#real viper hrs

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Anne Baxter (The Ten Commandments, All About Eve)—her soft, gentle voice in "all about eve", those gentle eyes with something odd behind them, the way she flips from Sweet Innocent to Viper on a dime......there was something Built Different about anne baxter, man, and it makes her so good for playing people who are Built Wrong. also one of my favorite batmen villains (her joint episode w vincent price is a delight) and of course I'm obsessed with her columbo episode where she bosses around edith head and does fabulous movie star things for no good reason. and i would be REMISS if i didn't mention her slink—oh the slink—in the ten commandments...................pardon me i must go think of sinning again

Waheeda Rehman (Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam)—90+ films and counting, an absolute legend of Hindi cinema. When I see her in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam it makes me want to chew glass

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Anne Baxter:

The prettiest murderer in that film. Just so beautifully evil as Nefertari.

Anne Baxter was part of my Bisexual Awakening. My family has a tradition that every Palm Sunday we watch The ten commandments on TV together... And starting from a very young age, I essentially developed a crushes on Anne Baxter's Nefertiri & Yul Brynner's Ramses. Dude, the woman was HOT! They both were! My crush definitely wasn't helped by the fact that Anne Baxter's costumes were a bit on the sheer side. She had a way of capturing you with her eyes, and I never understood why Charlton heston's Moses didn't just have a threesome with Nefertiri and Ramses. LOL

Her Nefertiri in The Ten Commandments was FORMATIVE TO ME. If not the hottest old movie lady, then she definitely played the hottest old movie character. if that makes sense.

Look. Listen. I only *just* discovered her on a post from the Have You Seen This Romcom poll blog. Saw she had the same last name as me and went OOH hi hello. Went to her IMdB and saw she was born in Indiana like moi. I am now even more intrigued. Been eagerly telling my partner this, and he was like "maybe you guys are distantly related?" And after 2 hrs of going down the tumblr tag + her imdb photos, I'm In Deep(tm) and I can't stop looking at her like 😍 When I go to my grandma's house, bet your ass I'm gonna check my grandpa's genealogy and see if we're somehow related. Sorry that's not really propaganda I just got real excited, esp when I saw that the submission deadline was extended (bless your soul). Narrowing down the movies where she's hottest in was Hell tyvm. I've only just discovered her, she looks gorgeous to me in every movie still I see of her gdi lol.

Waheeda Rehman propaganda:

Linked gif

Linked gif 2

[blacklodgemusictx]

Viva “Violensia”! New Jesse Daniel Edwards Album Out Now

(personal narrative starts here… skip if you only want to hear about the album)

Everyone should have a facilitator – someone in your corner to tell you the things you dream about – the crazy to the mundane- are not that far out of reach.

I’ve had many facilitators. I’ve tried, in turn, to fill that need for my friends.

This time it was my husband.

I wasn’t even trying. We JUST went on the mini tour with Salim. My needs should have been sated for awhile yet.

Doug, I sigh. Doug, Jesse’s album dropped the same day as Salim’s – June 23rd. His album release show is 06/30/23. It’s a Friday… 800+ miles away. We were JUST in Nashville for The Church and it was… expensive (we flew.)

Doug doesn’t even blink. Ask for it, tell your boss you’ll get your Friday work done early. We’ll drive it.

This feeling. Right here. If I could bottle… I love being surprised and this was joyful. I had *no* idea I could even hope for this and POOF there it is. A reasonable plan to accomplish this most primal of needs: to be front and center for music I love.

I get all my work done. I don’t hear from my boss about my leave. I pack anyway. I rage (quietly as is my way). I am a GOOD EMPLOYEE. I’ve only called in sick twice in the last three years and that was for COVID. Righteous indignation flows from every fiber of my being. I am about to get real ‘sick’. Uh huh. Don’t mess with me.

The long and short is they missed my request. It’s fine. I got Friday’s work done on Thursday. And just like that, Cinderella is allowed to go to the ball.

I log off my computer, car already packed, Doug awaits to whisk me off on the first leg of our journey. 6+ hrs gets us to Arkadelphia (“… freedom! Shine the light…”) The rest of the journey puts us in Nashville at 2ish. We sleep. Like the dead.

Awake.

Clean up. Get presentable. The venue website says, “Dress to impress” (it also likens itself to the Viper Room, but I would say only a 21st century Viper Room with Yelp reviews to contend with. A Viper Room genuinely concerned with both the use of coasters and Your Good Time.) It’s hard to “bring it” any harder than we do normally on a show night, but we try. I wear make up (never a guarantee) and Doug picks the spiffiest paisley shirt he brought.

The venue – The Eighth Room – has PARKING… A limited amount, but… (angelic singing) PARKINNNNNGGGG… regardless.

The side of the building sports artful “grafitti” – Rockstars live here. Good. We’re home then, I joke.

The Kraken tentacle door pull… is locked. I look up. There’s a camera. Please, Mr Eye in The Sky… please let us in…it’s hot. There’s a click. We walk in… and are immediately told things aren’t ready yet. Ok, I’m going to stand right here and not be in anyone’s way while being 2 degrees cooler than I was out there. Ok?

Not ok.

We are shuffled back outside.

Uh, why did you unlock the door then? They remedy this by locking it behind us.

We steam gently on the pavement for an interminable length of time. I start to wilt… sadness… I wore makeup on purpose for this.

*CLICK*

We are allowed back in!!! All is forgiven. The inside is dark and cold and… oh sweet Saint of Achy Joints and Bad Backs… there is a COUCH. I sink deliciously in to it and experience something rarely afforded me at shows: comfort.

I order a Diet Coke (psttt… use of coasters… that was foreshadowing) that I sip while goggling at my surroundings. There are statues with painted sayings emblazoned on them (“No more fake friends.”) Mirrors. Every surface is a different pattern, but it all works together. There is a stage directly in front of us hung with crushed velvet curtains.

There’s a fleeting pang in my chest. Had our business situation not prematurely folded last Summer, this is the type of space I would have wanted our venue to be.

I set the Diet Coke on the glass top table behind me and reach for what I thought might be a menu — later, a ghost appears unnoticed and places a folded napkin under my drink to catch the condensation. I am completely oblivious. Instead of a list of cocktails and nibbles, I’m looking at a program! Like this is a graduation or a kid’s school play.

I love it.

Under a tentative set list, I see this. No attribution (but he told me just now as I write this that yes, he and the others in the band wrote it). But this is why I am here… I’m tearing up again just reading it.

Artist’s Manifesto:

“We do so aim to create a beautiful noise to the best of our ability, an reckoning. We speak our simple truth, without falsehood. Let our words never be amended, censored, or appeased. Our concerns lie not the realm of the material or the monetary, but rather the spiritual and the poetical. For the benefit, not merely the entertainment, of all living creatures, the plants, the air, the soil, the water, and the sky.”

How many of these programs just got wadded up and thrown away that night? That is easily one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen … did anyone else even read it?

Showtime:

There’s Landon [Pigg]. If you’ve seen Jesse at all recently, you’ve seen Landon. I tried to research when the relationship began and the answer seems to be the end of last year (2022). For lack of more information, I’m going to create a scenario from the one bit I did manage to find about the relationship being borne of an appreciation of “red wine and music”… or something like that. Something half childhood playground interaction where it really was as easy as just asking, “Wanna be friends?” and the scene in Stepbrothers, “Did we just become… BEST. FRIENDS?”

Landon is all button-down shirt earnest. I love the quote in the program, “Landon is a young man on a soul quest. In a word, he is ‘nimble.’ His upper range engages birds and the more tuneful of dogs. Down, Scruffy, down girl!” A playful jab at the attractive nature of the earnest boy charming the birds down from the trees. His voice is beautiful. His songs are sweet and wistful. Though he seems to spend his time with Jesse on the percussive side (shaker, maracas, tambourine, bongos), he seems an adept multi-instrumentalist in his own right, moving comfortably between keys and guitar.

At some point, it starts to rain. It doesn’t even sound real at first. It sounds like rain sticks I used to see (don’t touch!) at the mall when I was a kid.

Beautiful.

I return to a lyric for what I’m sure won’t be the last time. From Occasionally Joy, “My wardrobe can’t make up its mind…” I’ve already amended my list of Jesse’s outfit personas once. I’m thrown a new one tonight. Jeans, white tank, and… Castiel help us… a trench coat. Tonight he looks like The Highlander (“there can be ONLY ONE!”) and I am living for it.

Just like my time spent Salim last weekend, Jesse with a band is a completely new experience from his quiet, unassuming performances spied thus far. I had a basic idea from videos watched online. It was completely different seeing it live.

