Wow... it’s a tie! Normally my “tie-breaker” would be going with whoever is the eldest, but since Hallie and Jayden are twins, double heirs it is!!!

Thank you so much to people who voted, it means a lot! I am soooooo excited to see how this generation goes :D

Black Veil Brides on Instagram, 09/03/2023.

The Trinity of Terror Tour April 15, 2022 The Paramount in Huntington, NY ft Kyle from Through Fire filling in on bass Set List: Faithless Coffin Crimson Skies Shadows Die Wake Up Scarlet Cross Knives and Pens The Legacy Fallen Angels In the End Photos by Andrew Fiero Published in MetalInsider.net

Fiero, youngest son of the Forenstens, hopelessly in love with Zilly Andri

he a Mr. Intense Boi, he literally jumped into a stormy sea to save her

In the last fight he got his fighting arm (aka his hugging Zilly arm) crippled... can’t wait to see how he copes 🙃

2020 Simming goals!

@vegan-kaktus tagged me for this, so here we go:

Get back into playing TS2. :) (Burn-out, whatcha gonna do?)

Finish building and share Mustang Valley. I’m still hoping to share by Valentine's Day, but it might take me a little longer than that. Doing much of anything Simmy for the past 2 weeks or so was pretty much a lost cause. :( Plus, I have another project due in January to do. Yikes!

Close out and delete my old Livejournal and repost the CC that's on it to Pillowfort.

Finish the hair defaults project. I mean, I've only got about 10 left, for heaven's sake!

Start to tackle BHAV modding. There are so many things I'd like to tweak, if only for my own purposes, but I can't.

Figure out what to do in my own copy of Mustang Valley. Since it’ll be all pre-built, I'm thinking maybe a proper Legacy, but also filling some of the houses with "townie families" that I don't play but that do have homes and then going into them and advancing ages and generating kids along with the playable family and pairing off "townie" kids as they grow up, etc. Make it sort of like TS3's story progression only all done manually. (Unfortunately *sigh*) I have to put in some thought as to how that’s going to work.

Get going and active on Pillowfort. (I'll still be here, but going forward, I'll be posting CC there with just links to the Pillowfort posts here on Tumblr. This is because Pillowfort posts can have multiple cuts, which makes it easier to present and organize info. I'm also going to be doing more personal and non-sims posts over there, in addition to Sim-related stuff, which I'm looking forward to being able to do.)

Start playing some of my other TS2 neighborhoods again. A while back, I decided to overhaul my CC and in the process moved all the hoods on my main user account and a copy of all my CC at the time into backup so they didn't get messed up by removing stuff and all that. I need to start up a new user account (with all the old CC, alas) and start playing them again. Especially Insulo de Fiero, the "queer hood," which I miss and which is probably the thing that will help me to get over my burn-out.

I don't really know who's done this because I'm catching up from the Week of Hell that was Christmas. :) But I'll randomly tag: @anachronisims, @marvelann, @freezerbunny-sims, @moocha-muses, and @taylors-simblr. (Of course feel free to ignore if you've done this or if you're just not interested!)

Mistletoe

“What can I help with, Elena?” Mateo asked as he strolled into the palace living room where Elena was elbow-deep into a box full of streamers, wreaths, bows and other Navidad decorations.

“Oh great, you’re here, Mateo!” Elena sighed gratefully, “I’ve already decorated most of the rooms but it always takes two to put up the high-up decorations’ She gestured to the arch of the doorway he was standing under.

“I’m always here to help.” Mateo shrugged off his green coat that he wore to journey from a visit to his Mom’s home. “Still I must say you’ve done a great job on your own.”

And it was true, though he had only properly viewed the living room, from what he saw of the palace, it was truly the Navidad season. There were bows on every piece of furniture, the ever present smell of gingerbread and tamales, candles lit the grand staircase and one can see pile of decorative presents at strategically placed corners in the halls.

As for the living room, it too had presents and bows and such stuff, but the Navidad tree was the true centerpiece.

“Thank you.” Elena beamed, “I just really love Navidad. Mami, Isa and I would spend the whole day decorating for it. We even made some decorations ourselves like this.” She held up a rather weathered wreath with browning pine needles and a faded white paper ribbon that Mateo could see was adorably scrawled with childrens’ drawings.

Mateo smiled, both at the wreath and at the nostalgic gaze that touched Elena. She looked so thoughtful, so beautiful when she was lost in thought.

Mateo shook his head to try to rid of that irritate thought. The one that added how beautiful Elena was with everything she did, or however she looked. Not that it was easy. Mateo thought Elena always looked amazing.

Mateo internally sighed. He had been trying to fight his feelings but it was impossible.

He tried to act normally, he didn’t make any motion to treat her especially different from how he acted with Naomi or Gabe, but he couldn’t help himself. With her, he felt himself soften a little. He felt closer to her in that if there was ever a choice between personal glory and Elena’s, he would try to help Elena achieve her triumph before him. He felt like he could be more vulnerable around her. He could confide in her about his fears and insecurities. He didn’t feel like he needed to hide any part of himself from her. And what’s more, he didn’t want to. Which is why this crush feeling was killing him.

“What would you like me to do first?” Mateo asked going for lightheartedness while these thoughts swirled in his head.

“Just help string these across the walls.” Elena handed him a string of popcorn and cranberries, and three wreaths to obviously hang at intervals.

Mateo carefully took them from her arms and climbed up the step stool that was by the wall so he could up the string by the nails already in placed. The only sound being his muffled ouches from the pine needles scrapping and Elena singing softly under her breath.

“You need nothing more than those you adore. On this holiday, let love light the way.”

An unconscious smile quirked the corner of Mateo’s mouth as he listened to one of his favorite sounds in the world. Elena’s voice.

With Elena’s lovely singing filling the silence, Mateo’s thoughts wandered off to how much he cared for the crown princess.

He supposed it had started sometime around the aftermath of Fiero’s first attack and when she proclaimed him her only choice for the royal wizard. There was just something, like a feeling of gratitude that she saw something in him that he hadn’t been able to believe in himself. A magic within as she sang it. She had been the only one who showed such trust and belief in his magic skills. He didn’t want to let her down.

He had thought that was normal. Some friendly devotion between princess and royal wizard, between friends. But then he began noticing Elena even more. The way her optimism lit up whatever room she was in. Her devotion to her kingdom. How she always believed in the best of everyone. Her strength after everything she had gone through.

The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to get to know her. He learned some of her fears and her weaknesses and that only fueled his desire to help her. He wanted to be the one she could lean on. He said it as much when they went to Vallestrella, “I’ll always be here for you, Elena. No matter what.”

