#the smoothest and fastest of this group by far

[mintytrifecta]

Okay. Okay. So. I’ve seen you tag so many posts with code name:Lenore and for the longest time I thought it was a piece of media I just happened to not have heard of, but somewhat recently I remembering you saying it was your original project and jfjddkdkdk okay pls do not feel pressured to answer if you don’t feel like it or anything but if you would like to share I’m asking, I’m asking SO LOUDLY about it cuz the little context clues I think I have picked up the vibes make it sound SO NEAT so yeah if you would like to share anything about it I would love to hear :3

DUUUUUDE I'D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT IT HELL FRICKIN YEAH!!!!

SO Codename: Lenore is a hypothetical novel I'm developing!!! Right now I'm just in like the plot development and worldbuilding stage so the story isn't fully concrete ^^; HOWEVER I DO HAVE SOME LORE >:DDD AND ITS GOING UNDER THE READ MORE CAUSE I HAVE. A LOT. SSNSGHND

Lenore is a robot built of embossed brass that's long been oxidized who wakes up in an unknown era in an unknown, tiny spaceship with only one universal truth present in her head.

She has a mission to find and record every folktale she can, before time runs out.

She doesn't know why, or how, or where this idea came from, nor does she know why time is running, but she knows she has to do it.

It's lonely, at first. Every planet she visits locally in her crumbling ship seems... empty. Devoid of any life. She spends who knows how long going to whatever area of a planet seems the least in ruins and tries to grab whatever she can but there's not much. There's barely one full legend anywhere and everything she finds she has to fill the blanks in. Although, a lot of them do seem to have the running theme of light in them. Light and grief and storms and anguish and so much pain with no real explanation.

It's only after she finds this pattern that Lenore notices the space around her is just as desolate as the planets she visits. Barely any starlight around and what little does show up is red and flicker. Finding this out, Lenore goes to a nearby star to investigate, one that barely has any shine to it.

As soon as she gets close enough it explodes and sends her unconscious and flying back who knows how far.

Next thing she knows Lenore wakes up on an unfamiliar ship with three people staring at her waiting for her to wake up.

Lenore is, understandably wigged out.

But they smile at her anyway and introduce themselves as the Lightspeeds!! A group of Star Hunters and Speedship racers who've been tracking the stars in this piece of space.

The "leader" of their group is the speedship racing pilot herself and head of navigation is Mairin!! Hothead, spirited and quick to make friends but prone to impulse. She welcomes Lenore to their ship with open arms, exclaiming how relieved she is Lenore is alright.

The engineer and head Mairin's partner lurking off to the corner is Khyun. He's closed off and cool but not neccesarily snappy. He's the one who got Lenore back up and running, claiming that they're lucky he likes history as much as he does, or else he wouldn't have recognized any of how Lenore's systems work.

Lastly, the botanist and head of oxygen and survival resources is Elise. She smiles, claiming she's the one who found Lenore's ship careening out at insane speeds and got everyone to help rescue her.

They explain that as Star Hunters, their mission is to find, record and track live stars and ghosts in the universe so that anyone else who's ship-born knows where's safe to stay for a while and what volatile spaces to avoid.

Speedship racers are a bit of a niche sport/subculture for Star Hunters. They compete in laps around stars of different sizes to see who has the fastest and smoothest ship and he winner gets to claim the biggest star found for their Star Hunter team and put it on the map under their name. To enter a speedship race you have to fill a certain quota of living stars found around a specific area and chart them under the name of your team. In this case, the Lightspeeds.

After a bit of talking they strike a deal with her. Lenore gets to help them find stars and work during their races and in return they help her search for folklore on any system-stars they come across.

A while passes and Lenore's officially a member of the Lightspeeds and she's building up a considerable portfolio of folklore. They haven't stopped though, with the theme of grief and stars, which is kind of suspicous to Lenore. They've traveled pretty far from where she was originally at and she gets that similair themes can occur in different cultures, but this is way too often to be mere coincidence.

Then it hits.

The stars are dying. They're dissapearing faster and faster than they can keep track of. The universe is collapsing in on itself with barely any time to preserve everything that's still here.

Lenore and the rest of the Lightspeeds have their work cut out for them.

That's the synopsis and a little bit of the plot I guess gshsnsn I've got more but if I kept going this would be too long so uuuh I'll leave it at this:

In the story there's a lot of themes and allegories to ghosts. Pretty much everyone in the story is haunting or is haunted in one way or another, narratively or not. With all the stars dying, their light still remains, all the planets are gone but stories they've made get to live on, Lenore is a robot, built and decorated with a story so personal to a society long, long gone. Isn't that a ghost?

Well yeah there's metaphorical ghosts but there are also literal ones >:))

See, sometimes when a dying star sends out a solar flare or explodes in a supernova, it'll reach people living on nearby planets. Caught in that light, they die, but their bodies last second absorb that light and essentially become it. Living afterimages of the people they were made out of pure light. They keep "living" for ages after, holding onto themselves as much as possible, but it doesn't always last.

If you're made of light, it's easy to forget what it was like when you were more then that. It's easy to lose memory. Lose shape.

As time goes on it's harder and harder to keep a solid form and idea of who you are. As this happens, as you slowly fade, your light... shifts. Less solid, blue glows become yellow. Slightly transparent and with some strange shifts of appearance, sure, but you're still fine. The real danger starts when you begin to shift red.

Closer to red means closer to dead. You begin to become transparent, unable to be seen under harsh colored lights. Your memory isn't what it used to be and now that you can barely see yourself its hard to hold shape.

Thank goodness none of our cast is that right :)) Thank goodness nobody in the Lightspeeds is hiding this in any kind of shift from yellow to red right :)))))) We certaintly wouldn't want our resident botanist to be hiding something like that from their friends right :))))))) Wouldn't want our resident folklorist android being an amnesiac of one, her creator, stuck in a metal shell with no way of knowing what she really looked like and who she was before she was :))))))))) Wouldn't want a group hellbent on desperate survival and worship of gravity and black holes to force people into becoming those to praise the gravity of a singularity and turn into light as a way to live as one with a decaying universe :)))))))))))))))

[eloisamariemonaresduron]

Final Term 1st Blog: Beyond the Pitch

MIDTERM PITCH.

On Valentine's Day, while others celebrated with flowers and chocolates with their love ones, our section in 'The Entrepreneurial Mind' class was preparing for our midterm pitching session. Despite the romantic atmosphere around us, we were completely focused on the upcoming challenge as we were gearing up for our midterm pitching session.

This is us —preparing, rehearsing, and finalizing everything— hours before the pitching schedule. We were actually assigned to pitch first, which is why we're preparing not only our papers and tools for the session but, most importantly, our mental state.

Now, here comes the moment of truth—pitching time. Well, I wasn't actually the pitcher in our group, but that didn’t spare me the nerves. As we stood together at the front of the room, I could feel the tension amongst us. The room was packed with our group and the panelist together with our instructor, the stakes were high, and every pair of eyes seemed to scrutinize our every move and word.

Even though the environment was high-pressure, we all shared a sense of camaraderie and a strong desire to succeed. It was strange to spend Valentine’s Day battling for grades instead of indulging in its festivities, but in that moment, our priorities were clear—we needed to nail this pitch. The session ended with a round of applause, a mix of relief and pride washing over us. As we finish the pitching and defended our product, it was evident that regardless of the outcome, we had supported each other and delivered our best under pressure. It was certainly a Valentine’s Day to remember, not for romantic reasons, but for the unforgettable experience, uniting to support our shared goals.

INTERVIEW.

