Hi! This post is more about my idea and what i've decided to do. The first post was slightly rushed😅. So first a bit about me ( the writer ). I'm a 13 year old scottish girl nicknamed Sookie, i ride my own pony and do vaulting at a stable. I play video games including star stable ( duh ) but i alse read alot. I play on UK server Cupcake Valley and my name is Lana Rainluck. So i've decided to make two newspapers. The first one will be called "The Star Stable Community Voice" ( u/my_name_is_tree had that idea ) and the second one will be the rrp one called "The Jorvik Times". The Star Stable Community Voice: The Star Stable Community Voice will be posted hopefully every Thursday. I will be talking about the updates or new horses and upcoming updates. I will also be interviewing 1-2 sso players on private chat. If you want to be interviewed just private chat me. But that might only start next week cause i have a test on Friday. The Jorvik Times: The Jorvik Times will be posted irregulary. It will be rrp only. So there will be stuff like gossip about npcs, stuff going happening on Jorvik and horse auctions. If you guys have any ideas for The Jorvik Times gladly write them in the comments of this post, The Star Stable Community Voice or The Jorvik Times ( when it comes out ) So thats it for now, bye!

Weekly Self Promotion Thread

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• Username
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———✧《ConcordiaCraft.aternos.me》✧———
Welcome to ConcordiaCraft! A Survival server with lots of new features that will upgrade and give you the best survival experience to have with many other players on the server.
———★《Features》★——— 【:rock:】1.17.1! Version 1.17.1 running on the server!
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Team Deathroll here!. We'll be answering questions from 7PM PT (10PM EST, 12PM AEST). It was great to be back!
Team members:
Steve - u/SteveDroll
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Follow us on FB for more DR related content and some upcoming ebay auctions! https://www.facebook.com/TeamDeathRoll/
If your in Aus and want to compete checkout our FB group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/RobowarsAustralia/ Or if you want to watch our events- https://www.facebook.com/robowarsau/

