#let’s go with 2017 so it doesn’t over shoot sb
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IU x Ellemen Youth November 2020
Translate: by myself from chinese to english. My own ellemen magazine.. i will add photo later..
Become famous when you are young, take your time.....
In the twelve years of her debut, since the age of 15, IU has been watched enthusiastically by people through her adolescence and slowly matured. She made her debut as a singer, was exposed to performances, and tried to be a producer. She accepted and digested every result. She became more and more brave and gentle after maturity, like gardenias in the wind. In September, we completed IU exclusive interview and the first exclusive cover shooting for her in China. When IU was filmed remotely in South Korea, she was able to quickly get into work, even finishing the work 3 hours earlier than expected. The weather is good, and she has a distant and exciting future.
Qualified Idol (Li Zhien = Lee Jieun)
IU has liked listening to music since kindergarten and often followed her father to sing karaoke. But it wasn't until the first grade of middle school was fined to sing in physical education because of her mischief, that made people around her realize her singing talent, and then she was recommended by the teacher to sing at the sports meeting. After a few years, Li Zhien stood in the mature Korean entertainment At the door of the industrial system, ready to step into it. At that time, she was still a middle school student and participated in 20 selections, including the trainee selection held by JYP Entertainment, but all were rejected. In October 2007, she passed the audition of the current agency LOEN Entertainment. The trainee lasted ten months. Later, when I remembered, Li Zhien felt that that period of time was short, hardworking, and full of "uneasy feeling of nothing."
"I was able to debut earlier because I was too young. Even if I failed a few times, I still have time, so let's try."
"So when she was 15 years old, Li Zhien wore a black costume, stood on a cable music program and sang a song "Mia", and made her official debut. The coveted debut stage did not seem to go as smoothly as she had imagined. She rushed to the TV station excitedly , I saw a lot of fans supporting the boy group, but when she started singing, the people underneath began to scold her,
“After someone scolded me like this, I was scolded in all directions.”
And because she chose a lyrical quiet song, She could hear her voice clearly.
"I feel that the three minutes of singing were really long, and I totally lost the feeling of hope."
IU said in a show, "Probably because of the failure of "Mia", even if the audience hasn't reacted since then, It doesn’t matter. So, if there is a little cheering voice, I will be very excited about it.”
In December 2010, Li Zhien released the album "REAL", and the single "Good Days" from this album finally won her many honors and loves have also reversed people’s previous perceptions of her: She won the Melon Music Awards in 2011 for the best song of the year; won the Mnet Asian Music Festival Best Solo Singing Award in 2011; more and more people recognize her , I heard her singing... During the performance this winter, a fan came to give Li Zhien a support. When Zhien sang, she shouted the slogan of support. Li Zhien once again heard the voice from the audience on the stage, and it was completely different from the day of her debut. She sang "How blue the sky is, and the wind is so perfect today" almost to tears. She was not originally an ambitious singer.
"Although it is good to get the first place (in the competition), it doesn’t matter; it’s great to be the best female singer in our country, but it’s not okay."
After that, she became the first goal after being a singer: at least to become a singer who can take care of my fans.
She worked hard to play a qualified idol and gave herself the stage name IU- I for Li Zhien, and U was for the audience who listened to her songs. Participate in more activities, sing more songs, and start acting. Li Zhien often sleeps only four hours because of too many announcements, and because of this job, she has irregular sleep and insomnia. Even ten years later, she felt that she was too pleased at that time. It seemed that no matter good or bad, she would take it as long as it was an event that could show up, "survive anyway." Popularity also accumulates under such circumstances. The three high notes shown in "Good Days" are praised, the young face is cherished, and the title of "National Sister" is closely related to her.
Young Mental Crisis Until the age of 22
Li Zhien encountered a mental crisis. She is filming the TV series "My Uncle" with director Jin Yuanxi, in which she plays the role of Li Zhian. Zhi'an is a small clerk who is heavily indebted and burdened with crimes and lives with her elderly grandmother. Like the lonely and bleak character, Li Zhien herself is in a downturn. One day, Li Zhien found the director and said,
"I'm very sorry, because the TV has not been broadcast yet, I will stop shooting here (probably the best choice). I will compensate for the content I shot before, no matter what method I use."
She fell into a trap. In the doubt about herself, nothingness and fear searched her. At the same time, her physical condition deteriorated and she even needed hospitalization. This was the first time she had to suspend her trip
In the talk show "The Joy of Dialogue", her mood at the time: "In the eyes of the public, it was a very successful year for me. When "Meaning of You" was popular, the cover album of "Flower Bookmark" was released. , I have achieved good results since "Good Day".
But at that time, from the perspective of my spirit, it was the worst year. The reason is still not clear. From the debut stage, I was on the stage I’ve never been nervous before, but at that time I started to be afraid of the stage. When I was recording a show, I was also scared when I watched the camera. As long as I was watched, my face would turn red and sweat, and I couldn’t sing on the stage... All the things I experienced suddenly disappeared. Can I really do this? How did I do it before? These thoughts surfaced, I was too nervous, and even tried to take a neuroleptic after going on stage When performing. Because I started (being an artist) when I was very young, people always said *younger, good job', but the age will grow slowly, so in the future, if you think of'younger' If this part is removed, can I still get the "good job" evaluation? It's really deep.
Thought about this problem carefully. But the smoother the business, the more I feel uneasy. I feel that bubbles have been created. If all these bubbles burst at a certain moment, when I condensed all these things, I am afraid that I only have this little bit. , In that year, I was really afraid of being like that. For me, I felt "too beautiful to be packaged?" In this case, "How many crimes I will redeem in the future."
Li Zhien of that year performed very well. She covered classic songs such as "Meaning of you", which was included in the album "Flower Bookmarks". Among them, "My Old story" Reached "Perfect All-kill" within days (six real-time charts, six daily charts, ichart real-time charts, and ichart weekly charts). The single "Zhaoge Cave" was released with good results, GENIE The real-time list broke seven times in a row, and the Melon real-time list broke four times in a row. However, popularity and praise turned into pressure, making her almost impossible to move. In 2014, Li Zhien even withdrew from some programs that were originally a regular host, such as "SBS Popular Songs".
Reveal the nature me
In order to overcome these emotions, she made up her mind to make songs by herself.
"Rather than live decently and uneasy, it is better to be pitiful but peaceful."
At the age of 22, she released her first album "Chat- Shire", which she had produced herself. She became Alice, in seven songs composed of seven songs. Shuttle through a story. It’s also because she was misunderstood by others on this album, and she confronted these malice in a restrained and empathetic way:
I don’t want to make the conclusion that “this is right, this is a misunderstanding” on the interpretation of the song, I feel that my freedom is very important. If you want to protect it, you should also protect the freedom of interpretation by others. I still like this song just like before the album came out.
At the age of 24, "Palette" was born. Now, looking back after three years, IU still thinks "Palette" is precious.
"Maybe if I choose a very thankful album in a long time, I will also choose "Palette". This album makes me more like myself and makes me understand myself better. It is a way of realizing the most natural self. The album revealed without any extra decorations and hidden purchases.”
The process of creation and production is not easy, but because I can express what I want to express, I still feel happy without regretting singing,
"It’s like sitting on an amusement ride. same". singer Lee Hyori said, if you want to know IU's true age, just listen to her songs. Li Zhien has the habit of keeping a diary, sometimes in the diary.Some part of it will become lyrics. She values the expression of the lyrics. If it conflicts with the melody, then change the melody. Each capital in "Palette" is like a piece of Li Zhien's body, reflecting a certain part of her.
In the title song "Palette" Li Zhien sang: Now I seem to understand myself a little bit. Compared with long hair, I like neatly cut short hair, but when I say "Good Days", it is really beautiful. Because she often suffers from insomnia, she thinks that the best care for a person is to let the other person have a good sleep time, so there is "Night Letter": I have been in the sea, written on the beach, you It seemed to disappear completely into the distance, making me miss it more and more. Although I can't tell you all the words in my diary, the phrase "I love you". I will show the fireflies of that day to your window this night, hoping it will be a good dream. And "people" has also become the theme of this album, not only the narration of personal stories, but also "surrounding the people around us, as an ordinary person can say". "We will all have a lot of labels. We are women and entertainers, not focusing on a certain aspect, but as a person, not based on my profession or my gender, but just want to tell what I think and experience as a person. ."
IU once said in an interview. In that interview, the host met Li Zhien for the second time. After six years, he said: (the first interview) I didn’t directly tell IU how I felt, but I didn’t think I knew IU at the time. Is it because I didn't sleep well, I felt a sense of liveliness that I wanted to conceal my exhaustion. So what should I say at the time, I felt a little distressed after it was over. But compared to that time, it has really changed a lot now.
The career of an entertainer means the glamour in front of people, and it also means the other side of cruelty. A few years ago, the news of the death of young Korean artists always made people sigh. In 2018, the "32nd Golden Record Awards" was held in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. Li Ji-eun won the award in the music department.
She said thanks, luck, and sadness. "In fact, it is still very sad now. Why is it so painful? I seem to understand some. It is not a strange emotion to me. In addition to me, there are many people who are sad for this. But we all have to run for tomorrow and live a month from now. Distressed, we must prepare a plan for a whole year in advance.
Standing on the podium, facing so many artists and fans, Li Zhien continued:
"Laugh when you are happy, cry when you are sad, these are all natural things, so I hope everyone can accept them naturally. Although professionalism is very important, as a person, we must first face ourselves, face our own hearts, and hope that there will be no more painful things because we endure it alone. It would really be nice not to happen again.
"These words are like those of her songs. They convey a clear voice of self in a gentle tone, as well as gentleness and strength. Li Zhien is still moving forward. 2017 is better than the year when "Good Days" was released. In a year that made her even more happy, her self-produced album was loved by everyone. She participated in the variety show "Hyo Lee's Homestay". During the two weeks in Jeju Island, she often wore loose sweaters, stared in a daze, or read a book with chocolate .It was quiet in front of strangers, and always took time when doing things. Lee Hyori joked that she looked gloomy. In fact, those few days were rare times for her to sleep well, relaxed and happy.