He would have to be crazy not to notice her gorgeous looks too. Her kind, enthusiastic face whose smile was like the sun, her bright eyes… he could go on and on about the multitude of traits that separated Elena from anyone else Mateo had ever met or even heard about.

His feelings, all the things he liked about her had become even stronger during the past month as Elena flitted about with her plans and excitement for the coming celebrations. During Navidad, Elena seemed particularly aglow with happiness and joy, and her dresses gave her an air of exquisite grace--like she was always floating with its fluttering silks. She was wearing the white and red poinsettia-like dress again, but she paired it this year with red velvet with fur around the cuffs and lining.

And her spirit was infectious, it just made Mateo want to sing along with her.

It was one of the many things that made him love her. The way she brought everyone together during the bright and dark times. He enjoyed those lighthearted moments as much as he treasured the faith she had in him during the bad. He only hoped he wouldn’t come to fail her in future adventures.

Suddenly Elena’s voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Can you help me?" Elena asked with a surprising demure voice.

"Yeah, yeah, of course!" Mateo answered enthusiastically so that’s why he took a pause before walking bringing his step stool to the other side of the archway that Elena was decorating. He didn’t want to appear too eager.

“Thanks so much for the help. I wouldn’t know what I’d do without you.” Elena made an exaggerated swipe of her brow as if the whole decorating business was an exhausting manual labor.

“It’s no problem.” Mateo played along, flexing what few muscles he had like Gabe would.

Elena turned to look at him with a gaze much more thoughtful than before, “I just want to say thanks in general. You’ve done a lot for me this year. Well, ever since I met you really. You’ve really been there for me no matter what.”

Mateo blushed at Elena’s compliment, busying himself with a random streamer so she wouldn’t see his burning red face. Then they lapsed into silence once more.

It was probably for the best. He didn’t want to say something so obvious like what he did was nothing, she was the one who was amazing. She was so compassionate and determined and strong, everyone was lucky to have met her. Or say something about how gorgeous he thought she looked and then for her to realize what a lovestruck crush he had. It would completely ruin their friendship. No it was best to keep that to himself.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of her closeness. Electricity ran down his spine every time they brushed against each other and he even got a sniff of her hair as she leaned over him to fix a lopsided bow. It smelled of pine needles and traces of hot cocoa. All the enticing scents of the season that he associated with peace and happiness, also associated with her. It was intoxicating.

A few minutes or maybe a half-hour later, Mateo wasn’t sure-time always seemed to fly by when he was around Elena, they stepped down their respective stools to look over their handiwork.

“I think it looks gr-” Mateo began to say when he was cut off by Elena suddenly grasping his shoulder. Another shock of spine tingles that made him shudder.

Mateo whipped his face around to see what had brought on her gasp. She was staring up at the chandelier which sparkled with the crystal it was made of as well as the opaque candles that had been placed in the candleholders that gave it an added ethereal glow. The whole thing was so sparkly that Mateo almost missed what truly got Elena’s attention.

It was a tiny sprig of green shrubbery with a red velvet bow tying it to the chandelier. It was so auspicious, it was like it was a teasing child, winking with mischievousness.

Mateo looked up and felt his world froze for a moment.

Mistletoe...the meaning behind it laid thousands of situations and opportunities for him to come out of it, both good and bad.

Instinctively he looked toward Elena to see what she was thinking, even though a small part of him feared that she would recoil in disgust. Even though he knew that situation was irrational. She was far too kind to do that. At most she would make a polite diversion.

But when he looked at her, no polite diversion was coming from Elena’s lips.

Elena was looking at him with a warm smile. He knew she should be used to such looks from her by now but it still took his breath away. Never in his life had he thought he would fully trust in someone to see him and think of him as strong and capable and wise like he was worthy to follow the legacy laid by Alacazar.

Something else was in her eyes that made him blush though. It was the sparkle. A roguish sparkle in her eyes to be exact. The kind that Mateo had seen a few times when Naomi admired Gabe’s handsomeness. And it was directed at him.

Mateo never thought of himself as particularly handsome, not to the likes of Gabe. Him, guapo was not the first word to come to mind. Maybe skinny, lanky if he was asking his mom. But not guapo. The idea that Elena would see him as guapo seemed ridiculous but with how she looked at him, a slight brush staining her cheeks, he allowed himself to imagine that she did and that twinkle wasn’t just a roguish twinkle of mischievousness at the situation they had gotten themselves into.

Elena had sidled up against him, not to make the first move but to grasp his hands. His hands were still somehow cold, but hers was incredibly warm and she widely played with his fingers. Mateo couldn’t help but note that they were almost the same size. He saw her cast a furtive glance between his lips and the mistletoe, she opened her mouth and then closed it. A blush starting to spread across her face. Once more she looked uncharacteristically demure.

The realization hit Mateo like a lightning bolt. Was it possible?

Elena’s second false start fixed Mateo’s feelings of indecision. She quite possibly liked him, and clearly she wasn’t sure if she should act or not because she didn’t know his feelings.

What were the words she had just been singing? Let love light the way? Yes, he would let his love light the way!

This was his chance to be bold and do it. To reveal all he felt to her. That he loved her. Her passionate, competitive, impulsive, enthusiastic, hilarious, vulnerable, compassionate, capable self in all her flaws and strengths. He just loved her.

Mateo took a step forward and cupped her cheek, tilting her chin so their lips were almost pressing each other. It was just the two of them, and as he stared at her warm brown eyes, he felt their surroundings fade away. As she leaned in, he felt his senses heightened to all sorts of small points that he didn’t have time to fully appreciate before like ruffle of her dress, the faint whiff of the wreath with its pine needles. But overpowering all these senses was the heat of their bodies, so close they were to another.

He licked his suddenly dry lips in anticipation, and his heart pounded faster than before. Before he could even lean in, Elena, his impatient spitfire, pulled him towards her. Their lips crashed against each other with longing fervor that Mateo felt was equal to the blast of magic he used all those years ago when he fixed the snowstorm on Navidad. That snowstorm could happen again tonight, blast all the cold air in but he wouldn’t notice. Losing some of his self-conscious inhibitions in the heat of the moment, he boldly slid his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

As they came apart, he chose not to move. He just felt the warmth of their arms around each other and the smell of her shampooed hair and savor the feeling of that he was floating on air. He couldn’t believe he kissed Elena!

And from the slight sparkle in her eyes, it seemed like the moment wasn’t just going to end there with the mistletoe.

“Mateo,” Elena said, her tone full of meaning, “I liked that.”

“Me too.” He stuttered, a hope rising in his chest that he couldn’t quite hold back and at the moment, he thought there was no reason to. A sort of calm overcame him too. Relaxing him. This feel right. The kiss, holding hands with her right now. It all felt right. He always felt a bit uller, more whole when he was with her.