The weeks leading up to the 17th Hunger Games were especially eventful as the Capital was still reeling from the previous year’s spectacular games. Sherpa Kapoor, with the help of his lion friends, had proven himself to be the most popular tribute in Hunger Games history since Ashley Chen (victor of the 13th Hunger Games)’s revenge plot. The Capital was kept satisfied with reruns as well as the continuing increasing sales of 16th HG merchandise. This consisted of Kapoor Pride plushies, replica gaffi sticks, and the most sought-after item: the latest in the line of Panem Champion Funko Pop. Every year, a new action figure is made for the latest victor of the Hunger Games. It was the most popular collectible in the Capital. In fact, since the Golden Victors concept was introduced, a new line of Funko Pop was released, separating the first ten victors (called the First Champions) and the Golden Victors by changing the color of the clothes and weapons to gold.
Hunger Games mania had started once more a week before the reaping cycle. Artemis Radcliffe interviewed Head Gamemaker Grimstone on her morning show Good Morning Panem, expressing relief that the Sherpa craze had died down. Grimstone responded that that kind of excitement was the nature of the Golden Victors and he hoped he would be able to replicate that level of success. However, he did admit it was up to the tributes to decide that. As usual, Artemis pushed for details only to receive tight lips from the gamemaker. She responded to herself, telling the audience she'll never learn the futility of getting spoilers from a gamemaker.
A week later, Sherpa had to put his restaurant endeavors on hold as he was called for the reaping tour. His entourage consisted of his brother Zacharie, Cassandra (his mentor), and surviving Kapoor Pride member Parth. After a depressing reaping at his home district, Cassandra had to separate from the group to take care of the first half of mentoring his tributes Mishti and Horace. So, Troy van Stomm (victor of the 5th Hunger Games) volunteered to tag along, mostly in hopes to become Sherpa’s friend. A notable incident happened during the District 8 reaping, when the younger brother of Asaad (D8 tribute of 16th games who was killed by Sherpa), Burlap, was reaped and attempted to assault Sherpa on the stage. Parth tackled him to the ground but was stopped by Sherpa before he could injure him further.
After witnessing the reaping games of District 2 sire Nikita and Andrei, Sherpa and his entourage arrived in District 6. He was given a tour by Mayor Bengtsson and District 6’s only victor Phoebe Bentley. They introduced to Sherpa a recently completed construction project, the Luxury Viking Cruise. This week-long cruise trip would sail the seas of Districts 4 and 6, even granting a tour of the Faroe Island Base. Despite being a victor for nearly a year, Sherpa was shocked by the fancy architecture and opulence. The remainder of the tour was a bit of a downer, Sherpa seeing firsthand the combined effects of poverty and the warmweed epidemic. His spirits were lifted when Phoebe enthusiastically showed him the Kento Rehabilitation Center. Both Sherpa and Troy decided to inject some of their money into the community, buying a variety of the local liquors outside of the Johnson Jazzy Juices brand. During lunch, Phoebe introduced them to her husband, local piloting legend Jackson Williams, and her “arena baby” Mirabelle. Sherpa allowed Mirabelle to pet Parth while he asked Jackson some piloting questions.
After lunch, everyone headed over to the reaping square where he was greeted by the mayor. He chatted for about ten minutes as the oil and vomit stained amber clad youths filed into the enclosure, the process taking longer as peacekeepers had to round up inebriated youths who tried to ditch the process. Sherpa made his victor’s speech more lively, bringing up his restaurant business and performing a couple tricks with Parth. Some of the youths enjoyed the show and applauded him. After his speech, Phoebe urged him to pull out the first name from the female reaping bowl. Sherpa took a deep breath and shoved his hand in the bowl. He unfolded the paper and announced eighteen year old Catilina "Cat" Verter as tribute.
Cat was a tall medium built woman with ginger curls and round glasses and was known as one of the assistant instructors at the Kento Rehabilitation Centre, so she knew District 6’s sole victor Phoebe Bentley quite well. Phoebe apparently was funding Cat's scholarship to become a licensed therapist. Phoebe put her hand over her mouth in shock when Cat’s name was called. Cat walked up to the stage, with a tightness in her chest and tears streaming down her face. She shook hands with Sherpa and said his pet lion was cute. She turned towards the cameras, forcing a smile in an attempt to convince Capital audiences she wasn’t unhappy with her situation. In the commentator’s booth, Artemis fell for the fake smile, commenting how she must be excited to represent her district. Her co-commentator Capricorn Luther rolled his eyes in annoyance and told her to just keep watching.
Sherpa walked over to the male reaping bowl, feeling slight relief the first wasn’t a drugged out zombie. He shuffled to the male reaping bowl and pulled out the name of fifteen year old Jackknife "Jack" Clutch. Cameras found Jack in the middle of the horde of inebriated youth. Jack was a short brown haired lad who was ragged looking from head to toe due to a recent warmweed binge. Despite this, he was less skinny and pale looking than his peers to the surprise of Artemis and Luther. Luther pulled some notes and revealed Jack had managed to stay sober for 10 months, recently relapsing after the Good Morning Panem interview. He read further and discovered that Jack was one of the young refinery workers in one of the hovercraft warehouses. Artemis read the remainder of the notes and found it interesting to hear he was imprisoned four months ago after getting caught trying to smuggle warmweed across the Orkney Stretch, a stretch of water fashioned as an aquatic border separating the two districts. Despite the previous soberness, he was in too much of a trance to notice being reaped and was dragged to the stage by peacekeepers. He limply shook hands with Sherpa and absentmindedly walked into Parth before finding his place to the left of the stage. Mayor Bengtsson indifferently congratulated this year’s tributes before dismissing them to their waiting rooms. Phoebe dismissed herself to the hoverjet, kissing her husband and Mirabelle goodbye. Sherpa and his entourage also left for their next stop in the reaping tour: District 4.
Cat was visited by her older brother Tank and a coworker Pedal. The Juicy Tidbits podcast disclosed that her mother had passed away two years ago and her father was passed out drunk at the Kjellberg Brewery. The group embraced and shared in the sorrowful moment. Tank and Pedal tried to cram as much advice as they could into the session, but Cat was feeling overwhelmed. She assured them she had a great mentor who would surely help her win. Cat told Tank to sell her belongings and drew a map to the location of her pocketed earnings and her will. She thanked him for always being there and becoming sober for her. She turned to Pedal and thanked him for being her best friend, regretting never asking him out. She asked Pedal to take care of her patients, attempting to make a list of important details. However, the peacekeepers arrived before she could finish and escorted her to the hoverjet.
Meanwhile, Jack was visited by Tyre, his only friend who was one of the few who managed to stay sober during the sudden uptake of drugs and alcohol at reaping week. She consoled him as he began to cry and reassured his other friends would come if they weren't also high. Jack claimed to not care about them, but instead expressed disappointment in his parents for not coming. Tyre assured him that she believed in him. Jack shrugged and said, “At least I’ll die knowing I had one friend.” Tyre responded with “If that nervous wreck Oslo could make it as far as he did, then I'm sure you can get that little bit extra and win." She kissed him on the lips before giving him a final embrace, promising a surprised Jack that she would wait for him. Jack then made her promise that if he doesn’t make it to not wait so long to find someone else. The peacekeepers arrived and brought him to the hoverjet.
When Jack and Cat got on the hovercraft, Phoebe was already waiting at the dining table. She asked Jack to hand over any contraband warmweed he may have before they got started. He initially refused, arguing that he would need them to not break down during training. Cat reminded him that his best chance at winning would be staying sober, recalling Phoebe telling her about last year’s tributes ruining their pregames chances due to them being high. She offered to help him stay calm during the following events, bringing up her training in therapy. This seemed to persuade him to hand over the warmweed he kept in his pocket. Little did they know, he was secretly concealing a teeny fraction in the sole of his shoe. The group spent the next few hours discussing strategy. As opposed to most mentors, who would explain the upcoming events before having them watch previous games, Phoebe crafted a presentation with a slide show. The slideshow touched on the topics of the pregame events, finding water sources, creating makeshift weapons and making and handling alliances. In previous years, Phoebe used pictures and videos from previous games but this year she replaced them with stop motion animation and drawings depicting the scenarios.