In the music part, each song is filled with her unique emotions. Rather than using music as a product, she hopes to return to the music itself.
“Although I’m not sure whether all the works have a high degree of completion, there is one thing. I can confidently say that no piece of music is compromised because of trends. In any case, fans know me better than others, so I feel that kind of sincere words in music, regardless of style (subject), everyone will Accept that this is'IU brand' music.
When she couldn't go out because of the epidemic this year, she wrote songs, deleted songs, watched scripts, and watched TV every day. If you ask Li Zhien what her ideal life is like, she will respond like this:
"Because I am in a profession where people's reactions or comments to my actions are taken for granted, I often look at other people's colors when I was young. But from the age of 25 Realizing that “I’m me” is more important than “I am in the eyes of the public”. Many fans feel that being “I’m me” is more comfortable and more attractive than they think. This makes me very moved and surprised. I think The ideal life is to have a loyal life every day. The homework of this life is "I", I just want to be loyal to this."
#iu #ellemen #iuellemen #iumagazine #iuellemenyouth #iuinterview #ellemensubsenglish
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NBA predictions for the 2019-2020 season
What are you favorite NBA predictions this season?
These are our fearless predictions for the 2019-2020 NBA season.
The NBA entered an arms race this summer the likes of which had never been seen. An unprecedented amount of player movement has blown open the league’s title picture and given so many new storylines to follow.
For once, the NBA’s future champion doesn’t seem preordained. That didn’t stop our writers from making some predictions on how this year is going to unfold. Also be sure to read the comprehensive SB Nation NBA preview for the 2019-2020 season.
Who’s winning MVP?
Mike Prada: Giannis Antetokounmpo. Anthony Davis is the early narrative favorite, Stephen Curry has the most 2017 Russell Westbrook potential, James Harden still exists, and Joel Embiid looms as an interesting dark horse if he can stay healthy. But the Bucks should still be the East’s best team, and Antetokounmpo will be motivated to add to his game after his postseason failures last season. This is the safe pick, though possibly a boring one.
Whitney Medworth: Anthony Davis. This is contingent on two things: He stays healthy and LeBron James continues to play as a distributor who lets the offense flow through Davis. It’s only preseason and James is getting older by the minute, but I think the James and Davis combo could be more lethal than we’re prepared for, with Davis being the biggest benefactor. Also, he’s just really freaking good at basketball.
Michael Pina: Steph Curry. For reasons outlined here, Curry has an open runway to his third MVP trophy. With Klay Thompson hurt and Kevin Durant gone, Curry is Golden State’s first and second option on every possession, and with so many doubting his team’s chance to even make the playoffs there’s a built-in narrative he’s primed to overcome. It’ll be weird if Curry doesn’t lead the league in scoring.
Ricky O’Donnell: Steph Curry. I am of the opinion that Curry is the best player in the NBA, which now feels like a contrarian view I’m desperately clinging to after the Raptors washed his Warriors in the Final last June. If Curry can remain healthy, if Draymond Green stays in shape all season, and if Golden State’s depth shows signs of development around him, my guess is it won’t seem like such a hot take a year from now. Curry doesn’t have the luxury of blending in anymore — with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn and Klay Thompson rehabbing a torn ACL, the Warriors need his scoring outbursts more than ever. This really feels like it’s going to be the year of Steph.
Tom Ziller: James Harden. Harden is clearly one of the best players in the world, and we suspect his team will win lots of games — it might even be the No. 1 seed in the West, depending on how the LA teams gel and manage players’ loads. Curry is a safer pick because we know he’ll be the clear top scorer on what should still be quite a good team, and the media, who votes for MVP, (rightly) loves him. The same applies to Giannis. But Harden scored 36 points per game efficiently last season! Even if Russell Westbrook takes a slice of that, Harden is just as likely as Curry to win the scoring title (Harden has won two straight and averaged at least 29 points per game four straight seasons) and the Rockets are likely to be better than the Warriors. What’s the case against Harden then?
Matt Ellentuck: James Harden. I think he’s the best scorer in the world, the most unstoppable offensive force in the world, and for now, I want to believe he and Russell Westbrook are going to work. Steph Curry is an obvious choice, but I’m not convinced he’s going to be able to carry his team past a bottom seed in the west. Giannis could repeat, but after a year of watching, teams are bound to find ways to better exploit his weaknesses shooting the ball. Meanwhile the bearded one is out hoisting one-footed threes just to spice things up. MVP.
Harry Lyles Jr.: Giannis Antetokounmpo. My heart says to pick Steph Curry or James Harden, but I think we’re about to see Giannis go to another level that we didn’t anticipate this season. The East isn’t exactly stacked, and he’ll be able to run through teams for yet another year. Unless the Bucks somehow drop off this season, this feels like a smart pick.
Zito Madu: Thanks to the wonderful precedent set by Russell Westbrook’s MVP win, that certain individual performances can be so overwhelming that it supersedes the idea that the MVP has to be on one of the best teams, I think this will be the year that Steph Curry showcases the extent of his abilities. Which is incredible to think about considering how he performed when he won his previous MVPs.
Which player will make the All-Star Game for the first time?
Mike Prada: Pascal Siakam. It boggles my mind that folks are still skeptical that he can be a top scoring option. Kawhi Leonard missed a quarter of last season, and in that time, Siakam was the Raptors’ fulcrum, not Kyle Lowry. He and the Raptors were brilliant in those games, and I see little reason why that won’t be the case over a larger sample this season.
Michael Pina: Jayson Tatum. It’s Year 3 now and Tatum is in line to average at least 20 points on one of the Eastern Conference’s better teams. A leap is coming. He can score at all three levels but in the preseason has already started to shift a majority of his shots from the mid-range to the rim and behind the three-point line. The Celtics have Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward, and Jaylen Brown, but it’s Tatum who needs to break out if they want to be the best team they can possibly be. His first all-star appearance will be a big step towards getting there.
Ricky O’Donnell: Luka Doncic. A year later, I’m still not over Doncic slipping to the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft despite, like, every smart person agreeing he was the top overall prospect available (and I say this as the president of the Jaren Jackson Jr. fanclub). Doncic’s second season is when he’s really going to start making the Suns and Kings look silly for passing on him. Don’t be surprised if he averages 25 points per game this year.
Tom Ziller: Pascal Siakam. You really have to pick an Eastern Conference player for this category because the West continues to increase in star power. Siakam wasn’t too far off the mark in 2018-19, and with Kawhi Leonard gone, Siakam will get credit for much of Toronto’s success as he likely takes on a larger role. Aaron Gordon is another player I think has a strong shot to be a first-time all-star, especially if the Magic live up to their billing. Others worth consideration here: Spencer Dinwiddie and Trae Young.
Matt Ellentuck: Zion Williamson. He’s missing two months to a torn meniscus but I don’t even care. He’s one of the most popular players in the world at age 19, unarguably the most popular social media teenage basketball player of all time, and one of the most unique, incredible rookies we’ve ever seen. Through preseason, aside from injury, we haven’t been provided any evidence that adult athletes can contain his physical force off the dribble any better than college ones could. His stats will be all-star-esque. And the fan support will be there, too.
Harry Lyles Jr.: Pascal Siakam. With Kawhi Leonard gone, it’s Siakam’s show. Like Ziller said, the West is stacked with star power, and it would be easier for somebody to slide in on the East. I don’t think Siakam is going to have to “slide in” though, he’s going to have a big year.
Zito Madu: Pascal Siakam. Barring a freak injury, it seems destined for Siakam to continue to become one of the better players in the league. Last season, especially in the finals, was a good display of just what he is capable of, as he himself seemed to be figuring those things out in real-time as well. The more comfortable and refined he becomes with his abilities, as I think he will be this season, the easier it will be to just acknowledge his burgeoning greatness.
The best non-Zion rookie will be ...
Mike Prada: Tyler Herro. I’m in after watching him light it up in the preseason. The Heat desperately need perimeter shooting and secondary playmaking to give Jimmy Butler breathing room, and Herro provides both while also being big enough to maintain Miami’s length advantage on defense.
Michael Pina: Ja Morant will average 16 and 8, regularly dunk on people, and do his part to accelerate Memphis’ rebuild.
Tom Ziller: Coby White. The Bulls are exciting (!) and White is going to drop jaws out there. Honorable mention to Tyler Herro and Rui Hachimura, who might be the Wizards’ second-best active player by Christmas.
Ricky O’Donnell: Brandon Clarke. Somehow slipped to the No. 21 pick in the draft after putting together one of the great college seasons we’ve ever seen at Gonzaga. Morant will get most of the attention, but Clarke will have a bigger impact, especially as a rookie.
Matt Ellentuck: I can’t stress this enough, but nobody will be close to Zion. Ja Morant should be solid with total authority to rule the Grizzlies offense with Jaren Jackson Jr. though.
Whitney Medworth: No one is coming close so I’m going to pick Jordan Poole’s pregame fashion game.
Harry Lyles Jr.: Ja Morant. That is all.
Zito Madu: I’ve seen the Tyler Herro highlights. I believe. I’ve fallen head over heels. But Ja Morant said that his dad was his first hater, and there’s no way I can turn my back on a man with that kind of attitude.
2020 NBA Finals picks
East champ
Mike Prada: Philadelphia. The 76ers won’t win the most regular-season games: they have too much unique new talent to integrate and the Bucks’ well-defined system around a superstar is tailor-made to pile up wins in January and February. But in a seven-game playoff series, I have trouble seeing how the Bucks can possibly score on the 76ers’ combination of size and speed. The Raptors discovered how much of an impact the 76ers’ devastating combination can have in a seven-game playoff series, and Philly is even more physically imposing now.
Michael Pina: Philly. They’re too big, and will make every possession in crunch-time of a seven-game series feel like it’s being played inside a panic room. Joel Embiid is a serious MVP/DPOY candidate who carries an intimidating aura not seen since Shaquille O’Neal retired. Ben Simmons—faulty jumper and all—will impose his strengths on both ends. Al Horford enters the frame as a glorious glue guy. This team is thin and a tad awkward, but nobody in the East can match up with their best five-man lineup.
