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pocono xfinity
I'm going to break this one down into starting spot groups and talk about a few guys on my cash game radar in each group:
1st-10th:
Noah Gragson (starting 1st) - As we saw in the Cup Series race, clean air is king. Gragson has been really strong of late leading laps, running fastest laps, etc. He finished 6th here last year although that was a bit of a fluke because he ran a lot of the race right around 10th (average running position of 11th). He took advantage of some late race mistakes and restarts -- which are typical in the Xfinity Series. That said, his current form is as good as anyone in the field, so I feel comfortable using him - especially at a track like Pocono.
Chase Briscoe (3rd) - He didn't have Top 5 speed last year, but they did a good job with pit strategy and he had enough to finish 3rd. I don't have much doubt he'll be a Top 5 car in this field and he has a good a chance as anyone to lead laps and win. This team usually makes good decisions and has good pit stops. That kind of execution is key everywhere, but even more critical at a track like Pocono.
Justin Allgaier (4th) - Had one of the Top 3 cars here last year along with Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick. Allgaier led 27 laps but finished 11th after spinning during a late race restart. His average running position on the day was 4th. It seemed like they made a really bad adjustment on the last pit stop and the car got way too loose near the end of the race. He is also very good - finishing 1st or 2nd the last two years - at Indianapolis, which is also a long, flat track reasonably comparable to Pocono. At the end of the day though, I don't fully trust this team to not screw up, so I prefer Gragson and Briscoe.
I see arguments for Chastain and Cindric, but I'm not able to put them over any of these other guys I've mentioned.
18th-25th:
Riley Herbst (24th) -- A Joe Gibbs car starting 24th for $7,700. Sign me up even though Herbst is driving. If he just takes care of the equipment, it should be a Top 12 ride, which easily exceeds our target 5x return.
Brandon Brown (22nd) -- Brown finished 13th here last year and has finished in the Top 14 in six of the seven races since the layoff. At $7,300, he looks like another good bet for a 5x return.
Joe Graf Jr (25th) -- Would like him starting further back, but he has thrown up Top 20 finishes in five of the seven races since the layoff. At $5,700, he's a solid salary saver option.
Jeremy Clements (21st) -- 17th, 15th and 16th in the last three races at Pocono. He was also Top 17 at Indy four of the last five years. Would need to run in the Top 12 or so to hit value here. And he's been a bit unreliable this year.
B.J. McLeod (23rd) -- BJ went on a run of Top 18 finishes when we first returned from the layoff, but he's now had four straight finishes outside the Top 20. The compressed schedule might be taking its toll on this JD Motorsports team which fields four cars that run full time in the Xfinity Series. That said, for $5,200, BJ doesn't have to do more then hold his starting spot and we're fine. It's about what you can pair with him since he has such a low salary.
Brett Moffitt (18th) -- The salary is a little up there at $8,200. Brett would have to bring home a Top 10 finish to hit the 5x mark at that price. It's doable, but 12th-15th is more likely.
30th and back:
Tommy Joe Martins (31st) -- Always has decent speed, although the car is not the most reliable. But, he's hit 34 or more DK points in four of the last five races and we don't have many great options starting in the back this week.
Timmy Hill (34th) -- In the #61, which is typically the best MBM car. If he doesn't run into issues, probably a 22nd-24th place car.
Baley Currey (35th) -- This is Mike Harmon equipment, so you never know how reliable it will be. But whenever Currey is in the car, we've seen it try to run the full race. Starting 35th, he can really only go up because we know Stephen Leicht and Jeff Green will park early and likely finish last.
pocono cup (saturday)
A couple of Pocono specific points to keep in mind:
There's only 130 laps, so many fewer laps led and fastest laps points are out there. More focus is on raw finishing position and position difference.
It's very difficult to pass (especially for the lead) on track. Restarts can fan out and get a bit crazy, but the races here tend to have long, single file green flag runs with little on track passing.
Multiple pit strategies are available because you can sometimes pit under green and not lose a lap. Some teams play for stage points and pit during the stage breaks. Others are focused on the win and final result and will pit before the stage break if they won't lose a lap doing so. All the strategy games tend to jumble the field somewhat and prevent anyone from leading a ton of laps.
There's a lot to like in the salary range from about $9k-$10k. Picking the right guys from that level is probably going to determine how you do on Saturday. And there's a lot of good arguments in favor of almost everyone in that range. Let's look deeper at a couple of them:
If you want to focus on track history, your top choices are Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.
Busch has won three of the last five Pocono races, including the first race last year. In the last six Pocono races, Kyle has led at least 50 laps and run at least 29 fastest laps five times. Over those six races, he's averaged 76 DK points and his lowest DK score was 54.75. At his $9,300 salary, he doesn't even have to hit his lowest score in that time frame to hit the 5x return. (Note: Since it's a double header weekend, this race is a bit shorter than the normal Pocono race, so there won't be quite as many laps led or fastest laps points awarded as in previous races.) Obviously, we're getting Kyle at $9,300 only because his current form is not what we'd normally expect from Kyle Busch. But I'm going to have a really hard time fading Kyle at well under $10k at a track like Pocono where he has had an awful lot of success.
Harvick doesn't have any Pocono wins, but he has consistently run and finished up front there over the last four seasons. In the last seven Pocono races, Harvick has finished in the Top 6 six times -- two 2nd place finishes, three 4th place finishes and one 6th place finish. Over that span, he's scored at least 51.5 DK points in six of the seven races. He starts 9th and should move up a few spots and give you a really solid day with a potential to lead laps and run some fastest laps. We don't normally see Harvick at $10,100.
If you want to focus more on current performance, your top choices are Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin.
For Blaney, let's take out the Talladega win last week since that's a super speedway. Even without that win, he's still finished in the Top 4 in five of the last six races. It's no stretch to say that he's had the best speed of anyone since we've returned from the layoff. Starting 2nd, he certainly has the opportunity to lead laps and run fastest laps. Blaney has been OK at Pocono with the Penske team. He won this race in 2017 with the Wood Brothers. In the last two seasons, he's finished 6th, 12th, 12th and 10th at Pocono.
For Hamlin, he's been just as good since the layoff. If we take out Talladega and the Coca Cola 600 where he lost several laps when the ballast weight fell off his car during the pace laps, Denny has finished in the Top 5 in five of the remaining seven races. And he has two wins in that span. He's also had periods of success at Pocono, including winning the second race here last year. The Gibbs cars were really good here last year and I'd expect one or more of them to lead the race at some point on Saturday.
The last guy I want to focus on in this price range is Clint Bowyer. Clint finished 5th and 11th here last year. He's finished 11th or better in four of the last five races here and offers a solid floor with some position difference upside from his 18th starting spot. He's a bit pricey at $9,500, but there's a lot to like if you can fit in the salary.
I could also see using Truex here, but I just don't have a good read on his team right now. Whenever I like him, he has an off race and vice versa. The Gibbs cars were great here last year and Truex finished 3rd in the second race last year. He's also got three Top 3 finishes in the last five races here. I wouldn't try to talk you out of it if you like him, but I don't have a good enough feel to endorse it right now.
As with previous weeks, there seem to be a couple of badly under priced drivers.
Eric Jones should not be anywhere near $7,100. This is an elite Joe Gibbs team and this is one of Eric's best tracks. In the last six races here, Eric has four Top 5 finishes -- including 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the two races last year. Starting 19th, he comes with a pretty safe floor and 10+ position difference upside.
Ryan Preece is too cheap at $5,800. He's been pretty consistently finishing around 20th-24th this season and that would be an excellent result from his 30th starting spot at that price.
Michael McDowell is also probably too cheap at $5,500. But his starting spot did creep up to 26th this week, so he doesn't have all that far to go with position difference as you can't expect anything better than a 20th place finish. He does have a solid track record at Pocono.
The last two guys I want to touch on are Christopher Bell (36th) and Ty Dillon (34th). They are both starting way back in the field and offer really high floors with position difference upside. But they also got priced up to where they are not lock plays and may very well be too expensive. Bell in particular would have to really hit his ceiling of a Top 15 finish to pay off his slate high $11,100 salary. For Ty, this hasn't been a great track and he finished 27th and 29th in the two races here last year. If he could get to 25th, that gives you 28 DK points, which really isn't enough to pay off the inflated $7,200 salary.
I don't have much here right now:
Blaney +300 Top 3 finish
Blaney +1050 to win
Logano +1300 to win
pocono trucks
Only 60 laps this week in the Truck Series race, so there's only a total of about 40 points for fastest laps and laps led. As a result, we're focused more on raw finishing position and positive position difference since those points will make up most of the scoring.
Ross Chastain dominated this race last year. Not only did he win, he led 54 of the 60 laps and ran 21 fastest laps -- by far the most in the field. Ross started on the front row, took the lead immediately and ran a lot of this race out front. In addition, two of the Top 5 starters wrecked in the very first turn and the pole sitter (Austin Hill) went to the garage on Lap 21. So there's some question whether Ross would have dominated to that degree if he started further back or if the field stayed at full strength. In any event, Ross was a clear target heading into the week. Now that he's starting 16th, there's really no good argument to fade him in a cash game setting. This should be a Top 5 truck and that alone would be plenty of value to pay off at a track like Pocono even if he doesn't lead laps or run many fastest laps.
Parker Kingerman starting 40th is another obvious target. This is a part time team so there are some reliability concerns, but those are far outweighed by the Top 20 upside here. I would expect ownership near 100% in cash games.
The group of Brandon Jones (10th), Matt Crafton (16th) and Stewart Friesen (20th) are all strong plays as well.
