Good luck everyone, have a great day, it’s Friday! Of note for Energy names (XLE, XOM, CVX), the IEA, in fitting with EIA, raised its 2020 oil demand outlook, but cut its 2021 view due to the improved outlook this year. However, it noted that risks were skewed to the downside. Of note for Casino names (CZR, WYNN, LVS) announced it will reopen its Bally’s on Las Vegas Strip on July 23rd. However, Nevada has ordered bars in Clark County, where Las Vegas is, to close on Friday. Of note for PC names (DELL, HPQ), Worldwide PC shipments rose +2.8% Y/Y in Q2 2020, totalling 64.8 million units, according to preliminary results by Gartner. IDC data reported Q2 20 shipments rose 11.2% Y/Y to 72.3mln units. “Early indicators suggest strong PC shipments for education, enterprise, and consumer, muted somewhat by frozen SMBs,” said Linn Huang, research vice president, Devices and Displays at IDC. “With inventory still back ordered, this goodwill will continue into July. However, as we head deeper into a global recession, the goodwill sentiment will increasingly sour”. Market share: HP (HPQ) 25%, Lenovo 24.1% (LNV GY), Dell Technologies (DELL) 16.6%, Apple (AAPL) 7.7%, Acer Group 6.7%.
DOW JONES
Merck & Co. (MRK) Animal Health Unit received FDA approval for its Bravecto Chews for dogs of 8 weeks and older; it is a once a month treatment for fleas and prevention of fleas. Pfizer Inc. (PFE) - BioNTech (BNTX), who is partnering with Pfizer to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, says they are confident it will be ready to get regulatory approval by year-end; expects to begin Phase 3 trials (N=30,000) by July-end. CEO said several hundred million doses could be produced even before approval, and over 1bln by the end of 2021.
NASDAQ 100
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) plans to create at least USD 100mln in stock awards to retain the 900-plus employees of Zoox, the self-driving car startup it offered to buy last month, and can walk away from the deal if large numbers of them turn down job offers from the technology giant; AMZN is aggressively expanding into self-driving technology, announced in June it had agreed to acquire the Silicon Valley company, for USD 1.3bln in cash, which it hopes to close by September. Facebook, Inc. (FB) – A bug in the Facebook Software Developer Kit (SDK) is causing major third-party iOS apps, like TikTok and Spotify to crash on launch. The SDK enables account logins through Facebook and enable apps to integrate Facebook within the app for analytics and advertisements. Gilead (GILD) released additional data on remdesivir for COVID-19: was associated with an improvement in clinical recovery and a 62% reduction in risk of mortality; 74.4% of treated patients recovered by day 14 (vs 59% of patients receiving standard of care).
S & P 500
AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) - Allergan announced it received FDA approval for its supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) that supports the expanded use of BOTOX for the treatment of spasticity in patients aged two years or older. Energy Transfer’s (ET) fight to stave off a shutdown of the Dakota Access oil pipeline now heads to a federal appeals court after a district judge rejected a request to freeze an order that operations of the pipeline be halted by August 5th. Ford Motor (F) announced the 50% staffing restrictions imposed on plants producing car parts in Chihuahua, Mexico is not sustainable, as US plants are running at 100%. The US ambassador to Mexico stated Ford “may have to shut some US car plants as early as next week if they fail to receive Mexico-produced engines”. Simon Property Group Inc (SPG) and Authentic Brands are considering a bid for retailer Brooks Brothers Group, as is WHP Global, reports WSJ citing sources. The move would be the latest in which property owners are looking to purchase large renters who use their property to keep its business strong. Previously SPG has considered buying bankrupt JC Penney. Tyson Foods (TSN) is looking towards automated butchers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WSJ.
OTHER
Barrick Gold (GOLD) sent a dispute notice to Papua New Guinea over the government’s refusal to extend a mining lease in the Porgera valley. Cannae Holdings (CNNE) and the Senator Investment group, who are trying to acquire CoreLogic (CLGX), have reportedly hired a proxy solicitor, DF King after CLGX rejected the unsolicited USD 7bln offer. Express (EXPR) announced 95% of its stores are open and its strategic transformation remains on track, while traffic and sales have steadily improved with e-commerce being positive in June. “Comparable sales for open stores sequentially improved from down over 50% in early May to approximately negative 15% by the third week in June. Traffic also improved, from approximately negative 65% in early May to approximately negative 30% by the third week in June. As COVID-19 cases began to spike in several states in late June, the Company saw declines in both sales and traffic in Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, which were significant enough to impact total results.” Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) reported double-digit sales growth in June; sales were approximately USD 4bln, +28.8% M/M and +40.8% Y/Y. Revenues for the H1 period were around USD 21bln, +35.2% Y/Y. Tencent (TCEHY) is in exclusive talks to purchase Hong Kong game developer Leyou Technologies, according to CNBC. WD-40 (WDFC) Q3 20 (USD): EPS 1.06 (exp. 1.07), revenue 98.2mln (prev. 114mln).
Additional US Equity Stories
Intel Corp. (INTC) has reportedly delayed another major near-term server project, according to SemiAccurate, who reportedly has multiple sources confirming this new delay and none are optimistic about the new schedule. Gilead (GILD) Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb says the Gilead (GILD) remdesivir data is very encouraging but needs to be confirmed in a prospective trial. United Airlines (UAL) reached a deal with a pilot union representing 13,000 employees regarding voluntary furloughs and early retirements. Nvidia Corporation (NVDA) had a PT upgrade at Rosenblatt Securities to USD 500 from USD 400, noting a secular shift into data-processing units and the co.’s entrance into new markets will drive revenue growth for the co. Carnival Corp. (CCL) preliminary EPS USD -6.07, Adj. EPS -3.30, revenue 740mln (prev. 4.84bln); expects future capacity to be moderated by phased re-entry of its ships, sold one ship in June, has agreements for the disposal of five ships. In total 13 ships expected to leave fleet represent a 9% reduction in current capacity. Reduced operating costs by over USD 7 billion on an annualized basis and reduced capital expenditures also by more than USD 5 billion over the next 18 months. H2 monthly average cash burn expected at USD ~650mln. The company currently expects only five of the nine ships originally scheduled for delivery in fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021 will be delivered prior to the end of fiscal year 2021. Apple Inc. (AAPL) Apple Silicon 13.3-inch MacBook Pro to go into mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, but also now predicts we will see an Arm-based American Airlines (AAL) has threatened to cancel some Boeing (BA) 737Max orders, a sign of deepening financial stress in the aviation industry.
Book Rey Mysterio If He Never Joined WWE in 2018 - Part 2: Booyaka
Part 1 here In this part, we saw Rey Mysterio jump onto the scene of NJPW. He started off hot, taking on his two amigos in Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi respectively. At King of Pro-Wrestling, he defeated Liger - but fell to The Ace in a match for his G1 Climax briefcase. He then won the IWGP United States Championship off of Cody to end his offspring of Bullet Club, and would embark on a title reign. He successfully defended against Bandido last time we saw him, and now he moves onto his next challenger. Book Rey Mysterio If He Never Joined WWE in 2018 - Part 2: Booyaka G1 Supercard: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii - IWGP United States Championship Rey Mysterio skips out on the New Japan Cup, and instead prepares for the G1 Supercard. It will be the biggest show NJPW have held in America, and since he’s the United States Champion he will be defending. Rey ventures off to GCW for Joey Janela’s Spring Break, taking part in the Clusterfuck as a surprise entrant. On Night Two, after Janela faces off with Jungle Boy - he calls out Rey to a match for a later date. Mysterio doesn’t respond, instead he’s in Madison Square Garden to face off against a New Japan semi-finalist, Tomohiro Ishii. He lost to Okada in the semis, and is angry. He wants to take his anger out on someone, and the IWGP United States Champion is his next victim. He fought in the inaugural title match but came up short to Kenny Omega, but now he has his chance to become the first Japanese man to hold it. After seeing Mayu Iwatani retain the Women of Honor Championship, we move to our next match - as Tomohiro Ishii walks out to a loud MSG pop. In the front row are Mysterio’s daughter, Aalyah and his wife. Then we see his son, Dominick, as a young lion at ringside. He got kicked in the head by Minoru Suzuki earlier so he’s just having a great time. They’re dad then enters out in the same gear he wore to the actual WrestleMania that weekend, as the villain “Mysterio” from Spider-Man Homecoming. He walks out with the gold Tomohiro lusts for, and rolls inside to pose with it on the second rope. The bell is rung and Mysterio goes to lock up - BUT ISHII GRABS HIM INTO A RELEASE GERMAN SUPLEX!! HE FOLLOWS WITH A BRIDGING GERMAN!! 1.........2.....KICK OUT BY REY REY!!! Mysterio is shocked at the sudden attack, and scurries up in the corner. ISHII GOES FOR A CLOTHESLINE BUT REY TURNS IT INTO A CRUCIFIX PIN!!! 1........ISHII KICKS OUT AND IS HIT BY A ROUNDHOUSE KICK!! REY WITH A HEADSCISSORS TAKEDOWN!! Rey regains and takes a moment to intake what’s happening, and GOES FOR A SHIRANUI!! ISHII COUNTERS WITH A SPIKE DDT!!! 1..............2..........KICK OUT INTO A POWERBOMB!!!! 1.............2..........TOMOHIRO LOCKS IN A BOSTON CRAB!! There is no escape for Mysterio from this rabid dog - who is hungry. Ishii locks in the hold and cinches it tighter. REY GOES TO FLIP HIM OUT, BUT ISHII GETS RIGHT BACK UP AND HITS HIM WITH A BOOT TO THE HEAD!! ISHII LIFTS HIM UP INTO A SNAP SUPLEX!! Tomohiro Ishii is now on the hunt, as he starts to unleash chops. OPEN HAND TO THE CHEST!! Rey falls to the mat, but is scooped back up into OVERHEAD CHOP!! Rey crumples to the mat again and starts to cough. ISHII THROWS HIM OUTSIDE INTO THE ARMS OF HIS SON!! ISHII THEN WITH A BIG BOOT ON THE FLOOR TO DOMINICK, AND THROWS HIM INTO THE APRON!! Ishii looks down at the fallen young boy - BUT IS THEN HIT BY A ENZIGURI FROM REY!!! MYSTERIO HITS A FRONT DROPKICK INTO THE RING POST!! HE THROWS HIM BACK INSIDE AND DIVES WITH A FROGSPLASH!!! 1.............2..........KICK OUT!!! ISHII ROLLS THROUGH AND LIFTS MYSTERIO UP INTO A VERTICAL SUPLEX!!! 1...........MYSTERIO GETS OUT!!! The crowd are going nuts at these two guys fighting spirit. ISHII GOES FOR A GERMAN SUPLEX, BUT REY FLIPS OUT AND HITS A HEADSCISSORS!! HE GOES FOR A 619 - BUT ISHII SPINS HIM TO THE OUTSIDE!! TOMOHIRO RUNS THE ROPES, BUT IS HIT BY A SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY!! He lifts Ishii up and runs the ropes, TO HIT A BULLDOG!! INTO A TORNADO DDT!! He calls for a 619, as Ishii crawls to the ropes. HE HITS IT!! HE DIVES FOR THE SEATED SENTON - BUT NO NECK TOM CATCHES AND HITS A BRAINBUSTER!!! 1...............2..............MYSTERIO KICKS OUT!!! Everyone explodes that Rey kicked out, and Ishii is still that angry dog - but he just got a whiff of a juicy steak. Tom lifts him up, looks him dead in his dead eyes - AND HEADBUTTS HIM TO SHIT!! ISHII FURTHER TARGETS THE HEAD WITH AN ENZIGURI!! HE RUNS FOR A LARIAT, BUT REY DUCKS AND HITS A MYSTERIO-RANA!! ISHII KICKS OUT AND ROLLS INTO THAT LARIAT!!! ISHII GOES FOR A BRAINBUSTER, BUT MYSTERIO EVADES AND HITS THE MYSTERIO-EXPRESS!! ISHII NO SELLS AND IS HIT BY A ENZIGURI!! ISHII NO SELLS AND HITS REY WITH A THREE AMIGOS!! He mocks his fallen friend Eddie with those moves - and that fuels Rey’s fire. REY WITH A SPRINGBOARD SEATED SENTON!! HE HITS A HEADSCISSORS AND CALLS FOR A 619!!! HE CONNECTS!!! SPRINGBOARD SPLASH!!!! 1...........2........KICK OUT!!!!!! ISHII LIFTS HIMSELF UP WITH A PRIMAL ROAR, AN HITS THE ISHII DRILLER!!!!! 