#ryan mcleod imagines

[ilyasorokinn]

Can I request Ryan McLeod loosing more of his teeth and his S/o reacting???

STICK TO THE FACE

okay, this was sent in so long ago, and it made me laugh. anyways, requests are closed, so please don't send anything in :)

tw: injury: teeth-loss

before you started dating, ryan had already lost teeth, so you were used to seeing him without teeth. and early on, you made him promise to be more careful on the ice.

you knew it was kind of an impossible promise, but it worked. for a little while. he moved his head when he saw sticks going toward his face.

you were sitting with a couple of the other girls at a game, enjoying the game and having fun. you took your eyes off the ice for a second, and on that second, a stick had flown up and hit ryan in the face, more specifically in the mouth.

the play quickly stopped when he bent over, cupping his mouth. you looked up at the jumbotron when the camera panned down to him. a trainer had come out with a towel and held it to his bleeding mouth.

he skated back over to the bench, a towel pressed to his face. the game continued but you were looking at ryan the entire time. after the period was over, you stepped out and called him.

you half expected him not to answer, but were surprised when he did, "so..."

"is it bad?" you asked, biting your nail.

"well, it's out."

"geez, ryan." you sighed.

"i tried, i just didn't see it coming."

"i can't blame you for that."

"i'll see you after the game." he said.

"i'll book you a dentist appointment." you half-joked, "i love you, and try not to take any more sticks to the face today."

"i'll try." he laughed, "and i love you, too."

again, requests are closed!

[toasttt11]

not here

August 23, 2019

Hayden let out long breath as she unlocked the door to her childhood home in Edmonton. When she was drafted she knew she was going to stay in her house and a part of her was excited but also dreaded living in a house with so much of her parents.

She unhooked Archie’s leash letting him run into the house and she brought in her suitcases and hockey bag into her house.

Hayden’s breath hitched the house still smelled like her mom and she could see the little pieces her parents left around the house from when they left the house the last time. Hayden didn’t know if she liked this.

But she had to do this alone as she made Ellen and Jim go help Jack settle into New Jersey, just because her parents are dead doesn’t mean she wants to have one of Jack’s parents miss an important moment of his.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders grabbing her suitcases and heading to her room, she opened the door and took a deep breath seeing the room.

She opened her suitcases and started unpacking them quickly and put away all of her clothes.

Hayden changed into a different set of athletic clothes not wanting to stay in the outfit she was in at the airport and she left her room looking for Archie before she heads to her gym wanting to work out after the flight.

Hayden walked down the hallway, “Archie?” Hayden called out and was confused when she didn’t hear Archie coming to her like always.

Hayden paused hearing sad whining and walked down the hallway she did not want to walk down yet and saw Archie sitting in front of her parents bedroom door and pawing at the door.

Hayden froze and swallowed harshly, “Arch they aren’t here anymore.” Hayden shakily told her dog as she petted him and guided him away from the bedroom.

Hayden watched as Archie trotted away and her eyes lingered on her parents door but she flinched away shaking her head, she felt her breathing picking up and rested her hand on her everest taking a few deep breaths.

Hayden took one last deep breath and a small glance at the bedroom before quickly walking away.

[leam1983]

On the Cruelty of Immortality

People always mention vampires as examples of creatures pushed into outsider or outcast status by their nature, but most of them are merely the products of their environment, upon closer scrutiny. As far as I'm concerned, and as a disabled man with Cerebral Palsy, there's a mostly-forgotten nineties' gem that offers a perfect translation of the concept.

Chances are you've heard of Henry Cavill's attempt at a Highlander reboot, more or less presented as "John Wick with Swords" - and directed by Chad Stahelski, no less. Chances are you also remember the original movies that starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown. What's less likely to attract attention is Aaron Paul's turn as a McLeod clan member, in the Franco-Canadian series of the same name. In it, Connor McLeod (Paul) crosses paths with Richie Ryan (Stan Kirsch), a thief who has the misfortune of dying while attempting to abscond with some of the Scottish immortal's possessions - only to reawaken as an immortal himself.

It's your classic Master-Padawan setup, with a modern hood more used to knives and handguns being forced to pick up swordfighting from a reluctant mentor, and learning of the vagaries and wonders of eternal life as he's shuttled between New York and Paris across several seasons. The catch is that Richie is quite young, in every sense of the term, and still tends to reason like someone who only has a few decades to live and who shouldn't take too many risks. He's also revealed to be very, very compassionate.

That eventually sets the pace for a cruel lesson. Richie happens upon the cognitivitely-challenged survivor of a train wreck (who, in retrospect, has all the traits of nonverbal autism depicted in a way that's sadly very nineties), and discovers that the poor guy is, in fact, an immortal like him - and a freshly-risen one, at that. He's had his first accidental Quickening (e.g. the absorption of another fallen immortal's life essence, fragmentary skillsets and memories) and is understandably confused.

Connor spends the episode trying to get Richie to realize that some people simply aren't born to shoulder immortality. It happens, he's seen it before, and he claims the most merciful thing that could be offered to Ryan's new companion is a swift and painless beheading. Eternal life, foisted on someone who couldn't even begin to comprehend it, is more than a curse - it's a literal death sentence, to be dealt by those who do know how to bring about a Quickening. That's without mentioning the risks related to detection, of being seen healing from things that should've killed an ordinary person.

Richie doesn't budge. He spends most of the episode's runtime convinced that there's a way to get an isolated, unsupervised and unstructured non-verbal immortal to pick up swordfighting, calisthenics, proper dieting, exit-spotting, tactical awareness - all of it without being a trained educator for autistic individuals. He's just a guy with a sword, himself a greenhorn at this, and is trying to impress the fact that fighting is now a necessity to someone who cannot understand him.

The episode ends with Richie narrowly saving the guy's life from a gaggle of opposing immortals seeing his friend as an easy meal ticket, and finally realizing that death really is the kindest option. Stan Kirsch does a fine job of showcasing Richie's mental anguish as the camera pans away from the disabled immortal, and he readies his killing blow.

We're also shown what happens when a Quickening is unwanted, as Richie didn't want to kill someone whom he saw himself as responsible for. The usual pyrotechnics display carries a charge of emotional anguish that's hard to miss - and we're left thinking that this was, in fact, the kindest outcome imaginable.

Pop Culture makes it a point to turn the able-bodied, the traditionally gorgeous, the resourceful or the wealthy into vampires. I'm of the mind that Fatality doesn't really pick favourites, and that some stories of life eternal would be far more poignant if a neverending existence were, in fact, structurally cruel.

[theultimatefan]

Kubert, Johns, Fabok, Hitch Headline Talented Comic Creators Attending FAN EXPO Philadelphia

Batman/Superman #8 - Andy Kubert and Ghost Machine #1 - Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Bryan Hitch

A vast array of talented comics artists and writers, spanning more than a half century of work and encompassing dozens of the most popular franchises in the history of the medium through the present, will be on hand as FAN EXPO Philadelphia today announced the Artist Alley headliners for the convention, set for May 3-5 at the Pennsyvlavnia Convention Center. Among the superstar writers and artists are Andy Kubert (“Batman: The Dark Knight III,” “X-Men”), Geoff Johns (“Geiger,” “Junkyard Joe”), Jason Fabok (“Rook: Exodus,” “Batman: Three Jokers”), Bryan Hitch (“Redcoat,” “The Ultimates”), Francis Manapul (“The Rocketfellers,” “The Flash”), Peter Tomasi (“The Rocketfellers,” “Hornsby and Halo”), Ryan Ottley (“Invincible,” “Amazing Spider-Man"), Frank Cho (“Liberty Meadows," “Wolverine"), Jae Lee (“Seven Sons,” “Stephen King’s Dark Tower”), Stephen Platt (“Moon Knight,” “Wolverine”), and Joe Wos (“Mazetoons,” “Charlie the Tuna”).

Just about every franchise imaginable will be well represented, and comics fans will revel in meeting the creators who have made them possible. Q&A’s, interactive demonstration sessions, autographs, commission opportunities, and more make the experience a can’t-miss for comics lovers.

