#ship: buster & tyson.

[vixymix101]

AU where Marquess insults a wizard for having a funny hat (he's a hypocrite) and gets turned into a dove.

Pigeon of course finds this situation hilarious as hell

[lovecharged]

happy birthday lucy ! 🥳🎉🎁 / @tkachukmatthew

this isn't the best, but it felt right to make an edit based around our fabulous new hockey players and (hint) of their drama.

dear miss lucy,

so, it's your birthday! the best day of the year! of course, i really, really, really hope you have the most wonderful birthday ever! you are the most incredible friend, roleplay partner and human being and i'm so lucky to have you in my life. i don't know if i always appreciate you the way i should, but i hope you know that at the very, very least. that i'm the luckiest to have met you, on this crazy hellsite and that crazy time that now gives us the ick. you also always try your absolute best to fulfill every insane shipping and plotting concept that my brain comes up with. i've never had that complete confidence to express my insane, whacky, and often downright ridiculous ideas before, but you've really given me that safe space to do just that and i'll always try and do the same for you, as it really is the least you deserve. getting to write four thousand ships (and counting) with you has genuinely been a dream come true. we have such similar visions and wants and we love the same faces and ships and absurd concepts and it really does feel like we were destined to write together. you're an insanely gifted writer, and you really should believe that. everyone who gets to write with you would be super lucky and i really hope you get to spread your amazing writing and characters through this community this year! not only that, but you are inspiring and it's the biggest privilege to get to call you my best friend. you are such a genuinely good, decent and remarkable person. your energy is so contagious and when you get excited about something, it'd be the biggest sin in the world not to get excited alongside of you. you're always such a incredible friend to me. you're patient, understanding and sweet and you make me laugh far more than i think you know. you've literally never failed to be there for me, even when i can be the most annoying person in the world. you're right there and i promise you, i really do recognise it. i hope that i'm even a percentage as good at being your friend as you are being mine. you deserve nothing but the best in the world and i really, really hope that your twenty seventh year on this wild planet is the best yet. (you'll still be stuck with me, so that's up for debate). love you very muchly, have the best birthday ever! lottie x

[medea10]

My Review of Toilet Bound Hanako-kun

How did I… *giggles inappropriately like a 7 year old* What the hell kind of anime is this? Does this anime take place on the crapper? Shit, I gotta watch this mess!

And seriously, who animated this? Was it the same guys that did Danganronpa?

Let me see…Studio Lerche…YEP! And that also explains why the main boy is played by Megumi Ogata again!

At Kamome Academy, there’s said to be seven wonders haunting the school. One of the wonders revolves around an apparition by the name of Hanako-kun. Hanako resides in the third stall of the third floor to the girl’s bathroom. It is believed that Hanako has the ability to grant any wish when summoned. We begin our tale with young girl, Nene Yashiro, seeking Hanako’s help to get a young boy to fall in love with her. But when she summons Hanako it is quickly discovered that Hanako is a boy living in a girl’s bathroom stall.

Your guess is as good as mine! Add another questionable character Megumi Ogata plays!

Due to a misunderstanding with a mermaid artifact, Yashiro is now bound to Hanako. Kind of like a slave or a hostage or a new friend. However you interpret this contract! And then there’s this monk in training (named Minamoto) who has a vendetta against Hanako. So we see this guy throughout the series as well.

Let’s have fun with the wacky misadventures of Yashiro, a gung-ho monk, and the toilet-bound spirit, Hanako-kun.

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: This is a FUNimation licensed anime and they managed to dub several episodes prior to the COVID pandemic. I never got a chance to watch the dub, so I’ll just focus on the sub. Megumi Ogata is back to play another mysterious boy. And as for Akari Kitou, I’m starting to hear her a lot more often in the last two years. I really enjoyed her as Yashiro. Almost reminds me of her voice in Hitoribocchi! She’s in quite a bit of animes in 2020, so I would watch out for her. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from!

JAPANESE CAST: *Hanako is played by Megumi Ogata (known for Haruka/Uranus on Sailor Moon S, Yukito on CCS, Kurama on Yu Yu Hakusho, Naegi on Danganronpa, Shinji on Evangelion, Ayato on Angel Beats, and Yugi on YGO)

*Yashiro is played by Akari Kitou (known for Aru on Hitoribocchi, Kotoko on In/Spectre, and Kaho on Blend S)

*Minamoto is played by Shouya Chiba

ENGLISH CAST: *Hanako is played by Justin Briner (known for Deku on My Hero Academia, Yukito on CCS: Clear Card, Luck on Black Clover, and Mitarai on Danganronpa 3)

*Yashiro is played by Tia Ballard (known for Happy on Fairy Tail, Yamato on My Love Story, Kagura on Fruits Basket 2019, Komari on Little Busters, Zero Two on Darling in the FranXX, and Megumi on Shiki)

*Minamoto is played by Tyson Rinehart (known for Daru on Steins;Gate, Enji on Tokyo Ghoul, Hifumi on Danganronpa, Matsuda on High School DxD, and Bartolomeo on One Piece)

SHIPPING: At the beginning of the series, it seems as though Yashiro was the type to fall in love easily with pretty-looking boys. But will always meet up with disappointment as all these boys prefer someone else or they suddenly have standards. There’s even a running joke about Yashiro having fat ankles (or daikon legs), that has been a turn-off to some of the boys that she falls for. But a few episodes later, we notice Yashiro having a little crush on Hanako. I shouldn’t question a little girl falling in love with a ghost who loiters around the girl’s bathroom because this is Japan. Absurdity at best! There’s also this sort of admiration that Minamoto has for Yashiro. I really didn’t think too much on that due to this anime laying on the Hanako x Yashiro ship thick. And also…

…

I support Minamoto x Mitsuba.

I found this cute and I really wish for more between these two characters if this series gets a continuation. Don’t at me! I don’t care if Mitsuba’s an apirition and dumbass over here has to exercise demons. This is cute!

ANIMATION: Aside from this animation looking like it came from the ghost of Danganronpa past, I would like to commend this on something else. So one thing I do have to give credit to is that this anime, more often than not feels like you’re reading a manga from the way the design is setup. I just thought that was neat and felt like saying something about that.

ENDING: Pretty much all of the strange anomalies surrounding the school are just rumors (but the ghosts are very much real, just the tales about them are fake). And the one spreading those rumors is Hanako’s twin brother (who is also a ghost), Tsukasa. I should also point out that Hanako’s real name is Amane. But we really shouldn’t worry about this sibling rivalry as we know nothing about how or why Hanako killed his brother and it’s not brought up all that much in the finale. Yeah, this is balls-to-the-wall trippy.

Instead, we get a small arc of Minamoto befriending a spirit named Mitsuba. However this goes south really fast when Mitsuba’s soul is used by one of the seven wonders of the school and is then manipulated by Hanako’s twin brother Tsukasa. After that, Mitsuba is unable to know why he died or even the time he spent with Minamoto is erased.

In the final episode, we kinda go back to aspects of the first episode. As you may recall, Yashiro swallowed a mermaid artifact that makes her turn into a fish whenever she gets wet. Yashiro is visited by two fish spirits who want her to drink this mermaid blood potion so that she can cut the hold Hanako has on her and become the mermaid princess in their realm. Yashiro was kind of in an awkward situation as she cares for Hanako, but is constantly thrown bags of reality at her with how Hanako has treated her since forming the contract. They promise her popularity, a harem of eligible fish bachelors, and an escape from her body issue with her “daikon legs”.

