#my special interest has been going full throttle like this for over 4 years now

[spiltcandycoatedpunkblood]

who's challenging me to do this AGAIN this whumptober because i am READY once again

guess who's gonna write more angst and torture and trauma of course involving our fave ginger boy and red dressed rich bastard this whumptober

how many times can I do this

[greensconnor]

i’m asking about your dragon age characters

molly i would KILL for u im ur personal hitman now

anyway i said my city now because the entire bioware writing team sucks shit xoxo and i’m so much smarter than all of them but also fully incapable of having a normal amount of ocs for anything (see: the time i made 20 rwby ocs in less than two weeks) so i have. five worldstates here r some assorted thoughts

uhhh so the worldstates r as follows

eira mahariel (two-handed berserk/champ spec), rhett hawke (two-handed berserk spec), alas lavellan (mage knight enchanter spec), romanced alistair/fenris/dorian respectively

shiv tabris (dual wield duelist/assassin spec), radella “rads” hawke (mage spirit healer spec), kat adaar (two-handed reaver spec), romanced morrigan/isabela/cassandra respectively because im a pc gamer and i think i should be able to date whatever video game woman i like because im infinitely better than cishet men

this world state said yeah i respect mens rights. mens rights to shut the fuck up

twins bronson (sword/shield reaver spec) & bryant cousland (archer ranger spec), carmine hawke (archer assassin spec), syracuse trevelyan (dual wield tempest spec), romanced zevran/anora/josephine/bull. if ur wondering how that works my city now and the warden, hawke and the inquisitor should all meet and so they do because i Said So

riva amell (mage arcane warrior/battlemage spec), graham “gray” hawke (mage force spec), hellathen “hela” lavellan (archer assassin spec); romanced cullen/anders and later blackwall because hawke only likes men who will break his heart. hela doesn’t have a romance because she’s literally 20. who let her lead the inquisition (me it was me). also it should be noted the version of cullen i have in my head only vaguely resembles actual cullen because i write better than dragon age writers ever could and i gave him an Actual Cohesive Narrative and he gets bullied relentlessly for being scrawnier than his mage boyfriend

malien “mal” surana (mage spirit healer/keeper spec), jules hawke (sword/shield reaver spec), ash adaar (mage rift spec), romanced leliana/merrill/krem because i should have been able to kiss krem and its a Crime that i am not allowed to

knight enchanter is a Very op specialization and by Very op i mean it makes a mage with their built-in low constitution stats able to solo the biggest baddest dragon in the game on nightmare mode in under five minutes so like. alas lavellan fist fights dragons for fun send tweet

i think lavellans should be able to hit ppl with bricks for all the shit they endure. thus solas gets pranked by mahariel and alas by which i mean they just tip buckets of water onto him from the rookery

kat might be my only competent inquisitor but she did also try to knock out the right hand of the divine and attempt to gap even tho there’s fucky magic burning up her hand so does she have a brain cell? you decide

also its fantasy land and i do what i want so kat has blue/gold sectoral heterochromia

gray “mage rights” hawke is best friends with fenris which surprises literally everyone. their friendship started because they got into a fist fight and then they were like okay i respect u now. hawke is like hey fenris give me ur sword i have a fun trick to show u [uses his sword as a foci to zap carver in the ass with lightning]

i am Always thinking abt like how cullen could have been one man anti-chantry propaganda machine if he hadn’t so blatantly been shoehorned into every game past origins so anyway bioware forgot about a wholeass moon i can write what i like. [holds up cullen by the scruff of his stupid armor] not only are you bisexual you are also a bottom

i also Hate the whole uwu mage haters get fixed by romancing a mage <3 thing but the amell/cullen situation here is like childhood best friends to lovers (questionable) to estranged exes to FRIENDS AGAIN with requited pining and cullen fixes his own shit before they get 2gether for realsies this time

unlocked secret dialogue option where my inquisitors verbally cuss out dorian’s dad instead of whatever sympathetic narrative the writers were going for cuz its bullshit.

riva is a showoff and a Menace about being as good as he is because he unabashedly loves being a mage and hes like oooh look at me im sexy i dont need to use my hands to cast magic because i’m just that good ;)) and you know what. hes right.

gray, on the other hand, does Not want to be mage. he wants to be a druffalo farmer and retire in the hinterlands and be left the fuck alone. unfortunately he is gay and has one brain cell and terrible, terrible taste in men. ribbed relentlessly for this by riva (altho does he have room to talk hes been hung up on cullen since he was like 13)

shiv is trans n kieran is the result of doing the dark ritual with her wife and he looks a Lot like shiv (dark skin pointed ears, shock-white hair) and morrigan always just Assumed she dyed it or did something magic with it so seeing their kid come out like that was a WEIRD time for her

leliana almost Murdered by cassandra in worldstate 5 because the warden is Actually There The Whole Time, but its been 10 years, mal’s cut off all her hair and gotten full facial tattoos and she’s like “no one will know its me its fine” and she’s right. she gets away with it. only cullen like, Knows, because he knew her before the blight but he doesnt have a death wish n he like. will Not piss her off

shes dalish by birth n she was stolen from her clan by templars and thus is vehemently anti-circle and anti-chantry in general

uhhh the vallaslin (elf face tattoos) of my 4 dalish characters are:

eira = ghilan’nain (chose em cuz shes rlly interested in the navigation aspect of the goddess)

alas = falon’din (god of the dead n he picked them because he’s Also the god of fortune and alas is like tee hee fun but also he can and will kill u if u fuck with him so yk its fitting)

hela = june (god of the craft bc she likes to Make things but june is also the god who taught the elves 2 hunt and hela is. a hunter.)

mal = elgar’nan (allfather/god of vengeance bc. she is Vengeful. she is Angry. but yk fucking with shem politics and fucking their divine is like. mal may have little a retribution. as a treat.) yes she has the full half-face solid colour tattoo she does NOT fuck around.

bronson and bryant r not genetically identical but they Look similar enough 2 anyone who doesn’t know them well enough 2 play spot the distance. anora and bronson think this is a super fun game to play, especially when nobles realize they’ve swapped out the king but they’re too nervous to say anything

eira mahariel has two hands. one is for holding hands with alistair and the other is for throttling elven gods, apparently. she’s killed one before so solas she’s coming for your bitch ass next. watch urself.

speaking of eira and alistair are married thru dalish tradition and humans don’t recognize it n alistair loves 2 re-propose to her with random things. he’ll just pick up like. a bit of cheese and be like “marry me ;)” and she’s like GASP but whatever will the chantry say!!!! all of their friends r sick of them

“vhenan if you love me bring me a sword” “you think i could do better than a sword made out of space rock?” “:)”

eira is my youngest hero at 18 at the start of her game and kat is my oldest at 32 at the start of her game.

none of my hawkes are under six foot. rhett is the tallest (6′8″) and rads is the shortest (6′2″).

syracuse trevelyan would have been the Perfect inquisitor if he were not a pretty boy himbo and a gay bastard who does Most Things just to spite his parents.

[corypheus pointing at syracuse’s visage in his crystal orb thingo] i want that twink obliterated

i love the companions from older games return thing i truly do so i make it a point for Every companion to return in inquisition so the gang rlly is all here because i am a Slutte for found family

i lie in my keep worldstates because i dont want to choose between hawke and alistair during here lies the abyss but i never make him king and every time i play inquisition and cole has the wicked grace line it makes me Scream. alistair baby im so sorry i did this to you but i didnt actually do this to you <3

yes this is my everyone lives au but like. all the time. i have never left hawke in the fade and i do not intend to.

fuck whatever nonsense about wardens not being able 2 have kids. by sheer divine power (me) anora and bryant have three daughters; eleanor, sabina & cecelia n both bronson and zevran make Excellent uncles because i think anora deserves good things because i’m tired of bioware being like women bad, actually,

so like most of the time i have the warden & hawke turning up after the move to skyhold n then staying on, with the exception of bryant, carmine & mal. mal is as mentioned previously just There the whole time with her girlfriend. bryant steps in as king of ferelden w/ interests in closing the big hole in the sky spewing demons in2 his kingdom yk. carmine shows up because she wants to help & she wants protection for bethany but she outright says she’d rather die than be inquisitor so cassandra is shit out of luck.

“CHANGE HER MIND VARRIC” “she once doubled down on insisting amaranth was a shade of blue because she didn’t want to admit to being wrong. no one’s changing her mind seeker”

alas is the middle child of eight and is thus very good with children and also bossing around people older than him. 2 of his older siblings come to the inquisition when stuff in wycome has been settled

i left ash with the basic canon background with Some variation (he grew up under the qun and left of his own free will when his magic was discovered n he realized he couldn’t take living as a saarebas

kat on the other hand was raised tal-vashoth and has bounced around basically all over thedas and leads her own merc company when the conclave blows up. she also speaks multiple languages. is there a language she doesn’t speak? probably not

just realized how long this got so im gonna like. stop my general rambling now but lmao yeah theres some basics. waves hands.