—Before the interview. Our meeting at the Pateran in College Park centered around several important topics. Firstly, we set a Timeline of Activities; secondly, we planned on our collection procedures, thirdly, we crafted our interview questions; lastly, defining the scope of the Final Product. With our agenda mapped out, we headed off to conduct interviews.

—During the interview. Our interview initiative progressed seamlessly as we divided and conquered, promptly identifying our interviewees, comprising first-year students and one individual outside the main gate. On my part, I have quickly build a good rapport with my interviewee so I did not have difficulties communicating and interviewing her even though she's somehow camera-shy. I must conform that this is actually our smoothest and fastest interview so far.

INTERVIEW RESULTS.

In our efforts to rebrand EverLeaf comprehensively, we engaged in interviews with 10 students, focusing on: 1) Marketability/Availability, 2) Pricing Considerations, and 3) Suggestions for Improvement.

Marketability/Availability Regarding the query of whether they would purchase our product upon its market launch, responses from the 10 interviewees varied. Forty percent stated that their decision would depend on both the price and quality. They voiced reservations about the product's value proposition and our ability to deliver on quality benchmarks. Nevertheless, they indicated that they would be willing to buy if the price justified the perceived quality. Conversely, 30 percent responded positively, while 20 percent expressed potential interest, and another 20 percent cited the seasonal aspect of their purchasing decisions.

Pricing Consideration As for the second question, "What are the justifiable prices for the following sizes of paper?"

The following are the results:

Improvements.

As for the question "What are the aspects that need to be leveled up by the innovators to be able to compete in the market?" The following are the results:

Uniqueness - 2

Product quality & price - 4

Sustainability & Durability - 1

Packaging & marketing strategies - 3

Special Question.

During our Midterm Pitching presentation, a critical question was raised by the panels: "Won't you deplete the leaves from trees if your scope increases, and do you have investors?" As a follow-up, we presented this question to our interviewees as a bonus query, receiving a unanimous "NO" in response. They highlighted the potential of our approach to bolster environmental conservation efforts, as it removes the need to harvest trees and endure prolonged regeneration periods to produce paper.

REFLECTION.

Encapsulating, it appears we're drawing close to the culmination of our entrepreneurial journey, heralding a new phase of learning. This subject has propelled me towards new heights of growth and insight, particularly within corporate and business contexts. With the invaluable support and mentorship of our instructor, I've bolstered my leadership, communication, and business proficiency, sparking a keen interest in pursuing entrepreneurship down the road.

[noxinfluencer-blog]

5 Reasons Why NoxInfluencer Is the Hottest New Influencer Marketing Platform

It’s 2018, and “old” marketing tactics and strategies can only get you so far. These days, one of the best ways to connect your brand with an active and enthusiastic audience is through influencer marketing. Unlike slow, clunky, and expensive traditional forms of marketing, influencers get things done now. They offer something that traditional marketing strategies have never truly captured—the ability to engage directly with the audience you want for your brand. As a matter of fact, 70% of millennial consumers rely on influencers for their buying decisions.

Whether you are an influencer or a brand, you are part of the next monumental movement in global marketing, and there is no better time to take advantage of it other than today. Finding the right brands to work with or finding reputable influencers to represent your name can be difficult; with so many to choose from, how do you know which one to choose?

The answer? NoxInfluencer. As a worldwide leading influencer marketing platform, NoxInfluencer offers one of the quickest and smoothest paths for both influencers and brands to find the partner they want to work with. NoxInfluencer understands that influencer marketing isn’t just a business; it’s a lifestyle. Here are 5 reasons why NoxInfluencer is the marketing platform you need to work with today:

1. Experience and Professionalism

Influencer marketing is still in its infancy, and still has a couple of quirks that it needs to clear up. One of the biggest problems that both brands and influencers have to deal with is finding great and reliable partners to work with.

As a brand, you don’t want to accidentally sign up with an influencer who creates embarrassing or shameful content, or someone who doesn’t actually have a large enough following. As an influencer, you don’t want to sign up with a brand that is unscrupulous when it comes to your payment.

NoxInfluencer recognizes these difficulties because they know exactly what the industry is like. Since 2015, NoxInfluencer has been pairing influencers and brands together, making sure to create successful partnerships.

Unlike other influencer marketing platforms, NoxInfluencer doesn’t let just anyone sign up. To become a part of the NoxInfluencer community, you must have a proven track record of success as a brand or as an influencer. You can therefore feel safe knowing that any potential brand or influencer you connect with on the NoxInfluencer platform is one that has been vetted and screened for reliability.

2. Simple, Easy, and Quick

Quick: how long do you think it takes to create a commercial? Even if it’s just a 30-second ad, there are already at least a dozen things to think about before filming even starts, including:

Find your audience

Target your message

Decide on a budget

Decide your commercial length

Write, edit, and rewrite a script

Storyboard every second of the commercial

Create a shot list

Hire a production team

Designate a schedule

Book set locations and studio times

Rope together actors, stage equipment, production crew, directors, and more

All of those steps need to be dealt with way before shooting your first scene. There’s a reason why the average commercial takes at least six months to create, from start to finish: it involves a lot of work.

But the age of influencer marketing lets you skip all that and still get your target audience. In this regard, NoxInfluencer might be the fastest and simplest influencer marketing platform to sign up on.

The Noxfinder tool makes finding successful partnerships as easy as filling in a search box. Brands just have to enter a keyword related to their product into the Noxfinder tool and they will immediately be matched with the right influencers; those that represent the brand’s desired audiences and demographics. This will be based on their tags, videos, and overall social media presence, so that brands never have to waste their time with influencers that have nothing to do with their brand’s image.

At NoxInfluencer, everything is simple and clean. You can either create your campaign and start browsing through influencers in your chosen markets right away or start sending creative proposals to brands you would love to work with. No hassle, no stress.

READWhat Are The Benefits Of A Breakout Area In Your Office?3. A Package for All Brands

We get it—influencer marketing can seem like a risky decision for newcomers, small businesses and large corporations alike. Small businesses have limited budgets, so you want to make sure that you are getting your money’s worth. Large corporations, on the other hand, value professionalism and efficiency, and would only want to target an audience that resonates with their brand.

NoxInfluencer tops our list of flexible packages offered to brands, something you don’t always see with influencer marketing platforms. Rather than taking the “one size fits all” approach, NoxInfluencer takes into consideration different kinds of businesses with different sets of needs.

Even the most affordable package still offers Premium services, with all the features that a smaller business could ask for. If you are a larger brand, the Professional Service package is more than worth the added value; Real-Time Data Monitoring is exactly what larger brands need that smaller business can do without. And with the Enterprise Service package, NoxInfluencer shows that it is more than willing to work with special brands who have special needs.

One great feature that these packages include is the tracking function. With tracking, NoxInfluencer helps brands understand all the technical metrics surrounding their promotional or sponsored video. Details such as views, downloads, and clicks will be made available to the brand so that they can see exactly how successfully the video performed, and which areas can be tweaked to make it even better.

It’s a platform that values service, and in an industry that can often be too impersonal, this is definitely a characteristic worth appreciating.

4. Protecting Influencers At Every Corner

As an influencer, small or big, it can be pretty daunting going over into marketing. Most, if not all, influencers started out as YouTube or Instagram entertainers and personalities, doing something they loved just for fun. Suddenly dealing with companies, advertising, and marketing budgets may be something that most influencers have no experience with. As a result, influencers usually fall victim to brands and platforms that cheat or take advantage of them.

At NoxInfluencer, influencers are protected. Perhaps the most amazing feature is that influencers have full control of their contracts and partnerships. Influencers are never forced into shady contracts and abusive terms and conditions. As an influencer, you will have access to flexible payment methods, creative proposals, zero intermediary fees, and absolute freedom to choose the brands and agencies you work for. Is there anything more an influencer could possibly want?