The KBM trucks were real strong here last year (finished 3rd, 4th and 7th) and I'd expect Jones to have a really fast truck. The no practice scenario worries me a bit with him since it's his first truck race this season. Also, he's been dreadful at Pocono the last few years in the Xfinity Series -- finishing 38th, 24th and 36th the least three races here.
Friesen is hard to evaluate. He started 3rd here last year but got loose and spun in the very first turn ending his race and giving him a dead last finish. He finished 4th and 12th the two prior years. They also switched manufacturers coming into this season and, overall, they're not showing the same speed and competitiveness as last season. This doesn't strike me as a Top 5 kind of truck, but something around 10th is doable.
Crafton was quite vocal last year that the team as a whole didn't have a real good handle on Pocono. That said, he's finished 6th, 9th and 6th in the last three races here. Not at all likely to lead or run many fastest laps, but as safe a bet as there is for a Top 10.
I really like the group from $6,300 - $7,500. Going from the top down:
Brennan Poole (29th) -- Got into a wreck at Charlotte but has been a 15th-20th place truck otherwise. He's even got some upside beyond that as he had five Top 10 finishes last season.
Parker Klingerman (40th) -- Already covered above. Lock.
Ty Majeski (19th) -- He's been running well this season and is part of the Niece Motorsports team which had the dominating win last year with Ross Chastain. In fact, Ty's crew chief is Phil Gould, who was Ross Chastain's crew chief in this race last year. It all sets up nicely for a Top 15 finish. The only hesitation is a lack of experience at Pocono. He has run a couple of ARCA races here -- including a win over Riley Herbst last year, but has no Truck or Xfinity experience here.
Jordan Anderson (32nd) -- This team has struggled with failures and bad luck (i.e., flat tires, etc.) almost every week so far this season. But Jordan has a lot of experience and has been remarkably consistent at Pocono the last five seasons -- finishing 18th, 14th, 17th, 16th and 13th in those five races. Starting 32nd is by far his worst starting spot of the season so it helps give us a floor if the luck doesn't actually turn around this week. There's definitely risk here, but no one else in the sub-$7k range offers more positive position difference upside.
Robby Lyons (33rd) -- The #97 is typically Jesse Little's truck, but Robby Lyons is there this weekend. Robby is solid and the #97 truck is normally solid as well. Probably prefer Anderson for the experience here. Robby has limited Trucks Series experience and I don't believe he's ever run at Pocono in Trucks or Xfinity.
Tanner Gray (15th) -- We've talked about Gray almost every race now. This is a Top 10-12 truck so is really cheap at $6,300. All he really needs to do is not go backwards from his 15th starting spot and you're fine. There is added risk, of course, starting further forward.
As far as punt plays, I'm looking at Spencer Boyd. He should be able to move up 5 or so spots from his 31st starting spot and that's all you'd need for his $5k salary. I don't love this play and don't think you have to use him. It really depends on how you want to build the rest of your lineup. He fits more of a stars and scrubs approach whereas he wouldn't make sense in a more balanced approach.
Chastain -105 Moffitt
Chastain +600 to win
Sunday Morning Update:
Here are the bets I'm playing for today's race:
Newman +115 Reddick
Buescher +115 Reddick
Ty Dillon Ev J.H. Nemechek
Blaney +115 Keselowski
Bubba Wallace +110 Kenseth
Kurt Busch +400 Group B -- (Blaney, Harvick, Truex, Bowman and Kurt)
Eric Jones +3300 to win
I'll have a short article covering both the Xfinity and Cup Series up real late Friday night. Draft Kings didn't take advantage of the opportunity to price up guys starting in the back, so lineups mostly make themselves this week for cash games and 50/50s.
For the benefit of newer players, let's talk briefly about lineup building for these unique super speedway races. Unlike a normal week, every one of these races has at least one big wreck that takes out 5+ cars and damages others. We often see multiple wrecks like this over the course of the race. So we're only looking to survive those incidents and end up with as many cars as possible on the lead lap. Also unlike a normal week, we don't often see a dominator in these races. Fastest laps are always widely dispersed among the whole field and rarely does one driver lead a bulk of the laps like we might see in a normal week.
All this dramatically changes our targets for this week. It's really hard to predict who will wreck since so much of it is being in the wrong (or right) place at the wrong (or right) time. Since dominators aren't really a thing and the wrecks are so random, we don't want to have guys starting at the front of the field because they really don't offer the normal upside and they will be a huge negative position difference hit if they get caught in a wreck. Having one guy starting in the Top 10 who wrecks can quite literally kill your whole lineup because you'll be looking at -20 points from that roster spot. To avoid any chance of that, we want cars starting further back where there is tremendous upside if they finish on the lead lap and limited downside if they get unlucky and wreck out.
Just to put some numbers behind this, in last year's Xfinity race, 37 cars started the race but only 25 were running at the end of the race and only 22 of those were on the lead lap. 3 cars that started inside the Top 10 did not finish the race and 5 of the Top 15 starters did not finish. If you had any of those cars that started near the front but didn't finish, you weren't winning anything in Fantasy NASCAR.
With that background, I see no reason to use anyone starting better than 30th. Don't worry about leaving a lot of salary on the table. Let's run down the roster of those options:
30th - Chad Finchum - He's run six of these races, which helps. The equipment is not the best though and he's finished 28th or worst in four of the six races.
31st - Myatt Snider - Will probably be 75%+ owned in cash games. Decent driver, pretty respectable car, been popular already this year.
32nd - Tommy Joe Martins - He's fine, but this car has had mechanical gremlins throughout the year. Only one super speedway start.
33rd - Timmy Hill - Lots of super speedway experience. In the best of the MBM equipment, which still isn't saying much. Finished 3rd at Daytona (the other super speedway) earlier this season. I think he'll be at or near the 75% ownership mark as well.
34th - A.J. Allmendinger - Play him. No analysis needed unless you want to be cute in a large, mega multi-entry tournament.
35th - Mason Massey - He's fine. Decent team, decent driver. But this is his first super speedway start.
36th - Jeff Green - Veteran driver with tons of super speedway experience. He is priced really low because he is normally a start and park. But he doesn't park at super speedways and he's finished 13th or better in three of the last four super speedway races. Should be 75%+ ownership.
37th - Matt Mills - Same team and much the same story as Mason Massey (35th). The only difference is that Mills has a couple super speedway starts, including a 17th place finish at the last Talladega race.
38th - John Jackson - I don't have 100% confidence this car will finish the race. Many better options.
39th - Colin Garrett - He's had some good results lately after a mechanical issue in his first race of the season. This is his first super speedway race. Nothing but upside. I think he'll be highly owned because of the starting spot and his recent results.
There are some real good and obvious plays in this pool and plenty to work with. But, if you want to creep a little bit out of the Top 30 to round out the roster, I'd look at Vinnie Miller. He's finished in the Top 20 in six of the last seven super speedway races. He's on the same team as Mason Massey and Matt Mills. Again, a lot of this is luck, but these guys will also probably use the strategy of riding around together at the back of the pack to avoid any wrecks early in the race. They'll only move forward after others wreck out and the race is coming to an end. That's the kind of approach we want this week.
Don't have a whole lot more to say here. Once again, I don't see any reason to use anyone starting better than 30th. There are plenty of adequate plays starting in the back. The lineup pretty much makes itself and I don't even feel comfortable naming any specific guys.
homestead cup
Article for Sunday Xfinity race is below this, so scroll down. Straight to the point here focusing on cash game and 50/50 targets:
Top Tier ($10K and up)
A good case can be made for any of the guys from Kyle Busch on up. Here are my Top 3 considering overall risk and upside:
Truex - I really like this team right now. Always strong on a long run, we tend to see those at Homestead. Probably had the best car here last year but had a pit road melt down. Finished 1st or 2nd here the last three seasons with 76, 65.5 and 99.25 DK points.
Harvick - Been really, really good at the 1.5 mile tracks all season long. Splitting hairs to make a choice between him and Truex. Both are great plays.
Kyle Busch - $10,100 for Kyle. Just have to love that potential value. He's been really strong at Homestead over the years.
Mid Tier
Three favorites in this group:
Tyler Reddick - An absolute beast here in the Xfinity Series the last few seasons. Was by far the best in that Series running the wall. Some risk running up there but also a lot of speed. Top 12 potential with some fastest laps. Hits value at 16th or better.
Ryan Blaney - He's been really fast at the 1.5 mile tracks all year. In the three races at those tracks since the layoff, he's scored 68, 63 and 54 DK points. Definitely looking for a Top 10 with some fastest laps.
Kurt Busch - Been real fast and consistently inside the Top 10 all year. In the last eight races, he's finished in the Top 8 seven times. Will throw in a handful of fastest laps and get to about 45 points.
Christopher Bell - I think he's too expensive. He was never great here in Xfinity and never seemed really comfortable running the wall. I can envision him finishing this race somewhere in the 18th-20 range. But he'd really need to max out that projection to hit a 5x value on his salary. Might end up using him, but am not thrilled about it.
Salary Savers ($6,500 and under)
Rough ranking of this group combining expected DK points and salary:
Cole Custer - Pretty much a lock in any cash game setting. Only $6k with an incredibly high floor and +20 position difference upside. Ran pretty well here in Xfinity and I fully expect a Top 20.
Aric Almirola - Has run into a few issues lately but this is too cheap for what should be a Top 15 car. Hits 5x value at 17th or better.
Eric Jones - Also too cheap but a little added risk starting 15th. Would not dispute someone liking Jones over Almirola.
Ryan Preece and Michael McDowell - Pretty much the same guy. I'd lean Preece slightly since he's starting 33rd compared to 30th for McDowell. But if you need the extra $500 in savings down to McDowell I wouldn't hesitate in doing that.
