#cant believe its 2025 what a made up year | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

goldenhickeyss · 2 years ago

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The (ephimeral) success of solo projects on Chapter 2

I wanted to write a post about chapter 2 and Jimin, the "sabotages"... but I don't know if I'm able to sort out the facts and my ideas or judgements about them properly. Nothing is clear to me yet.

There are days when a part of me believes that something is going on with Jimin and Hybe (or BH, I don't know which). But there's another part, the rational part, the part that works as an economist for 20 years, that knows that it doesn't make much sense for a for-profit company to boycott one of its most valuable assets.

In the Executive Boards, and in financial planning, decisions are made on the basis of economical evidence, which is always provided by current numbers (or estimates), not by the heart. Maybe even in the case of BTS there is some sense of fairness, I would say, at the outset. And not an asymmetric distribution according to profit projections.

In the trade-off I find myself in, I would like to share the following thoughts:

- I have recently realised that Chapter 2 is not the chapter of their solo career. It is the chapter of their solo work, which is slightly different.

- Most of them has a short time to promote their work. The average has been a "several weeks" window.

- Their success is therefore somewhat short-lived or ephimeral. It appears and within weeks it seems to fade away, eclipsed by the next in line. The nex king of "k-..."

- There is no intention of promoting a structured solo career, because 1) BTS have said (a million times) that they will be back in 2025, and 2) if we are to take them at their word, the boys will all be joining the military before the end of 2023.

- So, there is no long-term vision to support "some" and not "others".

- The support is focused on a specific work. The only exception to a more continuous commitment has been Suga and his tour.

- Everyone has their budget, their schedule, their activities for the year...

- And yes, there can be different intensities of promotional activities, depending on the defined strategy or budget or goal or whatever (we don't know the whole story because the company doesn't explain anything to us). There is a rumour that some have even put their money into some activities. But I don't know how true that is.

- And I think they all have a say in the design of their promotions, even if they don't design them themselves.

So then....I can't take the agency away from any of them.

They are the best advocates or defenders within the company. And if one of them had less influence, which I doubt, the others would not remain silent without solving the problem. Or how do we think a commitment from the 7 of them to the 7 of them is achieved to keep BTS as a unified group? There are no weak links in this group. And if there were, I wouldn't bet my money that Jimin is one of them.

Once again, there are things that I can't explain and I'd like to know what's going on (the lack of restocking, the split of Spotify streaming, the deletion of sales...). But if there really have been damaging mistakes or strategies for any of them, I hope that when the next contract comes up for renewal, they will sort it out very thoroughly. Cause this cant happen anymore.

To tell you the truth, I blame the company for many things, and one of them - as serious as their lack of planning - is their lack of communication with the fans. BeautifulPeach has talked about this in some of her posts.

At some point in its growth, Hybe became too big to fail, or whatever, and forgot about certain corporate social responsibility obligations. One of them is to talk to its most important stakeholders: the customers, i.e. the fans. And addressing some of their concerns.

Investors are important in listed companies, but customers are important too. Always.

And if they don't see it that way and continue to despise the fans (clients) in that way, then at the end “future is not gonna be ok”.

And yes, I know that K-pop is controversial. It's clear that they can't deal with every rumour, every silly trend that comes out every day on twitter, ships, solos demands, etc. But there are things that they can deal with. And some of the Jimin's events when Face happened are one of them.

A bit of transparency would be appreciated. I expect it, actually, at some point (maybe when this chapter ends).

Maybe there will be things that could be explained as commercial strategy (do they want us to buy Face instead of the single LC, for example? And that's why they're not stocking it again?). But they might also be telling us about certain difficulties. Or about certain forecasting mistakes. Or how they learned from some of them. I'm pretty sure they learned a lot from Jimin's Face era.

I don't think I will be able to judge everything that has happened until at least the end of this year, when all the solo works have been completed/released.

And I'll have to keep listening to Bongo to see if he still talks about how they are more interested in being a company that has groups rather than individual singers. Maybe that is why it seems there's a ceiling to individual success. There is nothing better than capping success with time limitation of activities ("Let's see if that makes the fans forget what solo members are capable of")

And even then, there will be differences between all of them. Quite a lot.

But we will also have to consider that they are different artists with different goals, sensibilities, objectives and situations (let's not forget that JK himself, who now seems quite greedy, has admitted that he needed and enjoyed his free time and Seven had to come along to give him a boost). So we should be careful with the comparison too.

Perhaps Jin will end up getting the most promotions when he comes out, considering how little time he has had. Poor Jin…😔 He had to wait until the end of the year to enlist, despite the bad weather, to give us the Busan concert. It was a commitment to BTS, but it was a short of individual sacrifice too… you know..they do these things for BTS.

I would also like to listen to them (yes, it's a bit ambitious on my part, but I would like to listen to Jimin and his feelings, at the end of this year... will he open up to us?)

In conclusion, I would say that if we are BTS fans and want to remain so, and if we believe in the boys' words .... I would advise us to enjoy every moment they give us for their limited time. Every campaign, every song, every vlive... and try to find an atmosphere of caution given the situation we are in.

And by that I mean that we should also be able to read that we are in the age of solos and akages. All the information about grievances or leaks that comes out usuarlly comes from the same places.

And I'm not saying it's FALSE! Nor do I mean to belittle it! Just that sometimes we should take into account the intentions behind. And before we react, let's consider the source and the context. Look at what happened to the RNX journalist we all spent almost a day reporting on for a bad translation. Or look at how, in less than two weeks, two CCTV vids of Jimin shopping with a friend (one of them clearly with Saeon) suddenly appeared just as it became known that he was going to NY with JK.

Anyway, I will be a bit cautious for now. There are still a few months until the end of the year. A lot can still happen.

Jimin could came back again to us with sth as amazing as Like Crazy. Or even better, an album.

I miss Jimin and want to see him shine again and talking to us.

And I miss jikook……arrrggg

#jikook #kookmin #jimin and jungkook #mingukkie #jikook kookmin jinkook jiminshiii jk

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spacerockwriting · 5 months ago

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I have not been up late in what feels like forever, lol. This year was a wild ride. I, in all to honest goodness, can't even believe it's over. Last year I told my therapist my resolution was "Fuck it" and I still stand by it this year.

From finishing my first ever Shameless Big Bang, to writing another wonderful piece that led to making wonderful friends, I can't wait to continue it again this year.

In July I got to see Green Day for a sixth time, this time, the VIP actually pulling through. The last tour I saw them on was from Father of All... and it was such a mess, since the tour was the remains of what they could scrape by with due to COVID. Fall Out Boy had to cancel, which wasn't terrible but, still, a band I had wanted to see. SAVIORS was easily one of the best shows I've ever seen. Both DOOKIE and AMERICAN IDIOT back to back, all songs? COMING CLEAN is my favorite Green Day song of all time, and it's always played at every show I am not in attendance for. Finally hearing it live just...chefs kiss. Seeing Tre Sing All By Myself was also a dream thing to see, along with HOMECOMING which is a song that both Mike and Tre sing on. Not to mention, it was the opening of the US tour, which was great. Aside from a brief tornado evacuation during the concert, it was fantastic. I got even more excited when I found out my bestie went to his show, too, since American Idiot was the album that sort of bonded us together back when we were wee 8th graders.

October was the real kicker. My first vacation since pre-covid. The Outsiders Musical was fantastic. I had kind of lost fandom interest in it for a long while, and it just pushed my right back into interest with these characters I loved. Plus, I was the one that received the special book that is passed out during the finale. Being front row center for a musical was a bucket list item, and I was so glad it was that musical.

But of course, the real highlight of October was going to NYCC, a place I didn't think I'd ever go to. It's the comic con for the big boys, and I even surprised myself and hardly bought any merch, except for Eric Stuart (Brock from Pokemon) and of course spending most of my money meeting Cam and Noel.

THAT was the highlight my friends. Well, one. They were so so incredibly nice and sweet, not at all "fake" phony celebrities. Noel conversed with everyone who entered his line and wanted to talk to everyone, and Cam was just so so sweet. Both even signed the art that @deathclassic made and adored it, with Noel loving emo Mickey and knowing more about fanfiction, and Cam just a very confused guy about the fact its an AU. Kinda hope they dont find the fic. Both were such the sweetest boys, and were they worth the whole headache of NYCC??? easily yes. They knew my name by the end.