1................2................3!!!! TOMOHIRO ISHII WINS AND BECOMES YOUR NEW, AND FIRST EVER JAPANESE, IWGP UNITED STATES CHAMPION!!!! Tomohiro Ishii defeats Rey Mysterio (12:51) PROGRESS Chapter 88: Super Strong Style 16: Marty Scurll vs. Rey Mysterio With his United States Championship lost, ending his 92 day reign, Mysterio heads away from Japan for a while to regain himself. He’s confirmed to show up at PROGRESS‘ Super Strong Style, but later revealed that he won’t actually participate - instead wrestle on the last night in a standard singles match with no prizes but merit. Meanwhile, his opponent is scheduled to be...Marty Scurll. A man who hasn’t appeared in PROGRESS in a long while, mainly because he’s in the middle of a ROH World Championship reign. Having begun his reign in June of 2018, Marty still holds it. He’ll return to PROGRESS for this night however, as he wants to face Rey…badly. After Dominion last year when Rey lost to Marty, he’s wanted to defeated him one on one. A year of wait, and he finally gets his chance. The ultimate hero vs. The ultimate villain, it’s like a comic book finale. In the lead up, Marty cuts a promo on Mysterio. In it he is as snivelling as ever, offering his wife Angie a night with him and calling Dominick “a giant lummocks“. Then when the third night of the Super Strong Style 16 arrives, we hear Rey Mysterio’s entrance music for the first time in PROGRESS history, as he enters to a raucous pop from the Alexandra Palace. Alexandra Park in London lose their minds for the Lucha Libre legend, who comes out in Black Knight attire (a Marvel superhero from Britain). The fans love him and he shakes hand with Jim Smallman as he enters. Marty Scurll’s reception is mixed, but he certainly wants it to be vocally harsh. He takes beer out of fans hands and spits it at them, which certainly turns their reactions around. The two men stare down after the bell is rung, a seismic stare. Rey puts his hand up with two fingers, but so does Scurll. They then both do the “2-0-5” taunt in sync. The crowd laugh, which Marty doesn’t like. He taunts on the second turnbuckle to earn their ire. Rey does the same and receives a good response. Scurll then jumps off and walks over to Rey - WHO DIVES AT HIM WITH A HURRICANERANA! They then run the ropes, AND MARTY CATCHES HIM WITH AN ARM DRAG HANDSPRING! MYSTERIO HITS HIS OWN ARM DRAG! Marty runs the ropes but Rey goes for a FRONT DROPKICK - but Marty halts so Rey misses the boat. SCURLL THEN DOUBLE FOOT STOMPS ON THE LUCHADORS FEET!! He lifts him up and starts to chop his chest. Marty finishes the chops, AND THEN HITS A ROPE-ASSISTED ENZIGURI!! He stomps on Rey while he shouts at fans who boo him, telling them to be louder. He smashes his knee into a kneeling Rey, and then lifts him into a Gory Special!! REY ESCAPES WITH A SUNSET FLIP!! HE RUNS THE ROPES AND GOES FOR A SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY, BUT SCURLL CATCHES WITH A SITOUT SUPLEX SLAM!! HE RUNS THE ROPES AND HITS A PENALTY KICK!! HE LOCKS IN AN OCTOPUS HOLD!! He wrenches on it, but Rey shuffles to the ropes. Scurll then slides outside to shout at a fan who insulted him. SCURLL IS THEN HIT BY A SUICIDE DIVE INTO A HEADSCISSORS BY MYSTERIO!! REY THROWS HIM INSIDE AND HITS A FROGSPLASH!!! 1................2............KICK OUT!!! MARTY DOESN’T DIE AFTER THE SURPRISE ATTACK!! Rey is now out of his trance of being beaten down and is back in the fight. Scurll goes for a Wheelbarrow Bodyscissors but Rey counters with an Arm Drag! HE GOES FOR A SUNSET FLIP PIN BUT SCURLL BREAKS OUT WITH A LANZA!! SCURLL THEN LIFTS REY UP FOR A GERMAN SUPLEX!! HE CONNECTS, AND GOES FOR ANOTHER! BUT MYSTERIO FLIPS OUT AND HITS A HEADSCISSORS!! HE THEN CONNECTS A BASEBALL SLIDEFOLLOWED BY HEADSCISSORS!! Rey is on a roll as he dances like Eddie outside. Scurll goes to push him into a fans seat, but Mysterio ducks and PUSHES HIM INTO THE APRON!! They then fight there. Scurll knocks Rey off and CONNECTS A SUPERKICK FROM THE APRON!! HE THEN DIVES OUT WITH A MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR!! Now they’re both on the ground. Scurll is dead and so is Rey. They crawl up by the fans laps. Scurll asks a fan to hold Rey in place as he lines up a Penalty Kick. MYSTERIO EVADES BEFORE THE KICK CONNECTS AND PUSHES HIM ONTO A GROUP OF FANS SEATS!! HE THEN DIVES OFF THE SECOND ROPE WITH A CROSSBODY - OVER THE FANS HEADS TO SCURLL!! They’re both even more dead than before and spend time climbing out of the wreckage, through fans and bent and fallen chairs. Rey navigates his way back while Marty writhes in the agony. Once back in the ring Mysterio dives for a Seated Senton - BUT IS HIT BY A SUPERKICK!! SCURLL HITS THE BLACK PLAGUE AND ROLLS INTO THE CROSSFACED CHICKENWING!! REY GETS HIS FOOT ON THE ROPES!! Scurll angrily lets go, throwing the luchador to the mat. They’re back up and the contest is still on. Rey knocks Scurll down with a SUNSET FLIP INTO A ROUNDHOUSE KICK, AND THEN HITS THE DROPPIN DA DIME!!! 1.............2...........KICK OUT!!! MYSTERIO LIFTS SCURLL UP AND GOES FOR A BULLDOG, BUT MARTY HITS A BACKBREAKER RACK DROPPED INTO A FACEBUSTER!! SCURLL JUMPS FOR A TORNADO DDT - BUT MYSTERIO CATCHES WTH A DROPKICK!! HE THEN FLIES WITH HIS OWN TORNADO DDT!! 1...........2.........SCURLL ROLLS OUT AND GOES FOR THE TORNADO DDT, BUT MYSTERIO CATCHES HIM WITH A SUPER HURRICANERANA!! MARTY LANDS ON HIS FEET AND HITS THE PARTY’S OVER!! HIS OLD FINISHER BUSTED OUT ON THIS OCCASION!!! HE COVERS, 1...............2...............MYSTERIO KICKS OUT JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!!! They roll outside to recover after the big rush of counters. Scurll is first up and walks over to Rey’s daughter and wife. He tries to chat them up, BUT REY TURNS HIM AROUND INTO A THROW INTO THE RING POST!! HE HITS A BIG BOOT INTO THE STEEL!! Rey then sets up a wooden table, and brings Scurll up to the apron. They both trade forearms there. Marty jumps to the second rope, possibly looking for a TORNADO DDT!! REY BRINGS HIM DOWN AND HITSMA HURRICANERANA OFF THE APRON!! SCURLL CRASHES DOWN THROUGH THE WOODEN TABLE ONTO THE WOODEN FLOOR!! Scurll grabs his back in utter agony, his spine crushed by the wooden table and floor. Rey then picks him off the mat and rolls him inside. Rey is looking to end it now, as he climbs up for a SPRINGBOARD SPLASH!! HE THEN LOOKS FOR A 619, BUT SCURLL HITS A EUROPEAN UPPERCUT!! SCURLL THEN GOES FOR A KNEELING REVERSE PILEDRIVER!! MYSTERIO COUNTERS WITH A ROLL UP FOLLOWED BY A FRONT DROPKICK AFTER THE KICK OUT! REY THEN CLIMBS UP FOR A DIVING WEST COAST POP!! 1............2.........KICK OUT!! REY GOES FOR ANOTHER - BUT ITS CAUGHT!! MARTY CATCHES HIM INTO A BIRD OF PREY!! HE HITS A TORNADO DDT!! HE FINALLY LOCKS IN THE CROSSFACED CHICKENWING!! REY ESCAPES AND SWINGS AROUND THE ROPES IN A 619 BUT IS HIT BY A SUPERKICK!! SCURLL THEN LOCKS IN THE CROSSFACED CHICKENWING WITH A BODYSCISSORS!! REY TAPS OUT!!! Marty Scurll defeats Rey Mysterio (19:58) Dominion 2019: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Rey Mysterio - IWGP Heavyweight Championship At Wrestling Dontaku, we see Kazuchika Okada and SANADA face off for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in Night Two’s main event on May 4th. Afterwards, Rey Mysterio appears on video where he says he will return to New Japan at Dominion to take on Okada for his IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The Rainmaker then states that in his post-match press conference, that he’s always wanted to face Rey Mysterio and that he’ll be happy to do it. Rey is a good and honourable man who deserves this title match after 25 years of wrestling. Okada is happy to give him the opportunity but makes sure Mysterio knows, he won’t win. Later in the month is AEW’s Double or Nothing. The highly anticipated show features a plethora of talent and star studded match ups, after the Jacksonville and Las Vegas rallies individually. Rey Mysterio appears at neither however despite heavy rumour and speculation. However, to open the show we see the Casino Battle Royale. In this we get a bomb dropped on us - the debut of Mysterio in AEW. Entering as the Joker, he comes and cleans house. It comes down to him and Adam Page, who face off in a 5-minute long battle. The winner will face either Kenny Omega or Chris Jericho at All Out for the AEW World Championship so the stakes are high. In the end, Hangman eliminates Rey after a Buckshot and Superkick combo. Then two weeks later is Dominion. For the first time ever, Rey Mysterio will challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. After a hell of the show we reach the main event. We’ve seen Dragon Lee vs. Will Ospreay, and Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito, and now we’re here. Rey Mysterio cuts a promo earlier in the show about how this means the world to him, this opportunity, and that he needs to win. He will never get a chance like this again, and can’t waste it. Mysterio represents is no-nonsense ordeal, as he comes out dressed as The Punisher. He’s got the navy singlet, with a skull across it. His mask then has the skull as well on it. Mysterio taunts on the second rope, but then Okada comes out. It’s the same thing he felt against Tanahashi and Liger, just being in the presence of someone on another world. When the bell rings, they don’t lock up straight away. They take in the magnitude of the stage and suck it all in. About a minute passes of this, before they lock up. They get into a collar and elbow, and Rey spins into a waist lock. Okada arm drags him off and cinches in a chinlock. Rey tries to flip out but Okada simply lowers down with him. HE THEN HITS A BELLY TO BACK SUPLEX!! Okada cinches in another chinlock. Rey gets up and Irish whips Okada to the ropes. The Rainmaker rebounds and connects a Shoulder Block to take Mysterio down. Rey gets up while Okada runs the ropes, and hits a HEADSCISSORS! Mysterio ducks under a clothesline and cinches the waistlock. He takes Okada down and applies a nerve hold, then hits a Spinal Tap! Okada lifts himself up and runs the ropes for a Short-arm Lariat! Rey stumbles back and rolls into a VICTORY ROLL!! 1........2.....KICK OUT!! OKADA GETS UP WITH A SHOULDER BLOCK, AND THEN RUNS THE ROPES FOR A RONT DROPKICK INTO THE CORNER!! Mysterio takes a Bret Hart sell of falling on impact. OKADA LIFTS HIM FOR A FLAPJACK BUT REY FLIPS OUT AND HITS AN ARM DRAG!! HE RUNS THE ROPES BUT IS CAUGHT IN A WHEELBARROW !BODYSCISSORS, THAT IS COUNTERED WITH A BULLDOG!! FLYING HEADSCISSORS BY MYSTERIO!! HE RUNS THE ROPES BUT OKADA HITS THE FLAPJACK AND FOLLOWS WITH A MILLION DOLLAR DROPKICK!! Okada then lifts Mysterio up and throws him to the corner, and starts to apply shoulder blocks. Okada Irish whips Mysterio who LEAPFROGS THE RAINMAKER AND HITS A MYSTERIO-EXPRESS!!! 1..........2.......KICK OUT!! OKADA WITH ANOTHER SHORT-ARM LARIAT!! Okada connects a European Uppercut to a kneeling Rey! This is the cut off, and The Rainmaker starts to stomp down on him. He lifts Mysterio up and Irish whips Rey, who jumps to the second rope AND DIVES OFF WITH A DIVING HURRICANERANA!!! OKADA ROLLS THROUGH AND CONNECTS A OPEN HAND CHOP!! DROPKICK!! HE LIFTS REY UP FOR A BACKBODY DROP BUT MYSTERIO EVADES AND HITS A SPINNING WHEEL KICK!! Rey is back in the fight, and runs the ropes for a RUNNING CROSSBODY!! HE HITS A TILT-A-WHIRL TORNADO DDT!! 1..........2........KICK OUT!!! Rey pulls himself up by the ropes, hoping the comeback got him. He punches the air, but lifts The Rainmaker up. He heads to the apron and awaits Okada - BUT SUNSET FLIPS OVER! REY ROLLS HIM AND HITS A ROUNDHOUSE KICK!!! Mysterio then runs the ropes but OKADA WITH A BIG BOOT!! HE HITS THE HEAVY RAIN!! 1........2.........KICK OUT!!! REY PULLS HIMSELF UP AND HITS A LOU THESZ PRESS!! HE GOES FOR A SHIRANUI - BUT OKADA DUMPS HIM ONTO THE MAT!! Rey doesn’t get up from that one, feeling the pain. Okada stomps on him and kicks the head, THEN GOES FOR A DDT!! MYSTERIO SLIDES OUT AND HITS A HEADSCISSORS!! HE RUNS THE ROPES AND CONNECTS THE 619 OUT OF NOWHERE!! He climbs the ropes and points to the crowd - DIVING SPLASH!! 1.........2.........KICK OUT FROM THE RAINMAKER!!! Rey gets desperate to end it and HITS A BASEBALL SLIDE TO THE OUTSIDE!! HE FOLLOWS WITH A SUICIDE DIVE INTO A HEADSCISSORS!! Okada falls into the guardrail both times, feeling the steel on his back. Rey goes to Irish whip but Okada reverses into his own. Rey then hops the guardrail and awaiting to see what Okada does. OKADA THEN DIVES OVER THE GUARDRAIL WITH THE SCOOBY DOOBY DOO!!! They both lay dead, as the referee counts down from 20. Eventually they get back up, after a lot of stumbling and tumbling. They get back in and REY DIVES WITH THE WEST COAST POP!! 1.........2.......OKADA ROLLS OUT OF IT WITH REY ON HIS BACK!!! ALABAMA SLAM!!! KICKOUT!!! HE LOCKS IN THE DEEP IN DEBT BUT REY GETS OUT!! HE RUNS TO THE CORBER BUT SO DOES OKADA WHO HITS A RUNNING BACK ELBOW!! HE THEN CONNECTS THE AIR RAID CRASH NECKBREAKER!!! 1...............2.............KICK OUT!!!! Both guys have kicked out a bunch of times, but now they’re down to the last minute. They’ve gone over 20 minutes and start to trade forearms. They double down after their fifth blows. They crawl by the corners - AND REY HITS THE AIR MYSTERIO!! HE RUNS UP FOR A MYSTERIO-RANA!!!! 1...........2........OKADA ROLS OUT AND HITS A SCOOP SLAM!! HE THEN CLIMBS THE ROPES - AND DIVES WITH A DIVING ELBOW DROP!! HE LIFTS HIM UP FOR A RAINMAKER - BUT MYSTERIO DUCKS UNDER AND HITS A POISONED RANA!!! HE DIVES IN WITH A SPRINGBOARD SITOUT FACEBUSTER!! REY GOES FOR ANOTHER MYSTERIO EXPRESS, BUT OKADA COUNTERS AND LOCKS IN THE DEEP IN DEBT!! MYSTERIO ESCAPES, BUT IS LOCKED IN WITH A COBRA CLUTCH!!!! REY REACHES THE ROPES!!! HE GOES FOR A 619 BUT OKADA CATCHES AND HITS THE RAINMAKER!!!! 