Jesse is a man possessed. The demon-spirit is music. The Rock. I verify in my photos later – he’s not even aware at times. He is transported. Slave and master. Dominance and submission. Complete thrall to the sounds he wrestles from his guitar. He throws himself to the ground. “Haven’t the monkeys…” Writhes. “Done such…” Submits to the music while his guitar submits to him. “Lovely job…”

What we got:

Power of Us, The Future’s Been Canceled, The Last Time I Saw Nancy Claire (She Wasn’t Really There), Haven’t the Monkeys Done Such a Lovely Job, Feed Her to the Snake, Ads You Can Really Taste, I’m So Happy (I Think I Might Cry)*, Biting off The Hand that Feeds, Drop Dead and Die*, The Dream Where You Can’t Wake Up*, Everybody’s Got Somebody (Nobody’s Got Me)*, Backyard Party MDA*

(*from Violensia)

MDA was a delightful finale as everyone got up – lead by Landon who boasts some wicked rug cutting capability – and started dancing. It was fun to watch. Happiness like that is catching. A high note to end on for sure.

(READ HERE IF YOU SKIPPED PERSONAL NARRATIVE TO GET TO THE ALBUM STUFF)

Here is your Violensia sound bite:

“This album is SO GOOD it made me FLIP TABLES at my local mall food court. Buy it NOW!” — Someone With a Valuable Opinion (me, it’s me, I have a valuable opinion)

Back to my POV:

The show was amazing. We ended up rocking out next to a kind, older gentleman who was later revealed to be the Pigg Patriarch (or Father Pigg as he is now in my phone). He was delighted to meet us and hear of our long trek to see Jesse and his sons (Gabe, the drummer, belongs to Clan Pigg too). He even asked me what the draw was. It’s taken me time to realize why some of his music is so comfortable, so familiar to me.

Jesse said of the Violensia songs, “They are just so weird and dramatic and operatic…”

I showed Papa Pigg the tattoo that takes up a good portion of my right shin. Another young man with sculpted cheekbones and a flare for the “weird and dramatic and operatic.” Dad gets it. He says he already thought that with Jesse’s choice of white tank top tonight.

There can be only one…

Landon talks to us for a bit. He talks again about the stickers I gifted him with when I saw them in May. They were AI generated and then manipulated in Procreate. One is a guinea pig in front of a foamy cappuccino and the other is an anthropomorphized guinea pig playing a guitar. I was mildly terrified giving them to him. Afraid perhaps, like me, his name got him bullied in school, but no, he seemed delighted. Neither he nor Jesse seem to have much merch (I do stickers for Salim as a freebie at his merch table “Do you have room in your life for stickers?” He will ask people while they browse his offerings). Landon agrees they don’t have much merch usually, but he then tells me that his Mom has framed the stickers (I don’t know if I got this right, but I immediately see them placed over a mantle piece, something Mother Pigg has given pride of place to, she gazes fondly at them when she thinks of her boy, the singer… And oh YES in this imagining they are a family of Pixar animated guinea pigs ready to star in “Sing 3.” Please don’t begrudge me my happy mind movies.)

I pause… I think for a minute… trying to write this.

I don’t know what I am trying to express to you, the collective you.

I know there are people out there who feel like I do. People who don’t have a drug yet to keep them going. I’m just trying to show you mine. There’s a scene in the 1990 “It” where the little kid with asthma has it revealed to him that his medicine is just water. “If you need it, ” his friends tell him, “It’s good medicine.”

I’ll never write something that will single handedly drive up anyone’s album sales (but per the above Manifesto, it’s not even about that… this makes me feel better.) I’m just trying to show you out there in the darkness with me that there are lights, there are drugs – whatever they mean to you – there are things to keep going for.

There is beauty.

My favorite song from Violensia is “Dream Where You Can’t Wake up” (complete aside: I’m either psychic or the Gods of People Afraid to Fly unlocked Violensia for me months ago so I could listen to it on a flight recently while trying not think about crashing .. when I could finally listen to it officially, I knew EXACTLY how this entire song went):

“Tomorrow’s gonna come, the sun is gonna shine, shine on everyone…tomorrow’s gonna come blue skies are gonna hang far above everyone…”

And now I’m really dating myself. Just like Curly said in “City Slickers,” the answer is one thing.. ONE… but you have to figure out what that one thing is.

For me, it’s the hope I hear in these songs, Salim, Jesse, YOU out there making music because it’s what your soul needs to survive.

I’m not alone. There is something beautiful to look for. And when the darkness starts to creep back in, I will search for my next “hit” and the artists in the above manifesto will be out there ready to provide.

“To every broken heart that came before… I’m gonna be just fine…”

TLDR:

Jesse Daniel Edwards is an amazing artist. His new album is called “Violensia.” YOU WANT IT. It’s on Spotify, but vote with your dollars: HERE.

[adventurepunks]

Into the Viper’s nest

@grace-of-gotham​ + Talia al Ghul

Some people truly were a bad omen, a great signifier that whatever the status quo was, whatever stillness was had it all was about to be disrupted. She was a shadow, the last thing you would never see when she needed to be. But infiltration wasn’t always about not being seen, sometimes it was about blending in, sometimes it was to halt everyone at their tracks and take notice.

In a city of Gotham where everyone had a secret, to be obvious and in the center of attention was to be the least interesting for inspection. With long dark hair that cascaded, lips ruby red and a dress that hugged the right curves and offered the sight of a long lean muscled leg she wore the most dangerous weapon she possessed.

To give away the promise of more but deny anything more until every whim was obeyed.

Sure, one could simply snag Grace away, intimidate her and see if she would break but Talia simply did not wish to break her. Or to scare her. It was to see her in her natural habitat, to evaluate her personage and find some pressured buttons to push and see if the sweet bleeding heart of a girl did not hide some dark socks in those thrift shop goodie-two shoes of hers.

“You bore me with such a tedious attempt at dissuading me from my choice.”

On such a desk was Grace’s university file and when you were playing the CEO of a 6.7 billion dollar pharmaceutical company to be made to feel a conversation was a waste of time was to lose investment.

A game she played so many times, a master puppeteer, a chess player setting the board with sights of the opposing Queen.

Mrs Al -Shaheed

“Doctor-” she corrected.

Grace is a talented girl but she is only a third year student, a more seasoned doctor would be more equipted to-

“Lie to me and hide any shady little secrets while each word out of their mouth made me hear your voice” Talia interrupted.

“I do not negotiate doctor, you wish for my research and financial backing you will provide me with everything I require to evaluate whether your hospital is worth even a consideration. Leviathan will not associate with anything less than organizations that have a pristine spotless track record and Gotham has a bad reputation. I have decided that a young duckling simply will not know either what you hide and as you insist that I require an attache to abide with data protection laws and OCR and HIPAA regulations you will either provide me with the resource I requested or all you will have out of me will be this cheap coffee conversation”

She was difficult to please, she targeted those weak to her pressure, eager to please her just to keep her attention.

Thus one of the attending doctors, Doctor Reid would simply inform Grace’s attending physician that Grace was chosen for an assignment.

“Do everything she asks, secure this deal and it will look very favorably on your record. After all we are all a team, we have to work together and God knows we need the extra funding Grace” said doctor who had never spoken to her before informed.

One of Talia’s bracelets was worth more than Grace’s entire student loan, it was the point. The excess wealth on display, to accent the difference in social standing.

Time for one little duckling to scrub up, little did she know she was stepping less into a babysitting role and more into the nest of a viper.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am doctor Zahra al Shaheed. Begin by giving me a tour of your long term care wings please, these are my assistants their names matter not to you they shan’t be accompany us long as they shall be working with the hospital’s HR department. Do introduce yourself, what field will you specialize in? Interesting choice to live in Crime Alley but I suppose real estate is limited currently, I had to rent an office across from the cinema myself”

Cheap.

She looked at her hair, the nails, the shoes.

Let’s see what Saint Grace was really made off.

[recentanimenews]

Combatants Will Be Dispatched!, Vol. 5

By Natsume Akimoto and Kakao Lanthanum. Released in Japan as “Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Noboru Akimoto.

For some time now, the “evil” in this series’ evil organization has been somewhat questionable. At first it looked like it was just Six, who clearly was content with being a creepy asshole but drew the like at, know, actual evil things like rape and murder. As we’ve gone on, and found that the evil organization is in fact trying to save the planet Earth, more motives have been questioned. And now we find that the organization actually has a real HR policy – we’re told that the Combat agents can sexually harass to their heart’s content (it gets them evil points, after all) but that actual sexual assault is a punishable offense. You get the sense the author realized that they were going a bit too far. KonoSuba, by the same author, will also try to walk this very thin line. In the meantime, the organization is going to have to deal with the biggest threat it’s ever seen to date. The demon lord is dead and his daughter has taken over… and she’s a total sweetie pie.