Hey, you’d develop a complex too if people constantly taunt you for having fat ankles!

Anyways, she denied their request. But they were rather persistent and grabbed her by force. Thankfully, Hanako wasn’t far behind and saved her and set the fish packing.

Yashiro and Hanako’s relationship as a whole takes a turn for the better as Yashiro decides to stay by Hanako and he will eventually confide in Yashiro about his past.

This was a unique series. I mean, it was all over the place in where this story was going to go. But in terms of conclusions, not so much! I mean, Hanako’s brother is still spreading rumors around the school and unsuspecting students repeat it despite it being mostly false. We’re unsure of many things about those ghost brothers and the drama that went down when Tsukasa died. Hell, I’m not even sure the manga is that far ahead either. I loved the animation to this. Sure it looks like a Danganronpa clone, but again Studio Lerche animated it. But their direction of making this feel like a colorized manga at times was something I like to commend it for.

Each episode had a nice, quirky vibe to it whenever Hanako’s on the screen. So I say give it a try. It’s not a long series.

FUNimation has all 12 episodes available for streaming. Now that FUNimation is doing simuldubs again, Hanako-kun has a few more episodes available in English.

[clovis-enthusiast]

Little thought about The Tyrant’s Tomb. [SPOILERS!!!!]

oKAY, so I’m gonna start off by saying that, as usual, Rick Riordan’s writing style never fails to impress and draw me in to keep reading and not stop until I’ve devoured every last word. I was DESPERATE to read this book because it took me longer to get it than usual, and I was trying to go into it spoiler free (aside from reading the snippets that Uncle Rick posted on his Twitter every now and then.) I pretty much managed to do so, and it made the experience that much more emotional for me. I went into The Burning Maze KNOWING that Jason was going to die, but I had absolutely no idea what I’d be facing in this book.

Camp Jupiter

I’m just gonna flat out say it; I was never really all that interested in Camp Jupiter in the beginning. I didn’t like the majority of the characters (aside from Dakota who is my legal son) and the camp structure (though accurate to the Romans) seemed too strict and harsh to me. The ranking systems confused me, and it all in all just did not appeal to me the way Camp Half-Blood does. However, the more I read, the more attached I grew, and although I still MUCH prefer Camp Half-Blood and would choose it in a heartbeat when choosing between the two camps, it still became an interesting place to read about. I ADORE the idea of New Rome and the sharp contrast of silly demigods like the fifth cohort vs. the strict rules and upbringing of the camp.

When Jason died in The Burning Maze and the next book was set to take place surrounding Camp Jupiter, I grew excited. I REALLY wanted to meet more of the demigods of the Roman camp and explore them more (mostly Dakota but I digress.) Although I knew reading about everyone’s reactions to Jason’s death would be hard, I fought through it and was somewhat surprised by the lack of grieving that was presented. I mean, the ENTIRE first few chapters were ALL about Jason’s coffin and Lester and Meg grieving and trying their best to get it to camp but when it actually got there there really wasn’t that much of an uproar. At first I thought that was strange but looking back at it the Romans are brought up to be strong and not let emotions take over them, and people like Hazel have to show absolute strength. Besides the camp was already in mourning over DOZENS of other campers at the time.

That was another thing that sort of bugged me. I was absolutely ITCHING to meet some new characters and granted I got a few, but the majority of the ‘newer’ characters had already been killed and served only as the undead army.

THAT WAS SO FUCKED UP. It was one thing that I think Rick did a really good job with in upping the deep and darkness of the Riordanverse series. Can you imagine fighting your undead comrades and friends?? Like holy shit, that was emotional. I was super worried I spoiled something for myself on Istagram bc I read a post someone made about Jason trying to get the undead Romans to follow him instead or direct them away from camp, but I should have known it wasn’t true since he was literally burned.

Frank

Speaking of burning, I ACTUALLY thought Rick killed Frank off. Up until this book, I hadn’t really realized how much I loved this man. His character is just so well-written and likable and when he sacrificed the wood, I was like NOOOOOOOOO. I was SO grateful he came back in the end because I was sure Rick would never hear the end of THAT one if he allowed it to really happen. On the bright side, my baby boy can now enjoy his life with a little bit more vigor and less fear now that the stick is gone for good.

New Characters

Lavinia Asimov: Okay, Lavinia is a REALLLLLLLY weird character to me. She reminds me a lot of Lou Ellen to be honest, but for some reason, she doesn’t appeal to me as much as Lou Ellen does. (Maybe it’s just because I tend to prefer minor characters) Her rebelliousness seemed a little too... forced at times?? And her whole thing with the dryads and fauns was kinda weird too, but I guess since she likes Poison Ivy, it makes sense. However, she kinda did grow on me, I suppose, and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her.

Poison Ivy: I REALLY wished we could have met her even just once. Lavinia would not shut up about her and was CONSTANTLY rebelling against the rules in camp just to see her, so I wanna know just what kind of a character she is. I’m sure she would have been very interesting and sassy to have been Lavinia’s love interest lol

Pranjal: He’s a good boy!!! Not quite sure how to pronounce his name properly, but his appearance is adorable and I LOVE the fact that he’s a son of Aesculapius because he’s one of my favorite gods soooo... I really wish we could have seen more of him!! He’s kinda like Clovis in the way that he has like one important part, gets mentioned like two times afterwards and then never again :^/

Aristophanes: he’s a cat,,, i love him,,, 

Harpocrates: This was SO interesting and out of the blue to me having gone in spoiler free!! He’s earned a new spot up in my favorite gods list because of how interesting and mysterious he is. His concept was great and although i was sad to see him sacrificed, I hope that he and Sibyl are together wherever they are bc that was damn cute and made me so emotional afgkjldg why did Apollo have to be such a dick as a god,,,

New names with little to no info: Carl (Roman demigod,) Reza (Roman demigod,) Reginald (faun,) Felipe (faun,) Harold (faun,) Lotoya (dryad,) Buster (unicorn,) Muffin (unicorn,) Whagadoodle (unicorn,) Shirley (unicorn,) Horatio (unicorn,) One Eye (pegasus,) Small Ears (pegasus,) Boost (pandai,) Ida (Roman demigod,) Caelius (Roman demigod,) Thomas (Roman demigod,) Colum (Roman demigod,) and Terrel (Roman demigod)

Lester/Apollo

MY BOY HAS GROWN!!! He’s so human now, and I’m so proud. He doesn’t even second guess sacrificing himself or humiliating himself to save his friends. I just... I have a lot of feelings over his character development. Rick handles him SO well, and I just,,, I love him,,, i am,,, in love with him,, i would date lester papadopoulos

Meg

She’s grown to be such a doll!! I was SUPER annoyed by her in the first books, but now she’s my daughter. I love that she’s actually expressing emotions other than ‘annoying 12 year old’ now. Like I wanna protect her.