1................2.................3!!!!!! Kazuchika Okada defeats Rey Mysterio (26:13) Fyter Fest 2019: The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Rey Mysterio and The Lucha Brothers (Fénix and Pentagon Jr.) - Six-man Tag Team Match With the launch of All Elite Wrestling, many peoples attention have been grabbed. Double or Nothing as we know saw Rey Mysterio make his shock debut to open the main show as the Joker slot in the Casino Battle Royale. Him and Hangman Adam Page had a war as the final two, ending with Page winning. Now comes Fyter Fest, however this scheduled match between The Elite and The Lucha Bros/Pac has been altered. Pac pulls out and so the replacement is revealed on The Road To Fyter Fest, where Rey Mysterio is interviewed and then he announces he will be the partner of the Lucha Bros. This is the official main event of Fyter Fest, as the actual last match is Unsanctioned. The Young Bucks enter first dressed as Ryu and Ken each, both posing on the stage until…the lights go down. A fan walks on stage, but then they go down again. KENNY APPEARS AS AKUMA’S RAGING DEMON!! He holds the finger gun over the fans body and makes his way down to the ring with his Elite stablemates. Then comes The Lucha Brothers. On the stage are Fénix and Pentagon dressed in their skull masks and hoodies. They both walk out but point to the centre, WHERE OUT COMES REY MYSTERIO!! Rey unhoods from his blue cloak to reveal his normal mask. He is dressed as Death from the Castlevania series in line with the whole skeleton aesthetic as well as for the video game tie-in. “Round 1 – FIGHT!” yells Justin Roberts as Nick Jackson and Rey Mysterio start us off. They go into a lockup and start to push forward and back. Nick lifts himself to the second rope and tightropes it, before jumping down with an Arm Drag. Rey rolls through with that but jumps back in a Rana. They both run the ropes but Nick leapfrogs and Mysterio rolls under, then springboards off with a Crossbody. A cover goes nowhere and Nick kips up for his own arm drag, followed by a Back Body Drop that Rey flips out of. They then go to a stalemate at this point and reposition in their respective corners. Kenny whispers to Nick while Mysterio stretches on the ropes. They both then move forward to the centre. Rey hits an Overhead Chop and follows with an Open Hand to the chest. He does this while maintaining wrist control. He then hits a Roundhouse Kick and an Enziguri, and runs up the ropes, then dives off with a CROSSBODY! Nick goes for a Superkick once up, but Rey spins him into a Spinning Wheel Kick attempt, which Nick spins and they HIT STEREO SUPERKICKS!! THEY THEN DOUBLE DOWN WITH CLOTHESLINES!! While their down, in come the others. EVERY TRIO IS IN THE RING AND A BRAWL BREAKS LOOSE! Kenny and Penta are going at it while Matt and Fénix do battle. They trade slaps and chops and kicks, until Mysterio and Nick are back up. REY HITS A AIR MYSTERIO TO NICK JACKSON!! The Lucha Bros then hit Superkicks to Kenny and Matt to take them outside. ALL THE LUCHADORS THEN DIVE OUT AFTER THE ELITE!! They all enter the ring and isolate Matt. The Bros hit Superkicks and hold him in place for a MYSTERIO EXPRESS!! Nick comes inside but is hit by a Hook Kick, and then with a SEATED SENTON FROM REY!! FÉNIX WITH A DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT TO NICK!!! 1……..2…..KICK OUT!!!!! The Bros roll out and Nick and Mysterio keep going. They trade forearms, until Rey tags in Fénix. Fénix comes in hot with a Springboard Front Missile Dropkick to Nick. He looks for a double team with Pentagon, BUT NICK HITS THEM BOTH WITH A DROPSAULT!! HE TAGS IN MATT! MATT COMES IN WITH A TOPE CON HILO TO BOTH GUYS!1 HE HITS A NORTHERN LIGHTS ON PENTAGON WITH AN O’CONNOR ROLL ON FÉNIX!! 1………2……KICK OUT!! HIM AND NICK THEN HIT DOUBLE SLINGSHOT SITOUT FACEBUSTERS!! Matt then gets a tag to Kenny Omega. OMEGA IS IN! Kenny runs straight forward with a Dropkick to Pentagon sending him outside. He hits a Backbreaker to a tagged in Mysterio , 1……2….KICK OUT!! HE GOES FOR THE YOU CAN’T ESCAPE!! BUT IT IS INDEED ESCAPED! MYSTERIO DIVES OFF THE TOP WITH A MOONSAULT!! Kenny recovers himself, BEFORE DIVING OUTSIDE WITH A RISE OF THE TERMINATOR TO PENTAGON!! PENTAGON CUTS HIM OFF! Cero…Miedo – AND THEY START TO FIGHT ON THE OUTSIDE!! They go to the apron where Pentagon lays in some chops, BUT OMEGA WITH A KOTARO KRUSHER ON THE APRON!! THE BUCKS THEN SEND FÉNIX TO THE FLOOR WITH A BACK BODY DROP + CANNONBALL SENTON COMBO!! Now all The Elite are inside and isolate Rey Mysterio. The Elite triple team him, with Matt and Nick holding Rey in place for A V-TRIGGER!! FOLLOWED BY A GERMAN SUPLEX!! KENNY HITS THE YOU CAN’T ESCAPE!! MATT FOLLOWS WITH A TOP ROPE ELBOW AND NICK WITH A SWANTON!!! 1………2……KICK OUT!!!! They pick him up and The Bucks try to double team. MYSTERIO MOVES AND MATT SPEARS NICK!! ENZIGURI FROM MYSTERIO TO OMEGA!! HE TAGS IN PENTAGON!! Pentagon comes in and chops everyone, and then hits a Double Japanese Arm Drag on Matt and Nick! SUPERKICK TO KENNY FOLLOWED BY A LUNGBLOWER!! Kenny rolls out, but then FÉNIX SPRINGBOARDS TO THE OUTSIDE WITH A TORNILLO TO OMEGA!! REY FOLLOWS WITH A SUICIDE DIVE!! PENTAGON THEN HITS A LANZA TO MATT BACK IN THE RING AND COVERS! 1………2…….KICK OUT!!! MATT FIRES BACK!! RUNNING CANADIAN DESTROYER TO PENTAGON – FOLLOWED BY A SPEAR!! Omega tags in and fights off all the luchadors, AND HITS DRAGON SUPLEXS ON ALL OF THEM!! Pentagon cuts him off again, AND SUPERKICKS NICK! HE TOSSES FÉNIX ONTO HIM WITH A MOONSAULT!! REY THEN HITS A WEST COAST POP ON KENNY!! 1…….2…..KICK OUT!!!! Mysterio then picks him up and hits THREE ROUNDHOUSE KICKS!! THE WHOLE MATCH THEN BREAKS DOWN INTO A SUPERKICK PARTY!! The Elite rally, BUT EAT SUPERKICKS!! THEY FIRE BACK WITH HADOKENS!! EVERY LUCHADOR HIT BY LIGER BOMBS!! NICK THEN WITH ASSISTED 450 SPLASHES ON FÉNIX AND MYSTERO!! PENTAGON MAKES THE SAVE! NICK WITH A SLINGSHOT X-FACTOR!! PENTAGON WITH A SLINGBLADE! OMEGA WITH THE V-TRIGGER!! FÉNIX THEN FLIES IN WITH A CUTTER!! NICK CUTS HIM OFF WITH A NECKBREAKER!! FÉNIX THEN HITS THE SPANISH FLY TO NICK, OFF THE ROPES, INTO MATT AND PENTAGON ON THE FLOOR!! This takes those guys out but we still have Mysterio and Omega. KENNY HITS A V-TRIGGER OUT OF MIDAIR, AND THE TIGER DRIVER 98!!! 1………..2………KICK OUT!! KENNY WITH ANOTHER V-TRIGGER AND GOES FOR THE ONE-WINGED ANGEL – BUT REY HEADSCISSORS OUT!! HE CALLS FOR THE 619 AND CONNECTS IT!! HE THEN FLIES HIGH WITH THE WEST COAST POP TO FINISH OMEGA!!!!! 1……………..2………………3!!! THE LUCHADORS WIN THE BOUT, AND REY MYSTERIO PINS KENNY OMEGA CLEAN!! The Lucha Brothers and Rey Mysterio defeat The Elite (20:20)
LIVE IMPACT WRESTLING Official Discussion Thread - November 29th 2018
Support the Impact Wrestling community on Reddit by Subscribing and Contributing to /IMPACTWRESTLING. Positive and negative discussion welcome! Just be cool and constructive. Welcome to Impact After Dark! Impact is at a new time of 10PM ET / 9PM CT in the US and Canada! Impact Wrestling Preview Here’s what’s expected for tonight:
Visit the Global Wrestling Network for On-Demand Wrestling content. Impact Wrestling episodes are posted there several days after the original airing on POP/Fight Network/Spike etc.
LIVE IMPACT WRESTLING Official Discussion Thread - December 13th 2018 - Moose vs Brian Cage
Support the Impact Wrestling community on Reddit by Subscribing and Contributing to /IMPACTWRESTLING. Positive and negative discussion welcome! Just be cool and constructive. Welcome to Impact After Dark! Impact is at a new time of 10PM ET / 9PM CT in the US and Canada! Impact Wrestling Preview Here’s what’s expected for tonight:
Visit the Global Wrestling Network for On-Demand Wrestling content. Impact Wrestling episodes are posted there several days after the original airing on POP/Fight Network/Spike etc.
LIVE IMPACT WRESTLING Official Discussion Thread - December 6th 2018
Support the Impact Wrestling community on Reddit by Subscribing and Contributing to /IMPACTWRESTLING. Positive and negative discussion welcome! Just be cool and constructive. Welcome to Impact After Dark! Impact is at a new time of 10PM ET / 9PM CT in the US and Canada! Impact Wrestling Preview Here’s what’s expected for tonight:
Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie vs. Moose & Tessa Blanchard
Ethan Page vs. Matt Sydal in an Ultimate X qualifying match
Dark Allie debuts!
Willie Mack vs. Jake Crist in an Ultimate X qualifying match
Visit the Global Wrestling Network for On-Demand Wrestling content. Impact Wrestling episodes are posted there several days after the original airing on POP/Fight Network/Spike etc.
/r/Numismatology currency of the month September 2019, The U.S Dollar Coin
Dollar coins have been minted in the United States in gold, silver, and base metal versions. Dollar coins were first minted in the United States in 1794.
Flowing Hair Dollar
1794-1795 Designer Robert Scot Edge Lettered: HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT Diameter 40.0mm Weight 27.0 grams Metal 90% Silver, 10% Copper The Flowing Hair design appeared on the first United States Silver Dollars in 1794, but only lasted until sometime in 1795, when it was replaced with the Draped Bust design. The 1794 Silver Dollar is a rare coin, represented by approximately 150-200 survivors. The 1795 Silver Dollar is much more common, but the demand from type collectors keeps the prices high.
Draped Bust Dollar
1795-1804 Designer Robert Scot Edge Lettered: HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT Diameter 40.0mm Weight 27.0 grams Metal 90% Silver, 10% Copper The 1795 Draped Bust dollar represents the initial appearance of this design in American coinage. In the silver dollar series the obverse motif was continued through pieces dated 1804 (business strikes were last made in 1803, however), while the reverse motif was employed only through early 1798. The obverse features a portrait of Liberty as just described, with LIBERTY above, the date below and eight stars to the left and seven to the right. Varieties also exist which show 16 stars, as well as 13. The reverse shows a “small” eagle perched on a cloud within an open wreath. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds. Among early silver dollars, the Draped Bust obverse combined with the Small Eagle reverse may be the scarcest type. Among the four dates, 1795-1798, while 1797 is the lowest mintage, prices for all four are roughly the same. Specimens exist in all grades, with those most frequently encountered apt to be in Very Good to Very Fine preservation. Extremely Fine and About Uncirculated pieces are obviously scarcer, and an Uncirculated specimen is a prime rarity. Examples often show parallel mint-caused adjustment marks. As these coins were produced strictly for utilitarian purposes, no attention was paid to striking them carefully. The Heraldic Eagle type continues the Draped Bust obverse as preceding, except that the stars have been standardized to seven left and six right, the only exception being a scarce variety of 1799 with eight left and five right. The reverse is similar to that used on the dime of the year and is adapted from the Great Seal of the United States. Large Eagle Bust dollars were minted from 1798 through 1803. In later years, “restrike” pieces were produced dated 1804 as were Proof restrikes from new dies bearing the dates 1801, 1802 and 1803. Among business strikes, examples most often encountered are apt to be dated 1798 or 1799. Those dated 1800 are scarcer, while those dated from 1801 to 1803 are considerably scarcer, although they are not rarities. Dozens of varieties exist, and are listed in a work by M. H. Bolender.
Liberty Seated Dollar
1836-1873 Designer Christian Gobrecht Edge Reeded Diameter 38.1 mm Weight 26.73 grams Metal 90% Silver, 10% Copper Following the production of an illustrious series of Liberty Seated pattern dollars in 1836, 1838 and 1839, the Liberty Seated style was first produced for large-scale circulating coinage in 1840. From then through 1865, coinage of the “No Motto” reverse type was continuous. The design parallels that of other Liberty Seated issues, with Miss Liberty seated on a rock, holder in her left hand a liberty cap on a pole and with her right hand holding a shield inscribed LIBERTY. Thirteen stars are above, and the date is below. The reverse shows an eagle perched on an olive branch and holding three arrows, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above and ONE DOL. below. Within the 1840-1865 span there are a number of scarce and rare issues, with 1851, 1852 and 1858 designated as major rarities. Commoner issues are readily available in grades from Very Good through Extremely Fine, with most survivors being in Fine to Very fine grade. As silver dollars were not circulated as extensively as other denominations, few are seen in grades below Very Good. AU coins are available as are Uncirculated pieces, particularly 1859-O and 1860-O in the latter category (survivors from a small group of coins which came to light during the Treasury release of 1962). Superb Uncirculated pieces are rarities. Proofs were first distributed to collectors in 1858 and are available from that date through 1865, although scattered earlier issues occasionally come on the market. The Liberty Seated dollar design was modified in 1866 by the addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on the ribbon or scroll above the eagle on the reverse. Otherwise the design is the same as that which had been in use since 1840. The With Motto type continued in use through 1873. The glory days of the silver dollar denomination were yet to come, and mintages were low in comparison to what would happen with the Morgan silver dollar beginning in 1878. The only “common” Liberty Seated dollars in this range are the 1871 and 1872, and even they are scarce in relation to later issues. The 1870-S is one of the legendary rarities in U.S. numismatics, with only about a dozen pieces known. The few Carson City issues (1870-1873) are also quite tough, with miniscule original mintages. As Liberty Seated silver dollars did not circulate as actively as smaller denominations, pieces in well-worn grades such as Good and Very Good are much scarcer (though no more desirable or expensive) than coins in Fine to Very Fine grade, the latter being the conditions typically seen. Extremely Fine and AU pieces are available, with Uncirculated pieces being somewhat scarcer, though by no means rare. Superb Uncirculated pieces are fairly rare. Proofs were made of all Philadelphia Mint issues, and exist today in proportion to their original mintages.