5. Backed By A Global Leader In Smart Distribution

When you’re looking for an influencer marketing platform to work with, the most important aspect the partnership is trust. Some platforms like to scam more than they like to serve and have left a bad taste in the mouths of many professional and legitimate brands and influencers. Platforms that come out of nowhere, with no history and no experience, are the ones that are most likely to take advantage of this brand-new industry in marketing.

At NoxInfluencer, this is one less thing you have to worry about. NoxInfluencer is just a branch of the much larger NOX Group, the world’s leading smart entertainment distribution network. NoxInfluencer is just one of the NOX Group’s several successful enterprises, which include NoxGamer, NoxApp+, and AlAdMobi, which all work under the unified goal of providing millions of users around the world with applications and pan-entertainment content to last a lifetime.

Reliability and professionalism? Check.

Find Your Influencer Partner With NoxInfluencer Today

Looking for a reliable and trustworthy influencer marketing platform? NoxInfluencer is one of the best platforms on these two fronts and it should provide for an easy choice. They protect their brands and influencers and create the ideal environment for creatives and businesses to match and meet. NoxInfluencer provides everything you want and more, and we expect them to continue growing in this industry over the coming years.

[lotornomiko]

The Dark Flavor Of Addiction Chapter Twenty Four (worksafe)

There is always something quite calming about the water. About the way it ripples in constant motion, with the lingering remnants of sunlight reflecting across it’s surface. It’s not as bright as it could have been, not with evening fast drawing near. It’s not yet dark, the sky still a mix of a burnt golden orange. There’s some other shades that streak into that color, some reds and a purple on a canvas made practically barren of any clouds. Their absence means it would be the perfect night for sailing, the sea never more tranquil than in the span between storms.

Certainly it’s a more peaceful sight than the danger that is soon to blanket the town. A fight is coming, the first punch thrown in a battle that might just be the end of everything anyone has ever known. It’s that what makes the witch’s plans all the more frightening, that unknown factor, the hows and whys of what she wants versus the reason that motivate her. Of that we have not a clue, Zelena an evil no one understands, no one knows, and most of all no one remembers.

Not even me. For all the memories that I have, for all that I remember of the year that everyone else has forgotten, Zelena is still a mystery. I suppose I am to blame for that, for my choice in isolating myself from the rest of the group. There’d be guilt in that realization, if I had it in me to care. I don’t, this town and it’s problems, it’s people, all things I easily cast aside. It’s MY needs that I make a priority, my wants and desires that rule over my actions. It’s so blatantly selfish, and I’m so unrepentant a pirate, justifying my own happiness as the most important when it came to the right and the wrong.

It’s not even the first time that I’ve done this, that I’ve actively acted to damn this whole town. Though it’ll be a much different outcome this time around, no hesitation in me when it comes to thoughts of leaving. There’s no room for Emma Swan, no interest and no lies, the woman unable to appeal to me, unable to even try. There’s no fantasy she can maintain, no words pretty enough to make me believe in her false hopes. I’m free of her, free of the madness and the delusions that had sprung up in her wake, Emma just a footnote in my past while Belle is my glorious future.

It’s that future I take active steps to secure, that end I strive for, my happiness and Belle’s safety all the reason I need to take the choice from her. It’s not something that she’ll appreciate, not immediately but in time? In time she will get over it. She’ll have to, my patience such that I’ll wait as long as need be for that forgiveness to come. I’d wait even longer for her love, for Belle’s heart to at last open itself to me entirely.

There’s less room for patience where other people are concerned. I hear the wood creak under quick, scurrying footsteps, see the shadow loom large as William Smee falls into place besides me. He’s got his red cap off and in his hands, wringing it with his fingers in a display that is meant to appease the worst of my anger.

“You know how much I don’t like to be kept waiting, Smee.”

“Begging a thousand pardons, captain.” The man stammered, all red faced and out of breath. “I couldn’t be getting off work any sooner. Not if I wanted to keep my job.”

“Job?” I can’t keep the disdain from my voice, the sneer at the thought of Smee doing any kind of honest day’s work. “Have you forgotten Smee, that you are pirate and not some fisherman!?”

“Oh no, Captain!” Smee exclaimed. “I haven’t forgotten that at all. But in this world as it is, if I be wanting to stand any chance of having some money, I have to do something to earn it.”

“Hmph.” I snorted at that, still staring at the water rippling about Storybook’s harbor. Smee vibrated with his tension, with that anxious air of energy as he waited and failed to keep quiet.

“Captain? Have….Have you given any more thought to what me and the boys have been wondering?”

He can’t seem to hold still, fighting with the red knit cap of his, while bracing himself against hope and the back hand I am sure he is expecting. He’s actually cringing in place, but despite that, there’s a bravery inside him. A strength that I hadn’t always appreciated, Smee a bumbling idiot when it came to so much, but always ready to ask the unpleasant questions that were meant to make me think. It’s an admirable trait that has helped ease my fat out of the fire more than once in Neverland, even if I hadn’t always liked him questioning my decisions.

“No.” I turn to look at the man, to watch him deflate with his disappointment. I let him wallow in it a moment longer, than smirk, clapping an arm across his shoulders as I pulled him in closer for a conspirator’s whisper. “I’ve been thinking on something much BETTER.”

“Better?” Smee is confused and shows it. “What’s better than pirating the high seas?”

“Happy endings, Smee! Happy Endings and the pursuit of them.”

“Uh….I don’t be understanding.” He admitted to me. “Even if a happy ending was in reach, there’s no way to have it in THIS town. Not with the witch and her flying monkeys about!” He seemed to shiver then, almost as though Zelena frightened him more than I ever had.

“Yes, she is a problem.” I agreed. “For THEM.” I grinned and let go of Smee, staring out across the harbor. “How fast can you get a ship?”

“Captain?” There was an undercurrent of excitement in Smee’s voice now. “Do you mean it?”

“Aye, that I do.”

“Great!” Eyes all a twinkle, Smee was ever prepared for my wants and needs. “I know JUST the ship to steal. The fastest and smoothest ride ever to be found, second to none save the Jolly Roger.”

“For ALL our sake, it better be.” I point out as reminder to him. “You better be right about this ship, Smee. We need not only outrun the witch and her monkeys, we need do the same to her magic.”

“Leave it to me” Smee promised. “I’ll get the old crew together, and within a night or two, we can have the ship ready.”

“The sooner the better.” I start to turn to leave, then think better of it. “Smee?”

“Yes, Captain?”

“Can you get your hands on those metal bracelets that this town’s savior is so fond of using?” I’m thinking of Belle in the moment, thinking how it will be easier to carry her off if her hands were bound.

“Handcuffs?” Smee’s brow had furrowed. “Sure, but why would you be needing that?”

“I can think of a reason or two...” I smirk with that, thinking not only of the kidnapping, but other, more pleasurable play that could be had with a bound Belle. But first I had to see her secure and safe, and far removed from this town and it’s many dangers.

“Um right...” Smee sounded unsettled. “Is there anything else I should be seeing about getting? Er besides the ship and some supplies?”

“Don’t want to bog the ship down with too much weight.” I shake my head then. “Not with magic to outrun...Besides, whatever else we need, we’ll easily be able to TAKE. There’s a whole new world out there, with a whole new sea, and the ships to sail them.”

Smee was grinning from ear to ear. “Right you are about that, captain! This world is a marvel, with a magic all it’s own. I’ll never forget the wonder that is frozen yogurt.”

“Still thinking with your belly, eh?” I ask, and Smee colors a spotty shade of red.