Rose gets the cover, and is the “heroine of this volume”, but actually gets very little to do besides eat. The Demon Lord’s Domain wants to negotiate, so the group heads over there, and as noted above, finds they accidentally killed the demon lord in their last attack, leaving his daughter Viper in charge. The demon lord was a stubborn middle aged cuss. Viper is kind, gentle, and very apologetic. As such, the demons are actually surrendering – and asking for Six and company to find them a new place to live, as their territory is basically uninhabitable. There’s just one problem with this – the Kingdom of Grace is not content to let the demons simply go “our bad, sorry” and then move in next door. They want reparations. Can Alice negotiate their way to a settlement? Can Heine come to terms with her new job as a magical boiler room? And can six and Viper team up to take out those pesky Puzzle x Dragon games once and for all?

So yes, Viper’s presence in the cast really shakes things up, mostly as, unlike Princess Tillis, Grimm, Snow, or the other characters whose suffering is hilarious (and in Grimm and Snow’s case, brought upon themselves), being mean to Viper is like kicking a puppy. Indeed, the main worry is that she’s too naive and willing to do whatever anyone else wants – hence the mention of the HR guidelines. Honestly, she’s probably the first major character in this that I can’t think of an equivalent to in KonoSuba, the way that you can see Snow as Aqua + Darkness or Grimm as Wiz + Yunyun. Her friendship with Six is actually, dare I say it, rather sweet. Of course, this does not mean the author has suddenly forgotten that this is the Japanese equivalent of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. There is lots of terrible stuff here. But when said stuff hits too close to Viper, it just sort of drifts to a halt.

We’ve almost caught up with Japan, and the anime based on the series is out next month. So it’s a good time to read a new volume of the worst evil organization, and see how they deal with good.

By: Sean Gaffney

[waxwingedd]

answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to know better

tagged by @veritasnvirtue

nicknames: kandle, kindle

zodiac sign: aries

height: 5′6-7

hogwarts house: gryffindor uwu

the last thing i googled: “gaboon viper”

favorite musicians: i got literally 100+ but cavetown, bad suns, roy blair, kevin abstract

song stuck in your head: this was a home once - bad suns

following: 300ish

followers: somehow like 400? where y’all at tho smh

do you get asks: i used to get a lot but now im p dry 

amount of sleep: 3-12 hrs gonna be real

lucky number: 28 & 46

what you’re wearing: tshirt from the last show i was in and spandex

dream job: veterinary emergency care, 5-star event rider, cosmetic surgeon if it didnt take 12 yrs 

dream trip: greece!! (and a bitch is going next summer) but also kenya and south africa a bitch gotta return to her roots

instruments: guitar, voice is my side hustle

languages: english, conversational french on a good day

favorite songs: 17 - barret wilbert weed, maybe we’re meant to be alone - bad suns, love it if we made it - the 1975, georgia - kevin abstract, lemon boy - cavetown

random fact: i sneak out to play at open mic nights like some secret guitar vigilante 

aesthetic: the great outdoors but sapphic

so i tag @brjggs @buddo-boi @theatreblrs @smstransformers & all yalls that see this

[potorgaret--inactive]

Day 275 / Oct 1

Matt. 1-4

Chapter 1 opens by giving a lengthy list of geneology all the way from Abraham through David through Joseph to Jesus Christ. If you want the full list, all the way from Adam, see this website. After the listing, Matthew (the anon who was definitely not Matthew but the name has stuck) gives us the birth story of Jesus. Basically, after Mary and Joseph got together, Joseph got cucked by God as Jesus was conceived. Joseph being a prudent man, didn't want to publicly shame his wife, but while he was contemplating it, an angel told him that all of this is God's plan and to call the baby, 'Jesus.' Through this nativity story, Matthew essentially states his themes outright: that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the prophecies in the Tanakh. He even quotes from Isaiah, I think from the section about the Suffering Servant. Because of the angel, Joseph didn't have sex with 14 year old Mary until after Jesus was born. After this comes the real meat of the Nativity story: the Wise Men[1]. In those days, Herod was ruler of Judea and to him came Wise Men out of the East asking of the King of the Jews. They said that they saw a star and they've come to worship him. Herod, maniacal as ever, asked them to tell him where the baby because he too wants to worship him :). Then Matthew quotes from Micah. The Magi make their way to Bethlehem where they find Mary and Jesus in a house where they fall down and worship him. However, because of their Magi sense, they completely avoid Herod on their way back. The angel comes back to tell Joseph to flee into Egypt because Herod is planning on killing all the babies in that region (similar to the story of Krishna, no?) [Insert Jeremiah quote]. So the family go to Egypt, and years later when Herod's dead, they come back. But they're still afraid of Bethlehem, so they go way north into Galilee, into Nazareth.

Cut to nearly 30 years in the future where a guy named John the Baptist is preaching about the Kingdom of God near the banks of the Jordan, quoting Isaiah. John, despite being a wild man, was wildly popular and many people came to get baptized by him, and John welcomed all. All except the "vipers" that were the Pharisees and Sadducees. They are the worst of the worst, the only one fit to repent them is God himself. Then out of nowhere, Jesus comes to get baptized by John, but John is awed by Jesus' holiness and insist that Jesus baptize him. Eventually John gives in, and when Jesus goes into the Jordan, the sky splits open and the voice of God calls out and declares that Jesus is God's son and he loves him. After his baptism, Jesus fasts for 40 days and nights (there's that number again, also a Moses parallel) where he gets tempted by the Devil. The devil makes him turns stone into bread, and then to throw himself off a tall building, and finally to worship Satan in exchange for great wealth. Each time, Jesus tells Satan to fuck off and quotes from Deuteronomy. After his time in the desert is up, he goes to live in Capernaum, [insert Isaiah quote]. Here, he goes about preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and eventually, gets some desciples. First up, Simon (Peter) and Andrew the fishermen. Up next, James and John of Zebedee. The gang goes about preaching, teaching, healing, and so on throughout Galilee. Everyone within a 100 mile radius comes to see Jesus.

BibleProject (Pt. 1) Wiki The New Testament 43alley: The Nativity RFB: Baptism RFB: Magi [1]: The original word used for the Wise Men is "Magi" which in those days, refered to Zoroastrian priets/astrologers from Parthia. The word came into Greek, and eventually into English, giving us "magic" and "magician."

I never thought I'd get this far through this book, but here we are

"Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago, in complete faithfulness and truth." Isaiah 25:1 WEB

[privateplates4u]