Not seeing much of value here. Will check back in the morning.
homestead xfinity 2
Straight to the point. Here's your cash game, 50/50 playbook:
Salary Savers ($6k and under)
Only three guys are even remotely playable in cash games here. In this order:
B.J. McLeod - insanely low price continues and now starts 26th
Vinnie Miller - contact ended day early on Saturday; should be a Top 30 car
Chad Finchum - could move up a few spots, but having lots of issues lately
Kody Vanderwal - might be tempting starting 37th, but I'm not using him -- slow, unreliable and going to a back up car that probably isn't very good at all
Mid-Tier ($6k-$9k)
Again, not much here. Many will be going backwards from their starting spot.
Ryan Sieg - not sure what happened to him late on Saturday; love the 28th starting spot for cash games
Anthony Alfredo - might be the only guy in this tier who has a chance of scoring a + position difference
Top Tier ($9k+)
Rough ranking here considering overall risk, dominator and position difference potential:
Chase Briscoe - fastest car on Saturday with 39 fastest laps (compared to 27 for Gragson and 17 for Cindric); expect Top 5 finish with laps led and fastest laps
A.J. Allmendinger - starts 38th and has +30 position difference upside; ran relatively well at this track throughout his Cup Series career - do not expect laps led or more than 5 or so fastest laps; maybe too expensive to make it all work together?
Justin Allgaier - starts 32 and has +25 position difference upside; not the greatest here or at 1.5 mile tracks in general -- ranked over Gragson and Cindric only because of the risks those two guys carry with them
Noah Gragson - really ran well along the wall on Saturday; worried at some point he slams it too hard and damages the car or cuts a tire; can he come close repeating the laps led if Briscoe is now up there with him?
Austin Cindric - he's led at least 24 laps and run at least 17 fastest laps in every race at a 1.5 mile track this season; car seems to start off the race really fast but then tail off as the race goes on; if they're not making good adjustments throughout the race, it will hurt him in race two if others are continuing to improve their cars
Harrison Burton - I'd be surprised if he leads laps or gets many fastest laps, but should run in the Top 8 with +10 position difference upside and is cheaper then the rest of this group
Annett -115 Herbst
Clements -115 Snyder
Briscoe +175 to win ??? -- I think Briscoe wins, but want better then +175
Read my Homestead Trucks post below to get a little more background about the weekend. A key factor in the Xfinity race is this is the first time this is a Summer day time race. In past seasons, this was the last race of the season in November and typically finished late in the day under the lights. In a Summer day time race, the track is probably going to have a lot less grip and be very slick. There is a lot of inexperience in this field, so I'm inclined to stick to as many veteran guys as I can since they'll be best suited to deal with tricky conditions without any practice.
At the high end of the salary range, I really like Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric. It's realistic to project them both for Top 5 finishes with laps led and fastest laps.
Briscoe has been really good all season long. He holds his own on the track and his crew does a great job getting him a few positions on pit road. Once he gets out front, he usually stays there for a while. He is also one of the guys who likes to run a higher line near the wall which is the fastest way around this track.
Cindric -- as I noted before last week's Atlanta race -- has been the most productive driver on the 1.5 mile tracks this season. At Las Vegas, he finished 2nd, led 39 laps and ran 22 fastest laps for 67 DK points. At Charlotte, he finished 3rd, led 30 laps and ran 18 fastest laps for 61 DK points. At Atlanta, he had the best car most of the day, but lost some spots and pit road and then got a speeding penalty on pit road late in the race. On the day, he finished 16th, but had already racked up 68 laps led and 41 fastest laps for 41 DK points. If he would have closed it out with a Top 5 finish, you're looking at almost 80 DK points.
Dale Jr - He's in the #8 car which is normally Daniel Hemric's ride. This is a really fast car with Hemric finishing 2nd at Charlotte and 4th at Atlanta. With slick track conditions, no practice and Dale's long layoff, I do think he'll take it easy for the first half of the race. He has race winning upside for sure, but I'm not confident he can get the laps led or fastest laps he would need to pay off the most expensive salary on the slate.
Justin Allgaier - He's fine and has some upside starting 11th, but he's another guy that I don't see getting a lot of fastest laps or laps led. He's best at the shorter tracks and just doesn't have a very good dominator history at the 1.5 mile tracks. Could be a Top 5 car, so will score points and get some + position difference but I don't know if it will be enough.
Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson - Either one could lead early, but I don't think either one is finishing this race 1st or 2nd. And having Ross Chastain starting behind them in 3rd really worries me. We've seen Ross be very (overly?) aggressive trying to pass and get out front. It wouldn't surprise me if aggressive racing from Ross sends one or both of these guys down out of the Top 5 very early in the race. That would all but end their chances of getting us a good return on their salaries.
In the middle of the pack, I like Anthony Alfredo, Joe Graf Jr and Justin Haley.
Alfredo is in the #21 again this week which has consistently been at least a Top 15 -- if not Top 10 -- car. In his three races in the #21 this year, Alfredo finished 6th at Auto Club, 14th at Darlington and 10th last week at Atlanta. That's the range I'd expect him in this week too and a finish of 12th or better gets him over the 5x return we're looking for.
Graf seems to be improving and the #08 car is pretty reliable in the scheme of things. We'd be looking for a Top 20 finish and Graf has already done that twice at the 1.5 mile tracks this season -- 20th at Las Vegas and 19th at Charlotte.
I'm not sure why Justin Haley is $6,700. He already has three Top 5 finishes this season, including a season best 3rd place finish at Atlanta last week. I view his as a Top 8 car at the 1.5 mile tracks. At this salary, he only needs to hold his 10th starting spot to hit a 5x return.
Extreme salary save options are Colin Garrett, Colby Howard and B.J. McLeod
Garrett ran here last year and finished 21st. It's a very small team that runs a limited schedule. But when they do run they go all out and try to finish and finish well. Starting 37th, there's nowhere to go but up. Repeating a 21st place finish would be ideal, but even a more realistic 25th place finish gives us a 5x return.
Howard in the #15 car has run into more issues then we're used to with this reasonably solid J.D. Motorsports team. But they've performed in the last two weeks with a 19th place finish at Bristol and a lead lap 15th place finish at Atlanta last week. His average running position in the Atlanta race was 20th, which is very encouraging heading into another comparable track this week. I think a 20th-25th place finish is a reasonable expectation here.
McLeod has been a fringe Top 20 car since returning from the layoff. At $5,200, he does about all we need by not going backward from his 22nd starting spot. Does carry some downside starting up in 22nd, but the salary also allows you more flexibility elsewhere. I don't know if you have to go this low on the salary scale this week in cash games, but it's an option you have.
homestead trucks
I'm really looking forward to four races this weekend -- especially at a track like Homestead where we have multiple grooves and have seen some pretty good racing action. But I think we've also got to be prepared for rain delays, postponements or scheduling changes. That's a near certainty with anything scheduled for a Summer afternoon in South Florida. Fortunately, the track has lights.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the conditions this weekend will be much different then we normally have in Homestead. In the past, the Homestead weekend was the last weekend of the season. It was in November, it was cooler and the races would tend to finish in the dark under the lights. This weekend, everything except this Trucks Series race is an afternoon race that should be run in mostly sunshine or at least daylight conditions.
For the Trucks race, I see this one shaping up the same way as Atlanta. You can scroll down to read that analysis for more background. I'm likely to take two of the Big Three and then fill in with the many cheap plays available starting farther back in the field. There are a number of pretty bad pricing errors that make this strategy easy to implement this week. I am concerned about mass duplicate or overlapping lineups in cash games. I never like when we see lots of duplicates or ties or where many teams have four or five drivers in common since it turns those contests into a 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 driver match up which can be very random.
The Big Three are obviously Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain. I said last week even before Austin Hill won that the #16 team has an elite 1.5 mile track program. But Kyle and Chase are still faster then the #16 team and should prevail if they are mistake free. For example, in Atlanta, Kyle ran 39 fastest laps, Chase ran 22 fastest laps and Austin Hill had only 10. I would expect Kyle and Chase to eat up about 75% of the fastest laps and laps led points and it would be really hard to overcome that advantage if you're not using at least one -- and probably both -- of them.
Last week, I decided to use Ross Chastain with Kyle Busch because I didn't feel comfortable with the rest of my lineup if I used an additional $1700 to get up to Chase Elliott instead of Ross. In addition, Ross was starting 27th last week, so I was projecting him for a minimum of +20 position difference. We've got a little different story this week because we have a lot of viable cheap plays and Ross is starting much further forward in the 15th position. Realistically, this caps his position difference upside at about +10. And I don't think we see Ross leading laps again this week. That was great for my lineup in Atlanta but not something I projected or expected.
Who are the options to go with your two studs:
Tate Fogleman $4,700 - This is just way too cheap. He went a few laps down early at Atlanta due to a mechanical issue. The team got it worked out and he just turned laps the rest of the night and finished 32nd. Prior to that, though, he had finished 19th at Las Vegas and 17th at Charlotte. This should be something in the neighborhood of a 20th-22nd place truck. Starting 29th, that gives him a nice upside of +9 position difference and about 30 points overall. A great 6+x return on his mispriced salary. He did have the issue last week but this team is still pretty reliable in the context of the Trucks Series. He only lost a few laps so it was likely something very minor that would have been quickly discovered in practice. I see no reason to think the issue will carry over to this week.
Spencer Boyd $4,800 - Fogleman's teammate is also too cheap. Boyd tends to finish in the mid-20s. I wouldn't give him more than +5 position difference upside, but even a conservative 25th place finish gives you 22 points and an almost 5x return. Boyd has more experience overall than Fogleman, but he hasn't raced a truck at Homestead since 2016.