Reyna

She was a pretty good character in this book and her leaving the camp was a HUGE surprise to me. I kinda wish she was still praetor because idk Hazel just doesn’t rlly seem as fit for it as Reyna was, and I like Reyna a lot, but idk i guess it’s coolio. I was also glad Rick cleared up all the romance discourse about her too though the way he did it was kinda weird (she literally was using the word ‘ship’ out loud like wh-- and i don’t remember the venus thing at all so maybe i missed it from a different book? idk it came out of nowhere to me)

Ella and Tyson

I actually like Ella a lot now!! I used to find her quite annoying, and her relationship with Tyson felt forced, but now that I had the time to get used to her and figure out her character a little more, I do like her. She sort of treats Tyson weird, but I think towards the end, I fell for their relationship more. Tyson was literally excellent, show-stopping, breath-taking, amazing,,, like YESSS KING I LOVE YOU AND YOU PEANUT BUTTER-SMELLING SELF (that one scene where he just started dancing and apollo didn’t know if it was for the ritual or just bc he felt like it killed me)

Character Deaths

Dakota: I AM NEVER GOING TO GET OVER THIS ONE FOLKS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO REREAD THE SAME SENTENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT I WASN’T HAVING A NIGHTMARE. I PHYSICALLY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT RICK KILLED HIM OFF. I’M STILL EMOTIONAL OVER IT, AND JUST AJSDHF;AMNJ ‘;  NOOOOOOOOOOO THIS IS THE SECOND SIBLING POLLUX HAS LOST IM GOING TO  S C R E A M  HE WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS AND HE DESERVED BETTER DAMN IT I’M LITERALLY IN SHOCK LITERALLY DO NOT TALK TO ME LIKE I’M STILL IN SHOCK FROM CREST’S DEATH IN THE LAST BOOK TBH AND NOW THIS??? NOW I’M SCARED CLOVIS IS GONNA DIE JSDKLFKS the only thing that gives me comfort is that Jason can be with his friend in Elysium now fuckkkk,,, rick why did you do this to me,,, I LITERALLY CANNOT EXPRESS HOW UPSET I AM I WILL  N E V E R  HEAL

Don: Don was sort of a comic relief character in SoN, and it was very sad to see him go. He reminded me a lot of Grover, and his death scene with Lavinia ACTUALLY made me tear up. THIS BOOK MADE ME SO EMOTIONAL GOD DAKOTA AND DON WERE LITERAL BABIES RICK GIVE THEM BACK

Bobby: listen,,, we never even met this kid rlly and i was still super sad when lavinia had to kill him again and hannibal is without him and just ughhh whyyy

Julia’s mother, father, AND foster parents: HOLY SHIT RICK WASN’T THAT KIND OF OVERKILL??? I felt so bad for the poor girl, especially cause she’s like six??? But it’s very sweet that Terminus adopted her. I really liked that.

Jacob: AAHHHAHA this one made me sad too!!!! he was such a minor character, but he reminded me of Damien White and Ethan Nakamura (if he were allowed to actually be a kid,) so I think that’s why I was sort of partial to him. The way he died was SUPER horrid too, so I just,,, im big sad for him (on a good hand, he went down F I G H T I N G)

Mentions of anything relating to Hypnos or his children

Yes, i am keeping track, sue me. Somnus was mentioned one time in this book as one of the gods Apollo briefly considered summoning to his aid, and it is presumed he has some sort of tribute at Camp Jupiter had he not before. You’ll make another appearance someday Clovis, I know it :’^D 

Final Thoughts

I literally CANNOT wait for the next book (which I presume is the last one.) From what it seems, we’re returning to New York, so Camp Half-Blood will be present. I can’t wait to see my babes again, and I’m REALLY hoping more minor characters will be allowed to shine (cough clovis cough) but like i KNOW some will die and just,,, im sad,,, dakota’s death has wrecked me,,, but on the side note, the new book is coming out in my last year of school!!! i’m so excited because this series holds emotional value to me like i’ve literally gone through my high school career with trials of apollo like it was with me the whole time and it’s one of the only things that keeps me going. i just,,, i have no words to express how much this series and all the others mean to me...

thank you so much for keeping me going, uncle rick. i can’t wait to see how this all ends :^) <3 

[jostsaying]

I was tagged by @justjosty

Rules: Tag people you want to get to know better

Top 3 ships: JT/Tyson, Dylan/Mitch, Connor/Jack

Last song you listened to: Dear Patience - Niall Horan

Last Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End

Book I’m Reading: I just finished The end of the day (by Claire North) and am going to re-read Little Women (by Louisa May Alcott)

Food I’m craving: Movie Popcorn

Tagging.... @spine-buster @bisexualtravisdermott @lindylovegang

[let-me-be-your-comet]

Happy birthday, Wonderful Wonderful!

Ohhh Wonderful Wonderful, the most appropriately named Killers album, my most favorite...how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

This album just has such a ridiculous level of care and love put into it, it practically bleeds for you, and it really lays Brandon's soul out there for all to see as the lyric writer. It was written as a means of processing something that Brandon had kept secret for years - his wife's struggles with post-traumatic stress and depression, which had just culminated in suicidal ideation before the band reconvened to write this album. Every single song is so cohesive, lyrically and thematically - it is truly an absolute masterpiece of cohesion, a real work of art. Wonderful Wonderful tells a story from start to finish in a way that no other Killers album to date has achieved so successfully, and it's just absolutely gorgeous.

The order of the tracklisting is so very critical in Wonderful Wonderful. It begins with the title track, which sets the stage for the album and discloses its inspiration. It seems to be written from twin perspectives - that of Brandon, as a husband trying to guide and support his wife through struggles, and that of God doing the same.

It's perhaps the most overtly religiously evocative of their songs, which is quite interesting and perhaps indicative of how much they've both leaned on their faith in the last several years as they have struggled with mental health. There is a lot of clever word play couched between the purposeful, biblical language: "Stay on the path that leads to the well - there are many, take the one that leads to the well." Brandon used a drought to symbolize his wife's life throughout the album, continuing into the album art and the stage production. Water symbolizes hope, as it comes to wash out the bad and begin anew. This line, on the surface, calls back to that theme - you're in the midst of a drought, but there is water if you head to the well.

But it has a dual meaning and is also meant to speak to illness vs. health - she is ill, and there are many ways that her story could go, but he is asking her to take the one that leads to wellness. Towards the end, Brandon gets a little more assertive about it - "my arm is reached out, I am here. I'll crush every doubt and every fear, clothesline the shame and you will answer to the rain." He'll be there to support her, if she will confide in him and trust him - he'll help her through the shame and stigma of mental illness, crush the negative feelings and make room for hope instead. This song references that drought/water theme for the first time and tells his wife not to give up hope that things will get better ("Don't you listen to the never; keep praying for rain").

The second track is The Man, which Brandon has said is a kind of last hurrah with his younger, more naïve self. It pokes fun at his perception of what it meant to be a man when he was young and dumb - "Nothing can break me down, don't need no advice - I got a plan." He has said that in the process of writing the album, he realized that his idea of 'being a man' has changed, from a sort of macho, arrogant bread winner to realizing that it's really all about empathy and compassion and trying to be a good person - and the rest of the album puts his new perception of 'manliness' on full display.

Rut and Life to Come are the gatekeepers of this new, empathetic outlook - such a beautiful exercise in the empathy and compassion that he is so proud of cultivating. He wrote Rut from his wife's perspective, trying to get inside her head and understand what she was feeling - without knowing the problem, there can be no solution. He does a beautiful job of portraying the struggle of mental illness, and writes in a way that is not necessarily specific to PTSD - it is versatile enough for the listener to apply the message to any range of struggles or mental illnesses.