Mercedes-AMG GT R: 5th Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car

Mercedes-AMG calls it “the Beast of the Green Hell,” an overt nod to its development on the so-nicknamed Nürburgring Nordschleife. It’s the hardcore variant of a previous BDC winner, and it’s out for blood. Under hood, its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 has been cranked up to 577 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. It continues to feed a rear-mounted seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transaxle but with closer-spaced gear ratios. Manually adjustable coil-over springs twist their way around electronically adjustable shock absorbers, and a rear-steering system helps get the maximum agility out of the Cup tires. Carbon-ceramic brakes stop the car, and a manually adjustable nine-stage traction-control system helps get it up to speed again after the corner. It’s Best Driver’s Car week! Keep it on MotorTrend.com this week as we count down the finishing order of our contenders this year and share bonus content you’ll only find right here. Get those tires to stick just right, and the 3,680-pound GT R will nail the quarter in 11.4 seconds at 127.6 mph and knock off 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Around a skidpad, it’ll return 1.12 average g, and on our figure eight, it’ll average 0.96 g during a blistering 22.8-second lap. It even stops fast, needing only 96 feet from 60 mph. We Say “Phenomenal braking; arguably the most confidence delivered—which is appropriate because this car is bonkers fast, rudeboy loud. It’s throaty and thrusty off the line and very, very confidence-inspiring for a powerful rear drive vehicle. It just sticks—except when it pogos over rough pavement. The vertical motion, driving position, and overall shape of the car are reminiscent of the Viper—as is the confidence it inspires. It’s daunting at first, but once you manhandle it, the GTR just goes. And the more confidence you gain, the faster the AMG GTR goes; the harder you push it, the smaller it drives. It’s great fun to fire the brakes and dive-bomb a corner, then load up the rear wheels at exit, and just squash the throttle. Despite the front wheels appearing way out front, turn-in is evil quick. “Still, I’m not leaning into the corners as I do with a few in this field. It took until nearly the bottom of the road to find my rhythm with this one. In others, including the winner, that feeling was instant.” – Ed Loh Read about other 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders: Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Lexus LC 500 Aston Martin DB11 Nissan GT-R NISMO Mazda MX-5 Miata RF McLaren 570GT “Simply brutal. It’s the AMG way. It felt so confident. Great brakes, great power delivery. So easy to drive smoothly. Excellent work from the men and women at Affalterbach.” – Erick Ayapana “This car is at home on the track; it’s where it makes the most sense. The AMG GT R is a car you need to drive flat out in order to have any real fun in it. Driving it slow isn’t boring, but it’s not enjoyable. Nearer to the car’s limits on a closed road or on track is the AMG’s home. This isn’t an everyday driver’s car, but in fantasy land it’s quite fun.” – Christian Seabaugh “Driving this car made me laugh out loud. Our Kermit the Frog green AMG GT R provides an experience closer to Mr. Toad’s wild ride. The engine sounds amazing and the ride up Highway 198 actually made me giggle—numerous times, out loud, with no one around to hear me. “Hang on to the wheel, and let it rip. It has the power to get unruly but holds the road incredibly well. It has so much power at the ready that you can put it in Sport mode and Comfort suspension and still feel like you are running with your hair on fire. “Just when you think you are about to get into trouble it just sticks. The big beautiful grabby brakes inspire confidence. But the car does have the ability to strike a little terror with so much power and an engine roaring all around you.” – Alisa Priddle “Absolute, unfettered, grinning-like-an-idiot insanity. If the Camaro had a dual-clutch and had a death wish, it would drive like this. I don’t smoke, but I need a cigarette, badly. “This is all the excitement and adrenaline the Ferrari and McLaren wish they had. Yes, the car is making you better and faster, but it’s also making you feel like you’re hanging on for dear life. It’s both electrifying and intimidating at the same time. “The power! My god, the power. Every time you dip into it it’s like being on the end of a fully extended bungee cord. “My one complaint: even at multiple felony speeds, the brake pedal is very touchy. A bit less bite and a bit more progression, please. It’s hard to modulate in the half an inch of pedal travel between nothing and emergency eyeball extraction. – Scott Evans “My kind of machine! Brutal, in every sense of the word. You need to be aggressive, and in possession of something akin to intestinal fortitude, but if you take the risk, the GT R offers the reward. The back end is jumpy, but in a predictable way. It’s a much more alive feeling than the regular strength GT S. Very impressive car. This should be a podium car.” – Jonny Lieberman Randy Says “AMGs have a personality in their engines of a broad torque curve, and you got still the satisfying pull all the way to redline. And this fat torque curve makes the car easier to drive, too, because it’s more controllable that way. A Dodge Viper picks up torque as it revs, and so maybe you put your foot down at the apex, and then halfway out the corner the torque’s building, and things are changing. Whereas, in the AMG, that stays very much the same, and you just roll it in. It has a wee bit of entry oversteer, so it points for the apex very well. If a tire slides, it’s usually one of the backs. The front was very strong on the way in. I got a little bit of middle push, not much. I mean we’re talking a little bit this way, a little bit that way. Shock damping is well controlled, but it’s not harsh. It still had a decent ride. It was not the least bit upset with the bump in turn six, and I even drifted it over the rumble strips into the new pavement on the last lap. “It’s powerful enough to spin the tires. The car’s on the edge of that coming out of most of the corners. But this linear response to the throttle and the power curve makes it an enjoyable experience. You’re not wrestling alligators. It’s much more harmonious. I have to roll that power in. You can’t be stabby. And its stuck all the way to the track out. “I enjoyed the traction control that had adjustment available. Especially in tricky conditions. Any time you don’t trust the grip, that could be really, really cool. And it’s interesting to me that they give it such a priority. It’s right in the center of the dash, painted yellow. For me, that’s a substitute for all-wheel drive. “Braking was incredibly strong at first. And then the braking gs stayed pretty consistent, it was pretty strong, even up into the corkscrew, and the brake system compensated well for coming over the top. It stopped well even when it was light, which I’ve noticed that a couple of cars here don’t. But the pedal got a little bit long by my last timed lap, which tells me the fluid was getting hot. There wasn’t brake fade, but the pedal travel got a little bit longer. It still stopped, but when I braked for turn five it was pretty long, and when that happens I start thinking “I hope it stops for the corkscrew,” which it did. “It was an enjoyable car to drive, but it was just a little loose, not hooked up enough in the back.” 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE Twin-turbo 90-deg V-8, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 243.0 cu in/3,982 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 9.5:1 POWER (SAE NET) 577 hp @ 6,250 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 516 lb-ft @ 1,900 rpm REDLINE 7,000 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 6.4 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 7-speed twin-clutch auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.67:1/2.53:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 14.3:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 1.9 BRAKES, F; R 15.8-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc; 14.2-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 10.0 x 19-in; 12.0 x 20-in, forged aluminum TIRES, F;R 285/30R19 94Y; 335/25R20 99Y Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 ZP (Tread 180) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 103.5 in TRACK, F/R 66.7/66.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 179.2 x 79.0 x 50.6 in TURNING CIRCLE 37.6 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,680 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 48/52% SEATING CAPACITY 2 HEADROOM, F/R 39.5/— in LEGROOM, F/R 43.5/— in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 58.3/— in CARGO VOLUME 10.1 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.6 sec 0-40 2.2 0-50 2.8 0-60 3.4 0-70 4.2 0-80 5.0 0-90 6.0 0-100 7.1 0-100-0 10.7 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.3 QUARTER MILE 11.4 sec @ 127.6 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 96 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.12 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 22.8 sec @ 0.96 g (avg) 2.2-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 1:33.01 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 2,100 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $157,995 PRICE AS TESTED $198,445 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, fr side, fr head, fr knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 yrs/50,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 19.8 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 16/22/18 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 211/153 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.06 lb/mile RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium The post Mercedes-AMG GT R: 5th Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/mercedes-amg-gt-r-5th-place-2017-best-drivers-car/

[mrsmoviefone]

Black Mirror - Charlie Brooker - 2019

*Season 5 - 5 Episodes - 1 hr*

🍍🍍🍍🍍

1. Striking Viper - 1hr 11min

The episode opens with two people standing at the bar. A young man and woman, talking - meeting for the first time. He asks the woman if he can buy her a drink and right after he orders, two other people walk up behind them. The male intrudes the female to the group as “daisy” and we learn that the first two were role playing and actually together. The second male & the first two people are actually all roommates.

The scene changes and you see the first two people being intimate, and then they’re sleeping. The guy wakes up for food and then he hears the tv turn on and he walks out to see his friend playing video games and joins him for a few rounds. A few years go by and it’s the first guys birthday - he has a kid at this point and he and Theo are married. Karl shows up to his birthday party and gives him a video game they used to play together but in a new upgraded virtual world! When the day is over Karl and the first guy get on the virtual game together and start playing. The game allows them to feel totally emerged in this video game and world. Both men play the characters they used to play, Karl picking his female character and the first guy picking lance his male character.

When they finish playing the female character (Karl) has won and ends up ontop of the male character. They end up kissing and the first guy freaks out. (At this point you have to remember that the game allows you to feel any and all sensations) he logs out of the game gets into bed and his wife notices he has a hard on. They get intimate and the next night she goes out for a girls night.

After Danny puts his kid to bed and they both log back on the game - they lean back and they agree they were drunk and now they are going to play a serious game. Still choosing the same characters they go in to begin their fight & instead start getting....intimate (I’m not sure if any of this shows on the tv screen or if it’s just virtual but, he might wanna chill) after they finish they try to talk about it, awkwardly, but Danny’s son kicks him and he exits the game. His wife comes home from girls night out and he pretends to be asleep.

The next morning his wife is telling him about how she drank a lot while she was out because she ended up getting her period (their actively trying to get pregnant). The scene changes to the video game and they end up doing the same thing as before.