[divine-noire]

Christmas Alone

It’s interesting, you know, spending this holiday alone. I just told my boss “Merry Christmas” as she picked up the last of her things, waving out of the door. She asked, “Are you doing anything special for Christmas since you’re not going home?” Philly is a sleigh ride away that I don’t have the ticket to catch this late in the game and “special” would imply I had someone to spend this day with: I have no one. But instead of garnering awkward and uncomfortable stares through her thinning eyes, I say, “No, not really, but I’m chillin.” Chillin. If there was ever an oxymoron for that day for me, that would be it. I’m sitting at my desk, staring at a staffing list 11 clients long and I have no pressing urgency to run home, back to my empty room, back to an empty house. Housemates are out with their loved ones, they probably won’t even notice if I eat some of their chips, steal a banana or two for a smoothie. I can probably watch some variation of Christmas porn on full blast tonight, no one will know a thing. So, why rush home to nothing? I’m not sure I’m depressed, if I am, it’s definitely not seasonal, this bitch comes and goes when she pleases and it’s more than 4 times a year, my Psychiatrist and the Walgreens Pharmacist can attest to that. And I don’t even want to reach out and ask someone to let me join them, to sit in on someone else’s family and watch them open gift after gift while the ones in love stay in love and outlive the holiday cuffing season, all the way to the hot summers where they reminisce on the holiday like a, like a, memory too sweet to only live through one time. So lucky for them they re-live it every year until the world has no more Christmases to give them. Maybe I’m punishing myself. I’m teaching myself that this is what happens when you throw yourself into love cold, and blind, and without fear and expect everything to be ok forever and ever and ever. This is a lesson in building sand castles with confetti, watch it grow so tall and yet, when it comes pilling down towards the earth all colorful and beautiful -- everyone else sees the beauty that came from it -- you see all the beauty you lost. Maybe that’s it. I’m mourning some kind of lost, some kind of broken, or barely healed thing. I’m teaching myself that this is what happens when I love like this and it breaks into confetti I’m too busy crying to dance in. Learn the lesson: give enough that she knows you are there, hold onto enough that you do not break when she no longer is. I guess that sounds dark and depressing, right? Sounds like some kind of shit you tell someone in a movie so they can tell you No! You have to love full throttle and never let go and blah blah blah when do they cast the role of the person who hides the Whiskey from me? They have a line, you know, it goes something like You know drinking won’t make the hurt go away or maybe I’m paraphrasing, the role is played by multiple gifted actors, each one better than the last and the last and the last... I don’t need to drink tonight. I haven’t needed to drink myself into a sloppy slumber in years now. But I will not lie and say it has not crossed my mind. Tomorrow, I guess I will wake, look over at Sebastian on his hammock, staring at me with no idea what day it is or what a Christmas even is (he still thinks “Christmas” means moving his cage around the house). I will offer him worms, or crickets dusted in Bearded Dragon calcium. He will likely refuse them, opt for the worms because he does not enjoy exercising to eat anymore (me neither, baby.) and be satisfied. I wish I could be like him: be fed and inadvertently satisfied. Maybe I will look outside and see the empty driveway, the families next door letting their children ride newly unwrapped bicycles and scooters on the sidewalks. Maybe they will whistle and shout like a Hallmark movie or something and I’ll live vicariously through the joy. It has always been a contagious thing, they say. 

Merry Christmas, from Jasmin and Sebastian.

[privateplates4u]

Past Best Driver’s Car Winners

It’s been a decade since we first handed out this award. Truth be told, for two years we called it “Best Handling Car” but then decided to switch it to Best Driver’s Car, or BDC, back in 2009. Why the switch? Well, some cars handle great but aren’t so fun to drive. Think of it this way: A purpose-built track car will set a blistering lap time, but it’s probably miserable for a Sunday afternoon drive on your favorite road. Probably. Anyhow, by switching the focus from the relatively narrow handling criteria to the much broader “what makes a great driver’s car?” matrix, we could see the entire performance forest, not just a single tree. Ten years later—though for various reasons, we skipped 2010—BDC is bigger and better than ever. That said, it’s always helpful to go back and see what came before. Meditate on our history, learn from our mistakes, reflect on what made this award important enough to give out again and again and again. And let’s be honest, when is reading about sports cars ever not fun? I believe the answer to that is “never.” With all that in mind, here’s the list of previous BHC and BDC winners. Enjoy! –Jonny Lieberman 2016 Best Driver’s Car: McLaren 570S This is the essence of a driver’s car in our estimation. The McLaren may not be the most technologically advanced car present, nor is it the quickest. It doesn’t need to be. We want to drive it far more than we want to drive any of the other cars. The 570S wants to take that favorite road faster, to set a quicker lap time, as much as you do, and you’ll become addicted to the rush every time you go a little faster around a corner you’d thought you’d mastered. “The second you start moving, something magical happens,” Cammisa said. “You become part of the car.” 2015 Best Driver’s Car: Mercedes-AMG GT The 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S in about 800 words? Let’s start with these: exclusive, luxurious, sensuous, quick, nimble, versatile, and in the right hands a track-ready supercar capable of lap times that don’t seem possible considering its versatility and second-place road test performance results. So what makes GT S, a car seemingly too stylish to be taken seriously, such a singularly special supercar or definitive driver’s car? In boxing terms, the never-flinching Animal from Affalterbach fights above its class—and wins—consistently and decisively. 2014 Best Driver’s Car: Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 If you’d asked us five years ago whether the then-all-new Chevrolet Camaro would be invited to Best Driver’s Car, we would have scoffed. Had you suggested that a Camaro would win Best Driver’s Car, we’d have all had a good belly laugh at the very notion. Who’s laughing now? The transformation of the fifth-generation Camaro from “musclecar that handles pretty well” to Best Driver’s Car winner is astounding. Few other cars we can think of have made such an advance in a single generation. Says Lieberman, “Perhaps the Corvair, but even by 1965 it wasn’t anywhere near this good.” 2013 Best Driver’s Car: Porsche 911 Carrera 4S It was inevitable. Sooner or later, there was going to be a repeat Best Driver’s Car winner, and with three former champions all competing head to head, the odds were good this would be the year. Of course, you shouldn’t be surprised. Technically, the 911 was already a repeat winner, with the 911 GT3 having won our inaugural Best Handling Car competition, the precursor to Best Driver’s Car. (This Carrera’s 1:39.19 lap time was nearly half-a-second quicker around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca than that 2007 GT3’s.) Then there’s the fact that the 911 Carrera S won unanimously last year. This year, the 911 Carrera 4S faced stiffer competition, and both the SLS and R8 stole a few first place votes, but not a single judge ranked the 911 lower than second. While the Star fought with the Rings, the Crest walked away with the girl. The 911 won by being supremely confident at all times. Even with all the nannies off, you could wait until beyond the last second to torpedo the brakes, ride the smooth oversteer at turn-in, keep the nose dead on the apex through the middle, and go to wide-open throttle on the way out. In every single corner, every single time. Hail to the King. 2012 Best Driver’s Car: Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Yup, the Porsche. Ferry’s ageless squashed Beetle takes top honors in this year’s BDC. Don’t even bother to stop the presses. Porsche wins another comparison. This time, it’s the 991 version of the Carrera S, currently the hottest version of the sixth-generation, rear-engined, “four”-seat luxury sport coupe. It’s larger than ever, with the rear engine scooched a bit more toward the middle, and features the electrically assisted power steering system that has kept most of the Porsche-loving world up for months with the cold sweats. Why? Because of the possibility that an ounce of that precious 911 steering feel has been lost. That Porsche won it all. A much more interesting outcome to this story would have been if one of the hand-built exotics had won. After all, every 12-year-old boy in the world knows a priori that the Aventador must be the winner. Just like how every F1 junkie is positive that the McLaren is the best one here. Or, good-story-wise, what if the little BRZ pulled off an upset? Talk about David cleaning Goliath’s clock! Even the AMG would have been a more interesting verdict. But no, the car with the second-least power here, the car that’s not even a special performance derivative (like the upcoming Turbo, GT3, GTS, 50th Anniversary Edition 911, etc.) is the 2012 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car. 2011 Best Driver’s Car: Ferrari 458 Italia After ruining each and every windshield filming our epic, 11-car drag race, the whole crew was standing in the parking lot of an Italian restaurant waiting for our 24-person table. It had been a long, grueling, yet utterly fantastic week, and to celebrate we were drinking beer and whiskey out of plastic cups. Markus and MacKenzie were regaling us young ‘uns with tales of lousy Ferraris of yore, in particular the 348, which Lucca had earlier explained was developed by famed Ferrari test driver Dario Benuzzi with one arm in a sling. Both Frank and Angus told how the old-school Fezza had tried to kill them. The conversation moved to the F355, the F360, and the F430, and how each generation represented a huge improvement over what came before. “But you know, this car is more like the NSX,” said Angus, leaning against our bright yellow 458 Italia. “It changes everything. The rest of ’em are now playing catch-up.” 2009 Best Driver’s Car: Porsche Cayman S PDK In technical editor Kim Reynolds’ first-drive story of the Porsche Cayman S PDK, which marked Motor Trend’s initial experience with Stuttgart’s mid-engine seven-speed-dual-clutch sports car, he made a very bold declaration. “It’s now, in my humble opinion, very simply the best sports car in the world.” Since most of you don’t know Kim, allow us to inform you that he is quite possibly the most humble man on the planet. So when the humblest editor states a humble, albeit audacious opinion, his fellow MT staffers perk up and heed the call. Still, the best sports car in the world? Rightfully so, Reynolds had his skeptics. Well, after flogging the Cayman S around track and twisties, we have only one thing to say to Sir Kim:You were absolutely right. “No other car here — not one — delivers the Porsche‘s Braillelike road-reading,” says St. Antoine. “You can feel every tire doing its work.” Markus wholeheartedly agrees: “Probably more than any other car here, including the R8, this one feels like an extension of your neural synapses.” And Pobst? Why, the first three words to come from his mouth were, “Racecar. Racecar. Wow.” Translation? “The thing about the Cayman is-gosh, I hope they don’t hate me for saying this — I think it’s just about better than any 911. The Cayman is one of the best-handling cars I’ve ever driven.” 2008 Best Handling Car: Audi R8 In another world compared with the other cars here,” said Pobst of the Audi R8. “So sweet,” said road-tester Scott Mortara. “Lots of steering feel, great grip, but a compliant ride, too,” noted editor MacKenzie. Each driver was describing the same qualities: On track or road, the R8 is Baryshnikov-fluid yet controlled, graceful yet dynamic. The figure-eight tracing is smooth and tight, with high limits but gentle transitions. Step-steer reaction time is fourth, lane-change third, ride quality fourth. The numbers only hint at the overall handling excellence, though. At any speed, you feel the delicate transparency of the steering, the supple yet confident chassis control, the crisp turn-in. Offered a weekend off to exploit the twirls and twists of Southern California’s beckoning hills, the Audi R8 — a car we’ve experienced from the Corkscrew to the salt flats of Utah’s Black Rock Desert-is the car we’d most want to pilot, the machine with magic in its mid-engine, quattro-fed chassis. Why, in just a turn or two, the R8 even makes second-thoughts disappear. 2007 Best Handling Car: Porsche 911 GT3 Which is the best-handling car in the land? We’ve instrumented and tested 10 great cars, microanalyzing the vehicle dynamics of each. We’ve spent hours at the wheel assessing the nuanced feedback each car transmits to its driver. The logbook notes, interview tapes, and 420 megabytes’ worth of objective test data agree: The clear winner is the Michelin-Porsche 911 GT3. We’re augmenting the nomenclature here to acknowledge the immense contribution the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires make to the tail-heavy Porsche icon’s handling. They’re the closest thing to a full-on racing tire that is DOT-legal for street use. They’re fair game because GT3s come from the factory with these tires, and we doubt that fitting conventional summer rubber would lower the GT3’s performance to a second-place finish here. Conversely, a set of Cup tires probably wouldn’t have enabled any of the competitors to outperform the GT3. But we’re nagged by the fact that the astonishing fair-weather grip generated by these new Michelins will degrade markedly when the short-lived gooey tread compound wears down, when temperatures fall, or when anyone so much as wet-sneezes on the pavement. If actual rain is falling, park this car or limp it home as though negotiating a blizzard in Buffalo.The post Past Best Driver’s Car Winners appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/best-drivers-car-winners/