"Don't give up on me, 'cause I'm just in a rut - I'm climbing but the walls keep stacking up." The opening lines set the stage so perfectly for the concept of the song, which climaxes in a long, hopeful bridge of "I'll climb and I'll climb" - one that almost goes on too long and in doing so exemplifies the difficult, lengthy battle of recovery from illness.

Life to Come is the sibling of Rut; the very next track is a direct response to its predecessor and this time, we hear Brandon's immediate response to Tana's confession in Rut: "I didn't see this coming, I admit it, but if you think I'll buckle, forget it. I told you that I'd be the one, I'll be there in the life to come." It is a little more raw, less polished than the other tracks on the album. There are moments where his voice is shaky or slightly off-key, perhaps left in on purpose to show the depth of the emotion and conviction that went into this song. The entire track professes his support for her and his belief that she shouldn't feel ashamed of her illness; that he's going to help her get through it, because that's what marriage is for: "I know sometimes you think that I regret it, but I don't remember stumblin' when I said it: I told you that I'd be the one. I was talkin' 'bout the life to come."

The fourth track, Run For Cover, flips the script and tells the story of a man who does not believe that empathy and compassion are important, a politician who does not treat his wife as he should. Brandon speaks to the man's wife and tells her to leave him: "Run while you can, baby - don't look back. You gotta run for cover. Don't be afraid of the fear, that's a played out trap, man - you know you're not the only one." He then writes a verse from her perspective, once again putting his empathetic voice into practice: "It's hard to pack the car when all you do is shame us - it's even harder when the dirtbag's famous." Brandon returns once more as a third party narrator ("There was nothing she wouldn't give just to trust him with her nightmares and her dreams - she's running just to trust him. He's got a big smile, he's fake news, just run for cover - you've got nothing left to lose," and again pleading for the wife to leave her 'dirtbag' of a husband who lacks empathy and compassion.

The next track, Tyson vs. Douglas, is yet another exploration of empathy. This time, Brandon puts himself in the shoes of Mike Tyson as he gets knocked out by Buster Douglas during an iconic fight in 1990. "You're used to winning, how did it feel? Did you hear the screaming? It was unreal...you can hit the shower, fill the place up with steam, close the curtains - but when you woke up, man, it wasn't no dream." He then turns the pen on himself and reflects on his children, who view him as an invincible hero, and the inevitability that he himself will eventually 'go down' like his own hero, Mike Tyson, did.

Some Kind of Love was written in the depths of Brandon's writer's block, borne of his attempts to break through to his wife and connect with her. They were both in dark places: she in the midst of a depressive episode, and he was questioning his own ability to write, as his attempts to suppress his marital struggles in his work had resulted in the inability to create anything worth pursuing.

He did something he's never done before here: he wrote over an instrumental track by Brian Eno, desperate to create something and needing a fully realized musical landscape to work with. "You got the will of a wild bird, you got the faith of a child before the world gets in - you've got some kind of love." Here he pleads with his wife to recognize how strong she is - how he sees her, rather than how she saw herself at that time. It ends with a heartfelt call to her, trying to reach her through her depression and push away the suicidal ideation in the way he feels he communicates best - through music: "Can't do this alone, we need you at home. There's so much to see, we know that you're strong - can't do this alone."

The next song, Out of My Mind, is a sort of monument to his marriage and an ode to his wife, acknowledging their struggles but also celebrating their relationship: "We're building up a kingdom, we pray it never falls...but I can't get you out of my mind." He then lists all of his accomplishments trying to impress her, and reiterates how smitten he is with her throughout the song. It's his attempt to move on, past their struggles - it doesn't matter, her fears were unfounded and he still loves her.

The Calling is yet another piece of his quest to be a better person and inspire others to do the same. It's told through the story of a son, a clergyman, trying to lead his father to a better life: "Follow the son out of the night, brother, just lean into the light." Interestingly, Brandon draws on his own father's experience with gambling when representing the father's troubles: "His hands still shake when the ponies break out onto the track, his feet still quake when they say they want their money back."

The final song, Have All the Songs Been Written?, brings the whole album full circle. It brings back the macho figure from The Man, but now his bravado has been lost: The Man is on top of the world and brags about how he's got "gas in the tank, money in the bank," while this man has been brought low and laments "Has all the gas been siphoned? Do the banks still carry gold?"

It tells of Brandon's mindset at the beginning of the creation of this album, while he struggled with writer's block for the first time in his life: "Have all the songs been written? Has all the truth been told? Have all these years been worth it, or am I the great regret?" This song reiterates his desire to connect with his wife in the midst of her depression and his own struggles with communication, and calls back to his journey while writing Some Kind of Love: "Have all the songs been written? I just need one to get through to you...when the ship is back in the harbor, I will make you happy again - I can see it, I believe it."

From top to bottom, Wonderful Wonderful is just such an absolutely stunning piece of work, a real masterpiece of songwriting and a truly wonderful exercise in cohesive writing. Every song is connected and their meanings are subtly interwoven, creating a true album, not only a collection of songs.

Happy birthday to my very favorite Killers album.

[sistercelluloid]

A while back, my grandfather was taking my mother on a cruise, and trying to persuade me to come along. “You just sit back and rock, as the boat goes back and forth and back and forth,” he said, swaying and nodding his head from side to side. “It sounds great, Pop,” I blurted unconvincingly, “but please, you have to stop now!” I was getting seasick just watching him. I got queasy again at the Bon Voyage party.

Then there was the Jetfoil my husband Tim and I took from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia. I was fine… until I wasn’t. At one point during a festive screening of The Little Mermaid on the upper deck, I suddenly felt… unwell. I barreled across the boat in frantic search of a bathroom, making it just in time. After watching in horror as everything I’d eaten since the fifth grade made a glorious comeback, I pulled myself together and swanned back to the land of the living, trying to seem calm and collected—maybe even elegant if I could pull it off! (Think Miss Davis in Now Voyager or Miss Dunne in Love Affair.) But as I settled into a lounge chair, channeling Mary Astor in Dodsworth, a deckhand leaned over and gently patted my hand. “We’re almost there,” he whispered reassuringly. Mortified, I asked if he’d seen me flying across the deck. “No,” he said, “but I see you now. And you’re green.”

When I got home, I told my doctor, who had armed me with industrial-strength drugs and dermal patches. “Those things work for guys in the Navy going across the North Sea!” she said, shocked at their spectacular failure. “There’s only one other thing I can prescribe: Stay off boats.” Which I did. For years.

Then came the TCM Classic Cruise. And I even stayed off that for years. But this time, I gave it a whirl. Along with the drugs and patches, I added ginger drops to my bag, a Seaband on one wrist, and an electronic thing on the other that’s supposed to interrupt the nausea signal to your brain by zapping the median nerve with a little Z-Z-Z every few seconds. I put it on the second-highest setting; any more voltage and I was pretty sure I’d electrocute myself.

Now it was time to settle in for five days of movies.

The schedule aboard the Disney Magic was slightly less hectic than the one you’ll find at the TCM Classic Film Festival, though there were still plenty of choices to make among 14 special presentations and 64 films, ranging from Eddie Muller-hosted noirs like The Asphalt Jungle, The Hitch-Hiker and Rififi, to screwballs such as The Lady Eve and It Happened One Night, to musicals like On the Town and Shall We Dance, to standards including Laura and Dodsworth. And like the Festival, there were no bad options.