Angela Ruch $4,900 - I hate to admit that she's in play. She can be erratic, but has finished 23rd, 24th and 29th in the three 1.5 mile track races this season. Probably not as reliable as Fogleman/Boyd but starts behind them in 30th. I don't feel as good about the Reaume trucks as I did last season.
Jennifer Jo Cobb $5,200 - It's fair to project Cobb finishing just inside the Top 30 here. She is a veteran driver and team owner. Her trucks tend to run slow but complete the race, so there could be a bit more upside if this becomes a wreck fest. Can really only go up from where she's starting in 34th. She finished 37th last week at Atlanta and missed the last 20 laps or so. I haven't been able to find a full explanation for why she parked early, although I saw one note saying she was "too slow" so maybe she ran out of tires and fell below the minimum speed. She finished 26th at Charlotte a few weeks ago and that's closer to a typical race for her.
Tanner Gray $5,500 - This is another guy who is badly under priced. The #15 team is a high quality team and it's a Top 15 or so type truck. In three races at 1.5 mile tracks this season, Tanner has finished 8th, 20th and 11th. The 8th and 11th place finishes were a bit lucky since he ran most of the race a few spots behind that and got some breaks at the end of the race. But, even if you more conservatively project him to finish around 15th, that would give you 34 points and a 6+x return on the salary. Homestead was one of three races Gray ran last year for the same DGR-Crosley team and he finished 16th. Will be very heavily owned.
Ty Majeski $6,400 - Another salary I don't get. Ty has finished 13th, 8th and 20th in the three races as 1.5 mile tracks this season. The 13th and 8th are legitimate finishes as his average running position throughout those races was right about where he finished. So there is clearly 10th place or so upside here. Even putting him 15th gives him 35 points and a 5+x return. This is a Niece Motorsports truck which is a top tier team and championship contender with Ross Chastain this season.
Brennan Poole, Austin Wayne Self and Jordan Anderson $6,700 - $7,000 - All of these guys have a decent shot at a Top 20 finish. Poole has the most upside and ran really well at the 1.5 mile tracks last year. He and Self both have two finishes inside the Top 20 in the three races at 1.5 mile tracks this season. Anderson has had some really bad luck this year. He did finish 20th at Las Vegas, but was 31st and 38th the last two races with major issues. I'd say Poole and Self are better for cash games with Anderson as a lower owned pivot off them in larger tournaments.
I have Kyle -117 to win the race from earlier in the week. May add more plays before Saturday.
Wednesday Afternoon Update
Placing two bets:
Harvick +185 Top 5
Tuesday Night Update -- Some additional notes in bold below
How awesome is it to have a Wednesday race under the lights at Martinsville? We're getting spoiled with all this racing action compressed into a short period of time. Now let's hope the rain gives us a break and we get in a good and complete race.
There are a few basic points to remember for this race:
We have 500 laps, so roughly 125 points for laps led and 250 points for fastest laps are out there. Position difference is still an important consideration, but we absolutely need several guys who are going to lead laps and run fastest laps.
They will not be using the same race package as last year, which is a really good thing. It was nearly impossible to pass the leader on track last year at Martinsville, so we had two races completely dominated by a single driver. In Spring, Brad Keselowski led 446 of 500 laps and scored 199 DK points -- nearly 100 points more than the next best driver (Chase Elliot with 100.25 points). In Fall, Martin Truex led 464 laps and scored 235 DK points -- over 150 points more than the next best driver (William Byron with 75.5 points). (I'm not sure how important it is, but both BK and Truex started the races they dominated in 3rd position.) I don't expect we'll see anything like that this year with the new race package at short tracks like Martinsville reverting to something close to what we saw in 2018 and prior. The take away here is that Keselowski and Truex both remain very good plays, but don't go completely crazy with them based on their domination in 2019 because the race is very likely to play out much differently this time around.
In the last few Martinsville races using a low down force package, we tended to see three or four dominators. A couple of them would score 100+ points and one or two more would be at about 80+ points and well ahead of the rest of the drivers. We'll want to build our rosters with that in mind knowing we are probably going to need to hit on at least two dominators to get into the money.
The pole position has not been a great spot for dominators lately. In the last eight races here, the pole sitter has never been the top dominator and he's only been in the dominator group in two of those eight races. However, those races had qualifying and practice, so we can't say it's a perfect comparison to this race where Ryan Blaney's team knew he would be on pole before the car even left the race shop. It's a factor to consider, but not a determining one in deciding whether to use him.
Finally, in the last eight races here, twenty drivers have finished in the dominator group in a race. Of those twenty drivers, fourteen of them started inside the Top 10. (Half of those started in positions 1-5 and the other half started in positions 6-10.) Another five dominators started from 10th-20th and only one started outside the Top 20. So, we're looking primarily inside the Top 10.
Here are the guys I see as most likely to score a bunch of dominator points:
Kyle Busch - He's simply awesome at this race track. In the last nine races here, Kyle has two wins and eight Top 5 finishes. Eight of nine races finishing in the Top 5! That's crazy. He was a little bit off last year without any laps led or many fastest laps. But, going back to 2018 and before in the comparable race package to what they are using this year, Kyle was a beast. From 2016-18, he finished 1st or 2nd in four of the six races. And he averaged 118 DK points in those races -- with scores of 59.25, 86, 86.5, 137, 164 and 180.5. His salary ($10,700) is about as low as we've seen for him and he will be really hard to leave out of the cash lineup this week. Starting 7th, he'll begin in the preferred lower line and has as good a chance as anyone to work his way up front really quick. Expect high ownership.
Martin Truex - He starts 5th right in front of Kyle. In the last ten races here, Martin has eight finishes inside the Top 8 -- including his dominating win last Fall and Top 5 finishes in the last three races using the low down force package like the one being used this week. Outside of his dominance last Fall, Martin doesn't have the same level of dominator performances as Kyle. But, he's been awfully strong and is reasonably priced at $10,300.
Ryan Blaney - He starts from the pole and will almost certainly lead early on because the lower line is a HUGE advantage on the start and restarts. He's finished in the Top 5 in three of the last four races here. In Spring 2018, using a similar low down force package, Blaney finished 3rd, led 145 laps, ran 30 fastest laps and scored 94.25 DK points. So we know he can score those dominator points that we need. At $8,400, I think he's way too cheap for the potential he offers. Expect high ownership.
Brad Keselowski - As noted above, Brad dominated this race last Spring. He was also very good in the low down force package similar to what is being used this weekend. From 2016-18, he finished in the Top 10 in all six races -- with a win and five Top 5 finishes. During that span, he scored 42.25, 66.75, 75, 82.5, 123 and 124.5 DK points -- for an average of 85 DK points. Brad also had a good car at the two short tracks we've been at so far in 2020. He probably had the best car in Phoenix -- leading 82 laps, running 30 fastest laps and scoring 72 DK points. He had a Top 5 car in Bristol and was able to steal a win when Chase Elliott wrecked Joey Logano. In that race, he led 115 laps, ran 32 fastest laps and scored 91 DK points. He's a real solid value at $9,500.
Joey Logano - Joey dominated the last race here using a comparable low down force package in 2018. He started 10th, won the race, led 309 laps and ran 51 fastest laps for a total of 157.75 DK points. In the low down force package this year, Joey didn't have the best car, but caught some breaks to win at Phoenix. He was also running up front at Bristol before contact from Chase Elliott ended his race. He's very reasonable priced at $9,900.
Kevin Harvick - Harvick has not led a single lap at Martinsville in the last seven races here. So what makes me include him in this list? First, he's had a really good car all year long and his team is doing a really good job unloading a fast car and taking advantage of this no practice scenario. Second, his pit crew has been awesome this year and he has the preferred number one pit stall for this race because he won on Sunday. Even with the low down force package, it won't be easy to pass for the lead on the track, so having an advantage on pit road will help you gain spots there. It will help even more at a track like Martinsville where we do tend to see a lot of cautions and, therefore, a lot of pit stops. If Kevin can get out front, he'll probably stay there for a while just like he's done all season long.
Denny Hamlin - I like Denny Hamlin as much as any of these other guys, but he's priced up at $11,900, so he's $2k+ more expensive then guys like Keselowski and Logano. He could absolutely lead a bunch of laps and he has position difference upside starting from 12th. But the price makes it really hard to use him and roster enough other quality potential dominators.
There are plenty of salary saver options to pair with potential dominators.
Ty Dillon - I like Ty's experience at the track. In the last four races here, he's finished 24th, 13th, 15th and 22nd. He was 15th at Phoenix earlier this year, which is the closest comp we have this year in the low down force package. He has struggled of late though, finishing outside the Top 25 in the last four races overall this year. He starts 30th and I can't imagine him going backwards from there unless he has some serious issues.
Cole Custer - Will be his first race at Martinsville since back in the Trucks because Xfinity does not race here. He did fine in the Trucks and should be fine here, but it makes me a little nervous with no practice.
Ryan Preece - Finished 16th and 19th at Martinsville last year. It's probably a bit much to ask for a repeat, but something around 20th is very realistic. He finished 18th earlier this season at Phoenix, which is the closest comp we have so far this year.
Chris Buescher -- I'm seeing his name come up a lot as a value target, but I like the guys around him here a bit more. Buescher is with a new team this year and I feel like they haven't quite clicked to where I have as much confidence using him as I did last year. In four of the last five races since the season resumed, Buescher has finished 22nd or 23rd (I'm ignoring his 32nd place finish at Darlington 1). And if you look at his average running position, it's pretty consistent with where he's finishing -- so it's not like he has a better car and is just catching bad breaks late in the race. His car is simply showing as about a 20th-24th place car right now. He's still in a real solid situation because they don't make a lot of mistakes and he's done well at Martinsville in the past. So, I don't dislike him by any means. I just don't know if he has any meaningful upside from his 24th starting spot.