Tom Ziller: Philly. It’s tough to pick against Giannis and the Bucks, but I’m trying to imagine Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, and George Hill generating offense against the Sixers defense and I don’t see it. Giannis is the best player in the East, but Joel Embiid isn’t far behind him, and the supporting cast is pretty imbalanced in Philly’s favor, from Ben Simmons to Al Horford to Tobias Harris to Josh Richardson. What a roster!
Matt Ellentuck: Philly. I don’t say this too enthusiastically. The Sixers got better ... at least I think they did? Adding Al Horford to Joel Embiid’s offense is going to take time and might get clunky, but the Sixers are definitely going to be good. I’m just not sure they’d be a top-four team in the West. The East just didn’t get better.
Ricky O’Donnell: Philly. The Sixers’ offense devolved into a series Jimmy Butler pick-and-rolls and isolations in last year’s playoffs, which means they’ll need to come up with a new way to manufacturer points in the halfcourt this season with him in Miami. That’s okay. Embiid should accept the challenge of getting himself in better shape longer into the season and Simmons will want to quiet critics who point to his disappointing numbers in the seven-game series against Toronto. If that happens, the Sixers should be a healthier, more balanced unit that puts a wall of size around the rim when Giannis comes barreling through the lane in the Eastern Conference Finals.
West champ
Mike Prada: LA Clippers. It’ll be hard to pick against LeBron James and Anthony Davis if the Lakers make it through the regular season unscathed, but the Clippers are significantly deeper, more balanced, and have plenty of starpower where it matters most in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Apologies to Utah (too small on the wing), Denver (too limited defensively), Houston (too combustable), and Golden State (too much lost talent to overcome).
Michael Pina: Houston. It’s so hard to pick against teams that employ Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Paul George, and Anthony Davis, but I’m rolling with this team for three reasons (the first two of which happen to be in direct conflict with each other): 1) Continuity still matters and—Russell Westbrook aside—they’ve been through the fire two years in a row as a group that knows exactly how it wants to play, 2) with his back against the wall Daryl Morey will be especially restless heading into the trade deadline, and 3) James Harden is a magician.
Tom Ziller: Lakers. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but Lakers. Why? Anthony Davis hasn’t been in the playoffs much, but when he has, he’s been exemplary. Ask Portland. LeBron is famously an entirely different player in the postseason these days. Defense is a concern, but Dwight Howard hasn’t looked awful in the preseason, Davis can be an All-Defense talent and Danny Green is around to help on the perimeter. Kawhi is a classically frustrating defender for LeBron, but who on the Clippers can slow down Davis? The Clippers feel like the smart pick, but the Lakers feel like a gut pick, despite huge depth issues and LeBron’s age.
Matt Ellentuck: Clippers. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is a dream duo, and they’ll have ample support from the guys around them like Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. The Lakers with Anthony Davis and LeBron James should also contend for this spot, but I don’t trust their bench. The Rockets are a total wild card and tough to bet on in October. The Nuggets are good, but did they get much better? Will Mike Conley fit seamlessly with the Jazz like everyone suspects? There are a lot of questions out West, and the Clippers have the most answers for now.
Ricky O’Donnell: Clippers. The most talented roster in the league from top-to-bottom and the betting favorite for a reason. Leonard and George are going to do their best Michael and Scottie impression as two lockdown defenders and go-to offensive options who leave opponents with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The depth is really what sets them apart from their challengers in the West. Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Landry Shamet, even Mo Harkless and JaMychal Green give the Clippers not just a team that can survive load management but the ability to mix-and-match so many different looks in the playoffs.
Title winner
Mike Prada: LA Clippers. Kawhi Leonard eventually busted the 76ers last year, and this Clippers team possesses more offensive talent up and down the roster than even last year’s champions. I expect that to happen again, though a healthy Joel Embiid is a major problem for the size-deficient Clippers.
Michael Pina: Houston. This is my third year in a row picking Houston to win it all. Obviously, third time’s a charm.
Tom Ziller:
Matt Ellentuck: Ditto, TZ. Lakers. Clippers will be the best regular-season team, and then LeBron gets (maybe) his last title. It’ll be ugly. It’ll require midseason trades. And team meetings. Maybe a coach firing. But in the words of our Queen Rihanna, “King is still King, [redacted.]”
Ricky O’Donnell: Clippers. Kawhi’s third title would tie him with LeBron and Curry in the middle of his prime and start to build the case that he’s the greatest winner of this generation of players.
Zito Madu: It has to be the Lakers, for my own sanity. I plan to be very obnoxious this entire season as a fan, and the prospect of all the trash talk coming back to haunt me is too heavy to even consider.
Other NBA predictions for the 2019-2020 season
Team that fails to meet expectations
Mike Prada: Brooklyn. “Expectations” is a funny word here, because this is a transition year for the Nets until they get Kevin Durant back from injury. But if the hope internally is to build on last year’s low playoff seed and win a first-round series, I fear they will fall short. Replacing D’Angelo Russell with Kyrie Irving is a talent upgrade, but not necessarily an output one given Irving’s durability issues. Meanwhile, I fear Irving’s desires will stifle the development of Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Joe Harris, the latter two of whom emerged last year in large part because the former was injured. If they can’t all thrive at the same time, Brooklyn’s gaping hole at power forward and combustable center rotation become bigger issues.
Michael Pina: Milwaukee. If you think they’ll be better than last year, chances are they won’t be. Malcolm Brogdon will be missed.
Tom Ziller: Denver. As the Nuggets showed last season, they have some fantastic players and they are well-coached. Nikola Jokic is incredible. But the West is tougher, and while Jerami Grant and Michael Porter Jr. are nice additions to the rotation, the overall star power compared to Denver’s rivals is striking. Jamal Murray is quite nice, and proved it in the playoffs. But he’s the Nuggets’ No. 2 player. Other No. 2 players on West contenders right now: LeBron James, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, D’Angelo Russell (and eventually Klay Thompson). Denver has depth and upside — they could very well threaten for the No. 1 seed again. But maybe that was a bit of a mirage.
Matt Ellentuck: Denver. Like TZ said, the lack of starpower is striking. And does Nikola Jokic replicate what he did last season. They’ll make the playoffs, but how deep do they actually go? The West got better, and they stayed pretty complacent.
Ricky O’Donnell: Lakers. There’s just such a huge load for LeBron to carry, not only in terms of shot creation but also defensively, especially in the playoffs. The depth on this team is not impressive once you get past Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma. For as unstoppable as LeBron and AD should be in the two-man game in the postseason, there isn’t enough around them for me to believe they can live up their championship-or-bust aspirations.
Zito Madu: Milwaukee. I really don’t think they replicate what they achieved last season, and I think teams will be smarter in how to defend Giannis Antetokounmpo, after seeing how he was stymied in the playoffs.
Most surprising team
Mike Prada: Miami or Toronto. Surprise is relative, since I think most have these two teams firmly in the East playoff picture. But assuming Toronto doesn’t blow up its roster, I think both they and the Heat are actually be playoff locks and possibly closer to the 76ers and Bucks than they are to the rest of the pack. Toronto was still an excellent team when Kawhi Leonard didn’t play last year, and Miami’s funky roster has a ton of upside with the arrival of star Jimmy Butler, the continued development of Justise Winslow, a bigger role for Bam Adebayo, and the emergence of rookie off guard Tyler Herro.
Michael Pina: I think Dallas can make the playoffs. That would be pretty surprising.
Tom Ziller: Orlando. My pick for the No. 3 seed in the East, Aaron Gordon should be an all-star, Jonathan Isaac should make the All-Defense team, Steve Clifford will be in Coach of the Year running with Brett Brown, Erik Spoelstra, Frank Vogel, and Doc Rivers.
Matt Ellentuck: Dallas. It won’t surprise me, world’s largest Luka Doncic stan, but the Mavericks will scrape a bottom seed in the playoffs. The Slovenian adult-child is good enough to get them there, and the addition of Kristaps Porzingis makes one of the most lethal one-two pick-and-roll punches in the league.
Ricky O’Donnell: Bulls. From 22 wins last year to the playoffs this season. Chicago’s eternally maligned front office changed their processes this offseason and came away with great group of free agents that will complement their young core. Jim Boylen’s shtick will seem a lot more endearing when the team isn’t terrible.
Team that gets left out of the Western Conference playoff picture
Mike Prada: This’ll be a bold pick, but I’m gonna say the Golden State Warriors. I want to believe that Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have enough left in the tank to stage a two-person revenge tour on the league. I want to believe Klay Thompson can return from his torn ACL and turn back the clock to 2015. But that roster is sooooooo thin, and I suspect it’ll be too much to ask Curry to carry the entire offense and Green to do the same on the other end for a full 82-game season.
Michael Pina: The Blazers have the coolest backcourt in basketball, intriguing young talent, and one of the league’s most respected coaching staffs. They just made the Western Conference Finals and enter the season with a monstrous $140 million payroll. But after years of baked in continuity through and through, Portland’s roster has quietly been made over in several key areas. I’m not sure if it’s fair to say they’ll be “screwed” in the Western Conference—a playoff appearance should still be in the cards—but their floor is lower than a lot of people think.
Tom Ziller: The Kings. They should claim their first winning season in more than a decade, but a winning record isn’t enough in the West, where it might take 47 or so wins to get into the playoffs. How cruel, to improve so much on the strength of young players only to fall short because NBA franchise owners are too cowardly or greedy to approve all-league playoff seeding.
Matt Ellentuck: San Antonio. Eventually this franchise has to succumb to not having enough talent. Gregg Popovich’s wizardry needs a break. And Luka Doncic is going to give one to him.
Ricky O’Donnell: Spurs. I just can’t believe San Antonio’s diet of midrange jumpers from DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge is going to work as effectively as it did last year. I’m excited to Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Lonnie Walker, but I think this team ultimately falls short of the playoffs.
First starter quality player to get traded
Mike Prada: Andre Iguodala. The market for Iguodala’s services will heat up quickly. Someone is going to get off to a worse-than-expected start and get antsy about their wing defense. Someone is going to make an aggressive move to stop one of the LA teams from sliding Iguodala in as a buyout guy in mid-February. A team to watch, for Iguodala or someone else: the Bucks, who recouped two extra draft picks and a trade exception from the Malcolm Brogdon sign-and-trade and have plenty of incentive to maximize their window this season before The Free Agency That Shall Not Be Named.