Karl and Danny end up using this game as a way to be intimate with one another and in turn start neglecting their real lives. They get so involved with doing it in the game that they no longer do it in their real lives. Danny’s wife is starting to question everything about herself. But, at the same time all of this begs the question, are these men gay? They start to talk about what it means and Karl explains that he always chooses the woman because of how much better it feels and of course, they get intimate again. His wife is starting to notice a change in him. Karl comes to expect playing this game with Danny, they have text messages where they plan what scene they’ll...play & Karl gets upset one night when Danny has to cancel for a date with his wife. While one the date his wife calls him out for his weird behavior and starts talking to him about how their not getting pregnant - she is upset that they aren’t having any sex & he says it’s just because he’s tired. She knows that more is happening (people always know), she calls him out for cheating because she notices that he doesn’t want her anymore. He doesn’t try to get intimate with her anymore & he assures her nothing is happening. The scene changes & Karl is in bed with the young girl he’s in a relationship with - he says he’s not feeling the mood & they stop. Karl logs on, Danny is logged on & then they both log off. Danny hides the VR game, deciding he’s not going to use it anymore. Karl wants to know where he’s at & Danny tells him he can’t play anymore, he says it’s not fair to Theo & Karl begs him to change his mind. Danny hangs up.

Seven months go by and Theo is pregnant - Karl’s life on the other hand...not looking to bright. He’s angry and depressed & he’s just waiting around for Danny to message him. It’s Danny’s birthday and Theo emails Karl and invites him over to their house for dinner (Theo still doesn’t know about what happened between Karl and Danny) - dinner is awkward, to say the least. Danny is upset with Karl for coming over for dinner, and they get into an argument about it. Danny tells him everything is just to weird & Karl tells him the only weird thing is that no other experience in the real world matches what they had in that game.

Karl tells him that he goes into the game all the time looking for a fix to their affair - even having his character be intimate with a polar bear character. He claims nothing can match what Danny / Lance & him / Roxette have in the game. Thing get heated and Karl leaves after cake. He lets Danny know that Roxette will be waiting in the game at midnight & Danny logs on & they do their thing. Karl tells Danny (in the game as their characters) that he loves what their doing & he loves him. Danny feels weird about it (obviously because he feels the same way but he has family obligations) - Danny is having internal conflict and he tells Karl to log out of the game and meet him in real life at a car park.

Danny says they have to kiss because they need to know if they really feel that way in real life because he’s tired of not knowing. Karl is trying to make it light but it’s clearly hard for them & after they kiss for real they both say they don’t feel anything. Agreeing they can just be friends. Karl says it’s different in the game and him and Danny start fighting - they get arrested and Theo has to pick him up. Theo wants to know why they were fighting and as soon as Danny starts talking it cuts to a scene of his birthday. They make a deal with one another that one night a month (the 14) Danny and Karl get to have their thing together and Theo gets to experience other men in real life.

8/10: Recommend - it is a weird watch though, as most Black mirror episodes are, but, this is really a weird one.

[jerryboomerwang]

“Goshawk (Vapor Eagle)”

3055 BattleTech fan redesign.

Originally planned on 3-hr speedpaint. Became 10+ hrs. :OOO

You can see from the v2 image that I started base color because though I really didn’t like what I had, I initially started settling w/ it bc I didn’t want to take too long on this piece. But I just couldn’t shake the dislike of it. I kept wrestling w/ myself, until I finally decided I had wasted enough time not making a decision, and decided to start over again. 

As Tali’Zorah would say, “Totally worth it.” :) 

Was tempted not to post these prelim stages. But y’know what, I’ve been so helped by other artists who shared vulnerably their behind-the-scenes stuff, and it really helped encourage me, so I’m sharing it in hopes it will encourage other artists not to give up.

Keep on grinding! Something good’s bound to come out of the woodwork. :D

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Josephine Baker (The Siren of the Tropics, ZouZou)— Josephine Baker was an American born actress, singer, and utter icon of the period, creating the 1920s banana skirt look. She was the first black woman to star in a major motion film. She fought in the French resistance in WWII, given a Legion of Honour, as well as refusing to perform in segregated theatres in the US. She was bisexual, a fighter, and overall an absolutely incredible woman as well as being extremely attractive.

Anne Baxter (The Ten Commandments, All About Eve)—her soft, gentle voice in "all about eve", those gentle eyes with something odd behind them, the way she flips from Sweet Innocent to Viper on a dime......there was something Built Different about anne baxter, man, and it makes her so good for playing people who are Built Wrong. also one of my favorite batmen villains (her joint episode w vincent price is a delight) and of course I'm obsessed with her columbo episode where she bosses around edith head and does fabulous movie star things for no good reason. and i would be REMISS if i didn't mention her slink—oh the slink—in the ten commandments...................pardon me i must go think of sinning again

This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Josephine Baker:

Black, American-born, French dancer and singer. Phenomenal sensation, took music-halls by storm. Famous in the silent film era.

Let's talk La Revue Negre, Shuffle Along. The iconique banana outfit? But also getting a Croix de Guerre and full military honors at burial in Paris due to working with the Resistance.

She exuded sex, was a beautiful dancer, vivacious, and her silliness and humor added to her attractiveness. She looked just as good in drag too.

So I know she was more famous for other stuff than movies and her movies weren’t Hollywood but my first exposure to her was in her films so I’ve always thought of her as a film actress first and foremost. Also she was the first black woman to star in a major motion picture so I think that warrants an entry

Iconic! Just look up anything about her life. She was a fascinating woman.

Anne Baxter:

The prettiest murderer in that film. Just so beautifully evil as Nefertari.

Anne Baxter was part of my Bisexual Awakening. My family has a tradition that every Palm Sunday we watch The ten commandments on TV together... And starting from a very young age, I essentially developed a crushes on Anne Baxter's Nefertiri & Yul Brynner's Ramses. Dude, the woman was HOT! They both were! My crush definitely wasn't helped by the fact that Anne Baxter's costumes were a bit on the sheer side. She had a way of capturing you with her eyes, and I never understood why Charlton heston's Moses didn't just have a threesome with Nefertiri and Ramses. LOL

Her Nefertiri in The Ten Commandments was FORMATIVE TO ME. If not the hottest old movie lady, then she definitely played the hottest old movie character. if that makes sense.

Look. Listen. I only *just* discovered her on a post from the Have You Seen This Romcom poll blog. Saw she had the same last name as me and went OOH hi hello. Went to her IMdB and saw she was born in Indiana like moi. I am now even more intrigued. Been eagerly telling my partner this, and he was like "maybe you guys are distantly related?" And after 2 hrs of going down the tumblr tag + her imdb photos, I'm In Deep(tm) and I can't stop looking at her like 😍 When I go to my grandma's house, bet your ass I'm gonna check my grandpa's genealogy and see if we're somehow related. Sorry that's not really propaganda I just got real excited, esp when I saw that the submission deadline was extended (bless your soul). Narrowing down the movies where she's hottest in was Hell tyvm. I've only just discovered her, she looks gorgeous to me in every movie still I see of her gdi lol.

[alencar07-blog]

ACURA

Just as US automakers offered decades of more luxurious versions of the same car design, the Japanese automotive industry saw this diversification as a good strategy for the huge, ravenous American market in the 1980s. With that, Honda, founded in 1948 by Soichiro Honda, created ACURA (pronounced É-kiu-ra), as a response to the creation of Lexus (by Toyota in 1983) and Infiniti (by Nissan in 1985), for the development of automobiles originally targeted to the American market. In less than a year, after lengthy market research, Honda's dedicated Japanese engineers defined what the first ACURA cars would look like. Even though it was the last of the three Japanese brands to be created, ACURA was the first to introduce cars to the American and Canadian markets on March 27, 1986, through the inauguration of 60 dealers in 18 states. The new brand has made available to the public two models: the LEGEND luxury sedan and the compact INTEGRA. The Legend was originally offered in the sedan version (4.8m in length), providing the coupe model (4.7m) the following year. Based on the Honda Civic, in terms of mechanics and platform, the Integra was offered with 1.5L and 1.6L engines, in the sedan (five-door) and hatchback (three-door) versions.

One year after launch, ACURA already had the best-selling imported luxury model in the United States. 109,000 Legend units and 55,000 Integra units were commercialized. With only four years of market, in 1990, ACURA presented the public with a true icon in the segment of super sports cars: the NSX, the world's first automobile to be produced in aluminum monobloc, which provided a 40% weight of a similar steel. Made for two people, and inspired by the F-16 fighter, it favored visibility and had aggressive lines, retractable headlights, and large side air intakes. Already the engine was a three-liter natural aspiration, without turbo or compressor and produced 273 hp. With this engine, the NSX reached 270 km / h and had an acceleration from zero to 100 km / h in 5.6 seconds, and - was the answer to the Italian and German supersports of the time. The numbers were equivalent to those of the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari 348. The NSX would only receive major aesthetic upgrades in 2002: it would lose its retractable headlights and gain 17-inch wheels on both axles. The mechanical and performance characteristics would remain the same except for the NSX-R version, which relinquished certain convenience items, such as air conditioning, to reduce weight.