Trade Dollar
1873-1885 Designer William Barber Edge Reeded Diameter 38.1 mm Weight 27.2 grams Metal 90% Silver, 10% Copper The Trade dollar was first minted in 1873 in response to the need for a coin to compete with the Mexican “dollar” (actually the 8 Reale or Peso) in the Orient. Weighing 420 grains, or slightly heavier (1.8%) than a standard silver dollar, the Trade dollar was intended for export only. Despite this, they were legal tender in the United States until 1876, at which time Congress revoked their status. Quantity production continued through 1878, after which point only token quantities were made for proof sets through 1883 (the few pieces dated 1884 and 1885 are of dubious origin). In 1887, the law authorizing the Trade dollar was repealed, and the treasury officially redeemed all un-mutilated pieces. The obverse depicts Miss Liberty seated on a bale of merchandise, her right hand holding a branch, her left hand holding a ribbon inscribed “LIBERTY, a sheaf of wheat behind, and the sea in front. IN GOD WE TRUST appears at the bottom just above the date. Stars surround the upper portion. The reverse depicts an eagle holding three arrows and a branch, with E PLURBUS UNUM on a ribbon above, 420 GRAINS, 900 FINE, below. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TRADE DOLLAR surrounds. The numismatist today can readily secure a trade dollar in grades from Fine through AU. Some pieces display chopmarks, consisting of Oriental characters impressed by bankers and merchants when the pieces circulated in the Orient. Except for the ultra-rare Proofs of 1884 and 1885, most dates are available, although a good portion of the 1878-CC’s were melted shortly after they were struck, making them elusive today. Uncirculated coins are scarce, and superb Uncirculated pieces are rare. Proofs exist in proportion to their original mintages and are primarily available from the years 1879 through 1883.
Morgan Dollar
1878-1921 Designer George T. Morgan Edge Reeded Diameter 38.1 mm Weight 27.2 grams Metal 90% Silver, 10% Copper The Coinage Act of 1873 demonetized silver, leading to the demise of the silver dollar. Although Trade dollars were produced from 1873-1878, they were meant for circulation overseas and were not legal tender in America. In response to the sour economic condition that persisted through much of the 1870's, and as a sop to Western suppliers of silver, Congress passed the Bland-Allison Act in 1878. The Act required the U.S. government to purchase large quantities of silver and turn it into silver dollars. Thus, the dollar denomination was restored once again in the form of the Morgan dollar. Named after its designer, George T. Morgan, the Morgan dollar is one of the most popular of all American coins. It's large size, abundant supply, and pleasing appearance make it both affordable and desirable. Morgan Dollars were struck without interruption from 1878-1904, then again in 1921. U.S. Mints that produced Morgan Dollars include Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, Denver, and Carson City. Mintmarks for all mints except Philadelphia were placed on the reverse of the coins just beneath the ribbon bow of the wreath. Key dates in this series include 1889-CC, 1893-S, and 1895 (Proof only). Other dates (such as 1895-O) are considered condition-rarities (common in low grade but extremely rare in high grade). Silver Dollars were once the mainstay of Las Vegas casinos, where they were used in slot machines and other gaming devices. Once silver prices advanced beyond the face value of the coins, the casinos converted over to chips and tokens. Some of the popularity of Silver Dollars can be attributed to three watershed events: 1) the sale of the Redfield hoard in the 1970s; 2) the GSA sales of the 1980's; and 3) the Continental-Illinois Bank Hoard of the 1980s. The Redfield hoard consisted of hundreds of bags of silver dollars, most Uncirculated and include a wide range of dates, most from the San Francisco Mint. The GSA sales consisted of millions of Carson City mint silver dollars discovered in Treasury vaults in the 1970s, apparently of coins that had never circulated. The Continental-Illinois Bank Hoard was even larger than the Redfield hoard and the overall quality exceeded that of both the Redfield and GSA hoards. Popular collecting methods include high-grade date sets, complete sets from low to high grade, and by VAM varieties. VAM (the acronym for Van Allen-Mallis) refers to a set of Morgan Dollar varieties, some of which are insignificant and other important varieties that can be identified at arm's length.
Peace Dollar
1921-1935 Designer Anthony de Francisci Edge Reeded Diameter 38.1 mm Weight 26.73 grams Metal 90% Silver, 10% Copper The so-called Peace silver dollar, designed by Anthony DeFrancisci, was first produced in December 1921 following a large mintage of Morgan dollars that same year. The idea for a coin to commemorate the peace following World War I came from Farran Zerbe, former President of the ANA from 1908 to 1910 and active promoter of numismatics, particularly during the first quarter of the 20th century. The Peace dollar depicts the obverse of Miss Liberty, facing left, wearing a diadem of spikes (in somewhat similar style to that seen on the Statue of Liberty). LIBERTY is above, while IN GOD WE TRUST and the date are below. The reverse shows an eagle perched on a rock, with a laurel branch, and with PEACE inscribed below. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and EPLURIBUS UNUM are above, while ONE DOLLAR is to be seen just below the center. Rays of an unseen sun emanate from the lower right. Issues of 1921, and a few pieces dated 1922, are in high relief, although collectors have not necessarily differentiated this as a distinct design. It was found that the high relief cause problems in having the pieces strike up properly, so in 1922 the motifs were redone to a shallower format, a style continued through 1935. Mintage of Peace silver dollars was continuous from 1921 through 1928 and again in 1934 and 1935. In 1964, the Denver Mint struck 316,076 Peace Dollars but, before they were released into circulation, all of the coins were destroyed. A few may have been purchased or "taken" by Mint employees and rumors persist of this coin's existence. However, for fear of confiscation by Treasury officials, none have yet appeared on the market. Were it legal to own, the 1964-D Peace Dollar would become one of the most valuable of all United States coins. While there are no extreme rarities in the rather short-lived Peace dollar series, the 1928-P is the key date, commanding a good price even in well-circulated grades. Most of the San Francisco issues are tough in top uncirculated grades, particularly the 1927-S and 1928-S as well as the 1924-S and 1934-S. Specimens of the common issues from 1921 through 1925 are readily obtainable in various grades from Very Fine through Uncirculated. Sharply struck Uncirculated pieces with full luster and with a minimum of marks are quite scarce.
Ike Dollar
1971-1978 Designer Frank Gasparro / Michael Collins & James Cooper Edge Reeded Diameter 38.5 mm Weight 22.7 grams Metal 75% Copper, 25% Nickel. In 1970, Congress passed legislation authorizing a new one dollar coin to commemorate both the death of General Dwight David Eisenhower and man's first landing on the moon (on July 20, 1969). The obverse features a bust of Eisenhower facing left; the reverse copies the insignia of the Apollo 11 mission, minus the name of the mission. "Ike" dollars made for circulation were of a cupro-nickel composition. Special Uncirculated and Proof versions containing 40% silver were struck and sold at a premium to collectors. A new design was created to celebrate the 1976 Bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 1976 Bicentennial coins can be found in two different variations. Variety 1 features a low relief design with thick, bold, non-serifed lettering. Variety 2 features a stronger design, with lettering that has serifs, is thinner and more delicate, yet higher in relief. The most obvious difference can be seen on the second S of STATES, where on Variety 1, the bottom tail of the S is considerably higher than the lowest bar of the E. On Variety 1, the peaks of the M in AMERICA come to sharp points.
Susan B. Anthony Dollar
1979-1999 Designer Frank Gasparro Edge Reeded Diameter 26.5 mm Weight 8.1 grams Metal 75% Copper, 25% Nickel. By 1979, half dollars were rarely seen in circulation. The proliferation of vending machines, arcade machines and other coin-operated devices, most of which dispensed goods or services worth more than a quarter dollar (the highest denomination coin in general circulation at the time) prompted a call for a convenient coin of high value, while a Treasury-sponsored study showed that a metallic dollar had a useful life in circulation of 16 years or more, as compared to only 18 months for a paper dollar. Thus, the new small-diameter dollar was conceived. Frank Gasparro produced the designs. The obverse depicts suffragette Susan B. Anthony facing to the right, with stars to the left and right and with IN GOD WE TRUST near the right border. LIBERTY is above and the date is below. The reverse is an adaptation of the motif first used on the 1971 Eisenhower dollar and consists of an eagle landing on the moon, with the earth and E PLURIBUS UNUM above and the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ONE DOLLAR surrounding. From the outset, the public confused the small-diameter dollars with the quarter dollars in circulation, much as they did with the twenty cent piece about 100 years earlier. Vending machines were slow to adopt, or did not make provisions to take the new dollar coin, and most cash registers did not have a “bin” in the change drawer for the additional coin. As a result, public resentment was high and the Anthony dollar was unpopular. Mintage was suspended in 1981 after about 860 million were made, the vast majority of these being 1979s. After an 18-year hiatus, an additional 40 million pieces were struck in 1999.
Sacagawea Dollar
2000-Present Designer Glenna Goodacre / Thomas D. Rogers Sr. Edge Plain / Lettered Diameter 26.5 mm Weight 8.1 grams Metal 88.5% Copper, 6% Zinc, 3.5% Manganese and 2% Nickel The Coinage Act of 1997 called for a new dollar coin of the same size and weight as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, but with a golden color and a plain edge. After a national competition, a new design was chosen featuring a portrait of the Shoshone Indian, Sacagawea, carrying her infant son, Jean-Baptiste (or "Pomp"). The coin was heavily promoted and nearly three-quarters of a billion Sacagawea dollars were struck for circulation. After an initial wave of enthusiasm, demand for the dollar coins dropped and mintages fell to 5-6 million coins per year from 2002 on. Despite intense marketing efforts, Sacagawea dollars are seldom seen outside of collecting circles and are mostly viewed as curiosities or annoyances by the general public. 39 Proof 2000-W Sacagawea Dollar coins were struck in 22 Karat gold at the West Point Mint in June 1999. 27 were melted and the remaining dozen examples were sent to space aboard the space shuttle Columbia, returning to earth five days later on July 22, 1999. Thereafter, the coins were stored in a vault at the Mint Headquarters in Washington, DC. One coin was displayed at a private congressional dinner on or about August 5, 1999. One coin was displayed at the Philadelphia Mint during the first-strike ceremonies for the 2000-P Sacagawea circulation strike coins on November 18, 1999. Sometime in August or September 2001, the dozen Proofs were sent to the Gold Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky. The dies for the Gold Proofs were prepared with Thomas D. Rogers, Sr.'s original reverse design featuring 12 tail feathers. Circulation strikes from other mints have 13 tail feathers. 5,500 Sacagawea dollars were placed in random boxes of Cheerios cereal as a means to promote the new coin. Unfortunately, collectors did not discover until years later that these were special coins featuring the prototype reverse with 12 tail feathers on the reverse. These have proven to be great rarities and are easily the most valuable coins in the series.
Presidential Dollars
2007-Present Designer Joseph Menna / Don Everhart Edge Lettered Diameter 26.5 mm Weight 8.1 grams Metal 88.5% Copper, 6% Zinc, 3.5% Manganese and 2% Nickel In 2007 the U.S. Mint began honoring the United States Presidents on circulating coins under the Presidential Dollar Coin Program. Under this program, four Presidential Dollar coins will be issued per year. Each President’s portrait will be struck on one dollar coins and released for circulation for a period of three months. Each President will appear on mint state, proof and satin finish one dollar coins in the order in which they served as President of the United States. Each Presidential Dollar will bear the same Statue of Liberty reverse design. All Presidential Dollar coins contain edge lettering inscriptions with the date and mint mark. From 2007 to 2008 Presidential Dollars had the motto "In God We Trust" located on the edge of the coin. However, since there have been tens of thousands of coins found with missing edge lettering inscriptions, the U.S. Mint changed the location of the motto beginning in 2009. From 2009 to date, all Presidential Dollars will have the motto "In God We Trust" on the obverse of the coin. This program will continue until at least 2016 with Richard M. Nixon’s portrait (in order for any other U.S former Presidents to be honored on circulating coins, it is necessary for the former Presidents to be deceased for at least two years). When the coins were first released in 2007, there was a lot of excitement in the coin market and media about the new coins, especially since the last time the U.S. Mint struck coins with edge lettering inscriptions was back in 1933 on the Saint Gaudens Double Eagles. More excitement came once missing edge lettering dollars were discovered. These are considered major mint errors. Other more minor varieties have surfaced since then, including double overlapped edge lettering, double inverted edge lettering, and weak and partial edge lettering varieties. With so many different Presidential Dollar coins, errors and varieties, this is a definitely an exciting coin series to collect. Note The Gold Dollar Coin and other Gold Coins will have a separate COTM post, Also Silver Eagles and other Bullion Coins will have a separate COTM post. Sources Wikipedia PCGS Coin Facts "United States Coins by Design Types - An Action Guide for the Collector and Investor" by Q. David Bowers
Pre IMPACT WRESTLING Official Discussion Thread - December 6th 2018
Support the Impact Wrestling community on Reddit by Subscribing and Contributing to /IMPACTWRESTLING. Positive and negative discussion welcome! Just be cool and constructive. Welcome to Impact After Dark! Impact is at a new time of 10PM ET / 9PM CT in the US and Canada! Impact Wrestling Preview Here’s what’s expected for tonight:
Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie vs. Moose & Tessa Blanchard
Ethan Page vs. Matt Sydal in an Ultimate X qualifying match
Dark Allie debuts!
