Contest.

The Mooneyes Xmas Party is more than a static show. Some folks came to watch—and participate in—the Run-Whatcha-Brung drag races, which once again combined a vast range of cars and a handful of bikes. The A/FX sideshow, led in part by gasser guru Dale Snoke, proved entertaining as usual with plenty of wild wheelies.

With the demise of Irwindale Event Center, Shige and Chico are now on a hunt for a new venue. We’ll keep you posted.

Oh yes, it got crowded. In fact, we don’t remember such a turnout at Irwindale since Mooneyes adopted the site in 2006. The awning on the right covered Mooneyes’ booth, while bands played on the left. (They included Dynotones, Hot Rod Trio, Gamblers Mark, Colony Boys, and Delta Bombers.)

With unseasonably warm temperatures in the 80s, visitors came by the thousands to see great rides in the vein of Robert Rojas’ trick ’31 Ford roadster (left). The venue quickly filled with spectators’ cars as well. By mid-morning, the less fortunate had to find a spot outside Irwindale Speedway—some miles away.

Longtime journalist Pat Ganahl (who’s now retired and very happy about it) has been the owner of the Ike Iacono dragster since 1988, though he completed its restoration much later, with help from various heroes of the hobby such as Pete Eastwood. The attractive six-cylinder racer graced the cover of HOT ROD in January 1959 and ran 150 mph on 50 percent nitro. Many will recognize the yellow rail sitting behind it. That’s Mooneyes’ replica of the dragster campaigned by the company circa 1963.

In the foreground, you can admire the GMC six that propels the Iacono dragster, equipped with a 12-port Wayne head and Hilborn injection. The vehicle shares the space with Billy Crewl’s Model A on ’32 rails, an accurate tribute to Jack Calori’s iconic roadster. Built in the 1940s, Calori’s roadster ran 128 mph at the lakes in 1947. One of the most distinctive details of the car remains the set of exhaust pipes sticking up on each side.

The success of the event should be attributed in part to the numerous car clubs onsite. The Gearheads displayed a handful of excellent hot rods, such as Rick Tokiyeda’s ’25 Model T (left), flanked by a trio of ’28-’29 Model As driven by Carlos Marin, Kirk Munday, and Bryan Bailay. The Gearheads are based in the city of Glendale, a hotbed of rodding activities since the 1930s. Think SCTA’s Sidewinders and Stokers clubs.

Dubbed “The Dirty Farm Truck,” Jeff Martin’s pickup has a unique appearance, courtesy of a heavy channel job, suicide-mounted I-beam, and unusual choice of wheels. It first sat on 16-inch rims, later replaced with tall 21-inch wires, plus skinny rubber front and aft.

If you had $26,500 burning a hole in your pocket, you could have purchased this frame-off-built ’30 Model A, which hints at the 1960s gasser scene and occasionally ran at Irwindale. Interesting features include a 383ci stroker, 700R overdrive trans, Moon tank fitted in front of the grille, and bobbed rear fenders, although you cannot see them in this photo due to the XXL-sized slicks!

What a great-looking hot rod! Chopped top, Deuce grille, no hood, triple 97 carbs: It’s all there. Peter Rodriguez drove from nearby Azusa in his ’30 Ford, which made some waves in the Suede Palace at the 2017 Grand National Roadster Show. He belongs to the Throttle Kings, a club that co-promotes the annual Rhythm Collision music festival and car show in Riverside, California. v

Built by Sinister Hot Rods in Lewisburg, Ohio, this ’33 Ford coupe (with 1934 grille) belonging to Conrad Garcia relies on a stout 283ci motor with a nice, lopey cam and a four-barrel Holley. The ’33 roadster behind it, formerly owned by Lynn Pew of Pews Place, is the property of Ray Dunham, a gearhead known for his good taste in cars (’39 Lincoln Zephyr, supercharged ’36 Ford, and so on).

The staging lanes remained busy all day long, with more than 130 participants enjoying the eighth-mile. They drove a wide range of vehicles as exemplified by this picture, with domestics representing the bulk of the entries. In the foreground sits Ryan Brown’s ’55 Chevy looking excellent with its gasser attributes: lack of front bumper, nose-high attitude, headers poking through the fenderwells.

Here is a cool lady. North Hollywood’s Kendra Fleharty wanted a hot rod and eventually bought the body of a ’29 Ford roadster about a decade ago, thanks to a tip from friend and Burbank Choppers Car Club member Aaron Kahan. Kendra built most of the channeled jalopy herself in her garage, installing a Cad engine and a windshield from an old wooden boat. Jimmy White at Circle City Hot Rods built the headers and a handful of other components.