“There’s WORSE things to think with.” He counters. He then sputters out an apology, as though realizing what he had just implied.

“No, it’s...it’s FINE, Smee.” My tone is more sigh then hiss. Because it hadn’t been so much my brain that had been doing the thinking, but my heart and a decidedly male part of my anatomy. That angry lust, and those hurt feelings, and in a way I was still thinking with my body, with my desires, wants, and needs.

“Ah...” Smee hesitated a moment, as though trying to gather his courage. “Captain? If I may be so bold?”

“My temper has never stopped you before.” I was only half joking as I grumbled, remembering all the times I had snapped and snarled and even physically threatened old Smee.

“Ah yeah, there is that...” He agreed. His fingers were back to nervously playing with the cap, crushing it, and the smoothing it out. His fear and anxiety didn’t stop him from voicing the question, from asking the reasons behind my sudden change of heart. “Not that I be minding...” Smee hastily added. “But that last time that I asked, you were absolutely intent on staying in Storybrooke. I be wondering what changed, and so will the crew, as excited and eager as they are to get back to the sea…”

“Everything.” I say, then hesitate. “Everything and nothing.”

“Captain? I don’t quite understand...”

“That’s fine Smee, I didn’t quite understand it myself.” I admit. “I hadn’t for a long time...” I make a fist with my hand, as though grasping hold of something. “I spent all this time in denial, all this time hurting and lashing out, refusing to find the fault within me, the blame that is my part in this whole mess.”

“Hurting?” Smee frowned. “Over what?”

“Not what, but who.” I correct him. Belle’s face came to mind, that heart breaking loveliness, her soulful blue eyes, and those lips that were a potent pouting sensuality. Even sad she was beautiful, her heart’s turmoil making Belle absolutely perfect in my eyes. It was a new appreciation that I took in her grief, that I thought on her heart, and it’s capacity to feel so much where I was concerned. Without even a conscious decision, I smiled then, and Smee noticed THAT too.

“Who? And what woman be we talking about?” He asked. “Emma Swan, or the Dark One’s...” He hesitated, as though trying to settle on the right word for what Belle meant to Rumpelstiltskin. I didn’t give him the chance, turning a wide eyed surprise at his keen eye for this detail.

“You mean you….?”

“Oh it’s not hard to notice the times you’ve stolen off to be with her.” He wasn’t grinning though, Smee giving me a searching look. “The question is WHY. What reason could there be, what game were you playing, to take up with a woman that belongs to the Dark One.”

“She doesn’t belong to him!” I snap. “Belle belongs to ME!”

Smee actually took a step back, though he didn’t stop with his prying. “And why would you say that?”

“Because it’s the TRUTH.” It’s a furious hiss I speak with, advancing on the nervous Mr. Smee. “It’s not revenge I am after, it’s not even just lust’s satisfaction. It’s her HEART that I be wanting, and it’s her heart that I will HAVE.”

“You sound as if you...you want love.” stammered Smee.

“I DO.” There was strength and conviction to my words, Smee all wide eyed with shock before he suddenly broke out into a grin.

“Then I suppose I better be getting you those handcuffs.” He said it with a cheeky little wink. “Since Miss Belle is not the type to easily abandon a whole town in danger.”

“No, she’s not.” I agreed. “She has too noble a heart for that.” I then gave a jerk of my head, a clear cut dismissal for Smee to get on with it. He was all to eager to oblige, scurrying off like the rat he had once been, hurrying off to get together the crew, and start the planning and prep work. His exiting foot steps couldn’t drown out the sound of what I thought was the beating of wings, but a glance skywards showed that there was nothing there. No birds, and certainly nothing that resembled a flying monkey. I frowned all the same, unnerved by the sound, by what I thought it implied.

“You won’t stop me.” I mutter out loud. “No one can.”

With that, I turned away from the water. There was only the fewest streaks of sunlight left, night almost upon me. I had to hurry if I wanted to get back to the town’s square, to the main street where the duel was set to take place.

It would actually be nightfall, by the time the library’s clock tower came into view. I could hear the starting roar of a nervous crowd, what sounded like nearly the entire town gathered to watch the battle between witches. Closer yet, and louder than the crowd just barely, was David’s voice, Prince Charming shouting for attention.

“Everyone, listen to me!” He is saying. “We need you to all get back to the safety of your homes. There’s nothing worth...”

“No one is going to anywhere!” It should have been impossible for such a calm utterance to have even been heard over the protesting crowd’s many speaking voices, and yet thanks to her magic, Zelena’s voice was heard as clearly as a bell ringing. Immediate was the reaction, the crowd gasping and looking around, trying to pin point where that sound had come from. I took advantage to push aside a few people of my own, in my quest to find and get close to Belle.

I spot her near to where David is, Belle standing next to his wife, and his daughter, and all three are also looking around for the witch. It’s Emma who sees me first, who does a frowning double take, her own eyes angry and disproving. I just smirk at her in all my unapologetic glory, and stride even faster.

“Hook...” She scowls. “We don’t have time for you now.”

“More’s the shame for you, cause I don’t have time for YOU either.” I retort in a glib manner, hearing the crowd gasp. For one second I think they are reacting to what I have said to their savior, but then I realize the crowd has found her, has found the witch, Zelena with her slave in tow. Rumpelstiltskin is every bit as disheveled as he had been the day before, and just as menacing, with his eyes as black as they were. Zelena’s come prepared to make good on her threats, and it’s a short leash that she has the Dark one on.

He fights it though. Fights it every step of the way, that reluctance inside him. It makes his body lurch and jerk in place, every step forward a victory of the dagger.

“Rumple.” I hear Belle whisper it, that tiny moaning utterance that makes the Dark One’s head snap around, his eyes seeking out the woman, just as I fall into step besides her. I meet the eyes of the monster, and glare, all fierce smirk and seething intensity. Rumpelstiltskin looks at me, then becomes dismissive, turning away from the sight of me, and the sight of Belle, as though he can’t bear for either one of us to see him this way.

He’s ashamed. I realize that with a chuckle that makes the Dark One flinch. I don’t believe for a second he cares about what he might be made to do to the town, and everything to do with the fact he’s been made Zelena’s slave. He doesn’t like being made so weak and so vulnerable before everyone, so unabashedly at someone’s mercy. Not that I think the witch has any, the woman gliding through the frightened crowd of people, that part as though by wind. No one wants to get too close to Zelena, or to the Dark One, not even to see the Evil Queen possibly lose.

“This show after all, needs an audience.” Zelena says with that airy amusement. She’s in all her wicked witch finest, all form fitting ebony fabric, whose skirt drapes down to just short of her ankles. There’s a fist sized emerald about her throat, and a long pointed hat on her head. She looks so out of place here among the people of this town, though back in the Enchanted Forest, her odd costume would have blended her right in.

“Out of my way, munchkin.” She snaps at the one person whose fright had kept him from moving away with the rest of the crowd, the man just standing there shaking, slack jawed and terrified.

“I’m...I’m a DWARF.” He manages to stammer.

With a roll of her eyes, and barely another look spared him, Zelena sneers. “That’s even WORSE.” She’s got the Dark One’s dagger in hand, and she’s gripping it tighter with gloved fingers as she looks around and around. It is then that I realize just WHO is missing, the Evil Queen nowhere to be found. The witch realizes it too, her voice angry as she demands to know just where Regina is.

“Hmm!?” She says with a hand on a hip. “Don’t tell me she is a COWARD.” No one answers, no one dares, the crowed just standing there, all a fright with anxiety over what Zelena’s displeasure will make her do.