When the presentation was over, Phoebe asked her tributes to tell her what their strategy for training would be. Cat was the first to answer, detailing how she would use her time to learn survival skills. However, she was indecisive on what weapon to choose. Jack, on the other hand, decided he would learn to use a knife and try his hand at camouflage. Phoebe appeared satisfied with their initial answers and instructed them to mull over their indecision. She gave them the time of noon tomorrow to come to her with their final decision. Phoebe attempted to retire her tributes to their quarters, but Jack asked if he could watch her games. Phoebe was taken aback by this. She was about to refuse, but Cat expressed her desire to see it as well. Phoebe relented and turned on the 3rd Hunger Games. While watching, Jack commended the swordsmanship of Kento (the D3 tribute and Mirabelle’s biological father) before considering practicing with a sword instead. Cat repeated the praise while condemning Carson (Phoebe’s district partner)’s brutality, even going as far as comparing him to one of the unruly patients in the mental asylum ward at the Kento Rehabilitation Centre. She turned to hear Phoebe’s thoughts, but saw her tearfully struggling to refrain herself from grabbing a bottle of whiskey. Cat rushed to her and put the bottle down, embracing her as she cried. She ordered Jack to turn off the games, which he did after seeing the climactic battle between her and Carson. Phoebe eventually calmed down and ordered her tributes to bed for the night. Night cameras showed that Cat did some light reading on a book about lizards and amphibians she found before sleeping. Meanwhile, Jack mulled over whether or not he should consume his contraband. He ultimately decided to ask the peacekeeper outside his door to bring him a strong tasting but nonalcoholic drink. He learned from him that all of the drinks in the District 6 apartment were nonalcoholic, leading him to accept a lemon vodka.
The next morning, the tributes woke up to a light breakfast and were asked to clean up quickly and select clothes provided in their wardrobes. This became a tradition Phoebe picked up for her tributes after Jase Toliver tried it for the District 8 tributes of the 2nd Quinquennial Quell (15th Hunger Games). The tradition became handy that year as the Capital was going through a heat wave. Due to being farther north and experiencing the harshest winters of Panem, District 6 wasn’t used to the warmer climate. This was brought up when Jack opened one of the windows, which blew a humid draft in. Phoebe instructed them to dress for the heat, Cat choosing a V neck tank top with cutoff denim shorts while Jack wore a henley shirt with board shorts.
The tributes were greeted by a respectable sized crowd despite being on the lower end of the visitation numbers. District 6 usually ended up with the second or third lowest turnout. depending on the sobriety of their tributes with this year having the fifth lowest turnout. Many of the crowd members flocked to Phoebe, either calling her by name or as “The Philosopher”. Many asked how Mirabelle was doing, knowing she turned thirteen not long ago. Phoebe graciously answered their questions, but urged them to meet her tributes. Jack took surprisingly well to the crowd, shaking hands with people his age and charming an elderly woman with flattery. She pinched his cheeks, telling him how adorable he was and promising to sponsor him if he keeps it up. Cat was nervous at first, but the people skills she learned from her job quickly took over. She gave pleasantries and charmed the crowds with her manners. She even managed to convince a few Captalites to open up about their personal lives so she could get them to relate to her. Jack walked over to her while she was advising a certain young man to tell his crush how he felt. Jack put his arm around her shoulder and assured them she could be everyone’s shrink if she could. Cat piggybacked off this, declaring that they would be missing out if they didn’t sponsor them. When Phoebe finally managed to escape the paparazzi, she ushered her tributes into the limousine. Phoebe thanked them for behaving and making a good impression. Cat commended Jack’s people skills, wondering where they were before. Jack simply stated he realized the gravity of the situation while he was dressing and decided to do his best to make it home to his friend Tyre.
When the group arrived at the apartment, they were greeted by this year’s stylist Sasha Grasseed. Phoebe became annoyed upon recognizing her. It was rumored that Sasha had only achieved her position by sleeping with pregame event organizer Dermont Toolly. Cat and Jack attempted to introduce themselves, but Sasha cut them off. She claimed to be on a tight schedule and barked at them to stand in place for their measurements. She then ordered her assistant Morrana Cloudveil to do the measurements. Phoebe questioned if having an assistant was allowed, but Sasha brushed this off claiming it made things easier. Phoebe mumbled to herself, “Yeah because everything comes easy for you.” The Juicy Tidbits podcast had a five-minute discussion over this particular comment, wondering if there was unspoken beef between the two. Phoebe asked to see some of the design, but Sasha said she already decided on a mechanic outfit covered in nails. Phoebe tried to speak again but was rudely interrupted. An exasperated Sasha growled that her design was final, and she was going to leave to get started and to "find an actual drink".
By the time she left, Morrana apologized for Sasha's behavior and remarked that she tried to tell her she was thinking of the nuts, bolts and nails used for construction. Phoebe said that it was fine and suggested to her tributes to try and play into the peculiar nature of the designs. Jack asked what her problem was, calling her a “high strung bitch queen”. Cat suggested Sasha thought the position was above her talents and only accepted to hopefully win the title of Blanco Fashion Magazine’s Best Dressed. Phoebe considered the theory plausible and suggested they throw Sasha under the bus in interviews if the parade doesn’t work out. Morrana agreed, explaining that the only way to bring down a stylist is if they screw up and enough people talk about it. Cat and Jack promised to do so. Phoebe decided to turn on replays of the reapings and advised her tributes to study their opponents.
Immediately after leaving District 6, Sherpa and his entourage arrived in District 4. In the commentator’s booth, Artemis and Luther revealed that District 4 was also going through a heat wave, which forced the refrigeration system to work overtime to protect the latest catch and produce. Three freezer boxes, two containing salmon and one squid, had to be emptied and their contents disposed of when the insulation failed. As Mayor Phillip gave Sherpa a tour, people would stop and stare at Parth as he trailed along. Little kids ran up and asked to pet him, to which Sherpa happily obliged. Sherpa showed much interest in District 4’s naval and fishing industry, especially the latter. Much to Sherpa's dismay, especially after seeing mass poverty across the other districts, he complained about some of the fish being thrown away despite still being good to eat. He claimed that some citizens across Panem would be willing to eat it, buying some various fillets on the spot. He did a cooking demonstration for Mayor Phillip, creating sushi with salmon and serving it as their lunch.
On their way to the reaping square, they stopped to pick up District 4’s victor Gill Henderson at the Slippery Shell, the most popular pub in District 4 where Dolph Masterson (ally to Bacchus Johnson of the 9th Hunger Games) dreamed of the many cocktails now sold under the Johnson’s Jazzy Juices brand. When they arrived at the reaping square, the blue clad potential tributes were already lined up and waiting. Sherpa noticed that the majority looked unfazed due to District 4 generally performing quite well, many holding onto the hope of their next victor coming very soon. So much so that the district had the honour of having the Capital’s third fan group, the Buccaneers, always ready to support them.
Sherpa gave a pre-translated speech that he read very well due to improvements in his English. He asked the women if they had any volunteers. Receiving no reply, he stepped towards the female reaping bowl. He pulled out the name of fourteen year old Pearl Riverstone. Cameras zoomed in on a short tanned girl with dirty blonde pigtails wearing a sky blue skirt and white shirt. Pearl loudly cried over her name being called and begged anyone to volunteer for her. As she sombered forward, protests were heard across the crowd. Luther pulled up a note card and revealed that Pearl's parents ran one of the many pubs across District 4. Her family’s pub The Brine was one of the more popular amongst working class people, attendance sometimes rivalling the Slippery Shell. Pearl would normally be found waiting tables at The Brine or playing with her friends on the riverwalk. Sherpa felt sorry for the girl and forgoed the hand shaking in place of letting her hug Parth. Pearl thanked Sherpa and proceeded to take her place to the right of the stage.
Sherpa took a deep breath and reiterated the volunteer question to the men. He again received no reply and went towards the male reaping bowl. He pulled a name from the bottom and pulled it out, nearly dropping it when a gust of wind blew through. He read the name of eighteen year old Mortimer Beckett. Many members in the enclosures and outside audiences began whispering amongst themselves. Gill Henderson appeared surprised, clueing Capital viewers that he was familiar with him. In the commentator’s booth, Artemis urged the cameras to find this person, wondering what made him so known. Cameras circled around the area for a moment until spotting a muscled man with sunkissed brown wavy hair and hazel green eyes. The most interesting thing about him was the shackles on his hands and being accompanied by two peacekeepers.
Mortimer cursed to himself upon hearing his name and grumbled to his guards to get it over with. While he shuffled to the stage, Luther pulled some notes together. He revealed to the audience that Mortimer was a shiphand who worked on the same dock Gill Henderson manages. The chains were as a precaution as two weeks ago, Mortimer was caught smuggling a small supply of warmweed and District 6 professor Tobias Stephens into District 4’s waters. Tobias was seeking asylum in District 4 and was given a fake ID, but was caught hours after landing. He was executed in District 4’s town square. Artemis thought he looked handsome and wanted to see the muscles underneath his thin white undershirt. She was confused by the black eyeliner encompassing his right eye, wondering if he tried to paint a tattoo there. She also swore she could see something blue etched into his skin, wondering if he had a back tattoo. Mortimer didn’t want to shake Sherpa’s hand, but was intimidated by Parth’s cold black eyes and relented. Mayor Phillip congratulated this year’s tributes before dismissing them to the waiting rooms in the Town Centre.