The FAN EXPO Philadelphia field of creators also includes talents such as Rodney Barnes (“The Boondocks,” “Killadelphia”), Yanick Paquette (“Wonder Woman,” “The Incal”), Tom Grummett (“Thunderbolts”, “Superman”), Brad Anderson (“Geiger,” “The Rook: Exodus”), Heather Antos (Group Editor Licensing/IDW Publishing), Russ Braun (“The Boys,” “Jimmy’s Bastards”), Hailey Brown (Dark Horse Comics, Brink Literacy Project), Chris Burnham (“Unstoppable Doom Patrol,” “Batman, Inc.”), Jim Calafiore (“Exiles,” “Aquaman”), Joe Corroney (“Star Wars,” Lucasfilm), Mike DeCarlo (“The Simpsons,” “Archie”), Guy Gilchrist (“The Muppets,” “Nancy”), Jonathan Glapion (“Batman,” “King Spawn”), Scott Hanna (“Amazing Spider-Man,” “Superman: Lois and Clark”), Ben Harvey (“Star Wars: Darth Maul,” “X-Men”), Mike Hawthorne (“Batman,” “Deadpool”), Tim Jacobus (“Goosebumps,” “Spinetinglers”), Bob McLeod (“New Mutants,” “Superman”), Jonboy Meyers (“Venom,” “The Inhumans”), Rags Morales (“Identity Crisis,” “Batman Confidential”), Carl Potts (“Alien Legion,” “Punisher War Journal”), Aaron Reynolds (“Effin’ Birds”), Alex Saviuk (“Spider-Man,” “The Phantom”), Keith Williams (“The Hulk,” “Action Comics”), Ron Wilson (“The Thing,” “Marvel Two-in-One") and many others.

See the full list at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpophiladelphia/comic-creators/.

The quality of the creators in Artist Alley mirrors that of the FAN EXPO Philadelphia celebrity roster, which features a first-rate list that includes the National Lampoon’s Vacation foursome of Chevy Chase (“Clark Griswald”), Beverly D’Angelo (“Ellen”), Randy Quaid (“Cousin Eddie”) and Dana Barron (“Audrey”), Hayden Christensen (Star Wars franchise), Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka,” Rent), Rainn Wilson (“The Office,” “Lessons in Chemistry”), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler), Adam Savage (“MythBusters”), Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,”), Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell,” “Access Hollywood”), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (“Ahsoka”), Kate Mulgrew (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Orange is the New Black”), Rose McGowan (“Charmed,” Scream), Holly Marie Combs (“Charmed,” “Picket Fences”), Felicia Day (“The Guild,” “Dragon Age: Redemption”), Emily Swallow and Gina Carano (“The Mandalorian”), and more.

FAN EXPO Philadelphia will also feature a variety of comics creators who have written and drawn many favorite stories over the past half century, exhibitors featuring classic and unique pieces from the thousands of memorable characters and scenes that Star Wars and all of its offshoots have produced, and programming panels and special events to help fans across any empire show their love of one of pop culture’s most enduring series.

Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, and Ultimate Fan Packages for FAN EXPO Philadelphia are available now. Advance pricing is available until April 18. More guest news will be released in the following weeks, including line-up reveals for additional headline celebrities, comic creator guests, voice actors and cosplayers.

Philadelphia is the eighth event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.

[callabang]

Fic Rec: Recovery

assorted definitions of healing

All my ribbons and my medals and my trophies | Anonymous

Jeff leans in and rests their foreheads together. “It’s really gonna be fine. You’re a great player.”

Mike wants to snort, wants to yell at him because for the past fifteen days, that’s all Jeff’s been saying. Mike wants to ask him if he needs glasses. “Yeah,” He just says, around the lump in his throat.

notes: this one is tough & painful but the climax is one hundred percent worth it! mike and jeff’s relationship is beautifully written and the rock-solidness of it in the end of so powerful

Faster (series) | lightgetsin

"Okay," he says, "You know how when you're on a breakaway, and you've got a couple D-men on you? Like, right behind you. You can't see them, but you can feel them right there coming for you?" Jamie nods. "The only thing to do is to be faster than them." Tyler says. "You can't turn and look, you can't slow down. You've just . . . you've just got to skate harder. It's like that."

notes: a somewhat unorthodox but very poignant and real depiction of coping with past trauma, in a way that feels like an pitch-perfect characterization choice.

dig a hole, fill it up | inlovewithnight

Going up to the NHL was supposed to be a new start. Everything would be different there.

It wasn't quite that simple, but Aaron had help to figure it out. 

notes: really lovely and moving look at aftermath and healing. i love the dynamics between aaron and willie and megan, especially in relation to the age difference and the guidance and support they provide

I Will Weather the Storm | escherzo

“Stress fracture.” Boone sighs, scrubbing a hand through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. “Could be three months. Five, at worst.”

“Shit,” Ryan says. “No surgery though?”

“Nope. They don’t think so anyway. Got lucky there, eh?” Boone’s smile turns rueful. “As long as we don’t go stir-crazy being stuck here together all winter, I might be alright yet.”

notes: i read this fic for the first time on a friend’s recommendation and didn’t know who the characters were, but i will still blown away by the atmosphere and palpable feelings of care that suffuse this story

You're Still Picking Me Up | loochskywalker

Mitch is 26 when he retires from the NHL. His brain a jumbled mess of pieces that won't fit together no matter how many doctors try to make them. He was supposed to be great. He was supposed to be a legend.

Instead he goes to Vermont. Instead, he goes to see Matt Martin.

notes: a story of healing and acceptance all-around. i love the setting in this fic and the fact that both mitch and matt are healing in their own ways 

came around for a one night thing (and i never left) | whitchbhitch

Carter's thumb pauses on what should be just a fairly standard picture of some abs and a chest, a neck and head turned to the side, the picture cut out to just show his jawline. The guy looks good, built, like his muscle isn't just for show, thick in the waist and no defined abs, even though it's obvious he's very strong. That's all fine, but it doesn't explain what caught Carter's eye. The profile name is just one letter, J, and all the bio says is "here come dat boi !" It's the meme that does it.

(Or, Carter grows, heals, and gets his man.)

notes: this is part of a larger series but i think you can read this on its own! the depth of emotion in this one is especially good juxtaposed with the very hot sex scenes, and it deals with grief in a very real and active way

They Say Love Heals All Wounds | Deastar

“Geno? Are you okay? Physically,” Sid asks, which is good, because Zhenya doesn’t think he can put into words how he’s feeling emotionally. He imagines saying, The person I’ve loved for ten years finally took me to bed last night, but it turns out he didn’t want to, and now I can read his mind. No, thank you. “Feel fine,” Zhenya answers. “Even head feel fine.” And suddenly he realizes how fucking odd that is: he was concussed, and the room is brightly lit – he should be hiding under a blanket right now. He narrows his eyes and asks, “Sid, why head feel fine? What happen to concussion?” Sid takes a halting step closer to the bed and says, “Our bond, it’s—it’s a healing bond.” “Holy mother of God,” Zhenya breathes. So. They’re definitely not breaking the bond, then.

notes: i haven’t read this one in some time but it’s such a classic, both in terms of sid/geno and in terms of hrpf in general. a really unique premise feat. sid and geno actively working and healing together

so collect your scars and wear them well | addandsubtract

It’s been two months when Connor gets on a plane and flies to Arizona. He tells his parents, and they don’t like it at all, but he goes anyway. He has a cane, a strict PT schedule, and an ounce of pot cleverly hidden in his luggage. It’ll be warmer there. It’s January in Toronto, and he aches all the time.

notes: an incredible fic about relying on others and being kind to yourself

This Time Next Year | Oplopanax

Tyson Barrie, one of the very rare Omegas born only into ultra observant religious communities, finds himself pregnant after the death of his husband Gabriel Landeskog and to survive in 1870s Denver, must marry Nathan MacKinnon.

notes: i’ve rec’d this before, which makes sense because it’s so so good. an incredibly expansive fic about how people work through and make the best of some really tough situations 

puttin' on my shades (to cover up my eyes) | electrumqueen

The kid - McLeod - sways against Taylor's shoulder. “I want to go home,” he says.

“What you want is a glass of water and two Advil,” Taylor says. “Trust me on this, kid.”

“Okay,” the kid says. He hiccups.

notes: this fic was my inspiration for a recovery rec list! really painful and poignant, deals with a whole mess of complicated emotions amongst a whole mess of people. the relationships (romantic and platonic, past and present) in this are incredible 

[darnellnurse]

no but imagine if ryan mcleod gets his first nhl goal in the playoffs....

[lottswrites]

Now Ryan McLeod is with Edmonton, I just like to imagine Ryan Strome stuck with both his brother's boyfriends just all... I didn't ask for this.