“Well, this isn’t good.” A black booted toe is tapping on the pavement. Zelena smiles, but it’s all angry menace, her green eyes narrowed and blazing with threat. “For any of YOU. If my sister is not here in five minutes...” She’s got a flair for the dramatic, pausing like that. I take advantage to ease closer to Belle, to none too inconspicuously place a hand and my hook on her shoulders. Belle immediately reacts, startling in fright, then shooting me an angry look as she tries to wiggle free of my grip. I only hold on tighter to her, and it’s either put up with the touch, or make a scene, and somehow I doubt she wants Rumpelstiltskin to find out THIS way.

The crowd then gasps, and I realize I’ve missed the rest of Zelena’s threat. It doesn’t matter. She’ll start the killing, either by her magic, or by his, Rumpelstiltskin looking tense, those ebony colored eyes a dark menace despite all his intents and wishes.

The Savior can’t stand it, can’t take the wait OR the threats, Emma Swan stepping forward towards Zelena. Her mother tries to grab her arm, but this time Emma is too fast, the blonde hair woman aggressive as she stands toe to toe with Zelena. “You’re not killing anyone.” She tells her, while Zelena gives her a smirk. “If you want to fight someone, you’ll fight ME!” Her fists are already clenched and at the ready, though what Emma thinks she can do against magic is anyone’s guess.

Zelena looks at Emma as though she is actually considering it. That or judging the savior’s potential, the witch suddenly sneering. “Oh sorry dearie. I don’t dance with amateurs.” Her laugh is one of mocking derision, Zelena moving to step past this obstacle when Emma snarls in stubborn defiance.

“I am not an amateur.” She says, her mouth fixed in a grim, determined line. “I am the savior.”

That gets Zelena to stop, and give Emma a second look. “Well!” It’s an annoyed scoff of sound. “Someone’s got an inflated sense of self worth.” She gives a little nod, and there’s meaning and intent in that slight gesture. Emma braces herself, her hands at the ready but it’s not Zelena who attacks, but the Dark One. With just a raise of his right hand, Rumpelstiltskin makes Emma fly. She shoots back as though thrown, some invisible force of dark magic propelling her towards a group of people. Most get out of the way, but two are hit hard by her body, Emma’s name screamed out by so many. David and Snow White are already there, rushing to help her and the others up. Belle tries to follow, and I haul her closer, breathing words into her ear.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Those firm words earn me a look, an angry reprimand of blue that can’t get me to let go of her.

“Anyone else want to give it a go!?” Zelena is angrily shouting, waving the Dark One’s dagger about with intent to use it. She is laughing madly, pacing about, stepping close to people in a power tripping display to feed her ego, when a voice brimming with confidence speaks.

“I do.” There’s a smug elation with those words, a small group of people to one side, pulling apart to reveal just who had spoken. It’s the evil queen herself, Regina standing there clad in a black all her own. There’s only one bright spot of color to her otherwise dark ensemble, that bold red that seems so out of place on her hand.

As big a smile as the Evil Queen is wearing, it’s nothing compared to the visceral satisfaction Zelena shows. She smirks with it, and takes a step towards the advancing Regina, until the two are just inches from each other, in the middle of the street.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you?” Regina asked, then narrowed her eyes, a vicious smirk on her face. “Black is MY color.”

There’s a giggle in response to that, such a carefree and unconcerned laugh. “But it looks so much BETTER on me.” The witch is all grin, that smirk of hers just as smug and as vicious as anything Regina has ever shown. It’s gone in the next instant, Zelena sobering to serious. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up.”

Regina is just as serious, brimming with a seething hatred. “I couldn’t let my sister off that easily.”

“Oh?” There’s no wide eyed innocence in that one, Zelena all cold calculation as she paces even closer to Regina. “So you’ve finally accepted me into the family?”

“No, no.” Regina corrects her. “I may have accepted that we shared a mother, yes, but I still have one question.” She steps right into Zelena’s path, gets right into her face, and hisses. “What the hell did I ever do to you!?

There’s a glare for an answer, Zelena sneering. “Isn’t it obvious?” She practically spits the words into Regina’s face. “You were BORN.” That is all it took, the reaction immediate, the Evil Queen doing a hard, vicious slap across Zelena’s face. It actually rocks the witch’s head to the side, though she doesn’t drop the dagger.

Regina then grins with an immense sense of satisfaction, eyeing the blood that colors one corner of Zelena’s mouth. “I’ve been waiting to do that ALL day.”

A gloved thumb touches to the blood, the witch giving a grotesque kind of grin that is more grimace than smile. “Rumpelstiltskin can’t save you this time.”

“I wouldn’t want him to.” Regina starts to say, only to find herself pushed back with magic, violently thrown against a brick wall. The crowd panics, everyone starting to scatter, and Zelena doesn’t seem to even care that she is losing her little audience.

“He should have chosen me!” She screams at Regina.

“Who?” She gets up off the ground with a groan, brushing the dirt and debris off her clothing in an almost absent minded manner.

“Rumpelstiltskin.”

“That is what this is about!?” There is a total disbelief to her words. “You’re JEALOUS of me?”

There is indeed that much in her eyes, the vivid green of them matching the emerald at her throat. There’s also a hatred, a deep seated resentment that burns in the narrowed depths of the witch's malevolent gaze. She doesn’t get to speak, for Regina is suddenly laughing, looking upward to gesture above them. There’s the heavy moan of protest, and the sound of thick cables snapping free. Sparks rain and shower down in it’s wake, the large metal traffic light being driven down towards the witch.

There’s a gasp, and actual scream, but it’s not Zelena who voices it. No, she steps calmly out of it’s path, and it’s the crowd who has to run to avoid being caught in the crossfire of that sparking monstrosity’s path. It barrels down main street, and I start to pull Belle out of the way.

“It’s not safe here!” I say to her.

“It’s not safe anywhere.” She counters, but steps along with me quick enough. She’s not the only one, the townspeople on the move. They’re all ignored, neither Zelena nor Regina sparing one bit of attention to the panicking bystanders.

“You still don’t realize what you have. You never did.” hisses Zelena, who then screams with all the anger inherent in her soul. “You got everything that I ever wanted, and you didn’t even deserve it. But now? Now I’m going to take it ALL from you!”

Her magic sends Regina flying again, and there is the horrific sound of metal crunching underneath the fallen queen’s body. It’s a blue car that she’s slammed into it, and for one second Regina lays there stunned.

“My car.” moans a dwarf in disbelief, another pulling at his arm in an effort to get him to run.

There’s a grunt of sound from Regina, the woman struggling to sit up. She can’t quite keep from groaning, but it is anger that touches down on the ground. She is furious, stalking towards her sister, with flames sparking in her hand. It’s a large flaming fireball, and Regina is so full of hate at the moment.

“That...she can’t be serious!” Emma exclaims but Regina is already moving to throw it. It suddenly goes green in her hand, than dissipates with a hiss leaving Regina to look down at her hand in complete shock. It’s a mistake, Zelena seizing hold of her the second Regina is distracted. That choke hold is one of magic, Zelena effortlessly lifting Regina up off the ground by a span of a few inches.

“You can’t beat me little sis.” It’s an almost gentle sound, that voice gone soft with her assured victory. “Everything that Rumpelstiltskin taught you...?” Zelena leans forward into Regina’s path. “He taught me too.” But it was hardly a happy revelation, Zelena looking angry again. “But I was the BETTER student.”

It is so sudden, and so shocking, Regina up in the air, up higher than she’s ever been, and she’s crashing into the clock tower, actually breaking glass with her body. The few remaining bystanders all scream in horror, the evil queen not only shattering glass, but going through it. It’s such a violent explosion of sound, and there’s glass raining down on us all.