The Don Waldron collection focuses heavily on original gassers. He purchased the Silly Willy four-door sedan six years ago as a bare shell and eventually managed to trace its racing history all the way back to 1959. In 2013, Don installed a rolling chassis from another Willys and a 409ci motor. He sold the gasser to Mark Sladovich in 2015.

Yep, that’s the back of the driveshaft resting on the asphalt. No luck indeed for Galpin Auto Sports/Steve Carpenter’s entry, a ’57 Ford equipped with a 502-horse Ford 302ci bored over to 331ci. The car has all the elements of a genuine gasser, from the Moon tank in front to the straight axle from a 1950s Ford truck. Its finish is better than most, including the Pearl White diamond pattern upholstery.

“What can be better than racing your buddy?” asked Dale Snoke when we showed him this picture. Dale competed with his well-known ’64 Comet, seen burning rubber against the green ’62 Dodge Dart, which he co-owns with U.K. resident Brian Gibson. (“When he occasionally comes to the States, he hops in and races it.”) For the occasion, Dale elected to let his friend Nick Magaña play with the genuine 1960s So-Cal Super Stock entry. v

Todd Hoffman’s ’64 Plymouth Savoy named Sayonara competes with American Nostalgia West Drag Racing, a group devoted to 1960s vintage A/FX and Super Stock racers. (“Our cars are larger, heavier, and have huge American motors compared to their modern-day counterparts,” explains their website.) Powered by a 528ci Max Wedge motor, the coupe leaves many in the dust with its 6.00 e.t.’s at 112 mph over the eighth-mile.

Arizona’s Glenn Gibbons returned to the Xmas Party with his popular ’64 Pontiac LeMans. He based his “Pouncin’ Poncho” contender on a hulk found in a salvage yard. Notice the rear wheel opening moved toward the door, in true A/FX fashion. Motivation comes from a 455ci Olds V8, punched to 462 ci and topped with Hilborn injection. Like most class entries, the Pontiac performed some fantastic wheelies to the delight of the crowd.

Nicknamed “The Fat Lady” by the A/FX gang due to its sheer size, Ernie “The Attorney” Algorri’s ’67 Ford Fairlane makes it down the track thanks to a 440ci Windsor-based small-block, which delivers 1,000 hp. Ernie has been racing his steel-wheeled beauty for years, managing a personal best of 9.15 at a blistering 150 mph, mighty impressive for a heavy car occasionally street-driven.

Chuck Hoffman and Cliff Lozis teamed up to build this very red ’69 Mustang, with Chuck typically handling driving duties. They juggle with different powerplants, but when they drop in their 460ci V8, the wheel-standing A/FX crosses the quarter-mile finish line in 9.70 seconds.

Car Craft magazine teamed up with several established names from the custom world to build a nasty Street Machine with a cool 1960s vibe, using a ’71 Dodge Demon. They based their exercise on an unfinished Pro Street project car, purchased dirt cheap on Craigslist. Among the shops involved: Circle City Hot Rods (fabrication), The Harpoon (paint scheme and patterns), and Grant Petersen of Born Free (welding). The twin-turbo Hemi coupe runs deep in the 9s over the quarter.

We remember seeing the Victor Cacho ’50 Merc at the 2013 Grand National Roadster Show, an elegant build by Cacho Customs by all accounts. Look closely and you might notice the discreet flames over that PPG Sunburst Orange. The lake pipes pretty much rest on the ground once the Firestone airbags are deflated.

Originally a Business Coupe model, Jesse Loera’s Pearl Copper–colored ’50 Ford received a heavily chopped sedan roof, along with other traditional lead sled alterations: frenched front and rear lights, smoothed bumpers, and a ’49 grille. Under the shell modified by Los Diablos hides a Ford 302ci V8 hooked to an AOD trans, in addition to an Air Ride suspension kit.

Founded in 1996, the Rumblers have become a prominent hot rod and custom car club, as demonstrated by this clean ’54 Chevy. Robert Miret has been the driving force behind the group; you might know his name if you listen to punk music and the band Agnostic Front in particular. The Rumblers have chapters across the United States and Europe as well.

We couldn’t find the owner of this ’55 Cadillac convertible but feel compelled to show it to you. It looks excellent sitting low to the ground on airbags. The vintage trailer happens to be severely lowered, too!

Mooneyes’ Xmas Party gathered an impressive troupe of lowriders based on pre-’55 GM products, aka “bombs.” Here, Lorenzo Dominguez’s ’49 Chevy truck keeps company with Gerry Orozco’s topless ’39 Pontiac, which he purchased from the original owner. The rare convertible runs a 222ci inline-six. Gerry belongs to the Bridgetown Oldies Car club.