;lsdajf;lasdjf;lasdjfk;laskdjf wow u rite???? a;sldfkja;lsdfjk;alsdjf

[thewinningweekendwarrior]

  One of my favorite movies as a young child was Lost Horizon. I believe I happened across this movie quite by accident (but then, maybe it was no accident after all). In any case, for those who haven’t seen it, the basic plot is that an Englishman, Robert Conway, ends up, seemingly by accident, in a semi-magical city high in the Himalayas, “Shangri-La.” It turns out that he was actually brought there intentionally to be the new head of Shangri-La. However, he heads back to England and later decides that was an error and nearly dies of exposure on the icy slopes of the mountains trying to scrabble his way back to Shangri-La. The plot echoes the idea of a lost Eden. In the Biblical account of Eden, humans lived a kind of carefree existence before defying God and thereby incurring his wrath which cursed all humanity to have pain bearing children, having to work, etc. There are many stories and myths of an earlier time or a magical place where life is much longer, more fulfilling, less filled with strife and disease, and generally speaking, better in every way than where we are now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Horizon_(1937_film)

I believe that there really is a “Lost Horizon” in much of modern civilization and that horizon is a longer time horizon. In the book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman argues that people used to have a tolerance for much longer and more nuanced debate about about public issues than we do now. For example, the famous “Lincoln-Douglas Debates��� about slavery lasted all day! Now, we try to compress dialogue, discussion and debate into a sound bite or a 140 character tweet.

I never had the pleasure of climbing “real” mountains when I was a youngster. I never even saw the rockies till my early twenties. However, my neighborhood did have a large empty field. And in the middle of that field was a small hill. Because the land around was mainly flat, even this small hill provided a panoramic view of woods, fields, and nearby houses. Whenever I faced some particularly weighty decision facing me, I instinctively walked about a half mile to this hilltop. I went there, surveyed everything I could, and thought about the problem at hand. This seemed the most natural thing in the world and whether true or not, it certainly gave me the impression that I could think about the problem more holistically than if I simply sat in a chair or walked through a forest crowded with trees. On that small hill, the silence from human voices was broken only by the noise of distant traffic, the wind in the grass, and the trills of bob-whites. Sometimes, I would whistle to them for advice. Their “answers” always seemed timeless and untinged by hurry.

In 2003, I was invited to give a keynote talk at a conference in Madeira about my work on a socio-technical Pattern Language (some of which, not so coincidentally, encouraged a broader look over time and space). My wife and I decided to make a vacation out of it with our nephews, Mark and Ryan. On the way to Funchal, we visited Oxford University and a professor friend in cognitive psychology, Peter McLeod. We played “lawn bowling” (the English version of Bocci) at Oxford. While we did our best to out-bowl Peter, he pointed out to us a grove of gigantic Oaks. He said that they had been planted hundreds of years earlier and some of them would be culled soon for renovating one of the buildings. This, he claimed, was no accidental windfall. These oaks had been planted specifically for that purpose centuries earlier.

https://www.slideshare.net/John_C_Thomas/toward-a-sociotechnical-pattern-language

  It wasn’t just Oxford, however, that had been planned with the future in mind. Medieval cathedrals often took a quarter century or a half century to complete. Notre Dam and Lincoln Cathedrals took about a century while the Cologne cathedral took 600 years! Meanwhile, here in the 21st Century, the US Congress seems powerless to pass legislation to repair our crumbling dams, highways, and bridges.

http://natgeotv.com/ca/ancient-megastructures/q-and-a

The US has an opioid addiction problem. In addition, there is an obesity epidemic. There are many reasons for these, but at least part of the problem with any kind of addiction is that people are unable, unwilling, or unpracticed at behaving in what is their own long term interests and instead doing what feels good in the short term. While one might imagine that the advent of widespread literacy, electronic communication and access to a huge amount of humanity’s knowledge via the Internet would encourage people to take a longer view of life and happiness, instead, many people seem more short-sighted than ever.

Think how we cherish the word “instant.” We have “instant coffee”, “instant pudding”, “instant messaging.” We have “speed dialing,” “speed dating,” and just plain “speed.” Software companies feel the need to release new versions and “subversions” at a breakneck pace that necessarily sacrifices sufficient testing.  While people often used to invest in a company’s stock and keep it until they retired decades later, now people invest in a portfolio of ever-changing stocks and a CEO who doesn’t deliver quarter over quarter improvements may soon find themselves out of a job. Many people, in fact, do “day trading” to try to make money. Imagine investing and then uninvesting a few moments later in companies whose products and services change over month or years.

While parents encourage their kids to get good grades now so that they can have a good career later in life, the parents themselves often vote on their short term interests. Politicians cannot solve budget deficits or the over-reliance on fossil fuels. Large number of people who would feel demeaned to be or to be called a heroin addict, will nonetheless buy the SUV, throw the recycling and trash together, and generally accept the rhetoric that denies global climate change and its impacts. Together, our obsession with speed has sometimes been called, the “Cult of Celerity.”

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/26391

Why does a society that has more material wealth and seems to require less of a “hand to mouth” existence, instead, seem ever more focused on the near term and less on the long term? I suppose one possibility is that it is a symptom of a transitional period in humanity’s evolution from a collection of individuals with strong ties to a small number of people to a world-wide interconnection in which individuals become more like “parts” in a giant machine and the “processing” of information that each person does becomes more and more fragmentary.

In teaching Intro Psych, I constructed an exercise for the students in which the class as a whole solved a simple problem. But each individual person had a slip of paper with simple instructions. For example, one student’s instructions might say, “Take a piece of paper from the person on your left. If the paper they hand you has a cross on it, pass it to your right. If it has a circle on it, pass it to the person ahead of you.” No individual person could possibly understand what they collectively were doing.

Indeed, this aligns precisely with “Taylorism” that shaped so much of the so-called “Industrial Revolution.” Some one person or small group of people designs an assembly line. They understand the overall process. But a person actually working on the assembly line may only know that they see a series of widgets passing by and for each widget, they are supposed to turn a screw. They are not supposed to worry about how their job fits into the overall picture. Indeed, they were not encouraged to take a broad view or a long view of their work. Many such jobs have been replaced by robots.

too brief an article which claims Taylorism “ended” in the 1930’s!

An alternative to ever-increasing atomization and automation of work is instead to structure small teams of people to design and build cars. They can do this, incidentally, with a view toward overall energy costs of manufacturing, distribution, and driving rather than just reducing the emissions of the vehicles after construction.

  http://radar.oreilly.com/2015/06/the-future-of-car-making-small-teams-using-fewer-materials.html

Even when people are part of a deconstructed process, it can still be worthwhile for them to “see the bigger picture.” Knowing how your job fits into a larger picture provides motivational advantages and knowledge advantages. As a common folk story goes, two travelers are passing by a wall where two folks are laboring. Each laborer selects rather large rocks in a nearby field; carries them to a wall and places them carefully then using cement to fill in tiny cracks. Objectively, these two workers appear to have the same job. However, one of the two was happily going about their work humming and smiling while the other slumped their shoulders and sported a grim visage; could be heard ever muttering beneath his breath. Curious, one of the travelers asked the Glum one, “What are you doing here, my good fellow?”

“Oh, what a pain! I’m building a wall, of course.”

Then, the traveler approached the cheery builder and asked, “What are you doing here, if I may ask?”

“Oh, what a joy! I’m helping to create a marvelous cathedral, of course!”

IBM’s Think magazine once contained an interesting example of the cognitive benefits of seeing the big picture. People who worked on the Endicott, NY assembly lines were given a few hours of training to see how their job fit into the overall picture. At one point, one of the mask inspectors jumped up and yelled, “Oh, no! I’ve been doing it wrong all these years!” It turned out that they had not wanted to “throw out” a mask that “only” had a few errors because they knew a lot of time and effort had gone into making the mask. They thought it prudent to pass masks as “okay” unless there were a lot of errors. Of course, each mask was used to make many thousands of chips, so it was vitally important not to pass a mask if there were even the slightest error. But until this training program, no-one had really made this clear.

At IBM, I managed a research project for several years on the business uses of stories and storytelling. One of the “knowledge management” consultants I worked with, Dave Snowden, told a story of the Thames Water Company. At that time, when people in this part of the UK had trouble with their water or sewer, they called up a help line and the people who staffed the help lines (almost all women) were to follow a script and dispatch engineers (nearly all men) to go and fix the problems. Of course, as is customary, they were measured on how many calls they could handle in an hour. Most of the help personnel were young, but one middle aged lady took about two and a half times as long to dispatch engineers. She was about to be fired for being so slow, when some enlightened individual decided to look a little more deeply. It turned out that, indeed, she was slower. However, it turned out that her husband was one of the engineers who fixed problems. Because of the knowledge she gained from talking over their jobs together as well as her long experience, she actually solved many problems on the phone herself. In fact, while the average service rep sent an engineer out into the field on about one out of every ten calls, this woman sent an engineer out only one out of a thousand calls. By taking slightly longer on the phone, she was actually saving the company a lot of money! Chances are excellent that he probably did a much better job as an engineer for having conversations with a dispatcher as well.