I put up my arm, try to crouch and cover Belle with my body. There’s glass in my hair, glass on my coat, and Zelena is laughing, that elated sound of her ultimate triumph. I hear what I think are her boots crunching down on the glass, and then I hear nothing save for the last bits of glass to hit. I wait a few more seconds, wait and then cautiously look up, my hand over my eyes to protect it from any glass that might still be airborne. There’s no sign of the witch, no sign of anyone but the few people who remained, many cowering in place, some even injured by the glass that had fallen. But at least Belle is fine, my body having protected hers from the worst of the glass shower.

“That was close.” I mutter to her. She’s looking up at me with a dazed look, her mouth gaping open in sweet invitation.

“Are you okay?” She manages to ask, and I start to nod.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re BLEEDING!” She points out in a strangled tone, looking at something. I blink in surprise, then realize that I am, a thin trail of blood running down the side of my head. It’s nothing too severe, and I tell her as much, but Belle still looks troubled. She stares at me, actually takes a step forward as though she would run trembling fingers in search of the wound. “Why would you....?” She breathes out an unfinished question.

I look at her with all the feeling that I can muster, all the emotion, both the good and the bad, and go to catch hold of her hand. She trembles MORE, staring at me with those parted lips. I’m staring too, so ready to spill my heart to her, when I hear Emma shout.

“Gold!”

I watch the moment between us die, watch whatever feelings had stirred inside Belle give way to guilt and to shame. She snatches her hand back just before my fingers can close around her wrist.

“Don’t!” I whisper an urgent plea, but it’s too late. Belle shakes her head no at me, and spins faster than I thought her capable of, the woman intent on the Dark One.

----------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued.…

[junker-town]

3 reasons NFL fans should watch LSU DE Arden Key vs. Ole Miss

Arden Key has shown enormous potential and some red flags in his college career.

A few months ago, Arden Key appeared ready to grab the attention of the NFL draft world. The junior was coming was off a 2016 season with 12 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, and looked ready to establish himself as one of the top pass rushers of the 2018 class.

Instead, the LSU linebacker has just 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in five games after missing the first two games of the year with a shoulder injury.

But last week Key began to look like the pass rusher that many expected to see all along in 2017. With the game on the line against Auburn, the junior got a sack with three seconds left that secured a 27-23 victory for LSU.

If Key returns to form and finishes the season with the same pass rushing ferocity he showed in 2016, the LSU product could be one of the top draft picks in 2018. But his slow start also raises red flags, regardless of how he finishes the year.

A matchup against Ole Miss at 7:15 p.m. ET is a good chance for Key to announce his return to the group of hyped draft prospects and an opportunity for NFL fans to familiarize themselves with one of the more enigmatic prospects of the potential 2018 class.

Here are X reasons to keep a close eye on Key:

1. Weight loss may be the reason for a resurgence

This is both a reason to be optimistic and pessimistic about Key’s chances at being a productive NFL star. While he was listed at 238 pounds by LSU in 2016, coach Ed Orgeron said Key ballooned to 270 during the offseason.

He left the program early in the 2017 offseason due to personal reasons, but much of the weight gain had to do with a shoulder injury that kept him from practicing and conditioning. Key has lost about 20 pounds since returning to the practice field.

"Now you see a confident Arden Key going out there," Orgeron said earlier this week, via NOLA.com. "I think the conditioning and him losing 20 pounds made the difference."

That weight loss is encouraging because it suggests that the slow start for Key isn’t really indicative of the type of pass rusher he has the potential to become. However, it also raises questions.

"Any time you see a player balloon up like Arden Key has, it's a big concern,” an NFL scout told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein in October. “Whether you are dealing with injuries or not, there are certain conditioning and nutrition standards you need to be following."

How much of a concern it is will be a consistent topic of conversation surrounding Key when he leaves LSU.

2. Key’s talent will make some team roll the dice

It only takes one NFL team to be sold on a player, and Key shouldn’t have much trouble finding one. Yes, his weight gain and slow start to 2017 raises concerns, but his elite ability will make him hard to pass on.

“Key has the ideal build for an edge rusher,” NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah wrote in the summer. “He's 6-foot-6 and has exceptionally long arms. He uses his length to keep opponents off of his chest and has an array of moves to create pressures/sacks. Key flashes an explosive get off and can bend the loop at the top of his rush.”

Basically, he’s a pass rushing dream come true.

Former Falcons defensive end Chuck Smith even went so far as to say that 2017 No. 1 pick Myles Garrett “is not on [Key’s] level” when it comes to rushing the passer and that the LSU linebacker should be the No. 1 pick.

That praise may be too high, but it is a reflection of the kind of hype that surrounded Key prior to the 2017 season and why it’d be entirely unsurprising if he makes an NFL team in need of sacks fall in love.

3. Ole Miss provides an interesting test

So why tune in this week, in particular? For one, it’s a good primetime matchup on the road that brings with it a lot of spotlight.

But also, the Ole Miss offensive line is an improved, veteran unit that has been waiting for this moment.

"He's a great pass rusher, definitely going to play at the next level," Ole Miss left tackle Greg Little said of Key, via the Clarion-Ledger. "His speed is unreal. Me and Marquis (Haynes) have been doing a little extra at practice to help me with the speed. I think Arden Key is going to be the fastest I've faced all year."

It wasn’t the smoothest start to the year for Ole Miss up front, but the team’s offensive line played very well in a 57-35 win over Vanderbilt and enters Saturday night with a lot to prove against Key and the LSU pass rushers.

That makes Saturday a good chance for NFL fans to take a close look at the slimmed down version of Key.

[auburnfamilynews]

The Tiger pass-catchers are looking for a big year in new offensive scheme

Since Gus Malzahn has had a hand in Auburn’s offense, the Tigers’ rushing attack has become one of the most effective and most feared in the conference. It’s been an offense, particularly in 2010 and 2013, that will all but abandon the passing game in favor of demoralizing a defense in the trenches. We’ve seen the Cam Newton and Nick Marshall-led offenses pile up absurd rushing totals on the way to SEC Championships, and we got a bit of a glimpse of that last season as well when the entire offense was healthy.

Something’s still missing.

Auburn’s passing game hasn’t had the same type of clout under Gus Malzahn, but changes seem to be in the works with the addition of Chip Lindsey to the offensive staff. Lindsey will bring in a scheme that does air out the ball more than most Auburn fans will be used to seeing, maybe even going back to the days of Terry Bowden and Dameyune Craig when the rushing game was nonexistent.

We know what Jarrett Stidham and Sean White can do in leading an offense, and the offensive line has good experience in blocking for guys like Kam Pettway and Kerryon Johnson. The one area that’s underachieved at Auburn has been the wide receiver corps, but there’s a huge talent pool on the boundaries, centered around a sophomore class that showed flashes last season.

THE MAIN GUYS

Last season, we got to see glimpses of four receivers in particular making plays in noticeable ways. First up, Kyle Davis.

AL.com got the perfect angle on the main highlight from Kyle Davis’ freshman season. It came in Game 2 against Arkansas State, but it showed off just how athletic he can be. He’s the kind of player who can win the one-on-one battles with just about any defensive back and (should his personal issues be in the rearview mirror) looks like the big deep threat that can take over a ballgame.

Another tall, strong guy with great hands was a receiver who committed early to Auburn and reaffirmed on signing day. Nate Craig-Myers didn’t have nearly the freshman campaign he would’ve liked, catching just 4 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, but he’s shown off the hand strength that will convince quarterbacks to get him the ball. He seemed to have the eye of Jarrett Stidham during the A-Day game, as he snagged 5 catches for 154 yards.