Michael McDowell - Far too cheap for the value he carries compared to those around him on the salary scale. He should be able to move up a few positions from his 29th starting spot.
Eric Jones - For the car he drives, $6,500 is way too cheap. But starting 13th, I think that's too aggressive for cash games because he doesn't have any history of leading laps or running fast laps at Martinsville.
Bets -- I'm not seeing a whole lot I like on the betting front. Odds seem about right on to me. Will update if I see anything worth while.


This kind of my content on Ten Facts About Ikea Kitchen Island With Seating That Will Blow Your Mind | ikea kitchen island with seating. The very first image in this article is the best image many of us apply about ikea kitchen island with seating. Detail about pics above, you can view from the second section.
Discover a balance between the area you've and the seating you wish and want as you determine seating for ikea kitchen island with seating. Ikea is a good place filled with homeware solutions and also low-cost design ideas.
For many home owners, an important part of kitchen islands is seating. However determining how many seats you need and how many are realistic can be quite a frustrating exercise.
When you have never had a kitchen island, then you definitely do not really know what you have already been lacking. An ikea kitchen island with seating provides a great deal to your kitchen experience. Provides you additional storage area, a chopping board, preparation table and much more.
Sick and tired of heading back and forth to check out a recipe book? Hang it on the kitchen island, so you will always know exactly where it is at. The island could be a spot to sit down and also drink your espresso in the morning and also to hear your kids inform you about their daytime. There is also a numerous functions for a kitchen island and every one helps you to raise your kitchen experience.
If anyone is preparing food in the kitchen, it is normal for it to turn into a gathering place. The place smells tasty and also an essential person in family members is there. Kids and also other members of the family members can come in to chat, discuss their time, etc.
Without the right seating, it may be hard to focus on cooking food when people are in the way. This could cause annoyance and also frustration according to how annoying the habit gets. If this is typical in your existing kitchen area, think about putting strategic seating faraway from the primary cooking area where people may take a seat and also congregate.
It is particularly important for keep kids free from the work triangle area. While building your kitchen design plan, remember this and let people have a place outside of the main food preparation place like a kitchen island with seating.
Here is how to work through pros and cons to figure out seating for ikea kitchen island with seating.
Phase 1: Consider the way you use your kitchen area and its adjacent spaces.
Is your kitchen space separated from the rest of the house? Or maybe is it open to some other rooms, including a dining area? If the second option, then minimum seating for kitchen islands may offer sufficient spots for a few family members or even friends to participate you while you are cooking. If your kitchen area is obviously split from all other living areas, a lot more seating for kitchen islands could be essential.
Additionally, think of how your family eats and also moves through the kitchen area every day — and how that may change in many years to come. Do your children come and also go at different times of the day depending on routines and also homework? Or is your kitchen hang-out central, where everybody does home work, pays bills, and also unwinds through the day? In that case, then it may be vital that you have more seats at kitchen islands.
And keep design and style ideas through the specialists in your mind: The National Kitchen and Bath Association suggests making no less than 36 ins on every side of a kitchen island to support traffic. You will have to arrange for extra space if you'd like seating for your kitchen island.
Phase 2: Examine available layout options for kitchen island seating.
Kitchen island seating along 1 side. This kitchen island seating choice is ideal for much longer spaces.
Kitchen island seating on both sides. For islands that are broader, there can be space for a couple seats on parallel sides of a kitchen island.
Kitchen island seating at one or both short ends. An overhang may be a great spot to group several chairs, possibly on one or both short ends of an island.
Kitchen island seating at a corner. For really space-challenged kitchens, an overhanging island corner could be the sole place to incorporate a seating spot.
Kitchen island seating on 3 sides. For huge kitchens, a very large kitchen island may have space for seating on one end and the partial sections of 2 parallel sides.
Phase 3: Review the height options for kitchen island seating.
You will find 3 primary height options for kitchen island seating: table, counter, or bar height. The difference is not only a matter of personal choice; it is also a smart way to deal with space limitations. For instance, a narrow bar-height counter top could be a fantastic strategy to conceal kitchen messes and add plenty of width for eating without using a lot of overall kitchen space. Counter height islands are fantastic for seating for kitchen islands because they can be simply integrated in to common work surfaces, as well.
Phase 4: Think about the available seats choices for kitchen islands.
Counter-, chair-, or bar-height seating would be the 3 major options for kitchen islands. Additionally, seating for kitchen islands could be possibly stools or chairs. Barstools are perfect space-savers, specially in kitchens where space reaches a premium; they may be scooted below counter tops to preserve valuable pathway.
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This video pack is for the Historical European Martial Arts practitioner with some club swinging experience. But should you need a quick refresher, you'll find Club Swinging 101 Express video with the essential quidelines.
We picked relevant Indian club swinging exercises for HEMA sword fighting that will give you the most bang for your buck. Strength alone is nothing if you can't move well!
We do not use the traditional British military stance in our video tutorials! This rigid style is counter productive to the fighting applications of club swinging. You need to move fast in and out, and use your hips to generate full body power on every hit!
The exercises we picked target: agility, coordination, flow, mobility, spine/shoulder/ grip/ core stability and strength. Club exercises include both single handed , double handed and drills with 2 clubs.


So here's a story. It's not a new one but I stumbled on it again the other day and was reminded of a few things.
Radiohead are widely regarded as one of the most successful rock bands in the world both critically and in terms of popularity.
Coming into their most recent album InRainbows, they had completed their contract with the record company. Their contract had pre-dated iTunes so the band had received no royalties from iTunes downloads for their previous albums at all… It was time to do something different.
Rather than going down the old path of printing CDs and distributing them, they opted to release the album on their website. This isn't entirely unusual. What was truly different was that they let their users pay what they thought the album was worth. No limits – you could pay nothing if you wanted.
Why did this work so well for Radiohead?
In my mind, the lesson here is the importance of mutual trust online.
Radiohead had an extraordinary track record for delivering outstanding albums, so the fans were prepared to take a punt – without listening to the music – to pay for it. Equally, Radiohead trusted the fans to respect their music and so handed over the control for payment to the user.
One of the goals of good web strategy is to build that long term trust that was so important to Radiohead's success.
How are you building trust with your fan base and the online community?
Are you thinking about what your customer would like?
Are you prepared to hand over control to your user and empower them to make choices?
If you manage your web strategy with these principles in mind, then you'll be on the right track.
Managed web strategy Sydney, Brisbane – To find out more about our managed web strategy services, please call Bluewire Media on 1300 258 394.


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Tag: George Lucas
Into the OTHERWORLD : An Interview with RICHARD STANLEY by Kent Hill
March 25, 2018 by Kent Hill, posted in Interviews
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/richard-stanley.mp3
It's always a fascinating experience to sit down with Richard. The man is such a natural storyteller, with a unique perspective relating not only to cinema, but also to the world around him.
We caught up this time in the midst of bad weather, a troubled connection and, last but not least, a turbulent time in Richard's beloved Montsegur. While our conversation touched upon this, along with the whys and wherefores of the situation, we eventually turned to movies. At this time it had been documented that Richard was again a part of an attempt to bring Moreau back to the screen – as a TV series. Having been hired by the same people that fired him during the doomed journey of his initial attempt, there seems to be, thanks to David Gregory's documentary, a renewed interest in Richard's take on his long-suffering passion project.
I did also bring up The Otherworld, which I had finally seen at the time. Stanley's absorbing documentary-slash-ghost-story, and the myths and misconceptions surrounding it and 'The Zone' which forms the backdrop. Richard is steeped in the history of Montsegur and, flavored with his supernatural encounters, it is indeed a tale of great intrigue.
Also to we touched on, and I must say I highly anticipate, the writing of Richard's autobiography. A project that was going smoothly until it was insisted, and initially resisted by its author, that a chapter be included on the subject of the collapse of Richard's vision of Moreau. As thrilling a read as it will be – like I said Richard is a fascinating character – it will be equally riveting to finally have a recounting of the story from the embattled man at the center of the controversy.
Still, the future is full of possibilities, and I for one wait with inordinate eagerness for any and all of Richard's creative endeavors to finally emerge . . . in whatever form they shall take.
Tagged Al Pacino, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve, Dust Devil, francis coppola, Gareth Edwards, George Lucas, Guillermo del Toro, H.G. Wells, Hardware, Harrison Ford, Heart of Darkness, Heat, hellboy, Indiana Jones, Jared Leto, john milius, Joseph Conrad, Laurence Fishburne, Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Michael Mann, richard stanley, Ridley Scott, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Rogue One, Ron perlman, rutger hauer, Sean Young, Star Wars, Steven Spielberg, The Godfather, the island of dr. moreau, The Shape of Water, Val Kilmer1 Comment
"By the look of you, you haven't come to bob for apples." : Remembering Sword of the Valiant with Stephen Weeks by Kent Hill
February 14, 2018 by Kent Hill, posted in Interviews
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/s-weeks.mp3
"How the hell do I relieve myself in this tin suit?"
Sword of the Valiant might come across as just another Cannon curiosity, especially for the uninitiated. For the casual observer it may simply look like another film in which another director managed to con Connery into yet another pair of strange/fancy duds?
But while Boorman managed to get Sean to into his Zardoz get-up, which for my money is more so in the strange/fancy category than SOTV, the film in total is both an elegant and joyful rendition of the days of Arthurian legend from my guest in this interview, Stephen Weeks.
