17 to 01: Spectre of the Gun

I missed a lot on the first editing pass on this so I'll have to set it up and redo it.

This one starts slow, but we really warm up to it. Full warning, we do talk frankly about sex and sexism in this one.

I try to avoid rewriting the episodes, but this one really demands it. Mostly because it has so much potential that isn't realized. We call back to a lot of episodes to try to understand this one, without much success.

Follow-up: Tombstone came out in December of 1993, Wyatt Earp came out in June of 1994.

17 to 01 is available on iTunes. It updates Friday nights at 8:30 PM ET / 7:30 CT. We're also amazingly on Stitcher.

Political Mosh Pit

March 8^th, 2016. Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields approaches Trump, surrounded with Secret Service agents,  as he’s leaving a rally in Jupiter, Florida. Trump declines to acknowledge her and after a few moments his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, pulls Fields back and away from Trump.

The altercation was media fodder for a few days as the Trump campaign at first alleged Lewandowski wasn’t even there, and then that he’d never touched Fields, and then that the reporter had initiated a physical altercation by grabbing Trump. Meanwhile, Fields, with bruises on her arm, filed charges for misdemeanor assault.

TRO: 3087 - Hauberk

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087.

Hauberk HBK-6SX
Overview
The Jade Falcon Incursion of 3068 had no sooner stopped than the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces High Command began designing new Battlemechs to take back worlds and halt future advances. A redesigned “liberty ‘Mech” based on the Hunchback was drafted and pushed forward with revamps for other 'Mechs.
The first few Hauberks were designed around putting gauss rifles on the field with as little incidental cost as possible. Subsequent cost-benefit-analyses recommended an upgrade from a cheaper, commercial ‘Mech chassis to a standard battlemech frame.
Strangely, it was also the target of Word of Blake meddling. The crash program which created the first Hauberk only took a few months to create the first prototype. On contract with the LCAF for site security, the Dragoons intercepted a squad of Blakist cyborgs infiltrating the facility. The two that were taken alive were used by the Dragoons to implicate The Word before being handed over to Lyran security.
Once in Commonwealth hands, they self-destructed without giving any indication of The Word’s interest in the Hauberk.

Tharsis

Deadpool (2016)

It’s been over a month since I saw Deadpool. I thought I’d posted my thoughts on it, but…guess not. I saw a late night showing on a Sunday. I had hoped that it would reduce the number of kids present and I was very, very wrong.

Previews

So…I found the audience for suicide Squad. 

“Do bad. / Get killed.” So much to unpack in those lines.

ID4 #2. I’ve said everything I have to say on this.

Eye in the Sky Jessie Eisenberg in a drone movie. This honestly looks better than the Ethan Hawke one.

Another “protect the president” movie. Wasn’t Gerald Butler in one of these already? It would be cool if they would nuke London rather than let them have the president. Looks like it has slightly more legs than the rest, but it doesn’t. We know it doesn’t.

EDDIE the Eagle…happened.

Aaron Paul in a weird heist movie. Triple 9. I have no idea what’s happening in this thing.

Also, our local theaters have children telling people to turn their phones off and nothing makes me less likely to comply than being told what to do by a child. WTF local theaters? WTF?

Deadpool

That’s an opening credits sequence.

Dragon Age: Inquisition and the burdens of command

Easter Bunny: Kicking Ass

X-Com: Hollywoo: Something Wicked Six Way Comes

17 to 01: Elaan of Troyius

This is a really uneven episode that I like anyway. It's good that I can like uneven episodes because Season 3 has a lot of them. 

New idea for Season 3: Take a shot every time Derek says "agency" or I say "language of television."

Happy drinking!

I hadn't looked into it before this recording, but the materials in the shirts did change from a satin velour into a nylon material between seasons two and three. Also, the cat parasite I was referencing was toxoplasmosis.

17 to 01 is available on iTunes. It updates Friday nights at 8:30 PM ET / 7:30 CT. We're also amazingly on Stitcher.

TRO: 3087 - Quickdraw

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087.

Quickdraw QKD-O2M
Overview
Thomas Marik was a shoo-in for First Lord during the Fourth Whitting Conference, but his first challenge came before his election. Military, economic, and political exhaustion and disinterest among most member states was creating a pressure to disband the organization. To save the fruits of the unprecedented technological and political union, Marik negotiated massive scale-backs in Star League commitments, especially military commitments.
Instead of bolstering Star League Defense Forces, members could submit surplus OmniMech pods. The pods would function on omni-capable units already in the SLDF as well as on a new platform, the upgraded Quickdraw.
This new Quickdraw was created by the Free Worlds League and incorporated pre-existing technologies from other member states. Small snags delayed production and the first dozen had entered SLDF service just months before the end of Thomas Marik’s term as First Lord. One of Peter Steiner-Davion's first acts as First Lord was to promptly shelve the SLDF to stop internecine battles by members over its use.
The ‘Mech was popular within the FWLM and was retooled into the simpler, cheaper model in production today. It was briefly produced by the Mercenaries Alliance until the world of Savannah revolted and returned the FWL fold.

Conspiracy Theories

X-Com: Hollywoo V: Hollywoo Homicides

17 to 01 Bye Week: Sketch Instructions

Below is the first-draft specifications I delivered to the artists I hired for the art assets. It was very vague at first and I think my next go-round will include some sketches of what I want. Maybe if I can sketch it well enough, I won't need artists, but we'll see.