Two of my personal heros on the trip were @mybrainismelted and @runawaybrainsc, spending as much time with me as possible during the trip, and to all others who popped in throughout my thursday of hell where I got scammed by a bunch of dudes. Which, somehow, is kinda odd since I've known how to avoid NYC scams before. And then of course running into other gallavich friends along the way. Everyone was so sweet and kind, especially almost everyone that was in line for Noel. Everyone is so sweet. And ending the day eating pizza and gallavich chatting was perfect, and I cant wait to do it again. I love my con moms.

But of course, the best was the last day. Spending the day with @deathclassic. Seeing one of my very good friends IRL was such a wonderful experience and having fun at the biggest mall on the east coast was such a great experience. You haven't lived until you IRL snail race.

But of course, NYC brought the worst issues, which means early 2025 is gonna be full of surgery. Fantastic. Now lets just hope this flu goes away...

Really hope I get to do some gallavich adventures again this year..

#comet rambles

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ultra-deepestbouquet · 2 months ago

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4/8/2025

I am going to do my best to try and make sense of what I am feeling...

Joel has helped me so much with my mental health and eating and I am very grateful for that. I am very glad I decided to start birth control and meds- I feel better overall. In the past 5 years I know I have made progress but I still have so much learning and growing to do about myself.

Ive always been envious of almost everyone around me because everyone else is so great. They have qualities or minds or behaviors or drive or motivations or ambition or smarts or passion or understanding- I dont feel jealous or threatened just why cant I be a different person? Why cant I do better or be better?

I can- but I am feeling held back- just like chat said. Its low doubt or self esteem- I have learned to slowly break away from being victim or this is just the way it is- I know I can change- I know I am capable. Do I really believe this though? Sure but on a very small scale.

I dont know why I dont believe in myself or think nice things about myself- its years and years of me beating myself up-

But ive done things I thought in school when I was younger that I thought I couldnt do - cheer, SAT's, getting into 2 colleges, then working in my dream job styling- then getting crushed- then taking a shit job at the bottom to rise up- then making a whole career change and doing well all while trying to figure out my ED, now hormone changes, and navigating my first real relationship where I want to be more of an adult.

But there is still healing I need to do... I am still holding on to trauma from never feeling good enough. So my bottom line is yes I have work to do- I need to not have so man outburts and try and calm and think before speaking.

I need joel to give me more affirmations, more love, more praise, helping me to see the silver lining.

What does he want from me?

I am scared because I dont feel understood- I dont feel like he truly understands what I go through every day. That he just wont understand. Then that the self doubt creeps in that I am not good enough and if he doesnt understand me then why I am here- If he cant give me what I need - what are we doing? If I cant be what he wants me to be- what are you we doing?

I am hurt and sad

I just want someone to love me knowing that I am working on getting better- I want to change- I might need a higher dose of meds-

How do we measure my self esteem getting better?

what else do I need to do for him to be with me?

The right thing to do is move forward and work on myself and go on this trip and be happy. I know why deep down I dont want to go on trip- cuz certain people being so happy will make me feel more insecure. Here we go- cuz I suck, this and that. It just comes so naturally.

I kinda feel like its hard for me to do the most basic things- but I know it will reap rewards- getting up earlier- exercise- I know I need to go more to help- I know it will help. But getting ready each day or actually going to my events- schedule, organization, time. All things I struggle with. I set small goals last quarter and did it - im still struggling.

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gildedvisions · 5 months ago

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01/15/2025 12:13 am

After a good cry I have spent some time looking at some job options outside of the art world. There are a few options, however I cant get my hopes up because of the horrible job search experience I recently had.

I am learning a lot in my current position but Dad made me realize that life is too short and I need to move on soon if I am this unhappy. I need to leave and go to NYC or London. Maybe India. Not sure how I can swing London, I have explored every avenue but they make it so difficult for Americans. Makes me feel a bit helpless but I've learned that you never know where you are going to be a year from now.

I know that I need to start networking more but I don't know how. Its so hard to do alone. I am so thankful that I was able to speak my feelings out loud to day, I was so sick of bottling them up. I can't keep crying in the gallery anymore. It's already too lonely. On the bright side I will most definitely call my sister tomorrow. I hope I am not too busy, knock on wood.

I have never written journal entries before but I hope that by starting know I can organize myself a bit, hold myself accountable to my goals, and most importantly express my emotions and release them too the world.

Putting this out there is so unlike me but something needs to change now. London already feels so long ago. It was one of the best times of my life and I just can't believe how my life is going at the moment. Why am I punishing myself and holding myself back instead of having fun? Why do I keep saying my 30s will be better? Once again life is too short.

Why do I care so much about what others think of me? Why do I let other people walk all over me? Why can't I build something that I want for myself? Why do I think that's impossible sometimes?

What would my mom do? She wouldn't hold herself back like I am doing. Why do I care too much? I really need to face life head-on. Maybe some new friends can inspire some of that within me. I need to start enjoying my life again.

I think I feel a bit better. I will try practice more mindfulness in the future. I don't intend to read these over. Maybe when things have changed for the better I'll look back at this. In the meantime, I need to keep brainstorming and making connections.

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avorbl · 5 months ago

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Avor's Watchlist for weeks 52 2024, 1 + 2 2025

I originally planned to make one of these as part of my year end post but then I forgot. But at least this gives me the opportunity to make one of these at the end of even numbered weeks from now on.

Currently Airing

Fourever You 16/17 I cannot believe its still going. Trying to fix too much content of one kind with appending exclusively content of another kind.

Your Sky 9/12 It feels like a good 8 episode series. To which they tacked on a shorter second season. Its cute fluffy and uplifting.

The Heart Killers 7/12 The steam has run out for me.

Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring 16/21

Twosome Boys 3/6 It feels rushed and expects the viewer to acept alot of backstory. The camerawork reminds of Breeze of Love which which makes it more difficult to enjoy.

Sangmin Dinneaw 3/8 It promises to be a high-quality romp. Very entertaining.

Guardians of the Dafeng 22/40 My current distraction. Well made goofy transmigration story. That employs the typical OP status as propaganda for the modern state.

Red Blue 2/10 Looks like it wants to say something about journey and destination while featuring wrestling idols.

The Boy Next World 2/10 The intro is so beautiful, sadly the rest of the episodes feels bland in comparison.

Ossan's Love Thailand 1/12 I am waiting for the second episode but the first one was basically what I expected. The established pairing of Earth and Mix runs counter to the love triangle thats the basis for Ossan’s Love for me. I also missed the ‚real-world’ backdrop that balanced the over the top main action in the japanese version.

Call Me by No-Name 1/8 Not really sure how I like the story yet. But the colours and other visual storytelling is strong and intriguing.

When It rains, it pours 1/7 The first episode felt so deliberately bland that I am interested to see how it’s going to develop.

I will Turn Back This Time 1/6 I am looking forward how this is going to resolve. The first episode felt a bit superficial like they had all these plot points to cover for setup and not enough time.

What I am catching up on

Unstoppable High Kick 30/167

Word of Honor 25/36

Playboyy 8/14

Kiss Me with Unspoken Love 1/69

What I definetly want to finish this year ;)

Qing Qing Zi Jin 20/40

The Uncanny Counter 3/16

Nation‘s Brother 0/?

One Spring Night 2/32

Kore wa Keihi de Ochimasen! 2/10

Sell Your Haunted House 5/16

Given 1/6

The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim 2/12

You are my sunshine 0/?

I Feel You Linger in the Air 1/12

My Lovely Liar 5/16

She and Her Perfect Husband 20/40

Fermat no Ryori 3/10

Fight for My Way 10/16

Kiss x Kiss x Kiss: Love ii Shower 1/

Tengu no Daidokoro Season 2 2/10

Stealing from My CEO 16/61

Secret Love 12/81

Finished in the last three weeks

Polyethylene terephthalate 2:Even if it's just a dream that I'll forget when I wake up 24.12.24 7,5/10 It's about letting go and moving on but the abrupt intercuts without signalling make it hard to follow.

Usotoki Rhetoric 25.12.24 9/10 The period setting was luckily only a convenient backdrop for this beautifully kind exploration of the nature of lies.

Spare Me Your Mercy 25.12.24 7,5/10 While it tried and failed a romance and mystery the look at euthanasia was halfway decent especially when taking the hospital institution into account. Good at setting the mood but ultimately it fails as a work of fiction by preferring the public discussion aspect over stringent storytelling.