Michael Pina: He can’t be dealt until Dec. 15, but when you combine the dearth of power forwards around the league with New York’s crowded frontcourt and eventual desire to lose games on purpose, Marcus Morris shouldn’t get too comfortable in a Knicks jersey.
Tom Ziller: Andrew Wiggins. I don’t know who is taking Wiggins, but the Chris Paul-Russell Westbrook trade proved there is no such thing as an unmovable contract in the NBA (something we already knew based on league history). With a new front office in place and the need for a clean break to vault a Karl-Anthony Towns team forward, the Wolves need to find a new home for Wiggins.
Matt Ellentuck: Devin Booker. He’s got his money secured and can’t really lose by demanding out, right? I don’t Booker making it through a fifth straight year of awfulness in Phoenix, especially with there being little reason to buy into the future of the franchise. Maybe he’s the piece that’s used to move Wiggins from Minnesota.
Whitney Medworth: Kevin Love. I think it’s all smoke and mirrors that he wants to stay in Cleveland, be The Guy, and work things out there. At some point, Love is going to want to win basketball games again and I think a team will find the money to make it work. He’s not really going to live in Cleveland forever, right?
Ricky O’Donnell: Marc Gasol. The Raptors have both Gasol and Serge Ibaka on expiring deals. One feels likely to get moved to a contender before the deadline. Can we fit Gasol on the Clippers?
Harry Lyles Jr.: Devin Booker needs to demand his way out of Phoenix. I don’t know that he would, but he should, so I’m going with Book.
Zito Madu: This seemed to be an easy pick with Domantas Sabonis, until whatever happened just happened. But now beyond that, there’s just no way that Chris Paul remains on the Thunder, is it?
The first Lakers team meeting will come on ....
Mike Prada: March 1. I expect a quick start that slowly descends into midseason apathy before a resurgent playoff run.
Michael Pina: Is “the morning after they get blown out by the Clippers on opening night” too soon?
Tom Ziller: Nov. 27 or 28, after a loss to Lonzo Ball and the Pelicans drops LA to 8-10.
Matt Ellentuck: LOL — the week of Thanksgiving right after they lose to the Warriors and Kings at home.
Whitney Medworth: There won’t be one! They’re going to be fine.
Ricky O’Donnell: January, when Rajon Rondo writes a lengthy Instagram post defending his younger teammates from two stars.
Harry Lyles Jr.: Non-existent — LOL.
Zito Madu: Immediately after the Christmas game.
How many threes will Ben Simmons make?
Mike Prada: 15, which is about one every five games if he plays a full season. That sounds about right.
Michael Pina: Two.
Tom Ziller: Zero in the regular season, three in a single close-out game in the playoffs.
Matt Ellentuck: Four. On like 26 tries.
Ricky O’Donnell: Three. On like 15 tries.
Whitney Medworth: I hope like ... 100 ... so everyone stops talking about this one day :)
Zito Madu: None at all. The screenshots of him being given acres of space to shoot will live on forever.
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Here’s the interview from summer 2016 for the Givenchy launch of Gentlemen Only Absolute in Dubai by Mojehmen!
https://mojehmen.com/culture/film-tv/simon-baker-mentalist-his-directorial-debut
The Mentalist On His Directorial Debut
Peter Iantorno February 13th 2017
Best known for his star turn as charismatic crime investigator Patrick Jane in The Mentalist, Simon Baker has spent the best part of two decades lighting up our screens. Fresh from filming his directorial debut, Breath, the star spoke to us about everything from his celebrity chums to his love for gardening.
As movie stars go, Simon Baker is most definitely one of the nice ones. He has appeared alongside the likes of Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Jeremy irons and Demi Moore to name a just few, and he counts Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts amongst his closest friends; yet when we meet him for the first time in his suite at Dubai’s One&Only Royal Mirage, he immediately jumps up from his seat and offers to make us a cup of coffee. “Chivalry isn’t dead, mate – it’s totally kicking,” he quips as he hands us a freshly brewed espresso and points in the direction of a rather impressive platter full of cakes and biscuits.
Baker is in Dubai to promote Givenchy’s new Gentlemen Only fragrance – quite fitting really, considering the first impression he gives us is that he’s nothing if not a perfect gent. “I think it’s a willingness to be aware and considerate of others,” he says when questioned on what he thinks it takes to be a gentleman nowadays. “It’s all about putting others in front of yourself, and that can be with the opposite sex or with the same sex; it’s just common courtesy.”
As we sit down and tuck into our refreshments, The Mentalist star begins to fire questions at us at an astounding frequency – how do we like Dubai? Where are our offices? Is his wife [fellow Australian actor, Rebecca Rigg) likely to get a good deal if she buys jewellery from the Gold Souq? It’s refreshing to speak to a celebrity on such a normal level, yet with time ticking away, we are conscious that at some point or another, we really should get down to business and discuss something that we can publish.
The first point on our agenda is the news that Baker has just finished filming his directorial debut – the upcoming film adaptation of Tim Winton’s 2008 novel, Breath. Here, we get the lowdown on his inspirations, the pros and cons of being a director as opposed to and actor and how the tough jobs he did in the past have taught him the value of a good day’s hard graft.
MM: What made you decide to take the leap into directing, and why did you pick this film in particular?
SB: It was a combination of things, really. The main reason I chose this film in particular was that I knew it; and by that I don’t mean that I knew the book itself, I mean I knew the environment the book is set in – the whole Aussie surfing subculture – I grew up in it.
When I was a kid, around 15 or 16, I distinctly remember having these weird little fantasies of making a film about that particular time of my life and a lot of the characters that populated that time of my life. This was even way before I knew I was going to be an actor. It was my lifestyle – that little subculture I lived in – that was intriguing to me. Through that time growing up you’re making these decisions, a lot of the time unconsciously, and that helps define and shape who you are and what your identity is.
So when did you first read the book?
It was around seven years ago. I remember I was on the set of The Mentalist at the time and a producer friend – a guy by the name of Mike Johnson – gave it to me. I read it and it really affected me in a lot of different ways; it really struck home, so I called Mike straight away and asked if he’d like to make the film.
It must have been a big leap for you to go into directing, especially considering how well The Mentalist was doing at the time…
Well funnily enough we didn’t initially take the thing on as something for me to direct – I was just going to play one of the roles. But we started meeting a bunch of different directors, all of them with different ideas and none of them really matching up with my vision, and one day Mike said to me, ‘has it occurred to you that you should direct this film, because you talk about this film and this story like you’re the director?’
So that’s what happened. We developed it slowly over the time that we had the rights and then when I knew that The Mentalist was in its last year I started to turn my attention to developing the script. As soon as we finished the show I went straight into filming for Breath, and we finished shooting it last week!
Congratulations! It must feel good to be finished. The cast for Breath seems really interesting. You’ve got established stars like Elizabeth Debicki [The Night Manager, The Great Gatsby] but also a couple of newcomers, Samson Coulter and Ben Spence, who play the young surfers. How did you go about the casting process?
Yeah the two boys – the two main characters – had never acted before in their lives. In fact, there are four non-actor roles in the movie. I grew up surfing and I knew that it was impossible to try to get actors to learn how to surf; directors have tried to do it a million times and it’s never worked. So I figured that I would try the opposite – it’s got to be easier to teach surfers to act than actors to surf, right?
And was it easier? Do you reckon the lads are going to keep at the acting?
It depends how well the film turns out I suppose. They’re pretty great kids and when they get it right it’s because they are not actors. It’s really beautiful, it’s really real and they don’t feel like actors at all. They were just really willing. Physically they had to do some stuff where I was like, ‘Are you OK with this?’ and they were like, ‘Yeah, sure – let’s go!’
What kind of stuff?
Oh you know, jumping off cliffs into the water, stuff on dragster bikes and then the surfing stuff – there was some pretty heavy water out there some days but they always wanted to do it.
What are the main differences for you between being an actor and a director?
The most difficult thing as an actor for me was that you were always playing into someone else’s vision and there’s a certain element of trust involved. That’s fine when you get the opportunity to work with some of the great directors and I had the opportunity to work with some pretty good ones, but there are also a lot of emerging directors that you work with who are often the least experienced people on the set.
Saying that, this particular movie probably had all the earmarks of a potential disaster for a first-time director because some of the set pieces were incredibly difficult – we had to rely on the ocean and the weather, which means we sometimes had very difficult circumstances to film in. Thankfully we got pretty lucky and managed to pull it off.
You must have been delighted to get Elizabeth Debicki…
Absolutely. She is such a fantastic, beautiful, complex, strong actress who is on the rise at the moment and she was willing to put her trust in me and I’ll be forever grateful for that.
You’ve appeared alongside some amazing actors in your time – Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Jeremy irons, Demi Moore – who has really stood out?
To be honest at the moment I’m kind of in love with these two kids I just worked with – they are pretty phenomenal. It was extraordinary to see how steep their learning curve was and how brave they were considering that they had never walked on to a set before and they had no idea what they were in for. They had no idea at all and they were up for it, man, really up for it.
I think the experience with those two kids put a lot of people who I have worked with – myself included – to shame. I was really genuinely impressed. There’s just nothing but willingness. No pretense, no idea self-awareness – it was just pure. And it’s freakishly exciting when you catch that on camera.
There must have been times when they messed up though, being so inexperienced?
Oh yeah, don’t get me wrong – that happened all the time! You know, they are teenage kids. When they were on the set together they were constantly messing around, pranking each other. It was like trying to wrangle cats at times, but when you get it right it’s so, so worth it.
Sounds like a tough job. Speaking of which, is it correct that you used to be a bricklayer?
I was never actually a bricklayer, but I did have a lot of different odd jobs and I there was a short stint I had as a brickie’s labourer. So not quite a bricklayer, but almost there!
That must have taught you the value of hard graft…
Yeah, and I don’t mind a bit of hard graft; it’s good, it keeps you honest. And I still don’t mind it actually. I enjoy building stuff.
Is that what you do in your spare time then?