Willie Mack vs. Jake Crist in an Ultimate X qualifying match
Visit the Global Wrestling Network for On-Demand Wrestling content. Impact Wrestling episodes are posted there several days after the original airing on POP/Fight Network/Spike etc.
The year was 2268. Humanity had stretched throughout the reaches of our own solar system and beyond. We were now a united species, one nation exploring the cosmos under a single name: “human race”. The Earth still remains, as well as many other planets in our solar system, the only difference is that back then... they were inhabited. Planet and space travel was simply like a bus route with destinations throughout the stars. 1 A man awoke in his star cruiser with a startled jolt upright, followed by his own hyperventilating. A voice spoke from the shadows, “Did ya have another one pal?” “Shut Up, Stripes” the man responds. The voice chided him, “Listen Kid, that day was fuckin’ ages ago. Let Go”. The man before you’s real name is unknown. However, he is better known as “The Northern Cowboy” throughout Earth and neighbouring planets. Now you see, The Cowboy was a hero to the people of Earth. That voice in the back, the man known as Stripes was a hero as well, or he was until he lost his entire physical body in the biggest battle in human history. The society in this time may been advanced one, but it still has its conflicts. Now, one of these conflicts made these men heroes, The Battle for Humanity was the largest battle in human history. The entire species divided, two massive armies lead by two political groups went head to head. The Planetarian group; a party that believes the population should merge and become one nationality to be recognized as human. Then, there's the Individuals, people wanting the borders to remain on our planet and to preserve cultures. The decision for the dominant party wasn’t one to be made in a courtroom, no one could decide on a party to put in charge. The dominant half needed to rise. Was it time for drastic change? Or was it time to preserve? That is what this fight would’ve decided. The two armies clashed all over the solar system and fought for 12 whole years in continuous battle. Now this fight never ended, it was stopped. Stopped by exactly 390 heroes, two men or women from each country on Earth stood tall and decided to rally and stop this war. This was seen as an impossible feat for any normal human, but these people weren’t normal, they were extraordinary. They possessed abilities and powers only a fraction of the human race had. Some people were born with their abilities, like it was the next step of human evolution, others acquired them through science or an altering incident of some sort; these people were like folklore of their home countries, mere myths. However, the myths soon became reality when these people aligned with one another. Using their abilities, they arrived in the middle of the front lines of every battle between both armies and held them off. Eventually, these armies stopped their clash and listened to what these heroes had to say. These incredible men and women were seen as gods among mortals, and the leaders of both sides decided that if these people found a way to stop the fight and bring the society together, it would be worth listening to and trying. Soon after the war ended, a united party was formed and governed all of humanity. The Planet Earth Society was formed; a society that kept our individualities present on Earth, but we explored the cosmos and functioned our government as one species. Now, back to our two heroes. The Northern Cowboy was a hero out of Canada, and Stripes was his partner out of the states. These men had some extremely powerful abilities; Stripes, a once massively built man, had the power to control electronics and machines with his mind, and The Cowboy, a tall man who stood at about 6’1 with two different coloured eyes, one black and one blue, had the ability to generate and manipulate lightning out of his body. All heroes were as strong as this, if not more. So obviously, it was no wonder they were able to stop the imminent war. However, the victory didn't come without its share of sacrifices. Stripes was gunned down between the two armies. A seasoned war vet like himself couldn’t avoid his own demise at the age of 42. But as a last act of desperation, he transferred his consciousness into the computer in the Star Horse, their ship; Immortalizing himself into his own starcruiser. Now, The Cowboy had his own tragedies as well, involving the death of the other Canadian hero... but we’ll get to that later. “Where are we Stripes?” the Cowboy asked groggily, “About 300 miles away from the Red Dust Casino, in the Mars Orbit.” Every planet with a ground to stand on had been terraformed so that it was habitable for humans, and Mars was like the Las Vegas of the solar system, a planet for the rich and famous. “Are we making a pitstop, kid?” Stripes asked. The Man nodded, “Yeah but this ain’t for pleasure, we’ve got business to attend to at the Red Dust Grand Hotel”. Stripes replied, “Alright Cowboy I’ll bring us down for a landing-” The Cowboy interrupted, “Hold it, stop over top of the Crimson Canyon, I’ve got something to do first. Open the hanger for me would ya?” After a morning cigarette and a shot of whisky for breakfast, The Northern Cowboy boarded his one man fighter; a black, modified advanced secret service ship with a hand-painted white stripe down the middle. On the side of the fighter was a name painted in red, it read “Le Pew”. The Cowboy fired up his engines and shot out of the ship, and right into the depths of the canyon. The canyon The Cowboy had just ventured into was a place named Futurado Gorge. This canyon had a reputation all around the star system of being a dangerous death trap that only fools would venture into. So knowing this, Stripes questioned his partner's motives and speaks over the comm, “Hey Kid what the hell are ya doin’ divin’ into a place like this?” He responds, “Don't worry about it Stripes I know what I'm doing”, “alright whatever kid”. The Cowboy had discovered a while back that the water in this cave had unusual properties to it; the water allowed the person who touched it to see parts of their future, so being the clever guy that he is, he uses it to his advantages sometimes. When the Cowboy reached the bottom of the gorge, he got out of his ship and knelt down and touched the water… The Cowboy’s eyes lit up for a moment and then he saw his entire life flash before his eyes, and then the vision showed itself to him, he sat back, shook his hands dry, and lit a cigarette. After a few minutes of pondering, he stood up and shrugged. He spoke to himself, “So that's how I go, huh? It's a bit sooner than I would’ve thought. Oh well, guess it can’t be helped” He threw his cigarette into the water and got back into his ship. 2 On the top floor of the Red Dust Casino, there’s a meeting between two men. One man is a criminal who runs the Casino and uses it for a drug and money laundering scheme to supply dealers throughout the solar system. His name is Isaac Pantangellini, an average height man but powerfully built nonetheless, he had tanned skin with jet black hair slicked back into a mullet. The other man was a short and unhealthily thin young man called Mouse, with matted brown hair and sharp facial features; he is a bright young man in the drug business; but it seems he’s bit off more than he can chew with his most recent scam. Pantangellini started his rant towards Mouse by puffing his own ego a bit. He speaks aggressively, “Look dipshit, you don’t know who you fucked with. I own this casino and the resort, I’m not the manager or the bouncer, I'm the OWNER. I'm also a man who doesn’t put up with nobody’s shit, I have half of all the Mars cops on my payroll and the other half knows they can’t screw with me, I OWN this town. So tell me this kid, WHAT IN THE NAME OF JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN WHEN YOU TRIED TO SCAM ME?!” Mouse responds with a cool ignorance towards the riled up mob boss, “To be honest, what I thought would happen is that I’d grab one of the cases of money you launder through this joint to cover your drug business, and then I’d escape and you’d never see me again. But ya know what? You can go eat Venus Baboon shit, you fogey, I don’t care if ya caught me” Pantangellini was fuming mad from his disrespectful demeanor. He stood up from his desk, pulled a gun out of the holster concealed by his blazer, held it over Mouse’s head and brought the base of the gun onto the bridge of the kid’s nose so hard the cartilage in his face was smashed into oblivion and his cheekbones were shattered. Mouse crumpled to the floor after falling out of his chair. The casino boss pointed to his two henchmen at the door, “Hey you two, take this asswipe out back and put as many bullets as you want into the back of his head.” He then pointed to the blood on his marble floor and said, “Oh and get someone to clean this mess up.” At that very moment, The Cowboy touched down into the casino’s ship lot and parked his vessel there and put on his red trench coat, “Are ya gonna pay for the valet service kid?” asked Stripes, “Fuck no, I’m not made of money pal” The Cowboy responded. “What happened to givin’ back to the community?” asked Stripes. His partner talks back through the comm, “We gave up that hero of the people stuff remember? We do this to get paid now” “Just givin’ ya hell kid, lighten up a bit would ya?” The Cowboy sighed and walked towards the back door of the casino; just as he approached the door, it was slammed open and out rushed two burly men in suits dragging a badly beaten, sickly looking young man who was unhealthily thin. The men passed the Cowboy. The ex-hero took a few more steps before stopping, cursing himself as he turned around to walk towards the men. The men had the beaten man on his knees with a gun to the back of his head. The Cowboy approached the men and obnoxiously asked, “Hey do any of you boys got a light?” One of the men turned on the stranger who had just approached him and pulled a gun on him, “Woah easy partner, I just need a light.” The Cowboy said passively. The man responds, “Piss off punk, or you're next”. The Cowboy continued to walk towards the thug, unfazed by the gun pointed in his direction. The thug fired. In a flash of blue light, the bullet seemed to miss its mark and then the thug was on the ground writhing in pain. The Cowboy stood over the thug, stepped over his crumpled body and approached the second man. The second thug turned around and pulled his gun on the Cowboy. In a seemingly effortless motion the Cowboy had smashed the man's leg with a side kick and landed a knee to the man’s chest. The thug staggered for a minute and stood up again, firing away at the ex-hero. The Cowboy leapt out of the way of the bullets and snapped his fingers at the man and simply said “Bang”. Lightning shot out of the Cowboy’s hand and sent the thug flying a good 100 yards away. The Cowboy turned and walked away, lighting a cigarette. He looked over his shoulder and said to the beaten man, “Get to a hospital yourself, I’m not your fuckin’ babysitter” 3 The Cowboy sat at the casino bar and took a look around the place, a lively venue with a gold color pallette on seemingly every surface. The place was filled with people all dressed up in tuxedos and fancy silk dresses surrounding gambling tables and blackjack pits. The barmaid took a look at the Cowboy and was intrigued, he didn’t look the part of a gambler, he wore a casual, but wrinkled, black suit with a white shirt and black tie, and a faded red trench coat overtop. She walked over to him at the end of the bar and started talking “Howdy stranger, what corner of the stars did you wander in from?” He calmly replies, “Oh a place a lot worse than this one, can you get me an Old Fashioned?” She made him the drink and placed it in front of him, he knocked it back in a couple long gulps and then asked, “Do you know how to get to the top floor? I’ve got to have a chat with the man who runs this joint” She was less interested in the man now, “Oh he’s just another drug dealer here to see the guy upstairs” she thought. She then asked him “Here to close a deal?” “No sweetheart I'm here for him” he replied as he pointed upwards. She then asked,”A hitman?” The Cowboy replied, “Not quite, thanks for the drink” and got up and left without paying. He only left a bullet, sliced in half and scorched, on his napkin. The first floor service elevator doors were always locked in the casino, it was the way to get up to the top floor office where Pantangellini hid out. The Cowboy walked up to the doors and pried them open and opened the top hatch in the elevator. He then used his lightning to charge the cable and the elevator shot upwards, he stopped it when it got to the top, he composed himself for a moment and blasted the doors open. The men in the office were startled by the massive explosion coming from the elevator and the doors shattering, which followed the initial bang. Out stepped the Cowboy, through a cloud of dust coming from the door. “Hey your elevator kinda sucks, the doors wouldn’t open” he said cooly. All the men in the room, including Pantangellini pulled their guns and fired into the dust and at the man that stood before them. The Cowboy walked backwards into the dust in the midst of the gunfire. After a minute or two of continuous fire, Pantangellini was shoved from behind. Everyone turned around shocked, to see the Cowboy behind the men, he had moved so fast no one had seen him get behind them. The Cowboy took Pantangellini’s gun from his hands with a quick jerk, and fired into all the men’s shoulders and knees; except for the mob boss who was now shaking in fear. The Ex-hero kneeled down and was face to face with the criminal. He spoke, “You’re worth a fat $300 000 bounty Pantangellini. It seems like the all cops weren’t under your control, and that bounty’s all mine” Pantangellini was somewhat relieved he wasn’t going to be killed. He had to be brought in alive. “Stripes call the cops to the top floor, I’m not bringing him to ‘em” he said over his comm. “Alright Cowboy” his partner responds. The mob boss on the floor, who had now soiled himself, spoke with some confidence now that he knew he wasn’t going to be shot. He looked up at the man who had just brought him down and spoke, “You’re a filthy fuckin’ bounty hunter, you won’t last a week! You hear! YOU’RE DEAD! WHO ARE YOU?!” As if it was scripted, the Cowboy lights a cigarette and says in his trademark nonchalant tone, “Who me? Well, I’m just an old fashioned cowboy”. 