Buddy Boy 26.12.24 8/10 Not a BL. But clearly in the tradition of queer coming of age films. Beautifully shot. Depicting the hopelessness and powerlessness of youth but missing character development for a truly satisfying experience.

Light of my Lion 29.12.24 9/10 A good family drama that captured the social dynamics well but could improve in the action parts.

Taming the Bad Boy 29.12.24 7/10 A weird arc leading to a light ending and a unsatisfying after credits scene. Cant pick between Queer cinema, BL, and Korean daily.

Graduation, Parting with You... 30.12.24 8/10 Very much old japanese BL . A classic misunderstanding narrative with highschool first love.

Bokura no Sonzai wo Kike/Hear Our Presence 01.01.25 7,5/10 Exploring the difference between improving skills and fitting in to advance. As well as the outside and the inside view on person and how we need to be confident in our inside view to endure what others think of us. Also the validation and support we need to thrive.

Bad to Bed 04.01.25 7,5/10 An exploration of a queer life

Love in the Air JP Special episodes 04.01.25 8/10 Despite the first episode setup being weak for the time it took it laid the ground work for an hilarious second episode with its absurd vibe.

I'm Your Pet 05.01.25 8,5/10 Good execution of a healing plot. Decent camerawork The only thing that was especially noticeable here was the format specific repetitions this could have easily worked as a film.

Our Youth 07.01.25 9,5/10 Visually stunning. The contrast between the cold blue shadow loneliness and the hot spotlight full of friction loneliness. the fear to burn someone and the feeling of being frozen. Narrative was too weak in comparison. Since alot of time was expended on Minase's letter the series missed to give equivalent time and weight to the companionship and abandonment that the letter prologues evokes. While not wholly perfect true contender for best use of visual language.

Fragrance you inherit 07.01.25 8,5/10 A very kind and considerate series and if I did not have such a strong reaction to the telephone scene I would have rated it higher.

See Your Love 08.01.25 8,5/10 A positive and affirming story with a strong romance but a weak adversity resolution for Zixiang that let the final episode fall flat. A Taiwanese BL in the sense that pair chemistry is the main draw but the overall story falls behind. 13. 08.01.25

Stealing my brother's fiancé 09.01.25 7/10 A pulp. Something to watch for a distraction nothing more. Quick succession of telenovela style dramatic turns and their resolution.

Caged Again 10.01.25 7,5/10 With penultimate episode disaster and move towards wish fulfillment the ending felt more fantastical than the premise of the series. The ending scene with them supposedly sitting in the arctic in autumn clothes while it was freezing outside here did contribute to my dissatisfaction with the finale.

Dropped in the last three weeks

The Princess Royal 28/40 27.12.24 7/10 It's not clear why they needed the reincarnation if their actions dont reflect the supposed experience. As with a lot of cdramas I lost my patience and dont feel I have the time to invest.

#avor watches #watchlist #aer float

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rosyd-mei · 5 months ago

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maybe its because its the new year but im feeling awfully anxious

i look back on my lack of accomplishments in 2024 and i genuinely hate how i simply lost the last six months of my life to grief. i don't remember much in recent history other than frustration, feeling trapped, and a distinct sense of disappointment with myself for failing to accomplish anything of note in my professional life and regressing in my social life

in the past six months alone i was dumped by a partner id known for nearly six years, ended a close friendship with someone who suddenly started verbally harrassing me, moved apartments, worked 6-7 days a week with a 1hr commute both ways at a job that eventually laid me off, found out my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, was told of potential divorce by my mother...

i haven't found another full time job yet, despite having had searched actively for something that would pay me a liveable wage for the better part of three months. so there's that too, i guess

i started working out again but entirely for the wrong reasons. i cant look at myself in the mirror without feeling like taking a knife to my body and scraping all of my flesh off

i didnt read as many books as i wanted to

my issues with eating got so much worse. if i dont pay attention i under eat. if i pay attention i feel disgusting for eating more than 1k calories a day

to be honest things were already pretty difficult to begin with in 2024; it was my friendships and relationship that made things bearable. after i got dumped, the future i had believed in and worked towards was taken away from me, and in hindsight i guess i totally fucking lost it from that point onwards. because now whats the point of all this suffering and stress if its not even going to get me towards something i want in the end

to this day when i interact with content of happy couples- written works, pictures, drawings, anything- it ruins my mood. even ship content of characters in media i enjoy makes me feel unhappy and as a kid who grew up in 2010s fandom culture that really, really fucking sucks

i don't know. thinking of houses, a cupboard for mugs, shared holidays and marriage makes me irrationally upset. i cant look at the colors pink and green together anymore, either

i now have commitment and trust issues to top it all off. and lets not even get into my complicated relationship with physical intimacy, good grief

beyond all that, i am resentful. i can't believe they would do something like that to me. i knew deep down that they'd never once prioritize our relationship over their family but like a fool i chose to believe in them anyway. look where that got me

but beneath that still, i understand. and i hate that part of myself the most, the part that cannot trust them any longer and yet loves them still. a scorned lover, sure, but one who loves nonetheless. the days i dont think of them at all are slowly becoming more and more frequent. all five of my senses still remember them. i don't know how to feel about that. what was that saying about love and grief? maybe ill stop loving once i stop grieving

ive considered dating apps, becoming a discord kitten for real, anything to fill the gap. but these ideas never make it past the confines of my mind because any sort of vulnerability on an intimate level makes me feel like dying on the best of days, so buying cute clothes it is

but, hey. i always had my nails done this year and saved up a little bit of money

i hope i survive 2025

#rose reverie

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goobie-goo · 14 days ago

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🫡🫡🫡 ok SO

(excuse my whilst i exposition dump for a second)

basically tawog (the amazing world of gumball) is a show about this middle schooler named gumball and his adopted brother darwin (who used to be his pet fish but then he grew legs. long story) (if you’ve ever heard that song “im on my waaaaayyy”, thats darwin singing it). it was my absolute favorite show when i was younger and i recently fell head over heels in love with it AGAIN because they announced a new season coming out THIS YEAR!!!!!!! THIS VERY YEAR!!!!!! THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2025!!!!!!!!!! you cannot conceptualize how big this is for me

like i heard talk of a movie YEARS ago (like 2021-22 ish) and then nothing came of it and NOW. we have a TRAILER and a CONFIRMED release year???????? ive never been so happy (hopefully the movie is still a thjng but i’ll take literally ANYTHING atp)

part of the reason im so excited is cause the show left off on the BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE (for a kids show). like, ok

so basically the VAST majority of the show is episodic. like, not throwaway, cause stuff will get brought up again and important character beats and plot stuff will stay relevant in future episodes (eg if a character has a big physical or relationship change, its gonna stay consistent), but for the most part its very much just gumball and darwin’s various misadventures around the town of elmore. towards the end of the show a bunch of plot stuff starts happening but eugshsghs. however, in season 3 episode 12, we’re introduced to a place called the void. i BELIEVE this is the first like overarching story thing that gets introduced, besides like character growth and such. the void is basically limbo/purgatory and its tv static as far as the eye can see. we’re also introduced to some concepts which are very important to the plot as a whole, that being

1. everyone in elmore has a role to fulfill (the jock, the sidekick, the rich kid, the hippie, etc). this wasn’t new knowledge, but its kind of spelled out, which is important (TECHNICALLY this is only brought up in a later episode, but its important for this one so im putting it here)

2. if you’re not fulfilling a role/you’re too boring, the universe considers you a mistake and you will be forgotten. which is VERY bad. (however, the universe also just voids stuff that’s useless or just better off being forgotten, which is quite funny cause some of the stuff in the void is just. socks and sandals. blimps. toxic hairspray from the 80s. really stupid shit lmao)

basically the universe forgets its mistakes by putting them in the void and wiping everyone’s memory of them ever existing (i think the memory thing only really goes for people tho, cause the characters are familiar with a lot of the objects in there). we only go to the void a couple of times (like twice i think, minus flashbacks), and when we do its rather important story wise.