Elena smiled, “Feliz Navidad, Mateo.” The words were simple, platonic-sounding to any outsider. But they both knew that it meant so much more.

Without words they were confirming that something special had grown between them. A love that was cemented through the experiences they shared together, the concerns and joys they had in common and the simple fact that they seemed inextricably drawn to each other’s lives. There was no one reason or maybe a whole host of reasons, but they felt the best when they were together.

“I always have a Feliz Navidad when I’m around you, Elena” Mateo smiled and kissed her once more on the lips, savoring the sweet smell of yule log and pine, with his heart  bursting with happiness for the Navidad holiday and the princess beside him.

When Fiero was younger, he was very much his own person. Didn’t really want to follow the Delaney or the Holden legacy and mostly was trying to lead his own life. He spent a lot of time experimenting with magic, trying to see what spells or potion combinations could get someone high and testing it out with different supernatural physiologies. He definitely wasn’t a science expert, but he was as careful as one could be while playing around with that sort of thing and he’d figured out how to get himself a few different types of high, which was the most important part for him.

My first Elena of Avalor headcanons post

To all who might read this, please take a few things into account.

I never shared headcanons before, so if there are any etiquette rules I ended up breaching, I apologize in advance. 

Also, I don’t consider character writing and development to be a strong skill of mine, so this headcanon may sound dull and cliché in all the places and some more. 

All the same, I do like developing headcanons, and hope you end up enjoying the ones I share with you as well.

To whoever’s interested, check below the cut for my headcanons on Alacazar, with Fiero as a relevant player and minor appearances by Zuzo, Shuriki, Rafa, and Aunt Tilly (from Sofia the First).

Again, I hope you enjoy!

Alacazar headcanons

Alacazar had a long legacy of magic behind him, being the only son of a powerful and respected wizard, Wocketio, and his wife, a sorceress named Zumba who was powerful and respected in her own right.  

He showed both a surprising natural talent and a keen interest for magic from a very early age, and his parents both enabled it, if keeping a close eye on him, as he had a tendency to be a prankster and an inquisitive mind that led him to questioning just about every rule of magic he was taught. As his parents took care to explain him why he ought not to try certain things instead of telling him it was ‘just because’, it turned out well.

He was not the most popular kid in school, but was liked by his classmates, and his grades were slightly above average, though the time he spent learning magic did affect them.

When he was eight, a dark-skinned boy from a foreign kingdom came looking for Wocketio and Zumba, asking if there was any way at all they could bring his village back after it had been burned to the ground, saying he would give anything for it.

Unfortunately, no magic could resurrect the dead.

Almost as broken hearted as the boy, Wocketio and Zumba tried to find the boy’s surviving relatives… only to find out he had none. Even sadder, the wizarding couple did the only thing they felt they could and adopted the boy, Fiero.

Things were an edge tense at first, as Alacazar was not used to sharing his parents’ attention, but after an habituation period, he and Fiero became as close as if they had been brothers their whole lives. Being less outgoing and more insecure, Fiero became a bit of an outcast when he entered the local school, but Alacazar stood by him, even as his own reputation started taking a toll.

Eventually, Fiero started learning magic as well, and when it turned out he had quite a potential, he too immersed himself in magic studies, and he and Alacazar became even closer.

As the years went by, Alacazar turned out to be an edge better, and kept one-upping Fiero time and again. It was mostly little things - such as Alacazar being the one having a breakthrough when devising a new spell or potion, or someone turning down Fiero’s help specifically for Alacazar or his parents because Fiero ‘didn’t look a decent sort’ - but enough of them that, over time, he started to feel inadequate and resentful.

The first meaningful blow came when they were eighteen and Alacazar first attempted contact with his chanul, a spirit guide assigned to him. He succeeded on the first try, finding that his chanul was a quirky if ultimately wise fox named Zuzo. But to his sadness he also succeeded in angering Fiero, for whom chanuls had been a sore point when he rationalized that they should have been there to help his village not meet the tragedy they endured. In spite of this, Fiero was glad for Alacazar, but when he mused what kind of chanul was assigned to him, Zuzo remarked that Fiero did not have a chanul assigned to him, as he was not from Avalor and, more importantly, he had no Maruvian ancestry. He would never have a chanul, and there was nothing he could do to change that.

Over time, as Alacazar’s small successes kept both piling up and growing bigger (thanks to Zuzo’s guidance) Fiero became more and more embittered, and his magic darkened. Alacazar kept standing by him, but also constantly warned him of the perils of falling to darkness, which would lead to him becoming a malvago if he did not try to better himself. Those remarks only riled Fiero up further.

The final blow came when they were thirty-five, with the arrival of news that the old court wizard of Avalor planned to retire and was looking for a successor. Fiero applied, but Alacazar was specifically requested for by the king. While he did have to take the test, he was again an edge better, and once more came out on top. Furious beyond measure, Fiero tried to demolish the castle and everyone in it on the spot. Alacazar stopped him, but unfortunately, he could not undo some of the damage - both Wocketio and Zumba had been killed.

Though Fiero, now fully descended into a malvago, managed to escape, Alacazar kept his post as court wizard, and filled it for decades on end. Decades that were filled with some minor threats, but nothing potentially destructive for the whole kingdom. The biggest mark in those years came when he fell in love with a sorceress named Astra, at the ripe old age of 80. Astra herself, at 58, was no spring chicken, but to the surprise of both of them, they ended up conceiving a child, a girl who was born when Alacazar was 88 and Astra was 66.

There was no magic involved in the conception, but it was the fact they had magic that allowed them to be parents at such an age, though such late births were very unusual even for magical people.

They hadn’t been planning for children, they both loved the girl, who they named Rafa, very much. The joys of parenthood were short lived for them, though, as only five years later, the sorceress Shuriki of the Northern Islands invaded Avalor and killed King Raul and Queen Lucia, only failing to do the same to the rest of the family when Princess Elena held her at bay while Alacazar sealed her maternal grandparents and sister in a magic painting, only surviving herself thanks to the Amulet of Avalor around her neck.

Alacazar and Astra managed to escape with Rafa and the amulet of Avalor, and Alacazar immediately went off in search of a princess who could release Elena. It turned out to be a difficult task, as Shuriki learned he had survived and, after making a list of some of the magical people she had banished (on which Fiero was deliberately not included) summoned them to the palace and promised that the one among them who managed to bring Alacazar to her dead or alive would become the most important person at her court - after her, of course.