We dig the appearance of this ’54 Chevy truck, looking bone-stock until the owner lays it on the asphalt thanks to an airbag setup hidden in a box above the rear axle. Under the hood lurks a Chevy 235ci motor. Nothing wrong with this inline-six, being the engine of choice on early production Corvettes, with slightly different specs. Note the contrast between the nicely painted truck and the other Chevy pickup (and ’38 five-window Ford) parked next to it.

When Studebaker introduced its new truck in the late 1940s, characterized by its round shapes, who would have thought it would continue inspiring customizers 70 years later? The design of the model did not evolve drastically during the following decade, though the ’55-’60 version (aka E-series) seems to be a favorite within our scene. Here is a tasteful ’59 hauler.

The lowrider scene encompasses an eclectic assortment of vehicles, with 1970s and 1980s barges playing a key role. Even HRM devoted pages to the subject, as far back as the April 1974 issue, featuring the Imperials Car Club. Check out this arresting lineup, dominated by cars running wire wheels, with a few sets of Cragar five-spokes thrown in for good measure.

The post Mooneyes Xmas Party 2017: An Epic Going-Away Bash appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/mooneyes-xmas-party-2017-epic-going-away-bash/ via IFTTT

[totesmccoats]

The Batman Who Laughs #1

This issue is easily a contender for most disturbing Batman story, so, congrats to the team on their accomplishment!

The Batman Who Laughs, the Dark Knight who leads the other Nightmare Batmans (Batmen?) finally tells a completely bandaged-up hostage who he is and how he came to be. Like the others, he was a Batman pushed too far, this time, pushed into finally killing the Joker after the latter’s most horrifying plan yet. But Joker had one last punchline to deliver – his death would release the most potent version of Joker Venom yet, but only enough to infect someone next to him at the time of death, in this case – Batman. And has Batman suffers the mind-warping effects of Jokerization, he becomes the most dangerous man in the dark multiverse, combining Bruce Wayne’s perfectly honed mental and physical abilities with Joker’s conniving creativity and complete disregard of ethics.

It’s difficult to say what the most disturbing image in this book is: Batman turning against his own family; what he does to the Justice League; or Superman in particular; or Superman’s family…

While Tynion deserves tons of credit for writing a story where Batman becomes the Joker that doesn’t feel like bad grimdark fanfic; it’s Rossmo and Plascencia art that really make this book a showstopper. Rossmo and Plascencia already proved their in illustrating the grotesque during Night of the Monster Men; but take their pop-art, almost silk-screen aesthetic to new heights in this book. Their art is distinctly cartoonish and exaggerated, which keeps it from being traumatizing, but it also amplifies the expressions of pain and sadism on the characters faces.

So far, not much about Metal has been comforting or reassuring, but this issue takes the story to the darkest places yet.

  Batman #35

Catwoman and Talia begin their duel to the death. As their swords clash, Talia argues that Catwoman does not deserve Batman, citing the years of dying and resurrection she suffered only to be be rejected by the detective. Selina ripostes curiously, by saying that Batman isn’t the closest thing either of them have to an equal in love or ability, but that he’s incurably broken, and she loves him anyway.

Meanwhile, Dick and Damian sit outside the entrance to Talia’s domain, with Damian wondering why Batman proposed to Catwoman in the first place, and then why he decided to keep it a secret.

So closes this chapter of King’s experiment of Batman as relationship genre. I’d consider it a success. King’s novel addition here is that instead of other arcs that explore Batman through his own thoughts or actions; this one has those closest to him discuss what Batman is to them. Talia sees him as the closest thing she has to an equal on the planet. Catwoman sees him as a broken man who will never find her more important than a vow he made as a child. And Dick sees him as someone who is selfless to the point where he feels so uncomfortable asking others for happiness that he hides it from his own sons. It’s a story about Batman provided through others rather than himself, explaining why he’s the sun of this particular universe.

  Superman #35

Superman and Lex escape from the religious fanatics that now want to put Superman on Darkseid’s throne, and kill Lex for his heresy, only to be ambushed and taken prisoner by Kalibak. Kalibak’s plan to succeed his father involves shooting the chaos cannon into the core of the planet – for some reason – and he plans to dispose of his new prisoners by throwing them into the fiery core as the cannon strikes.

But, before he can put his nonsensical plan into motion, he’s interrupted by Granny Goodness and her Furies – now including Lois. The two factions go to war with each-other, and Superman and Lois reunite in the chaos. But, amidst the fight, the cannon fires into the core, venting it completely and turning Apokolips dark.

Meanwhile Jon gets lost on Apokolips, stumbling upon a group of raiders desperate enough to start eating their own war-hounds. He steps in, scrambling the raiders and freeing the dogs, earning their loyalty.