HOWEVER.

at the VERY end of season 6, like the LAST episode of the series (not for long tho AHHAHAH) we are left on the BIGGEST GODDAMN CLIFFHANGER of EVER. the main antagonist, rob (who ill expand on in a bit), has been disguised the whole episode as this random ass superintendent who’s been trying to get gumball’s school to be less cartoony and more “normal”. basically, making all the cartoon characters (so. everyond.) human and getting rid of the quirks that come with their animated forms (ie the kid made out of clay can shapeshift, but obviously as a human he cant anymore).

at the end of the episode rob’s revealed as the guy behind it in a very scooby doo fashion, and he surrenders in order to explain why he did everything. and. xi im grabbing you by the shoulders and looking into your eyes. before he can explain why what he was doing was for the greater good, one of the students (a literal t rex) beats the shit out of him and knocks him out. and when he wakes up hours later he’s pissed and starts saying that he was trying to stop everyone from “going to the other place before this world-“ and. and before he can finish his sentence the world around him starts breaking apart and the void starts consuming it. rob looks dead in the camera and says “it’s started” before the void DESTROYS THE GROUND HE’S STANDING ON and he falls screaming into it

IM THROWING UP i havent even gotten to actually talking about the character and im already GRRRRAGHSJDHSJAKBAJAKNAHAKAKJ

like this is the CRAZIEST THING to pull at the VERY END of a series cause it comes out of (almost) NOWHERE. i mean this in the best way possible btw, cause it’s incredibly captivating and i absolutely love it but WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE ME WITH THIS ABSOLUTELY WILD PLOT (twist? reveal? idk) THING FOR 7 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 long, long years. im tired, xi. sits on a bench and looks wistfully into the distance

ok so. rob. rob rob rob rob rob rob rob.

he’s the main antagonist of the series NOT BY HIS OWN CHOICE!! you see, my dear friend. grabs you by the shoulder ljke im walking you through my art gallery

for the first 2 seasons, rob was a background character with no speaking lines that occasionally showed up in gumball and darwin’s school. before season 3 he had absolutely jack shit going for him. like there’s NOTHING. there’s a bit about gumball and darwin calling him the wrong name/not knowing his name (which is very ironic now that i think about it) and thats IT

however. in season 3 episode 12 when gumball, darwin, and their teacher go to the void to save one of their friends and their teacher’s car (long story), we can actually see rob in the background of one shot. this is important.

at the time, you probably wouldnt have even noticed him and he wasnt at all relevant to the episode, but a little bit later in episode 36 we actually meet rob again (he’s been hiding in their basement because he literally has nowhere else to go) and he looks DIFFERENT. like, i would get images but it’ll fuck up the formatting so ill just describe him. prior to season 3 and in the void, rob is pretty lanky and his features are rounded. his hair is kind of realistic looking (not weird tho). when we see him again in s3e36, he basically looks like he wasnt rendered properly. his torso and head/hair are super jagged and the shapes are simple, and tv static covers the vast majority of his body. he looks VERY different, basically

as the episode goes on, we find out that rob cant remember ANYTHING prior to when he got out from the void, or even how he got out. gumball darwin are determined to help him find his place in the world, since rob doesnt know who he is. so after a while of going through archetypes that might fit him, they realize that every role in the town has been taken already - except the antagonist. its around then that rob remembers everything that happened in the void, including how he escaped, which he did by clinging onto the side of gumball and darwin’s teacher’s car as they rocketed out of the void (also a long story). rob gets pissed cause from his perspective, he tried to get gumball and darwin’s attention to help him escape, but they ignored him in favor of their other friend. with this anger, and his newfound role of antagonist, rob swears to destroy everything and everyone gumball loves

ok. exposition over FINALLY. i think

now, i like rob. like, REALLY like him. he’s spinning around in the microwave of my brain like there’s no tomorrow.

because he is actually INSANE as a villain, as a CHARACTER, in a kid’s tv show. like, forgotten by everyone with NO ONE out there who would miss him (like. canonically he has no family or friends), and he has to claw his way out of purgatory, getting horribly disfigured in the process, and is forced to accept the role of villain he never wanted in the first place. in the season 4 finale he reveals that he didnt want to be the villain, he wanted to be the “loveable sidekick”. like, in the moment it’s sort of a joke, but once you think about it HES SO GUT WRENCHING. discarded by the universe when all he wants is to be beloved and appreciated. can you hear me out there xi im banging on the windows

his only active relationship in the show is his being gumball’s nemesis, and if people didnt hate him before the last few episodes they definitely will now. cause my baby boy may or mag not have committed some felonies. like kidnapping a kid’s mom cause she can tell the future. and changing everyone in gumball’s school to be human against their will. but like, whose blorbo HASN’T committed a few atrocities in their time

i had so much i was gonna say when i sent that ask and now its all left my mind hang on

yeah idk right now he’s just kinda sitting there in my head looking all spiteful. i think i got too excited infodumping about the show and now i can’t articulate any thoughts about the character. oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

when i say tawog was my favorite show as a kid i mean like it was ALL i wanted to watch. we had cable and when i was home i checked cartoon network OBSESSIVELY to see if they were showing tawog. and if they were then hoo boy i was PLANTED for the next hour or so

. anyways i need to watch the last 15 or so episodes of season 6 again cause its been FOREVER since i’ve seen them but THEY’RE NOT ON HULU OR THE PIRACY WEBSITE I STARTED USING WHEN I SAW THEY WEREN’T ON HULU. GRRRRRRRR

i need to look at other piracy sites or play around with this one cause apple tv can suck my dick and kiss my ass if they think im paying $3 an episode for 15 EPISODES. die. cartoon network had an app but i think its been shut down. I HATE MEGA CORPORATIONS DIE DIE DIE GRAAGAHAGAHAHAGG

that’s the end of my rant i think. wowie it feels nice to talk about ur interests i should do this more often

looks at uoy with my big beautiful brown eyes. do yoy want to hear about the side piece

tell me about your side piece [proud]

#this took. oh gosh.#2 ish hours to write? maybe? time is slipping #i like this show can you tell #i ABSOLUTELY recommend it btw #its SO funny and the characters are SO charming and its AGH #but i also recognize that recommending shows and movies and stuff #especially long ones #is very daunting. so its ok if u dont end up watching it #just know im CRAZY ABOUT IT #the plot is very very cool and theres a bunch of little hints and bits and stuff (like characters referencing being in a tv (on accident.)#afaik no one’s FULLY aware they’re like in a tv show. but i think some of them are close)#but as good as the plot is i honestly dont recommend getting into the show with the intention of ONLY being there for the ploy #*plot #cause imma be honest. the vast majority of the show is not about the plot and you will be waiting a LONG time between plot episodes #and when there is plot. most of the time its snippets #but the show is so funny and its honestly addictive #ive spent the past several days just binging it #anyways its 1 in the morning and i actually have to go somewhere tomororw so i will need to leave off at this #i hope u enjoyed my rambling xi xikyuu. blushes #lmk if anything is confusing or if there’s something that doesn’t make sense because i will GLADLY explain better #i wrote this is an obsession fueled haze and im realizing how tired i am so some stuff may be a tad.#nonsensical #i also have tawog like memorized at this point so there’s also the problem of me not realizing stuff needs explaining yk #anyways. good night pookie #mwah /platonic

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chuckbeckii · 2 years ago

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‘what’

What was it… i cant remember now.

Are waves the revolution?

Let the cobwebs grow.

Let all things decay exponentially.

Until…

My dad or my dog dropped the Dad’s hat crumpled on the floor by his door.

Fastforward to 2025 and its the first year of the United States of 300,000 corpses

The ulti-ate human hubris

Its already the land of 4 trillion dead bodies recylced and smashed together for ages, pools of water merged with one another, droplets or waves on a spinning wheel for eternity, for all we know.

Theres no certainty that death is the end as much as we would like to believe it so.

i just want to know if central intelligence created the interweb, thats all!

whats the frame of reference for ... anything in the age of everything?

And what was it again?

Was it my grandma and my aunt emma hugging?

They love each other… was it the extra money?

The extra money that made it fine to grind dads weed up with mine hahahahahhahahahahahahah call it lemon skittles bitch.

The day i realized i had confidence…

Did he know this would happen?

metaphysically.

Maybe he did and i realized i thought i had multiplied the buds,

Like the dog leash my pup sneakily tied in a knot, the cookie i crunched as hard as a rock

Its a Padres War Day fishermans hat, i spit across the ash corner

Throw it on to remember the sand people * who died for our country

“Imperialist nazis"

I look closer at the cap its a military promo from 04 or 05

Some of the darkest years earth ever saw

Did we even learn anything from vietnam?