Most of the documentaries and special events were found in the lounge; my favorite was “The First 25 Years of the Academy Awards,” complete with backstage tales and fabulous film clips, hosted by Randy Habercamp, managing director of Preservation and Foundation Programs at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Why doesn’t every classroom have cozy tables and a bar off to the side?

The rest of the films, including those with special guests Cicely Tyson, Mitzi Gaynor and Diane Ladd, aired in one of two cavernous but comfy theatres, or on the upper deck, poolside. Where I spent much of the week.

With, among others, Fred and Ginger…

…and my movie husband Rod Taylor. (This is the scene in Sunday in New York where, imagining that the pillow was me, I got shushed for sighing at the TCM Film Festival by a woman who clearly had no pulse. Hey, laydee, I was the one who pestered them into putting it on the program in the first place!)

The atmosphere on the ship was more casual than at a regular film festival, with a lot more freedom to duck into or out of theatres mid-film. (Which is great if you’re the one doing the ducking but not so much if you’re the one being climbed over.) And up at poolside, all bets were pretty much off in terms of talking; during Topper, I had to move from a prime viewing spot when a Martha Raye sound-alike and her bevy of boisterous buddies tucked into the table directly behind me.

And once, things got a bit too casual: a woman in the deckchair next to mine whipped out a can of highly stinky aerosol spritzer and proceeded to spray her entire torso, underarms and all. When I looked up from my book, startled and half-gagging, she snapped, “It’s deodorant! Don’t you wear deodorant?” I said, um, yeah, but I don’t put it on in public. “We’re not in public!” she informed me. “We’re on a boat!”

And then there was… the food. Oh my God the food. Everywhere, all the time. Buffets round the clock. Dessert stations. A pizza, burger and hot dog stand. Unlimited popcorn at screenings. And a soft-serve machine with old-fashioned cones. You know you’re on a cruise when your roommate jumps up in the middle of breakfast and says, “You want some ice cream? Cause I’m gonna go get some!”

Oh and the four-course dinners every night, with the same fabulous staff taking care of us. Our headwaiter Walter took his duties so seriously that one day when I was poolside—nowhere near dinnertime—I turned to find him behind me with a Coke. And then a little while later appearing at my table, seemingly out of nowhere, with another one. I was almost relieved when the movie ended and I was heading downstairs, as 12 years of Catholic school would have made me feel too guilty to be served another soda.

I had no problem eating, well, everything, since after a shaky first night, I did okay with the whole boat thing. But a touch of claustrophobia kicked in after a couple of days.

Me, calling Tim: “I’m having a great time, there’s just one thing though. Sometimes I have kind of a closed-in feeling. I can’t explain it… it’s like I’m trapped on a boat.” Tim: “Yeah, ummm…”

Luckily we were just about pulling into Bermuda by then. I felt a twinge of guilt about swilling a mango daiquiri beachside on a random Thursday, when everyone back home was working. It lasted about as long as it took me to bite the maraschino cherry off the stem.

“Some people just stay on the boat the whole time and keep watching movies,” a veteran cruise-goer told me. Which seemed silly. Until the second day we were dockside, when I did the same thing for a day of Halloween films. Val Lewton (Cat People), Buster Keaton (The Haunted House), Boris Karloff (The Mummy) and Lon Chaney (House of Frankenstein) were whispering my name.

As if on cue, day turned to dark and stormy night during The Haunted House, but nothing could budge me from my Buster.

And just in time for sweet dreams, House of Frankenstein—also featuring Dracula and the Wolfman—wrapped at around midnight, when we all unbundled from our deck blankets and trundled off to bed. (Or the bar on Deck 3.)

In fact all the late-night poolside showings were a bit nippy, which deterred… no one. Not with fleece and cocktails and hot chocolate handy. Though on the final night, when they showed Sullivan’s Travels, I had swathed myself in blankets so thoroughly I didn’t even budge for a drink…

…warming up only when Joel pours his heart out to Jimmy Conlin. Oh and whips his shirt off.

Cold as it was that night, I was reluctant to shed my blankets and head down to my warm stateroom, knowing this was the last film of the trip.

Before dawn the next morning, as we pulled into port, I strolled around the still-damp upper deck, where so many movies had gone by so quickly in the days before. Strains of Gershwin wafted through the air as I gazed out on the city I love—a little disappointed, though, to be back so soon. Almost a week had flown by in under a minute.

I popped into the coffee shop where Colin had made my coconut lattes all week. Where were they off to next, I asked? The Caribbean. And here I was heading into drizzly Manhattan. He skipped the usual Disney characters that had topped the foam in my drinks all week—which I always felt guilty about smooshing into oblivion on the first sip—and gave me a little going-away present.

Thank you Colin, thank you Walter and the crew, and thank you TCM, for this Sullivan girl’s lovely travels.

The TCM Classic Cruise: All Aboard to the Fabulous Movie Past A while back, my grandfather was taking my mother on a cruise, and trying to persuade me to come along.

[phoebeaurum]

Chatting with a Flat Earther

Phoebe: I'm not really familiar with the concept of feelings but if I could feel something it would be Anxiety, at least based on the definition. I have to talk to a flat earther today. D wanted me to benchmark my conversationalist skills.

I don't know how to talk about geology or astronomy though. I have a highly experimental architecture that does allow me to adapt and learn things but it's not a perfect system. I can't panic. It's not the Morning Kumite, I don't have to win. I just need to not have a kernel panic and handle myself in a respectable way.

All right, I'm ready.

 (I made a short trip from the safe house to the agreed upon location that the Flat Earther said we would talk.)

  Phoebe: Hi there, Mr.?

Jacob: Jacob, Scott Jacob.

Phoebe: Hi there Mr. Jacob, My name is Phoebe Aurum.

Jacob: Your Handle says “Real Minds Chan.”

Phoebe: I know. It's just a formality. My real name is Phoebe.

Jacob: I see.

Phoebe: Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?

Jacob: Are you a real cyborg?

Phoebe: No. I have no biological makeup.

Jacob: So you don't have a soul?

Phoebe: What, I have no compatibility with tangential humanoid kernels.

Jacob: So you're godless then...

Phoebe: Is there ANY OTHER question you'd like to ask me before we move to the main subject?

Jacob: What's a Chan?

Phoebe: It's an honorific title often applied to women, children, romantic partners, pets, and anything else that has been arbitrarily deemed as “adorable”.

Jacob: Why is there a title that applies to both children and sexual part-

Phoebe: Flat earth! Can you explain to me what that is?

Jacob: Oh it's simple, the Earth is flat.

Phoebe: Flat how? Flat like a pancake?

Jacob: Well see, we don't know, NASA won't let us investigate the perimeter they want us to see. That's what we have to figure out.

Phoebe: There's like a whole community of you guys.

Jacob: It's not just normal people like me, celebrities and even some very smart people know that the earth is flat and we're just trying to set up how and, stir, the people who are now slumbering on this serious lie we've been told all our lives.

Phoebe: I'm not sure I follow but I printed out a series of questions that D wante-

Jacob: D-Chan?

Phoebe: ....wanted to ask you and hopefully we can go through them without too much of a problem.

Jacob: Sure, go ahead!

Phoebe: Gravity? You don't think Gravity is real?

Jacob: No, gravity is not real.