It seems as though more widespread public education and literacy would allow people to undertake their jobs as well as their political and personal decisions with a longer time horizon and a broader view of what the impact of their behaviors are on others. Beyond that, it seems to me that many of the problems of today require longer and broader views in order to take appropriate action. In fact, it seems the evolutionary advantage to early (and contemporary) humans does not lie in our sharper teeth or stronger jaws; it does not lie in our sharper vision or hearing; it does not rely on our superior strength or speed. Our only advantages are to be able to cooperate and communicate over a longer period of time and space. Yet, here we seem to be — focusing on smaller pieces of complex problems, over-simplifying both the problem and the solution, and insisting on instant answers and speedy resolutions.

Rather than pay a dollar more in taxes to build mass transit to help stem global climate change, we would rather wait for a hurricane and spend ten dollars more in taxes or thousands more to repair things. Rather than pay a penny more in taxes and find a cure for cancer, we would rather pay a hundred thousand in medical expenses. Rather than pay to repair a bridge, we’d rather wait till it collapses with scores of people on it. Rather than wait three years for a new software release with minimal bugs, we would rather wait three months and get the newest with a mosquito horde of bugs. Rather than take the time to fully understand a problem before trying to solve it, we’d rather categorize it quickly and apply a solution that might or might not be appropriate or better yet, “hand it off” to someone else. Rather than take the time to enjoy what we are doing at the moment, we’d rather jump ahead to the next moment.

Maybe “Shangri-La” is not a magical village hidden deep in the Himalayas. Maybe Eden is not something humankind “lost” but something we are yet to build. Together. Slowly. Over time. Maybe finding or rediscovering Paradise is not so much a question of scrambling up frozen mountainsides as simply taking a deep breath, a break, a pause in the action in order to see things from a more global perspective.  Even a small hill can help you collect your thoughts and see the broader picture. It might be quiet there and you can hear, not the voices of bosses, managers, advertising and overlords urging you to buy more, get more, work more but instead you can hear the clear call of birdsong reminding you that Eden may only be a few deep breaths away.

Lost Horizon. One of my favorite movies as a young child was Lost Horizon. I believe I happened across this movie quite by accident (but then, maybe it was no accident after all).

[colrfulcreations]

Date: 2016-07-18 20:12:47

Journey into a Whimsical world of With Artists and illustrator, Tara Galuska. Get an into her home Studio and Wrist-watch as she cuts, glues, and assembles one of her HandMade artworks. Tara creates Originality Peice Use both Beauty and she has Designs Thyselves by Use splashes of Liquitex Acrylic Inks. The Upshots is a Beautiful Peice of Poetry is delicate, detailed and truly unique. - Watch Poetry With PAPER to discover the Theendless Possibilities of , scissors, and imagination! For Information about the Products Tara uses visit: - Credits Featuring Tara Galuska Produced by Opus Art Supplies Created by Ryan Mund Music by Kevin McLeod "Somewhere Sunny (ver 2)" Kevin McLeod - Licensed Commons: By 3.0

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: (FEB 8) SYRACUSE SPANKS PACK - HARD, 6-0

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - With three goals in the second period, the Syracuse Crunch took control and never looked back en route to a 6-0 whitewashing of the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Crunch is chasing the Rochester Americans for the top spot in the North Division and increased their record to 29-13-2-1 (61 points) and hold on to second place. The Pack is now two games short of matching the franchise record of an eleven game losing streak. It was set in 2012 and ran from January 1-28 when they were 0-6-3-2. The Pack record falls to 19-24-3-3 and they have now gone nine games (0-7-1-1) and find themselves eleven points behind the fourth-place Lehigh Valley Phantoms, who they will face twice this weekend in Pennsylvania at the PPL Center and then Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. At this point, it's quite clear that the ship is taking on water and sinking. The hope for a post-season invite slipped further under the shadow of the horizon. The performance, with the exception of the third period, was another non-sixty-minute effort. The outcome was never in doubt. “Syracuse carried a majority of the game," Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said. "You recognize they’re a really explosive team. They are number one in the league for goals (172) and when you turn the puck over, there is a good possibility it will be in the back of the net. Many of the chances we gave them were mismanagement of the puck and the momentum swung completely in their favor.” Following his comment, McCambridge fielded a call from Pack GM, Chris Drury. One can only imagine that it was a pleasant chat. There is no escape for things in the locker room, and the silence was deafening. “Today is the epitome of what has been going on here the last two weeks,” intoned a very somber assistant captain, Steven Fogarty. “All facets of the game were bad. We didn’t do anything to make it hard for them.” Two weeks ago, the Wolf Pack were three points out of fourth place. Since the trade of captain Cole Schneider, they've won just twice was traded. The did fine in the first two after the trade, but since that time, it's been all downhill. “He was a big part of the room," Fogarty said. "(He was) a big voice and everybody has to step up and lead by example on the ice. We have been doing a whole lot of talking and not too much on the ice.” The head coach was in agreement with one of his assistants. “Cole Schneider was a big part of our team, our dressing room. However, this is the American Hockey League, and trades will happen. You have to find a way to get over it. The team added some depth to the organization (Connor Brickley) and that’s a part of pro sports.” Syracuse closed out the scoring with two shorthanded empty-net goals late off a double minor to Brady Brassart. Mitchell Stephens got his second of the game and Dominik Masin got his second of the season. The second period the Wolf Pack got crunched for three goals and with that, the party was over. Right off the bat Ross Colton, a one time Taft Prep (Watertown, CT) player, zoomed down the right wing. The left-handed shot snapped a wrister far to the glove side for his eighth of the season at 2:02. The goal made it a 2-0 Syracuse lead. “The first two minutes of a period are as critical as the last two, and they were able to get momentum early and kept it." After killing a penalty, the Crunch made it 3-0. Ben Thomas was at the right point and gathered a loose puck that had gotten away from the Pack's Shawn O’Donnell. The Pack forward gave chase, but Thomas, a defenseman, was able to veer away unchecked off the right wing to the front of the net and slipped a backhander past Pack netminder, Marak Mazanec. For Thomas, it was his first of the season. “We were too light in our own zone tonight. We didn’t win battles for loose pucks and you have to limit the time you're defending in your own zone and we were generating only one or two good shifts." The Crunch got their fourth goal as the passive Pack defense, again, was willing to give Syracuse as much time and space as they wanted. Mazanec made a splendid left pad save on a redirect from Cory Conacher in front of Cameron Gaunce’s point shot, but the rebound went right to the stick of Taylor Raddysh who easily deposited his eleventh goal of the campaign into the open right side of the net 10:13. The only battle, as the frustration was beginning to show, came from the Wolf Pack in the form of two scraps. The first by Ryan Lindgren with Andy Andreoff. The second involved Matt Beleskey, who fared better against Dominik Masin. The Wolf Pack had three breakaways. Fogarty was shorthanded on a nice steal at the Wolf Pack blue line and was stopped. Ryan Gropp on his bid was denied by Eddie Pasquale (21 saves) and Sean Day missed the net entirely. “I would have been nice to get a goal, get some energy in the building from the crowd. Their goalie had a good game and he had a nice save on Ryan Gropp’s breakaway. The chances are few and far between against a team like Syracuse. We need to finish them,” said McCambridge. The Crunch was able to gain the first goal of the game when Libor Hajek's backhanded clearing attempt went around the boards from left to right wing. Ville Meskanen went to clear it out, but ex-Pack Hubert Labrie came down the right wing wall and blocked it. The puck came to Alex Barre-Boutet. He gained steam quickly and headed to the net. Barre-Boutet sent a perfect pass to Mitchell Stephens in the left circle. He snapped his third of the season by going high to the stick-side on Mazanec at 11:01. It was Stephens' first game back after missing 23 due to injury. SCRATCHES: Rob O’ Gara (Week-To-Week, lower body) Brandon Crawley (Healthy) Matt Petgrave (Healthy) Shawn St. Amant (Healthy) LINES: Anderson-Brickley-Meskanen Holland-Beleskey-Butler Fontaine-Leedahl-O’Donnell Fogarty-Gettinger-Gropp Gilmour-Lindgren Hajak-Bigras Day-Tolkinen NOTES: The Pack weekly roster merry-go-round continues with Vinni Lettieri recalled after Cody McLeod was traded by the New York Rangers to the Nashville Predators which opened a roster spot. Goalie, Brandon Halverson, was recalled again from the Maine Mariners (ECHL). He will likely see action in one of the games in against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. With the trade deadline coming, he may be being showcased as a part of a larger deal that could possibly be in the works. The Pack signed defenseman Matt Petgrave from the Brampton Beast (ECHL). In 41 games, Petgrave had six goals and 30 points. He also has 44 PIM in his third season with the team. Last season Petgrave had three AHL recalls. His longest was twelve games with the Laval Rocket. He also had a game with the Belleville Sens and two with tonight’s opponent, Syracuse. After a four-year OHL career with Niagara, Owen Sound, and Oshawa with one Memorial Cup tournament appearance. Petgrave had a four-year Canadian college career with the University of New Brunswick (AUS). They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs every year. Tuesday’s announced crowd of 1,274 was the lowest in Wolf Pack history. Now, 22 of the 35 lowest crowds in the team's history have come during the Global Spectrum/Spectra management era. Five of the 22 have come this season thus far. Goalie, Connor LaCouvee, who was in Wolf Pack training camp, was signed to an AHL deal with Laval and reassigned to the Pack's ECHL affiliate in Maine strictly for post-season roster purposes. Trevor Yates, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler, Ross Yates, was traded from the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) to the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was then reassigned to the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL). Former CT Whale, Christian Thomas, signs a new two year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia-KHL). Ex-Pack, Josef Balej, was released by MsHK Zilina (Slovakia-SLEL) and signed with EHC Freiburg (Germany DEL-2). Ex-Pack, Akim Aliu, has signed a deal with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). Jonas Johanssen of the Rochester Americans, after being named the first star against the Wolf Pack in a 4-1 win, was reassigned to the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL). Seems like that would have earned him at least another game, no? Former UCONN goalie, Garrett Bartus, is currently with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL). He has signed to play this spring/summer with the Sydney Ice Dogs (Australia-AIHL) when their season kicks off at the end of April. Last summer, former UCONN Husky, Trevor Gerling, who was also a former Wolf Pack training camp invitee, scored the overtime game-winner to help his CBR (Canberra) Brave team win their first Australian Goodall Cup championship. Wolf Pack fan jersey of the night: #49 Ilkka Heikkinen, and a Sean Day #4 jersey with the Mississauga Steelheads (OHL). Read the full article