[dear-saxifrage]

yesterday, I performed Caroline shaw’s “to the hands” and Mozart’s requiem in d minor with the collegium at Harvard. I don’t know what I'm going to do without collegium: an elite group of musicians who take it so, so seriously, and who dedicate significant portions of their life to this type of creation. of communication. how could it have really happened?

the choir concert was nearly canceled in full. due to the coronavirus pandemonium, Harvard put a halt to any 100+ gatherings, and that included our concert. we were informed of this only twenty-four hours beforehand; so, we ended up performing on-stage with our orchestra to eight camera, live-streaming and recording, and an empty house. it felt strange. it felt romantic. I couldn’t help but think of the moment as a true requiem. we sing to the dead who we cannot see, but ‘know’ are with us; similarly, we sung to a non-physical audience only reached through a camera. we sang to the dead; we sang to a nonexistent audience; we sang with ‘people watching over us’ from all over the world. it felt exhilarating. it was, in fact, the most exhilarating concert I've performed in. who was responsible for bringing the energy? the choir. we couldn’t rely on audience electricity, and at first, it was shocking! to turn to the right, to sneak a peek at the faces of audience members before your conductor runs out -- we couldn’t. I still tried to, anyway, and felt for the second time a puzzlement at the empty pews.

I think I blacked out during the concert. I went to that special place in my head -- the one all musicians have -- and sung there. it’s so strange, to immerse yourself in that zone so fully. it was a reverie of a type, I think. when I finished a movement, I'd “look up” at Andy and consciously think, “oh right. I'm here, in sanders.” of course, we’re canonized from likely the earliest age to the sound and style of Mozart -- everyone follows and copies him -- so when say that his music ‘feels right,’ it certainly does, because of how he rules the musical hegemony. in spite of that, though, I did feel a certain respite in the music. there was so much cooperation in the piece. not on voice part outshone the other. we all depended on the other to do well; yesterday may as well have been a masterclass in learning to let go. 

I don’t think I'll ever forget that beautiful, beautiful, beautiful melismatic line of the altos and trombones in the Kyrie of movement one. the dynamic and physical lowering of the choristers and conductor during this part too -- just so beautiful -- we all build up together. that’s what hope feels like, I think. an alto, a trombone, and a forthcoming bass line. there is something so heart-beatingly rhythmic in the sixteenth note ascents: da-da-da-da and da-da-da-da. it was actually during this part that I teared up. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be performing this gorgeous piece with this particular choir, under this particular director, with this particular situation: an empty audience. what is the music for, then, if no audience? CAN the music be for ourselves? I think... I think the music can be “for” anyone. it seemed to have special meaning though yesterday... who was I singing for, if anyone?

I have to think about this. right now, I think I was singing for past versions of myself; specifically, Sydney last year during this very time. I fell into a deep depression last year during this time, and I sung a requiem then, too. then I fell into it. I couldn’t stop mourning the dead. I couldn’t stop couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop. grief took over my life -- grief for myself, for my utter resignation, to my disenchantment, for my cousin, for sora, for the kind of person I was allowing myself to become when I was with Tyler. it was all so shocking. that requiem inside of me lasted for a long time. hints of it would come out, too: I would just cry in my bd sometimes, wanting to just clench my toes and kick out, feeling absolutely helpless about my entire situation. that requiem came out when Tony stark died -- I sobbed that entire night, especially on my solitary drive to the gym. I was just throttled. so utterly hopeless and without light in my eyes. I didn’t think I would ever be myself again; I couldn’t smile, bring myself to experience satisfaction.

that requiem haunted me in South Africa, too, but a small part of it was opened by the friends I made there. to see that others cared about me -- were interested in me beyond sex -- that felt interesting. I am so thankful for that beautiful, gorgeous experience in life. I don’t think I'll fully comprehend its place in my life; the people I needed came to me, even when it felt like I would collapse inside of myself. scared, I left phoenix for boston and stayed in that airport for twelve hours, and met my choir for the first time in a month. I had jetted out of boston a month before because Chris had died and I just couldn’t take it. I had to leave. but when I saw my friends, it felt like everything would be OK, even if I wouldn’t be. I remember seeing Kat’s beautiful haircut and feeling at ease. (beauty and change and choices were still possible.) Emma said hi to me, and I breathed again. Hirsh hugged me hello and I thought that new friendships were possible, and even worth pursuing again. then I sat next to Jon on that extraordinarily long flight, then on the bus, and my world burst open. to have been in the proximity of such a thoughtful, smart human and to have never known! I am still so scared of the blinders we put up, as humans.

we sang every day. we sang in nelson Mandela’s house. we saw wild birds; sunsets burning red. hiked the drakensburg mountains and rejoiced in the exquisite beauty of hanertsburg. 

when that next semester started, fall 2019, I felt rejuvenated and okay. parts of me were still unkempt, but my friends had rejuvenated me -- as they have done, again and again, in different locations and at different times -- and I experienced a wonderful semester. started dating. failed in every dating scenario possible. failed some more. started a newer, more robust gym routine; wrote more; sang more; slept more. over December, I even tried out dating an ex; it failed, obviously, because he’s my ex for a reason, but I tried. it was fun, then it became irritating. I clipped its wings.

then something really amazing happened -- I was told we were to sing the Mozart requiem. I entered my spring semester scared of a few things: 1) that I might get sick like I did last year, with all those illnesses, 2) that I would become depressed again, 3) sinking into a pit of listlessness, 4) losing friendships, and 5) failing in my attempt to forge a meaningful sexual relationship. 

in order, I'll address these things. I have been exceptionally healthy; sleeping has done wonders for me, and it seems so basic, and it is. it is the panacea. I haven’t become depressed; for one, I didn’t play a video game that killed off my main character since I was seven. I also didn’t isolate myself; in fact, I became hyper-social, and started to seek comfort in rekindling friendships and solidifying others. this relates to my fear of losing friendships. I think I've finally learned that friendships don’t end, not really; they fade, and that’s it. you pick up where you left off. you text or call each other sometimes. but most of all, you don’t give up. you just don’t -- or at least I don’t. I'll never give up on my friendships; each and every last one is important to me, no matter how minuscule our interactions may seem. and lastly, I don’t want a partner; I can’t have a partner. I'm moving soon, and the last time I did some shit like this, it went awry. I know now, going forward, if I move, I must put a clean end to something in order to maintain the benevolence and integrity of the relationship.

yesterday, then, may have been a type of loving exorcism. I gave up the ghost, yes, and everything followed, in the midst of chaos. I sang my heart out in this requiem and prayed for my dead self. the self that saw no way out; she saw blackness and felt neither resistance nor encouragement. to the Sydney that thought it was over last year, it is not, and it wasn’t. I also think I sang to Chris, too. I have an image of viewing him from the top of the water, seeing his white face shocked at the cold and the roughest of the waves, hands reaching up. then I also have an image of his view: seeing the light filtering in from the waves, the bubbles gushing up -- everything but him rushing to the surface -- and realizing with horror that he is sinking as the water becomes darker and the waves slam him into the rocky cliffside. 

dies irae. it is the song of apocalypse; of death. but what followed this? what preceded it? following dies irae is tuba mirum, one of the most beautiful and triumphant trombone solos ever written. preceding it is the requiem and Kyrie itself; lord have mercy. I think the point is that death and the spark of life are literal seconds. they happen. a candle flick. it just happens, it means nothing good nor bad. and, god, the requiem has finally left my body. I needed it gone. I needed to let you go. 

because while the grief of losing you will come again -- a tidal wave, a one-hundred-foot wall of blue -- it will not be soon. it will come when I can sense it. I never want my grief to stop hurting, ever, but it needs to stop in its consistency. 

and that’s all I have to say for tonight.

-sm

[mattyboicollegeblog-blog]

Final evaluation

Introductory paragraph:

The Beginning of this project I had an idea for over a year this being a post-apocalyptic film and I really wanted to create this last year but didn’t have the money to create it and the commitment I have now, and I had so many different ideas for this film starting the idea process back in November time was where I cracked down on what would be for this film, the original title was “world gone wrong” this was back in the earlier drafts were I wasn’t too sure what I should call the film, I did also think about who I wanted to work with as well and lucky I had people like Will and Olivia who was really interested in the idea as I am known for having really good idea but I did really want to step up my game when it came to this film really putting a lot into it the costumes, props, and having original music.

chosen specialism:

My chosen specialism was directing as after unit 12 I chose cinematography as I wanted to improve that skill before I did the FMP as I wanted better looking shots with the way they were set up and composed, and with being the director I learnt I needed that skill so I had that range on camera and off camera, and I wanted to create a film based of a few favorite post-apocalyptic films I enjoy, and some directors I looked into were Edgar wright due to the way his films were edited and James gun because the way his films are shot and the narratives he creates with the mixture of genres, but I wanted to direct because I felt I was ready to be full on during this production and I felt more confident in the role this time then last year were I slacked a lot.