On the other side of the spectrum, there’s Eli Stove, who’s probably the fastest of the three mentioned so far. Look no further than Auburn’s opening play of the Arkansas game last season, when he took a simple end-around 78 yards untouched for a score. Stove became one of the more prominent targets for Auburn quarterbacks last year, catching 23 passes for 224 yards, and in Chip Lindsey’s system, he ought to be able to increase those numbers and hopefully break a couple long ones both in the screen game and in added contribution to the rushing attack.

Then, last but not least, you’ve got Darius Slayton. Slayton might be the smoothest actual receiver of the bunch, with the best pedigree in route-running and mechanics. Along with Davis, Craig-Myers, and Stove, he was in the first couple of reps for the offense in the opening couple of fall practice sessions.

NEXT UP

Who’s behind the foursome mentioned above? Well, there are a couple familiar options. Two have already spent time at wideout, while the other hasn’t.

First up, there’s Ryan Davis. He caught a bunch of throws (2nd most on the team), but just never really did much with them, as he averaged just under 8 yards per catch. Here’s hoping that Lindsey’s offense affords him a little more space with which to operate.

Last fall, Will Hastings became a favored target of Sean White in practices leading up to the season, and he ended up getting a ton of work early on in the season, catching 8 passes and a touchdown in the first three games before his reps decreased. He has the quickness to play in the SEC, but he may just be a little too far down the depth chart. Still, he likely has some role left to play before he’s done at Auburn.

An interesting addition to the wide receiver group this year is John Franklin III, who moved from quarterback after last season. He may be the flat-out fastest guy on the team, so anytime Auburn can get him the ball in space, good things will likely happen. Check out his touchdown run at the 1:22 mark of this video.

Elsewhere, we may see true freshman Noah Igbinoghene thrown into the mix at some point, but through the first couple of practices it does look like a guy who’s made some waves is Sal Cannella. Cannella signed with Auburn out of junior college this past February and has an interesting mix of size and skills. Word is he’s already a bit of a chameleon who can play in several different spots. He’ll compete with Jalen Harris for playing time at tight end. Harris is more of a classic tight end body, and his only two catches last year went for touchdowns.

Overall, there’s a heck of a lot of potential this year, and coupled with Chip Lindsey’s offense and Jarrett Stidham’s arm, we could see something special.

from College and Magnolia http://bit.ly/2v0Mwus via IFTTT

[smoothshift]

How far would you travel for a car? I just did 1800 miles, worth it. via /r/cars

How far would you travel for a car? I just did 1800 miles, worth it.

You can imagine my surprise when my phone range with an unknown phone number, it was quite limited. For you see; the average unexpected phone call these days usually starts with “you have won a…” or “are you satisfied with your insur….” Most of which end mid sentence, because I couldn’t be bothered to allow the poor soul on the other side to even finish their statement.

This phone call was different, the area code started with “313.”

313 is significant. 313 is the home of wild animals; there are Lions, and Tigers, and Horses.

Knowing the significance of this area code, I answered. “Hello, this is iamnotcreativeDET.” On the other end I was happily greeted by a cheerful woman from General Motors. Initially I was less than impressed, thinking they wanted me to review their new Tesla, or Audi, or something. Her joyful tone couldn’t break me out of my uninspired haze, they wanted me to try out some dreary new Chevy.

I was wrong.

You see, when press cars are given out they sometimes offer options; deliver to a location of your specification, or you can pick your home address, or your office, or they require you travel to a pre-selected location. In this situation; viva Las Vegas. Having never gone I ecstatic, most reviews I find myself doing end up being in my home territory, and usually end up being econoboxes, finally I could submit an expense report for long distance travel, and enjoy some R&R while I was there (shhhh, don’t tell finance).

After setting meet and great details, I booked my flight and hotel room at Ceasar’s Palace. The car would be waiting for me on the 3rd level of the Self Parking, it was mine from Thursday till Sunday.

This might be a good time to mention that I should start off by saying; I am by all means an introvert. I don’t enjoy being around large groups of people, I tend to be quiet and keep to myself in these situations, nor do I gamble or enjoy high dollar shows, I do, however find driving on a deserted road in the Nevada desert to be extremely exciting, for somewhat obvious reasons…

I arrived on Thursday morning at 8 am. My uber driver conversed with me on the way to the casino, attempting to excite me about all of the great places to gamble and shows that I could enjoy. These were at the back of my mind, all I could think about was the pedal on the right, and what it would be like to mash it, repeatedly.

The hotel Concierge had the keys to my car lined up, I hastily dropped my belongings off in my hotel room and rushed to the parking garage to get my first look at the bright red 2016 Camaro SS Convertible that had been so gracefully parked on the 3rd level of the Caesar’s Palace parking garage.

Powered by an LT1 6.2 Liter V8 and paired to GM’s brand new in house 8 speed automatic transmission, the Camaro SS is the least expensive way to get over 450 horsepower in a drop top production car. I could hardly contain myself, all I wanted to do was find the fastest possible way to piss off a law enforcement official. I could even feel the hair on the back of my head growing faster than on the top.

I had planned a couple of long road trips, an opportunity to bond with the car, long streaks of highway paired to canyon carving with low and high elevation curvaceous roads. I wanted to know this car before I got on the plane back home. The Camaro and I would spend 700 miles of pure unsupervised fun, how can this be legal?

On my 4 day excursion, I found myself at places like the Hoover dam, The Grand Canyon, and on the further side of the spectrum, Zion National Park. These are all places I highly recommend going to at one point in your life, they are spectacular places, but my boss probably will read this, and I can imagine if I spent a large percentage of my required words being spent talking about how gorgeous Zion National park is in the debt of winter, or how the Hoover dam is made of 4.3 Million cubic yards of concrete, or how it took 17 million years for flowing water to carve out the grand canyon. He might be marginally cross with me.

So how was it? Deep. I couldn’t believe how far down the Grand Canyon went, it seemed like you could spend a lifetime falling into that hole…. Oh, you wanted to know about the car. Well alright then, I suppose we can talk about that.

The interior felt cheap. On face value everything looked very nice, a true homage to 60s style combined with modern plastic molding and fit and finish. My feelings on the interior went from delighted to massive disappointment quickly, every single surface inside the car is very hard plastic, it is almost as if GM engineers haven’t heard of soft touch plastics and vinyls, these are the things that create and impression of quality, something the Germans and Japanese have figured out decades ago. There was some leather on the arm rest, and door cards, completely out of view.

Then there was the creeks and rattles. This car had 3 miles on it when I pressed the start button for the very first time, and for the 4 days that I had it I had to smack the plastic liner on the convertible top because it was constantly rattling and tapping away, even on the smoothest of roads. I would understand that out of a car that is 5 or 6 years old, especially in something as flexible as a convertible, but on a sub $46K car, it seems disappointing. Clearly all of the money on this car is spent on the powertrain, roof, and styling.

The power is savage. If you have anything sitting on the center console it almost definitely will end up wedged under the back seat and lost in another point in time and space. The 455 horsepower LT1 is a welcomed addition to the Camaro, along with GM’s own brand new 8 speed automatic. At full chat the upshifts are lighting fast, a true feat given that it still has a traditional torque converter automatic, when you take the engine to redline and use the paddle shifter with the car in track mode, the exhaust pops and crackles on every upshift. Matting the throttle in 2nd gear sends the back of the car in an all out drift and caused my face physical pain as I grinned ear to ear and laughed like a maniac.

But its civilized. Putting the car’s computer in touring mode, setting the cruise control, and sitting back in GM’s plush and comfortable cloth seats make the car feel comfortable. Long distances can easily be done, albeit with a bit of wind noise, which is always to be expected from any cloth top convertible. The engine regularly drops down to 4 cylinders at cruising speeds, during which time I found average fuel economy of around 25 miles per gallon, quite impressive given the regular elevation changes of the Nevada and Utah express ways that I traveled on, and the fact that my right foot seemed like it was glued on the carpet.