Pearl was visited by both parents and her older sister Henrietta. Pearl couldn’t stop crying, her parents trying her best to calm her down. It was eventually Henrietta that temporarily ceased her hysterics. She asked her little sister to listen to her mentor and try her best. She implied she could remind Gill of the district partner he lost in his games and get extra attention. Pearl asked, “What about my partner? He could protect me.” Henrietta’s face furrowed into a frown. She insisted she not trust him, claiming he would only look out for himself like he always did. Pearl lamented that she couldn’t possibly win and was scared. Her mother assured her that a fourteen year old girl from District 7 won before, reminding her of Vixen Furtherson (victor of the 14th Hunger Games). Pearl asked if they thought she could have the chance to meet her, to which the parents thought she would. The four had a final embrace before peacekeepers arrived. Pearl resumed her hysterics the second the first peacekeeper grabbed her and she cried as she was dragged to the Speedy Submarine.
Meanwhile, Mortimer was initially all alone in his room. He was pacing back and forth, a couple tears falling from his eyes. Suddenly, the door opened and his girlfriend Meridia Vilewater entered. She embraced him and apologised for not coming sooner. Mortimer said it was alright, simply glad someone showed up. Meridia said, “I’m sorry your father couldn’t make it. I promise to look after him.” Mortimer thanked her and expressed how grateful he was for her being there when the entire town wasn’t. He joked how her father didn’t have to worry about him poking around anymore, but Meridia began to tear up upon hearing this. He apologised and assured her he would try his best to win and not only bring honour to the district, but possibly help his father. He then snarkily said, “Who knows? Maybe your dad will accept me?” Meridia betted he would and gave him a final embrace, knowing their time was short. Mortimer whispered to her the location of his secret stash of “medicine” before being dragged out of the room and to the Speedy Submarine.
Pearl and Mortimer found themselves in the lounge area. Pearl nervously sat on the couch and waited for their mentor to show. Mortimer gave her a stare before silently resigning himself to the bar. He was downing a Woeful Whiskful cocktail from Johnson’s Jazzy Juices when their mentor Gill Henderson entered the room. He gave a momentary glance to Mortimer before introducing himself to Pearl. Pearl claimed to know him from his shanty performance during the Saint Patrick’s Day celebration at The Brine. Gill appreciated the sentiment before diverting the conversation. He point-blankedly asked what skills she had. She shrugged and simply stated she was a waitress. Gill pondered over this and asked how many orders she handled on average. Pearl answered she would normally keep track of the orders of 4-5 tables simultaneously, even recalling a day she juggled eight tables at once. Gill explained she was an effective communicator and a multitasker, two skills that could prove crucial to her survival. He caught her nervously glancing at the despondent Mortimer sitting on the barstool. Gill walked over to him and greeted him. Pearl asked if he knew him, to which Gill confirmed. Mortimer dejectedly stated that everyone knew him and that he was infamous. Gill argued that he didn’t help himself with the image he projected and asked what his father would think. Mortimer snapped that he didn’t know anything and to drop it. The tone in his voice scared Pearl, but Mortimer was kind enough to apologise to her for his outburst.
Gill took this opportunity to give them the routine rundown of the events to come. He recommended they devise ways to get the Capital to like them, reminding them of the importance of sponsors. Gill looked down at Pearl and said she was adorable and could use that. Pearl decided to better improve her look to play into the cute persona. Gill turned to Mortimer, who was still sipping from his glass but paying close attention. Gill said that his criminal record and standoffish attitude wouldn’t help matters, suggesting he lighten up. He also explained that he knew some of his stories that could be used as sob stories for the audience. Mortimer claimed those to be private. He grumbled that he didn’t need any help before resigning himself to the training room. Gill hollered back to at least consider using his strength as an asset. Pearl asked what his deal was, claiming to have only heard the story of him smuggling “the professor from 6’ in. Gill sighed and asked her to sit down. He decided to disclose that Mortimer’s mother abandoned him and his disabled father when he was six, leaving him to become man of the house. He had some traumatic experiences with a few of District 4’s bad apples and had trust issues, enough to turn away those who genuinely wanted to help, including Alexander Riverstone. Pearl, hearing her father’s name dropped, wanted to know more, but Gill decided it was a story for another time. He instead called the dinner cart in and turned on the TV. He turned on the 13th and 14th Hunger Games, both erecting Ashley Chen and Vixen Furtherson, the youngest victors in history. Gill asked Pearl to take notes on their performances in hopes of settling on a strategy.
While she took notes, Gill visited the training room and approached Mortimer who was lifting weights. Gill notified him of the dinner cart and pleaded with him to join them. Mortimer relented and dropped his weight. Before they entered the lounge area, Gill put a hand on Mortimer’s shoulder and told him there was no shame in wanting to talk as he didn’t want him to die in the arena with things remaining unsaid. Mortimer hesitated before wordlessly filling his plate. He brought his plate to the couch and began watching the finale of the 14th games with Pearl. When the games ended, Pearl got up to make her plate while Mortimer turned on Gill’s games and made notes of his own. Pearl sat down to watch and chuckled at the iconic “Bye Felicia” tagline but averted her eyes when Gill’s district partner Angel was killed. When the finale showdown between Gill and Furler (D12 male tribute) came up, Mortimer paid close attention. Pearl asked if he was studying his trident fighting style to which he confirmed, stating his desire to practise the trident. After dinner, Gill broke into song and began improvising a sea shanty. Pearl began to dance to the melody while Mortimer nodded his head and slipped a smile in. Gill sent his tributes to bed and spent an extra few minutes at the bar, drinking a Huma Hurricane.
The next morning, the Speedy Submarine arrived at the Darius Dock on the Capital docks. Gill ordered his tributes to brush their hair and teeth as well as put on nice clothes. He even loaned his aftershave to Mortimer when there wasn’t any found in his room. Gill inspected them head to toe and reminded them to make an impression, telling Pearl to stay adorable and Mortimer to lighten up. The hatch opened and the three were bombarded with the cheers of adoring Buccaneers (avid fans of District 4). While most of the attendees swarmed around this year’s tributes, there was a small zealous group who called for the Brotherly Sailor, asking him to sing. Gill refrained from doing so, knowing it would take away attention from his mentees. Pearl played into her cuteness, flashing big smiles and waving her hands. She took pictures with many of the young girls, some even asking to touch her pigtails. One blushing boy walked up with a golden tiara and asked to put it on her head. She nodded and bowed, letting him place the tiara on her head. She thanked her “prince charming”, telling him she will go on a date with him if she wins.
Meanwhile, Mortimer didn’t say much but received much attention regardless. He took pictures with many of the teens in the crowds, one even giving him a prop trident to pose with. He also allowed the girls to squeeze his biceps and fawn over his wavy hair. Mortimer was beginning to feel annoyed and tried to find an excuse to step away. It came to a head when one eager girl asked if he had a girlfriend. He wretched himself away from the girls’ grasp, but another girl still had a hold of his shirt. The shirt tore to shreds in her hands, exposing the massive back tattoo on his back. Cameras got a close look at the illustration of the fabled Kraken inked onto the majority of his back, some of its tentacles stretching up his neck and around his chest. This unexpected turn of events becomes its own fiasco with more girls putting their hands all over his back. Pearl pushed some of the girls away and took pictures with the Kraken. Gill noticed this and quickly ushered his tributes to the limousine.
The three arrived at their apartment to see their stylist Minerva Panson waiting for them. Minerva was a tattoo artist who applied for the position of Hunger Games stylist to expand her business. This was Minerva’s second year as a stylist, having been District 11’s stylist the previous year. She greeted Gill and his tributes, excited to talk parade costumes with them. She knelt down and told Pearl how adorable she was, pinching her cheeks. She stood up and was slightly put off by Mortimer, who still felt humiliated by what happened at the parade. Minerva said she loved his tattoo, but it needed some polishing. Mortimer grunted a thanks and went into his room to find a shirt. Pearl was excited to see what outfit she had planned, begging to see her sketchbook. Minerva flipped through the pages with Gill, pointing out her favourites. Gill asked about her most recent sketch of an underwater king and mermaid costume. Minerva explained that she was inspired after a recent tattoo she gave a Buccaneer and the idea was reinforced by Mortimer’s Kraken tattoo. Pearl liked her mermaid outfit and asked if she could have her hair wet.
Mortimer came back in to see their final decision. Minerva said he would have to showcase his tattoo some more to go with her costume idea, revealing that it went viral on the Capital Internet. Mortimer was against it at first, but relented when Minerva offered to polish it and add a new one of his choosing at the ends of the tentacles on his chest. Interested, he agreed. She wondered aloud about the eyeliner around his right eye, rubbing her thumb on it. She inspected the residue and revealed to the room’s occupants it was fake. Mortimer sighed and admitted it was, but insisted he only applied it to spite those who dislike him and that he would never etch an actual tattoo on his face. While Minerva worked, Pearl complimented Mortimer’s tattoo, remarking how if she won, she would get a tattoo of her own. Mortimer chuckled, saying, “Just remember, real tattoos are permanent.”