Alacazar dodged many close calls as he kept looking for princesses, but the high levels of stress brought about by the task of finding a princess coupled with the turmoil from the (thankfully very rare) times he had to resort to ‘extreme measures’ lead to his health deteriorating very rapidly, robbing him of years if not decades he would otherwise have left. Twenty one years after Princess Elena went into the Amulet, when Matilda of Enchancia was left by the amulet, Alacazar tried to find another candidate, but by then his life was giving out and he had to use the last bit of his magic to turn himself into a book and go to the Secret Library.

It was the worst part of the predicament he had been through, and was made even worse by the knowledge that his now adult daughter had returned to his home at Avalor, though he had the consolation of knowing that Shuriki did not suspect Rafa was related to him and did not particularly target her. The fact she had never developed her own magic turned out to be a helping point. Still, it was a true hell not being able to do anything but wait. It But to the relief of all of Avalor, the wait came to an end.

The Humanistic Tradition: The First Civilizations and the Classical Legacy (7th Edition) - Book 1 - eBook

Download it for: $10 only

Understanding that a global humanities course is taught in many varying ways, Dr. Gloria Fiero redefines the discipline for great flexibility with The Humanistic Tradition: The First Civilizations and the Classical Legacy 7th edition (PDF). Enhanced by McGraw-Hill’s LearnSmart® and SmartBook®, (not included in this sale), Dr. Fiero delivers a learning experience tailored to the needs of every instructor, institution, and student. With the ability to incorporate new streaming music, extended readings, and artwork, The Humanistic Tradition 7e renews the understanding of the relationship between humankind’s creative legacy and world cultures.

McGraw-Hill Connect Humanities (not included in this sale) is the only integrated learning system that empowers undergraduate and graduate students by continuously adapting to deliver precisely when they need it and what they need so that your class lecture time is much more effective and very engaging. It provides tools that make learning more engaging, assessment easier, and studying for the course more efficient

P.S Contact us if you want to buy The Humanistic Tradition: The First Civilizations and the Classical Legacy 7e testbank or other instructor resources

NOTE: This sale only includes the eBook 1 of The Humanistic Tradition 7th edition in PDF. No access codes or connect comes with this product.

https://duranbooks.net/shop/the-humanistic-tradition-the-first-civilizations-and-the-classical-legacy-7th-edition-book-1-ebook/

If you missed it, the Fiero legacy heir poll is live! Read up on each candidate here, then go ahead & VOTE if you haven’t already!

Voting will close on Wednesday 7th June, 9pm (BST).

2020 Chevrolet Corvette: Three Challenges the Mid-Engine Car Presented

Everything about building a mid-engine car was new to the C8 development engineers. There’s virtually nobody left from the earlier mid-engine Corvette programs (or even the Pontiac Fiero team) to consult with, so the C8 team pretty much had to benchmark state-of-the-art competitors. And because most competitors have been developing mid-engine sports cars for several generations, the pressure has been high to nail the benchmarks right from the start. Plenty of computer-aided engineering and rough mule prototype vehicles were involved in this program. Below are a few of the diciest challenges the team faced.

Interested in the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette? See our comprehensive coverage HERE.

Engine Note Tuning

Some of the nastiest (in a bad way) sounds an engine makes are now 12 inches from the driver’s ear: the accessory drive. Hence the firewall is well insulated, and the bulkhead window is 9mm thick (most windshields are 5mm thick).

Everyone loves exhaust noise, but that’s really far away, and the pipes are short, presenting no opportunity for X-pipes and other plumbing elements to improve the sound. Even the intake is located pretty far back, but airflow is directed through some body cavities with openings near the driver door in an effort to naturally direct some of that noise forward.

The car’s audio system is primarily programmed to cancel objectionable frequencies, but a bit of constructive enhancement of the trademark small-block burble is also dialed in. The Z51’s low-restriction exhaust valve makes the car as loud as it legally can be. A mid-motor NVH windfall: Road noise is inherently reduced by moving the big rear tires aft and insulating them behind an engine.

Matching Corvette’s Legendary Trunk Space

Few sports cars can touch the Corvette hatchback’s 15-cubic-foot luggage capacity. The ability for the C8 to continue the legacy as a weekend getaway car was deemed crucial. So despite an engine sitting where all that luggage used to go, the team has managed to package 12.6 cubic feet split roughly one-third in the frunk and two-thirds in the rear trunk, behind/above the powertrain.

The front accommodates a standard airline-regulation roll-aboard laid on its narrow, tall side. The rear can fit two reasonably sized golf bags. And although a new four-piece set of fitted semi-rigid leather duffels will be offered for the C8, the C7s five-piece set fits in the C8. You know what else fits in the back? The removable targa roof panel (though not necessarily along with the golf bags or fitted luggage).

Torsional Stiffness/Crash Energy Management

The long-hood/short-deck front-mid-engine layout was a breeze for energy management. There used to be plenty of room to gently steer crash energy down around the front wheel to the side frame member. Swap the powertrain and cabin positions, and suddenly the tire is right behind the dead pedal, leaving no room for a crash energy load path. Those forces must now be directed into the center tunnel structure.

The comparatively narrow box the engine used to fit in is smaller and more inherently rigid than the larger opening required to accommodate the C8’s entire powertrain. But the team reports that the torsional stiffness is better than that of the C7 and several key competitors. There are also several local stiffness wins, one of which is the steering column. Because it’s shorter and more direct, it was easier to stiffen it up.

The post 2020 Chevrolet Corvette: Three Challenges the Mid-Engine Car Presented appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2020-chevrolet-corvette-c8-three-challenges-mid-engine-presented/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

TFL Stuff

So I’m actually doing this okay wow 

a wild anxiety appears

For those who don’t know, TFL or The Fine Lines is my clexa inspired concept that will be made into a comic drawn by me as soon as I finish all the writing for it

Basically, almost all the characters are the same with some exceptions and they all have different names to spare me from copyright issues. The story will be totally different and the whole reason I wanted to do this was to create something with healthy lgbt representation for others and the characters of Clarke and Lexa show up in every oc relationship I make so I just decided to go with it. So kind like the fandom collectively made Elyza Lex, I’m collectively making Cara (Alternate Clarke) and Olivia (Alternate Lexa) and alternatives to a bunch of other characters

so here is just some basic stuff below the cut

~There are four kingdoms:

The North Kingdom (led by Olivia aka Lexa)

The West Kingdom (led by a character that is sort of a mix of Kane, s1 Jaha, and Dante Wallace; basically the ultimate dad)

The South Kingdom (led by Fiero, aka alternate Jake Griffin)

and The East Kingdom (led by Alya aka the alternate Anya)

Background Info:

The kingdoms used to be united as one but were split apart due to different views

a couple hundred years later, the Kingdoms are in a state of tension and hostility. A loyal young man of the South Kingdom Court named Aadok finds a young teenage boy, without allegiance to any of the four kingdoms, lost and starving named Fiero. He brings Fiero back to the South Kingdom despite the fact that outsiders aren’t taken well. He takes him under his responsibility and promises to train him to be a loyal member of the South Kingdom once he is stronger. 