Yes before Connery got to be the king himself in First Knight, before Clive Owen and way before Charlie Hunnam – in days of old, when knights were bold, there was the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which as I discovered, is not the film I know it to be. Turns out I've no seen it in all its glory…
Working with Cannon was by no means a cakewalk, as Stephen shall tell you. And the subsequent release of the picture was grossly mishandled. Thus, the world has really not experienced this movie as the filmmaker's intended, and that was one of many intriguing tales proffered me by the eloquent Mr. Weeks.
This was not his first rodeo, having made a version of the film some years earlier, Stephen saw this as an opportunity to expanded his canvas. Unfortunately for him and what no one knew, or knew well enough, at the time, was the grimy underbelly of the behemoth at the top which sat Golan and Globus.
Despite these trappings, and now knowing what I know, I still love the movie and feel privileged to have been gifted an audience with its director, who not only informed and enlightened, but also entertained.
Stephen Weeks is an impressive filmmaker and now is an accomplished author (please see the link to his work below). As a fan of his work and SOTV in particular, I enjoyed and hope you too shall enjoy, this little trip back into the mists of time – to a fantasy world, and a fantastic film…
Tagged antoine fuqua, Charlie Hunnam, Christopher Lambert, Clive Owen, eric bana, first knight, Gareth Edwards, George Lucas, guy ritchie, Harrison Ford, Highlander, John Rhys-Davies, Jude Law, Keira Knightley, king arthur, leigh lawson, lord of the rings, miles o'keeffe, Peter Cushing, peter Jackson, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Richard Donner, Richard Gere, Rogue One, Ronald lacey, russell mulcahy, Sean Connery, Star Wars, stephen weeks, Steven Spielberg, Superman, trevor howardLeave a comment
Genre-Defining: An Interview with Shane Abbess by Kent Hill
February 1, 2018 by Kent Hill, posted in Interviews
Continue reading "Genre-Defining: An Interview with Shane Abbess by Kent Hill" →
Tagged Action Films, Attack of the Clones, Avatar, Billy Bob Thornton, chris hemsworth, Darth Vader, Ewan McGregor, Field of Dreams, gabriel, George Lucas, James Cameron, James Earl Jones, kellan ltuz, Kevin Costner, luke hemsworth, Movies, Natalie Portman, rachel griffiths, ray liotta, Science Fiction, shane abbess, Star Wars, temuera morrsion, the osiris child, Twilight, WestworldLeave a comment
The Day of Reckoning: An Interview with Andrew David Barker by Kent Hill
December 16, 2017 by Kent Hill, posted in Interviews
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/andrew-barkeri.mp3
Andrew David Barker was born in Derby, England in 1975. He grew up with a love of films and writing. I suppose this is a common thread among those of us who seek to express ourselves through these mediums. Hoping against hope that it will be either one or the other that strikes first – one or the other that shall propel us out of obscurity and into the stratosphere in which we are allowed to create for a living.
It was horror films (the Video Nasties), but also the bombastic, high concept and blockbuster works of the 80's that further fueled the young Barker to carry on his quest. Spielberg, Lucas and Scorsese, but also Romero and Raimi fed him with images and blasted on the big screen the seemingly endless possibilities which lay in wait, destined to be unearthed by the daring dreamer.
Like all those that had come before, young Barker cut his teeth making short films and writing books and short stories – at times with friends. Then the time came – the time which calls to the fledgling auteurs and beckons them into the fray – time to put all accumulated knowledge to the test, and make that first film.
Thus A Reckoning was born. But through no fault of his own, young Barker was forced to sit by and see his film languish in obscurity. So, he took up the pen, and began to tell his stories on the printed page. Soon, he produced two fine works (see pictured above) and interest from the film industry power brokers soon came knocking.
Andrew is an eclectic storyteller whose visions are at once personal and profound. To talk to him about his journey, his influences and aspirations was a thrill. He is definitely a talent to watch, and, I for one, will be watching with great anticipation as to where his journey will take him next.
Tagged Bruce Campbell, comic book, dawn of the dead, drew barrymore, E.T, Ed Harris, evil dead, George Lucas, George Romero, Harrison Ford, Harvey Keitel, henry thomas, knightriders, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Hamill, Martin Scorsese, Marvel, Movies, Raging Bull, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Sam Raimi, spiderman, Star Wars, Steven Spielberg, Taxi Driver, the departed, thx 1138, Tobey Maguire, Willem DafoeLeave a comment
It's time to see The Last Jedi . . . again: A Review by Kent Hill
December 13, 2017 December 14, 2017 by Kent Hill, posted in Film Review, Star Wars
I am stunned. I am still. I am at a loss for words. I have just come from seeing The Last Jedi, and really all can muster is . . . it is a miracle.
I am going to try and avoid spoilers but I may fail, so, if you haven't seen the movie stop reading now.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was young and Star Wars was new. I don't think I came out of that dark room in which I saw the first film, and the person that did – he certainly wasn't the same kid who walked in. A long time have I watched, looking away, to the future, to the horizon, watching, what we who were there from the beginning will come to remember as, the saga of the Skywalkers.
I had read other reviews, seen teasers and trailers. The clever thing is though . . . this movie doesn't go the way you think. Throw all the theories out of the window, forget all you know – or think you know. Breathe, just breathe. Now, sit back and watch The Last Jedi.
We begin in a fury, in the heat of battle. Good versus evil, a staple of the Star Wars movies. Then it goes wrong and the good guys will lose. Because, as you'll discover, this time round, it isn't about winning and losing. It's about existing. It's a beautiful sentiment at the heart of this picture. Saving, indeed savoring, the things we love the most.
After all, what have we all been doing since 1977. Savoring this thing we love right? Mr. Johnson captured that so well. In fact, when it was all over, Bill Pullman's line from Independence Day popped into my head, "He did it – the sonofabitch did it."
Abrams had the easy assignment if you think about it. He had to wake the force up. That's not hard when you've got legions of fans awaiting to listen. The hard task is the difficult second album – trying like hell to be the one that strikes back. And, for my money, for this trilogy, for this time round – this is the new Empire Strikes Back. It can't be the original – nothing will top that, but TLJ stands shoulder to shoulder with it.
I think I have remarked a number of times to friends and family about what I thought the first words might have been out of Luke's mouth back where Mr. Abrams left us in 2015. What he does retort with is better than a line or a speech, and it's one of many moments of levity that the movie needed. I heard the voice of Irvin Kershner in my mind, talking about injecting humor into Empire. He was right then, as Mr. Johnson was right now. It is all about balance – the dark rises and the light to meet it.
Two reviews I read prior to going in brought up two interesting points. One which I thought was kinda confirmed, whilst the other was dispelled. The first was that TLJ was almost like Empire in reverse. I found this to be, for me, delightfully true, and I'm surprised at how well that formula worked. Where Abrams was criticized for leaning to heavily on the crutch of A New Hope, Johnson seems to have avoided the problem by simply changing direction, which he does quite often. Be prepared.
Abrams surprisingly followed this theory to success with the first of the new Star Trek films, however grossly ignoring it for his own sequel. But it is well, not only if he stepped away from the director's chair for fear of this, but that fresh eyes often make all the difference. I enjoyed Looper, but when they said that guy is going to not only write but direct Episode VIII, I was like half interested, half fearful.
But we shouldn't fear, should we. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering.
Another element I like about TLJ is the fact that, more so than The Force Awakens, this felt like not only handing over the torch, but just throwing it away. I love how in the backgrounds of these movies we see the remnants of Star Wars past. From Rey's junkyard home, to Luke's X-Wing beneath the waters surrounding his fortress of solitude – even in Rogue One there is that giant fallen statue of a Jedi; the only true way to keep something going in this life is to keep it fresh and expose it to constant reinvention.
There's lots of fun new creatures. LOVE THOSE PORGS! There's some fun new locales. Mr. Williams musical voice sings a few new tunes and lovingly reminds us of a few old ones. The action is breathless, the reversals effective and plentiful. There are great revelations and many new questions.
Oh Look. You see what's happened? I started off wanting to write a review and here I now find the need to be silent again. There is nothing I can tell you that you should ultimately listen to, except this: I have never seen a more beautiful journey that does as each new day does for us all; beginning and ending, staring off to the horizon, watching the rising and or setting of that bright sphere at the center of our galaxy.
When I was younger than I am now, I felt like Luke Skywalker, gazing off into those twin suns and longing for the next day, for the journey ahead. It is fitting then that TLJ comes now, and I am a much older man. You'll know the moment when it comes. The twin suns will set and maybe, just maybe, your heart will swell as mine does even now, and I am at a loss for words. TLJ has touched me in a way I've not experienced in the cinema for a while now – and I am the better for it.
So if you have seen the movie, I hope you enjoyed it – were thrilled by it. For those of you for whom this is their first Star Wars experience, rejoice, there's more out there to discover – more still to come. For those who haven't seen it – man, get away from this screen and get down to your local theatre real quick – what's the matter with you?
It is fitting that the last line belongs to a certain character, and speaking of said line, it echoes my sentiments exactly:
In The Last Jedi, "We have everything we need – right here."
Tagged Adam Driver, benicio de toro, bruce willis, Carrie Fisher, Chewbacca, Daisy Ridley, Darth Vader, domhnall gleesson, Empire Strikes Back, film, film reviews, Frank Oz, George Lucas, JJ Abrams, john boyega, John Williams, Kathleen Kennedy, kelly marie tran, Laura Dern, Looper, Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, Movies, oscar isaac, porgs, princess leia, Rian Johnson, Science Fiction, Star Wars, The Force AwakensLeave a comment
Hollywood's best-kept Secret: An Interview with Scott Windhauser by Kent Hill
November 9, 2017 by Kent Hill, posted in Interviews
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/scott-windhauser.mp3
Scott Windhauser might seem to have simply fallen out of the clear blue sky recently. Truth is, he has been in the game for quite some time. He worked his way up through the ranks, paying his dues, making connections – but all the while, working quietly on his own scripts.