Hi all, partner and I (FHB) went to inspect a house in Taylors Lakes last week, we like the property but having a hard time putting a $ figure on it for the upcoming auction as the area doesn't see too many sales in general, and this property is positioned opposite a school which is quite different than all the rest that did sell in the past 6 months.
If anyone has access to RP data or experience with property valuations, we would be extremely grateful for any help, please DM me 🙂

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2023/05/25/sandeep-minhas-accused-of-selling-refilled-pappy-van-winkle-bottles-at-auction/70255545007/
For entertainment value only, looking forward to reading a glowing review with marzipan and cardamom notes and a later post when the reviewer learns it’s not Pappy’s. I mean, you know it’s out there. I’m confident that every bottle of Mellow Corn, with notes of corn, have been authentic.

​
The IPL Auction is always an exciting event, with teams vying for top cricketing talent from around the world. The 2023 IPL Auction had its fair share of surprises, with some players going for much less than expected and others being overpaid. Let's take a look at some of the biggest steals and overpaid players of the auction.

Biggest Steals:

Varun Chakravarthy: One of the standout performers of the previous IPL season, Varun Chakravarthy was expected to attract a hefty price tag. However, he surprisingly went unsold, making him one of the biggest steals of the auction. His skills as a mystery spinner and his ability to take wickets consistently make him a valuable asset for any team.
Shivam Dube: Known for his powerful hitting and useful medium-pace bowling, Shivam Dube went under the radar in this auction. He was eventually picked up by a team at a relatively low price, which can be considered a steal given his potential and all-round abilities.
Sheldon Cottrell: The West Indian left-arm pacer had a forgettable IPL 2020, but his previous performances had showcased his ability to take early wickets. Surprisingly, no team showed interest in acquiring his services, making him an underrated steal in the auction.

Overpaid Players:

Glenn Maxwell: Known for his explosive batting, Glenn Maxwell fetched a staggering price in this auction. While he has the potential to win matches single-handedly, his inconsistency and lackluster performances in previous editions of the IPL make him a risky investment at such a high price.
Moeen Ali: The English all-rounder was one of the overpaid players in this auction. While he brings versatility with his batting and off-spin bowling, his recent form and limited impact in the IPL might not justify the hefty price tag he received.
Pat Cummins: Undoubtedly a top-class fast bowler, Pat Cummins attracted a massive bid in the previous auction. However, his high price tag raised eyebrows, considering the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket and the relatively limited impact of fast bowlers in the IPL.
The IPL Auction 2023 had its fair share of surprises, with some players going unsold despite their talent, while others were overpaid based on their reputation. It's important to remember that these assessments are based on past performances, and players have the opportunity to prove their worth on the field in the upcoming season.
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Since the Walkmen's old message boards are gone, this subreddit seems like a good place to re-share a couple fan Q&A posts. I was the forum admin and would compile questions from the fans, email the band, and post their replies. We did a few Q&A posts over the years but could only find two saved. Will post the other shortly.
​
The Official 2010 Forum Fan Q&A with The Walkmen!
Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving to all - the 2010 Forum Q&A is officially here! The guys took some time during their recent European tour to answer some questions from their loyal fans on the forum, and Walt kindly typed them up and sent them along. Without further ado.....
What would be the band's dream festival lineup if you could book any 10 bands in the world from any time in history? and where would it be?
Billie Holiday
The Ronettes
Django Reinhardt
Velvet Underground
Richard Pryor
The Smiths
Shirley and Lee
Hank Williams
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Jimi Hendrix Experience
taking place at Ft. Reno in DC
What was your favorite festival appearance this year?
I liked doing Lollapalooza. I liked seeing Lady Gaga. I thought she was funny. I honestly think that every person watching her though she was awesome, she's very good with a crowd. I liked especially when she was raised up on this platform thing and she yelled "Its hot as fuck up here!"
Are there any venues or cities you visited for the first time in 2010 that you particularly liked?
I liked doing The Trocadero in Philly. It's a great place. Matt and Paul and I played there years ago in our old band opening for the Cramps and I'd forgotten about it.
I love the harmonies on Torch Song and All My Great Designs - What inspired you to add this new dimension to your music and will you be exploring similar musical territory in the future?
I think we'll always try to find new sounds. Back-ups like the ones we did on Lisbon make tons of sense to us. Its a very classic sound and one that you hear in all the music that we love. I don't know why it took us so long to try it.
When fine-tuning a new song you've already played live, do you consider input from family, friends, fans even? or is it pretty much a closed environment consisting of just the five of 'em plus the producer?
I ask my wife all the time what she thinks of new songs or parts while we're writing. She's very thoughtful about music and I trust her opinions on what we do.
With songs that evolve live and undergo so many changes, how do you decide on a final version? How do you know when a song is done?
Once we've totally digested it and we're all happy with it we know it’s done.
album art - For Lisbon, did you have a concept in mind, or did you see a piece/someone's work and think "that'd be perfect for our new album"?
I saw pictures by Luigi Ghirri at the Armory Art show in NYC and I wrote his name down because it looked sort of romantic and dreamy and also kinda tough. It seemed great for a Walkmen cover. Elizabeth Spiridakis who is an old friend of my wife (she did You & Me too) designed the cover using 2 Ghirri images and I thought it was great. And the Ghirri people were nice enough to let us use them.
For the next album, will you return to Dallas or any of the other studios that you've been recording at? Plan to work with John Congleton again?
I bet we'll try something new but who knows. Dallas was great. John C was great. And Chris Zane was amazing as usual. But we often do our best work in new environments - so who knows.
What exactly led to the stop-over at Sun Records? loved the video of those sessions!
They invited us to do a session and we said yes immediately. It was really actually pretty awesome. I loved being there in the very room where all of that stuff went down.
What are some of the band's favorite songs to play live? What are some songs you can't stand to play?
I love playing On the Water, Victory, Another One Goes By, Juveniles, Woe is Me, Blue as Yr Blood, Lisbon as well all the new ones. I might look calm or bored but I'm beaming on the inside.
How do you handle song requests from fans? Does it bother you when people shout out song requests in the middle of a show?
It’s nice to get requests and to make people happy. I don't like it when people start yelling "The Rat" right as we come on stage or after the first song. But when people come up to us and ask for a song we generally like to give em what they want. Why the hell not right?
What do the guys listen to in the van these days, and who gets to pick what they listen to?
We mostly read in the van actually. Its very very quiet.
If one of you were to write a review of a Walkmen album - which musical artists would you compare or refer to? What artist comparison would you see as a compliment?
I 'd compare it to the Pogues, Leonard Cohen, The Pixies probably. We are inspired by tons of stuff and we steal directly from loads of people but I think the end result could be most easily compared to a combination of these.
Now that you've had better European experiences in Lisbon, will you continue venturing into places like Germany and Scandinavia while touring?
I think so. It looks like we might finally do decently enough in the UK/Europe to start coming over here (I'm in Manchester now) a lot.
my Kiwi friend is dying to know - when will you come to New Zealand?
Yikes, i thought New Zealand was overrun by spiders and croc's and snakes.
Will the band ever consider doing runs of live dates to play through each album chronologically, start to finish?
Yeah, I think that'd be cool actually. I like when people do that. Ham and PeeWee Bauer and I were talking about that at dinner tonight actually.
Since it seems unlikely that you'll release a full live album, would you ever consider letting fans/forum members do a soundboard recording at one of your shows, just to share with other fans who really want full live shows at the best quality possible? (we've got a taper in Chicago who would probably give his left nut for that opportunity.)
Sure, but soundboard recordings sound pretty bad. If someone wanted to do a professional recording of one of our shows I bet we could figure out a use for it. They should contact our manager or us or something.
Who do we need to beg for vinyl reissues of Bows + Arrows and EWPTLMIG?
We're working on it. We really want those also. Its just a little complicated but we're actually really trying to make that happen.
About "Flamingos"- is there any story about why it is dedicated to Pepper Jack, or maybe what inspired the song? Did you play it originally during a soundcheck or something?
No the song was unrelated to Chris. We just love the guy and wanted to give him a shout out. I don't think he really cared though.
There was a song you played at Webster Hall in April 2009. It was about 2:30 long... Very short, intense and awesome. can't remember specific lyrics but am sure it is not on Lisbon... Maybe they remember? Could you ask them? Long shot, yes. But I'm telling you... this song was tremendous...
I have no idea - anything else you can remember?
Daytrotter appearances - we love the covers sessions! is the rumor of an upcoming Led Zeppelin cover session for real? when's the next one happening? have you ever considered doing a kind of Replacements "sh\t* hits the fan" cover with an unlikely band's songs?
I wanted to do a Led Zeppelin session but the date didn't happen at the last minute. We were gonna do Tangerine, Celebration Day, Braun Yr Stomp.
Do any of you ever read anything on the forums?
I go to the forum to see what new press we got since I don't know how to use the internet well enough to find it myself and you guys seem to find all the stuff. So thanks.
last one: please help us make sense of your setlists...what song does each "code name" equate to?
4th Meal - Red River
Beagle - Thinkin of a Dream I Had
Calypso - Ride Down the Highway
Cohen = On the Water
Curtain - I don't know
Doldrums - Never had that
Duck - Torch Song
Faint - Never had that
Fandango - I lost you
Freeze - never had it
Grind - Whats in it For Me
Helen - never had it
Hooves - never had it
Horn = All Hands and the Cook
Hose - In the New Year
Internet = Juveniles
John - Lousiana
Legs - never had it
Lightning Bolt - Everyone Who Pretended..
Lil' Friend - While I shovel the Snow
Lou - Louisiana
Mel - Bows and Arrows
Middle - never had it
Mussels - Angela
Odd Kords - Blue Route
Party Song - a song that never made it (Today or Tomorrow was the chorus)
Peckerwood - Victory
Puppies = Woe is Me
Radiator = In the New Year
Recoys- Blizzard of 96
Slow Blo - Lisbon
Snowed - never had it
Sota - Orange Sunday
Squid - Donde esta la Playa
Thrash - Little House of Savages
True - Never had it
Vigo = New Country
Waltz = red moon
Water Hawk - Lost in Boston
Winter - never had it
PS - we love you guys so very much, Lisbon is stunning and a lot of us are head over heels in love with it. Thank you for doing what you do, and for bringing us along for the ride. See ya out on tour & happy holidays!!
thanks so much all of you. you are the best. we really appreciate your support and are proud to have such a respectable gang supporting us. Cheers.
-walt