The chassis is well sorted, having driven an earlier model coupe Camaro, there is definitely an obvious loss of rigidity by removing the roof, but its far from obtrusive, the 3700 pound drop head Camaro wears its weight quite well, feeling toss-able and lively on tight and technical roads, switching to track mode ads a significant amount of weight to the steering, but doesn’t change the fact that the road feedback is numb, like any other electric power steering system of this era. The trunk, however, is next to useless. It hardly fit my two suitcases for the trip, my jacket had to ride in the back seat.

Simply put, the new Camaro SS is a taste of typical American build quality with a special taste of Corvette V8 paired to a sensible and aggressive 8 speed automatic transmission, it is tons of fun and easily livable as an every day vehicle.

tl;dr - 2016 Camaro fast, shit pants.

[junker-town]

Kansas football still has an early top-15 class. Can KU keep its 2 Louisiana 4-stars?

History says it will be tough.

Last weekend I took a trip to New Orleans for the Nike Opening Regional Camp. One of the themes that stood out was the talented group of players committed to the University of Kansas.

Five weeks ago, Kansas had a top-five recruiting class.

I don’t know what’s in the water in Lawrence, but whatever it is, David Beaty better bottle it and hold it near and dear to his heart forever. This month, Beaty got verbals from three four-star recruits. WR JaMarr Chase, WR Devonta Jason, and CB Corione Harris all committed to the Jayhawks, part of a load of six early KU commits from Louisiana.

It’s dipped a bit, but KU is still in the top-15. That’s surprising.

For one, Kansas is far away from New Orleans. For another, it’s Kansas. So I asked the recruits to explain what was happening.

Kansas’ top commitment is Devonta Jason, a four-star receiver from New Orleans (La.) Landry-Walker High School.

“It’s a family, a great atmosphere, great coaching staff, great from what I’ve known, everything’s great right now at Kansas,” Jason said. “The Kansas pipeline, Louisiana to Lawrence is working right now.”

The reason Kansas is finding success in Louisiana is coach Tony Hull, the former coach of Warren Easton High School in New Orleans.

“He’s got good character, he’s a great person,” Jason said of Hull.

Most of the Louisiana commitments, and almost all of their head coaches have known Hull since his high school coaching days.

“Coach Hull has been up there, he knows all those area guys, he coached at Warren Easton, so I’ve known him for a long time, maybe since middle school,” Harris said. “And then you got Mike Lee to call and Travis Jordan going up there, like he just made me feel like home along with all the other recruits so it’s like a family up there.

Explaining his commitment to Kansas to friends and family has been interesting for Harris.

“They’re surprised about the record,” Harris said. “but you can’t look at the record, you gotta make the record, it’s up to the players to play and the coaches to coach, so at the end of the day, I can make my own legacy.

Holding on to their commitments won’t be easy. Four-star receiver JaMarr Chase’s commitment lasted only a week.

“I mean, I’m committed,” Jason said when asked if he was 100-percent committed to the Jayhawks.

Harris maintains that he is still quite open to hearing from other schools.

“LSU kinda slowed down but Mississippi State picked up,” he said. “Tennessee, and a lot of other schools have been calling, so we’ll see how this turns out. I mean yeah I’m still open to hear [from other schools] but it’s just going to be hard”

I don’t give Kansas much of a shot of holding on to these elite prospects. Since Jason and Harris entered middle school, Kansas has won three Big 12 games. Total. If Kansas can drastically improve on the field this year, perhaps its chances go up.

But even if the elite prospects like Jason and Harris do later decommit, they’ve already done Kansas a solid.

Because their commitments got me to write about Kansas. And that increases the chance that good prospects (perhaps not elite ones) take notice of the Jayhawks. The thought process goes something like “hmm, if those guys rated higher than me like Kansas, perhaps I should check it out.”

The situation reminds me of the Jordan Scarlett saga, from the class of 2015. Scarlett, of Ft. Lauderadale (Fla.) University School committed in December 2013 to FAU, where his former coach Roger Harriott had been hired.

I never bought it, writing “Jordan Scarlett committing to FAU brings good publicity to the school locally and in the state. I'd be shocked if he signed.”

Scarlett’s commitment lasted six months. He later committed to Miami, and then Florida, where he enrolled. While Scarlett has never admitted that he had no true intention to play at FAU, or that he did it just to give positive publicity to his former coach, it did draw good PR for the Owls.

It’s just hard to see Kansas plucking four-star prospects from Louisiana and holding on to them for eight months, especially when they’ll be visiting much better programs.

Quickly

Speedy Louisiana receiver Lawrence Keys has more than 40 college offers, but Texas Tech, Houston and Nebraska are standing out. Why? Relationships.

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DBs can't lock down Lawrence Keys III

SB Nation caught up with Lawrence Keys III, one of the fastest prospects in Louisiana. He has 40+ scholarship offers, but three schools stand out for the four-star recruit. More: http://ift.tt/2nojNMY

Posted by SB Nation College Football on Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Joshua Moore might be the smoothest receiver in the country. The IMG Academy prospect spoke with SB Nation, revealing his visit plans, and that the teams in his top ten that easily made the cut were, in no order, Ohio State, Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee, and Georgia. His twin brother, Jordan, is a Texas A&M commitment. Moore’s 3.96 short shuttle time at the Orlando Nike Opening Camp is the best of any receiver over 6’0 this year.

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Josh Moore might be the smoothest receiver recruit in 2018

Josh Moore makes playing receiver look so easy. Read about his top schools and future visit plans here: http://ift.tt/2mph0DZ

Posted by SB Nation College Football on Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Jacob Copeland, another top receiver from Pensacola (Fla.) has Clemson, Auburn and Florida on top. I love Copeland’s physicality, and while I feel he may be more physically maxed out at his age than some of his peers, his SPARQ score of 107 is very strong for a 6’0, 192-pound player.

Newsletter favorite Michael Ezeike, a former Nigerian soccer player, has picked up offers from UCLA, Colorado, Vanderbilt, Oregon, and Boston College since we profiled him. His offer list has nearly doubled. He followed up Thursday, saying that Tennessee, Nebraska, TCU and Cal are also are close. His updated measurements are 6’5.5 and 220 pounds.

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Soccer player turned football star is seeing his recruitment t...

Big Mike Ezeike played soccer growing up. But at 6'5 and 210 pounds with that soccer footwork, soft hands, and mean streak, he is beginning to attract the attention of a lot of college football teams. UCLA offered this week.

Posted by SB Nation College Football on Wednesday, March 15, 2017

QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson released a top seven consisting of UCLA, Michigan, Florida State, Cal, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Oregon, in no order. He has already guaranteed that UCLA and Michigan will make his final five.

I think I got played by Colson Yankoff, the Idaho QB who committed to Washington Wednesday. Not once in our open-ended conversation Sunday did he mention Washington, a school who had not yet offered. He raved about Cal, and talked about wanting to visit TCU and Nebraska.

The Badgers picked up Jack Sanborne, a four-star linebacker out of Illinois. I have not yet seen him play, but will be in Chicago in a few weeks.

QB Cammon Cooper of Lehi (Utah) recently picked up an Ole Miss offer. I asked him which schools are standing out the most.

“It could change because a lot of schools are talking to me now, but based on relationships with coaches probably Washington state Boise Tennessee maybe ASU,” Cooper said. “Ole miss is just really new and I haven't made a relationship with their staff yet, which I look forward to doing.”