4 On the other side of the asteroid belt orbiting Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, there was a large cruiser. The cruiser was owned by the Syndicate Of The Blue Moon, the largest crime organization in the solar system. The Syndicate was the unofficial ruler of the criminal underworld, they had immense power and resources; that of which rivaled the government. These people were no joke and certainly nothing to be taken lightly, their leader was a cruel and powerful man with incredible abilities. His name, The Midnight Gladiator. He could control and generate fire, giving him the ability to conjure immense blazes and destroy anything in his path. The Gladiator stood at a solid six feet tall, he wore a black suit and pants, with a scarred face and a head of white hair, despite him actually being quite young. He was a truly frightening man, who showed no mercy to anyone. The Gladiator sat on a throne in the main chamber of his vessel with a man whimpering on the floor before him. The man begged for his life, “No please, I am so, so utterly sorry. You will have my undying loyalty if you let this go, please stop. Spare me! S-spare me, let me live!” The man stammered on, sniveling on the floor as he begged. The Gladiator grew impatient, “SHUT UP!” he roared. He approached the man and grabbed his face by his chin and spoke directly to the man, “I don’t accept failure, that package needed to get there. You have failed, you are worthless to me now. I have no use for you.” The Gladiator covered the man’s face with his hand, which grew hotter and hotter as his grip tightened. Soon a blaze erupted out of his hand and the man’s head was incinerated into ashes, the screaming died out as his headless body fell to the floor. Two men in suits rushed over and started to drag the body away. There was a knock at the door to the main chamber and a man with glasses who had a rather weak demeanor, donning a bland brown suit, walked in. “What is it Genco?” The Gladiator asked. “It's Pantangellini” he said, nervously adding “He got life inside, a bounty hunter got ‘em’” The man of flame was concerned, “Well shit, there goes our best money launderer, we’ve gotta get a new casino” he continued “Genco, who was the bounty hunter that nailed him?” In a weak tone, Genco spoke to his boss, “We didn’t get a name, all Pantangellini said was that the man just told him he was a cowboy.” The Gladiator’s attention spiked, “What did you just say?!” He demanded. A bit frightened now, Genco spoke again “Um… He’s a cowboy sir, that’s all we know, is that alright? Did I do something wrong?” Genco was shaking now, and his stutter started acting up after seeing the burned up body laying on the floor. In a few words, he was fearful for his own life. “Leave me, and deal with that corpse, you have two minutes.” “Y-yes sir!” Genco ran off dragging the body with the men, all while dry-heaving from the smell of burnt flesh. The Gladiator turned and looked out his window and contemplated what he had just discovered. “The bastard’s still alive! How?! There was no way he could’ve made it out all those years ago.” His mind was racing, The Northern Cowboy was still alive! 5 When the Cowboy arrived back on the ship he transferred Stripes his 10% cut of the job. Now you see, Stripes had no need for money; he wasn’t an actual person anymore. He was essentially an A.I. program at this point; the man was immortal now, his consciousness would live on forever. He was just in it for something to do, so a big cut wasn’t really needed for him. Stripes was a curious man and something had been on his mind for a while now, “Hey partner, what did ya see down in that cave the other day?” The Cowboy looked up from the gun he stole on Mars, which he was cleaning, and said simply, “I saw myself die. I died on my knees, burned and beaten. Right on Mercury Bridge, overlooking the sun.” Stripes was surprised, “No shit huh, were you old or what?” “Nope, in fact I looked the same as I am now” Stripes was worried for his partner, he knew the Cowboy would never run from death; he had no fear of it. His fearlessness wasn’t made of bravery, it was something darker. The man you know as “The Cowboy” is a very peculiar man. He has no fear of anything, he has no cares in the world, he just lives. Day in and day out he is just living for the sake of living. He had a brush with death. He made a grave mistake one day, and ended up looking death in the face and it stole something from him, the ability to care had been stolen from the man. In his eyes, he lived by one belief; “Easy Come, Easy Go”. He is a man who is attached to nothing, he saw no point in getting attached to something if he was just going to die at the end and lose it all, just like it did that fateful day, the day that still haunts him when he sleeps; The day that will never leave him. He welcomes death, he just waits for it to come around the corner and claim him. He’s lost his ability to care, for it was snatched from him by death itself; and every night, he relives the encounter. A man sentenced to psychological torture daily, for as long as he lives, sort of a parting gift from death. Stripes’ concern grew, he knew for a fact that the Cowboy wouldn’t avoid his own demise; he knew that the Cowboy would face it without a second thought. Stripes didn’t want to lose his brother in arms, “Hey kid, you might wanna avoid Mercury Bridge then eh?” The Cowboy holsters the pistol he stole from the Mob Boss on Mars and spoke, “Meh, I don’t really care, we’ll see what happens I guess”. Stripes, a once strong man, also had no purpose now. He was simply a spirit destined to float through the cosmos for eternity; for his consciousness was immortal, he would always be alive. Now, the thing he valued most, were his comrades. The Cowboy was like a kid brother to him, the only thing tethering him to reality was his only friend. 6 On the other side of the solar system approaching the asteroid belt, was a fleet the size 200 or so starships. The Syndicate Of The Blue Moon was heading straight for Mars. The Gladiator was looking for someone to answer for his missing money launderer and he was bringing his entire fleet. Pantangellini was a huge part of the money the Gladiator had, he made it clean to use by running it through his casino. It was virtually untraceable by the government; and now it was gone. Taken by some bounty hunter looking for a paycheck. Now the important thing to remember is that this time period is just as lawless as it is advanced. The solar system may have had government and society, but the underworld of crime was just as large. The two worlds only meet when it comes to one thing, Bounties. The government sometimes wants a certain person and doesn’t want to waste police manpower; with a whole solar system to cover, they need all the help they can get. So the government enlists the help of people looking to make a quick buck. There are two types of bounties, an open contract: where anyone can go and get the target; or a private contract: where a specific person/group gets a contract exclusive to them. The Pantangellini contract was a private one; since Stripes was well known from his days as a hero and from his incredible skill, he gets clearance for high profile/dangerous people the cops want. Therefore, him getting a contract for someone like the casino owning/money launderer wasn’t out of the ordinary; but the fact that he got the Gladiator’s money launderer was some insane coincidence and bad luck for the crime boss. One thing to mention was that the Gladiator was absolutely livid. He despised bounty hunters in general and the fact that one had gotten one of his most useful assets drove him crazy; on top of that, the man who stole it from him was the person he hated most. The hate was spawned for a reason only known between the two men, and the Gladiator had thought he’d gotten his revenge on the Cowboy and finished him off years ago. However, as both you and I know, the Cowboy is very much alive. “GENCO!” The man turned a pale shade of grey, “Y-y-yes sir?” Genco stammered in response to the Gladiator. “Find a ship called the Star Horse! I WANT IT FOUND! Spend as much as you need, just get me that ship!” The Gladiator finished his yelling fit towards his assistant and sat down on his throne with a look of death on his face; for he was out for blood and he was going to get it. 7 “Well shit, ain’t that a sight huh Stripes?” The Cowboy asked. “Ha, it sure has been a while. What’s it been, five years?” His partner responded. The Star Horse was orbiting the once blue and green planet of Earth. The War had destroyed pretty much all wildlife on the planet, all the forests had cities and skyscrapers built out of the ashes of a once prospering planet. So naturally, the planet had been turned into a blue and grey coloured rock orbiting the sun. Even if it wasn’t the prettiest sight ever, it was their home. The Cowboy perked up and spoke, “Woah, hey easy Stripes, you haven’t gotten clearance to land yet” Stripes was distracted and seemed distant, even for a non-physical being. “Ah shit my bad, calling in now.” Stripes sent out his ID and got a spot on a landing strip near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Stripes was having himself some bittersweet nostalgia, the last time he was here on Earth, he lost so much to him. That’s right, the battle when Stripes was confined to his ship forever, were his last moments on Earth. The same went for The Cowboy, he hadn’t returned to the planet since that fateful day either. The duo had returned to Earth to grab a quick bounty and then get out. To The Cowboy, the faster he could leave, the better. This was mainly because the whole solar system thought he was a dead man who died in the final battle on Earth, who died a hero (they made a plaque for him and everything). It was perfect for him, he hated the whole hero gig; he liked to operate freely and do things he wanted, whenever he wanted. So naturally, the hero committee that was formed put restrictions on how you could act and he hated it; so he never was a huge hero of the people, no one really knew him, he was just a guy who could fight really damn well and he happened to do it for good. So as The Cowboy walked into the setting sun to grab his bounty under the cover of nightfall, he remembered the simpler days… 8 2263, Earth, Five Years Prior To Present Day Gunfire rained down from above, the varying volume of bombs crashing down indicated their distance from them, screams of the souls lost from the war echoed in the distance. There these two men stood, bullets whizzing around them and above their heads as they stood in their trench. The two men went by names familiar to us both, The Northern Cowboy and The Midnight Gladiator. “They say hell makes two men brothers through the despair they share” said the Gladiator to his comrade. “I guess it does but we were brothers before we got into the fight” The Cowboy responded. The two men were polar opposites, The Gladiator was a fierce warrior who lusted for bloodshed and power; meanwhile, his brother The Cowboy was a cool and collected man who didn’t care much for the war they were fighting. But they were brothers nonetheless; now you see, they weren’t brothers by blood, but by situation. 12 Years ago when the war between humanity began, both men were mere children who had lost their families in the crossfires of the war. At just 11 years old, The Cowboy and The Gladiator were neighbours in what used to be Canada until the bombs fell. Their entire neighbourhood was destroyed and many died. Bombs rained down from above and turned their city to rubble. The Cowboy crawled out of the ruins of his house and searched for survivors, for someone to help him. Who he found was his neighbour, a boy the same age as him badly burned. His hair had turned a silverish white and he was barely clinging to life. The Cowboy nursed him back to health and they spent their days training, learning to fight and to use the abilities their bodies had somehow evolved into achieving. Their bodies had evolved past a normal human’s abilities in order to survive. One day, they made a vow to one another, it was the idea of human identity that had started the war and they decided to contradict the entire concept. They decided to never use the names given to them by the world, for it was an identity uncertainty that brought the war upon humanity; and on that day two men were born. The Northern Cowboy and The Midnight Gladiator were brought into existence and they were going to stop the war that took so much from them. Back to the battle, The two men waited for a pause in the gunfire. When the bullet rain stopped they leapt out onto the battlefield and unleashed hell onto the armies; the Cowboy was a blur in the fight, he cast massive blue bolts of lightning towards the enemy and with each blast he made massive craters and sent men flying. The Gladiator conjured a tsunami of flames and sent it towards the army behind them. Within minutes the armies had stood down and retreated, The Cowboy spoke to his brother, “I'm gonna go get a ship, I’ll be back in a bit” “Alright get back fast though, I don’t wanna be stranded here with my pants down” his brother responded. The Cowboy finally found a ship, a black two man fighter with a hand painted white stripe on it from the nose to the tail. He hopped in and flew back towards his comrade. However, what he saw was a terrible sight indeed. Both armies had returned with reinforcements and were unloading all they had onto his brother and he was just barely holding his own. He was dying in a blaze of glory, tornadoes of fire and beams of flame were shooting all throughout the battlefield, he was shouting and giving it his all, killing by the hundreds. The Cowboy knew that his brother would be a dead man and there was nothing he could do; he turned his ship around to leave with a heavy heart when the Gladiator spotted him in the sky about to leave. “DON’T GO! NO PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE! COWBOY! COME BACK!” The Gladiator roared and begged but the Cowboy knew better; with great sorrow in his heart he left his brother there on the battlefield for there was nothing he could hope to accomplish. The feeling in the Gladiator’s heart of betrayal turned to rage as he roared and screamed “YOU BETRAYED ME! HOW DARE YOU, WE ARE BROTHERS! DIE, YOU UNFAITHFUL BASTARD!” He turned towards the Cowboy’s vessel and unleashed a blaze so incredible it incinerated the battlefield for miles and he shot it right into the sky at his brother’s ship. The ship was engulfed in a pillar of flame; and as it plummeted towards the ground, The Cowboy caught a glimpse of his brother lying on the ground, in the charred dirt exhausted of all power and with many bullet wounds all over. The ship slammed into the earth and was somehow still intact. A few hours later, the Cowboy was sitting in the wreckage of his ship when a star cruiser flew over head and landed nearby. Out of the ships loudspeaker a voice shouted, “Hey you’re the Cowboy right?” “Yeah who’s this?” the Cowboy shouted back. The voice spoke once again “It's Stripes, the hero from the States. Looks like you wanna get off this rock, hop in kid”. 