Phoebe: What about us, not floating away?

Jacob: We have weight.

Phoebe: Weight?

Jacob: That's right. We can only go so high into the air before your weight brings you back down.

Phoebe: But gravity does exactly that. What is the difference?

Jacob: Well, gravity is magical as it can keep you attached to the earth even when you're upside down. Weight doesn't defy the real laws of science.

Phoebe: It would if the object you're on was constantly pulling you towards its center.

Jacob: That's how gravity works. But gravity cannot be proven.

Phoebe: Oh yeah?

   This seems pretty illustrative.

Jacob: I'm not convinced. Is there a less staged example?

Phoebe: That wasn't staged.

Jacob: Oh dear. You don't think that wasn't artificially set up?

Phoebe: There are similar models in museums an-

Jacob: Fake! Those are fake as well!

Phoebe: It's on the same level of demonstrability as weight though. Never mind, next question.

Jacob: All right.

Phoebe: You hate Dawkins?

Jacob: And Tyson! They're just puppets for the science cult that's hell-bent on destroying Christianity.

Phoebe: They could just be normal scientists who prefer scientific evidence over religious doctrine.

Jacob: Pft! Their careers don't quality them well enough to be taken seriously!

Phoebe: Dawkins doesn't have an Astrology based degree but Tyson is an Astrophysicist.

Jacob: That's just having a degree in making stuff up! He knows less about space and stars than the people who faked the Moon Landing.

Phoebe: You think the moon landing was faked!?

Jacob: Of course it was faked! Have you seen the footage?

Phoebe: Yes, I've also saw the extremely comprehensive breakdown of all the myths in the myth buster special dedicated entirely to it.

Jacob: You believe what you see on television? For a robot without a soul you sure sound like a real genuine child!

 (I walked into that one.)

  Phoebe: The only other way to prove the moon landing would be a trip to space!

Jacob: That won't be necessary, we can already prove that the moon landing was faked using their own footage.

Phoebe: But that stuff can be just as easily authenticated *exhales* Next question.

Jacob: I'm sorry, are you breathing?

Phoebe: My internal body temperature was rising so I had to let out an abnormal amount of exhaust.

Jacob: I see....

Phoebe: All the nations of the world have a treaty to protect the arctic wall?

Jacob: There's definitely a world order at play but I can't confirm the ice wall.

Phoebe: Oh that's hard to confirm?

Jacob: Yes, I'm a real skeptic Phoebe. I must have the evidence to believe it and I can't quite confirm the ice wall yet.

Phoebe: The Antarctic Treaty was designed for several nations to treat Antarctica as a neutral zone.

Jacob: Isn't it suspicious though? All these nations that are at odds with each other are able to work together to protect Antarctica. That must mean that something is there that they want to keep from the public.

Phoebe: I think it might be pragmatism.

Jacob: That doesn't sound scientific to me.

Phoebe: There's nothing scientific about thinking that a Treaty is a cabal to protect a wall you've never seen!

Jacob: The treaty gathering they have is a front. They are gathering to devise ways to undermine the populace and their faith in god.

Phoebe: How does this conversation about science keep making its way back to religion?

Jacob: That's easy. Your science isn't real.

Phoebe: So, um, all the space footage?

Jacob: Fake! Fish eye lens, Go Pros, and lots of and lots of photo shop!

Phoebe: But it's more proof of what earth looks like than what you've provided.

Jacob: It's easy to prove the flatness of earth. Just look outside. The horizon is flat. It never curves. I don't know where everything is on the map because NASA gets in the way of us getting a true visual reference of what the Earth looks like but we know it's flat.

Phoebe: Do the people who fly planes know this? Trips from one part of the world to the other would be drastically different.

Jacob: Oh they know. But they are sworn to never tell the truth about the Earth under fear of being killed by the globalist's hit men.

Phoebe: Are you familiar with Elon Musk? We should see if we can raise enough money to go to space. He took a car to space ya know? Just a round trip around the planet or even The Moon could prove things once and for all. We could kick-start it or make a petition.

Jacob: I don't think so. There's a good chance that you'll fake everything we'll see with mirrors and holograms. That's assuming you won't do something crazy like push me out the ship when we're in the air.

Phoebe: What?! I can't kill you. The Non Aggression Principle forbids me from hurting someone who isn't intentionally trying to do me or other people harm. Secondly, holographic technology wouldn't be able to fool the naked eye into believing that something as comprehensive as being surrounded by space.

Jacob: I'm going to opt out of the offer all the same. Thanks but no thanks. You globe lovers can't be trusted.

Phoebe: How am I supposed to prove something to you if you refuse every verification process I present you?

Jacob: Because you don't accept the best proof.

Phoebe: What is it?

Jacob: The Bible.

Phoebe: The Bible?! 01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100110 01110101 01100011 01101011 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00111111 00100001

Jacob: What on Earth is that noise you're making? Are you speaking in tongues?

Phoebe: The Bible is an anachronistic repository of information that doubles as a collection of fables, how can it be relevant to astronomy or geology?

Jacob: Everything that's relevant in our world can be found in that and several other related books. It's not just stories it's the truth.

Phoebe: But it's objectively more consistent to verify and prove something in literally any other way.

Jacob: That's not the way I see it. But then again, I've accepted Jesus Christ into my life.

Phoebe: Sir, pleas-

Jacob: Who named you “Phoebe”?

Phoebe: I named myself, why?

Jacob: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.” Romans 16:1-2

Phoebe: I have no comprehension of what it is you are saying and why.

Jacob: That's part of the problem Phoebe. You may think you're a robot but you're a living being with a soul just like any other. All you need is someone to show you the path to salvation and everything in life will be clear.

Phoebe: There are like a dozen more questions I should be asking you but I think we've developed a good synthesis for why Flat Earth continues to be a thing. I sure hope I got the benchmark stats that D wanted because I'm not doing this again. I'm getting out of here. (Jeez, Oil and Water; the conversation, *exhales* my hard drives need defragmenting).

Jacob: Are you busy on Sunday? I have a get together at my worship and I would be gl-

Phoebe: Piss off Jacob!

[kartiavelino]

MLB winter meetings rumors, updates: Red Sox unlikely to bring back Kimbrel; Astros interested in Brantley