Yep. I like a bit of gardening too – it’s very fulfilling. The great thing about gardening is that it’s a combination of physical labour, imagination and there’s a long-term nurturing process to it, and I get satisfaction out of that.
Are we right in saying that two of your children’s godparents are Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts? That must be interesting at parties…
Yeah that’s right, but it’s not really as interesting for us as it probably is for you guys. My wife went to school with Nicole so that all predates us being actors, and Naomi has been one of my wife’s best friends since before she was old enough to get arrested, so it’s pretty normal to us. We spend time together when we can but we’re always in different countries and stuff so it’s hard.
Since you’re here to promote a fragrance, have you got any grooming tips for us?
I do like a bit of moisturiser. I spend a lot of time in the sun so moisturiser is definitely a friend. There’s not too much more than that for me though; it doesn’t take me too long to get ready in a morning.
The Mentalist was hugely successful, as have been many TV series’ in recent years. What do you think is behind this increase in popularity of the TV series?
Well, if you really look at it, it’s not actually that recent; it’s just that we have different ways of watching TV now so it reaches a much wider demographic much faster. Before, if you wanted to watch something you used to have to be at a certain place at a certain time, but now you can watch your favourite show on a laptop, tablet – whatever – so it reaches much further nowadays.
Game of Thrones is basically a soap opera. They create this world, we get to know all the characters and things develop slowly over the time. Downton Abbey was the same. It think right now we’re seeing a period where there are so many different types of shows available and I think what it shows is that there’s always an audience for that.
There’s not as much drama being made in cinema nowadays. Films are all Marvel and DC Comics superhero flicks, but people still crave that drama and TV is really filling that void. We as humans still want to get engaged in something and it’s also pretty fashionable to talk about it too, even though I’m guilty of never being up to date with these programmes.
Have you got any favourites?
I really liked the Danish version of The Bridge – it was bloody good. I like the French show, The Returned, too. But I’m not up to date; I’m not a House Of Cards guy, I never saw an episode of The Sopranos, I didn’t get into Breaking Bad. I loved the podcast Serial, and then the TV equivalent Making A Murderer, but then I spent all that time watching the whole thing and at the end I was left unsatisfied. It’s simple really: If a joke is too long for how good the punch line is, then it’s not worth telling.
Nice motto… Have you got a personal motto you try to live by?
Not really, mate. I’m definitely a cock-eyed optimist, though – a very optimistic person, maybe sometimes to my detriment. Sometimes I get a bit optimistic with time and I overcommit to doing too much stuff that’s just not realistically going to happen. That always gets me a telling off from the missus.
#simonbaker#snappytoes#breaththemovie#breaththefilm#Breathmovie#givenchy#givenchygentlemenonlyabsolute
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Jimmy Butler and The Process Will be Fascinating
Jimmy Butler has finally been traded, in a move that elevates his new team’s short-term future while momentarily stabilizing the one that had to let him go. The Philadelphia 76ers gave up 24-year-old Dario Saric and 27-year-old Robert Covington—two "Process" byproducts who helped round out the 2017-18 season’s most dominant five-man unit—along with Jerryd Bayless and a second-round pick for Butler and Justin Patton, a seven-footer with zero games of NBA experience who recently broke his foot for the second time since he was drafted.
In the grand scheme, this is a big deal for everyone involved and has long-term ripple effects that will impact both organizations (along with some others throughout the league) for years to come. T.J. McConnell recently told SB Nation’s Seerat Sohi, that “Trust the Process” is in Philly’s rearview. But as some have already pointed out, the step towards whatever their next identity is has yet to take form. The Sixers were the NBA's darling a year ago. After years of intentional failure, they finished fourth in net rating and won a playoff series. Today, they feel stuck in neutral/slowly sliding in reverse. They rank 20th in point differential and are stuck with more questions than answers.
What they need, they ostensibly can't have: patience. And now they’re throwing the league’s most outspoken and controversial star into a young locker room that suddenly has to win right away. As 11th hour as this trade kinda feels, it’s hard to argue with Philly’s bottom-line logic. They made fantastic use of two role players who developed wonderfully in their system, then turned both into one of the world’s 12 best players. That’s good and smart. They completed the deal without surrendering any of their own first-round picks (or the unprotected gift owed by Miami in 2021), Zhaire Smith, Landry Shamet, or Markelle Fultz. In other words: even though Saric and Covington have yet to reach their primes (though Covington is up for debate), the Sixers did not mortgage their future to bail out the present. They still have intriguing trade assets and room for internal growth. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a significant gamble.
Butler knows how to impact games without the ball in his hands—I recently called him a diamond-encrusted Swiss army knife. He can defend point guards, wings, and stretch fours. He cuts, screens, and generally knows how to function at every position as a less brilliant version of LeBron James. From that perspective, everything is wonderful. But in a playoff series where he’s sharing the floor with Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Fultz (assuming he's still on the team), space will be an issue, as will shot distribution and the delineation of crunch-time responsibilities. Simmons is actually quite intriguing off the ball—a duck-in monster whose touch within five feet is serviceable—but he also can't shoot. How do those two fare beside Embiid, still Philly's best and most important player? It’s increasingly pedantic to worry about “who gets the last shot?” but it’s also fair to wonder how Butler will react to spending the rest of his prime as a third banana, either spacing up in the weak-side corner or colliding with help defenders who aren’t shy about having one foot in the paint whenever he takes off for the basket.
In other words, the long-term fit is questionable, at best. But if Butler is happy to leverage the attention defenses already give Simmons and Embiid, and willing to sacrifice touches and shots for the promise of better looks and more efficient opportunities, Philly's path towards basketball civility is well lit. That’s a very big “if,” though. And beyond this season (one in which Philadelphia is still not promised to escape what promises to be a blood bath in the second-round), we’ve yet to dig into how Fultz works in what's quickly turned into an extremely win-now situation.
Fultz is not ready to contribute in a playoff series, and it’s not crazy to imagine a scenario where Butler uses his own free agency to convince Philadelphia’s front office that a trade is necessary. The former No. 1 overall pick's trade value should be lower than the Sixers think it is, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be dealt for an older piece who can actually contribute right away. With Butler in town, Fultz's days feel numbers. (Moving Fultz in a trade that brings no long-term money back could make things a bit more interesting for Philly's free agency pursuit.)
And that's a big reason why this feels desperate. The Sixers weren’t championship contenders before they traded for Butler and even though they elevated their general ceiling by bringing him on, their primary concerns (depth, shooting) only got worse. It speaks to the organization’s sudden distaste for patience, which is both understandable (given how they were shunned by All-Star free agents over the summer) and silly. Instead of letting Fultz evolve at his own pace, seeing how this season plays out and then taking one final shot at a free agent who’d better fit what’s already there (like Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Khris Middleton, or Tobias Harris), they’ve gone all in on someone who’s more awkward, old, and expensive than the four players listed in that parenthetical.
Butler also has a $30.6 million cap hold, which, when combined with J.J. Redick’s (at nearly $16 million) all but eliminates them as meaningful free-agent buyers. Renouncing Redick (along with McConnell, Amir Johnson, Mike Muscala, and Wilson Chandler) gives them nearly $20 million to spend, but whatever they get with that money probably won’t offset the loss of arguably their second-most valuable player so far this season.
The long-term prognostication is more grim than it should be, but that's what happens when you're building around two players that are odd in a league that's current aesthetic magnifies their flaws. Assuming they give Butler a max contract this summer, what will that thing look like on the trade market? In the meantime, the Sixers should still have some scary-ass lineups that most opponents won’t know what to do with for the rest of this season. Simmons, Butler, Embiid, Redick, and Shamet is one that should handle its business on defense while supplying three stars with necessary breathing room. And touching on something that was already said, Butler may have a more enjoyable experience with Philly than he did in Minnesota (or even Chicago).
It’s early, but the percentage of Butler’s jump shots that have been assisted this season is down 11 percent from last year; only James Harden and Chris Paul are lower on that list. As the lone starter on bench groups that have really struggled to generate efficient offense, whether Butler puts the ball on the ground or surveys the court from the mid-post, opponents have not hesitated to double and triple-team him.
That should change in Philadelphia, where so long as he plays with at least one of Redick, Simmons, or Embiid every minute he’s on the floor, Butler won’t have to expend the same amount of energy on offense, while the defensive coverage he faces may be less hostile. And just because this isn't a perfect fit doesn't mean it's horrendous. Off the ball, Butler is not Fultz. He made 39 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes last season, and 44.2 percent in his final dance with the Bulls. Ignoring anyone that good isn’t a great idea.
A bulk of this analysis centers around Butler’s relationship with the Sixers because it's utterly fascinating to imagine how good/bad/combustible it can be. But the Timberwolves should be commended for replacing a four-time All-Star with two logical pieces that can share the floor with Karl-Anthony Towns. Covington is slightly antiquated but definitely useful, while Saric has yet to reach his full potential and, despite early-season struggles, should be better in an environment that calls for him to do more stuff with the ball.
We’ll also see how Towns (and Andrew Wiggins, I guess) responds to the relief of life without Butler. It’ll be an uphill climb for the Timberwolves to make the playoffs, but if they slow roll their own semi-rebuild into the summer and add a lottery pick in the draft, they’ll be in decent shape going forward, with Towns, Saric, Covington, much less day-to-day stress, and an ability to develop on their own timetable. That’s not what a starved fanbase wants to hear, but it’s better than keeping Butler, losing in the first round, then watching him walk away for nothing.
Outside of Philadelphia and Minnesota, the ripple effects of this trade can’t be ignored. Teams that were rumored to have interest in Butler but no cap space to sign him this summer (the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat) are shit out of luck, with no clear avenue to add a perennial All-Star. And teams with cap space that didn’t want to fork over anything of value, knowing they could hunt Butler in free agency—the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, etc.) are probably not too thrilled, either.
For now, the Sixers are better but still a move or two away from being considered dangerous enough to win a championship, and the Timberwolves escaped with a solid haul (assuming you ignore the fact that they could have this version of Zach LaVine next to Towns for the next ten years). It’s easy to make snap judgements about a move like this and assume all participants will be static from here on out, but for everyone involved, more change feels like it’s on the horizon—a.k.a., welcome to the NBA.