What did you hope to achieve:

At the beginning of the FMP unit I really wanted to go full throttle and go all out as they say go big or go home, and as a group we wanted to prove that we could create a piece we were all happy about, and some skills I was wanting to learn was the way of blocking and adding the subtext in to my film and saying to my self what was really going on in this world having my own outline and coming up with the subtext this included said small backstory’s for the characters so I know and the actors knew as well, there were certain thing only a few people new about the film that I trust them with that information like hidden meanings as well and the real meaning behind certain scenes and shots and dialogue.

three aspects of your research:

The Research task was very difficult to come about when thinking about where I could pull sources for my inspirations and ideas, but I looked into a lot about directing that I really wanted to use for my specialism during this production my specialism being directing I wanted to take the task in to look more into really putting subtext into my scenes and blocking making the scenes have real meaning behind them.

Primary: My primary research however very little was very helpful one of the first things we did as a group was created a survey to define who is really interested in the sci-fi genre and see how we could apply other genres into are film, and also who would really want to watch a post-apocalyptic film, we also asked them to list films they have recently watched as well just so we had a brief idea on what people are watching, the next part was creating audience profiles that suited are film from the survey results I created a total of 4 different audience profile 2 primary aiming at a younger audience and the secondary audience aiming for an older audience these ranging from 16-60+ for both primary and secondary, the next parts of my primary research we did an audience tape sort of thing auditioning the actors for the film and also a script read through of one of the final drafts of the script, I will say the primary research was lacking but helped a lot in the films production.

Secondary: My secondary research I went all out looking into some much for my specialism looking at blocking and adding subtext with actors and the scenes with the scenes having hidden meanings only telling the actors the meanings as they need to know for the narrative of the story and to get a good performance and go forward with the research I did I looked into a total of 5 different films 4 being major ones that impacted the films narrative and the other one impacting the look of the film in the editing process the 4 films I looked into for inspiration were 10 Clover field lane, I am legend, 28 days later and Shaun of the dead, and these films where were I took my inspirations for my film based on the narrative content I liked from the films for example in Shaun of the dead they don’t go to much into how the zombies come about and I liked that and used it for my film a saw there weren’t no reason I needed to just sort of graze over it, 28 days later however I took more the suspense aspect with this one guy all alone with his partner and I liked that were just one guy alone you don’t really think he has a purpose till you jump in and he has the one thing to save the world and the weird angles in the film as well I wanted to call back to with the way we shot it abit like 28 days later, Clover field lane I used the aspect of thriller were this mystery man is lying to everyone and how he corrupts his co worker and kidnaps a girl, and I correlated that with today government system how sometimes it can be a corrupt system and lastly  I am legend this was a small inspiration part it was more the wide shots and the lose of someone in this film that I sort of used and the hope the film brings about finding a cure.

A big part of my film was are opening sequence and having a new montage telling and showing a timeline of events leading to day 50 this is where I looked into a few different news montages from certain films like Shaun of the dead, pacific rim and dawn of the planet of the apes, and I liked the feel the planet of the apes montage bring as it had that timeline of events playing out with different news reels playing showing you a world on the brink destroying it self and it really helped us bring some together for our sequence, the rising was the last sort of piece I looked into this being a short film based around the post-apocalyptic genre and this short film felt very like my idea but was simple had no dialogue at all and it blew me away, but it was the look the really washed out bleached look and I really wanted are film to be like that, a few last parts about my secondary research was the way a few sequence I wanted to be edited was from book I looked into and it had everything about how a chase, montage and dialogue sequences should be edited together the 2 parts I looked interested in was the montage and dialogue as these where thing we were mostly using in the film, as we having a Edgar wright looking editing sequence, and we have really intense dialogue sequences and the book really had some good information that helped me in my direction, and finally the main directing sources were Edgar wright and James gun as I love the way Edgar wrights films are shot and edited with the fast paced cut to the beat sequence and James guns film has the mixture of genres which I love and has that weird comedy video which I implemented into my film the last thing is from Edgar wrights films is how he has little connection to past films or references films as well I did something like that as way to cool back past things I have created, and I feel that my secondary research has played a big role into the creation of my film.  

Experimental: One of the first experimental practices we did was a short teaser trailer that we wanted to put together creating shots we wanted to practice that we wanted to do in the final piece and correlating to the practice footage to the final piece the final piece is 100 time better quality then the teaser as we learned from what we needed to do better and making a teaser was fairly easy as we wanted to try out some simple color grades before the final film, and then during the production of the film we did a lot of Foley work as well as we needed a lot to create this bleak world the world you think is silent needs a lot of sound to brink you in, after that when we had a version of the edit done we decided to make an updated version of the trailer with an original track from are music composer and used the concept version as basis we then changed a lot of the teaser and re worked it to not show to much but tell and show a version of story we feel gives everyone a basic idea of the film.

How effective was your research?: I feel looking back with all the research I have done has help with the look and feel of the film a lot and helped me as a director grow and know things I never knew and really enjoyed researching and getting prepared for the film I feel some things was maybe do a little bit more research into books and find a practitioner to get that second opinion.

What specific problems: There were a few problems that occurred throughout the production process most notably was during the script writing process were I had doubts about the production and how we wouldn’t of been able to create the film, in total I had about 5 drafts were the script I cut down from 12 pages to just 6 cutting reworking scenes to make the film make more and more easier to do for are group, some others were trying to finding actors for the 2 main characters and we were running out of time when finding actors so we used my friend rob who played the character well and Louisa to play the female lead.

A few issues when filming wee if rob was going to turn up and we was very stressed as he nearly pulled out last minute so we had to come up with a plan B this being switching the roles having Louisa say Blake's line as lily and Elliot say lily’s lines as Blake, one other thing was keeping everyone’s energy levels up and keeping them doing something on set at one point it did get out of control and we went of schedule due to lateness of one actor to play a zombie but we had to rearranging those part we didn’t film multiple times as rob did keep pulling out or we just didn’t have the time to do it, during the post production stages we had a few hiccups with editing this being the VFX as we weren’t the best we had to kind of cover up a problem with one part and we did get away with it and it added to the narrative as well.

How effective was your planning?: I really wanted to put a lot of effort into the production quality and having are own original track, the first bits of production design was creating the props and costumes are self’s I really did think hard going of my sketches we had a budget of over £100 buying a lot of said costume pieces we couldn’t create from scratch, and planning it out was fun making the chest pieces and gauntlets even finding stuff around the home I think my favorite parts making up our own cereal boxes and drinks and the prop gun I made, other than that I also made sure are posters were up to standard as we as a team didn’t have time to create posters I had a friend from work to work on some posters for the film and they work very well on doing so as we were all happy with the posters quality, the next part was getting original music for the film and luckily I had another friend at work that had a music degree and was more then happy to composer some music.

He created a total of 3-4 pieces of music and we used some of his tracks he has done in the past and the music was strong point for the planning as in the past we had to use boring royalty free music and made the film lack in a good narrative stricture as sound is a massive part of the film.

When planning the shots and visual aspect of the film I of course took from the research and applied it thoroughly with using the look and feel of 28 days later and the comedy aspect from Shaun of the dead with the villainous aspect from Clover field lane and the loneliness of I am legend I captured or me and Olivia captured the vision very well that I wanted to create from the idea I had almost a year ago.  

Talk about your success: During the production I had a lot of fun filming on set and directing the actors and even the crew and I were hyped to get straight to editing as we could all see a version of the film from just filming and with will being the editor and the sound operator he had a good idea of what I want and he wants the way the film should be edited, I did find it very easy to keep up to date with my production diary’s going into so much detail about what went well and what didn’t work with the filming days and editing the weekly journals: however I did struggle when one some weeks we weren’t as productive as from the weeks of filming or when we just did paper work for a week and felt I could of added a lot more when it came to these journals but I do feel they did at least help as it gave me a way to show a reflection on each week and you can by the amount of detail and how it goes down on up on the detail of the journals.

What do you plan to do next: My plans after the college course is done is I feel there are few thing I would still like to improve and that’s why I think University is the best option as I will be around a lot more people who want to pursue a career in the film industry and it will more in collaborating and networking as well making more friend and more connected meaning I have a wider catalog of people but I feel I have really improved over the past year and 6 months as a person and in skills of knowing more for the future in University and it will be a big help when going to University.

[itsworn]

Former NBA Center Jim McIlvaine’s 1969 Mercurty Cyclone GT is a Slam Dunk Street Machine

It’s hard to miss Jim McIlvaine and his Grabber Blue 1969 Mercury Cyclone GT. At 7 foot 1 inch, the 46-year-old former NBA Center towers over most, and his Merc, dubbed “Confucius,” makes an equally powerful appearance. McIlvane played pro ball from 1994-2001, in fact his first field goal was a dunk against Shaq. Following his career, McIlvaine moved into the automotive field, signing on as a part-time freelance writer, penning stories for a host of automotive titles and then as a social media specialist for Optima Batteries.

“When I was in the NBA, I had a lot of down time on the road, and that gave me the chance to think about what car I’d like to own. I wanted to get a modern performance car, one I could modify and take to the next level. I couldn’t fit in a Corvette, so I looked Mustangs including the Roush’s Stage 3, but ultimately I ordered a 1999 Z/28 with a six-speed. It was a convertible because I couldn’t fit in the T-top or hardtop. It was bright green metallic and got dropped shipped to Buds Chevrolet in St. Mary, Ohio.

“It was the first LS-1 F-body that Lingenfelter built with 383 stroker. It got Kenny Brown subframe connectors, produced 440 hp at the crank, and had Fiske FM5 17-inch wheels. I signed up on Camaroz28.com in April 1999 and became friends with Chris Frezza and Jason Debler who started the forum. Not long after that, John Hunkins (then editor of the now-defunct GM High Tech Performance and now editor of Car Craft) showed up on-line. He was provocative and controversial and happened to be based in New Jersey. At the time I was playing for the Nets in New Jersey, so they asked if I would connect with Hunkins, and we hit it off. He started reading my posts and asked if I wanted to write for the magazine.