I need one image for this project. You may choose from any member of the crew, in the pose and with the prop listed. Reference images will be provided. Each image should be in a minimalist style; no shading, no facial expressions (except where noted otherwise). 

Characters can be identified by their shirt colors, hairstyles, skin tone, and rank braids on their sleeves, all of which should be provided in reference images for that character. Most characters will have a prop, which should also have an attached reference image, if necessary.

We’d like it if all images could be used for ad banners, social media icons, or other uses. This means transparent formats and appropriate resolutions/formats. Most of these images should be vertical, except for Chief Engineer Scott’s.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

TRO: 3087 - Enforcer

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087.

Enforcer ENF-7D
Overview

For over five years, The Capellan War threw the Federated Suns’ Capellan March into turmoil. Also known as The Duke’s War, it was started by Duke George Hasek’s unsanctioned launch of a de facto Capellan invasion in 3068. The Capellan reprisal was overwhelming and the next several years saw the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces target and destroy units loyal to the Duke.
The Armed Forces of the Federated Suns High Command held of intervention, seemingly content that a bitter enemy and a rogue noble were beating each other into submission. The collateral damage became politically damaging when the Enforcer plant on Talon was destroyed in a nuclear blast. Forces on New Avalon subsequently began seeking a peace settlement.
The AFFS, still struggling to keep line units at strength after the Civil War, hastily rebranded their new Enforcer model as the Enforcer IV and sent them to help rebuild local forces. It was hoped that the agile, fragile support ‘Mech would keep the Capellan March from engaging in provocative action against the Capellans for some time to come.

Quantum Leap: "Imagine"

Scott Bakula sings Imagine - Full Scene from Quantum Leap from GliGermany on Vimeo.

This was the first time I ever heard this song. I'm sure I'd heard it before, but y'know, really heard it.

Original air date September 28, 1990. The episode was set in November 25, 1969. This episode of Quantum Leap was closer to the events it depicted than it is to today.

X-Com: Hollywoo: The Bell Tolls Four Three

17 to 01: Bye Week

So our queue of Season 3 episodes is healthy, but just to make sure we've got a good buffer going, we're going to take a break. It'll be SOP to take a few weeks of breaks between seasons from now on, partially to build the buffer and partially to let us work on things from the supplemental.

I don't want to leave you empty-handed though. We've mentioned commissioning art a few times for ads and other things, so I thought I'd share. 

This is the commissioned piece for Captain Kirk. I wanted to do one for each crew member, but I'm glad I started with this one. 

It wasn't quite what I had envisioned, but what I learned during the commission will help with making everyone else. That is, if finances permit before the end of TOS.

TRO: 3087 - Dervish

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087.

This entry is number twenty-four out of forty-seven, making it the halfway point of TRO: 3087. Thanks for sticking with it.

DVO-10T Dervish
Overview
Of the four ‘Mechs and one JumpShip that originally comprised the Hellfire Pirate Band, only Chram “Hellfire” Tait’s Dervish survived the war to create the Federated Hellfire Territories.
In 3079, his model was upgraded to an omnimech, based on prototypes The Word had been providing to Tait’s ilk. Four years later, the Archenar plant on New Avalon was retooled to produce a similar model, touted as one of Tait’s most successful rebuilding efforts after taking the world.
 The new model is deployed almost exclusively in The Federated Hellfire Territories, which is rather protective of the design. Those models which are salvaged by the Davions are often targeted first by Federated Hellfire Territiories Common Army soldiers. Raids on Davion worlds gravitate towards those whose defenders are known to have models in their ranks.

Every Frame a Painting: Chuck Jones - The Evolution of an Artist

X-Com: Hollywoo: Life, the Universe, and Everything

17 to 01: Season 2 Supplemental

We talk a little bit about Bjo Trimble, the writing campaign to save Star Trek, and the Twilight Bark of nerds. 

I also establish that I'm really, really bad at analogies and I have nothing but contempt for documentary and William Shatner source of income, Chaos on the Bridge.

It's possible that in the Season 3 Supplemental we'll talk a bit about Season 2 given that we're doing nothing but talking Season 3 here.

17 to 01 is available on iTunes. It updates Friday nights at 8:30 PM ET / 7:30 CT. We're also amazingly on Stitcher.

TRO: 3087 - Kangaroo

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087.

MCT-3T Kangaroo
Overview
In the aftermath of The Federated Commonwealth civil war, Federated Suns military leaders looked to rebuild their forces with older, warehoused ‘Mechs. They were surprised to find most of those units missing, transferred to bases, worlds, or units that never requested or received them. While investigators centered on loyalist leaders, a crash program was started to create a cheap unit to fill the ranks.
It’s generally agreed that the resulting design, the Macheté, did occupy space. Its contributions to the battlefield ended there and it was discontinued shortly before the Taurian attack on New Syrtis destroyed the factories which made many of its parts.
When the Federated Hellfire Territories needed a new trooper ‘Mech, they turned to the failed design. An upgraded engine and a trade agreement with the Taurians made a new and improved version, now called Kangaroo, possible.

Ultimate Skyrim Mod

Chilidsh? Yes.