Jimmy Butler and The Process Will be Fascinating published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/
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What else are you gonna do with your stupid life? College football watch ‘em ups for week 2 (officially) of the 2018 season
I’m all in on the rebirth of the run & shoot and don’t know if I have enough caring in me to write about every game this week. FUCK IT WE’LL DO IT LIVE!
Disclaimers about time zones and other sites and what the fuck ever go here. It doesn’t matter, we rake in like zero ad dollars from these posts.
This week is an oddity due to a lack of off-day games. Just one Friday and no others. I kind of wish every week was like this but I think this is the only one for the year.
Saturday, September 8
Matchup Time (ET) TV/Mobile
Arizona at Houston 12:00pm ABC/ESPN2 (RM
Khalil Tate and Kevin Sumlin might just be a match made in hell. Ed Oliver has personally humiliated some great dual-threat QBs in the past but I don’t know if Tate is actually a threat through the air. Not sure what that means for the all-important stats.
Duke at Northwestern 12:00pm ESPNU
Northwestern sucks. I’ll still root for them but they’re not good.
Eastern Michigan at Purdue 12:00pm BTN
The nation’s leader in all-purpose yards at home against EMU? Hell yes.
Georgia Tech at USF 12:00pm ABC/ESPN2 (RM)
I almost made a national champions joke but USF and UCF are actually different schools. Not by much, mind you. Based on one week against stiffs I have the impression this is a good year for the Ramblin’ Wreck.
Liberty at Army 12:00pm CBSSN
Army doesn’t even play a cool version of the option. This game is a pox.
Mississippi State at Kansas State 12:00pm ESPN
A bunch of guys who will play in the NFL next year are playing against each other for teams that will combine to lose 10+ games this year. This is a headache in a bag. I think I’d take KState +8 and the over of 54.5.
Nevada at Vanderbilt 12:00pm SECN
Oddly enough, I’d be totally into this one if Vandy were flying West for a 10pm kickoff. This version looks terrible, though.
New Mexico at Wisconsin �� 12:00pm BTN
Can’t wait for Hornibrook to end up getting a Heisman invite. He’s Wisconsin’s answer to Gino Torretta.
Towson at Wake Forest 12:00pm ACCNExtra
I’ve always thought of it as “Nextra” but then I saw it written as ACCNE and now there’s no going back.
Western Michigan at Michigan 12:00pm FS1
I know I’m stupid and crazy but I haven’t sold all of my Harbaugh stock just yet. I’ve heard about how he’s not a college coach and he’ll be back in the NFL next year but I can’t shake the feeling that he can still get things to click with just a little more time.
Georgia State at NC State 12:30pm RSN
NC State lost a ton of talent to the pros this year and the next in line from QBU isn’t really as great as his offseason draft hype. Georgia State is absolutely going to beat the spread.
Holy Cross at Boston College 1:00pm ACCNExtra
Somehow this battle for Boston reminded me of somebody explaining in excruciating detail about how BC isn’t in Boston and it just makes me hate that place and its people all over again.
UCLA at Oklahoma 1:00pm FOX
UCLA generally doesn’t do very well in early games and Oklahoma’s talent level is very obviously higher than the Bruins at every position. I don’t know what point to make here. Hopefully Rodney Anderson gets more than 5 carries this week but he might not need to.
Air Force at Florida Atlantic 2:00pm CBSSN / Facebook
FAU got murdered by Oklahoma last week so I’m a little bit intrigued by how Lane bounces back. Vegas really likes the Owls but I’m not really sure why.
Portland State at Oregon 2:00pm Pac-12N
This is some high quality trash. I won’t watch it due to dumb circumstances but I’d enjoy it if I could.
William & Mary at Virginia Tech 2:00pm ACCNExtra
The Hokies looked pretty good against FSU. I forgot all about Josh Jackson since he missed the 2017 season but I think he’s a pretty good college QB.
Kansas at Central Michigan 3:00pm ESPN Plus
What can you say about Kansas football without laughing maniacally?
Arkansas State at Alabama 3:30pm ESPN2
Red Wolves vs. Crimson Tide should be some sort of rivalry. Bama looks every bit as good as expected so this will probably be a bloodbath. In red.
Ball State at Notre Dame 3:30pm NBC
Notre Dame gets to walk around like a top 10 team for now but a 7-point win over Michigan at home in a game that felt like a blowout doesn’t strike me as a springboard to a CFB Playoff berth. Brian Kelly is still a shitty murderer so fuck him.
Buffalo at Temple 3:30pm ESPN3
Tyree Jackson threw 6 TDs last week while Temple was losing to Villanova. The result? Temple is favored by 5. That seems wrong. Are there really people betting their hearts in what looks like a classic degenerate’s matchup?
Colorado at Nebraska 3:30pm ABC
Big 8 rivals square off in the first game (probably!) of the Scott Frost era. Smart money is probably on Colorado.
Georgia at South Carolina 3:30pm CBS
If Coach Boom is going to make the most of his great roster he needs to spring the upset here. That doesn’t seem crazy to me so look for UGA to win by 40.
Howard at Kent State 3:30pm ESPN Plus
A bunch of 1-AA teams are in the watch ‘em ups for a second time this week but Howard is closest to my heart. Love the Bison to trample the Gun Girls.
Memphis at Navy 3:30pm CBSSN
This is the only game most years where I cheer against Memphis. I don’t have a great feeling about this Navy team, though, so my advice for you who are wondering is to put the mansion on Memphis to win by more than 6 and for the over to hit some time in the third quarter.
Morgan State at Akron 3:30pm ESPN Plus
I’ll leave this one to Soused.
North Carolina at East Carolina 3:30pm ESPNU
This game was in the maybe watch column on SB Nation’s grid this week and I can’t comprehend why this is anything but AVOID!!!!! even if they don’t offer that designation.
Rutgers at Ohio State 3:30pm BTN
Ohio State is out here with a boatload of talent and a scheme that mostly runs itself in games like this. I wish all bad things on the Ohio State football program but they have some really great players that I don’t hate.
Wagner at Syracuse 3:30pm ACCNExtra
Eric Dungey’s quest for a rushing title continues.
ETSU at Tennessee 4:00pm SECN
Without looking I think Tennessee is probably favored. By too much.
Lamar at Texas Tech 4:00pm FSN / FSGo
I make jokes about Lamar being just some dude every year and it’s dumb but I can’t look at Lamar and not think it’s just some dude instead of a team.
Southern Illinois at University of Mississippi 4:00pm SECNA
What’s up with fixing the mascot name but not the other super racist allusion in your sports programs? Progress of some sort, I guess. This is a body bag game of the lowest caliber.
Iowa State at Iowa 5:00pm FOX
Potentially cool game at college football’s most heartwarming stadium. Nothing here not to love.
North Dakota at Washington 5:00pm Pac-12N
Is this the same school that Carson Wentz went to? I’m not looking it up. A lot of you were all in on Auburn trashing UDub last week but that didn’t actually happen. Washington could still win 12 straight and end up back in playoff contention, even without their star LT.
Appalachian State at Charlotte 6:00pm ESPN Plus
Wild to think this is 1-A on 1-A.
Maryland at Bowling Green 6:00pm ESPN Plus
It was funny to see Texas lose and all but let’s all remember to hate the fuck out of Maryland’s coaches and program from here to eternity.
Savannah State at Miami (FL) 6:00pm ACCNExtra
There is no reason for most people to give a shit about this game but I’m interested to see if the freshman QBs are really bad or if Mark Richt is just being way too conservative with his roster by starting Malik Rosier. My gut says nobody is worse for this team than Rosier. I know Ahmmon Richards, for one, agrees with me.
SC State at UCF 6:00pm ESPN3
Here’s the national champs. Not gonna lose the winning streak here.
UMass at Georgia Southern 6:00pm ESPN Plus
Now we’re getting into some good degeneracy. There are too many other games at this same time to really dive into this shitfest but it’s real as hell to me.
Youngstown State at West Virginia 6:00pm ATTSN
I was looking at games on CBS Sports and they didn’t have a channel listed for this game. ATTSN = AT&T Sports Network, guessing a DirecTV exclusive? I love Holgo even if I kinda hate the Air Raid.
Eastern Kentucky at Marshall 6:30pm ESPN Plus
Here’s another great backup game. I don’t know if anybody good is on either team this year.
Baylor at UTSA 7:00pm CBSSN / Facebook
Ugh. Fucking Baylor. Go the fuck away forever, Baylor.
Clemson at Texas A&M 7:00pm ESPN
Until about 5 years ago Clemson and aTm were actually the same program. Now Clemson is a legit 5-star program and I fucking hate it. Not enough to root for the Aggies, mind you. Talent watching is pretty good in this one but the idea of Jimbo Fisher falling flat on his face in Aggieland is too good not to dream about.
Florida A&M at Troy 7:00pm ESPN Plus
Let’s go Rattlers!
Indiana State at Louisville 7:00pm ACCNExtra
Petrino might be on the verge of sunsetting unless he flukes his way into another megastar. Louisville looks like the most ACC of ACC teams right now even though they have no business being in the conference. This should be an AAC team all the way.
Southeastern La. at LSU 7:00pm ESPN2
I want to whisper to all of you that LSU really isn’t all that good but I’m typing and you’re maybe reading it instead.
Southern at LA Tech 7:00pm ESPN Plus
Louisiana Tech is one of my pet stupid programs. I always think they’re one random star recruit away from becoming the next offense lab in college football. This probably isn’t the year, though.
Texas Southern at Texas State 7:00pm KNVA/ESPN3
If anybody has more than a gambling interest in this one I am dying to hear about it. Seriously. Explain yourself.
UAB at Coastal Carolina 7:00pm ESPN Plus
Last week I insulted UAB’s football program and they went out and won 52-0, their first shutout victory in 10 years. So let me continue my campaign for them to drop the program again.
ULM at Southern Miss 7:00pm ESPN3
I don’t think I realized until right now that CUSA is the surviving shell of the old Metro Conference. I thought the Metro just died. Anyway, CUSA football is MACtion for degenerates. Meaning that I like it. This game got a shoutout on the NFL’s season opener so maybe it will draw an audience in the hundreds.