“After basketball, I ended up getting at 2002 Anniversary Camaro that was built by Lou Gigliotti. LG Motorsports did a roll bar, Kirky seats, G-stop rotors, Earl’s lines, black SS five spoke wheels, transmission cooler, and carbon driveshaft. It had an auto transmission and that’s the car I was running at Road America in the early 2000s.

“Optima moved to Milwaukee and Cam Douglass, Director of Product Development and Marketing, was at Road America running a Corvette. He needed help getting the car home, so I offered to haul it back. He worked a deal for me to haul SEMA show vehicles, and later on, I came on to help with social media. We really clicked, and it morphed into a full-time job,” said McIlvaine, who has been with Optima for ten years.

While the F-Body was fun, McIlvaine had his heart set on a full-blown Pro Touring machine. “Pro Touring was really picking up steam, and I wanted to build something, but not another Camaro. I gave a lot of thought to what the perfect car would be. I always liked old Mopars, especially the General Lee, but the prices were so high. It was too much money just to get the car. So I started thinking, what’s the opposite of a General Lee?

“And that would be General Grant and a Mercury Cyclone,” said McIlvaine. “These cars all raced in NASCAR, so I decided on a 1969 Mercury because that’s what ran against the Chargers. In the early 2000’s I started looking for a Cyclone and about 10 years later Jeff Schwartz of Schwartz Performance found a 390, auto-equipped Cyclone. I just didn’t want a Cobra Jet or a number-matching car. I knew I was going to modify it so this car was perfect.

“As for the build, I knew it was going to be set up for the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational that started in 2008. I wanted to run the car hard on the street and track and to qualify for the OUSCI. Even though I work there, I wanted to really qualify like any other participant.”

After securing the car, McIlvaine turned to Randy Johnson of D&Z Customs of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. “He’s built a succession of cars that were nicely done and built to run,” said McIlvaine. “So if you’re going to spend serious money to have a car built, you want it to do anything and everything. That’s what I wanted.”

Johnson accomplished the goal, giving the Mercury legit Pro Touring performance, a stylish NASCAR look, and a surprise under the hood: one that sends Ford purists into a tizzy. While he stuck with Ford Grabber Blue, the engine is not exactly Blue Oval, can you see why?

“The engine is easy to explain,” said McIlvaine, “I looked at the Ford engines and honestly, if you’re looking at the Ford Coyote you need forced induction or nitrous to keep up with what you can do with a naturally aspirated LS engine. There was really nothing comparable that wasn’t really expensive, either, so we went with a Lingenfelter Performance aluminum 427 LS.

“It was [Randy’s] idea to disguise the LS to look like Ford engine, and it’s fooled a lot of people. To create the look, D&Z Customs fabricated his own valve covers and added a distributor up front. Under the dual-snorkel air cleaner lurks a Holley 1,000 cfm throttle body and GM aluminum single-plane intake that’s mated to the LS7. A Holley LS Terminator EFI controls the 50 lb/hr injectors and ignition is fired by an Accel coil and Taylor wires. Ultimate Headers custom-fabricated a set of 1 7/8-inch tubes that flow to a 3-inch Magnaflow system. Other components include a Wagner accessory drive, Power Master alternator, All Star Performance oil cooler and of course there’s an Optima Yellow Top in there.

The engine produces 558 horsepower and 497 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. It sounds fantastic at idle and when the throttle is kicked open, look out. Love it or hate it, the engine is interesting and a unique design feature of the build. “In the [Optima] series there’s a Lingenfelter design and engineering competition. Points are awarded based on build quality, fit, and execution. At the end of the year, all the cars that do well get put on display at SEMA. It’s progressed to when you walk through Optima Alley you see some of the nicest cars at the show and they run as good as they look. The whole series was done to promote the aftermarket.”

Backing the LS is a Centerforce 10.5-inch DYAD twin-disc clutch that sends power to the Tremec T-56 Magnum gearbox. McIlvaine chose a 4-inch aluminum driveshaft from Dynotech that connects to the Ford 9-inch from Detroit Speed.

Randy wanted a name for the car, so we went with “Confucius” because the look of the engine fooled a lot of people. He liked the look of the Torino more than a Cyclone, even though the wheel wells are Cyclone. Randy, again, went with the Mustang taillights. “When you hire someone like Randy, you hire them and then you have to turn them loose. The Grabber Blue is the opposite color on the color wheel from the General Lee. I wanted a Ford color and something that popped. The original goal was to put a roll bar in, but fitment was an issue. We had to extend the steering wheel, drop the floor two inches, and allow the seat to go back almost to touching the rear seat,” McIlvaine stated.

Supreme handling was a major goal so they removed the front factory rails and grafted in a Detroit Speed 1965-70 Mustang front suspension. The front also uses 600-lb springs, JRI double-adjustable shocks and a Detroit Speed rack and pinion. Out back is a Detroit Speed Quadra Link designed for a Mustang, but modified to fit the big Merc. It uses floater axles with C7 hubs, 175-lb springs, and JRI double-adjustable shocks.

Confucius has lots of go, so naturally it needed major “woah.” Wilwood got the call with Spec 37 14-inch rotors and six-piston Aero Lite calipers up front and the same out back with four-piston calipers. Rolling stock consists of Forgeline 18×12-inch wheels with 335/30/18-inch BFGoodrich Rival S tires at each corner.

Along with an amazing list of parts, this Cyclone GT has a bevy of body mods that give it a look of it’s own. “We started in the front with modified front fenders and hood (with heat extractors) and we fit a ’69 Torino grille in there. We installed mini tubs and pulled out the wheel wells for tire clearance. To clean up the lines, we removed the drip rails. There are custom bumpers, the quarter-extensions are hand-made, and we used 1970 Mustang taillights. You’ll note the gas filler door is removed, and there’s extensive work to ensure the door gaps are perfect.”

The interior includes Auto Meter gauges, an NRG suede steering wheel and Cobra seats with custom stitching. As we stated earlier, the original plan called for a roll bar, but it wasn’t feasible considering the location of the driver’s seat, which accommodates McIlvaines, seven-foot plus frame.

“It drove a lot easier then I thought it would, says McIlvanie. “It has 335 series tires all the way around, but Randy did such a good job making it fast and drivable. This car just turns easy It takes getting use to a lopy cam, and it makes me feel good when I drive it. Even from the first time we took it out, it was competitive. So, for 2019, I want to get to some autocrosses and [track events] at Road America, NCM Motorsports Park, and NOLA, which are all Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car Series events.”

Like any project, it takes great people and dedication to see it through. Jim would like to offer special thanks to his wife Gwendolyn McIlvaine and friends, Tobie Johnson, Cam Douglass, Ken Lingenfelter, Jeff Schwartz, Johnny Hunkins, and Pedro Gonzalez.

The post Former NBA Center Jim McIlvaine’s 1969 Mercurty Cyclone GT is a Slam Dunk Street Machine appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/former-nba-center-jim-mcilvaines-1969-mercurty-cyclone-gt-slam-dunk-street-machine/ via IFTTT

[kevoreally]

#BuffyAt20 - S03E03 “Faith, Hope, and Trick”

This here’s a major one, folks! Season 3, Episode 3, “Faith, Hope, and Trick” - which does not technically have that Oxford comma in it but I can’t really help myself.

> To start, this is definitely a very special episode to me. I'm not sure why. I think this was the first episode of Buffy I ever watched both live AND completely caught up.

> Plus, Buffy getting back into school, Faith being introduced, the ostensible villain and love interest are introduced, it's a lot!

> The opening scene in particular is one that always makes me smile. "Oh I like you giddy." Squee.

> I don't think we were allowed to go off campus for lunch, even as seniors. We did have our own cafeteria though.

> "Prepare to uncouple. ... Uncouple."

> "I don't believe she slays either." "Oh I hear she can but she doesn't like to."

> "You're supposed to stop me when I do that." "I like when you do that." Oz was dream boyfriend.

> “He didn't try to slit our throats or anything. That's progress.” CORDELIA, WHY DO YOU TALK.

> Thanks for making me think calling my female friends "slut" was permissible, Xander.

> "Yes, date, and shop, and hang out and got to school, and save the world from unspeakable demons. You know, I wanna do girlie stuff." Hero ✌️

> Also there's something to that last line mirroring her encounter with the First Slayer at the end of Season 4.

> Happy Burger? Where's The Doublemeat Palace??

> I really loved Mr. Trick, he should've survived to wreak more havoc in the future.

> Drive-Thru Guy is cute.

> I was super fascinated back in the day with the concept of Kakistos, like The Master, devolving into a more animalian form.

> Jeez, twenty years later and this theme still gets me pumped. Can't wait to see what it's like in 2048.

> OMIGOD, THIS DREAM SEQUENCE. We were OBSESSED with interpreting these dreams. Now, as an adult writer, I get that it was probably mostly nonsense.

> "GO TO HELL! ... I did." Dat face. And like, yea, what was that even supposed to mean?

> I've literally worn a Claddagh for 20 years because of this show. It's only incidental that I'm Irish. No lie.

> Buffy, why are you playing with the letter opener in front of Snyder? Why would you goad him? Sigh.

> "I think what my daughter is trying to say is: nyah nyanya nyah nyah" Joyce for days.

> There's a real and palpable shift in tone from the last time Buffy stood in this library.

> Demon Pizza is a great band name

> When asked about the Acathala ritual, knowing it’s a lie, Giles gives a great performance as someone who is used to the teens telling him his stuff is boring so he doesn't bother filling in the details.

> They really go full throttle on Willow being a "Wicca" from Episode 2 and just don't stop, huh?

> HAHA, you can see Faith sexydancing in the first shot of the Bronze scene. Not too obvious though.

> Scott is uncomfortably earnest.

> "Plus bonus points for use of the word 'mosey.'" Yes, Oz.