[ilyasorokinn]

buffalo sabres

* = from a prompt list

bowen byram ! (no longer write for)

blurbs,

✷ the darn couch - bowen and y/n are in the process of moving in together, so when their couch arrives, they have to find a way to get it up the stairs. *

ryan mcleod !

blurbs,

✷ stick to the face - ryan makes a promise to y/n to stop taking sticks to the face or else he’ll have no teeth left. he tries his best to keep that promise, but sometimes, it’s unavoidable.

jj peterka!

blurbs,

✷ superstitious - hockey players are known. tobe very superstitious. jj is no different. *

owen power ! (no longer write for)

imagines,

✷ beijing bound - y/n and owen are beijing bound.

blurbs,

✷ good luck charm - y/n spends the time before the game with owen, and they end up winning.

✷ emma and y/n (and owen) day - it's emma's day to spend with y/n, but owen crashes it.

✷ peter to my gwen - while babysitting, y/n and owen reminisce about their past and talk about their future.

✷ a little bit drunk - owen's a little drunk, and doesn't recognize his girlfriend.

mattias samuelsson !

blurbs,

✷ aunt and uncle duties - as the only people in your family and friend group, y/n and mattias are often tasked as babysitters. *

jack quinn !

blurbs,

✷ third batch - after messing up on two batches of cookies, jack and y/n attempt to make a third and perfect one. *

✷ the perfect teacher - jack helps y/n get over her fear of skating. *

[ wips ] [ masterlist of masterlists ] [ taglist ]

[toasttt11]

proud

August 20, 2018

Hayden parked by the entrance of her favorite dock at a lake in Michigan. She had gotten a package when she got home from school from San Diego. It was two urns holding her parent’s ashes.

Her parents always said when she was growing up that when they passed they wanted to be scattered a little bit of everywhere but also always be with Hayden, so she knew where the first place she wanted to scatter some of their ashes.

The dock in Michigan, the dock where her and her parents had a lot of picnics last year, it became her favorite place to clear her head and now when she wants to clear her head she can be near her parents.

She got out of the car and gently held both of their urns walking down the dock till the end where she sat down on the dock setting the urns next to her as she looked out at the lake.

Hayden had just recently gotten more emails and letters about the upcoming NHL draft, the same draft she had planned to sign up too but now she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to play hockey again.

She is still on the team for USNTDP but she didn’t train with them this summer because of her parents death and practice starts soon but she doesn’t know what she will be doing.

She fiddled with her necklace that was her mother’s as she thought about it.

She loves hockey, she always has especially because it was something she loved with her parents but without them she wasn’t so sure anymore.

Hayden knew her parents wouldn’t be mad if she never played again but she also knew how proud they always were when she was playing.

She has always wanted to make it to the NHL for her mother as her mother stopped playing when she got pregnant and she wanted to play for her father and continue his legacy

Hayden nodded took a deep breath and knew she would be playing still, she couldn’t just stop because her parents are dead and she knew a part of her parents would be disappointed if she stopped playing because they passed away.

She was going to play her best this season and going to her drafted as high as she can to make them proud.

She sat up and kneeled by the edge of the dock and slowly opened her father’s urn and let some of his ashes fall into the lake before she shut it close and gently set it down. She picked up her mother’s urn and did the same thing letting some of her ashes fall into the lake.

“I’ll make you guys proud.” Hayden whispered out to the water feeling a bit closer to her parents here as she scattered a piece of them.

[thegabecole]

So here's a post I never would have guessed in early 2016 that I'd write. I've mentioned in a few posts that last year I expanded my reading with graphic novels and comics—a decision I've been very happy with, both because it saved my yearly reading challenge and because it turns out I really enjoy comics. Which shouldn't surprise me given my love of art and nerdy things but you know.

Last year I also finally got myself a library card for my local library, which lead to my discovery of Hoopla, a service that provides digital comics, audiobooks, ebooks, television, music, and movies to library patrons whose libraries have paired up with the service. Hoopla lets you borrow up to eight titles a month, and while I haven't really perused the other categories yet, I can say the comics selection is actually pretty decent.

Because I've been enjoying so many comics of late, I thought I'd share some of the series I've especially enjoyed over the last couple months, all of which are available for free on Hoopla (so I recommend finding out if your local library partners with them!).

Without further ado, here are some really great reads:

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Goodreads summary:

"When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults."

Technically I discovered Saga in print through a college assignment—and then I loved it so much I bought the first hardcover collection and am now eagerly waiting for the second hardcover version to publish before I keep reading. But Saga is available on Hoopla, even if I don't read it there.

Anyway, I love this series. It's super diverse, the art is gorgeous, it's incredibly imaginative, exciting, raw, and it touches on really important topics like racism, sex trafficking, the violence of war and more. Saga is one of my favorite discoveries of 2016 and I can't recommend it more.

Morning Glories by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma

Goodreads summary:

"One of the most prestigious prep schools in the country...But behind it's hallowed doors something sinister and deadly lurks. When six brilliant but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and desperately seeking answers...and escape from a place where nothing is what it seems to be!"

Honestly that summary really doesn't do it justice. I'm in the middle of reading this series right now and I'm devouring it because it's super addictive. This is a creepy af series about this twisted school where students die or disappear on the reg and the staff is hosting this weird psychologically torturous experiment on the students for...reasons? It's somewhat confusing so far, but it involves time travel and murderous ghosts and while I still haven't really worked out what the hell is going on, the clues are starting to come together and I am fascinated. Also a couple volumes in there's some queer rep and I really like the art in this one too.

Princeless

by Jeremy Whitley, Mia Goodwin, Jung-Ha Kim and Dave Dwonch

Goodreads summary:

"Princeless is the story of Princess Adrienne, one princess who's tired of waiting to be rescued. Join Adrienne, her guardian dragon, Sparky, and their plucky friend Bedelia as they begin their own quest in this one of a kind, action packed, all-ages adventure!"

Princeless has very quickly become one of my favorites. First of all, it's hilarious and ridiculously cute, and second it's about a princess who decides to leave her tower with her guardian dragon and become the knight rescuing other princesses from their towers, which is every bit of adorably awesome as it sounds. Also, it has panels like this, like when a knight says he's arrived to save the fair maiden and she calls him out on what he means by "fair":

I loved seeing a black girl lead in a fantasy and if you're looking for something really fun that's also kid friendly (I'd rate this as Middle Grade), then you should definitely check the Princeless series out.