Around Town:

• Murder on the Orient Express (Guthrie Theater - All Weekend)
• It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Stupidity (Dudley Riggs Theatre - All Weekend)
• An American Tail: The Musical (Children's Theatre Company - All Weekend)
• First Lady Suite (Elision Playhouse - All Weekend)
• Our Town (Open Window Theatre - All Weekend)
• The Prom (Chanassen Dinner Theatre - All Weekend)
• Ain't Misbehavin' (Capri Theater - All Weekend)
• W;t (Theater In the Round - All Weekend)
• Kickoff to Summer (Minnesota State Fairgrounds - All Weekend)
• AniMinneapolis (Hyatt Regency - All Weekend)
• Art for a Cause: Stephanie Dillon + Justin Hammer Art Sale (West End - Fri & Sat)
• Alex Velluto (Laugh Camp Comedy Club - Fri & Sat)
• Nate Craig (ACME Comedy Club - Fri & Sat)
• Minnesota Songkran Festival (State Capitol - Sat & Sun)
• One Family Fest (Kingston Park - Sat & Sun)
• Caterwaul (Palmer's Bar - Sat & Sun)

Friday

• John Swards (Utepils 7pm)
• Kate Malanaphy (7th Street Entry 8pm)
• Desperate Electric, Vinny Franco, Beneath Green, and ELOUR (Fine Line 8pm)
• Royal Bliss (Fine Line 8pm)
• Dave’s Manual, Kylie Nova, The Owl-Eyes (331 10pm)
• Luke Callen, The Foxgloves, Long Mama and Wolf Van Elfmand (Palmer's Bar 6pm)
• Lovejoy (First Avenue 7pm)

Saturday

• Rise & Remember Festival (George Floyd Square 1-9pm)
• Watsky (First Avenue 6pm)
• Backyard Boombox One Year Anniversary Party (Falling Knife Brewing 1pm)
• The Alpha Car Show and Pop Up Market (200 E Lyndale 4-8pm)
• Lady Midnight (Green Room 7pm)
• Twin City Spring Music fest (Phoenix Theater 4-10pm)
• GRRRL SCOUT: SNAX (Icehosue 9pm)
• Stillwater 5K/10K/Half Marathon (Stillwater 8am)
• Intro to D&D (Level Up Games 2:30-6:30pm)
• 5K Milk Run (Minnesota State Fairgrounds 8am)
• Oedipus in Seattle (Bryant Lake Bowl 3pm)
• Helloweed (The Fillmore 7pm)
• Leisure World Block Party — Cool Trash (Leisure World Vintage 12-6pm)
• The Pickle Ball – An Outdoor Tea Dance (Eagle Bar 1-5pm)
• Bad Decisions (7th Street Entry 9pm)
• Justice for George: Breaking Barriers Building Bonds (Squirrel Haus Arts 5-9pm)
• Kat Dahlia (Fine Line 7:30pm)
• 2nd Annual Reggae Summer Splash (Hook & Ladder 7pm)
• The Riffin' Trio and Hemma (Turf Club 6pm)
• Dungeons & Dickheads: The Vilification Tennis RPG (Strike Theater 9:30pm)

Sunday

• Elder (Fine Line 7pm)
• The Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience (Dakota Jazz Club 7pm)
• AK Fields (7th Street Entry 7pm)
• Conway the Machines (Amsterdam Bar & Hall 7pm)
• Immigrant for a Day (Gammelgården Museum of Scandia 10-4pm)
• Vietnamese Show (Grand Casino Hinckley 7pm)

Sports

• Toronto AT Twins (All Weekend)
• Omaha AT Saints (All Weekend)
• Salt Lake AT Loons (Saturday 7:30pm)
• Vegas VS Lynx (Sunday 9pm)

I have had suggestions for a patreon or something of the sort in the past. I do this because I like to provide whatever tiny help I can to the community. BUT I also like to raise money for Gillette's Children Hospital every year. So if you have some virtual loose change you can help me help dem kids here: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/482633

Links

• Reddit - Twin Cities Social meet-ups - https://www.reddit.com/twincitiessocial/
• Minneapolis Park Events - https://www.minneapolisparks.org/event-calenda
• Secrets of the city - http://www.secretsofthecity.com/
• MPLS Art Events - https://www.mplsart.com/calendaupcoming
• Minnesota Monthly Event Calendar - http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Calenda
• MSP Magazine Event Calendar - http://mspmag.com/search/event/events-calenda#page=1
• Minneapolis Northwest Event Calendar - https://www.minneapolisnorthwest.com/events/
• Minneapolis.Org Event Calendar - https://www.minneapolis.org/calenda
• Family Fun Twin Cities - https://www.familyfuntwincities.com/family-fun-events-calenda
• Racket MN Event Calendar - https://racketmn.com/category/events/

Be da real MVP and add anything I missed below.