Sure… we learned war is a profit and poor people will die for it, but that was eons ago so try to keep up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is no joke

This is all journalistic

Picked up my aunt emma from the airport today

Simple mistake made from thinking about maryjane, took the wrong highway

Saw a kid talking to another in a Black Panther shirt

My cynic self was wrong … they were both just strangers

Paranoid ol' woman in pink looking at me all weird

Maybe shes a spy from floyds family...

You know some operatives get old.

some may live on for eternity.

as for me ill be around as long as the last who remembers me

didnt know i was writing a revolutionary poem in the airport line

Let’s hear it one more time for words that tear and strain to rhyme

~chuckbeckii (2023)

#what #first #words #not a poem

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newidaho · 6 years ago

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3. FuTech Virtual Home School

Don’t have the time/patience/desire to read with your eyes? Don’t have eyes? Well, have your friend read you this: You can check out the audiobook for free on Apple, Google, Stitcher, or Spotify. Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday!

12 December 2054

This was one of the most beautiful classrooms Charlie had been in all year. The beach scene was especially nice considering it was winter in New Idaho. Of course, it never got too cold by the Jungle, but if he ever happened to visit the mountains on the edge of town, Charlie had to wear at least a couple layers. It was nice to be on a balmy beach in the middle of December.

Of course, most of the heat was in his head. Though his visual environment showed him sitting on a beach in a group of about 50 other kids, looking out at the sun reflecting off the crashing ocean waves, the actual temperature he felt was no hotter than the room he sat in. After four hours of class, however, it was easy to forget that this was a simulation—even though the sand underneath him obviously felt like carpet.

‘So, to recap. If you see a number next to a letter, what does that mean?’ Mr. Carlson stood at the front of the classroom, the dark-skinned math teacher Charlie had met earlier that fall. He had never met Mr. Carlson in person, of course, so it’s hard to gauge whether this was what he actually looked like. It was always easier, however, to just believe that nobody doctored their looks in the Virtual Environment. Charlie himself certainly hadn’t changed his avatar. Even if he had the money to spend on a decent app for that, none of the students at FuTech were allowed to alter their appearance. Technically, the same rule went for teachers. There were rumors, however, that some of the richer students were able to get around this rule. And it wasn’t hard to believe that the more popular teachers could get around it too.

‘Multiplication!’ The response was voiced with varied excitement by about 20 students. At FuTech VR HomeSchool, it was drilled into the students to be grateful for their opportunity to have an education, and especially to have an education at FuTech. After all, it was God’s Will that His children be educated, and the FuTech community was put here to train children and adults alike to carry out this Will in this next generation of Virtual Reality. What some might call “Displaced Humanity,” FuTech called “Empowered Humanity”. These new worlds, went the idea, were put here by the Lord Himself. The Devil was in these worlds too, of course, but FuTech vehemently denied that Satan had any but the smallest influence in any of their students or simulations (for they oughtn’t deny original sin). They prided themselves on their acknowledgement of God’s gifts. That’s why all the freshmen were trained to respond with vitality to all their lessons, even though many were quite tired after four hours of classes.

‘Great. That will do for today.’ Mr. Carlson started to put his belongings in order. Charlie always thought it was funny when Mr. Carlson cleaned up—he could easily

program his papers to organize themselves. Of course, part of the responsibility of Empowered Humanity was that they mustn’t forget the history of humans on Earth—Jesus had left them to act without such technological shortcuts for at least 2025 years, after all. Mr. Carlson put his papers into his briefcase and continued, ‘Why don’t we stand for prayer.’

With a smile, Mr. Carlson motioned for everyone to stand up. A breeze blew the palm trees around them, lending ambiance to the situation even if Charlie couldn’t feel it. He noticed, however, that a couple of the students around him shivered. This implied a couple possibilities. First, they were likely in a sensory chamber, whether rented or owned. Second, they had the money to rent or own a sensory chamber. Charlie knew jealousy was a sin, but he couldn’t help but wish he could have felt even more present on this beach.

‘In the name of the Father and the Son we join hands in the Other World.’ The students moved into a circle and joined hands. It wasn’t quite like holding hands in real life, but Charlie at least felt a pressure somewhat resembling a human hand due to his Lucid Gauntlets. His were a couple generations behind, but at least it didn’t feel like he was holding onto nothing.

‘Heavenly father,’ Carlson started, ‘We gather here today, blessed as ever, under your watchful eye. We thank you for this entrance into a whole new world, and we thank you for watching over us not only in this world that we share together today, but in the world that we all return to when we remove our Masks. We pray that we may stay ever grateful for this new opportunity for education, and as always, for these new tools that you have inspired humans to create. We thank you for the community these tools inspire and for the sense of belonging and kinship they allow us to feel toward each other and You. We ask that you may further guide us in our pursuit of knowledge and that we may continue to learn and prosper with these new technologies. We ask this in your name, and in the name of the Virtual Savior to come, Amen.’

‘Amen!’

‘We will have 15 minutes until the lobby closes. If you wish, please stay around and speak about what you learned today. I will be here if any of you have questions about the final.’

About a quarter of the students walked into the palm trees, out of sight. Another quarter dove into the waves. This representation of logging out provided a more realistic visual than the flash of light that might have been imagined by science fiction writers in the early century. The remaining half of the students either went to talk with Mr. Carlson in a small group or stayed behind to talk with each other.

Charlie already knew how he wanted to spend his Extra Time. As soon as the prayer circle finished, he had smiled and waved at a beautiful dark-skinned classmate across the circle, effectively welcoming her to talk with him when the day had finished. Charlie, at 13, was admittedly awkward around girls, but something about the simulation gave him some extra confidence.

‘Hey Gamma,’ said Charlie when they finally met.

‘Hi Charlie. How was your day?’

‘Oh, you know. It’s school. It’s not always fun, but the Lord provided this beautiful beach for us to learn on. And we get to use what we learn to do the Lord’s work. So it’s good.’

‘You sound like Mr. Carlson.’

‘Well, good! Mr. Carlson is very smart!’

Gamma smiled.

‘So what are you going to do the rest of the day?’ Charlie asked her.

‘My dad wants me to help him outside. It’s starting to snow, and he wants to put little sweaters on some of our trees.’

‘That’s cute.’

‘It’s a little silly—like, why have trees if they can’t grow on their own? Isn’t that something trees are supposed to do? But my dad tells me that even though God makes the weather we need, we still can’t assume it will be good for our trees. He says that he wouldn’t put me out in the winter without a sweater, and the tree is like another kid, in a way.’

‘It’s really that cold where you’re at?’

‘Oh, you know, it’s not that cold. But we get a little bit of snow around this time of year. Especially over on the other side of the valley. But it only really happens at night. During the day it hardly ever goes below 50 degrees.’

‘It’s not cold at all where I live.’

‘Oh, where do you live?’

‘&^%#))@$!.’ Charlie could feel his lips move, but what he heard was a symphony of computerized beeps and blips. It was one of the failsafe measures of the FTVRHS—you couldn’t swear and you couldn’t give away any personal information.

Gamma laughed. ‘Oh yeah? Sounds like a pretty tough place to grow up!’

Charlie laughed with her, but he had a feeling she could guess where he lived. Just as it was obvious to him that she lived on the edge of town. It made sense. Gamma was beautiful in that way that he had noticed rich girls generally were. And if she had indeed guessed he lived in South Jungle, he doubted he would ever have a chance. But maybe, if it was God’s Will….

‘Oh!’ Gamma said, ‘We’re getting the five minute warning! I think I’ll probably head out anyway. My dad is waiting for me on the other side. But it was nice talking to you, Charlie! Maybe we can hang out sometime if we ever get play-date permission!’ Gamma squeezed Charlie’s hand goodbye, then ran into the waves and dove into the ocean.

Charlie accessed his own in-simulation menu by holding his arms out straight in front if him with his palms together, turning them ninety degrees, and spreading his arms apart vertically. He placed his hand at the bottom of the menu, waving it over ‘Exit’.

Charlie’s screen went black and he removed his Lucid Mask. His room was a much less attractive backdrop than the beach, that was for sure. For one, he only had one small window—not much natural light. He had a small bookshelf in the northeast corner of his room and a desk in the northwest corner. His bed was leaned vertically against the wall, a measure he needed to take whenever he went into the Virtual Classroom. Otherwise there just wasn’t enough room to walk around. He slowly lowered his bed to the floor, lay on it, and looked at the ceiling, ready to contemplate the world.