Giant Days

by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar

Goodreads summary:

"Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of handwringing boys, 'personal experimentation,' influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of 'academia,' they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird."

Giant Days is the comic I read when I want a pick-me-up. This is a contemporary series that takes place in England, focusing on three girls who've just started university. It's a cute series that never fails to make me smile, is also pretty funny, and has (a little) queer rep, though I forget what volume that starts in. Either way I've really enjoyed the series so far and can't wait for Hoopla to upload the next volume.

Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe, and John "Roc" Upchurch

Goodreads summary:

"Who are the Rat Queens? A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. "

Rat Queens is another really fun and nicely diverse series. I really enjoyed the trippy, dangerous, and dark, and funny adventures Dee, Hannah, Violet and Betty had throughout the series—it absolutely did not disappoint.

Kaptara by Chip Zdarsky, Kagan McLeod, Becka Kinzie, and Drew Gill

Goodreads summary:

"Keith Kanga crash lands on KAPTARA, a world filled with danger and weird danger and dangerous weirdos! And if he can't survive, then Earth, the place where you live, is doomed! Come check out this sci-fi comedy from Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals) and Kagan McLeod (Infinite Kung-Fu)."

This series is weird but in a good way. It's another funny one (I guess I'm just into humorous comics) with some really out-there characters, but I found the first volume really enjoyable. This one also has some great representation, including a queer, black lead, which was super great to see.

The Midas Flesh by Ryan North, Braden Lamb, Shelli Paroline, and Steve Wands

Goodreads summary:

"Dang, King Midas We've all heard of the Midas Touch. You know, the Greek myth about the man who did a number on himself by wishing everything he touched to turn to gold? Well, you haven't heard everything. Joey and her space crew have decided to return to Earth--a planet completely sectioned off, abandoned, and covered in gold--to find out exactly what happened to this once thriving planet and see if they can use that knowledge against the evil empire that's tracking them down. As luck would have it, they just landed the most powerful weapon in the universe: some ancient dead guy's body."

This is a really interesting one. I really enjoyed the sci-fi/Midas mash-up, and it was also super great to see a hijabi girl in a major role. I've only read the first volume so far, but I'm definitely going to check out more because the premise is super interesting and I'm curious to see what happens.

Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, and Brooke A. Allen

Goodreads summary:

"FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX! At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here."

Lumberjanes is another strange and funny one I enjoyed. It's super quirky, a lot of fun, and 100% girl-powered which is awesome. I'd heard a lot about this one and this band of friends battling monsters and creepy things while being endlessly fun and funny lived up to all the goods things everyone said about it.

Have you checked out any comics or graphic novels? What are your favorites?

[flauntpage]

Carson Wentz Gets Jobbed With An 82 Rating In Madden NFL 20

Madden 20 ratings are out, which means it’s time for overreaction.

What players were valued too high? Too low? Who got the ultimate video game diss?

QB Controversies Abound

NameTeamOverall Patrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs97 Tom BradyNew England Patriots96 Philip RiversSan Diego Chargers94 Drew BreesNew Orleans Saints92 Andrew LuckIndianapolis Colts92 Russell WilsonSeattle Seahawks91 Aaron RodgersGreen Bay Packers90 Matt RyanAtlanta Falcons89 Ben RoethlisbergerPittsburgh Steelers85 Cam NewtonCarolina Panthers84 Jared GoffLos Angeles Rams83 Baker MayfieldCleveland Browns83 Deshaun WatsonHouston Texans82 Carson WentzPhiladelphia Eagles82 Kirk CousinsMinnesota Vikings81 Dak PrescottDallas Cowboys81 Derek CarrOakland Raiders80 Andy DaltonCincinnati Bengals80 Marcus MariotaTennessee Titans79 Matthew StaffordDetroit Lions79

Does Philly Overvalue Carson Wentz?

The Eagles’ franchise quarterback comes in with an absolutely underwhelming 82 overall rating in Madden 20. Look, I get it, the guy has to prove that he can stay healthy and his mobility appeared to be a bit limited as he recovered from tearing up his knee in 2018. If we follow a similar line of thinking, it makes some sense that Deshaun Watson, who also suffered a comparable injury in the same season, has the same overall rating. However, I need someone at EA Sports to explain the presence of Baker-freaking-Mayfield as a higher-rated 83. Will he put up some killer numbers with OBJ and Jarvis Landry streaking downfield? Of course. Has he put together the same kind of sustained excellence over the majority of a season like Wentz or even Watson? I say nay. Jared Goff being ahead of Wentz is nearly as perplexing, though I imagine it’s just a masterful job of trolling Eagles fans. Though, it has made our office buzz and wonder… do we overrate Carson Wentz?

Aaron Rodgers not in the Top-5?

In what world is Aaron Rodgers not a Top-5 QB in the NFL? Patrick Mahomes leading the list makes sense as he’s the reigning, defending, undisputed league MVP from a year ago and is the lead among numerous sportsbooks to do the same in 2019-20. Tom Brady’s placement as a close #2 is fair, but that’s where the wheels fall off. Philip Rivers is the THIRD-BEST QUARTERBACK IN THE NFL? He’s two full points ahead of Drew Brees? Really? Andrew Luck is rated in line with Brees? Russell Wilson -the modern-day Michael “Run around as my O-Line collapses and hope I don’t die” Vick- gets a boost due to his speed and elusiveness. For my money, flip Rodgers and Rivers and I’ll calm down.

Mitchell Trubisky’s 75 Overall Madden Rating Will Enrage Chicago Bears Fans

I don’t think Trubisky is by any means a Top-10 or even Top-15 quarterback, but holy shnikies this is bad. Alex Smith is rated higher, despite suffering one of the most gruesome leg injuries we’ve seen in years. Lamar Jackson’s NINETY-FOUR speed rating likely led to his one point lead in the overall category, but does anyone really think Trubisky is roughly the same player as journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick?

Nickfolean Kryptonite

Former Eagles QB and Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles has been installed as a 77 overall player, the exact same rating as Alex Smith. Is he really worse than Jimmy Garoppolo? I’d say no. Worse than Matthew Stafford? Sure.

A Giant Disappointment

Eli Manning is the 36th overall rated QB with an overall score of 72. That makes him the lowest-rated starting QB in the NFC East behind Wentz (82), Dak Prescott (81), and Smith (77). The Giants’ first round pick Daniel Jones comes in way below Manning with an overall rating of 63, a mere point ahead of third-stringer Kyle Lauletta.

Kevin Kinkead has the rating for every Eagles player, along with some news and notes after the jump:

Philadelphia Eagles Ratings

PlayerPositionRating Fletcher CoxDT96 Jason KelceC94 Zach ErtzTE93 Malcolm JenkinsSS92 Brandon BrooksRG90 Brandon GrahamRE89 Lane JohnsonRT89 Alshon JeffreyWR 87 Jason Peters LT 87 DeSean JacksonWR 85 Nelson AgholorWR83 Ronald DarbyCB82 Carson WentzQB82 Zach Brown MLB81 Dallas GoedertTE80 Jordan HowardHB80 Malik JacksonDT 80 Rodney McLeod JrFS79 Andrew SendejoFS79 Nigel BradhamROLB78 Tim JerniganDT 78 Avonte MaddoxCB 78 Derek BarnettLE76 Sidney Jones IVCB76 Corey ClementHB75 Vinny CurryLE75 Jake ElliottK74 Jalen MillsCB74 Will TyeTE74 JJ Arcega-WhitesideWR73 Kamu Grugier-HillLOLB73 Cre'von LeBlancCB 73 Josh AdamsHB72 Rasul DouglasCB72 Miles SandersHB 72 Wendell SmallwoodHB72 Mack HollinsWR71 Joshua PerkinsTE71 Andre DillardLT70 Shelton GibsonWR70 Braxton MillerWR70 Isaac SeumaloLG70 Josh SweatRE70 Paul WorrilowLOLB70 Charles JohnsonWR69 Cameron JohnstonP69 Treyvon HesterDT68 Donnel Pumphrey JrHB68 Boston ScottHB68 Blake CountessSS67 Nathan GerryLOLB67 Daeshon HallRE67 LJ FortMLB66 Josh HawkinsCB66 Shareef MillerRE66 Hassan RidgewayDT66 Halapoulivaati VaitaiRT66 Stefen WisniewskiLG66 Tre SullivanFS63 Jeremiah McKinnonCB62 Joe OstmanLE62 Deiondre HallSS61 Bruce HectorDT61 Cody KesslerQB61 Godwin IgwebuikeSS60 Matt PryorRG59 Carlton AgudosiWR58 Tyreek BurwellLT58 Jordan MailataLT58 Nate SudfeldQB57 Anthony FabianoC56 Clayton ThorstonQB56 Rick LovatoTE41

Fletcher Cox, at 96, is the highest rated Eagles player in the game and the only Bird in the top 15. Jason Kelce is second, listed at 94, and Zach Ertz is third, given a 93 rating.