> THERE'S THE WORD "SLUT" AGAIN - thanks, Cordy!

> Disco Vampire is pretty cute. Also, I love the way Eliza moves in this scene.

> "I don't think that guy thrives on sunshine." Yes, sometimes this is just me tweeting Buffy quotes I love.

> OH, SCOTT, WHYYY.

> Weekly shout-out to Christophe Beck for his amazing work. Love you, bro.

> "It's okay, I got it. You're, uh, Buffy, right? I'm Faith." HOLY CRAP, I ACTUALLY LOVE HER FROM LINE ONE.

> Buffy always did a great job of crafting scenes that could later be used perfectly in the Previously's.

> Ugh, and Faith calls her B right away. I love it. I'll say right up front, I don't personally ship it, but I see it.

> "Wow, they should film that story and show it every Christmas" is something I said a lot for ten years.

> Like, I get the need to explain how this situation with Faith being called happened to the audience, but why is Cordy the mouthpiece here?

> "Xander, find a new theme." For real tho.

> Buffy bringing up The Three here is FASCINATING, because now they seem more like a footnote in the grand scheme of things. And as someone who had spent the summer catching up on Seasons 1 and 2, I *LOVED* it when it came up.

> "It's a long story." "I got bit." "Apparently not that long." They will definitely reuse this joke.

> FIVE BY FIVE!!!!!

> Omigod I love Giles's wistful waxing on about the Watchers' retreat.

> Like. But if they don't like Giles, why is he in charge of the active Slayer? Are they just hoping she'll die soon and they can just have the next one better-trained? ... I withdraw my question.

> "Raise your hand if ew." Also something I said a lot. I love Willow's smirk, though. Sexuality is a spectrum, baby.

> I need a coffee mug that says "Sunnydale: Home of the Big Brewin' Evil"

> Buffy is way over this second Slayer WAY fast. Girl, Kendra died. Think about that.

> "Acathala. Angel. Me. Sword."

> "Next time I kill Angel, I'll video it." Today that would be "Livestream it."

> As a continuity buff, I really love the stroll through Sunnydale High that they give Faith.

> I also say "aboat" a lot because of the way Faith says it here.

> It's just TOO RANDOM that Faith ALSO bumps into Scott Hope and hits it off with him. TOO RANDOM.

> What hair color does Cordelia think Faith’s hair is, if not brunette?

> It's, like, not even homecoming, it's not weird that Buffy hasn't made a move on Scott yet, everyone needs to chill on her ass.  

> "I don't care if there are 100 Slayers." Snerk.

> Mr. Trick needs to stop eating all of the food service industry workers in this town. That's two in one episode!

> I don't know how we're supposed to feel about Joyce doting on Faith but I love it. Especially because it's not at the expense of Buffy.

> JOYCE *IS* THE BEST MOM EVER, BUFFY, DON'T FRONT.

> "It's probably good you were an only child." SNERK AGAIN.

> Legit, though, stuff like that's wild. When this aired, that had a whole different context than it does watching the completed show.

> "Two of you fighting is safer than one, right?" "I guess." ...How is the answer to that not just yes? It’s math.

> Oof, "Slayer Pride Parade." I thought that was cuter at 12 than I do now.

> Buffy really does start way too agitated every time with Faith in this episode. It's not a good color on her.

> "What is it, the Angel thing?" Oh Faith, I was rooting for you.

> "Why are you lips still moving, F?" That's still a great mic-drop moment.

> "My dead mother hits harder than that." But not as hard as that anvil.

> "She has almost no deck. She has a three."

> "I used to love a good kayak."

> Fun fact: my dad came home with our Honda CRV during this scene. It was my first car. RIP, Serenity </3

> "Maybe he lived for taquitos - What?"

> Leprechauns still aren't real in the Buffyverse, right? I hope so.

> Scott seems really sweet but he's way too pushy. Then again, soft virgins often are. I would have wasted a LOT of time being in love with Scott Hope in high school. Only for the bastard to come out in college, rrrgh.

> 20 years later, I've still never seen a single Buster Keeton film.

> Getting her a ring is SO PRESUMPTIVE that it makes me root against him. If they wanted the imagery, they should've been, like, a Claddagh keychain or something. Not literally the same prop.

> I was definitely surprised to learn Faith's Watcher was dead, legit.

> Faith's landlord looks like Greg Brady, and I have literally always thought this.

> "Broads like you"? What?

> "Like you took care of your Watcher?" On the one hand, harsh. On the other, retaliation for the Angel stuff. But mostly the first one.

> It's weird that Faith just returns to this same hotel room to live in after this. You don't even take a different room? Another hotel? If this was Power Rangers, she would go and live with Buffy, just saying.

> “First rule of Slaying: don't die.”

> I love when Buffy kicks things at bad guys, haha.  

> I also love this ENORMOUS STAKE. Truly fantastic.

> "You hungry?" "Starved." Okay we get it.

> They ultimately never assigned a new Watcher to Faith. Wesley was sent because Giles was fired. Huh.

> I listened to the audio clip of this "Angel was cured" scene, like, a BILLION times. (Thanks, Psyche Sound Archive!)

> "So I told him that I loved him, and I kissed him, and I killed him." 💔

> I love that it's Willow and Giles here for this.

> "There is no spell." Classic Giles.

> Considering Buffy was, like, expelled and wanted by the police, Scott should ABSOLUTELY be reasonable about how weird she is if he is at all genuinely interested.

> I'm sad we didn't get more of this "Buffy has a normal boyfriend" arc. We don't even get many episodes of it with Riley, and anyway surprise he also hunts demons. Buffy never had a Harvey Kinkle.

> Oh hey, Mansion, we're gonna be seeing a lot more of you this year.

> As "Close Your Eyes" was one of the themes that made me fall in love with television score, obviously this scene laying the ring to rest meant a GREAT DEAL to me: https://youtu.be/6rom5MQhaMY

> And then there's dat ass! Welcome back, David.

As Dark Willow would say, two to go!

[escapemotions]

Interview with artist: Julija Lubgane

Today we’d like to present a very talented artist specializing in fashion illustration, Julija Lubgane. We talked about inspiration, her dedication to art which brought her across the pond and many more. Read on...

Hi Julia, how are you today? Can you please present yourself to our readers? Where and when did your life as a creative being begin?

My name is Julija Lubgane and I am a fashion illustrator. My creative journey started back in Latvia when I was about seven years old. I always saw my dad creating, whether it was drawing, sculpting or wood crafting. He was the one who is responsible for embedding the craft of art in me. He would give me drawing lessons and increase the difficulty day by day. It was not until I found my mom’s sewing fashion magazine that increased my interest to become a fashion illustrator. All the designs in those magazines were illustrated by hand, and I was absolutely mesmerized by the beauty and accuracy of drawing skills. That was the pivot point when I realized that this is what I want to do, this is who I want to be.

You’re now based in Chicago. Tell us more about your decision to move from Latvia to United States. 

I enrolled into the Art College when I was 15 years old and graduated with honors with Fashion Design degree. However, I was unable to find anything suitable in Latvia for my dreams and passion for illustration so I decided to move to United States. I barely spoke English and had no one in Chicago to lean on. But nothing was going to stop me to achieve my goal. I enrolled in The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago, where I spent the next 5 years studying Fashion Design and Business of Fashion. This school truly exposed my skills to right people. The Director at the time was very supportive of my art and provided me with opportunities to display my work in school events and outside parties. This is exactly how I met my current employer. I have had the privilege of illustrating fashion apparel for Cintas Corporation since 2011. I absolutely love my job and am thankful for all the opportunities that I have had since being a part of the amazing Cintas design team.

I have big ambitions and lots of ideas. Because of that, outside my daily illustrator job, I illustrate my own fashion art. I have been doing that for almost 20 years now. I try to practice every chance I get because I believe that every artist should be a master of their own style. I go through good days when everything on paper looks just how I imagined, and I also have those days when nothing goes right. I try really hard to balance it all – my family, my art and my personal life in order to have an inner happiness and steadiness.

Besides formal education, what is the hardest thing you have had to learn as an artist?

The hardest thing that I had to learn is who I am as an artist and then work extremely hard to polish my unique artistic style. As an artist, I am my harshest critic. I perfect each piece until I feel it is worth exposing to the public. I practice a lot and strive for perfection in lines, shading and color application. I am very sensitive to balance on the page – it must be perfect! Every line and every shape has its own place - that is how you make a piece look effortless. Sometimes it takes many tries to perfect the balance of a drawing on the page, but when it’s right, the satisfaction is enormous. I also like to try new techniques with my art - as long as I can stay true to my style and don’t disconnect too far from my drawing aesthetics.

Your fashion illustration leaves us speechless. It looks like your art and Rebelle were made for each other. 😊 How did you come across Rebelle and what are your thoughts on it?

I really appreciate your compliments. You have no idea how much excitement Rebelle brought into my art when I discovered it. For a very long time I drew in a traditional style – paper, pencil and watercolor. But one day - in 2006 to be exact, I was exposed to Adobe Photoshop and Wacom tablet and everything in my world of art has changed. I embraced digital technology and practiced until results started to show. I was so excited to experience the new possibilities and take my art to the next level. I love the feeling of my Wacom Cintiq 21ux tablet, it gives me the ability to draw directly on the screen. I can use all sorts of pencils, colors, textures and such. I created some of my own brushes and some were those I found on web. But my goal was always to create something so real digitally that people would be asking if it’s digital or not. This day is already here! So, not long ago I was browsing YouTube in search of tutorials that show the customization of brushes in Photoshop. That is when I saw Rebelle! I was blown away! It was exactly what I was looking for and searching for so long. The brushes, the blending options and the entire software was so groundbreaking to me that I purchased a full version after an 8 minute trial. I absolutely love Rebelle! I think it’s amazing software and absolutely essential for any digital artist whose interest is in watercolor or other mediums. So yes, I do think that Rebelle and my art are made for each other. 😊

Illustration: are you a natural talent or are your skills laboriously acquired?