The second generation of Integra was also launched in 1990 and introduced significant advancements for the category, such as ABS and dual air-bag brakes, as well as the variable VTEC intake control, providing better performance without increasing fuel consumption. In 1991 the brand launched its vehicles in Hong Kong, initiating a timid international expansion. And the following year expanded its offer to the American market with the VIGOR model, based on the Honda Accord, but with more standard equipment. Shortly thereafter, in 1995, ACURA entered a new segment by launching its first utility vehicle, the mid-size SLX, based on the Suzuki Tropper, which offered diesel and gasoline engines. The first generation of the ACURA RL, launched in 1996, was a renamed version of Legend's third generation.

Although sales declined from the mid-1990s, the brand experienced a resurgence in the early 2000s, mainly due to drastic changes in design and new model presentations. First, in 2000, ACURA entered a new market category with the launch of MDX, the brand's first major sports utility. The expansion of the line of models still included the TSX (2004), a medium sedan. After entering the American and Canadian market, ACURA set out for new horizons and established itself in Mexico in 2004, in China in 2006 and in Japan in 2008. During this period, ACURA expanded its range of vehicles with the launch of RDX ( 2006), a compact sports utility. As of 2009, ACURA began the launch of new models such as ZDX (2009), a medium-sized crossover; the TSX Sport Wagon (2010), the first Japanese brand wagon; the ILX (2012), a compact sedan; the RLX (2013), a large sedan and the most luxurious on the line; and the TLX (2014), a mid-sized sedan. In recent years ACURA has entered new markets such as Russia in 2014 (left two years later due to weak sales) and Kuwait (2015).

After a hiatus of more than 10 years without being produced, in 2016 ACURA presented the new generation of the NSX, one of the most legendary sports in the Land of the Rising Sun. The new generation has a 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo engine mounted by hand in a process that takes more than six hours in addition to full-wheel drive. The aerodynamic part makes the new NSX is totally different from its predecessor: it is more subtle, appears to be more compact, but still shows personality. The design of the car was designed to complement the performance and also contribute to the thermal dynamics of the vehicle - all without losing the style. The model is manufactured in the state of Ohio, being the most expensive car ever manufactured in the United States, overtaking the Dodge Viper. In the US market, the entry version costs $ 156,000, while the top line reaches $ 220,000.

In 2016, ACURA celebrated the 10 years of its arrival in China and to celebrate the occasion, decided to bet even stronger on the Asian giant. One of the main bets is the CDX, the first vehicle of the brand locally manufactured and developed mainly thinking of the tastes of Chinese consumers. The vehicle is very similar in size to the Honda HR-V (compact utility) although it is a bit longer and wider and its focus is clearly premium, like the entire ACURA line. In relation to the design draws attention to a pentagonal grid and a large logo, as well as the design of the headlights and taillights with LED technology.

The innovation ACURA has always been innovative in the segment of luxury vehicles, being pioneer in several innovations. It pioneered the incorporation of multi-valve engines in the year 1986. It was also the first in the world to offer panel navigation. Then also displaying real-time traffic on the dashboard. After debuting on the 1997 RL model, the center-panel navigator on the dashboard has become standard on all brand models. The MDX was the first seven-passenger vehicle with three rows of seats. The automobile industry had to familiarize itself with the term "torque vector" to describe what the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) did, which first appeared in the RL model in 2004, and became a signature of ACURA for its entire line. The SH-AWD is an all-wheel drive system that operates with uneven torque distribution between wheels on the same axle to improve cornering behavior.

[blairtedesco403-blog]

Strategies For Executing Social network Advertising In Direct Sales.

Social media site marketing offers a highly effective possibility to involve your target market straight and generate buzz around your brand name or material. Status, management, power, association, equivalent altruism, teamwork, sharing from understanding, trading of goods, pair-bonding, and even aggressiveness are actually all component of the social atmosphere that aid a group pursue that very same survival end activity. Although Pinterest doesn't however make any type of lots of money, with the exception of a few advertisements for widely known labels, they are most definitely one of the leading 10 very most important social systems now. They utilized several kinds of media along with terrific uniformity, as well as maximized each of the media's personal durabilities. Not just terrific for the personal company benefits yet social networks is actually also a beneficial tool to beat the competitors as well as analyze. Your best choice is actually to Tweet your web content personally as well as tailor each Tweet so it doesn't aging. Utilize our hub webpages as a recommendation to obtain up-to-speed on all the major electronic marketing methods.

Our team've generated this overview of offer you along with the social networking sites advertising and marketing pointers and also training you must better your company. Now, there are actually resources offered to study information for information curation before you upload. The best popular label representation you have is your site therefore permit this function as the core theme to all of the aesthetic designs allowed each from your social networking sites networks. GShift, a web presence analytics software application service provider, currently uses a Social Keyword element that mines Twitter to traverse the clutter. Some social networking sites systems have functions designed to assist you in this particular method, including Facebook Insights On top of that, third party tools including FollowerWonk aid determine the most effective opportunities for some platforms. A significant part of success on social networks is actually making use of every one of the available tools and records to administer market research Searching for a center target market, developing a person of a possible buyer, looking into influencers for your campaigns as well as reviewing the method from your competitors are all within your grasp with purpose-built tools. That is actually obvious that Twitter is actually an effective resource for businesses-- yet with more than 200 thousand customers, using thoughtlessly is actually detrimental for social networking sites marketing experts. Much more than once I have actually offered a presentation on social media advertising and marketing" as well as referred to information advertising and marketing rather. Web content finding tools, content circulation platforms as well as material boosting devices are fascinating methods to having your content shared naturally on social media. Those planning to reap the benefits from virus-like material on social networks should use this in such a way that complements other advertising and marketing initiatives (e.g. as component of an ad campaign). I have likewise listened to that social networking is actually where its own at. I am merely starting to obtain my head around that as well as can find just how powerful this device can be. With a few clicks, you may delve into the facility from any kind of subculture, and also participants' intensive communications move perfectly amongst the web, bodily spaces, as well as standard media. The proliferation of internet video makes this of the absolute most successful devices in your advertising and marketing collection. Popular social media including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and also various other social networks could deliver online marketers along with a hard amount of just how sizable their viewers is actually nevertheless a big target market might certainly not always convert into a large sales quantities. Under Armour's latest campaign I Will Exactly what I Really wanted" demonstrates how to blend star sponsorships as well as social branding to generate web content along with effect. It is actually undoubtedly real if you use Buddy Blaster Pro, (= MySpace pal viper bot), which could help you invite people to registration to your business as you wield your advertising and marketing approaches on the web site. Another point to consider the moment your website is totally working is actually online marketing methods, typically called Digital Advertising and marketing. The majority of small business owner as well as marketing managers perform not have time to take care of all of their social media networks. Social networking site marketing is for that reason an all new concept, which entails more certain tasks. Here are actually some tips coming from the dazzling Ali Luke, on the best ways to obtain an extra hr or two per day. Though all the networks from social media sites rely upon the concept from sharing and also interaction, you must understand that different social networking sites platforms have to be actually utilized differently. Information that has done well on Channel is actually likewise typically grabbed by major electrical outlets, like Huffington Message, Service Insider or Business person. This gives you a straight line from interaction while concurrently allowing you take advantage of the energy from actual social networks. The cost is just $17 CDN as well as I guarantee you will definitely get a tonne from important Facebook Advertising information over those. 2 Week. Right now along with countless users involved & hooked up via social media, an online marketer can conveniently identify the opportunities and also make use of the opportunities that come with such a huge potential customer foundation. Social networks are for connecting to individuals and also except promoting the items, For this reason your main motive in the socials media must be to link to as lots of people as feasible. Naturally you have to perform this even though additionally staying on-point along with your advertising which indicates you have to concentrate on whatever niche market or even sector you've opted for. The program will definitely prepare perimeters that will definitely permit you to create an entirely developed social media marketing plan that deals with common social networks industry concerns. It is additionally useful if the company possesses adventure in hyperlink building, hooking up each of your social networking sites accounts and company website all together, which, in turn, increases your rank in search engines. Easy - you don't need high-level skill-sets or computer system tools to join social media sites. In 2006-7 Microsoft introduced a ten month five-step marketing campaign for Halo 3 for the reason from developing and also acquiring brand new players company awareness. Planned material is actually typically obvious to clients as well as is un-original or does not have exhilaration however is actually additionally a much safer alternative to prevent needless backlash coming from everyone. If you loved this post and you would certainly like to receive even more info relating to yellow pages online australia [please click the next document] kindly visit the page. Small companies also make use of social media websites to build their very own marketing research on brand-new product or services. Producing the appropriate method for your certain social networks strategy may take some time.