Charlie had just barely begun his meditations when his mother simultaneously knocked and entered his room. Charlie’s mother was still rather young, but she looked older than her age. Though she had never been much for exercise, she certainly hadn’t treated her body well since Charlie’s birth, and at thirty, she was experiencing significant sagging in her gut and jowls. She had kind eyes, but a hardened demeanor, and it was obvious she hadn’t come into Charlie’s room to catch up on his day.

‘Hey mom.’

‘Hi Charlie. How was school.’

‘It was good.’ Charlie paused, planning to elaborate, but his mother continued before he could.

‘That’s good. Hey, take five minutes or so, but then I need you to play some Mineshaft before dinner.’

Charlie liked video games, but after four hours in Virtual Reality, his eyes were rather tired. Plus, even the most enjoyable activities feel less fun when they are forced upon you.

‘Hey!’ Charlie’s mom said. His face must have given him away. ‘How do you think we can afford a Mask for you in the first place? How do you think we pay rent in here so you have a roof over your head? And all I’m asking is an hour of your time, to play a video game. Do you realize how lucky you have it? This was not a thing when your grandfather was growing up, I’ll tell you that. You couldn’t get paid to play video games for an hour. But now that hour will buy us two nights of dinner. So be grateful. Okay?’

‘Okay,’ Charlie said. ‘I am grateful, mom. I’ll see you in an hour.’

‘Okay,’ his mother said and walked out of the room. Charlie took a breath, tilted his bed back again the wall, and put his mask back on. In his home menu, located in a room Charlie had set to a Japanese Dojo, Charlie waved his hand over the green cube with a big dollar sign over it. The cube opened up, and three objects floated out. He waved his hand over the one shaped like a pick-axe.

The Dojo disappeared, and Charlie was in a dark mineshaft. About 200 feet ahead of him was a wall made purely of Gold. So that was what he would be handling for the next hour, he thought. A girl greeted him with a small cup of ore. He took the cup from her and passed it on to the girl behind him. He then received an empty cup from another boy behind him and passed it to the girl in front of him, who passed it up to the wall, where about 50 other individuals mined with pick axes. This is what he would be doing for the next hour. It wasn’t the most enthralling video game in the world, but at least he got paid for it.

Five people away, Charlie saw another boy remove a small sword from his back and decapitate a rat half his size as it pounced toward him. Charlie shuddered. There was something real about that aspect of the game. He hoped he wouldn’t have to kill any rats today. He took another cup from the girl in front of him and thought about Gamma, out in the sun, wisps of snow around her, putting knitted sweaters around young trees.

#New Idaho #Ben Vizy #New Novel #Writing #WRiting Community #Novelist #Novel Writing #2054 #Augmented Reality #Futurism #Virtual Reality #Virtual Classroom #Private School #Religious School

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junker-town · 8 years ago

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2021 NBA player rankings, Nos. 10-1: Why Anthony Davis will be the best player in 4 years

It was a difficult choice and not a unanimous one, but Anthony Davis edged out several others to top our list.

We’ve finally reached the end of our countdown of the 101 best NBA players in 2021. Unlike the last time we did this exercise, the choice for No. 1 was not a simple one. If you asked each of us individually, we’d have 10 different top fives. But because this was a draft and not a consensus list, we ended up with 28-year-old Anthony Davis and a ton of internal arguments along the way.

Also in this final segment of the list: an unexpected selection at No. 4 that threw the entire draft out of whack. Plus, you’ll be curious to know where the current King of the league went.

10. Russell Westbrook

Age in 2021: 32 (13 seasons)

CHRIS GREENBERG: By 2021, Russ will have accrued four more years’ worth of motivating slights involving everyone anywhere close to him on this list. Given the likeliest relative states of the Thunder, Warriors, Lakers, Spurs, and LeBron over that span, he’ll probably still be chasing that ring wherever he is calling home.

This guy is going to be mad. Going hard. At everyone. Every night. Box scores, stacked. Opponents, racked. Even worse for everyone else, he might still be the most sweltering, stubborn force on the court.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: He’ll be 32, and athletic guards usually age poorly. But Dwyane Wade held it together for a couple more years, and you can certainly see Westbrook’s indestructible body surviving four more seasons.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Unless Westbrook becomes an incredible three-point shooter, I can’t see a 32-year-old guard who relied mostly on athleticism still being an MVP-caliber player.

JOSHUA BROOM, WELCOME TO LOUD CITY: Given the reigning MVP's sheer reliance on athleticism, his still ranking in the top ten while almost 33 years old is quite the compliment. I'd place Russ between No. 17-25, personally.

It will be interesting to see how 6'3 Westbrook's floor game adjusts when his spring is past its prime.

KOFIE YEBOAH: I’d be fine with this pick up to the year 2019. Any time frame longer than that, I have trouble believing.

RICKY O’DONNELL: I truly do not want to imagine a world with old Westbrook.

ZITO MADU: [Westbrook voice] Why not?

More reading material

9. Joel Embiid

Age in 2021: 27 (7 seasons, technically)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: I gave myself a rule: I wasn’t going to pick anyone over age 30 in this draft. Joel Embiid is a franchise-altering talent who hasn’t stayed healthy. I made this pick under the assumption he’s on the court more often than not in 2021.

Embiid checks all the boxes a team could want in a big man. He blocks shots, shoots threes, is a terror on the low and high blocks, dances shirtless at a Meek Mill concert, cursed out LaVar Ball, and wants to date Rihanna. If he gets over the injury bug, there’s no doubt he’s one of the league’s top talents in four years.

Everyone else’s reactions

TIM CATO: This is the Andrew Bynum predicament that we had in 2013, although we’re much more hopeful about Embiid, of course. Either he’s a top-10 player because he stays relatively healthy, or he’s out of the top 100 altogether if he cant. (Bynum ended up getting picked No. 82 four years ago.)

TOM ZILLER: Glad someone else took the plunge so it didn’t have to be me.

RICKY O’DONNELL: I almost took Embiid at No. 3. I would have considered him at No. 1, too. His impact defensively was incredible as a rookie. And he’s only been playing the game for, like, five years! Please keep this man healthy.

KYLE NEUBECK, LIBERTY BALLERS: If we're going to assume his body doesn't fall apart—and you need to if you're placing him this high at all—I would lean toward him being a top-five player. He was one of the best players in the league when he played last year, and that's with no previous NBA experience and debilitating injuries keeping him off the court for the prior two seasons.

Ranking him is super tough. I just believe you either have to go all-in or just sort of write him off.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: I don’t trust his knees :(

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: But do you trust the process?

KOFIE YEBOAH: I am Kofie Yeboah and I do trust the process.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Joel Embiid can have my legs if he ever needs them. Good pick.

ZITO MADU: Sports has taught me that in the face of all evidence and sad reality, people will always have hope. I applaud this pick as a sign of human optimism.

More reading material

8. Kyrie Irving

Age in 2021: 29 (10 seasons)

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Kyrie Irving wanted to leave LeBron James, his championship ring, and three straight Finals appearances to go be “the man” elsewhere. That elsewhere is now in Boston with Brad Stevens working his magic.

Assuming that Kyrie buys into what Stevens is selling, he better be in the top 10 of NBA players. This will be the peak Kyrie Irving at age 29, and he should be the best point guard in the league. Right, Kyrie?

Everyone else’s reactions

JEFF CLARK, CELTICS BLOG: Kyrie has always had top 10 talent, but this ranking foretells a perfect blend of dedication (by Kyrie), coaching (by Brad Stevens), and environment (roster built by Danny Ainge) to maximize his skills.

MIKE PRADA: Fascinating to see how this develops.

I was of the opinion that No. 8 in four years — and the best point guard in the NBA to boot — would be an absolute best-case scenario for Irving. I figured he’d get sent to a team that wouldn’t be ready to compete around him, dooming him to NBA irrelevancy.

But now he’s in Boston, with a good team that has terrific complementary pieces, young’ins to extend the window (or cash in for another star), and a coach that runs a fun system that gets the most out of stars.

The question is whether Irving willing to fully buy in to Brad Stevens’ style of play. I’m a little skeptical, but if he can, this might not be too nuts a ranking after all.

RICKY O’DONNELL: I just don’t see how Kyrie becomes a better player than Steph over the next four seasons.

