#eric westphal

[creepynostalgy]

Carol Kane in The Mafu Cage aka My Sister, My Love, Deviation aka Don't Ring The Doorbell (1978)

[radiophd]

brian chard / matt ferraro / andy poland / rob warren / eric westphal -- you don't know jack volume 4: the ride [game, 1998]

[ulkaralakbarova]

Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Hunter Conrad: Haley Bennett Richie Conrad: Austin Stowell Katherine Conrad: Elizabeth Marvel Michael Conrad: David Rasche Erwin William: Denis O’Hare Lucy: Luna Lauren Velez Alice: Zabryna Guevara Luay: Laith Nakli Aaron: Babak Tafti Bev: Nicole Kang Nurse: Myra Lucretia Taylor Dr. Santos: Maya Days Jill: Alyssa Bresnahan Nim: Olivia Perez Lillian: Kristi Kirk Dr. Reyes: Elise Santora Film Crew: Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis Editor: Joe Murphy Director of Photography: Katelin Arizmendi Assistant Location Manager: Lauren Andrade Associate Producer: Gregory Horoupian Producer: Mynette Louie Producer: Frédéric Fiore Co-Executive Producer: Katy Drake Bettner Associate Producer: Adam Kersh Background Casting Director: Olivia Crist Producer: Mollye Asher Producer: Carole Baraton Assistant Editor: Henry Butash Original Music Composer: Nathan Halpern Colorist: Sam Daley Visual Effects Supervisor: Alex Noble Foley Artist: Leslie Bloome Foley Mixer: Ryan Collison Foley Artist: Joanna Fang Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Kurihara First Assistant Director: Jake Martin Makeup Department Head: Kai Stamps Hair Department Head: Meagan Coyle Costume Design: Liene Dobrāja Production Design: Erin Magill Executive Producer: Haley Bennett Executive Producer: Joe Wright Executive Producer: Constantin Briest Executive Producer: Yohann Comte Executive Producer: Pierre Mazars Executive Producer: Eric Tavitian Executive Producer: Sam Bisbee Co-Executive Producer: David Boies III Co-Executive Producer: David Stone Co-Executive Producer: Julie Parker Benello Casting: Allison Twardziak Music Supervisor: Joe Rudge Line Producer: Javier Gonzalez Second Assistant Director: Brian Johanson Still Photographer: Anna Kooris Gaffer: Lorenzo Pace Leadman: Jake Harms Set Decoration: Frank Baran Property Master: Luke Carr Script Supervisor: Jodi Domanic Special Effects Supervisor: Pete Gerner First Assistant Camera: Vincent Weiler Second Assistant Camera: Emma Penrose Digital Imaging Technician: Jake Westphal Production Sound Mixer: Dan Bricker Boom Operator: Finn Pfeffer Additional Production Sound Mixer: Viktor Weiszhaupt Assistant Costume Designer: Celeste Montalvo Best Boy Electric: Anna Cocuzzo Key Grip: Alexander Prokos Best Boy Grip: Nick Neary Hairstylist: Kristin Nawrocki Location Manager: Lauren B. Taylor Casting Associate: Juliet Axon Production Manager: Maggie Ambrose Production Accountant: Jay Britton Production Accountant: Margret P. Dunlap Assistant Editor: Susannah Kalb ADR Recordist: Chris White Foley Editor: Nick Seaman Foley Editor: Laura Heinzinger Music Coordinator: Blake Jessee Additional Music Supervisor: Laura Katz Compositing Artist: Dulany Foster IV Set Dresser: Linnea Crabtree Art Department Assistant: Tommy Mitchell Art Department Assistant: Dan Normile Art Department Assistant: Bruno Vernaschi-Berman Art Department Assistant: Michael Allegro Script Supervisor: Abe Kemmis Costumer: Kelsey Sasportas Makeup Artist: Rosie Sklar Makeup Artist: Tracey Hussey Makeup & Hair: Lia Parks Second Second Assistant Director: Mike Moran Craft Service: Zola Zimmerman Craft Service: Mauricio Villalobos Craft Service: Joe Facey Post Production Supervisor: Javian Ashton Le Additional Music: Chris Ruggiero Thanks: Stewart Thorndike Movie Reviews: liena: I sadly missed the chance to watch Swallow on the theatre when it hit a film festival in İstanbul while I was there, but I’ve been keeping an eye on this movie since it wrapped and I talked non-stop about how much I wanted to be able to see it. Now that I finally saw it on VOD, I heard there is a possibility for it to re-run in cinemas in Turkey soon and I will certainly go see it again. This film made me sick, I hated every scene while it rolled but at the same time I fell in love with it. So well acted, extremely pretty to...