9 Present Day The Cowboy reboarded his vessel and Stripes took off, leaving their old home behind once again. “Hey that guy sure was a runner huh kid?” Stripes struck up a conversation, “Yeah, I’ve never seen a bounty run so damn fast in my life. He really did NOT want to go to jail, he must of pissed off someone inside” The Cowboy said back. “Ha! Yeah, better keep a strong hold on the soap pal” The two shared a good laugh as comrades one last time. The Cowboy knew the end was near for him and Stripes had probably figured so too. The visions had never been wrong, Futurado Gorge was a mystical place and somehow always seemed to predict correctly. The two men shared great comradery but even still, there was a melancholy feeling hanging in the air. An urgent message flashed across the ship’s display, a message from the Solar Police Force. It read, “ATTENTION! THIS VESSEL IS THE NEAREST REGISTERED HERO SHIP IN THE VICINITY OF THE INCIDENT, THE SYNDICATE OF THE BLUE MOON ARE LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN BOUNTY HUNTER AND ARE KILLING POLICE AND CITIZENS UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT GIVES THEM INFORMATION ON THE CONTRACT THAT THEY FOLLOWED, PLEASE RESPOND TO THE SITUATION AND ACT AS REINFORCEMENTS.” “Stripes where is the location on that message?” The Cowboy asked, “Mercury Bridge” his partner replied. “Open the hanger, Stripes” 10 “You can’t be serious! You know what will happen Cowboy, Don't even think about it!” Stripes shouted at his partner. “Look man, someone’s gotta do something and I’ve got something to atone for. I’ve gotta be a hero one last time.” Stripes was upset but he knew there was no stopping his partner. Whatever happened on Earth that day was eating away at the Cowboy, he simply couldn’t take it anymore he had to make up for it or die trying and that was exactly what he was going to do. The Cowboy ran off to the hangar and hopped into his ship. The hangar doors opened and he sped off into the direction of Mercury. The Cowboy was pondering to himself as he flew, “So this is probably the end huh? It’s okay, I’ve got to do this. I’ll do it for you brother, I’m sorry it had to end that way.” As he grew nearer to the planet, Stripes’ heart sank more and more; his partner would most certainly meet his demise. As skilled as the Cowboy was, he couldn’t take on the entire Syndicate. Not even in his prime, but he could certainly do some damage and help out. The Cowboy saw the gray planet grow closer and closer; he spotted the bridge floating in its orbit, connecting different parts of the planet to each other. He then spotted the masses of criminals and gangsters shooting civilians and police. He then decided to dive bomb his ship into the crowd of gangsters and do some real damage. He dove out and used the slower gravity to land slowly onto the bridge, his ship gained speed and crashed into the crowd with a massive explosion. The Cowboy leapt into action holding nothing back, he was firing his pistol into men and electrocuting others; he shot about 20 thugs and dropped the gun, then continued to fight with his bare hands and ability, taking fire from all sides he was still able to fight back. He was dodging and weaving in and out of the path of fire, landing punches and kicks covered in lightning on anyone in his way; his power surged through him, every move he made was as fast as lightning and as powerful as a thunderstorm. He slowed down for a minute to breathe when a bullet caught him in the back, “Arghh!” he groaned in pain, and stumbled but he kept on fighting regardless. Stripes watched on in awe and horror, his partner was an amazing sight. The Cowboy let the power flow through him and he had an aura of lightning covering every inch of him, he battled his way through a crowd of criminals and finally broke out of the pack of gangsters. What was waiting for him was something he’d never expect as long as he’d live. The Cowboy collapsed to his knees and looked up, standing before him was his brother. The Midnight Gladiator was waiting for him; he looked different from the last time the Cowboy saw him, his face was burned and scarred, he had the look of an animal in his eyes. “Pathetic, just pathetic, brother. You’re simply a beast who’s lost his fangs” The Gladiator motioned for his men to stand down and continued to speak. “I got off that fucking rock and built an empire, you went and caught small fry bounties, you don’t even compare. If you’re gonna leave me for dead, at least do something with your life.” The Cowboy was shattered. Not only was his brother trying to kill him, he became the very thing they swore against; he had become a tyrant, a warlord, a monster. He spoke to his long lost brother, “I didn’t want to leave you there, I just couldn’t do anything. You would’ve done the same” “NO! I WOULDN'T'VE! I WOULD HAVE DIED TRYING!” The Gladiator roared at his brother. The Cowboy had a realization in that moment, it was the realization that his brother always had a dark side; he was brutal, lethal and lusted for blood. Not unlike the way he fought in the war but the only difference now was that it had consumed him completely. The Gladiator’s hand erupted with flame and he swung down on The Cowboy to finish the job. The Cowboy looked up at his brother, the whole moment was seemingly slowed down in time, he reacted. The hero leapt back and got to his feet and countered, just as his brother hit the ground, shattering the asphalt. The Cowboy landed a flying kick directly into his face. The Gladiator was sent sprawling out to the ground and then got back to his feet angrier than ever. He unleashed a wave of flame towards his brother and The Cowboy sent a bolt of lightning right back at him, the attacks clashed mid-air and made an incredible shock wave all throughout the bridge. “Done with the warm up?” The Cowboy taunted, “Yeah let’s get serious” the Gladiator growled back at him. Both men were engulfed in their respective power, The Gladiator was now wearing an intimidating coating of flame and The Cowboy had a magnificent aura of lightning. The two men leapt at each other, clashing fists and kicks; with every blow, held the power of an earthquake, flames and electricity were shooting off of every bit of contact with the two. They stumbled back after a few minutes of continuous fighting, they both took a breather and prepared to go at it once again. The two were equals, yet polar opposites. All the men surrounding them were in awe and dared not get involved; their leader was showing power of which they’d never seen and this complete stranger to them was not only keeping up, but holding his own. The two charged once again and met in the middle of Mercury Bridge, The Gladiator reared back onto one foot and brought his other leg down in a heel kick from above onto The Cowboy. The Cowboy raised his arms to block the attack and the force of it drove him right into the ground, right through the pavement. The biodome surrounding Mercury and it's bridge to make it habitable was shaking; every single man on the bridge, even the most seasoned gangster was fearful for their lives. The Cowboy leapt out of the shattered asphalt and landed a fierce upper cut on his brother which sent him flying into the air and then he too, hit the ground damn hard. The Gladiator unleashed everything he had in him, every ounce of power, every drop of energy he had was now barreling towards The Cowboy. Our Hero didn’t dodge, he stood still facing his brother barreling towards him. He allowed his brother’s flame covered fist to pierce right through his stomach. He didn’t even flinch, his lightning aura disappeared and his brother’s flames fizzled out. “I'm sorry brother.” The Cowboy whispered to his opponent. The Cowboy put his hand right over the Gladiator’s heart and said “Come with me.” He used the last power he had left in his wounded body and sent a shock right into the Gladiator’s heart, stopping it entirely. The Gladiator’s eyes widened and then closed. He whispered to the Cowboy with a smile as he died, “Oh good, you’ve got your fangs back…” then slumped over backwards as the last of his life drained out of him. The Cowboy fell to his knees and called back to the Star Horse, “Stripes, I’m a dead man. There’s nothing you could’ve done for me, don’t fret my friend. I left you something..” he continued, “Use the cameras and look in the weapon storage in the hangar.” Stripes tuned the cameras to the hangar and he saw a tank full of liquid with a body in it. “What is it?” Stripes asked confused. “It’s a replica of your old body, powers and all. I had it made the night after I saw the vision of my death, I spent all my bounty money and savings on it for ya.” The Cowboy kept talking, “All you need to do is activate the control panel remotely, and turn on the A.I. transfer to the body.” The Cowboy’s last message was a simple one, “I’m gonna go to sleep now, Stripes. Easy Come, Easy Go, Mijo” Stripes was now in his new body and stepped out of the tank. A tear rolled down his face as he radioed back to his partner, “See you, Cowboy”. The Cowboy leaned back and looked out of the side of the bridge, the sun was in plain view as he died. He stared at the ball of beautiful, burning gasses. As the light faded away from him, he spoke his last breath, “Hell makes brothers of us all…” Afterword Hi There Dear Reader! My name’s Tim Agar and I hoped you enjoyed coming with me on this incredible journey of mine. My inspirations for this story came partly from Cowboy Bebop and from movies like Platoon and The Good, Bad and The Ugly, I have always loved westerns and sci-fi and it was a blast to combine them and pay homage to the great pieces of fiction that have inspired me. My experience writing this was one of the best of my life and I appreciate any attention this tale gets. Thank you for sticking around to the end and I bid you farewell. Easy Come, Easy Go...
[44 M4F Austin, TX] Sleepless In Austin: r/Drama can you help me find the girl of my dreams?
About The Girl I Want
I am looking for a decent girl that wants to be in a long term monogamus relationship with me. I want the girl to be attractive. I like girls that are thin, or with a toned or athletic build. A average build is fine too, just as long as you are not over weight. I will not date a overweight or fat girl. I like girls that are 130 pounds or less. Of course weight needs to be in proportion to their height, as long as they aren’t considred overweight, they should be fine. Being overweight is a total dealbreaker with me. I also like girls with long hair. I like a girl to look like a girl, not a man, I like a feminine, pretty girl. I like hair down to the shoulders at least. Sometimes I can make exceptions if it is shorter depending on how it looks on the girl. But for the most part, I love long hair. Redheads are my favorite, next is Brunettes, and next is Blondes, in that order. I like all 3, but I’m just saying if I had to choose, that’s my order of preference. I will not date a Black girl. I don’t care if she looks like Halle Berry, I will not ever date a Black girl. However, I will date any other race, Hispanic, Mexican, Spanish, Russian, Italian, French, European, White, whatever, anything except Black. I do not like glasses on a girl. Although, it’s not a dealbreaker, as long as she can wear contacts at least most of the time. I do not ever want to have kids, so if a girl is wanting to have babies, I am not her man. I will not date a girl that does not have a job or career. I am not looking for any type of woman that is materialistic or a gold digger or expects a man to pay for everything. I do not like tattoos on a woman. If a woman already has tattoos, it may not be a deal breaker unless she plans to get more in the future. If a woman has something small and feminine like a butterfly or rose already on her ankle or something then it may not necessacerily be a dealbreaker. And it would also help if she would consider having them laser removed, something I might would even pay to have done for her. To me, tattoos just represent white trash or somone that’s been in prison. I do not care for following trends like mindless sheep and getting tats just because what ever Star on TV got them, they will always be a symbol of White Trash. The Female human body is the most beautiful work of Art God ever created, to tattoo it with ink is the same as vandalising a famous Monet painting with a can of spray paint! I also do not like piercings on a woman. I do not like a woman to have anything pireced other than her Ears. If she has other piercings it’s not a dealbreaker as long as she removes them and never wears them again. I do not like gamblers. I will not be in any relationship with a woman that gambles or wastes money on such things. I do not like strippers! I will not date any girl that has ever been a stripper. I believe that the only person that should ever see a womans naked body is only her boyfriend or husband. I will not date any girl that has ever had a threesome, or a large number of past sexual partners. I do not want a promiscuous slut, I want a normal, decent, good hearted girlfriend. I will not date any girl that can not always be honest & faithful to me. This is very important. I prefer a girl that does not smoke, but as long as she does not smoke in my house or around me, if she can go outside and smoke, then I can live with that. I lived with my ex girlfriend for Eleven years, and she was a smoker. I will not date any girl if she is still friends with any men that she has been intimate with in the past, I believe once a relationship with someone is over, it’s OVER. I will not date a selfish woman. I do not like selfish women at all. I do not like sarcastic or cynical people, I do not like people that always think negatively either, so that type of girl would also not be a good match for me. I know sometimes on this thread, I may seem like a negative person because I point out sooooo many things that I dislike, but I assure you I am a very positive person, I am just tring to put out here my likes/dislikes so you can know more about me and what type of girl may get along with me. I do not expect a girl to agree with all of my beliefs or opinions etc, but I do not like to argue, and it’s very important that we can live in peace together if at some point the girl & I live together. I like to live in a quiet & peaceful environment. That is extremely important to me. I like a girl that dresses on the conservative side. Not like a slut, and not anything weird. Just normal is fine. T-Shirt & Jeans are OK. But a girl in a dress really gets my heart racing! I also love it when a girl wears a mini skirt with boots, not cowboy boots, but sexy boots. Or high heels, I love spiked high heels! I like a girl that takes care of herself and keeps herself clean of course. I love it when a girl wears sexy lingerie in the bedroom! Especially thigh highs! I need a girl that can be very warm & affectionate and loving. It’s also nice if the girl has a big heart and appreciates simples things, and understands the value of sentimental things etc. I like a girl that appreciates romance and the art of courtship. Kissing is one of my most favorite things to do with a girl, it’s very important. I also love to hold a girls hand when I am walking with her. And I love sleeping beside a girl and holding her close to me, and spooning with her. In fact THAT is the reason I named this thread “Sleepless In Austin” because I haven’t had a single good nights sleep in years, ever since my relationship ended with my ex-girlfriend. And yes, I also liked the movie Sleepless in Seattle, haha :) It dosen’t matter at all to me how big or small a girls breasts are. I prefer them to be real & natural though. I am against breast implants, I see that as unnecessery self mutilation, and I would not want a girlfriend that has breast implants. I prefer a woman that has never had children, because having kids does ruin a womans body often times. They end up with stretch marks. And also sometimes it makes their vagina looser, and I don’t care how many kegel exercises a woman does, after she has 2 or 3 eight to ten pound babies, you can’t tell me it’s going to be 100% as tight as it ever was! Plus, what’s even worse than all of that, is sometimes during childbirth the lips/vulva of a woman get torn and they never look the same as the did originally even after they heal, that’s why some women even get cosmetic reconstructive surgery to their vulvas after childbirth to try and regain their original appearance. Now I’m not saying having had a kid or two is a for sure dealbreaker for me, but it’s a case by case basis, and I prefer a woman that’s never had kids if possible. My ex-girlfriend that I was with for Eleven years never had kids, she couldn’t because of a hysterectomy at a young age. I like to get a lot of attention in a relationship, and I like to give it as well. I also have a very high sex drive.