Fiero takes note of the animosity between the kingdoms and sees ways to improve them

Aadok teaches Fiero to read, how to fight, how to hunt, the culture of the South Kingdom, and even some of the politics involved

Aadok also has views of how to make the kingdoms better and strong again, and he reflects these views onto Fiero

Time passes and Fiero eventually becomes the second in command to Queen Vivian, the leader of the South Kingdom (he is actually the youngest second in command any of the four kingdoms had ever seen)

Meanwhile over in the North Kingdom, their King is murdered by his own son Prince Herod in order to take the throne. Herod is strong willed, ambitious, cruel, and power-hungry, willing to do whatever it takes to take control of anything and everything he can. He leads the North Kingdom into a reign of darkness and isolation as he takes aim to weaken the other kingdoms

A falling out leads Fiero and Aadok into a harsh hatred of one another that leads Aadok to conspire with Herod, promising that if they were to work together, he would lead the East and South Kingdoms and Herod would lead the North and West Kingdoms

Aadok’s plans are discovered and he is exiled, only to be given shelter by Herod

Not even half a year goes by before Herod leads a brutal attack against the East Kingdom, taking control of it and passing it to Aadok

Aadok, now the leader of the East Kingdom, declares alliance with the North Kingdom and war against the South Kingdom

in a battle, Herod manages to kill Queen Vivian and Fiero becomes the King of the South Kingdom as Queen Vivian had no living family left

A 15 year war rages on between the kingdoms, time enough for all three rulers to have had children of their own. King Herod has two daughters, Heiress Olivia, and a weak runt that wasn’t supposed to live that he does not acknowledge as his child, Sera. Aadok has four separate children, the first born son, Carter, was born only a few weeks before Aadok was exiled and grew up in the South Kingdom, even becoming the apprentice of King Fiero. Aadok’s second child, a daughter named Thea is born around a year after Carter and is left to be raised in the North Kingdom as a noble beneath Herod. Thea is only a little bit older than Olivia and the two grow up side by side due to their fathers’ alliance and remain good friends to this day. Aadok’s third child is born not long after Thea, another son named Roark, he stays in the East Kingdom with his father as the prince. His fourth and final child, another daughter, Margo, is born four years later and stays with her father and brother in the East Kingdom. 

Finally Fiero’s lineage, is continued by two daughters, the first, his true heir, Tabitha (Tabby) is born two years before her sister, the second daughter, an illegitimate child born of an affair named Cara.

Cara is seen as a disgrace and takes the shame that should belong to her father for the affair. Her existence is a damper on his pure legacy and because of it, she is looked upon differently

During the war, Herod and Aadok lead a brutal massacre against the West Kingdom (one that’s effects still linger to present day) and took control, Herod taking lead over it.

Aadok sends Margo to live in the West Kingdom, now having a child of each kingdom incase his alliance with Herod should ever go wrong

Legend has it that Herod’s wickedness was so infamous that even a demon he crossed was taken aback, and blinded him to spare the world of the cruelty. Who this ‘demon’ actually was that blinded him is unknown to this day

Herod’s blindness made it easy for Fiero to kill the cruel man once and for all, freeing the West Kingdom and leaving 16 year old Olivia and 11 year old Sera as orphans

A couple years later, Fiero finally manages to kill Aadok in a fiersome battle, freeing the East Kingdom as well

Fiero is seen as the greatest hero the kingdoms had ever known, though after killing the two tyrants, he leaves the other three kingdoms to pick up the pieces alone while the South Kingdom celebrates

for three and a half years, there is no war, but the North Kingdom is suffering, starving, and dying

Fiero has been considered the overseer of the North Kingdom until they gain a proper leader, although he slows any attempts for a leader to be chosen, and the North Kingdom comes close to being destroyed because of this

Olivia has been unable to take lead in North Kingdom as she has not yet proven her capability due to her priorities being with her little sister

In a scuffle over trespassing on land, Olivia shocks all four kingdoms by killing king Fiero

The act strikes fear into the hearts of all as they see her father in her eyes once again

Olivia takes control of the North Kingdom while the South Kingdom struggles to deal with the fact that they’ve suddenly lost their greatest leader

The Story Blurb: 

basically what this story will be is the narrative of many different characters from each of the four kingdoms, and show the complicated relationship between Olivia and Cara develop from deep hatred as Olivia killed Cara’s father, to understanding and love

I don’t really know what else to say to give you a basic idea about it? I’ve got a few sketches drawn out and alot more information on it all so if you have any particular questions or just want more info or fun facts just send me an ask and I’ll give you what you want ;v;

I’d also like to say that I don’t expect this series to get much recgonition, that’s not why I’m doing this. I’m doing it because there is a sickening lack of lgbt representation so I just wanted to add even just one more piece to the examples of few representations we have

I can promise you now that I swear no lesbians shall die in this series (it helps that there aren’t any guns in this universe ;,D)

The moment that sets the tone for the rest of Santiago Morena’s captaincy isn’t a victory. It isn’t going to be featured on any highlight reels, and it isn’t the stuff of legend. It’s not when he nets a hat trick in his first game as captain, nor the streak he sets, opening the season by scoring a goal a game at least for two weeks, and it isn’t the overtime win he secures for the Phoenixes with a goal so outlandish that commentators speculate for weeks after whether it was legal. 

No, the moment that defines Maverick Morena’s captaincy comes with the Phoenixes a goal down, midway through the second period of a chippy game. 

Their most recent addition, a headstrong, almost brutish forward, has been causing problems since the puck dropped. He spent five minutes in the penalty box for a fight in the first period, and nearly landed there another three times. The new guy has also cost them two turnovers when he made a split second decision, deviating from the plan of attack and allowing the Supernova defensemen to steal the puck from him. 

A timeout is called at Santiago’s signal to the coach, and that’s when it happens. The moment that clarifies all of the rest. The moment where Santiago decides what kind of captain he’s going to be. What kind of legacy he wants to leave behind.

It happens when the captain of the Minneapolis Phoenixes grabs a fistful of his own teammate’s jersey and hauls the man off the ice, just far enough down the tunnel towards the locker room that they can’t be overheard through the din of the crowd. Santiago stands there with his fingers still clenched in the fabric just below the man’s neck, their helmets knocking together as he speaks lowly. 