I do believe, because of my dad and his skills, I have what you call “talent”. However, nothing in this life comes easy, including art. I do believe that you have to work hard and work a lot in order to achieve your goals and dreams. Like my dad always said: “Art is 10% talent and 90% work”.

Are you morning bird or night owl? What time of day does your creative mind work at full throttle?

Oh, I am definitely a morning bird! I love mornings! I love my coffee in the morning and uninterrupted drawing time. I can wake up as early as 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning if I have the need to draw. I enjoy seeing the sun through the big windows in my office that oversee my beautiful back yard. I was never a night person - even in college! I never stayed up late to finish anything - everything was completed on time and during the day. I always joke that my brain shuts down past 6 p.m.

Where can people see and buy your artworks?

I am very active on Instagram @julijalubgane. I post new art, my work in progress and live videos almost daily. Also, I have my website www.julijalubgane.com. Two other places that I love to post are Behance and Coroflot. I think these two sites are amazing for any person who creates. Also, I sell my prints on Etsy and Amazon. People can see my art all over the web - simply type in my name and the search results will take you to many different sites.

Thanks for all Julija and keep up the good work!

[robertkstone]

Past Best Driver’s Car Winners

It’s been a decade since we first handed out this award. Truth be told, for two years we called it “Best Handling Car” but then decided to switch it to Best Driver’s Car, or BDC, back in 2009. Why the switch? Well, some cars handle great but aren’t so fun to drive. Think of it this way: A purpose-built track car will set a blistering lap time, but it’s probably miserable for a Sunday afternoon drive on your favorite road. Probably. Anyhow, by switching the focus from the relatively narrow handling criteria to the much broader “what makes a great driver’s car?” matrix, we could see the entire performance forest, not just a single tree.

Ten years later—though for various reasons, we skipped 2010—BDC is bigger and better than ever. That said, it’s always helpful to go back and see what came before. Meditate on our history, learn from our mistakes, reflect on what made this award important enough to give out again and again and again. And let’s be honest, when is reading about sports cars ever not fun? I believe the answer to that is “never.” With all that in mind, here’s the list of previous BHC and BDC winners. Enjoy! –Jonny Lieberman

2016 Best Driver’s Car: McLaren 570S

This is the essence of a driver’s car in our estimation. The McLaren may not be the most technologically advanced car present, nor is it the quickest. It doesn’t need to be. We want to drive it far more than we want to drive any of the other cars. The 570S wants to take that favorite road faster, to set a quicker lap time, as much as you do, and you’ll become addicted to the rush every time you go a little faster around a corner you’d thought you’d mastered. “The second you start moving, something magical happens,” Cammisa said. “You become part of the car.”

2015 Best Driver’s Car: Mercedes-AMG GT

The 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S in about 800 words? Let’s start with these: exclusive, luxurious, sensuous, quick, nimble, versatile, and in the right hands a track-ready supercar capable of lap times that don’t seem possible considering its versatility and second-place road test performance results. So what makes GT S, a car seemingly too stylish to be taken seriously, such a singularly special supercar or definitive driver’s car? In boxing terms, the never-flinching Animal from Affalterbach fights above its class—and wins—consistently and decisively.

2014 Best Driver’s Car: Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

If you’d asked us five years ago whether the then-all-new Chevrolet Camaro would be invited to Best Driver’s Car, we would have scoffed. Had you suggested that a Camaro would win Best Driver’s Car, we’d have all had a good belly laugh at the very notion.

Who’s laughing now?

The transformation of the fifth-generation Camaro from “musclecar that handles pretty well” to Best Driver’s Car winner is astounding. Few other cars we can think of have made such an advance in a single generation. Says Lieberman, “Perhaps the Corvair, but even by 1965 it wasn’t anywhere near this good.”

2013 Best Driver’s Car: Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

It was inevitable. Sooner or later, there was going to be a repeat Best Driver’s Car winner, and with three former champions all competing head to head, the odds were good this would be the year.

Of course, you shouldn’t be surprised. Technically, the 911 was already a repeat winner, with the 911 GT3 having won our inaugural Best Handling Car competition, the precursor to Best Driver’s Car. (This Carrera’s 1:39.19 lap time was nearly half-a-second quicker around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca than that 2007 GT3’s.) Then there’s the fact that the 911 Carrera S won unanimously last year. This year, the 911 Carrera 4S faced stiffer competition, and both the SLS and R8 stole a few first place votes, but not a single judge ranked the 911 lower than second. While the Star fought with the Rings, the Crest walked away with the girl.

The 911 won by being supremely confident at all times. Even with all the nannies off, you could wait until beyond the last second to torpedo the brakes, ride the smooth oversteer at turn-in, keep the nose dead on the apex through the middle, and go to wide-open throttle on the way out. In every single corner, every single time. Hail to the King.

2012 Best Driver’s Car: Porsche 911 Carrera 4

Yup, the Porsche. Ferry’s ageless squashed Beetle takes top honors in this year’s BDC. Don’t even bother to stop the presses. Porsche wins another comparison. This time, it’s the 991 version of the Carrera S, currently the hottest version of the sixth-generation, rear-engined, “four”-seat luxury sport coupe. It’s larger than ever, with the rear engine scooched a bit more toward the middle, and features the electrically assisted power steering system that has kept most of the Porsche-loving world up for months with the cold sweats. Why? Because of the possibility that an ounce of that precious 911 steering feel has been lost. That Porsche won it all.

A much more interesting outcome to this story would have been if one of the hand-built exotics had won. After all, every 12-year-old boy in the world knows a priori that the Aventador must be the winner. Just like how every F1 junkie is positive that the McLaren is the best one here. Or, good-story-wise, what if the little BRZ pulled off an upset? Talk about David cleaning Goliath’s clock! Even the AMG would have been a more interesting verdict. But no, the car with the second-least power here, the car that’s not even a special performance derivative (like the upcoming Turbo, GT3, GTS, 50th Anniversary Edition 911, etc.) is the 2012 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car.

2011 Best Driver’s Car: Ferrari 458 Italia

After ruining each and every windshield filming our epic, 11-car drag race, the whole crew was standing in the parking lot of an Italian restaurant waiting for our 24-person table. It had been a long, grueling, yet utterly fantastic week, and to celebrate we were drinking beer and whiskey out of plastic cups. Markus and MacKenzie were regaling us young ‘uns with tales of lousy Ferraris of yore, in particular the 348, which Lucca had earlier explained was developed by famed Ferrari test driver Dario Benuzzi with one arm in a sling. Both Frank and Angus told how the old-school Fezza had tried to kill them. The conversation moved to the F355, the F360, and the F430, and how each generation represented a huge improvement over what came before. “But you know, this car is more like the NSX,” said Angus, leaning against our bright yellow 458 Italia. “It changes everything. The rest of ’em are now playing catch-up.”

2009 Best Driver’s Car: Porsche Cayman S PDK

In technical editor Kim Reynolds’ first-drive story of the Porsche Cayman S PDK, which marked Motor Trend’s initial experience with Stuttgart’s mid-engine seven-speed-dual-clutch sports car, he made a very bold declaration. “It’s now, in my humble opinion, very simply the best sports car in the world.” Since most of you don’t know Kim, allow us to inform you that he is quite possibly the most humble man on the planet. So when the humblest editor states a humble, albeit audacious opinion, his fellow MT staffers perk up and heed the call. Still, the best sports car in the world? Rightfully so, Reynolds had his skeptics.

Well, after flogging the Cayman S around track and twisties, we have only one thing to say to Sir Kim:You were absolutely right.

“No other car here — not one — delivers the Porsche‘s Braillelike road-reading,” says St. Antoine. “You can feel every tire doing its work.” Markus wholeheartedly agrees: “Probably more than any other car here, including the R8, this one feels like an extension of your neural synapses.” And Pobst? Why, the first three words to come from his mouth were, “Racecar. Racecar. Wow.” Translation? “The thing about the Cayman is-gosh, I hope they don’t hate me for saying this — I think it’s just about better than any 911. The Cayman is one of the best-handling cars I’ve ever driven.”

2008 Best Handling Car: Audi R8

In another world compared with the other cars here,” said Pobst of the Audi R8. “So sweet,” said road-tester Scott Mortara. “Lots of steering feel, great grip, but a compliant ride, too,” noted editor MacKenzie. Each driver was describing the same qualities: On track or road, the R8 is Baryshnikov-fluid yet controlled, graceful yet dynamic. The figure-eight tracing is smooth and tight, with high limits but gentle transitions. Step-steer reaction time is fourth, lane-change third, ride quality fourth. The numbers only hint at the overall handling excellence, though. At any speed, you feel the delicate transparency of the steering, the supple yet confident chassis control, the crisp turn-in. Offered a weekend off to exploit the twirls and twists of Southern California’s beckoning hills, the Audi R8 — a car we’ve experienced from the Corkscrew to the salt flats of Utah’s Black Rock Desert-is the car we’d most want to pilot, the machine with magic in its mid-engine, quattro-fed chassis. Why, in just a turn or two, the R8 even makes second-thoughts disappear.

2007 Best Handling Car: Porsche 911 GT3

Which is the best-handling car in the land? We’ve instrumented and tested 10 great cars, microanalyzing the vehicle dynamics of each. We’ve spent hours at the wheel assessing the nuanced feedback each car transmits to its driver. The logbook notes, interview tapes, and 420 megabytes’ worth of objective test data agree: The clear winner is the Michelin-Porsche 911 GT3. We’re augmenting the nomenclature here to acknowledge the immense contribution the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires make to the tail-heavy Porsche icon’s handling. They’re the closest thing to a full-on racing tire that is DOT-legal for street use. They’re fair game because GT3s come from the factory with these tires, and we doubt that fitting conventional summer rubber would lower the GT3’s performance to a second-place finish here. Conversely, a set of Cup tires probably wouldn’t have enabled any of the competitors to outperform the GT3.