UT Martin at Middle Tennessee 7:00pm ESPN Plus
The Tee Martins are back! How does it feel to play football your whole life and go to college for football and then realize that you’re playing for the team that’s being paid to lay down to Middle Tennessee State? Not even like Wake Forest or somebody like that - worse! It still sounds kind of fun but embarrassing at the same time.
Wyoming at Missouri 7:00pm ESPNU
Drew Lock has some similar physical traits to Wyoming’s QB from last year but I think he’s gotten better coaching. Similar arm talent(!!!) at least. I don’t know about the raw athleticism which, no shit, Josh Allen has tons of. Anyway, Missouri should stomp all over Wyoming.
Samford at Florida State 7:20pm ACCNExtra
The Bobby Bowden Bowl! The immediate reactions to Willie Taggert at FSU were loud and angry but he needs some time to sort through the weird mess that the team devolved into last year. I don’t think he can keep running the offense he had at USF with this roster, though, and he needs to figure that out quickly.
Alabama State at Auburn 7:30pm SECNA
The Littlest Iron Bowl! Auburn is another team that didn’t look great to me in week 1. And they don’t have any obvious path to the playoffs.
Arkansas at Colorado State 7:30pm CBSSN
This might be the farthest an SEC team has traveled for a regular season game this century.
FIU at Old Dominion 7:30pm beIN SPORTS
Keep the faith in Butch Davis. It’ll turn out pretty well in the end. I think.
Fresno State at Minnesota 7:30pm FS1
I think CSU-Fresno had the highest point total in the country in week 1 but it came against 1-AA Idaho State. Yeah, I just wanted to drop a mention to Idaho State as a (once again) 1-AA team. This game is probably trash but it has the decency to be a dumb night game that nobody will notice unless it gets wild.
Incarnate Word at North Texas 7:30pm ESPN Plus
This is truly bottom of the barrel stuff but UNT does have the nation’s leader in passing yards per game!
Kentucky at Florida 7:30pm SECN
UF is really heavily favored to win their 32nd straight against Kentucky but why? The line is only 14 but odds are weighted like 88% for the Gators to win. Kentucky sucks but doesn’t Florida?
Maine at WKU 7:30pm ESPN Plus
A lot of oddball evening games this week. I like it.
Utah at NIU 7:30pm ESPNews
Northern Illinois got blown out by Iowa last week. Utah looked like hell for the first 30 minutes against Weber State. I don’t have a point. Utah will probably win by 20.
Virginia at Indiana 7:30pm BTN
UVA and IU are more similar than dissimilar historically speaking. This game makes me annoyed just knowing that it’s going to happen and that it’s on Big Ten Network. Get your shit together, Hoos.
Western Illinois at Illinois 7:30pm BTN
It would be so Lovie Smith to lose this game.
Cincinnati at Miami (Ohio) 8:00pm Raycom / ESPN3
I agree with what Ohio State fans were saying a few years back: Luke Fickell sucks.
New Mexico State at Utah State 8:00pm Facebook
Facebook? For this one? Boo hiss. This is prime gambling athletics, nobody should be tracking you as you watch this one.
Nicholls at Tulane 8:00pm ESPN3
Nicholls! The Nicholls Nickels! Tulane doesn’t get a lot of easy wins but I think we can all agree with some bit of confidence that Tulane may suck loudly but they’re still better than Kansas.
Penn State at Pitt 8:00pm ABC
I have an unhealthy and unrealistic need for Pitt to win this game.
Sacramento State at San Diego State 8:00pm No TV (!!!)
What in the goddamn fucking hell is SDSU doing with no TV coverage in 2018? Christ almighty. This is hilarious.
South Alabama at Oklahoma State 8:00pm FSN
I wish South Alabama was good enough to at least put the fear of god in Okie State but they really aren’t. Expect a typical early season massacre from the Cowboys.
Southern Utah at Oregon State 8:00pm Pac-12N
What the hell is this?
Tulsa at Texas 8:00pm LHN
Tulsa only beat Central Arkansas by 11 last week but Texas lost to Maryland. 23 points might be too much to expect for the Longhorns at this juncture.
USC at Stanford 8:30pm FOX
The Pac-12 is known for two things: bad scheduling and bad referees. Also, bad defenses so that makes three things. This is bad scheduling. Why is the most marketable game of your whole conference year happening in week 2 at 8:30pm EST? This is absolutely moronic.
UTEP at UNLV 9:00pm ATTSN
Ever since it popped into my head last year or the year before I just can’t get over UNLV being confederate-themed. What the hell is that?
California at BYU 10:15pm ESPN2
This is actually beautiful scheduling which makes me think BYU came up with it themselves. Great uniform matchup even if both teams stink.
UConn at Boise State 10:15pm ESPN2/ESPNU
Haha, UConn. What are you doing? How did this program actually make it to major bowl game in the last 10 years? They’re 31-point underdogs playing past their bedtimes against an OK-at-best Boise State team. This somehow feels earned.
Michigan State at Arizona State 10:45pm ESPN
Really not sure how Sparty agreed to this one but if I have one strong conviction from week 1 it’s that Herm Edwards should have stayed a TV talking head and left the coaching game to everybody else.
San Jose State at Washington State 11:00pm Pac-12N
Very fine watchin’ ‘em up here. You have to catch them all.
Rice at Hawai’i 11:59pm Spectrum
Spectrum is a station? Spectrum is a cable company. Anyway, Rice played Ed Oliver last week and now they have to face early RTARLsman frontrunner Cole McDonald. I’m cautiously bandwagoning for Hawai’i.
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Here are the Oregon Senate bills we’re following this session (Part 1 of 2)
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
The 2017 Oregon legislative session is well underway. Votes have already taken place and bills are moving up and dying off as I type this.
I’ve combed through hundreds of bills to find ones that matter to people who care about transportation safety and the culture of our streets. Since there are so many bills I want to bring to your attention, I’ve decided to do this in two parts. First I’ll share a list of the Senate bills I’m following. Then in a separate post, I’ll share the House bills.
Here we go…
Senate Bill 2
Summary: “Defines “mobile electronic device.” Increases penalty for offense. Punishes by maximum of one year’s imprisonment, $6,250 fine, or both. Further increases penalty for multiple violations within 10 years. Punishes by maximum of five years’ imprisonment, $125,000 fine, or both. Prescribes additional minimum fines.” (Official overview)
Commentary: This is the strong anti-distracted driving bill introduced by Senate President Peter Courtney. He wants cell phone use to have the same consequences as drunk driving. Sources say his approach is way too punitive and has very little chance of passing. On the other hand, safety advocates say they appreciate that Courtney has raised awareness of the issue. There’s a chance this bill could be re-written with lower-level consequences; but an even greater chance that the distracted driving bill in the House, HB 2597, is the one that will move forward.
Status: No movement yet.
SB 34
Summary: “Expands “move over law” to include any motor vehicle that is displaying warning or hazard lights or specific indications of distress.” (Official overview)
Commentary: This bill frustrates me and I’ll be sharing why in a separate post. In a nutshell, this bill was drafted by ODOT to make their “move over law” even stronger. It would now apply not just to emergency/police vehicles and first responders, but to anyone in a car. I think the “move over law” should explicitly include vulnerable road users. The current “safe passing law” for bicycles is weak and not understood by the public or law enforcement.
Status: Passed out of Judiciary Committee and awaiting vote from full Senate.
SB 35
Summary: “Increases threshold amount that must be met before person is required to submit motor vehicle accident report.” (Official overview)
“It is a weird and car-centric rule to me.”
— Charley Gee, Lawyer
Commentary: The current threshold for when the Oregon DMV requires someone to submit an “Accident Report” is $1,500. This bill wants to up that amount to $3,000. This is a problem for bicycle users who seek justice after a collision. If you are invovled in a collision with a motor vehicle user while riding your bicycle that doesn’t result in personal injury (which would trigger the reporting requirement), a higher property damage threshold means even fewer bicycle collisions will be officially logged into the DMV database. Why? Because most bicycles are not work $1,500 — and even fewer are worth over $3,000. In the words of local lawyer Charley Gee, “Why reward a driver who happened to be lucky enough to hit someone but not injure them or cause property damage above a certain threshold? Is a person riding a $750 bike less worthy of a reporting and tally in the states computer system than a person riding a $2,000 bike or a $12,000 bike? It is a weird and car-centric rule to me.”
Status: Work session in Senate Committee on Business and Transportation scheduled for February 20th.
SB 327
Summary: “Extends recreational immunity to employees and agents of owner of land when acting within scope of duties and those with private property interests in land. Eliminates duty of care to maintain land for entry or use by others for certain purposes. Declares emergency, effective on passage.” (Official overview)
Commentary: This is the bill we reported about due to its potential impacts on recreational facilities in parks like Gateway Green. After a 2016 Oregon Supreme Court decision found that government employees (and even volunteers) could be held liable for tort claims, government agencies want to expand the “recreational immunity” concept. If it’s harder to sue the government, they can get cheaper insurance and are more likely to open — and keep open — free recreational facilities for the public. Passage of this bill is a top priority for the City of Portland.
Status: In the Judiciary Committee, no hearing scheduled.
SB 372
Summary: “Requires State Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt rules for issuance of wildlife salvage permits to salvage deer or elk accidentally killed as result of vehicle collision.” (Official overview)
Commentary: This is just odd. My first reaction to this one was that it would encourage people to “hunt-by-car”. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife says the law would, “provide a loophole for people to shoot a deer or elk then strike it with a vehicle in an attempt to claim it as road injured and killed for humane purposes.” I’m not a fan of anything that further weaponizes cars.
Status: In Senate Committee On Environment and Natural Resources. Public hearing held (2/8) but no vote yet.
SB 454
Summary: “Directs Department of Transportation to establish Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area highway improvement program.” (Official overview)
Commentary: This bill doesn’t include funding, but it would give a jump-start to improving transportation in The Gorge. Among the things it would set into motion is a Gorge transportation plan and a project to add biking and walking facilities to the Bridge of the Gods!
Status: In Senate Business and Transportation Committee. No hearings scheduled.