CHRIS GREENBERG: Kyrie doesn’t necessarily have to be better than Steph — although the age difference could take care of that over four years. He just has to beat him. Curry was switched onto Irving in the waning seconds of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Irving drained the three-point shot. The Land got a title.

Look out for Boston.

TOM ZILLER: I’m only concerned about whether Kyrie will still be a Flat Earther in four years.

More reading material

7. LeBron James

Age in 2021: 36 (18 seasons)

TIM CATO: Y’all really let LeBron James slip this far. Y’all really let perhaps the most aberrational deviation from normal human athleticism we’ve possibly ever seen, at least in this sport, slip to No. 7.

LeBron will be turning 36 in 2021, not rolling over onto his deathbed. Y’all know that last season, Bron had the most dunks of his entire career. For normal humans like you and me, we start declining athletically in the 30s, but LeBron’s getting better. Jokes on any of us who thought a supernatural athlete’s body would behave in normal, typical ways. We’re also coming off James’ best three-point shooting season of his career.

Yes, he’s going to start falling off in a few areas, but I’d be surprised if he’s not still a top-five player by the time 2021 rolls around. It just doesn’t seem feasible for James to be anything but great. Not until he’s 40 at least, damnit.

Everyone else’s reactions

TOM ZILLER: Karl Malone won a (fraudulent) MVP at age 36, and Michael Jordan won one at 35. So it’s certainly plausible that LeBron — who is way better than the former and on par with the latter as a talent — could perform at a top-five level at age 36.

The difference is that Jordan had 43,361 NBA minutes (regular season and playoff) when he won that final NBA MVP in 1998. LeBron already has 50,399 career minutes ... with four years to go until 2021.

LeBron is the only fighter you’d want in this battle, but Father Time is undefeated.

CHRIS MANNING, FEAR THE SWORD: As long as he gets some rest between now and then, age 37-38 season LeBron should still be very, very good.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: The NBA is changing the schedule already in LeBron’s favor. Fewer back-to-backs, no more four-game-in-five-night stretches. Players are taking care of their bodies better now than ever. Plus, he can easily adapt his game to whatever it needs to be.

Never doubt, Bron. Not even 36-year-old Bron.

KOFIE YEBOAH: LeBron is a terminator, but it’s hard to imagine him still being this dominant going into his 18th season of pro basketball.

MIKE PRADA: Old Bron will be fascinating. Kobe didn’t exactly exit the NBA gracefully and Bron has more miles on him than Kobe did. Could it all fall apart at once for Bron like it did one day for Kobe? It’s hard to doubt him, but it was hard to doubt Kobe at the time, too.

Either way, I don’t think he’ll be No. 7. Either Bron will still be the undisputed king of the league, or he’ll be a sad, broken-down version of his former self. Hoping for the former.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: In four years, LeBron will not be a top-five player. I’m sorry, I don’t believe it. He might not be in the NBA at all. He may end up retiring before 2021 to pursue that good ol’ acting career.

TIM CATO: What, is acting the new minor league baseball?

But I am still deadly serious about this pick. Give me Bron and his all-time historic greatness and I’ll fight any battle you send my way.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Wait, are we talking about the DJ or the player?

Doesn’t matter, LeBron is indestructible and I laugh at anyone who questions how good he will be in four years.

RICKY O’DONNELL: I look forward to taking Bronny James when we do this exercise again in 2021 for the 2025 season.

6. Kawhi Leonard

Age in 2021: 29 (10 seasons)

KOFIE YEBOAH: Kawhi is great defensively, and his offensive production has improved every year he’s been in the league. I can’t wait to see how dominant he becomes in a league where the seemingly immortal LeBron James gets older and older. Pretty soon, he’ll ... Kawhiet every doubter out there. *runs*

Everyone else’s reactions

MIKE PRADA: Hey, terrible puns are my jig.

We all missed the boat on this one. Kawhi will only be 29 in four years, smack in the middle of his prime. He gets better every year, to the point that I’ve stopped pretending I know how good he can be. I ultimately chose the dude next on this list ahead of him, but it was a tough decision. You could honestly make an argument for Kawhi being the No. 1 player in the league in four years and I wouldn’t blink.

We always overlook the Spurs, don’t we?

TIM CATO: You could honestly make an argument for Kawhi being the No. 1 player in the league right now and I wouldn’t blink. He’s gotten demonstratively better every season he’s been in the league. How’d he fall this far!?

TOM ZILLER: “We all missed the boat on this one.”

The fact that we saw “you could make an argument for him at No. 1” tells me I didn’t miss the boat on this one, being the guy with the No. 1 pick.

But this is a good selection. He should be a spot higher, at least.

TIM CATO: Hey, it was your own argument, Ziller!

BRUNO PASSOS, POUNDING THE ROCK: This is a tad low for Leonard, who's just entering his prime and has finished in the top 3 in MVP voting the last two years.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: If Giannis Antetokounmpo was off the board and I was picking, I’d have picked Kawhi second. Damn you all for forcing me to the bottom.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Coach Pop can make 40-year-old players look good. Can you imagine an extremely prime Kawhi Leonard? Wooooweeeee. He should be higher.

ZITO MADU: The Spurs will still be surrounding him with 40-year-olds and undrafted European players in the future.

CHRIS GREENBERG: Kawhi probably won’t get the respect he deserves in 2021 either.

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5. Kevin Durant

Age in 2021: 32 (14 seasons)

MIKE PRADA: KD will be 33 in four years, the same age LeBron James will be this December. That’s working out just fine for Bron, isn’t it? Why wasn’t KD more in contention for the top spot on this list? (Especially ahead of the dude coming up next ... ).

There’s a slight worry that KD’s history of foot trouble will doom him, but he’s coming off one of the most dominant NBA Finals ever and can afford to rest during the regular season to stay fresh. He just finished the most efficient and least turnover-prone season of his career, and he was already damn efficient and careful with the ball. As long as he’s seven feet, he’ll get whatever shot he wants off. That won’t change in four years, not when the Warriors’ offense serves up easy looks on a silver platter.

He’d be No. 1 on my list, with Kawhi No. 2. I’m stunned both were there when it was my turn.

Everyone else’s reactions

JUSTIN MAK, GOLDEN STATE OF MIND: After 5-peating as champions, KD and Stephen Curry (13th) go down as a GOAT-tandem. Anywhere below 1 and 2 is ludicrous.

TIM CATO: It’s still unfair that Durant suddenly turned into one of the league’s best defenders in the past few years. He always had these moments, but suddenly becoming a legitimate, 82-games-a-year rim protector and versatile switcher in addition to his offense? Damn.

Durant’s going to finish as a top ... 10 player of all time? Dare I say top five? He needs to stay healthy, but I believe that’s an extremely reasonable prediction.

RICKY O’DONNELL: We are all idiots for letting KD slip this far.

TOM ZILLER: I considered Durant for No. 1 but the foot trouble and his still-slight frame made me go another direction. Part of the comparison to current LeBron that strikes me as off is that Peak LeBron was much better than Peak Durant to date. He’s also more muscular and well-rounded. The thin die first in a famine!

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: I stayed away from players who will be over 30 in 2021, and Durant falls in this category. But he’ll certainly be the best player in his age bracket in four years.

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4. Kristaps Porzingis

Age in 2021: 25 (6 seasons)

MATT ELLENTUCK: I’ve receved a lot of heat for this pick, but I never even came close to hesitating. If you don’t see how unicornly unicorny Kristaps Porzingis is by now, I give up. If you don’t understand how that talent is going to translate when he’s 26 years old, bulkier, and maybe not a Knick anymore, I’m not sure how to explain it.

He’s a 7’3 shooter who can stretch out to anywhere. He’s been forced to play power forward in a system neither he nor his teammates liked. Just wait until he’s in the right situation that lets him play center.

He’s also 22 years old right now, so in four years, he will just start to reach his prime.

(Go away, inevitable criticism.)

Everyone else’s reactions

JOE FLYNN, POSTING AND TOASTING: The greatest Knicks draft pick since Ewing officially takes his place as the greatest Knick since Ewing.

MIKE PRADA: Are you serious, Matt?

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: The Knicks won’t allow Kristaps to be this good.

MIKE PRADA: There’s that, which is a huge part of why this pick makes no sense. Even if you assume that Kristaps really is the fourth-most-talented player in the NBA in four years, what are the chances the Knicks actually nurture it correctly?