This arc still hasn’t won me over. I don’t understand anything Kalibak was doing through the issue despite him being the biggest threat, which is a big deal. But at least lots of stuff happened? Supes and Lex use evasive maneuvers, Kalibak’s army fought the Furies, Jon rescues a punch of dogs. I still don’t really care, but at least it’s loud and colorful. Not the greatest praise, I know, but this isn’t the greatest story.

  Wonder Woman/Conan #3

Some years after their first meeting; Conan and Yanna meet again as teenagers, where after picking up their flirtation, Yanna kisses Conan, and then tells him that she’s running away from her tribe, and warns him not to follow. For the first time in his life, Conan feels heartbreak.

But he has other things to worry about at the moment, like just having jumped into shark infested water to escape the slavers who now want to kill him and Wonder Woman. The two manage to pull themselves onto some driftwood, Titanic-style, only there’s room for both; but still find themselves stranded in the middle of the sea. And, with nowhere to go, the two finally begin to open up to each-other, with Conan telling Diana of his memories of Yanna.

But just as Wonder Woman brings up the topic of how, even on a small piece of driftwood, Conan has managed to not make physical contact; the two set upon by the Crow Sisters, who transport them to their hell-dimension, and tell them that they brought them together to settle a bet of which was the greater warrior. They demand another fight to the death between Conan and Wonder Woman; which they again defy by instead slaughtering one of the sisters. The remaining one promises that she shall kill the city of Shana for their defiance, and transports the two back to their driftwood.

And before the two make it to shore, where they will go their separate ways; Conan tells Diana the rest of his story: how, when Yanna fled, he chased, and the two decided to run away together.

This is the best issue of this series so far, Simone finally finding the sweet-spot between Conan and Wonder Woman’s characters and narrative trappings. While still decidedly a Conan story, Dinan finally feels like Wonder Woman instead of the relative non-character she was in previous issues. It helps that we’re also past the growing pains of this story, it seems, with Conan and Diana finally working together against a common foe. Lopresti still draws Wonder Woman a little too cheesecake for my liking, but admittedly, it does work for a Conan book.

  The Wild Storm #9

As promised, Jacob gives Spica full access to his secret lab, filled with alien tech including a giant mech and a toy-looking laser gun. Action then shifts to IO, where Jackie King learns about last issue’s espionage, but still not who’s behind it. She then asks the Director, Miles, if he knows anything about a Project Thunderbook, which Miles reveals was a secret project led by the Director before him, John Lynch, that even he knows nothing about.

In New York, John (Lynch? Doesn’t look like Lynch), another ages old alien in disguise, remembers his time in feudal Japan, completely ruining the days of people transporting a piece of alien tech before being interrupted by another of his species who used to be his superior. In another building, Lucy Blaze accepts a mission from Skywatch to spy on IO and confirm the theft of their tech.

This issue is strangely paced, dominated by John’s flashback of wordlessly slaughtering the people transporting the tech he wanted, despite that scene not really pushing the story forward. The sequence is incredible, with Davis-Hunt able to translate the language of samurai/ninja movies into sequential comic art as though film stayed still or comics moved, bringing over the slicing with delayed results, buckets of ketchup-red blood, and extraordinary feats of gymnastics. What little dialogue there is in this scene is even rendered as though they were subtitles in a movie – a nice touch. But the rest of the issue feels like bureaucracy, with bosses giving orders, and employees asking for the resources they need to get those jobs done. We open and close on Spica in the lab, but don’t get to see her actually work on anything; that’s being teased for the future.

  Amazing Spider-Man #791

After a night of crime-fighting with Bobbi, Peter starts his new job as the Bugle’s science editor. Bobbi’s glad that Peter seems to be putting his life back together, doubly so that he has a job that forces him to be Peter instead of Spider-Man for a while. But, while Robbie is happy to have Peter back at the Bugle, his new employees – particularly reporter Rubylyn Bato – aren’t thrilled to suddenly have a new boss who seemingly only got the job because of his friendship with the EiC.

And Robbie’s not the only helpful connection Peter has with work. Bobbi’s just started her new job at Humanitech, and offers Peter’s team an exclusive interview with her boss, Xander Zynn, and a guided tour of their lab. But, the tour ends early when Peter discovers that Humanitech’s new invention – AI powered androids – may not be entirely artificially intelligent. So, of course Pete and Bobbi gotta return to the lab after dark and in costume to properly follow up.