The turning point came when he wrote a screenplay. You know the one, the kind of script that gets you noticed, that gets them to return your phone calls, that's peaks the interest of the movie gods. Now I'm not going to spoil it here, you'll have to have a listen, but the premise was really cool stuff.
But, as things often happen in Hollywood, another picture, that took place in a similar setting, came out around the same time and the backers started backing away. It's times like these that separate the men from boys. It's like Michael Douglas's line in The Ghost and The Darkness, "Everyone has a plan until they've been hit. Well my friend, you've just been hit. The getting up is up to you."
Scott did a little better than just getting back on his feet. He went back to the forge and starting producing a veritable war chest of material, most of which is on its way to release as we speak. There's some that Scott has also directed like Dead Trigger starring Dolph Lundgren as well as Cops and Robbers with Tom Berenger and Michael Jai White. Then there's the Rob Cohen(The Fast and The Furious, XXX) directed Hurricane Heist (or Category 5 as some of the advertising is calling it) and Tsunami L.A., along with numerous other projects big and small in the works as well as on the way either this or next year.
Scott Windhauser folks. His is a name you may not have heard, but the times they are a changin'. He fought his way through the minefields of La La Land, he's given a script a 'Nic-polish' (have a listen, all shall be revealed), he has even bumped into John Williams, the man who wrote the cinematic themes of our youth.
This all adds up to a great interview folks, so please, press play and learn about the man who is quickly becoming a name to take notice of.
Ladies and Gentlemen . . . Scott Windhauser.
(The Password to watch 'DEAD TRIGGER' trailer below is: zombie)
Tagged bruce lee, Con Air, Cops and Robbers, Dead Trigger, Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Gary Goddard, George Lucas, Jaws, John Cusack, John malkovich, John Williams, Masters of the Universe, Michael Bay, Michael Jai White, Nicholas Cage, Oliver Stone, Paul Walker, Platoon, Richard Donner, rob cohen, Sean Connery, Star Wars, Steven Spielberg, Superman, The Fast and The Furious, the rock, Tom Berenger, vin diesel1 Comment
JJ Abrams' STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
September 13, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Star Wars
There are three types of people. Those who have an undying love for anything and everything Star Wars, those who have a legitimate beef with the unintentional ramifications that Star Wars brought to the fertile era of 70s cinema, and then there are the overly pompous people who parade around "liking" the original trilogy yet scoffing at minute aspects of THE FORCE AWAKENS. The third type of person is a fictitious amalgam of what people loathe about other people.
What JJ Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Kathleen Kennedy did with the seventh entry into the Star Wars saga was establish a whole new world of Star Wars films. Some arguments against TFA are understandable, but after decades Abrams was able to construct, shoot, and assemble a film that looks and feels like it belongs, wholeheartedly, in the saga canon. Ultimately the job of directing a Star Wars film isn't that sexy, their artistic freedom is monitored, but it's up to that person to hit the marks that George Lucas set with the first film, and JJ Abrams achieves that in a way makes it hard to think anyone else could do a better job.
THE FORCE AWAKENS follows a template, just like THE PHANTOM MENACE before it. It's A NEW HOPE but in a different era with some of the same characters. Anyone who walked into the film expecting something other than a Star Wars Saga film would be better off searching the deep web for some obscure Russian film from the 1970s that they can discuss in a vapid and obtuse way. Star Wars is Star Wars is Star Wars. There's the light side. There is the dark side. There are TIE fighters and X-Wings, and there are space aliens that make witty zingers. Oh yeah, and there's a Death Star.
Abrams assembles a diverse cast that is inspired organically. There wasn't a mission to check boxes of ethnicity or gender. He found the right people that were born to play that part. The new cast is simpatico with returning cast members of Mark Hamill in his ultra brief turn, Carrie Fisher in what is now a very bittersweet performance, and of course Harrison Ford as the ultimate space cowboy.
Ford brings everything as he has to his final turn as his seminal character in a career stocked to the brim with so many memorable characters and franchises. With help from Abrams and Kasdan's script, Ford takes on the Obi-Wan esque role. Ford is perfect. He's funny, he's smarmy, he's hopeful, and he's everything you'd want Han Solo to be all these years later and more. For those who fall into the first group of people, watching Han Solo die is one of the most heartbreaking moments in cinema history. Ford's build up; his gruffness wrapped in his sentiment and nostalgia completely sells his demise in the most beautifully tragic way possible. It's near maddening that Ford wasn't nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
There is a mixture of practical effects and CGI, much like the prequels. And then there's BB-8. The new fan favorite that is an encompassment of R2-D2's sassy personality and an ultra cute design and color scheme. It's rather impressive how instantly beloved and welcomed BB-8 was, and after seeing the film, it's incredibly hard not to fall hard for that little whirling dervish of love.
The picture excels on nearly every level, and if it weren't so quickly followed up by the excellent ROGUE ONE, there wouldn't be as much shelf wear on the film. The film is vibrant as it is dreary. Abrams not only acknowledges the prequels, he embraces the aesthetic. He mixes the original trilogy with the prequel trilogy to create his own, and predominantly new world of Star Wars. The film isn't without some minor hiccups and narrative issues, but this isn't the new film by Martin Scorsese. It's Star Wars.
Star Wars saga films are built on nostalgia. Star Wars is nostalgia for many. And while Lucas isn't part of the Star Wars universe moving forward, Abrams has more than proved himself as a worthy supplement. He's inherited the mantle of Lucas, and he's helped construct the joy of Star Wars for generations to come. What's so ironic are those who hold such an obnoxious contempt for Lucas, yet are rabid for the new dawn of Star Wars. Those who consistently beat the drum of talking in circles to those who are as like(narrow)minded as them, that will bend over backwards to suck any joy they can out of anyone who praises Lucas. You know, the guy who created everything in the first place. Leave George Lucas alone, without him you'd have nothing to complain about and would have saved a lot of money.
Tagged Adam Driver, BB8, Disney, Finn, George Lucas, Han Solo, Harrison Ford, JJ Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Kylo Ren, Lawrence Kasdan, Rey, Snoke, Star Wars, The Force AwakensLeave a comment
Weaving with Magic: An Interview with Ellis Flyte by Kent Hill
August 17, 2017 by Kent Hill, posted in Interviews
Really awesome it is to interview people who have been a part of the cinematic high water marks of one's life. But this one was special. Several weeks back my beloved wife, Jennifer, was looking at pictures online from the MoPOP (The Museum of Popular Culture): Jim Henson exhibit. She, as am I, is a fan of the worlds created by Henson and particularly thrilled at seeing Sarah's ball gown from Labyrinth. She said I needed to track down the costume designer and interview her. So I did. Easier said than done right? Well yeah. I admit, I have had ridiculous luck since joining the crew at podcastingthemsofly.com when it has come to tracking down industry professionals for a chat. During the construction of my anthology trilogy Straight to Video, I had prided myself on getting a hold of filmmakers, some of whom I knew, but many I didn't. Following that, and in starting my on modest publishing business, I tried to keep the magic going – hoping to secure forewords from filmmakers who were willing to read friend's books and write introductions for them.
I was so happy to do it this time for my wife, who, while she has tastes that differ from mine, we certainly share a bunch of common cinematic favorites of which Labyrinth is one.
So I am proud to present this brief insight into the life of Ellis Flyte, costume designer on Labyrinth and also part of the creative team that brought us that other Henson spectacular, The Dark Crystal. From humble beginnings, she worked in theater and television but also enjoyed success as a fashion designer in demand. Then there came her work with the Henson Company; on two of its crowning glories. She was also, for a time, married to Henson's son Brian.
Ellis was very generous to lend some of her time to answer a handful of questions on her contribution to a remarkable film.
So through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to present to you, ladies and gentlemen . . . Ellis Flyte.
KH: Could you tell us a little of your origins?
EF: In brief, I am Scottish and as a youth spent a lot of time making clothes out of rugs and similar strange fabrics to everyone's amusement, but primarily wanted to be a ballet dancer. Following a very severe accident I completed my exams at school and left to London to study fashion instead.
KH: What were your creative aspirations? Was working in the fashion industry or film always your dream?
EF: My first employment during college evenings was in theatre in the costume department which I thoroughly enjoyed. Both fashion and costume would be the two key passions for most of my life, and I worked in many great theatres, contemporary dance studios and television. However I was to become more celebrated in those years as a fashion designer, working from my living room in South London, and selling through Liberty and Browns and Harvey Nichols. Later on in my career I would also design and dress actors, singers and celebrity as well as my collections. Both are really all-consuming creative lifestyles with very little time off but you love it so I have no problems with this!
KH: How did you come to work for the Henson Company? It must have been so incredible to work with Jim Henson; he seems to have been such a vital spark, a creative genius?
EF: I had taken a television job which was coming to an end and I saw an advert to work in film, so I went along for an interview. You can imagine how astonished I was to be asked if I had ever worked on puppets. My first job was as an assistant to Polly Smith, working on the extraordinary "Dark Crystal". This was of course a Jim Henson film and also the concept of Brian Froud, where I and a large team of the best artists and technicians worked together in various departments creating the special effects vital to the end result. Long hours but so much fun. We shot the film at Elstree.
Following the release of Dark Crystal six of us were asked to design the "Dark Crystal fashion collection" of gowns based on the movie characters which turned into another totally new and exciting project! So as you can see I had already met the genius Jim Henson and loved working in their company!