Around Town:

• Murder on the Orient Express (Guthrie Theater - All Weekend)
• It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Stupidity (Dudley Riggs Theatre - All Weekend)
• An American Tail: The Musical (Children's Theatre Company - All Weekend)
• First Lady Suite (Elision Playhouse - All Weekend)
• Our Town (Open Window Theatre - All Weekend)
• The Prom (Chanassen Dinner Theatre - All Weekend)
• Ain't Misbehavin' (Capri Theater - All Weekend)
• W;t (Theater In the Round - All Weekend)
• Kickoff to Summer (Minnesota State Fairgrounds - All Weekend)
• AniMinneapolis (Hyatt Regency - All Weekend)
• Art for a Cause: Stephanie Dillon + Justin Hammer Art Sale (West End - Fri & Sat)
• Alex Velluto (Laugh Camp Comedy Club - Fri & Sat)
• Nate Craig (ACME Comedy Club - Fri & Sat)
• Minnesota Songkran Festival (State Capitol - Sat & Sun)
• One Family Fest (Kingston Park - Sat & Sun)
• Caterwaul (Palmer's Bar - Sat & Sun)

Friday

• John Swards (Utepils 7pm)
• Kate Malanaphy (7th Street Entry 8pm)
• Desperate Electric, Vinny Franco, Beneath Green, and ELOUR (Fine Line 8pm)
• Royal Bliss (Fine Line 8pm)
• Dave’s Manual, Kylie Nova, The Owl-Eyes (331 10pm)
• Luke Callen, The Foxgloves, Long Mama and Wolf Van Elfmand (Palmer's Bar 6pm)
• Lovejoy (First Avenue 7pm)

Saturday

• Rise & Remember Festival (George Floyd Square 1-9pm)
• Watsky (First Avenue 6pm)
• Backyard Boombox One Year Anniversary Party (Falling Knife Brewing 1pm)
• The Alpha Car Show and Pop Up Market (200 E Lyndale 4-8pm)
• Lady Midnight (Green Room 7pm)
• Twin City Spring Music fest (Phoenix Theater 4-10pm)
• GRRRL SCOUT: SNAX (Icehosue 9pm)
• Stillwater 5K/10K/Half Marathon (Stillwater 8am)
• Intro to D&D (Level Up Games 2:30-6:30pm)
• 5K Milk Run (Minnesota State Fairgrounds 8am)
• Oedipus in Seattle (Bryant Lake Bowl 3pm)
• Helloweed (The Fillmore 7pm)
• Leisure World Block Party — Cool Trash (Leisure World Vintage 12-6pm)
• The Pickle Ball – An Outdoor Tea Dance (Eagle Bar 1-5pm)
• Bad Decisions (7th Street Entry 9pm)
• Justice for George: Breaking Barriers Building Bonds (Squirrel Haus Arts 5-9pm)
• Kat Dahlia (Fine Line 7:30pm)
• 2nd Annual Reggae Summer Splash (Hook & Ladder 7pm)
• The Riffin' Trio and Hemma (Turf Club 6pm)
• Dungeons & Dickheads: The Vilification Tennis RPG (Strike Theater 9:30pm)

Sunday

• Elder (Fine Line 7pm)
• The Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience (Dakota Jazz Club 7pm)
• AK Fields (7th Street Entry 7pm)
• Conway the Machines (Amsterdam Bar & Hall 7pm)
• Immigrant for a Day (Gammelgården Museum of Scandia 10-4pm)
• Vietnamese Show (Grand Casino Hinckley 7pm)

Sports

• Toronto AT Twins (All Weekend)
• Omaha AT Saints (All Weekend)
• Salt Lake AT Loons (Saturday 7:30pm)
• Vegas VS Lynx (Sunday 9pm)

I have had suggestions for a patreon or something of the sort in the past. I do this because I like to provide whatever tiny help I can to the community. BUT I also like to raise money for Gillette's Children Hospital every year. So if you have some virtual loose change you can help me help dem kids here: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/482633

Links

• Reddit - Twin Cities Social meet-ups - https://www.reddit.com/twincitiessocial/
• Minneapolis Park Events - https://www.minneapolisparks.org/event-calenda
• Secrets of the city - http://www.secretsofthecity.com/
• MPLS Art Events - https://www.mplsart.com/calendaupcoming
• Minnesota Monthly Event Calendar - http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Calenda
• MSP Magazine Event Calendar - http://mspmag.com/search/event/events-calenda#page=1
• Minneapolis Northwest Event Calendar - https://www.minneapolisnorthwest.com/events/
• Minneapolis.Org Event Calendar - https://www.minneapolis.org/calenda
• Family Fun Twin Cities - https://www.familyfuntwincities.com/family-fun-events-calenda
• Racket MN Event Calendar - https://racketmn.com/category/events/

Be da real MVP and add anything I missed below.

Here is what I think.
The team finally settled on a Roy - Gurbaz opening combination. However I believe that once Shreyas comes back and occupies the number three/four spot(Nitish occupying the other spot), Venkatesh will have to open.
So Jason Roy and Venkatesh Iyer will be my openers.
Do we need to retain Gurbaz in that case? -
Well, Gurbaz can be a backup for Roy and it is an added benefit that he keeps wickets. Further his salary is only 50 lakh.
If Roy choose not to stay, will there be alternatives available in the upcoming auction?
Alex Hales and Chris Lynn might register.
Steve Smith(not the same type of player but a solid option nonetheless) might register.
Getting an Indian option - Padikkal/ Mayank Agarwal.
What about cheaper options?
Tom Köhler Cadmore, Tim Seifert, Tom Banton, Kusal Mendis, Adam Rossington and Will Smeed might be cheaper options.
Players under-utilised in other franchises might get released.

1. Quinton de Kock
2. Dewald Brevis
3. Kane Williamson
4. Will Jacks
5. Matthew Wade

etc
OR
We do have the option of retaining one of Johnson Charles or Litton Das.
Conclusion : Retain Roy if he chooses to stay. If not the money we paid him might be enough to acquire the services of someone like an Alex Hales or Steve Smith. Overseas top order batsmen don’t usually command a high premium because most teams are stacked with such players.
Gurbaz can be an ideal backup - getting one of the cheaper options I mentioned earlier in order to replace Gurbaz would essentially be a like for like replacement.
Either retain one of Gurbaz, Charles or Litton or get a relatively inexpensive overseas backup for your main opener.
Position 2 - 5 will be occupied by
Venkatesh Iyer Shreyas Iyer Nitish Rana Rinku Singh
For positions 6 & 7
If Roy is your overseas opener, none of your top 5 can keep wickets. There aren’t many proven Indian options who can keep wickets and act as finishers.
Sam Billings or Josh Inglis can fill in that spot.
That will allow Russell to play at 7. Wiese can be his backup.
Russel at 6 followed by Shardul/ Narine at 7 was never confidence inspiring.
Out sixth bowler has hardly been utilised this season and with the impact player option we can still have 5 proper bowlers + Russell + Nitish and Venkatesh as part timers.
Bowling lineup
These are the things I thought of