For several moments, Santiago Morena and Charles Fiero stand there, eye to eye, and it looks for a split second like the conversation might come to blows. Nobody knows what is said, what words are exchanged between them. What the cameras catch is Santiago loosening his grip. The audio is impossible to make out, but the shift is clear as day, when Santiago drops the jersey and moves his hand to the back of Charlie’s neck, no longer gripping. Just holding. 

Charlie assists on the goal that evens the score, passing the puck to Vladimir Malikov, who rips it into the net. 

Santiago looks over Vladimir’s shoulder and calls out ‘attaboy, Chuck!’. Charlie glares at him, then pats the Russian on the back, congratulating him on the goal. 

Charles Fiero, after being traded four times to four teams across North America, plays for the Minneapolis Phoenixes for a decade. He was good the whole time, but none of his previous teams could handle his personality. Personally, Santiago figured it was just that nobody had ever actually tried.

That was the day Santiago decided to try. That was when he looked around, from Charlie’s face with the bruise blooming over his cheekbone, to Daniel Davis on the bench, the Hjalmarson brothers on either side of him, the rest of the team and the beginning of whatever kind of greatness they were headed for, and decided that they were going to try.

Jupiter’s Legacy non avrà una seconda stagione, almeno non al momento. Netflix ha infatti lasciato gli attori liberi di lavorare ad altri progetti, slegandoli dal contratto di opzione per un’eventuale seconda stagione della serie tratta dai fumetti di Mark Millar. Contestualmente, però, ha ordinato una prima stagione dell’adattamento live action di Supercrooks, miniserie a fumetti di Millar ambientata sempre nello stesso universo di Jupiter’s Legacy e incentrata anziché sui supereroi, sui villain.

L’idea è quindi di sviluppare creativamente il franchise in maniera diverso, espandendo l’universo di Jupiter’s Legacy e sviluppando la serie in maniera antologica.

“Sono davvero fiero di ciò che ha realizzato il nostro team con Jupiter’s Legacy, e il lavoro straordinario che hanno fatto tutti in questa stagione sulle origini,” ha annunciato Millar. “Mi hanno chiesto molto quale sarà il prossimo passo in questo mondo, e la risposta è: vedere cosa faranno i villain. Ho sempre amato le storie di criminali, da Scorsese a Tarantino, e i super villain sono sempre la parte più divertente di una storia di supereroi. Fare qualcosa di completamente incentrato sui villain sembra incredibilmente originale: indagheremo cosa significa essere un cattivo in un mondo pieno di buoni che vogliono metterti in prigione. Jupiter’s Legacy è uno spazio vasto e ricco con tantissimi personaggi da scoprire, e sono felice di annunciare che il nostro prossimo viaggio sarà una versione live action del fumetto Supercrooks che ho creato con Leinil Francis Yu qualche anno fa. Vista la direzione che prenderemo, abbiamo deciso di liberare il nostro incredibile cast dall’impegno con la serie, mentre continueremo a sviluppare attentamente i vari regni della saga di Jupiter’s Legacy. Siamo sicuri che ci torneremo più avanti, nel frattempo vi ringraziamo per il costante sostegno al cast e alla troupe che hanno reso così bella questa serie”.

È anche in lavorazione una serie anime basata su Supercrooks: il debutto è previsto per quest’anno dopo la presentazione all’Annecy Festival.

Jupiter’s Legacy non è stata apprezzata particolarmente dalla critica, sebbene su RottenTomatoes la serie abbia un apprezzamento del 72% da parte del pubblico. I piani di Netflix era di sviluppare varie stagioni, non a caso la prima terminava con un cliffhanger. Non sono mai stati rivelati dati di ascolto della serie, che è costata ben 200 milioni di dollari.

Ricordiamo che nel 2017 Netflix ha acquistato Millarworld, con l’obiettivo di sviluppare film e serie tv tratti dalle proprietà intellettuali dell’etichetta fumettistica di Millar. Jupiter’s Legacy è stato il primo di questi progetti.

Quale fu la sorte dei Liguri Apuani dopo la deportazione nel Sannio?

New Post has been published on https://www.aneddoticamagazine.com/it/quale-fu-la-sorte-dei-liguri-apuani-dopo-la-deportazione-nel-sannio/

Quale fu la sorte dei Liguri Apuani dopo la deportazione nel Sannio?

 Una fine che nessuno avrebbe mai immaginato…

Sinceramente non ne capisco molto…anzi nulla..: genetica, D.N.A, cromosomi e “diavolerie” varie… ma facendo due “calcoli” per approssimazione(molta), e conoscendo un po’ di storia posso affermare che nelle nostre vene del tanto sbandierato sangue apuano ce n’è ben poco. Ci sentiamo orgogliosi discendenti del fiero popolo dei liguri apuani, i primi veri abitanti della Garfagnana che qui si insediarono già dall’età del ferro e che più volte respinsero gli attacchi della potente Roma, ed è giusto così per l’amor di Dio, ma io credo, a mio modesto avviso, che nelle maggior parte di noi, nelle nostre vene scorra anche e sopratutto il sangue di quei coloni romani che presero possesso di queste terre dopo la deportazione degli Apuani stessi.

La campagna di Circello (Benevento)

Perchè se dovessimo cercare il D.N.A di un apuano, forse non lo troveremo solo in Garfagnana e in Lunigiana, ma sicuramente nella provincia di Benevento e Avellino precisamente seguendo il Regio Tratturo Pescaseroli-Candela che attraversa i territori di Morcone del Sannio, Circello e Reino. Non è una favola, ma una cruda realtà intrisa di sangue… e in effetti qualcuno poi quel sangue l’ha cercato veramente… È di questi ultimi anni la pubblicazione di uno studio genetico su alcune popolazioni italiane: “Linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation: a collaborative study of italian populations”  che afferma che sono state fatte analisi genetiche che paragonano la popolazione attuale di Vagli (zona di stanziamenti apuani)agli abitanti di Circello nel beneventano, (luogo di arrivo dopo la deportazione). Ebbene si, analizzando il DNA Y e mitocondriale delle linee maschili e femminili si è visto che i risultati sono in accordo con una storia genetica delle due comunità , secondo il modello LLM (Ligures Legacy Model). La conclusione dello studio è che non si può affatto escludere che gli abitanti di Circello siano in effetti (almeno in parte) discendenti degli apuani. Insomma, tutta questa intrigante teoria per continuare a raccontare quello che capitò agli antichi garfagnini dopo la deportazione nel Sannio. Già scrissi tempo fa un interessante articolo sui tristi fatti che portarono all’esilio di questo indomito popolo (perapprofondimenti: http://paolomarzi.blogspot.com/la-tragica-deportazione-di-un-popolo.html)… ma dopo che successe? Come se la passarono questi guerrieri? Cosa capitò a questa gente? Fecero la pietosa fine degli Indiani d’America? O la sorte fu più benevola nella lontana Campania? Analizziamo quello che fu secondo alcuni esimi studiosi.