Seems like Slott has finished pulling Pete through the ringer – for now – giving him time to start off on the right foot – mostly – at his new job, and also have some fun being Spidey. This lightness makes this issue a really fun read, as you can really get behind Peter’s enthusiasm for the life he’s pulling back together for himself. It’s good to see my boy happy instead of stressed and depressed. Hopefully we can get a few more issues of this before this arc’s title goes into full blast.

  Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #297

In a review of an earlier issue of this comic, I suggested that tense action may not be Zdarsky’s strong suit, but after this issue, I may have to reconsider that opinion.

This is an issue-long cat and mouse game between Peter and the SWAT team that ambushes him at home, looking to arrest him and Spider-Man. They have a way to disable his Spider-sense, which means Pete’s actually gotta pay attention and strategize as he tries to evade the cops without outing himself as Spidey.

The ur-reference for this issue is the SWAT sequence from Batman: Year One, and it’s cinematic adaption from Batman Begins; and while they do share a bit of DNA, Zdarsky and Kubert providing their own Spidey twists on it. Instead of bats filling up a stairwell to provide cover, Pete throws down two web cartridges to act as a sticky grenade, for instance.

And even if Kubert’s linework in this issue looks a little lazy – maybe evoking present day Miller a little too much? – his layouts give the book incredible pacing, including one page where Peter crashes through multiple floors to get to his building’s basement.

The issue’s ending can’t help but make everything preceding it feel like a waste of time; but at least it’s a ton of fun to read in the moment. And, we do get a great bit of pay-off for last issue’s big reveal.

  Spider-Men II #4

Wilson comforts Miles at the funeral of his wife, Barbara, telling him about the multiverse, and that somewhere, there are other Barbaras still happily together with other Miles. Despite coming from the Kingpin, and it involving comic book science, it’s actually quite a moving idea; that no matter what happens, there’s a version of you and the people you love who are happy, and knowing that should be enough.

In the present, Miles – Spider-Man Miles – and his friends discuss the giant robot head that crashed into the school off-panel, and Barbara thanks Miles for pushing her to safety. She asks to know what he is, mutant, inhuman, or otherwise; and he promises to tell her, once he thinks of how. After Spider-man’ing off, Miles stumbles upon the Taskmaster killing some dudes and hopping on a helicopter. Miles latches onto the chopper, and calls Peter to meet him wherever he lands.

The Spider-Men meet on top of an airplane hanger, where Miles suspects Taskmaster plans to meet with other Miles. He’s not wrong, but also, this was a trap. The hanger explodes, knocking out the Spider-Men so that other Miles can finally rid himself of his curious doppleganger. But his real goal was to get proof from Taskmaster of an alternate dimension, with an alternate Barbara.

The issue starts off strong, with Wilson and Miles, but doesn’t manage to carry that level of quality throughout. Once the Spider-Men show up, the issue becomes mired in Bendis’ circuitous dialogue about power and responsibility that reads as a less successful retread of the conversation Peter and Miles had in Bendis’ Marvel Generations issue.

At least it’s pretty to look at. Pichelli has an incredible talent for drawing subtle body-language and quirks; and I can even get over her preference for tiny eyes on the Spider-Man masks.

  Hawkeye #12

Following a lead on the person who provided clones to Madame Masque, Katie runs into Wolverine – Laura Kinney – and Wolverine’s younger clone, Gabby, as they track down the same dude, also for clone crimes. After a fight at a villain bar where the dude isn’t, the three go back to Kate’s office to change, and also introduce their pet wolverine, Jonathan, to Lucky.

Then they go to clone guy’s place, get knocked out, and have to fight through all of this guy’s clones. This issue isn’t the most dramatic, but it’s hard to set up a problem that two Wolverines and better-Hawkeye couldn’t easily solve that wouldn’t somehow also involve a city exploding.

So, while this issue isn’t the most thrilling, it’s still hecka fun. A superhero girl’s night out where the stakes aren’t incredibly personal for the first time in a long time for Kate, and where she has backup who she doesn’t have to protect.

  The Wicked + The Divine #33

Well, this issue is basically all spoilers that completely change everything going on in WicDiv, so…that makes it difficult to talk about.

But yeah, this issue’s a game-changer. Lots of revelations. Many holy shit! moments. Really feels like we’re entering the final stretch here. And possibly the best norse-mythology sight-gag in comics.

Honestly, you should already be reading this book, so I shouldn’t have to review it. It’s good. You should already know this. Hit me up on twitter so we can gush about it together.

Comic Reviews 11/15/17 The Batman Who Laughs #1 This issue is easily a contender for most disturbing Batman story, so, congrats to the team on their accomplishment!