[vsthepomegranate]

The Mafu Cage (1978)

by Karen Arthur

[themusicbin]

Dirk Hamilton Band - Live At The Palms (IAC Records, 2018)

Dirk Hamilton Band – Live At The Palms (IAC Records, 2018)

Dean went to Viet Nam and he never came back/I’m still writin’ songs, I got everything but cash/Don’s now a dentist gettin’ right up inside your face/Dan got married, he’s now a dad, a dad that owns a bass/….Dean Don Dan and me, I’m Dirk (I still pretend this is work).

Ecco partiamo da qui, dalle strofe conclusive della settima traccia, Dean, Don, Dan, di questo Live At The Palms, terzo album…

[rosalemonds]

Westphal Event

For my Westphal event, I went to the opening at the Blackbox theater called “What Might This Be? The Art and Science of Rorschach Ink Blots,” by Eric Zillmer and Kanya Zillmer. I learned that these inkblots were used to analyze criminals psychologically by taking the results of what they saw in the inkblots and interpreting what those results meant. At this event, there were many fascinating inkblots hung on the wall, some with stories about what specific criminals saw in the inkblots, and some displays with background on where these tests came from and how they worked. I also learned there was a particularly famous inkblot hanging in the Baltimore Museum of Art, which I found interesting because as someone from Baltimore, I frequent that museum and don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. I made a note to try and visit it over the holiday.

This exhibit contributed to my understanding of design in the aspect that it helped me see how art can have other uses besides being visually pleasing. It also helped me understand abstraction a lot more, and helped me see another side of abstracting that inspired me for future projects. At the event, there was a question raised about this kind of design specifically: would you consider it art? I said yes, because it raised emotion from viewers, and is inherently creative. Overall, I’m glad I went to this event -- it was a lot of fun, and opened up possibilities for wanting to attend more events like it in the future.

[mysticofthefallenrpg]

you will be missed - due  to  being  inactive  please  unfollow  &  the  following  role ( s )  have  been  reopened :

 - @stefansalvtr​  (  stefan  salvatore  )

you will be missed - due  to  being  inactive  please  keep following  &  the  following  role ( s )  have  been  reopened :

- @atouchofsatin​  (  elizabeth  williams  )

due  to  members  change  in  muse ;  the  following  role  (  s )  have  been  reopened   ;  new  faceclaim  is   now  available . please  unfollow  :

 - n/a

are you still with us? - the following have 24 hours to make an active post or their role ( s ) will be reopened:

 - @princesskinsington​  (  charlotte  kinsingston  )  - @dawnofthemartels​  (  aurora  de  martel  )  - @mirandasommersgilbert​  (  miranda  sommers-gilbert  )  - @escapedgemini​  (  jo  laughlin  )  - @ofboyds​  (  jason  boyd  )  - @xitscomplicated​  (  greyson  lockwood  ,  roman  sienna  )  - @vanemati​  (  mati  vane  )  - @jennasommeres​  (  jenna  sommers  )  - @violctmiller​  (  violet  miller  )

enjoy your vaca. - the  following  will  be  on  hiatus and/or semi-hiatus  due  to  the  request  of  the  player ( s )