“I Liguri prima che i consoli arrivassero non si aspettavano affatto di dover riaprire le ostilità e, colti di sorpresa, si arresero in circa dodicimila. Cornelio e Bebio, dopo aver sentito l’orientamento del senato tramite lettere, decisero di farli scendere dalle montagne nella pianura, molto lontani dalle loro sedi, per intercludere loro qualsiasi prospettiva di ritorno…I romani possedevano una porzione di agro pubblico in territorio sannita, che era appartenuto ai Taurasini. Era lì che volevano trasferire i Liguri Apuani e a questo scopo bandirono un editto che li obbligava a scendere dai monti con le mogli e i figli portando con sé ogni loro bene. I Liguri più e più volte scongiurarono Bebio e Cornelio per mezzo di loro legati di non essere costretti a lasciare i loro penati, la patria in cui erano nati, i sepolcri degli antenati e si impegnavano a consegnare armi e ostaggi. Non ottennero nulla e, d’altra parte, non avevano le risorse per riaprire il conflitto e così finirono per obbedire all’editto”. Così lo storico romano Tito Livio racconta il momento della resa totale dei Liguri Apuani. Era l’inizio della primavera del 180 a.C, l’inizio della fine dei Liguri Apuani. La deportazione assunse dimensioni bibliche e quello che infatti salta subito all’occhio sono i numeri. Per alcuni storici prudenti la cifra di quarantamila deportati riportata da Tito Livio sarebbe comprensiva di donne e bambini che a quanto pare corrisponderebbe alla cifra di dodicimila guerrieri arresisi. Altri però parlano di numeri ben più impressionanti come lo storico Jhon Briscoe che nel passo in cui Tito Livio scrive “…cum feminis puerisque…” dice che non si può intendere con donne e bambini, ma bensì “insieme alle loro donne e bambini“, ecco che allora i numeri si moltiplicherebbero raggiungendo la spaventosa cifra di centoventimila unità. Ma non finì qui, l’ultima stoccata ad ogni resistenza apuana fu data poi nello stesso anno da il console romano Fulvio Flacco, da Pisa marciò con due legioni dai Liguri Apuani che abitavano nella zona del fiume Magra, dove costrinse alle resa altri settemila uomini. L’impresa più grande dei proconsoli romani Cornelio e Bebio però doveva ancora cominciare, c’era da trasferire questa moltitudine di persone attraverso buona parte d’Italia, un’ impresa epica a cui era impossibile sottrarsi, era evidente che senza sorveglianza militare la mesta colonna degli Apuani si sarebbe assottigliata, per non dire proprio dissolta, senza considerare poi il fatto della possibilità di mettere in pericolo i territori attraversati.

Per gli Apuani catturati presso il fiume Magra la loro sorte fu diversa, la loro deportazione fu effettuata via mare, furono fatti salire su navi romane e sbarcati a Napoli. A dare la misura dell’impressionante sforzo logistico di tale esodo basta fare un raffronto con quello che fu poi la colonizzazione romana nelle terre di Garfagnana, Lunigiana e dintorni, a spostarsi infatti furono (secondo lo studioso Cornell) 71.300 maschi adulti nell’arco di settant’anni (fondatori di diciannove colonie), al massimo in una volta sola si trasferirono seimila famiglie… Intanto nel lontano Sannio si stava preparando tutto per accogliere i nuovi abitanti, il senato inviò in quei luoghi una delegazione che presiedesse alle assegnazioni delle terre, in più fu stanziata una somma pari centocinquantamila denari perchè nelle nuove sedi gli Apuani potessero procurarsi tutto il necessario per vivere. Su questa presunta benevolenza romana si sono sviluppate interessanti tesi che clamorosamente dicono che non fu deportazione, ma bensì un semplice trasferimento frutto di una trattativa diplomatica fra romani e Apuani. La teoria è avanzata dal professor Alberto Barzanò, ricercatore di storia romana nonchè docente dell’Università cattolica del Sacro Cuore, che asserisce che le parole di Tito Livio (quelle qui sopra riportate) non sono altro che da considerarsi una manipolazione letteraria del tempo, per meglio capirsi tutto fu scritto per rendere esclusivamente gloria ai due proconsoli Bebio e Cornelio, poichè ci sono alcuni fatti che non coincidono con quello che era la realtà romana del tempo, infatti la distribuzione delle terre agli Apuani fu gestita nello stesso modo che era riservato ai cittadini di Roma, ma non solo, la ragguardevole cifra di denari stanziata dal Senato per avviarsi a una nuova vita -sarebbero concessioni strabilianti– così afferma l’illustre professore, che continua dicendo che- è probabile che i trasferiti (n.d.r: non i deportati)non fossero poi così scontenti della loro sorte– ed effettivamente due erano le ragioni che allettavano particolarmente gli antichi “garfagnini” e cioè la possibilità di arruolarsi nelle file dell’esercito romano, d’altronde loro erano guerrieri abituati a vivere combattendo, per di più la paga sarebbe stata anche superiore a quello di un soldato romano, a sostegno di questa teoria il IV libro di Polibio (storico greco)dice che –mentre agli alleati la razione di grano era concessa, gratuitamente, ai romani il questore ne scalava il prezzo dalla paga– questa distinzione esisteva perchè la scelta di fare parte dell’esercito di Roma (per quelli che non erano cittadini dell’Urbe) era una scelta volontaria e quindi considerata come professione, pertanto retribuita maggiormente. L’altro motivo consolatorio di questa deportazione-trasferimento fu la concessione di terre migliori, adatte a raccolti agricoli di tutto rispetto. In conclusione quella che per i nostri Liguri Apuani sembrò una mezza vittoria o per meglio dire un appagamento, la storia con i secoli dirà che fu un ennesimo trionfo romano, diplomatico, strategico e sopratutto finanziario. Non so quindi dirvi se fu realmente trasferimento o deportazione (com’è dibattuto fra storici di tutto rispetto), quello che posso analizzare sono i fatti. I romani nel 180 a.C fecero arrendere gli Apuani con “nullo bello gesto“, ovverosia senza aver condotto nessuna battaglia, inoltre gli illusi Apuani finirono nel tempo per diventare veri e propri cittadini dell’impero, per sempre cessò la loro vita di guerrieri liberi dal momento che erano entrati a far parte di uno Stato vero e proprio con obblighi militari e sopratutto obblighi fiscali (le tasse romane erano salatissime!).