Desean Jaccson got an 85.

They ranked Ronald Darby as the best Birds corner, with an 82. Avonte Maddox was second with a 78 and Jalen Mills got a 74. Sidney Jones is a 76 and Cre’Von LeBlanc a 73.

First round draft pick Andre Dillard is rated a 70, which feels low to me, but of course I don’t know how you rate a guy who has never played an NFL game.

Stefen Wisniewski was rated 66, which is really low. Wis is a good player.

Rick Lovato, the long snapper, is listed as a backup tight end and rated a 41.

Nate Sudfeld and Clayton Thorson are both in the bottom five of the Eagles list, with a 57 and 56, respectively.

Cox, Ertz, and Kelce all were given a 98 awareness rating.

The fastest Bird? Madden has a five way tie between Maddox, Jaccson, Darby, Shelton Gibson, and Josh Hawkins, all given a 93.

Blake Countess and Maddox have the Birds’ highest acceleration rating, a 94.

Maddox was given a team-high 96 agility rating.

Brandon Brooks was given a team-high 96 strength rating.

What do you think? Did EA Sports get it right?

The post Carson Wentz Gets Jobbed With An 82 Rating In Madden NFL 20 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Carson Wentz Gets Jobbed With An 82 Rating In Madden NFL 20 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[thrashermaxey]

Fantasy Impact: Wild Send Mikael Granlund to Predators for Kevin Fiala

  Fantasy Impact: In a blockbuster, the Minnesota Wild have traded star center Mikael Granlund to the Nashville Predators for winger Kevin Fiala.

  The Wild get: a shifty, speedy winger on the rise. Fiala was a little buried in Nashville and hasn't seen his ice time move from 15 minutes per game over the last two seasons. Last year he showed signs of a breakout with 48 points, but this year – his third – it didn't happen. Next year will be his fourth NHL season. 

The Predators get: a first-line center or first-line winger who is so talented that he could make the second line into more of a 1A line. Granlund is just entering his prime and he is going to hit 67 points this season for the third year in a row.

  Fantasy Players Impacted: It's probably doubtful that Granlund breaks up the Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson line. And since the team already has Kyle Turris and Nick Bonino, it's easy to imagine Granlund on the second line as a winger. So under that scenario, Turris gets a massive upgrade. Ditto for Wayne Simmonds (whom the Preds acquired in the middle of my writing this up – that breakdown will be coming). This helps the first line get freed up a little bit, but when it comes to the power play – does Ryan Johansen lose his spot to Granlund? On one hand you have chemistry. On the other hand, Granlund would probably upgrade it. Let's take a stab at the line combos:

Forsberg – Johansen – Arvidsson

Granlund – Turris – Simmonds

Calle Jarnkrok – Bonino – Craig Smith

Colton Sissons – Brian Boyle – Rocco Grimaldi

Depth: Cody McLeod

In Minnesota, Fiala's fantasy value soars. He will see first-line minutes and top PP minutes. Fiala owners just cashed in big time because he was barely a blip in trade rumors until this weekend. And now suddenly he's the Golden Boy. And that's what he is – a Golden Boy. Because Minnesota just gave up their star player for him, so they will put everything they can into making sure Fiala makes them look good. He has to flourish or they look bad. Golden. Boy.

As far as slotting Fiala in for Granlund, the bodies in the top six remain equal – one for one. But Fiala is a winger and they had Granlund at center. So Joel Eriksson Ek moves up to the second line where he is out of place. The Wild have tried Ryan Donato at center a little bit so perhaps they go there a little more. That would knock Pontus Aberg from his tryout in the top six.

  Fantasy players this helps, in order:

1. Fiala

….big gap…

2. Turris

3. Simmonds

  Fantasy players this hurts, in order:

1. Granlund

2. Aberg

3. Luke Kunin

4. Smith

5. Jarnkrok

    This trade is being discussed right now in the forum here – add your two cents!

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/fantasy-take-latest-nhl-moves/fantasy-impact-wild-send-mikael-granlund-to-predators-for-kevin-fiala/

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 1 October 2018

You can read a full review of the excellent first issue of Rainbow Brite here.

Quick Bits:

A Walk Through Hell #5 concludes the first arc, showing us what happened to the other agent in the warehouse, and giving a bit of closure to what happened in Carnahan investigation. This is some of the darkest, creepiest stuff I’ve seen from Garth Ennis and he’s got plenty of good horror out there. Perfectly brought to life by Goran Sudžuka and Ive Svorcina.

| Published by AfterShock

Asgardians of the Galaxy #2 is more entertaining cosmic fare, reminding me a bit of some of the bizarre cosmic quests Marvel used to publish back in the 80s and 90s. Particularly some old Silver Surfer and Warlock & The Infinity Watch. It’s hard to qualify that feeling, but it’s welcome in the story. The artwork from Matteo Lolli and Federico Blee continues to be top notch.

| Published by Marvel

Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #1 is weird, but what else would you expect from The Maxx? Beautiful art here from Sam Kieth, with a softer, almost watercolour like colour style from Ronda Pattison.

| Published by IDW & DC Comics

Battlestar Galactica (Classic) #0 is a free preview of the next volume of the series from John Jackson Miller, Daniel HDR, Natalia Marques, and Taylor Esposito. I’ve like quite a bit of Miller’s Star Wars work, and despite not particularly caring for the original BSG, this isn’t bad. The artwork from HDR and Marques is very nice, both in terms of the likenesses and in the level of detail that the pair are putting into the ships and starfields.

| Published by Dynamite

Blackbird #1 is off to a good start, giving us a mix of magic and kind of a more grounded coming of age story. The artwork is a huge draw, with Jen Bartel, Paul Reinwand, and Nayoung Wilson delivering something that feels a bit like Kris Anka’s work in Runaways and Jamie McKelvie and Matthew Wilson’s in The Wicked + The Divine. Somewhere between reality and imagination.

| Published by Image

Champions #25 kicks off a trip to Weirdworld for the team as they search for where Man-Thing carried off Sam and Nadia, allowing Jim Zub to play around in his fantasy wheelhouse, and giving Sean Izaakse and Max Dunbar to show off some really nice art and designs. The shift into fantasy is really well done, adapting the Champions into the setting through the method of transit there, rather than the more typical straight forward delivery. It gives an interesting counterpoint to the earlier Deadpool #4 and this week’s Weapon H #8 in their own use of Weirdworld.

| Published by Marvel

Dead Rabbit #1 is probably the best crime series debut I’ve read since Hot Lunch Special #1, and this is really damn good. Gerry Duggan and John McCrea create a very compelling lead in Martin Dobbs, the former Dead Rabbit, a retired masked thief now working at a Walmart analogue. McCrea, with colours from Mike Spicer, employs a more restrained form of his usual exaggerated style here and it is gorgeous, fitting the dark reality and gravity of the story.

| Published by Image

Death of the Inhumans #4 has a huge revelation that somehow makes everything worse. Yes, worse than killing Lockjaw. Donny Cates, Ariel Olivetti, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles continue the blows coming, even as the Inhuman royal family and Beta Ray Bill attempt to get a modicum of retribution against Vox and the Kree.

| Published by Marvel

Death Orb #1 is off to an interesting start, laying heavy into the post-apocalyptic feel of things like Mad Max and Akira, with a sword of Damocles hanging high above the remaining people’s heads. It’s a familiar world that Ryan Ferrier and Alejandro Aragon have created here, but it’s compelling, making me wonder what more is there for the characters.

| Published by Dark Horse

Deathstroke #36 kicks off the “Arkham” arc. This is the first issue of this volume of Deathstroke I’ve read, but it flows really well for a new reader, even if you only have a passing knowledge of the various villains in Arkham Asylum. It reads very much in Priest’s style, with scenes broken down by title cards, sections working almost as discrete vignettes at times, and a nice amount of humour thrown in for god measure. Great art from Ed Benes, Fernando Pasarin, Richard Friend, Jason Paz, Wade von Grawbadger, and Jeromy Cox. Although the requisite backstory is provided in text, I’m definitely tempted to go back and read the rest of the series to see what I’ve missed.

| Published by DC Comics

Euthanauts #3 is another transcendental experience from Tini Howard, Nick Robles, Eva De La Cruz, and Neil Uyetake. The artwork from Robles and De La Cruz is incredible, with amazing layouts, panel transitions, and character designs that just pull you into the story that the entire creative team is telling.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Giant Days #43 continues the very weird Christmas-themed issues surrounding the Winter Village. Weird in that it’s strange to be reading about Christmas in October, but it’s still chock full of the humour and adroit depiction of university life that the series usually is.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

House Amok #2 is a solid follow-up to what has been one of the best first issues this year. Christopher Sebela, Shawn McManus, Lee Loughridge, and Aditya Bidikar have something here that is incredibly different and very compelling for everything else published right now. This issue relays the family’s descent into madness and it’s a fascinating look at how everything can go wrong. Like a cult in microcosm. 