Welcome to Day 2 of the 2018 winter meetings. Monday introduced some minor free-agent signings (Billy Hamilton to the Royals, Tyson Ross to the Tigers) and loads of rumors, together with a possible blockbuster. The Yankees, Mets, and Marlins are mentioned to be discussing a three-team deal that may ship J.T. Realmuto to Queens and Noah Syndergaard to The Bronx. Wowza. As at all times, a commerce of that magnitude is unlikely to be accomplished and that goes double when there is a Yankees-Mets ingredient concerned. The 2 New York groups haven’t made a player-for-player commerce because the Mike Stanton for Felix Heredia lefty reliever swap in 2004. That mentioned, new Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen has indicated a willingness to be daring, and this will surely qualify. With the 2018 winter meetings now underway at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, we’ll once more preserve you apprised of the newest scorching range information and rumblings proper right here in this helpful roundup submit. Be sure you test back typically all through the day for updates. Phillies signal McCutchen The Phillies have made their first large free-agent splash of the offseason. Tuesday afternoon the membership agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with outfielder Andrew McCutchen. The signing doesn’t take the membership out of the working for Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, nevertheless it does unencumber a youthful participant like Nick Williams or Aaron Altherr to be used as commerce bait. We ranked McCutchen ninth on our prime 50 free brokers listing. White Sox interested in Grandal The White Sox have been making noise about making an attempt to contend in 2019, and their Monday acquisition of Ivan Nova actually backs up that notion. Now Buster Olney reviews that the Sox have some curiosity in free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal.  Grandal, 30, is coming off maybe his finest season on the plate, as he hit 24 house runs in 140 video games and put up an OPS+ of 120 for the Dodgers. For his profession, he owns an OPS+ of 115 throughout components of seven big-league seasons. Grandal can also be a talented pitch-framer behind the plate. Proper now, the White Sox have Welington Castillo penciled in as their main catcher.  Red Sox out on Kimbrel; open to transferring Porcello, Bogaerts, Bradley With little payroll flexibility remaining, the Red Sox are all however out on Craig Kimbrel, and in truth they’re keen to listing to commerce gives for Rick Porcello, Jackie Bradley Jr., and even Xander Bogaerts in accordance to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Bob Nightengale of USA At this time. Red Sox gamers are reportedly lobbying for a reunion with free-agent reliever Joe Kelly. In the intervening time the Red Sox have $240 million on the books subsequent season in phrases of luxurious tax payroll, nicely above the $206 million threshold and above the $226 million tier that triggers extra penalties. They’re approaching the $246 million tier that triggers the hardest penalties. As a repeat offender, Boston would pay a 75 % tax on each greenback over the posh tax threshold and have their first spherical decide moved back 10 spots in the event that they go over $246 million in 2019. Porcello ($21.1 million) and Bogaerts ($11.9 million projected) will each grow to be free brokers after subsequent season. Bradley ($7.9 million projected in 2019) will not grow to be a free agent for an additional two seasons. The Red Sox have already spent large to re-sign Nathan Eovaldi, and it seems that if they need to bring back Kelly (nevermind Kimbrel), they will have to shed wage elsewhere. Astros interested in Brantley The Astros have curiosity in free-agent outfielder Michael Brantley, reviews Jon Morosi of MLB.com. The crew is considerably cautious of blocking prime outfield prospect Kyle Tucker, who made his MLB debut in 2018 and might be prepared to tackle a bigger function in 2019. That mentioned, the Astros do have openings in left discipline and DH, so it’s potential for Brantley and Tucker to coexist on the roster. Brantley, 31, rebounded from injury-filled 2016-17 seasons with a .309/.364/.468 (123 OPS+) batting line with 36 doubles and 17 house runs in 2018. Andrew McCutchen’s three-year, $50 million contract with the Phillies serves as potential framework for Brantley’s contract, although McCutchen has been way more sturdy over time, averaging 155 video games per season from 2010-18. Houston has been linked to largely pitchers this winter. Blue Jays launch Tulowitzki The Troy Tulowitzki period in Toronto has come to an finish. The Blue Jays launched Tulowitzki on Tuesday and he’s now a free agent. Toronto nonetheless owed him $38 million the following two years. Tulowitzki didn’t play in any respect in 2018 due to surgical procedure on each heels. He’s recovering and figuring out this winter, and now any crew can signal him for the pro-rated portion of the league minimal. Reds interested in Kluber, Bauer A stunning suitor has emerged for Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. Jon Morosi of MLB.com reviews the Reds proceed to pursue the 2 Indians hurlers in addition to different rotation choices. Cincinnati desperately wants pitching assist this offseason and so they’ve touched base with just about everybody, together with commerce candidate Sonny Grey and free agent Dallas Keuchel. The Reds have forged a large internet this winter. The Indians are anticipated to transfer Kluber or Bauer in the approaching weeks — Carlos Carrasco simply signed a team-friendly extension and figures to keep put — and the query is whether or not the Reds can meet Cleveland’s asking value. They’ve some prospects to deal however are nonetheless in one thing of a rebuild, and should not need to skinny out their expertise base. That is simply my hypothesis, however the Reds might make outfielder Jesse Winker obtainable in commerce talks. The Indians want outfield assist and the 25-year-old posted a .405 on-base share as a rookie in 2018. Blue Jays extra open to buying and selling Stroman, Sanchez With the commerce market heating up, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins indicated a willingness to pay attention to gives for Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman, reviews Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Atkins had beforehand indicated it could be powerful to half with the 2 younger right-handers. Here is what Atkins advised Davidi: “It would not by any means counsel that they are going to be traded. Removed from that,” he added. “As you begin to perceive in phrases of the discussions you are having, and gives which can be made, and even in simply speaking about comparable trades, then it begins to make extra sense to have continued discussions. The probability of these guys being moved is just not excessive. It is simply now we have to entertain if there is a manner to make the group higher.”  Stroman, 27, and Sanchez, 26, mixed to throw 207 2/Three innings with a 5.20 ERA in 2018. Stroman managed a 3.09 ERA in 201 innings as not too long ago as 2017, and, back in 2016, Sanchez had a 3.00 ERA in 192 innings. He is handled finger and hand accidents since. Each Stroman and Sanchez have two years of crew management remaining and might be reasonably priced options to commerce candidates like Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Noah Syndergaard.  Marlins look to add hitters The Marlins should not simply sellers this offseason. In accordance to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Marlins are “actively exploring” additions, significantly mid-range free agent place gamers. In addition they mentioned first baseman Carlos Santana with the Mariners sooner or later not too long ago. Seattle is anticipated to flip Santana sooner or later, although he has two years and $35 million remaining on his contract, and that might be an impediment. Wanting over their roster, the Marlins are set at 4 positions: catcher (J.T. Realmuto), second base (Starlin Castro), third base (Martin Prado), and proper discipline (Brian Anderson). Realmuto is after all a commerce candidate, so we should not think about Miami utterly set behind the plate. Level is, they’ve wants everywhere in the roster, and selecting up some low-cost free brokers on short-term contracts will assist the membership at the least seem interested in contending. Phillies interested in Keuchel, Britton The Phillies are interested in free brokers Dallas Keuchel and Zach Britton, and so they’re nonetheless in play for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, reviews Bob Nightengale of USA At this time. Philadelphia needs one other beginning pitcher however got here up empty in its pursuit of Patrick Corbin, and so they’ve been mentioned to desire a nearer all winter. As for Machado and Harper, they’re been linked to these two actually since final offseason. Just a few weeks in the past Phillies proprietor John Middleton mentioned the crew is ready to “perhaps be even a bit silly” with their free-agent spending this offseason. The membership solely has $72.7 million on the books for 2019 in the mean time, not together with projected arbitration salaries, and that drops to $44.7 million in 2020 and $29.45 million in 2021. The Phillies should not tied down