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Saturday 24th June 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. where ever you are in the world, for some it’s time for bed, others, fast approaching midday, but for me on the sunny Southern Shores of Spain, the sun is getting ready to pop his head over the horizon and give me another sunny day.. So as always, Bella is recumbent at my feet after her constitutional and the coffee is steaming on the table, then let’s take a look at the news.. Yes! Of course you can have one of the cookies…

HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH PREPARES TO SAIL FROM ROSYTH DOCKYARD…. HMS Queen Elizabeth is so large she can easily be spotted by drivers on the Forth Road Bridge despite being moored in the built-up environs of Rosyth dockyard, two miles to the west. Her forward island, which contains the bridge, along with the aft island, which will control aircraft operations, tower above the Fife port. Soon the vessel will be revealed in all her glory as she leaves Rosyth for the first time to begin sea trials. The aircraft alliance – the various firms which have overseen the ship’s seven-year construction – are keen to share statistics which convey the sheer size of the carrier. At 65,000 tonnes, the Queen Elizabeth is easily the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy. Her flightdeck alone is 70 metres wide and 280 metres long – enough space for three football pitches. When deployed, she will have space for 40 aircraft. When she sails, there will be 679 officers and crew on board. But this could rise to 1,600 if all air elements are deployed during a time of conflict.

SCOTTISH FOLKLORE TRADITIONS IN DANGER OF DYING OUT…. They are tales and legends which form the backbone of Scottish culture and heritage, but the nation’s rich folklore tradition is under threat. A survey has revealed that nearly a quarter of people are unable to name even just one myth, while more than two-thirds said they will not pass on stories to their children. It shows that majority of people have not heard a traditional story in the past two years, putting at risk a compendium of narratives stretching back centuries. The Folklore Society, a charitable body devoted to the study of all aspects of folklore, described the trend as “deeply saddening” and urged members of the public to keep old stories alive by sharing them with family members. In response, it has compiled a dedicated folklore map of Britain, which includes a clutch of Scottish tales. They include some well-known legends, such as that of the Loch Ness monster, and the legend of how King Arthur used Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh as a vast throne. Others, however, have largely fallen out of the public consciousness. They include the Laird’s Brownie in Dalswinton, Dumfries-shire, which tells of a kindly spirit which served a local laird, even helping the save the life of its master’s daughter by fetching the midwife in an emergency. The society also highlighted the Borders legend of Thomas the Rhymer, who is reputed to have met a fairy queen in the Eildon Hills. After staying with her for what he thought was three days, he discovered he had been away for three years, during which he had acquired the gift of prophecy. Read More:

‘HEAD OF QUEEN’S SCOTTISH FAMILY’ LEAVES £40M IN WILL…. A colourful aristocrat, who was known as the head of the Queen’s Scottish family, has left a £40 million fortune in his will. Lord Strathmore, the Queen’s first cousin once removed, died aged 58 in February last year following a long battle with cancer. The 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Michael Fergus Bowes-Lyon, was known for his chequered relationships and struggles with alcohol. The former Scots Guards captain was considered to be “head of the Queen’s Scottish family” and walked behind Prince Charles and Prince William at the Queen Mother’s funeral. His 14th-century family seat, Glamis Castle, in Forfar, was the Queen Mother’s childhood home. The earl’s recently published will has revealed he had a fortune valued at £39,388,550 at the time of his death. His wealth included his £14m share of the Glamis estate and the £20m Holwick estate in County Durham. He also had a large and varied £143,000 motor vehicle collection which included Land Rovers, quads, a Bentley, articulated lorries and a Dennis fire engine. The peer’s other assets included the household contents of Glamis Castle which were valued at £82,625, around £60,000 held in accounts with the Queen’s bank Coutts and a £1m share in a wind farm company based in Lanarkshire.

CALVES RESCUED FROM MUD AT DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY HARBOUR…. TWO calves stuck up to their necks in mud at Kirkcudbright Harbour have been pulled to safety by firefighters using their hoses. The young cows had wandered into the cooling mud near the harbour in Dumfries and Galloway as temperatures rose in the area. Fire crews from Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas and Gatehouse of Fleet and the local lifeboat were called to the scene and pulled the calves free using two 45m hoses. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We got a report of the calves stuck in the mud and sent units to the scene at Kirkcudbright harbour. “The lifeboat was also called out because of the threat of the incoming tide.” The spokesman added: “Fortunately the firefighters were able to pull the calves to safety and they were unhurt and returned to the farmer.”