La vittoria romana fu di conseguenza doppia, essi non si comportarono come gli sciocchi americani che rilegarono gli indiani nelle riserve lasciandoli a sopravvivere o a vivere di stenti, tutt’altro, da una parte le terre liberate dal nemico (Garfagnana e Lunigiana) furono occupate da nuovi coloni pronti di conseguenza a pagare nuove tasse, dall’altra il nemico fu trasformato in “amico” rendendolo cittadino a tutti gli effetti e se da una parte aveva dei sacrosanti diritti, dall’altra come gli altri cittadini sarebbe stato pronto anch’esso a combattere per la gloria di Roma, ma sopratutto pronto a pagare ennesimi e salati tributi…

Bibliografia:

“Ab urbe condita” Tito livio

Marginalità ed integrazione dei liguri apuani: una deportazione umanitaria?” Jhon Thornton 1992

“Linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation: a collaborative study of italian populations”

The Case for a New Fiero. Hear Me Out. via /r/cars

The Case for a New Fiero. Hear Me Out.

I wrote this up during the Corvette discussion quarantine, but I did get permission from the mods to post it. However, life happens, and I subsequently didn't get around to posting it up.

So here is my original post with a few revisions.

So the excitement of the new mid engined Corvette is upon us.

I was shocked that GM kept the prices affordable, and was honestly expecting a 100k plus price tag. Well, besides the dreaded dealer markups.

Road & Track has a great article on how the new Corvette achieved such low production costs. It's pretty interesting and commendable.

Here

So it got me thinking...GM now has this mid engined platform at its disposal. What else had a mid engined platform in GM's fleet?

Well, guessing from the post title, the Pontiac Fiero.

So now you're already thinking, Pontiac is dead, nobody cares about them anymore, and GM didn't even like Pontiac.

Well just about all of those assumptions are wrong, or misleading.

GM's biggest issue was over saturation of badge engineered vehicles. Sure, this kind of worked until the early 2000s, but GM knew it had to cut back due to stiff competition. That was also one of the conditions they had to meet in order to get government assistance.

That's okay. That's just business, and how that whole situation played out. However, the loss of Olds and Pontiac left a huge void in casual and enthusiast minds. Pontiacs sold pretty well, despite its shortcomings, and was also known as bringing in foreign GM vehicles as domestic models.

On top of which, Pontiac just had a huge solid legacy that stretched way back before a lot of us Reddit users were even around.

One such vehicle that is held in high regards is the Pontiac Fiero. Yes, it has its issues and drawbacks at launch, but the Fiero has a diehard following. It has clubs, fan pages, forums, and events dedicated to the little wacky mid engined economy car.

Over 350,000 Fieros were sold in its 4 model year production before GM pulled the plug.

Those are actually really great numbers for something you'd think is really niche, right? It sold better than an MR2 by hundreds of thousands, and probably ranks as one of the highest selling mid engined cars. I'd have to cite a source for that bold statement haha. Edit: A few weeks later, and I still think it's one of the highest selling mid engined cars.

Well, what if GM made it again?

I know this is an enthusiast forum, so people are obviously going to misjudge sales potential of a product. I understand, and perhaps I'm totally projecting this, but hear me out.

Maybe GM doesn't respect Pontiac's legacy at all, but it does like money.

Nostalgia is a driving force in the sales and marketing sector, whether you care to admit it or not. (Source: I have at least a few years of corporate level marketing experience)

What I see GM doing is squandering its model names in exchange for some really poor nostalgic appeal. The new Blazer is a very sad example of that.

Criticism doesn't mean I hate them though, because there is room for improvement. GM is still sitting on the lego peices for a few fun cars for a few different targeted demographics.

GM can target a lower teir priced demographic that is longing for a truly economical and sporty mid engined vehicle, while also hooking in long time Pontiac lovers.

A Pontiac badge doesn't mean GM has to build up an entire Pontiac division again. Produce it in the Vette plant, or retool an old location. It's JUST can be a badge, so let's not get hung up on that.

The new Fiero, following this lego brick idea, can use the 300hp LFX v6 from the Camaro, or the 4 cylinder turbo. Dare I say...electric at some point?

The materials, if you read the R&T article could probably be cheapened even further. Use stamped steel in more places, and give us a cheap cloth interior.

Basically get the target price down between 35k-45k maximum. The original top end 88 model year Fiero sold for about 30k if adjusted for 2019 inflation. I get that GM could probably never hit that target, but it is just a friendly reminder to how affordable the original was.

GM could do a few things with this move.

One, is really get the most sales out of that entire platform it developed.

Two, is use it as a platform to experiment on without offending Corvette enthusiasts. I've already seen enough whining about the mid engined change.

Three, is build up it's reputation through nostalgic pandering. Yes, that sounds really shallow when typed out, but from a business sense, it is an excellent strategy. So many companies are doing it these days.

Four, this lower teir model is basically an aftermarket's playground. I've seen all week about the Supra leaving a lot of room for tuning, and a Fiero would be no different.

Casual consumers DO trust enthusiasts for their car buying advice. That is one strong power we have.

If we say, "Hey, GM is really honoring Pontiac, the Fiero name, and making an affordable mid engined sports car for entry level buyers. That's pretty great."

It carries a lot of weight. I hate to say it, but we are technically the "influencers" of the car buying world. We tell our Aunt Anita to buy a new Camry instead of an Impala, if you get what I mean.

The Blazer name blunder already rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way, while Ford seems to be respecting the Bronco name.

The Camaro sales are slipping, and may even be discontinued.

The mid engined market is non existent today. I think Alpha Rameo still has that one lower end model, but everything else is in the six figure range if you buy new, I believe. Correct me on that if I'm missing anything.

So from a pure marketing and PR standpoint, even a limited production Pontiac Fiero can be an excellent move.

From a sales perspective, a mass produced lower end mid engined car can at least fill some gaps in GM's performance lineup, while helping make back development costs. Hell, not even GM's line-up, but the entire industry lineup.

Just a realistic reminder that this wouldn't be a heavy mover. It wouldn't dethrone truck or SUV sales. It won't bring back Pontiac or Oldsmobile.

It's simply a limited model release blatantly banking on nostalgia and affordable performance.

Swap out a few body panels for a more clean or retro Fiero look. Swap out for cheaper materials consisting of stamped steel, cloth, and plastics. Cut unnecessary features. Put in a 4 or 6 cylinder engine. Bam, call it a Fiero, and sell it for 20k less than a Corvette.

Will it ever happen in a million years? Absolutely not.

Are you still reading this wall of text? Maybe. I thank you if you stuck through it.

This idea is just some food for thought.