But we’re nagged by the fact that the astonishing fair-weather grip generated by these new Michelins will degrade markedly when the short-lived gooey tread compound wears down, when temperatures fall, or when anyone so much as wet-sneezes on the pavement. If actual rain is falling, park this car or limp it home as though negotiating a blizzard in Buffalo.

The post Past Best Driver’s Car Winners appeared first on Motor Trend.

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[itsworn]

Classic Car Studio Builds a Model A that Stops Traffic

Rock stars. They’ve got the life. They go out, play some gigs, and then do famous people stuff with other famous people all the while making themselves more famous. That fame also allows them the opportunity to buy or build their dream rides.

That brings us here, to this 1930 Ford Model A, a bare metal street rod formally owned by bassist Dale Stewart of the band Seether. As the story goes Dale was no stranger to performance automobiles, having owned quite a few sport and exotic cars as well as his share of custom motorcycles. In the latter part of 2016, he contacted Noah Alexander, the owner of Classic Car Studio in St. Louis, Missouri about building a one-off special. This was not going to be a typical restomod or flat-out speed machine, but instead a chopped, channeled and blown ground-pounder that was to be enjoyed a mere twenty miles at a time. According to Noah, “He wanted something that was totally crazy, off the wall and completely unique that could be driven when he got back from touring, and that, if we came up with a great idea, we’d have full permission to just run with it and do whatever we want.”

And run with it they did.

Noah’s idea at first sounded simple. Build a raw, classic hot rod complete with the full playbook of Classic Car Studio touches. It was to be a mix of old school design and craftsmanship combined with a bit of steam punk flair, resulting in a car that would not only stop traffic, but summon conversation wherever it was driven. Before we dive into the Model A, though it’s important to learn a little about CCS owner Noah Alexander as a car enthusiast and business owner, as it will help everyone to better comprehend the genesis of the ’30 Ford.

For many of us the urge to play with cars started at a young age. Matchbox and Hot Wheels where the choice of many, and be it good or bad, the desire to keep playing only evolved as we matured. Sadly, one of the most difficult things a budding young car enthusiast can endure is the realization that those around them do not share in their passion – something Noah found at a young age.

“As a kid, I was always trying to get my Dad to buy a Mustang, Camaro, or a pickup truck, but he just drove what was appropriate and didn’t care about cars otherwise. My parents nurtured my other interests such as sports and music, and while they never neglected me in anyway, they never saw my enthusiasm for cars. It was never even on their radar,” Noah says. As a way to venture into the field, Noah would research local car shows, then jump on his bicycle and ride all over town in an attempt to be a part of them. While he did tinker with automobiles in high school, it wasn’t until after college that things started to fall into shape.

To those who want to enter this profession Noah states, “I always push tech schools. If you want to get into the car business and you like this hobby, get into engineering, go to a tech school, and learn the craft. It will only help you. I had a business and psychology degree with a minor in Spanish (laughs) and went through the whole school system because I thought that’s what I had to do. I cherish it in regards to the critical thinking skills and tools it’s given me that are important in life, but I would’ve been better off in vocational school. The problem was that I didn’t even know that was an option until I was already in the business. Back then it seemed like if you went to technical school, it was looked down upon. In hindsight, that is just ridiculous.”

To understand why this is relevant, we must go back to 2006 when Classic Car Studio wasn’t a hot rod shop, but, instead, was a purveyor of classic vehicles that catered to customers from around the world. At the time, buying and selling classic and exotic cars was a great business, as the economy was strong. When it started to go south in the late 2000’s, though, things changed. For starters, the bank for which Noah relied on was purchased by another bank, which subsequently failed, as did the credit line that was extended to him. That meant a halt on the buying of new inventory and a rush to sell everything they had. Rather than laying off workers and closing shop, Noah invested in the talents of his employees and modified his business plan to move Classic Car Studio forward in a new direction.

“We had a group of technicians that were into street racing, hot rods, and all that stuff, so we started building hot rods and custom cars. It started out of utter panic, which is crazy, but it ultimately became the best part of what we’re now doing, which is pretty damn cool,” says Noah.

In addition to building custom cars, what Classic Car Studio is doing now is Speed Is The New Black, a new show on Discovery. However, when first approached about the idea of doing a show, Noah was skeptical, “At first, it was kind of a foreign idea that I knew nothing about. With new things, you generally lose money, but we shot a sizzle reel and after two years, (laughs) it got picked up. My favorite part about it, beyond the great customers and the cool builds, is that we’ve gotten to meet everyone in the automotive industry because, all of a sudden, we became recognizable. Not only has this help gain a host of new customers, but new fans as well.”

Fast forward to the present and the build of this Model A; a build that combines a variety of styles and components. We’re talking about a 1930 Ford body with a Chrysler 331 HEMI that’s mated to a GM transmission and fed through a Ford rear end – got that? And while it may seem like a hodgepodge of parts, there is a method to the madness.

Noah explains, “this build was a breath of fresh air. We had the idea to build something really simplistic and visceral, while using the best parts we had access to. It’s stout, it does a burnout at quarter throttle and it’s just a wild ride. This is not the kind of vehicle you drive for 200-miles. Instead, it’s 20-miles and you’re done. There are a few cars out there that make you terrified when you drive them, which is the ultimate experience for me.. For a car to make you feel that way every time you drive it, I’ll chalk that up as a win.”

Let’s begin with the power plant. TRUTH: Everything, regardless of the year, make or model looks better with a blown HEMI. Rebuilt by Morley Performance of Fenton, Missouri, the 331 HEMI was outfitted with a Hot Heads Cam (for a wicked lope), a set of Holley Carburetors, MSD Ignition, and Speedway Motors Headers that are just loud enough to blow the eardrums out of both the driver and passenger. The whole setup is gnarly and gives the car a presence that’s akin to the scrappiest junkyard dog you’ve ever come across.

For cooling, a keen eye will notice the lack of a radiator behind that custom grille. Frankly that isn’t a surprise, as the industry doesn’t make many units for applications such as this. While mounting one up front was the original plan, it simply wasn’t efficient, nor did it work with the overall aesthetic of the car. Instead, they mounted a large, high-capacity unit out back, complete with twin electric fans that move 3,000-cfm apiece.

From there, the crew crafted a custom built chassis that in itself, is a work of art. With box tubing for stiffness and with the goal of enhanced drivability, the chassis was constructed so that the entire driveline would be housed up and inside the body. In fact look closely and you’ll notice that nothing hangs lower than the actual body of the car. After the engine was positioned, a TH700-R4 automatic transmission with a custom 10-inch converter was sourced from TCI Transmissions along with a John’s Industries Ford 9-inch rearend with 4.10 gears.

For suspension, the Model A utilizes a solid I-beam with radius arms and a reverse spring up front with a custom 4-link with Speedway Motors shocks and modified perches out back. The wheels are custom Classic Car Garage’s own “Smoothie” models shod with Firestone Deluxe Champion rubber from Coker Tire. The stance is aggressive and staggered with 18-inch front and 20-inch rims in the rear. Stopping is accomplished via a hidden Wilwood master cylinder and drum brakes at all four corners compliments of Speedway Motors. For those of you who scoff at the idea of drum brakes in this day and age, just remember what famed auto journalist Brock Yates once said, “The point of brakes in an emergency stop is to stop you once. If you have to make emergency stop after emergency stop, you have a problem worse than your brakes.”

With the mechanical bits out of the way, Noah and his team turned to the body. The guys at CCS started with an original 1930 Ford Model A shell that was stripped bare to find any imperfections. From there 5 inches was chopped from the roof with an additional 3 inches of channelling done to the floors and outer body so that the rear suspension would fit tucked up within a custom enclosure. Even though the body itself was chopped and massaged, the crew still managed to keep the integrity of the Model A intact. To aid with cooling, twin panels were cut into the rear to duct air through the radiator. They were scalloped fitted with brass rivets, a theme that can be seen throughout the vehicle.

Noah knew he wanted retain the wooden slats in the roof, so he turned to friend and woodworker Martin Goebel from Goebel & Co. Furniture, and together they came up with an innovative solution. They made a template that follows the curvature of the roof, and built the slats in layers using a combination of an exotic hardwood known as zebrawood, strengthened by sheets of carbon fiber. In total, four layers of zebrawood and three layers of carbon fiber were used to maximize the roofs stiffness and rigidity. As the Model A was always meant to be a “sunshine only” type of vehicle, a decision was then made to leave the roof uncovered so that onlookers would have visual access to the cabin.

From the exterior to the interior, the bare metal theme continues. Every surface on the Model A has been custom fabricated utilizing bead rolled panels, chocolate brown leather accents, and a slew of brass rivets for contrast. This is a minimalist interior if there ever was one with little to no attention paid to comfort.Hell, there aren’t even windows. Twin bomber seats have been fitted to hold you in place, but don’t look for seatbelts because there aren’t any. The only things you’ll find in the cabin are a set of vertically stacked Autometer gauges that have been frenched into the console, a two spoke steering wheel with brass accents, and a big ass shift lever with a leather boot.

So how’s the visibility? Gee, thanks for asking��

It’s amazing. It’s terrifying. It’s exhilarating. In other words, it is exactly how it should be for a build such as this. Nothing about this car is practical. Staring out the windshield means a face full of 6-71. Rest your arm on the window sill and prepare to have road debris embedded in your elbow. If that’s not enough, you can always take comfort in knowing that the fuel tank is mounted directly behind your head. Take that Ford Pinto!

Non-traditional builds like the CCS Model A are intriguing. They’re not about fuel economy numbers, safety, or comfort. Instead they’re vessels built around the ideals of hooliganism and adrenaline,. They also take an owner that’s of confident mind and body as the driving dynamics couldn’t be more different to that of a modern vehicle.

“This thing causes Moms in minivans to fist pump when you drive by. It’s so loud that it makes people on sidewalks freeze or something crazy. It creates spastic behavior in people. We’ve had one other build that’s done this- our twin-turbo C10- and while that makes people go crazy, nothing makes them lose their minds like the Model A,” says Noah.

To that, we wholeheartedly agree.

The post Classic Car Studio Builds a Model A that Stops Traffic appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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