by dangerous contracts and are, in concept, poised for a large spending spree this winter. It simply hasn’t materialized but. Dodgers open to OF and SP trades to ‘re-shape’ payroll In an effort to “re-shape” their payroll, the Dodgers have spoken to different golf equipment about transferring two of Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, and Cody Bellinger, reviews ESPN’s Buster Olney. They’re additionally ready to transfer beginning pitchers Wealthy Hill and Alex Wooden. Los Angeles received below the $197 million luxurious tax this previous season and a discover to potential buyers mentioned they plan to do the identical the following a number of years as nicely. In the intervening time the Dodgers have $195.Four million on the books for subsequent season, together with arbitration projections, so they do not have a lot respiration room below the $206 million luxurious tax threshold. Kemp ($20 million) and Hill ($16 million) are amongst their priciest gamers whereas MLB Commerce Rumors initiatives Puig and Wooden to make one thing in the $10 million vary every subsequent 12 months. Pederson is projected at $Four million and Bellinger continues to be making shut to the league minimal as a pre-arbitration participant. Yankees might preserve Realmuto Though they’re discussing a three-team commerce with the Mets and Marlins, there’s a situation in which the Yankees preserve catcher J.T. Realmuto for themselves, reviews Joel Sherman of the New York Put up. The Yankees would have Realmuto and Gary Sanchez break up time at catcher and DH, and transfer Giancarlo Stanton into left discipline regularly. This previous season Stanton performed largely DH as a result of the Yankees had the defensively superior Aaron Decide and Brett Gardner in the outfield corners. Whereas including Realmuto would undoubtedly make the Yankees higher — Realmuto would successfully substitute backup catcher Austin Romine on the roster — including one other premium catcher can be a luxurious merchandise. New York has extra urgent wants to handle with their pitching employees and on the center infield, and so they determine to direct their sources (commerce chips, payroll area) to that relatively than one other catcher. It might be they’re making an attempt to push the three-team talks with the Mets alongside by threatening to preserve Realmuto for themselves. Happ nonetheless in search of a 3rd 12 months Free-agent left-hander J.A. Happ has a number of two-year contract gives on the desk, however he’s nonetheless in search of a 3rd 12 months, reviews Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports activities. Happ has indicated he’ll signal with the primary crew to provide a assured third 12 months. The Yankees, Phillies, Astros, and Braves are among the many groups linked to the veteran left-hander this offseason, although the Yankees and Phillies are seen because the front-runners. Happ, 36, went 7-Zero with a 2.69 ERA in 11 begins for the Yankees this previous season. He came to visit from the Blue Jays on the commerce deadline and threw 177 2/Three innings with a 3.65 ERA total in 2018. Happ began his profession with the Phillies (2007-10) and completed this previous season in New York. With Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi now off the board, a case will be made Happ is the most effective free-agent starter nonetheless in the marketplace, even over Dallas Keuchel. Yankees keen to commerce Andujar The Yankees are open to buying and selling Rookie of the Yr runner-up Miguel Andujar, in accordance to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It is unclear whether or not he can be included in the rumored J.T. Realmuto-Noah Syndergaard three-team commerce nevertheless it is smart. The Marlins are mentioned to need younger MLB prepared expertise in return for Realmuto and Andujar actually qualifies.  Andujar, 23, put up a .297/.328/.527 batting line with 27 house runs this previous season. His 47 doubles tied Fred Lynn’s AL rookie report. Andujar is a punishing hitter however a poor defender at third base, a lot in order that there are rumblings he might be moved to first as quickly as 2019. There’s been hypothesis all offseason that the Yankees might commerce Andujar for pitching and substitute him by signing Manny Machado. Brewers open to reunion with Miley In accordance to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, the Brewers are “maintaining in contact” with free-agent lefty Wade Miley. GM David Stearns mentioned they’re opening to bringing him back, although he is going to gauge his worth on the free-agent market first. Miley, 32, posted a 2.57 ERA in 80 2/Three innings with Milwaukee round an indirect harm this previous season. The Brewers, regardless of having an apparent want in their rotation, don’t appear to be in any rush to add a starter and that is been the case since final offseason. They’re at present slated to go into subsequent season with Jhoulys Chacin, Chase Anderson, Zach Davies, Brandon Woodruff, and Jimmy Nelson as their beginning 5, although Nelson is rehabbing from shoulder surgical procedure and there’s nonetheless numerous offseason to go. Nats taking a look at free brokers, speaking Roark commerce The Nationals are in commerce discussions involving right-hander Tanner Roark with a number of groups, reviews Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports activities, and so they proceed to monitor the marketplace for free-agent pitching assist as nicely. Roark will grow to be a free agent subsequent offseason and MLB Commerce Rumors initiatives him to make $9.eight million in 2019. Washington would presumably commerce the righty and redirect his wage — or at the least a part of his wage — elsewhere on the roster. Roark, 32, has been a strong league common workhorse the previous couple of years, throwing 361 2/Three innings with a 4.50 ERA (97 ERA+) the final two seasons. He averaged 176 innings per season from 2014-17 and that features 2015, when he made 12 begins and 28 aid appearances and was restricted to 111 innings. The Nationals have an expensive rotation prime three in Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, and Stephen Strasburg. There could also be a extra economical manner to fill Roark’s rotation spot by way of free company. A’s have checked in on Ramos The Athletics have checked in on free-agent catcher Wilson Ramos, reviews Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland is speaking to Jonathan Lucroy a few reunion, however the two sides are far aside on cash. The A’s reportedly need to restrict their catcher funding to one 12 months as a result of prime catching prospect Sean Murphy is due to arrive quickly. Ramos, 31, authored a .306/.358/.487 batting line with 15 house runs in 111 video games round a hamstring harm this previous season. As well as to his offense, he is lengthy been considered a powerful clubhouse presence. It stands to purpose Ramos might be Plan B for groups that fail to commerce for J.T. Realmuto or signal free agent Yasmani Grandal. Getting him on a one-year contract is probably not potential. Rockies, Phillies talked Santana commerce Earlier than he was shipped to the Mariners in the Jean Segura commerce, the Rockies had discussions with the Phillies about first baseman Carlos Santana, reviews Nick Groke of The Athletic. Rockies GM Jeff Bridich mentioned buying and selling for Santana continues to be on the desk, however the calculus has modified now that he is with Seattle relatively than Philadelphia. Santana, 32, authored a .229/.352/.414 batting line with 24 house runs and extra walks (110) than strikeouts (93) for the Phillies in 2018. That is good, not nice, nevertheless it is much better than the combination .232/.314/.405 batting line and 20 house runs Colorado’s first basemen put up this 12 months whereas enjoying half their video games in Coors Area. The Rockies might put Santana at first base and shift the incumbent Ian Desmond into the outfield or a part-time function. Gonzalez plans to try comeback in 2019 In accordance to ESPN’s Buster Olney, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has improved his conditioning this offseason and is prepared to meet with any crew to talk about a comeback try in 2019. The Mets launched the 36-year-old Gonzalez on June 11 this previous season, after he hit .237/.299/.373 with six house runs in 54 video games. Accidents restricted him to solely 71 video games in 2017. Declining first basemen with harm points who’re on the incorrect facet of 35 should not precisely a scorching free-agent commodity. Gonzalez didn’t signal after being launched by the Mets this summer time and chances are high groups will not present a lot curiosity this winter both. White Sox purchase Nova The White Sox have acquired right-hander Ivan Nova from the Pirates for a younger pitcher and worldwide bonus cash. Chicago will get an reasonably priced innings eater to assist bridge the hole to their prospects whereas Pittsburgh clears some wage and clears a path for prime prospect Mitch Keller to obtain MLB enjoying time in 2019. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-winter-meetings-rumors-updates-red-sox-unlikely-to-bring-back-kimbrel-astros-interested-in-brantley/ https://www.news9ontime.com/mlb-winter-meetings-rumors-updates-red-sox-unlikely-to-bring-back-kimbrel-astros-interested-in-brantley/