[josefthomsen6-blog]

Making use of Social media site To Series Your Real estates

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[robertkstone]

2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Long-Term Verdict: One Year With a 707-HP Charger

Hellcat verdict? Aside from more, please? I spent 12 months with the most ridiculous sedan on earth: 707 horsepower divided by 365 is nearly 2 horsepower per day. Is that the most ridiculous sentence I’ve ever written?

But, let’s get serious: Did I learn anything after 26,012 miles seated in the deeply cushioned red barcaloungers that Dodge tries to pass off as bucket seats while averaging an almost respectable 14.9 mpg? I suppose you’d have to learn something—one entire elapsed year and all—but I have a hunch I learned the wrong lessons.

Normally with a long-term verdict you’re supposed to ascertain whether something such as the $1,500 black-painted roof was a worthwhile optional expenditure. The problem is I didn’t really remember that this car even had a blacked-out roof until I checked the window sticker. Because unlike regular cars, you don’t think about things like that when you’re living with a Hellcat.

I did appreciate the $995 Brass Monkey wheels, but mostly because Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys was the third album I ever bought—the first two being In 3-D by Weird Al Yankovic and Raising Hell by Run DMC. I’m Gen X, yo. Even still, I’m not so sure I’d opt for the $1,995 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Oh, who am I kidding—of course I would! Of note is the fact that although I might have chewed through five sets of tires (one short of my initial goal of six sets in a year), nothing on the car broke. No matter how viciously we treated the Hellcat with Motor Trend’s version of accelerated wear and tear, only routine maintenance—like changing out 8 quarts of synthetic oil every 6,000 miles—was all the big red gal required.

One takeaway from living with a Charger Hellcat is if you’re able to control your right foot, the thing drives like a normal car. You might be thinking, “Hey man, anything’s a normal car if you don’t drive it like you stole it.” That’s not true of many performance machines. Take the Alfa Romeo 4C. It’s never a normal car, ever! The same is true for a Viper, a Nissan GT-R, or a Lamborghini Aventador. But the Hellcat version of the Charger can do a close approximation of a $29,090 SE model. It’s roomy, it’s surprisingly comfortable, the Uconnect infotainment system works pretty much OK, and the back seats are good for three adults, fantastic for two. But if any of the above figures into your decision to go out and purchase a Charger Hellcat—a $73,725 purchase that I highly recommend—you’re doing it wrong.

You buy the four-door Hellcat with the shrieking supercharger so you can see the look on the guy’s face at the tire shop as he once again chisels molten rubber off your exhaust pipes. You get yourself a 707-hp Charger so that when you’re virtually parked in traffic you can relieve tension by spinning the back wheels a bit. Not a big smoky burnout, but just enough to make everyone around you nervous. It helps both relieve the tension and break up the monotony. You buy yourself a Charger Hellcat because it’s as close to a concealed carry permit as there is in the automotive world. Just like a .357 Magnum under your coat, you always know the immense power is there, mere inches away.

There’s a tension to living with this car. Perhaps that’s what 12 months of Hellcat stewardship most taught me. It’s a constant tussle between you behaving like a upright citizen and four-wheeled, tail-out, tire-shredding anarchy. Do I have the strength to not pointlessly burn up a tank of gas today? It’s a moral struggle, a constant one.

There’s going to be a time—and it’s coming sooner than many of you think—that you won’t be able to waltz down to your local neighborhood Dodge dealer and drive away in a snarling, antisocial beast with a Satanized kitty cat head on the fender. Not only will cars be electric, but you’ll also be too busy InstaSnapTweeting to even want to drive them, assuming they’ll still let us. No one will speed, and cars most certainly will not burn out. I’m not saying the impending future is better or worse. I’m just saying it’s racing toward us. Quickly. The Hellcat, this Hellcat, any Hellcat, is a finger in the eye of that particular inevitability. Take a guess as to which finger.

More on our long-term Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat here:

Arrival

Update 1: Hungry, Hungry Hellcat

Update 2: How Our Hellcat Responds at the Track with New Tires

Update 3: Drag-Racing Fun at Best Driver’s Car

Update 4: The Hellcat Ruins Others

Update 5: Who Has The Hellcat?

Update 6: Kill All Tires Edition

Our Car SERVICE LIFE  13 mo / 26,012 mi BASE PRICE $68,640 OPTIONS Preferred pkg 23T ($1,995: Harman Kardon audio, 19 speakers, floor mats), black-painted roof ($1,500), Brass Monkey forged wheels ($995), P Zero summer tires ($595) PRICE AS TESTED $73,725 AVG ECON/CO2  14.9 mpg / 1.30 lb/mi PROBLEM AREAS  None MAINTENANCE COST $158 (2-oil change, inspection) NORMAL-WEAR COST $2,114 (2 sets Pirelli P Zero tires, mount and balance) 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE*

$54,300

RECALLS None

*IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of 3-years

2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE Supercharged 90-deg V-8, iron block/alum heads VALVETRAIN OHV, 2 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 376.3 cu in/6,166 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 9.5:1 POWER (SAE NET) 707 hp @ 6,000 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 650 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm REDLINE 6,250 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 6.4 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 2.62:1/1.76:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 14.4:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.5 BRAKES, F; R 15.4-in vented, grooved 2-pc disc; 13.8-in vented, grooved disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 9.5 x 20 in forged aluminum TIRES, F;R 275/40ZR20 106Y Pirelli P Zero DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 120.4 in TRACK, F/R 64.0/63.7 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 200.8 x 75.0 x 58.3 in TURNING CIRCLE 38.5 ft CURB WEIGHT 4,530 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 57/43 % SEATING CAPACITY 5 HEADROOM, F/R 38.6/36.6 in LEGROOM, F/R 41.8/40.1 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 59.5/57.9 in CARGO VOLUME 16.5 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.9 0-40 2.6 0-50 3.3 0-60 4.2 0-70 5.2 0-80 6.1 0-90 7.1 0-100 8.4 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.7 QUARTER MILE 12.1 sec @ 123.4 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 103 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.93 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.4 sec @ 0.82 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,600 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $68,640 PRICE AS TESTED $73,725 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 7: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/100,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 18.5 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 13/22/16 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 259/153 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.22 lb/mile REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 17.0/24.6/19.8 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium

[jacknicholson1963]

Royal Navy aircraft carriers – vulnerable or fit for the fight?

There have been frequent suggestions that aircraft carriers are inherently vulnerable and have been rendered obsolete by a new generation of weaponry. Here we look the range of conventional threats the carriers might face in a high-end conflict and how the RN and the Queen Elizabeth Class are configured to deal with them.

The Russians have called the QEC “large and convenient targets”. A cute sound bite that is frequently rehearsed in various forms across the media and helps create the illusion that they are just passive floating airfields, lacking their own offensive power or the ability to defend themselves. Some forget that a prime purpose of the carrier battle group is to go on the offensive and strike in a proactive way, and if necessary to eliminate what may threaten them before it may mount an attack. That said, it would be complacent to think that any aircraft carrier is invulnerable. Recent developments in stealth aircraft, hypersonic and ballistic anti-ship missiles and ultra-quiet submarines are a threat to all surface combatants. Even the mighty US Navy is stretched to cope in this environment, so how much more is the threadbare RN at risk?

On the day HMS Queen Elizabeth arrived in Portsmouth for the first time we met Commodore Andrew Betton, commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group and asked him if he considers the RN can offer the ship adequate protection, particularly if faced with high-level threats. He replied “The maritime task group operates with layers of force protection, some of which is delivered by ships & aircraft. We also have satellite surveillance to support our understanding of what’s around us. We can bring in extra layers of protection when needed. Every deployment of the carrier & structure of task group around will be based on an intelligence assessment of the threat likely to be faced and the operational tasking.” These layers of protection and defensive measures the UK is able to provide the QEC are worth closer examination.

Seven layers of protection

1. Situational awareness

The outer defence of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) are aircraft such as the P-8A Poseidon’s, satellite imagery, undersea acoustic sensors, and even basic human intelligence could all contribute to this awareness. Depending on the circumstances and the ability to collect this data, this kind of information may be plentiful at times or almost nonexistent on other occasions. History has proven for example, that land-based aircraft, even if dedicated to the task is almost incapable of sustaining round the clock protection or intelligence to naval vessels. It is always extremely challenging to secure and maintain real-time data on distant threats. This works both ways, to attack the CSG from distance, the enemy also needs accurate location data on ships that may cover over 400 nautical miles in 24 hours.