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Iron Fist #1 is the third of Marvel’s new double-sized digital original ongoing series to be released. Like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage before it, this is very good. Somewhat surprisingly, this one’s a horror story. Clay McLeod Chapman, Guillermo Sanna, Lee Loughridge, and Travis Lanham tap into some Chinese folklore for the antagonist and set up an interesting quandary that borrows elements from Idle Hands and Ash vs. The Army of Darkness.

| Published by Marvel

Jook Joint #1 is a very dark book, tapping into themes of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and horrific, but likely justified, retribution. Understandably, some will find this first issue difficult, not just for the violence, but for the subject matter, but I think presentations of this kind of horror, bringing a mirror up to our darker natures, is necessary and important to tell. Tee Franklin, Alitha E. Martinez, Shari Chankhamma, and Taylor Esposito have something interesting here.

| Published by Image

The Last Siege #5 is a bit of turning point for the series, and quite possibly the best issue to date in a series of best issues. The tone and presentation changes as our stranger gets a name, and a backstory, and it’s very well told. Landry Q. Walker, Justin Greenwood, Brad Simpson, and Patrick Brosseau really step up this issue and I’d highly recommend it even if you’ve not been reading since the beginning. 

| Published by Image

The Lollipop Kids #1 is one of the most beautiful books on the stands this week, with absolutely beautiful artwork from Diego Yapur and DC Alonso. The colour work and depth to the characters is just stunning.

| Published by AfterShock

The Lone Ranger #1 begins an interesting story here of land rights and the introduction of gentrification and eminent domain in Texas. Exactly the kind of thing that you’d expect from Mark Russell. There’s still a great deal of action, though, ably delivered from Bob Q, who’s proving here that he’s just as adept at the old American West as he is at WWII England.

| Published by Dynamite

Paradiso #8 brings the “Dark Dwellers” arc to a close, even though it sets up much more for the next arc with a particularly harrowing cliffhanger. I love how Ram V and Devmalya Pramanik are telling this story, with ample routes for failure, deception, and characters taking wrong turns. This world isn’t happy, is incredibly flawed, and it shines through in the nuanced storytelling.

| Published by Image

Redlands #7 returns after more than half a year and it was well worth the wait. The opening to this next arc continues the plot threads that have been established and points to something new with the arrival of the sisters’ father. Jordie Bellaire, Vanesa Del Rey, and Clayton Cowles drop us right back into the deep end of this layered and compelling horror.

| Published by Image

Sparrowhawk #1 is great. It’s a new fantasy in the vein of Alice in Wonderland, but with faeries and a much darker tone, from Delilah S. Dawson, Matias Basla, and Jim Campbell. I love the artwork from Matias Basla, who has a style not dissimilar to Eduardo Risso and Matías Bergara, and it works so incredibly well for dark fantasy.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Spook House 2 #1 is a welcome return, delivering up a new limited series chock full of off-beat, irreverent, and humorous mostly all ages horror stories, just in time for Halloween. This first issue offers four; a tale each from Steve Mannion and Eric Powell, each handling full creative duties themselves, then a go-kart satire of Stephen King’s Christine, by Powell, Jake Smith, and Warren Montgomery, and a take on Swamp Thing dedicated to the memory of Bernie Wrightson and Len Wein, from Powell, Kyle Hotz, and Montgomery. This last one is probably the best of the book and nicely captures the tone and feel of a muck-encrusted monster, with great art from Hotz and Montgomery. 

| Published by Albatross Funnybooks

The Superior Octopus #1 is the last stop on the ride before Spider-Geddon proper begins and also serves as a bit of a preview of the forthcoming resurrected Superior Spider-Man series from this same team of Christos Gage and Mike Hawthorne (with Wade von Grawbadger, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles - though I don’t know if they’ll also be on that book). It’s good. The art from Hawthorne, von Grawbadger, and Bellaire is great as expected and Gage has the voice of Octavius down pat.

| Published by Marvel

These Savage Shores #1 is the third brilliant debut from Vault in these past two weeks, and is quite possibly the best first issue of a series this year. This comic is brilliant, in form, style, structure, and execution. Ram V, Sumit Kumar, Vittorio Astone, and Aditya Bidikar don’t just knock this one out of the park, it’s a hit gone from the stratosphere.  Most of this team collaborated before on Ruin of Thieves to tell a wonderful story there, with Astone the newcomer on colours, and the result is an excellent creative team to give seamless storytelling.

This is horror, mixed with adventure, playing with the vampire, Indian folktales, colonial expansionism into India, and more coming together into one brilliant package. The fact that it’s mostly told through an epistolary format is the perfect homage to Dracula, but it also gives us an incredible moment later that helps turn those conventions on their ear. And the art is absolutely gorgeous. Kumar and Astone are just incredible. The art is lush, even as it embraces a formalist structure in variations on nine panel grids, mixing what you’d possibly consider the order of the European world with the natural feel of India’s jungles.

Like Fearscape and Friendo, you do not want to sleep on this series. Highly, highly recommended.

| Published by Vault

Typhoid Fever: Spider-Man #1 is another limited series of specials similar to the recent Wakanda Forever, spotlighting in this case Typhoid Mary, who seems to undergo a bit of a powers change and a new personality development. It’s the second series being written by Clay McLeod Chapman this week, again giving an interesting different perspective to the storytelling, this time incorporating breaks into delusional fantasies of soap operas. Nice art from Stefano Landini and Rachelle Rosenberg.

| Published by Marvel

Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #1 is a very welcome return after almost a decade. It hits the same notes of weird and action that I’d expect from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá (with colours from Nick Filardi and letters from Nate Piekos). It is, however, probably about as new reader friendly as reading The Return of the King first. I mean, I’ve read the previous series, loved them, and I’m looking to go back and re-read them because I’m sure I’ve missed things. This issue does nothing to help readers to get reacquainted or caught up on what’s come before.

| Published by Dark Horse

What If...? Spider-Man #1 is among the first of 2018′s volley of What If...? stories. There doesn’t seem to be any particular theme this year, though, just embracing the standard variety of alternate reality formula. Possibly because it’s been three years since the last batch. This one takes on What if Flash Thompson Became Spider-Man? It’s not a half bad story from Gerry Conway, very much taking on the traditional type of morality tale, with some nice art from Diego Olortegui, Walden Wong, and Chris O’Halloran.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Archie #699, Barbarella #10, Black AF: Widows & Orphans #3, Black Crown Quarterly #4, Cloak & Dagger #5, Cosmic Ghost Rider #4, Dark Souls: Age of Fire #4, Deep Roots #4, Doctor Strange #6, DuckTales #13, Eclipse #11, Errand Boys #1, James Bond: Origin #2, Jim Henson’s Beneath the Dark Crystal #3, The Magic Order #4, Noble #12, Paper Girls #25, Spawn #290, Star Wars #55, Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle #1, Taarna #3, Thief of Thieves #41, TMNT: Macroseries - Donatello #1, Tomb Raider: Inferno #4, Tony Stark: Iron Man #4, War Bears #2

Recommended Collections: Analog - Volume 1: Death by Algorithm, Complete Angel Catbird, Avengers - Volume 1: Final Host, Avengers/Doctor Strange: Rise of the Darkhold, Conspiracy of Ravens, The Dead Hand - Volume 1: Cold War Relics, Doctor Strange - Volume 2: City of Sin, Eternal Empire - Volume 2, The Gravediggers Union - Volume 2, Harrow County - Volume 8: Done Come Back, Hellstorm Omnibus, Manifest Destiny - Volume 6, Me the People, Rough Riders - Volume 3: Ride or Die, The Wicked + The Divine - Volume 7: Mothering Invention, Wrath

d. emerson eddy thinks you should probably look out for more new and exciting--okay, maybe just new--things in the near and/or distant future. Like cars. Please, don’t play in traffic.