There’s also the fact that as fun as Kristaps is, his game does not measure up to several of his peers just yet. His PER was so-so last year, his true shooting percentage was around the league average, and he’s not a great playmaker or defender against smaller players yet. He will obviously improve because the Knicks put him in the absolute worst situation possible last year, but he has a bigger mountain to climb than I think a lot of folks realize. (And remember: That assumes the Knicks actually put him in a position to climb it going forward, which is a huge assumption.)

The guy Matt picked last round (Nikola Jokic, No. 14) is younger, more productive, and plays for a better team than KP. Nobody considered Jokic in the top five in this exercise, so why would Porzingis be included? I want him to be this good, but realistically he belongs in the late teens or early 20s.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I’m extremely hesitant to use advanced numbers against any player inside his first four years in the league. For a Knick, I might even extend that time frame. For someone who was a Knick in year two, and more specifically a Knick in 2017, I am going to extend that time frame some more.

This is about where Porzingis can be in 2021, and I think his ceiling is this high.

TOM ZILLER: I don’t think it’s ridiculous to think Porzingis will be really good in four years — he’s really good now! But to be better than Durant, LeBron, Kawhi, Westbrook and James Harden? That’s a big ask.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: I think Kristaps will eventually be a player the likes of which the NBA has never seen. I don’t think he gets to that point by 2021.

ZITO MADU: By 2021, Kristaps will be playing for the Lakers, so I’m fine with this.

CHRIS GREENBERG: On the bright side, Matt, I have many Knicks fans in my family who will love seeing this. Uncle Elliot, this is for you.

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3. Karl-Anthony Towns

Age in 2021: 25 (6 seasons)

RICKY O’DONNELL: Karl-Anthony Towns should have been a junior in college last season. He still averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds per game while finishing top-15 in the league in true shooting percentage, PER, and win shares. He’ll be 25 years old in 2021 and should be reaching the height of his powers.

I see Towns as a player with very few holes in his game. He can score with his back to the basket, stroke three-pointers, and clean the glass. He also has the frame to handle center responsibilities long-term if the Wolves ever let him do it. Look for him to grow as a passer as the Wolves continue to build around him.

I might have gone with Joel Embiid — who has a clear edge defensively — if you could have promised me his health. Instead, here’s hoping Tom Thibodeau doesn’t run Towns into the ground before he’s legally old enough to rent a car.

Everyone else’s reactions

ERIC GOLDMAN, CANIS HOOPUS: Third? Are Michael Jordan from Space Jam and Superman going to be in the league in 2021?

TOM ZILLER: I almost took Towns No. 1 overall. The numbers at his age and development arc are ridiculous. The Wolves should certainly be a winning team this season, too, so he can add that to his résumé. What a player.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: This is the same as saying Karl-Anthony Towns is an MVP candidate in 2021. Not so sure I’m on that bus.

MIKE PRADA: Not entirely sure what happened to his defense last year, because we were praising him on that end every year prior. Assuming that turns around, Towns absolutely can be an MVP candidate. Solid selection.

TIM CATO: You can actually rent a car before you turn 25. They just charge you more. (Trust me, I would know!) Do we think KAT can afford it?

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2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Age in 2021: 26 (8 seasons)

ZITO MADU: I knew I made the right choice when I logged into Twitter, saw Giannis asking Kobe Bryant what challenge the Lakers legend had for him, and Kobe replied with “MVP.”

MVP https://t.co/cjmWH5Mqyz

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) August 27, 2017

Not that Giannis will get it this year, but it seems inevitable at some point in his career. He improves in leaps and bounds every year, so by 2021, the NBA might have to count him as two players to make the game fair for others.

Everyone else’s reactions

KOFIE YEBOAH: It was very stupid of me to think that Giannis would fall to me at No. 6. I can’t wait until he’s the King of the League.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: I had every intention of picking Giannis until I realized I was picking No. 9. Must be nice.

TIM CATO: I would’ve taken him first — after a whole lot of hand wringing.

KYLE CARR, BREW HOOP: The rise of Giannis has been amazing, to say the least. Be has gone from man of mystery to the heir to best player of the Eastern Conference, and he still can get better. By 2021, it will require only one hand to name players better than him.

RICKY O’DONNELL: Can someone who can’t shoot really be the best player in the league in this era? I’m not doubting Giannis at all, but it will be fascinating to see how he adapts his game as he reaches his prime.

TIM CATO: Can someone address Ricky’s (totally valid) argument, please? I’m too busy watching Antetokounmpo go from the opposite three-point line to dunking in two dribbles to be bothered with him right now.

TOM ZILLER: Giannis is already almost an A+ at all important basketball skills except shooting. If he’s a C shooter, he can be right there at the top.

MIKE PRADA: There’s some logic to Ricky’s point, but Giannis is also the kind of player that can completely warp what skills actually matter in the NBA. In other words: Shooting matters for like 99 percent of NBA players, and Giannis is the 1 percent. I would have put him in contention for No. 3 with Towns and the guy who went No. 1, behind KD and Kawhi.

I’m also a little concerned that the Bucks won’t fully maximize his potential, but that might be an irrational fear.

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1. Anthony Davis

Age in 2021: 28 (9 seasons)

TOM ZILLER: This was a tough pick, truly. I considered Giannis, Towns, and Durant in addition to The Brow.

It ended up being a series of comparisons that led me here. Giannis is wonderful and a smart pick at No. 2, but Davis has done the unicorn things more consistently for longer. The same applies to Towns — he’s incredible, but has only been able to show that for two season. Davis has been unreal for four.

As for Durant, he’ll be 33 entering the 2021-22 season, whereas Davis will be just 28. It’s similar to where LeBron and Durant were entering this season in terms of age. We don’t yet know if KD will age like LeBron — in other words, we don’t have evidence that Durant will continue to add and refine skills and make his body a masterpiece. Durant has also had injury issues LeBron did not.

Of course, Davis is a walking bag of maladies. But I have faith that his body will get right and so will his team, whether that’s in New Orleans or elsewhere. The Brow is still the future of the league until someone forcibly takes that title from him.

Everyone else’s reactions

OLEH KOSEL, THE BIRD WRITES: At 28 years of age, there's a good chance this high-flying 7-footer will have mastered every facet in his prime: long range shooting, playmaking, and winning tons of games. But I admit I'd feel better about the top overall pick if someone were to finally rid the Voodoo curse ravaging New Orleans locker rooms sooner rather than later!

CHRIS GREENBERG: This is a good and true pick.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: You smart. You loyal.

TIM CATO: “I considered Giannis, Towns, Durant, and Dion Waiters,” is the sentence Ziller wanted to write.

TOM ZILLER: You know the true me.

ZITO MADU: This all depends on him being able to balance basketball and his role as a Kaiju in the new Pacific Rim, but good choice.

TIM CATO: Jokes aside, this is really just about whether the injuries catch up to Davis before his overwhelming talent fully develops, right?

He’s already this good at age 24, with an increasingly unstoppable mid-range game that’s coupled with incredible finishing around the rim. He can be better on defense, but he’s already good. He can start hitting threes consistently, but he’s slowly shooting more of those anyway.

He can stay healthy? I wish I could put that question mark in 72-point font, because it’s the only one that matters for Davis. Well, that, and getting him some decent teammates, damnit.

MIKE PRADA: I’d have placed Davis No. 4 or No. 5, which is probably a little lower than most. To me, KD and Kawhi were clear Nos. 1 and 2, with Giannis, AD, and Towns in some order thereafter.

Health is a big reason, but not the only reason.

The other reason is that Davis is much more of a play finisher than a play starter. Last year, only 34 percent of his buckets were unassisted — and that was a career high. It was also only the second season in which that mark cracked 30 percent.

Towns, by comparison, was already at 36 percent last year despite being three years younger. Kawhi and Giannis were both well over 50 percent, and KD was over 48 percent every year since 2010-11 before dropping to 38 percent on the loaded Warriors.

This is splitting hairs, of course. AD is arguably the best play finisher in the league already, which counts for something. But relative to the other real candidates for the top spot, Davis needs more help to put him in positions to succeed.

Barring improvement, that’s enough for me to drop him down ever so slightly.

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INTRO | FULL LIST | TOP 100 OF 2017 | HOW WE DID IN 2013 | SNUBS | 101-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1 | THE CASES FOR NO. 1

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