KH: Tell us about your experience on the production of Labyrinth? Sarah's masquerade dress in Labyrinth, indeed all the costumes you did, were based on concepts created by you along with Brian Froud?
EF: Labyrinth was considerably later and a joy to be chosen for the position! Yes it is a Jim Henson film and once again the Conceptual Designer was Brian Froud.
He brought to me many sketches of costumes from which my job would be to create and realise the ideas and also introduce new detail or interpretation. My first responsibility would be to David Bowie and to Jennifer Connelly, and then to the surreal costume ball. It has to be said that I employed a large team of people from pattern cutters and sewing technicians, screen print and dye specialists, special effect creators, jewellery designers and make-up and hair stylists, amongst others, and it is due to their continued hard work, originality and independent skills that we came to the finished product!
KH: Did the final costumes mirror the concept drawings or we're the altered as filming commenced, and material did you use? The dress now seems yellowed in photos from the MoPOP exhibit, is that purely due to age or was that the way it was lit during filming to lend it the ethereal quality of the sequence?
EF: Sarah's ball gown took a lot of sampling and camera tests to achieve! We wanted her to look like an otherworldly princess and very different to the others at the ball. The ethereal effect was achieved by many secret devices including layers of lace, lame and rainbow paper, spray paint and broken jewels, and then the entire ballroom garments were distressed to look as if they had been dancing forever! Hemlines were broken down and dust was sprayed into the creases – the masks also present a sinister look to the event don't they? The fabric choice for the ladies was chosen to give depth and colour and also for movement as you say, although of course all dresses were crinoline underneath.
KH: What was your favourite costume to design and which costumes were the most challenging to not only create but to realize in a finished garment?
EF: The ballroom sequence was a terrific challenge but I really enjoyed all of it, my two favourite costumes in that sequence were probably those for Jennifer and David's jewelled velvet tail coat. The trickiest pieces were most of David's as they were designed to be highly original and didn't always transfer from sketch to actual garment! A leather jacket with a special effect finish was particularly tricky but we got there in the end! Plus we had a load of laughs with the stretch trousers over various cod-pieces. We also tried many different hair styles and make-up effects before Jim and Brian made their final selection! To realise the characters and then have the creative freedom to add or expand my ideas is a costume designers dream and when it works it is really wonderful! It was a huge task to put it all together plus detail of jewellery, accessories and hair pieces but I loved the way it was shot.
KH: Labyrinth is a treasured film of my youth. Looking back at the film and the experience, how do you see the work and the film today?
EF: I think Labyrinth was ahead of its time as was Dark Crystal.
KH: What aspects of costume design do you enjoy the most and do you feel that costume design is an underrated element in films, attaining the recognition it deserves?
EF: To design costume there are so many dynamics – you have to enjoy the ability to multi-task!
You must understand the person you are dressing and their bodies, their favourite parts and their insecurities so that you can give your personal touch and increase their confidence and happiness and never disturb their performance. Also it is important to know how and where to shop for everything from highly individual/ period costume /unusual accessories/ to ordinary base cloth! And then to know how to work many different effects from any base or other fabrics and add the knowledge of what works on-screen in terms of colours, textures and finishes. I enjoy all of this, regardless of the project, and I have been lucky enough to have worked on many very different projects! Each one is challenging in a different way and a lot of research is required before you start. I do think costume is valued especially when it is well done! It is as important as the script or storyline and should help to identify a character, whatever the circumstances. It is now beginning to receive the acclaim it deserves.
KH: Have you ever been approached or would you consider putting out a book of your work?
EF: The book – that seems to be a constant question. I have had several magazine features but not yet a book on my fashion and film work.
There you have it. I was just as surprised to get in touch with Ellis as I was to have her participate in this interview, so, I send a big thank you.
I would like to add that the questions for Ellis were prepared by my wife and I was thrilled at her response to the answers. This one's for you baby and I am here always…
…should you need us.
Tagged Brian Henson, christopher malcolm, david bowie, david goelz, Frank Oz, Gary Kurtz, George Lucas, jack purvis, Jennifer Connelly, Jim Henson, Kenny Baker, kevin clash, michael hordern, shelley thompson, steve whitmire, Terry Jones, toby froud, Trevor Jones, Warwick DavisLeave a comment
Ron Howard's Willow
July 28, 2017 by natewatchescoolmovies, posted in Film Review
Who doesn't love Ron Howard's Willow? Hopefully nobody, because it's a brilliant fantasy classic that's aged like the finest wine. From a story by George Lucas (vague Ewok vibes abound), it's just a rollicking picture, oriented towards the little ones whose sense of wonder hasn't dimmed, yet eager to include a very real sense of danger and darkness, the perfect recipe to make a film like this noteworthy and nostalgic. In a village inhabited solely by dwarf-like creatures, a secret has been unearthed by the family of young would-be sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis). In their little Hobbitsville of a town on the edge of a vast fantastical realm, a human infant has floated down river like Moses, a special child with the power to defeat a nefariously evil witch (Jean Smart) who has terrorized the land for ages. After the baby attracts danger to their village, the council gives Willow the task of bringing the child out into the world so it can fulfill it's potential and bring goodness back to the realm. So begins a dazzling big budget journey into the heart of sword and sorcery darkness, a well woven blend of humour, heart and magic that is never short of thrills or visual splendour. Val Kilmer steals the show as rambunctious Madmartigan, a fiercely funny rogue of a warrior who protects and guides Willow through a harsh, threatening world, while Kevin Pollak and Rick Overton score comic relief points as two pint size little pixie things with vaguely European accents, which they use to hurl many a colourful insult in Kilmer's general direction. Val's real life wife Joanne Whalley plays sultry Sorshia, daughter to the villainous queen and badass beautiful warrior princess with dark sex appeal for days. There's just so much to love about this film, from the wildly boisterous score by James Horner that gets our pulses up, the gorgeous production design and attention to detail, the story itself full of wondrous magic and peril, to the reliance on practical effects as per the times. It's adorable that the filmmakers went out of their way to cast hordes of actual little people as opposed to relying on camera trickery, right down to Willow's tiny, impossibly cute dwarf children. Highlights I will always remember from this one are the impressively staged sled race down a snowy peak using shields as careening vehicles and the surprisingly gory attack from giant worm/gorilla hybrid creatures that seriously disturbed seven year old Nate for years after. You simply can't go wrong with this one.
Tagged cinema, fantasy, film, film review, film reviews, films, George Lucas, James Horner, jean marsh, Joanne Whalley, Kevin Pollak, movie, movie review, movie reviews, Movies, Rick Overton, Ron Howard, Val Kilmer, Warwick Davis, WillowLeave a comment
STAR WARS EPISODE VI: OPIE RON KENOBI
June 23, 2017 June 22, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Podcast
https://podcastingthemsoftly.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/ron-kenobi.wav
Frank is joined by his Star Wars expert friend, Terry to discuss the abrupt firing of Lord and Miller from the HAN SOLO film, and swift replacement that is Ron Howard.
Tagged Chris Miller, film, George Lucas, Han Solo, Jake Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan, Lego Movie, Philip Lord, Ron Howard, Star WarsLeave a comment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
// Copyright 2018 The Bazel Authors. All rights reserved.
//
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
// You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
//    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
// limitations under the License.

package com.google.devtools.build.skydoc.fakebuildapi.platform;

import com.google.devtools.build.lib.skylarkbuildapi.ProviderApi;
import com.google.devtools.build.lib.skylarkbuildapi.platform.PlatformCommonApi;
import com.google.devtools.build.skydoc.fakebuildapi.FakeProviderApi;

/**
 * Fake implementation of {@link PlatformCommonApi}.
 */
public class FakePlatformCommon implements PlatformCommonApi {

  @Override
  public ProviderApi getMakeVariableProvider() {
    return new FakeProviderApi();
  }

  @Override
  public ProviderApi getToolchainInfoConstructor() {
    return new FakeProviderApi();
  }

  @Override
  public ProviderApi getPlatformInfoConstructor() {
    return new FakeProviderApi();
  }

  @Override
  public ProviderApi getConstraintSettingInfoConstructor() {
    return new FakeProviderApi();
  }

  @Override
  public ProviderApi getConstraintValueInfoConstructor() {
    return new FakeProviderApi();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


New Microgaming Slots for October 2013!
Three new Microgaming slots are due to go live tomorrow, and they are Dolphin Quest slots, Georgie Porgie slots, and Paradise Found slots. These new slot games have either free spins, bonus games, or extra wilds, or a combination of features.
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Go ahead and give the new Microgaming slots a spin at the following casino on October 9th 2013!


Elevate your sophisticated bar or dining area with this breathtaking bar cabinet. The exquisite diamond pattern features a reverse match veneer pattern of American walnut with an ever so understated ebonized maple inlay. Utilize the drawer for hiding dining items and store your bar accessories within the compartments located behind the doors. Furnish your home with this bar cabinet and transform your décor into a modern paradise.
The Tribeca Bar Cabinet by Century at Alison Craig Home Furnishings in the Naples, Fort Myers, Pelican Bay, Pine Ridge, Bonita Spring, Golden Gate, Estero, Cape Coral, Marco Island, Sanibel/Captiva Island, Point Charlotte, Ave Maria, Florida area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
The Tribeca collection is a great option if you are looking for Contemporary furniture in the Naples, Fort Myers, Pelican Bay, Pine Ridge, Bonita Spring, Golden Gate, Estero, Cape Coral, Marco Island, Sanibel/Captiva Island, Point Charlotte, Ave Maria, Florida area.
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