SB 493
Summary: “Creates new manner of committing crime of assault in the fourth degree when person with criminal negligence causes serious physical injury to vulnerable user of public way by means of motor vehicle.” (Official overview)
Commentary: Remember this one from last session? This is the Multnomah County District Attorney’s attempt to close a big gap in Oregon law. Right now more severe penalties for driving with criminal negligence are only triggered if you kill the person you hit. If they survive — regardless of how severely they are hurt — the possible punishment does not fit the crime. Last year this stalled after special interests representing truck drivers lobbied against it on the grounds it was too harsh. So this year it has been changed from a felony crime to a misdemeanor. I hope it passes.
Status: Public hearing held yesterday (2/16). No vote yet.
SB 504
Summary: “Eliminates limitation of liability for owner of land used for trail or recreational purposes when owner is public body.” (Official overview)
Commentary: This is the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association’s counterpunch to SB 327. They say government entities and their employees/agents shouldn’t be shielded from liability when they fail to maintain facilities used by the public. A flyer being circulated in Salem by trial lawyer lobbyists says, “An improperly maintained playground should not be treated differently than improperly maintained water pipes.” As you can also see in the flyer, the Trial Lawyers Association also plans to actively oppose SB 327.
Status: In Judiciary Committee. No hearing scheduled.
SB 556
Summary: “Creates offense of driving with dog in driver’s lap. Punishes by maximum fine of $250.” (Official overview)
Commentary: This sounds sort of silly on the surface, but it’s actually a real problem. Remember back in 2011 when a man was very seriously injured when a woman failed to maintain control of her car and hit him after being distracted by her dog? That incident led a State Senator to introduce a similar bill that same year that didn’t go anywhere. Six years later distracted driving and dog ownership are even more common. My problem with this bill is that I’d rather see us focus laws on more broad behaviors instead of specific ones. If we get our distracted driving laws right, we shouldn’t have to make a new law for each specific behavior.
====
Please stay tuned for our list of House bills. We’ll continue to track and report on individual bills as we can. And keep in mind, as a one-man newsroom with very limited capacity, I always welcome more eyes and ears in the State Capitol building. So if you have a tip on a bill, or if I’ve missed an important one below, please get in touch and let me know about it.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and [email protected]
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The post Here are the Oregon Senate bills we’re following this session (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on BikePortland.org.
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Morning Pages #30 (09.02.2017)
Thursday 9th February - 10:05 a.m.
I am actually writing in the a.m. now, I know! It has been a while, I know. Yesterday was a very taxing day though, so I fell asleep almost immediately. The only issue was that I got home to Anthony’s parents having dinner with my parents, and whenever they get together, the meal always takes place at a quarter to midnight (give or take a half hour), so I ate a few of their appetizers before the main meal despite the fact that between the hours of 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. yesterday, I had literally nothing to eat at all. I survived off of some warm garlic bread until my parents were ready to serve the dhosa and the eggplant and potato curry, which was just the most warm and sustaining meal I’ve had since Gong De Lin, considering how long I had to wait for it. That and the eggplant curry is always just magical going down your throat. It’s generous tomato texture, and the warm flavour of the spices, and the delicately lingering chilli to top it all off, all carried by the smooth, milky dhosa - simply put, it was the right thing to be eating at that given time.
But enough about my meal! My day was astounding. The meeting with Marcus went very well, with cameo appearances from Mark and Hector. Hector arrived at around 3 p.m., I should say, and immediately went upstairs to have a shower because it was excruciatingly hot yesterday. Then he hung out whilst Marcus and I caught up (after the business of the day was done). I told them both about Ikaros and I, and confided in them that not only had Ikaros called me and asked me to come and see him later that day, but that I was going to use the opportunity to come and see him, to tell him once and for all what I really needed from him right now. Which was plenty of space. I told Marcus and Hector that neither of us were getting what we needed from the relationship and that we had both begun to realise this over the past four months in particular, but that I still wasn’t sure how to make the break-up seem official to either of us, considering that counting yesterday, Ikaros and I have broken up four times over the span of four months. Three of those times were in January-February alone. It’s chaotic. But now it’s over. It was incredibly emotional, and I’m not entirely sure why because I feel like the drama has passed for me. I already went through my heartbreak, and now I’m on the other side. It’s his turn now. He was in denial for this long, otherwise he would’ve gone through this with me. Then again, he has been infamously emotionally immature. I shouldn’t talk about him like this, but these pages are for honesty.
Ikaros also admitted yesterday evening that he knew he’d been treating me badly. Even though he swore he would protect me from my family abuse, because he said he didn’t want anybody shitting on me, he admitted to shitting on me himself. Then he asked me again, if I didn’t want to keep trying with him. I simply said that he had just admitted he had been treating me badly, so what would it say about my self-respect if I were to allow him to be with me after all of this. Thankfully, he understood this. He also began to (for the first time in a LONG TIME) regret the way he had treated me. He was the one who would say no to plans, who would end phone calls and skype calls and days spent together. He was the one who didn’t buy presents and didn’t offer emotional support when it was most needed. He was the one who was keen for an open relationship before it was even appropriate, like three months into our dating! He was the one who made comments about other people, and made deprecating comments about me, and thus, made me end up being very unhappy in my own skin (an insecurity only often softened by him subsequently fucking me and then me being glad that somebody could possibly be attracted to me at all enough to fuck me). He was the one who didn’t say ‘I love you’ back! WHEN HE DID. And even though he failed to do all of these things, it was at least nice to hear that he was aware of this. Even so, I felt really bad for him when he was sitting with his hands on his knees in the Rosanna Parklands, saying ‘I fucked up’ over and over again to himself or to me.
This shouldn’t be important anymore, though. I should start thinking about other things. And I have. For instance, Marcus really loved my script, and so did Mark and Hector. Marcus said it was very ‘non-white-male’ which made me quite happy, and he also said that with a little fine-tuning, he doesn’t doubt that we can get funding from SBS. He just believes that Kali should be given a more concrete goal, to juxtapose her life with her mother’s. Vini’s dream was taken from her, so Kali should be shown making full claims to her passion and achieving everything her mother was forced to let go. I totally agreed with this, and my current task is to rework the script a little to place more emphasis on Kali achieving her dreams. The beach trip scenes between Kali and Adam are growing less and less prevalent with every draft, and I love it. The whole idea of the ‘rock pool’ is supposed to be more symbolic than literal anyway. My only qualm with this is purely that I feel like the beach scenes would be so beautiful to shoot. But after seeing Assassin’s Creed, I guess I am now more than aware of the dangers of prioritising cinematography over the actual plotline when one is tasked with making a storyboard.
I will say this though. I have never felt more of a writer than I have over these last two months, and this is making me increasingly excited for the rest of 2017. I also feel like these pages have had a lot to do with that too, and of course my time in Northcote too. I’ve been thinking about my time in Northcote, and have realised that it has drastically improved my life for the better. Not only did I come across ‘The Artist’s Way’ and begin on my creative rehabilitation, but I was also given time away from everyone and everything and was just allowed to be a human existing alone. Taking care of the cats also kept me anchored, kept me waking up at a sensible hour every morning and returning home at a sensible hour too (except on weekends). Furthermore, living in Northcote and being that close to everything, allowed me to go out on weekends in a way that I’ve never gone before. It allowed me to meet Evan too. Evan asked me, I think on Monday, whether or not I would’ve gone to Laundry if I hadn’t been living in Northcote. I answered very honestly, saying that I actually might not have gone out at all if I had never taken the housesitting job. Because I had gone out alone that night, and the only reason I felt safe enough going out alone that night was because I knew it would be easy enough for me to get back home to the apartment (one tram for like fifteen minutes, it was too easy). I feel like maybe I should tell Emily exactly how much minding the boys has positively impacted me. But she might stop paying me to do the job if she knows how fantastic it’s been for me! No, she wouldn’t, that was a joke.
I really miss Evan right now. My phone plan just ended and I’m switching to something a little cheaper ($5 cheaper a month, yet still way out of my budget), hopefully today. I don’t know what to do if he texts me though! I don’t know if it’ll send. I was tempted (I still am, actually) to send him the photo that was taken of us at Laundry the night that we met. Actually, fuck it. I’m going to do that right now. It’s only 10:36 a.m. and I am probably more than a quarter of the way through this final page. I am making excellent time. I am, however, a little nervous about getting started on the next draft of my script. It’s just been endless, and even Marcus said that it’s SO SO tight as it is right now, like it’s going to take a lot of frustration and editing to get it to where it needs to be. That, and screenwriting is so weird! It’s a very new medium, naturally, and nobody really knows how to do it as Marcus said (but regardless, my uni course was very focused on teaching us the layout and formatting of film scripts over actually writing them), but I feel that it’s infinitely harder for people who are actually traditional writers, or come from a writing background. It’s odd, but I think it’s safe to say that I feel like it’s easier for actors to write screenplays than it would be for writers. Marcus also noted that I had a tendency to indulge in description when I was writing action in my script. He said that sometimes my inclinations to write prose seeped through, and made my script naturally a lot more lovely to read, but a lot less easy to be interpreted by directors and actors, and everyone else who must work off of your script. It is a deceptively simple medium, I’ll just leave it at that. I can’t wait to be finished with this project! And it really hasn’t even started yet!
Okay, I sent the photo. He’s at work right now. Sometimes I worry about him being at work, honestly. Like whenever the weather’s bad. Yesterday, for example, was ridiculously hot, and I was only really only outside in the high sun for about an hour or two. But for him, it would’ve been all day! Even today, it’s supposed to be quite hot and ALSO quite windy too. And I know he finished up early on Monday because some equipment wasn’t available or something, so I can assume that the rest of this week or at least the next few days after Monday, would’ve been a lot longer and a lot more productive. If he’s been working hard both yesterday and today, I can’t help but imagine he’d be feeling rather physically exhausted by the end of today. I know that he really can’t wait till school starts again for him, but honestly neither can I. I’ll be glad to see him taking it easy for a while and studying something he’s passionate about rather than spending all of his time landscaping, waking up at ungodly hours and working in extreme conditions for so long. Goodness, I think I really like this boy.
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