SKYE’S ICONIC FAIRY POOLS NAMED TOP PICNIC SPOT IN SCOTLAND….  THE famous Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye has been declared the best picnic location in Scotland. National Picnic Week declared the world-famous site as its Scottish winner. They said it was chosen for its “outstanding natural beauty” and historical significance. The popular tourist spot sees thousands of visitors, including swimmers, attracted to its series of waterfalls and pools in Glenbrittle. Visitor numbers at the popular toursit attraction has grown to over 108,000 in 2016, with every sign that that will increase this year. A £500,000 campaign was launched earlier this to upgrade visitor facilities, including expanding the car park. The overall UK winner was the Jubilee Gardens in Beer, Devon, chosen for the stunning view of the beach and village from atop an idyllic hillside. Adam Cox, founder of National Picnic Week, said: “It was a difficult choice to choose the winners and runners up throughout the UK as we are always inundated with nominations. “The winners were chosen due a to variables including their scenic locations, cultural significance and either popularity or reputation as being a ‘hidden gem’. “National Picnic Week was created to inspire families, friends and couples to celebrate our outdoor locations by taking a picnic. The best days out are a combination of good people, good food and good weather.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of what else but the award winning Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye ……

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Saturday 24th June 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

[hudsonespie]

More Legal Action Taken After Conception Fire

Maritime legal firm Fiore Achermann has initiated legal action on behalf of the family of a man killed in the Conception dive boat fire in September 2019.  

On August 31, 2019, 33 passengers and six crew members boarded the Conception for a three-day diving voyage off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. In the early morning hours of September 2, a fire broke out onboard the vessel that resulted in the death of 33 passengers and one crew member.

An investigation into the tragedy found that divers and crew would charge lithium-ion batteries on the boat for cell phones and tablets, as well as their cameras and other equipment. Preliminary evidence suggests the fire started in the galley where the batteries were being charged. 

The surviving members of the vessel's crew were berthed on the pilothouse level of the boat, and they were awakened by the fire, not by an alarm; at that point, it proved impossible to rescue the victims belowdecks. 

The Conception's smoke detectors were not connected together in a unified fire detection and alarm system, as fire systems meeting merchant-vessel standards are not required aboard a small "T-boat" with less than 49 passengers.

After the fire, the U.S. Coast Guard for the first time recommended that crews limit the use of unsupervised charging of lithium-ion batteries to reduce the risk of fire hazards. 

The family alleges that the Conception dive boat was unseaworthy at the time of the incident. The vessel lacked adequate life-saving and fire-safety equipment, trapping the divers in the hull without a safe means of egress. 

Fiore Achermann's filing is the sixth taken over the incident against the vessel owner Truth Aquatics. "Nearly a year before the Conception's deadly voyage, Truth Aquatics had a fire onboard their sister ship, the Vision, which was reportedly ignited by a lithium battery," said Jennifer Fiore, the firm's leading maritime lawyer.

In addition to the duty to provide a safe and seaworthy vessel to the dive-boat passengers, "the vessel owners had a responsibility to know about the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries being charged onboard before encouraging passengers to charge their equipment.” Fiore claims the tragedy was completely preventable.

The NTSB, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Coast Guard's marine safety division, the Justice Department and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are conducting three parallel investigations into the circumstances of the fire. A preliminary report by the NTSB found that no one was designated as a roving watch at the time of the fire.

The NTSB recounts details of the vessel and the events surrounding the fire:

The wood and fiberglass vessel was built in 1981. The vessel had three levels: the uppermost sun deck, containing the wheelhouse and crew rooms; the main deck, which included the salon and galley; and the lower deck within the hull, which housed the passenger berthing (bunkroom) and shower room, as well as the engine room and tanks.

Initial interviews of three crewmembers revealed that no mechanical or electrical issues were reported. At the time of the fire, five crewmembers were asleep in berths behind the wheelhouse, and one crewmember was asleep in the bunkroom, which was accessed from the salon down a ladderwell in the forward, starboard corner of the compartment. The bunkroom had an emergency escape hatch located on the aft end, which also exited to the salon. There were two, locally-sounding smoke detectors in the overhead of the bunkroom.  

A crewmember sleeping in the wheelhouse berths was awakened by a noise and got up to investigate. He saw a fire at the aft end of the sun deck, rising up from the salon compartment below. The crewmember alerted the crew behind the wheelhouse. As crewmembers awoke, the captain radioed a distress message to the Coast Guard.

The crewmembers attempted to access the salon and passengers below. Unable to use the aft ladder, which was on fire, the crewmembers jumped down to the main deck (one crewmember broke his leg in the process) and tried to access the salon and galley compartment, which was fully engulfed by fire at the aft end and by thick smoke in the forward end, through a forward window. Unable to open the window and overwhelmed by smoke, the crew jumped overboard.