The QEC and some of the RN’s escort ships now benefit from some exceptionally capable new radars. The high-resolution Artisan 3D (Type 997) radar has a range of over 100nm. The carrier’s (Type 1046) S1850M long range air search radar has a range out to 200nm. The large size of the QEC allows the aerials to be mounted high above the waterline, extending the range at which sea-skimmers can be detected.

2. Carrier aircraft

The first active line of defence are the F-35B Lightnings flown from the carrier itself. Able to strike land targets, and intercept aircraft and attack ships that threaten the CSG. A major strength is that the F-35 has exceptional sensors and can be networked with other aircraft to monitor a large area, feed data back to the carrier and respond quickly. A potential weakness here is the un-refuelled combat radius of the F-35B (without drop tanks that compromise stealth and handling) at approximately 500nm.

The Searchwater radar of Crowsnest helicopter has an approximate maximum range of 150nm and operate up to 450nm away from the carrier with sorties lasting up to 4.5 hrs. As the range of anti-ship missiles increases, the combat radius and limited number of aircraft (12-24?) that can be deployed against potential launch platforms become critical.

3a. Area defence (air)

The Principal Anti Air Missile System (PAAMS) carried by the T45 is possibly the best and naval air defence system afloat anywhere in the world and is theoretically capable of detecting and simultaneously engaging multiple aircraft and missiles travelling up to Mach 4. The Sea Viper missiles provide an air defence umbrella that extends out to about 65 nautical miles over the CBG.

Once the propulsion problems have been fully cured by the mid-2020s, with just 6 Type 45s, the RN is likely to be able to assign a maximum of two these destroyers for escorting the CBG. Even if the MoD actually holds sufficient missile stocks for all the T45s to embark a full outfit, they can carry a maximum of 48 and cannot be replenished at sea. One can have great confidence an initial saturation attack would be successfully repelled, but repeated attacks could exhaust limited ammunition quickly. The comparable AEGIS-equipped Arleigh Burke destroyers of the USN can embark up to 96 missiles and the Ticonderoga cruisers up to 122 missiles of various kinds. The US Carrier battle group would typically be escorted by 4-6 of these AEGIS ships. At present, the RN has no ability to destroy ballistic missiles (anti-ship or otherwise) but there is the potential for the RN to buy the Aster Block 1NT for the Type 45 in future.

3b. Area defence (underwater)

Of all the threats to the CBG, the submarine presents the most danger as they become increasingly quiet and hard to detect. Submarines are usually the best means of finding and sinking other submarines. Of the 7 SSNs possessed by the RN, it would be expected that one will be assigned to protect the CBG (The USN typically assigns 2 SSNs to a carrier group). Usually, the SSN will work as a ‘freelancer’, not especially close to the CGB but in the best tactical position to intecerpt and track hostile ships or submarines. The Merlin Mk2 helicopters operating from the deck of the QEC and the escorts are the only other means of prosecuting submarines (unless ASROC missiles are purchased for the Type 26 Frigates). Finding submarines will be the primary job of the Type 23/26 frigates. Their Type 20xx towed array sonar is the usually the best tool for detection at a safe distance away from the CBG. They will then direct the Merlin to the target which can be localised using its FLASH dipping sonar. The escorts all have bow-mounted sonars but detection ranges in both passive and active modes are usually considerably less than that of the towed array, but which time a submarine could be close enough to have achieved a firing position. Unfortunately, despite the quiet electric motors that propel the Type 45, the QEC and the supporting Tide-class RFAs, they all have noisy diesel engines and auxiliary machinery bolted directly to their hulls. Without dampening measures, this radiates noise and vibration into the water which interferes with sonars and may aid enemy submarines in locating the CSG.

The P-8A Poseidons may also be able to contribute to the ASW effort surrounding the carrier, but this would very much depend on the area of operations.

In broad terms area, defence against submarine and air threats is much easier to conduct in the open ocean. It the littorals close to land and in congested and noisy shallower seas, defence of the carrier becomes significantly harder.

3c. Area defence (surface)

A rather obvious gap in the CSG defences is the lack of medium or long range anti-ship missile carried by the RN’s escorts (from 2018 to around 2030 when the FCGWS project may bear fruit). When the Sea Venom missile comes into service the RN will have an excellent weapon for use against fast attack craft or corvettes, but attacking major warships must be delegated to the F-35s or a supporting submarine.

Sea Viper and Sea Ceptor. The ship-launched missile systems key for air defence of the CSG

4. Point defence

Missiles or aircraft that evade the area defences should then encounter the point defence Surface to Air Missile (SAM) systems that protect individual ships or a few ships in close company A point defence SAM would typically have a maximum range of 10-12 nautical miles. The QEC has no point defence system of its own and will entrust this task to its escorting ships. Other navies think differently. The French carrier, Charles de Gaulle is fitted with 16 x Aster 15 SAMs and 2 Sadral SAM launchers. US carriers have both RIM-7 Sea Sparrow SAM and RIM-116 Rolling Airframe SAMs. The new Sea Ceptor SAM fitted to the Type 23/26 frigates looks to be very effective in this role and has significantly greater range than the Sea Wolf system it replaces. The point defence ‘goalkeeping’ mission requires the escort to stay in close touch with the carrier and its arcs of fire may be restricted by the carrier or other ships. At times the frigates may need to operate at some distance away from the carrier in order to deploy towed array sonar and listen for submarines, undisturbed by the self-generated noise of the CSG.

The Type 45 can also provide point defence using its shorter range Aster 15 missiles but the number of ships and available missiles is again the problem. Fitting at least a few Sea Ceptor cells to the QEC would not be especially difficult and this omission has everything to do with saving money and nothing to do with tactical wisdom.

5. Close in weapons systems

The QEC will has a very standard CIWS fit of 3 x 20 mm Block 1B Phallax guns and 4 x 30mm Automated Small Caliber Guns (ASCG). The ubiquitous Phalanx system is used by many navies across the world, is simple and reliable but how it would perform in saturation missile attack is unknown. The ASCGs are cued by electro-optical mounts high on the ship and can be controlled from the ops room. They would probably be very effective against small boat swarm attacks. It is assumed the QEC will also be fitted with a variety of decoy launchers and the Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD) decoy system. The USN fitting an active variant of SSTD on its carriers that launch mini torpedos to destroy inbound torpedos, rather than just attempt to confuse them.

6. Light weapons and force protection measures

The inner layer of protection consists of a selection of removable M2HB machine guns and Mk44 mini guns on pintle mounts around the ship. On all RN vessels, these weapons are manned on entering or leaving port as protection against attack from small craft or drones. In battle conditions, they may also serve as useful last-ditch defence particularly against aircraft or small boat swarms. Being manually aimed, they are of minimal use against missiles.

7. Damage control and survivability

If the worst happens, the QEC have been carefully designed to withstand significant battle damage. The designers wisely avoided the pressure to reduce costs by cutting corners on construction standards. This kind of protection would be very difficult and expensive to retrofit at a later date and resistance to blast and splinter and flooding provides reassurance that the ship can survive some hits or near misses without catastrophic structural damage and is able to float, move and fight in difficult conditions. The RN is also recognised as a world leader in training its sailors in effective damage control.

Conclusions

This is a whistlestop tour of a very complex subject but this basic assessment shows there are weaknesses that restrict where the QEC could be safely operated without assistance from the US Navy and other NATO nations. By withdrawing from standing commitments, at a stretch, the RN will probably be able to muster 2 destroyers and 3 or 4 frigates to provide sustained escort to the carrier. The QEC and its bare minimum supporting assets do offer the option of mounting an independent British operation but only against a lesser adversary (ie not Russia and certainly not China). Even a ‘Falklands conflict’ style operation would still entail considerable risk, given the slim escort and lack of strength in depth.

No one seriously expects the UK to take on a peer-level opponent alone but beyond the apocalyptic scenario of major state-on-state conflict, the carriers still have huge utility. Even if the RN cannot act independently, the QEC significantly adds to NATO and western naval capability and deterrence which is presently inadequate in the European theatre. The QEC also come with all the other attendant soft-power capabilities such as diplomatic and trade missions, humanitarian and relief operations and the ability to help enforce foreign policy without firing a shot or putting troops on the ground. They are also highly valued by the US who see them as able to plug gaps to relieve pressure on their fleet.

Asked if he expects to operate mostly with coalition warships Cdre Betton said; “Coalition operations are attractive as they spread the burden, and give us a shared authority. But the new carriers are a capability that is sovereign at core and allow us to act unilaterally if we wish”.

    from Save the Royal Navy http://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/royal-navy-aircraft-carriers-vulnerable-or-fit-for-the-fight/