1. Powerplay bowling

Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora showed great promise towards the end of the season. Vaibhav Arora is highly rated in the domestic circuit and if he can build on what he showed us this season, he can turn out to be a real asset.
Should we retain Umesh Yadav ?
It would depend on his bowling form throughout the year.
He bowled really well in the powerplay in IPL 2022 (stats were almost as good as Shami then) and it would be great if he can do that again in IPL 2024. ( One lesson I learned from this season is to never write off ageing players)
The main question that we need to consider before releasing him is whether we can get a proven Indian fast bowler for under 2 crores.
Southee is the other powerplay bowler we have.
Third pacer
I still believe that Shardul can be very effective bowling in the middle overs. He’s got a knack of picking up wickets. I wouldn’t really want to bat him at 7 (with the impact player rule in place). However having him at No.8 provides great depth to the batting.
Lockie Ferguson can also be a great option. He can bowl in the middle overs and at the death. He has got a deadly yorker and varies his pace to deceive the batsman. He can be very effective on hard and fast wickets in the earlier stages of the tournament.
Spinner
Varun Chakravarthy should be our lead spinner with one of Suyash/ Narine/ Anukul as the second spinner. On slower tracks you can play three spinner by replacing your third seamer.
Conclusion
Positions 8-11 + impact player can be
Shardul Harshit Vaibhav/Umesh Varun Suyash/Narine/Anukul
OR
Harshit Lockie Vaibhav/Umesh Varun Suyash/Narine/Anukul
OR
Shardul Southee Harshit Varun Suyash/Narine/Anukul
OR
Shardul Narine/Anukul Harshit Vaibhav/Umesh Varun
Having Padikkal or Agarwal instead of Roy would allow you to play two foreign bowlers- just something to keep in mind.
Should we release Ferguson / Southee?
I don’t think so. It’s true that they didn’t have a really great season. But they are proven T20 bowlers. Teams that have better bowlers won’t release them and had there been better bowlers that signed up for the auction, teams like Mumbai Indian who needed an overseas fast bowler midway through the season would have gone for those bowlers.
While there might be Chameeras and Taskins and Muzarbanis outside, the question we need to ask is whether you would choose one of them over a Southee or a Ferguson. Replacing one player with another after every season might not bring you the desired results. On the other hand backing players who have been with you for a long time can. Fast bowlers can go for runs. Even in this season we’ve had top name fast bowlers go for plenty of runs ( they might have better overall statistics because they played more games and might have had a couple of exceptional games which improved their numbers)
Persisting with high quality talent will eventually bring you results. Southee and Ferguson have had good seasons for us in the past.
If Cummins/ Starc makes themselves available would it be prudent for us to release Ferguson Southee and Shardul and go for them?
It’s depends on what price you anticipate they will fetch in a mini auction.
Starc can replace one of Southee/ Ferguson in the bowling lineups mentioned earlier.
Cummins can be the powerplay bowler replacing Vaibhav/ Umesh and bat at 8 - a scenario where we could potentially have Cummins and Shardul at 8 & 9.
The key here is to not persist with Narine in all matches - thereby blocking a foreign spot and preventing the inclusion of a qualify overseas pacer especially on seaming tracks
To conclude, my team would look like this:
Batting
Roy Venkatesh Shreyas Nitish Rinku Billings/Inglis/Wade/Stubbs Russell (Wiese as backup)
Bowling
Shardul/Ferguson / extra spinner (turning track) Harshit Vaibhav/Umesh/Southee Varun
IP - Suyash / Narine/ Anukul
Backups
Roy backup
Indian batsmen backup
We now have : -
Mandeep Jagadeesan Aarya Desai
We could possibly release Mandeep and get in someone else
Indian spinners backup -
Eight foreign players will be
Jason Roy Roy backup Foreign wk - Billings/Inglis/Wade Andre Russell David Wiese Sunil Narine Tim Southee Lockie Ferguson
Taskin Blessing Chameera Cummins and Starc can be bought if you release Southee and or Ferguson.
That’s pretty much it

(Part 28 of a series) The Retail Punishment in Clovis

My earlier plan was to cover a lot of ground, but with the upcoming hearing, making this a somewhat targeted instalment.
Some of the arguments that we are hearing from the debtors are so flimsy and distorted that those provoke outright rage. Here are a few thoughts, more to come later!
(1) Clovis Objections
(a) Ad-hoc committee already in place, why need an EC?
Because when the ad-hoc committee asked to simply observe the auction you refused. The official EC is a way to ensure that your discretion and capriciousness is rendered irrelevant. Is that clear??
(b) We are already looking out for investor interests
I had to pick myself up from the floor laughing on hearing this. Do I need to remind that you have called out for a complete cancellation of equity? Due to the formation of the ad-hoc, you changed your stance to “Oh, if there is a recovery, you shareholders will get some scraps”. Since you changed your tune that is all the more reason for EC to be there to make you change your tune in other ways as well. Can I say the word ‘FRAUD’??
(c) No recovery possible
Yes yes, you very carefully have brought us to this point by giving your crown jewel Rubraca *for free*. This will be explained below. Since you did not disclose Exhibit F and the specifics of what the sale entailed, that supposed ‘sale’ is deficient and will need to be reversed. You, Clovis do not get a pass on the procedures that require full disclosure to allow for objections.
And yes, don’t tell us about the marketing effort of Luci from four years ago. Do we have to teach you that it is a long time for the biotech landscape to change? So yes, we need a fresh marketing effort for Luci, and it will be under full supervision of the EC and the court. You, Clovis have already demonstrated your mal-intent with respect to shareholder interests.
(d) BK Judge has authority over formation of EC
Yes, only in egregious cases. DOJ has authority to appoint an EC and have done so. The SEC also is supportive. What part of the words ‘public interest’, ‘DOJ’, and ‘SEC’ do you not understand??
(2) Shareholder Liquidation was the overarching plan all along
Reasons to support the above:
(a) The liquidation plan was filed WELL BEFORE the outcome of the sales!!! Clovis management has shown complete foreknowledge that shareholder elimination WILL happen, facts be damned. OK. Now we will show you the punishment for your supposed foreknowledge.
(b) Giving $100 mn Ruca inventory for free. Anything to keep equity out of the money. Clovis is telling us that they are giving MORE in inventory back to Pharma& than what they are paying upfront ($70 million). We will depose all the crooks that made this decision and depose the stuffing out of you. Fair?
(c) Oh just throw $500 mn in new debt as an obstacle. Why is that debt not being mentioned any more? No, the EC will get to the bottom of it and hold it against you with prejudice.
(3) Left and right hand of the court
Does the left hand of the court know what the right hand is doing? On one side we have the Sixth Street liability of $350 million. Well that debt had a singular purpose: to fund the Athena trials leading to Ovarian first-line approval.
Well, news flash, the trials were very successful with PFS that hit the ball out of the park. And how much is Pharma& paying for those approvals?? $30 mn in total between US and EMEA. So, Clovis believes that an investment into first line approvals equals to a return that is ONE-TWELFTH of the amount invested.
Well, we will hold you fully accountable for this criminal undervaluing of the asset. Just to repeat, Clovis is PAYING Pharma& to take Rubraca off their hands!
(4) Dare we utter the word?
Th.. t.. tha.. th That word is ‘FRAUD’. Bankruptcy Fraud. You know the one which carries up to a 20 year sentence. It’s high time that EC utter the magic word, and go after this criminal cabal, hammer and tongs.
We’re coming for you. Flutter and flap all you want, but no place to hide.
SPARTAAAAA!!!
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Poster: Jacaranda Bloom
Reddit user ID (bookmark or follow): Timely_Huckleberry97

Stumbled upon this while looking at an upcoming Prop Store auction. Looks like it is from the collection of the guy who runs the F13 props museum. Scroll down to see pics of the mask:
https://propstoreauction.com/auctions/info/id/347