Two crewmembers and the captain swam to the stern, reboarded the vessel, opened the hatch to the engine room, and saw no fire. Access to the salon through the aft doors was blocked by fire, so they launched a small skiff and picked up the remaining two crewmembers in the water. They transferred to a recreational vessel anchored nearby (Grape Escape) where the captain continued to radio for help, while two crewmembers returned to the Conception to search for survivors around the burning hull. Local Coast Guard and fire departments arrived on scene to extinguish the fire and conduct search and rescue. The vessel burned to the waterline by morning and subsequently sank in about 60 feet of water.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/more-legal-action-taken-after-conception-fire via http://www.rssmix.com/

[hudsonespie]

More Legal Action Taken After Conception Fire

Maritime legal firm Fiore Achermann has initiated legal action on behalf of the family of a man killed in the Conception dive boat fire in September 2019.  

On August 31, 2019, 33 passengers and six crew members boarded the Conception for a three-day diving voyage off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. In the early morning hours of September 2, a fire broke out onboard the vessel that resulted in the death of 33 passengers and one crew member.

An investigation into the tragedy found that divers and crew would charge lithium-ion batteries on the boat for cell phones and tablets, as well as their cameras and other equipment. Preliminary evidence suggests the fire started in the galley where the batteries were being charged. 

The surviving members of the vessel's crew were berthed on the pilothouse level of the boat, and they were awakened by the fire, not by an alarm; at that point, it proved impossible to rescue the victims belowdecks. 

The Conception's smoke detectors were not connected together in a unified fire detection and alarm system, as fire systems meeting merchant-vessel standards are not required aboard a small "T-boat" with less than 49 passengers.

After the fire, the U.S. Coast Guard for the first time recommended that crews limit the use of unsupervised charging of lithium-ion batteries to reduce the risk of fire hazards. 

The family alleges that the Conception dive boat was unseaworthy at the time of the incident. The vessel lacked adequate life-saving and fire-safety equipment, trapping the divers in the hull without a safe means of egress. 

Fiore Achermann's filing is the sixth taken over the incident against the vessel owner Truth Aquatics. "Nearly a year before the Conception's deadly voyage, Truth Aquatics had a fire onboard their sister ship, the Vision, which was reportedly ignited by a lithium battery," said Jennifer Fiore, the firm's leading maritime lawyer.

In addition to the duty to provide a safe and seaworthy vessel to the dive-boat passengers, "the vessel owners had a responsibility to know about the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries being charged onboard before encouraging passengers to charge their equipment.” Fiore claims the tragedy was completely preventable.

The NTSB, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Coast Guard's marine safety division, the Justice Department and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are conducting three parallel investigations into the circumstances of the fire. A preliminary report by the NTSB found that no one was designated as a roving watch at the time of the fire.

The NTSB recounts details of the vessel and the events surrounding the fire:

The wood and fiberglass vessel was built in 1981. The vessel had three levels: the uppermost sun deck, containing the wheelhouse and crew rooms; the main deck, which included the salon and galley; and the lower deck within the hull, which housed the passenger berthing (bunkroom) and shower room, as well as the engine room and tanks.

Initial interviews of three crewmembers revealed that no mechanical or electrical issues were reported. At the time of the fire, five crewmembers were asleep in berths behind the wheelhouse, and one crewmember was asleep in the bunkroom, which was accessed from the salon down a ladderwell in the forward, starboard corner of the compartment. The bunkroom had an emergency escape hatch located on the aft end, which also exited to the salon. There were two, locally-sounding smoke detectors in the overhead of the bunkroom.  

A crewmember sleeping in the wheelhouse berths was awakened by a noise and got up to investigate. He saw a fire at the aft end of the sun deck, rising up from the salon compartment below. The crewmember alerted the crew behind the wheelhouse. As crewmembers awoke, the captain radioed a distress message to the Coast Guard.

The crewmembers attempted to access the salon and passengers below. Unable to use the aft ladder, which was on fire, the crewmembers jumped down to the main deck (one crewmember broke his leg in the process) and tried to access the salon and galley compartment, which was fully engulfed by fire at the aft end and by thick smoke in the forward end, through a forward window. Unable to open the window and overwhelmed by smoke, the crew jumped overboard.

Two crewmembers and the captain swam to the stern, reboarded the vessel, opened the hatch to the engine room, and saw no fire. Access to the salon through the aft doors was blocked by fire, so they launched a small skiff and picked up the remaining two crewmembers in the water. They transferred to a recreational vessel anchored nearby (Grape Escape) where the captain continued to radio for help, while two crewmembers returned to the Conception to search for survivors around the burning hull. Local Coast Guard and fire departments arrived on scene to extinguish the fire and conduct search and rescue. The vessel burned to the waterline by morning and subsequently sank in about 60 feet of water.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/more-legal-action-taken-after-conception-fire via http://www.rssmix.com/