About Me
What follows is just a place where I will list some random information about me… Romance is the air I breathe, for without it I surely would die! So many people often wonder, what is the purpose of life, why are we here, what is the secret of the Universe etc. etc. I know the answer to this. The answer is simple. The answer is Love. The meaning and purpose of life is nothing more than love, for a life without love would be completely meaningless and would cease to have any purpose whatsoever! Love is the only thing that truly drives me, I follow my Heart, always. I am an Artist, Musician, Poet, Composer, Performer, Businessman, I am many things. I am very creative & artistic. I can be accurately described as being both a CEO & a Rockstar all at the same time, both of those perfectly existing in one person, Me. I am a very unique man. There is NOTHING typical, average, normal, or ordinary about me whatsoever! I have a way of leaving lasting impressions on people the first time they meet me, they never forget me, and the more a person gets to know about me the more they realize that they have never, ever met another human being in this world like me! I like to do abstract paintings on canvas with acrylic paints. Although it’s been a few years since I’ve had time to paint anything, I will eventually find the time to paint again in the future. I love music. I have been playing guitar since I was 5 years old. I’ve written and recorded a lot of original songs. My favorite type of songs to write are love songs. I’ve also written a book of love poetry. I do wedding photography on the weekends as well as all other types of photography. And I also work another job Monday through Friday, and i also am currently working a lot of overtime. I was born in Orlando, Florida on September 18, 1974. I was then moved to Columbus, Georgia when I was about 2 years old by my great grandmother who took me to raise. I lived in Columbus, Georgia until around the year 2000 when I was around 24 years old. Then I sold my house there and I moved to Huntington, West Virginia and although I did not like Huntington, WV I lived there until I was about 35 years old. And then I moved here to Austin, Texas on December 22nd, 2009. I live in South Austin, right off William Cannon on Bluff Springs Rd. South Austin, SoCo, Downtown, The Drag, and West Austin are my favorite parts of Austin. I do not like North Austin or East Austin. I know I live in SouthEast Austin, but I do not consider the spot I live to be the real East Austin, I just see where I live as South Austin. To me, North Austin looks to much like any other city, boring, lacking the “Austin” vibe, the people up there remind me a little of Dallas people, and I do not like Dallas at all. And I do not like anything at all about anything near the Rundberg area up North. And when I think of East Austin, I think of areas like around 12th & Chicon, that just looks like poverty striken, ghetto people crime infested neighborhoods, full of the trashy people that have long criminal records and lack any proper education. There’s nothing good I can say about East Austin, in fact I think East Austin is a disgrace the the great city of Austin and I wish we could eliminate that whole segment of the population from our beautiful city. Hopefully, that area will be filled with condos or something so that that “type” of people will be priced out of Austin and no longer be able to afford to live within our city limits here. There’s very little crime in Austin, but when you do hear about crime, it’s usually up North near Rundberg or Airport Blvd, or it’s East Austin. I know I read back in the 80′s there used to be a problem with gangs/crime in the Dove Springs area (Also Dove Springs isn’t bad like it used to be, but I’d still never want to live there either. I also dislike most of Riverside. You can usually just look at people in those areas and tell they are trashy.) here in South Austin, but I don’t live in Dove Springs, I am near it somewhat, but I am just a hop, skip and a jump to South Congress, and to me South Congress Avenue is one of the safest, most prestigious streets.roads in Austin. It leads all the way to Downtown where it turns into just Congress Ave, and then goes on behind the Capitol where it basically turns into The Drag or Guadalupe, which is very similar to the SoCo 78704 area, especially where they have all the shops and used to have the food trailers like Hey Cupcake. THAT’S the part of Austin, that I love and consider to be the REAL Austin, those are the areas of Austin that I LOVE. Mayfield Park is my absolute favorite place in Austin to go spend time! It’s in West/Central Austin on 3505 W. 35th Street. I think it’s the most beautiful place in America, like Heaven on Earth! I even wrote and recorded a love song about and dedicated to Mayfield Park! That’s how much I love it there! I love the Peacocks there the most! And the gardens, koi ponds, nature trails and palm trees, it’s amazing to be there! And right by Mayfield Park is Mount Bonnel Drive which leads about 6 blocks or so up to the highest point of Austin, Mt Bonnel. I love going up the hundred or so steps there and enjoying that view! I love going to these two places in Austin as often as possible, and if you can’t tell I love to walk, and I do a lot of walking! I also think Austin has the most beautiful Skyline in the country! And I love the Congress Avenue Bridge! I love to walk across it all the way downtown! I love to stand on it and watch the Sunset, or watch the Bats take flight at night! I love to stand in that White Gazebo they have Downtown and look at the Colorado River. I love to walk around the lake there as well. I love to walk all up and down Congress Avenue and also up and down 6th Street. I love the energy of 6th Street. And I also love the Warehouse District downtown right before you get to 6th Street. The Red River area right past 6th Street is also nice to explore. I also love the Capital, it is very beautiful to see Downtown. I love to see a good live band from time to time, or go to a comedy club for some good standup comedy. I love to see Art and to visit Museums. I love to try new Restaurants and foods. I love going to the Barton Creek Mall sometimes. My favorite clubs are Friends on 6th Street, and the Continental Club on South Congress. Maggie Maes on 6th is also good. And the Elysium on Red River is good for something different sometimes. I love watching movies at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz on 6th and the dinner & Milkshakes are good too there. I love the Italian restaurant on Congress called La Traviata, and also the Mexican restaurant Manuels beside it there. And I love Conan’s deep dish Pizza on Guadalupe/Drag. As far as Politics goes, I believe that democrats & republicans are really just two sides of the same coin to give us the illusion of choice, I do not believe we live in a truly free country anymore, and it hasn’t been free in a very, very long time. I do not like Obama. And, I did not like Bush or his Father either. I did not like the Clintons or the Reagan administration either. There hasn’t been a president during my lifetime so far that I have liked. I believe that 99% of Fox News and mainstream Media is nothing but Lies, Lies and more Lies. I think that the majority of Americans, along with the rest of the world are brainwashed sheep that are asleep. I believe that 911 was a Inside Job, designed to instill more fear in Americans in which the government can use as a escuse to take away more of our rights and freedoms and push more of their terrible agenda upon us. There’s a man here in Austin, Texas by the name of Alex Jones who has a show on KLBJ radio, he’s been talking about things like this for about 20 years or longer. He has a website www.prisonplanet.com and he’s also released about 17 video documentaries on this subject and everything he says or writes is backed up by documented fact. I believe in and support almost everything he says on his show & documentaries and puts on his website. Check out his website and you will have a good idea on what my politics are. I basically believe in our Constitution, the way our fore fathers wrote it, before Bush & Obama began destroying all the freedoms it contained with the Patriot Acts etc. The best documentaries to watch of Alex Jones are Terrorstorm, and also End Game. There’s another great documentary by someone else called Loose Change. You can watch those for free if you search for them on Google Video. Other than those types of polital beliefs, there’s a few other things I believe in… I do not support abortion unless it’s for the result of rape or incest. Abortion is murder. I do not believe a woman should have the choice or freedom to kill her baby just because she was a slutty whore and dosen’t want to accept responsibility and raise the baby herself or give it to someone else who will. I also do not support homosexuality. I think it’s disgusting, and morally wrong. I think it’s the trait of a defective human being. I am old fashioned. I am conservative. I believe men should be men, and women should be women. God made Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve. Furthermore, I do not believe homosexuals should be allowed to teach in schools or hold any type of job in which they have any type of interactions with children in which they could leave a false impression that homosexuality is ok on their young minds. Now with that said, go ahead and ask me how I feel about Gay marriage… And I will tell you that I am ok with that, because you know what, I’m just one person, I can’t stop it from happening, so if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, and I am a Wedding Photographer, so just think if they allow Gays to legally marry, the income I make from Wedding Photography basically would double overnight wouldn’t it! hahaha!!!! Now with that said, I am not a mean or hateful person. I am a very easy going, nice, peaceful guy. And I work with people sometimes that are Gay and never have any problems with them. We get a long fine. I basically only concern myself with my own inner world near me, only stuff that has a direct impact on me and the little world around me. I don’t go out of my way to recycle, I mean I don’t seperate my trash into different trash cans etc, plastic in one and this or that in the other like some people do. I don’t have time for that nonsense. The world will be here for as long as I live, and after I’m gone, whatever happens to this Earth is of no concern to me. I don’t have time for recycling. Let that be someone else’s job to sort out all of that stuff. People now a days are always wanting everything to be green, like hybrid cars etc. Me, I am planning on getting a 1977 Corvette Stingray soon with a 350 V8 engine that will only get about 10 miles a gallon. How’s that for green??? hahaha!!!! I don’t worry about killing trees when I waste paper either. And when I go out to eat dinner, I don’t care if I eat all of my food or not, it does not bother me to throw away whatever I am not hungry to eat. Can you tell yet I’m not one of those Hippies that you see so much of here in Austin???? Hahahaha! I love Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, and I seen the Woodstock DVD and that all is cool. I’m creative & artistic and believe in Freedom. But, I am not a lazy slacker like most hippies are. I believe everyone needs to work to support theirself, earn their own money and not live off the government or off handouts or charity. I do NOT believe marijuana should ever be legalized! I do believe it’s ok for doctors to give to Cancer patients etc, but I do not believe it should be easy to get a prescription for, basically unless you can prove you have Cancer or something then you should not be allowed to smoke it. I am not a Racist person. In fact I tend to get along much better with Black guys than I do White guys. However, I do not like Rap or Hip Hop music. I do not even consider that to be real music. And I do not like Black people that listen to that kind of music. I do not like Black people that have a criminal record or smoke pot or do any other type of drugs. I do not like Black people that live in the “projects” or live off welfare or food stamps. I do not like Black people that do not have a full time job. I do not like Black people that wear their pants halfway down to their knees. And I do not like Black people that don’t speak proper English and pronounce their words correctly. I do not like Black people that dress like thugs or gangstas. I do not like uneducated Black People. And if you are a Black person that lives in East Austin or up North Austin around the Rundberg area then chances are I probably don’t like you either! So there! haha!!!!! I am NOT racist. I just do NOT like ignorant, useless, TRASH. I also don’t like White people that do those same types of things! And, I do not believe that Whites & Blacks should mix races sexually and have kids together. I think it’s ok for Whites & Hispanics. But not Blacks. I would NEVER, EVER, EVER date a woman if I found out she had EVER been sexually active with a Black man. That would just be pure filth. I do not like Homeless people, bums, drunks, or drug users either, or anyone that participates in any type of criminal activity. I also do not like White country types or Redneck types or Trailer trash types. I do not believe in fishing or hunting, I do not support the killing of animals. I am not a Vegetarian, but I don’t eat much meat compared to most people, and one day I’d like to be totally vegetarian, It takes a lot of will power though. I love Animals. I love Nature. I love living in the City. I love the Sunny days and warm weather of Austin. I do not like cold weather or snow. I do not like to be cold. I do not like the rain. I am not materialistic, but I do like for the things I have to be nice and to be of excellent quality. I strive to live as comfortable of a life as I possibly can. I am currently working with a realtor to buy a house here in South Austin so that I can move out of this apartment. I am also working towards starting a romantic Bed & Breakfast in South Austin in the future. I am a entrepenuer and I am in the process of establishing multiple streams of income that all target the same clients in the Wedding industry. I also believe in living on a balanced budget, and setting aside money for savings as well as investing a portion into stocks. Sometimes I think people see me as a very arrogant & egotistical man, I can’t help it if I am more intelligent than most men, that’s their problem and their own insecurities they must deal with. I think I am a very nice guy, very well balanced, highly intelligent, a hard worker, very assertive in life, with a huge heart and a very romantic side. Some of my favorite movies, in no particular order, are: Of What Dreams May Come, City Of Angels, Leaving Las Vegas, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Casino, Finding Nemo, Naploeon Dynomite, Rock Star, The Basketball Diaries, The Doors, Rocky, Rocky Balboa, Wall-E, The Goonies, Star Wars, Kill Bill, Romeo & Juliet (DiCaprio version), The Devils Rejects, E.T., Friday, and Sling Blade. Sam Kinison, Richard Pryor & Robin Williams are some of my favorite comedians. Some of my favorite Bands are: Guns & Roses, Poison, Black Crowes, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, The Cure, AC/DC, Metallica, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Etta James, Otis Redding, Diana Krall, Skid Row, Whitesnake, and David Gilmour. Other Random Things About Me: I like to eat: Blueberries, Bannanas, Whole Wheat Whole Grain Breads, Spinach, Tomatos, Avacado, Tobasco Hot Sauce, Jalepinos, Banana Peppers, Green Peppers, Onions, Raw Garlic Cloves, Olivesm Cucumbers, Raw Honey, Cereals like Wheaties & Cheerios, Baked Potatos, Mashed Potatos, Fried green tomatos. Chicken is my least favorite meat. Beef is my next least favorite, and after Beef Pork. My favorite meat is Salmon & Tuna, and sometimes Turkey. Those seem to be the most healthy meats, if you are going to eat meat, which I try to eat as little of it as I can. Sometimes I go a few days without any meat at all. When I order Pizza, I usually just get it with Veggies. Dark Chocolate is my favorite, especially the truffles made by Lindt. My favorite cake is German Chocolate, my favorite ice cream is Rocky Road. I also love the home made brownies they sell on the counters at the 711 stores here. I am trying to eat more healthy. The only fast food I eat is at Subway. I like all kinds of movies, thrillesuspense/horrodrama/comedy/romance/documentary. I do not like to watch sports or reality shows. I don’t watch much TV. If I do watch TV, it’s usually a DVD. But my favorite TV Shows are: South Park, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Sopranos, Beavis & Butthead, and the X-Files. I love to celebrate Christmas. I am a very giving person. I like to make a woman happy, it makes me happy if I can make the woman in my life happy. I do not know how to swim, no one ever taught me. I was on the Judge Judy TV show one time. I had the lyrics to my song “Soul Brother” printed in a book about Stevie Ray Vaughan called You Can’t Stop A Comet by Cutter Brandenberg who was Stevie’s road manager and lives in Temple. I was also written about in Kelly Garni’s autobiography, he was the original bass guitar player in the old 70′s band Quiet Riot along with Randy Rhoads who went on to play for Ozzy Osbourne. A musician based in Dallas that has been on tours with ZZ Top, wrote & recorded a song about me and put it on one of his CDs, the song is called “Romeo”. I was the person that got unreleased film footage of Randy Rhoads from film director Peter Margolis and uploaded it all over the internet for the world to see for the first time ever even though I did not have Peter’s permission, it made me a instant hero in the Randy Rhoads community/fan base, and now Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne even know who I am, they even had a meeting regarding me at one time awile back. When I was in WV I once wrote a song about a man that painted a bridge Pink and I made the headlines of the newspaper there for it. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s brother Jimmie Vaughan once banned me from ever coming into Antones, he refused to play if I was in the audience, I don’t know if the ban is still in place because I always liked Nuno’s club better before it closed, but as you can see I can be quite a colorful & contraversial character at times obvisouly! Hahaha!!!
902 reviews of Gold Spike "I was fortunate enough to have cool friends in the know and got invited to the soft opening last night. Very cool place! The new management team adds yet another revitalizing kick to the downtown scene, and does so without a gaming device on the premises! I had visited Gold Spike about 2 or 3 months ago, and chatted with friends about the potential. Gold Spike Hotel & Casino is in Las Vegas, Nevada and is open daily 24 hours. The casino's 5,820 square foot gaming space features 150 gaming machines and four table games. The property has two restaurants and a hotel with 162 rooms. Casual dining is available at the nearby restaurant, the Grill at Gold Spike. Oasis at Gold Spike is a 4-minute drive from the Las Vegas Premium Outlets – North, and a number of famous casinos such as The Venetian and Caesars Palace can be reached within a 10-minute drive. McCarran International Airport is 9 miles away. The Sugar Shack, Oasis at Gold Spike’s Ultimate Nightlife Accessory. BOOK NOW. Visit one of our many Downtown Las Vegas Properties. Casino at the Gold Spike Hotel is located in a welcoming area of Las Vegas known for its array of dining options and top-notch casinos. If you’re looking for a convenient place to stay, check out the 62 hotels and other accommodations you’ll find within a mile. Stay at this 3.5-star boutique hotel in Las Vegas. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and a restaurant. Our guests praise the pool and the bar in our reviews. Popular attractions Fremont Street Experience and Mob Museum are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for Oasis at Gold Spike along with the latest prices and availability – book now. Me and my wife came down to Las Vegas for October bike fest 2019. The gold spike is walking distance to Fremont street and all the events. Staff are super nice. Casino at the Gold Spike Hotel is located in Downtown Las Vegas. It's in a welcoming neighborhood appreciated for its noteworthy cultural attractions such as the entertainment and live music. If you'd like to find things to do in the area, you might want to stop in and see Fremont Street Experience and Mob Museum. Located in Downtown Las Vegas, Oasis at Gold Spike is adjacent to Fremont Street Experience and within a 5-minute walk of other popular sights like Mob Museum. This 3.5-star hotel has 86 rooms and welcomes guests with a restaurant, an outdoor pool, and free in-room WiFi. Find 4 listings related to Gold Spike Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Gold Spike Hotel And Casino locations in Las Vegas, NV.
What Happened to the Gold Strike Casino?? - YouTube
A drunken vlog of me and my friends trip to Gold Spike in Vegas. Celebrating our friends dirty 30 and our other friends anniversary. And me and my fiance's e... halloween - 2011 - the gold spike might be the smallest casino left in downtown las vegas. it has some mighty big backers! it outlasted the lady luck. the lady luck casino is no more! gone! gold ... Gold Spike backyard Las Vegas Downtown 2016 A few of you have asked about the Gold Strike Casino in Jean, Nevada. Between the California border and Las Vegas. MGM owned it for many years before selli...