 -@petrovashellfire ( katherine pierce ) @hcrvestwxtch ( cordelia sinclair ) 12/17 - 1/2  - @atouchofsatin ( augustine sinclair, eric london , jade , matt donovan , tabitha melton & veronica hunter ) 12/24 - 1/2  - @ofpsychosis (wyatt carter), @thesavageantagonist ( klaus mikaelson ), @bedevilledsinner ( dex vane ), @the-unconquerablesoul ( nic nichols ), @ofthesavages ( serena valentine ) 12/30 - 1/5  - @perfectundesirable (kol mikaelson ), @puppysalvatore ( alexander salvatore ), @brokenxhybrid ( dustin wilson ), @thelonenichols (oliver nichols ), @thelxstmikaelsxn ( aaron mathiason ), @evanxcrescent ( evan kenner ), @lxstgemini ( benjamin tycer ), @orphanwitchwolf ( hunter nichols ) 12/29-1/5 - @llzziesaltzman ( lizzie saltzman ), @savxmikaelson (savana mikaelson), @cassiexsalvatore ( cassie salvatore ) 1/1 - 1/8 - @littlepsychc ( celeste gyeon ), @mamalaboncir ( brooke labonair ), @kalebwestphcll ( kaleb westphall ) 1/2 - 1/4

[independentartistbuzz]

Lynne Revo-Cohen of I Will Productions has released an inspirational song and video to Get Out The Vote for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in the Georgia Senate Runoff race.  “We’re On Fire In Georgia”, with its driving beat, hard-hitting message, and provocative singers, Cecily Bumbray, Jacie Lee Almira, and JChris, delivers a powerful message to people in Georgia who want to preserve our Democracy – Vote with Passion Georgia Jan 5th!  

This song reminds us of everything we love about Alicia Keys and has a Santana and Rob Thomas Smooth Vibe and the message is all about empowerment.  After this insane year it’s a message Georgia needs to hear now. 

I Will Productions is a multi-service music and video production company based in the Washington DC area. Founded in 2003 by songwriter Lynne Revo-Cohen, the company makes its reputation on the production of original music in five genres – jazz vocals, ballads, inspirational, political, and children’s music. Lynne taps into the amazing talent in the DC area working with top vocalists like Danielle Westphal, Eric Scott (who we have covered here on IAB), Michael Sheppard, Meritxell Negre, Tiffany Thompson, Nina Lane, Todd Googins, and Liz Briones. She works regularly with incredible musicians like Dan Reynolds and Brian Simms on piano, Gary Grainger on bass, Sol on guitar, Allan Walker on sax, and Keith Kilgo on drums.

[atlanticcanada]

2020 Nova Scotia municipal election results roll in

With polls closing on Saturday evening for Nova Scotia's 2020 municipal election, votes are being counted and winners are being announced. CTV Atlantic will update this article as new results are announced.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Mayor

Chris Abbass

Cecil Clarke

Kevin MacEachern

Archie MacKinnon

Amanda McDougall (Elected)

John Strasser

For the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Amanda Mcdougall is the new mayor. Mcdougall won with a vote count of 24,319. Incumbent Cecil Clarke came in second with 20,789 votes. Mcdougall becomes the first female mayor of CBRM.

Councillors

District 1

Andrew Doyle

Danny Laffin

Gordon MacDonald (Elected)

Daniel Pero

Shara Vickers

District 2

Jim Dunphy

Earlene MacMullin (Elected)

District 3

Cyril MacDonald (Elected)

Esmond Marshall

Glen Murrant

John Whalley

District 4

Steve Gillespie (Elected)

Yianni Harbis

Donalda Johnson

District 5

Christina Joe

Nigel Kearns

Shawn Lesnick

Eldon MacDonald (Elected)

Scott MacQuarrie

District 6

Barbara Beaton

Keith MacDonald

Glenn Paruch (Elected)

Todd Riley

Joe Ward

District 7   

Ivan Doncaster

Kevin Hardy

Steve Parsons (Elected)

Adam Young

District 8

James Edwards (Elected)

Tracey Hilliard

Diane MacKinnon-Furlong

District 9

Steven James MacNeil

Clarence Routledge

Kenny Tracey (Elected)

District 10

Darren Bruckschwaiger (Elected)

Matthew Boyd

District 11

Dale Cadden

Jennifer Heffernan

Jeff McNeil

Johnny Miles

Arnie Nason

Chuck Ogley

Darren O'Quinn (Elected)

Laura Scheller Stanford

District 12

Trevor Allen

Gary Borden

Donald Campbell

Lorne Green (Elected)

Kim Sheppard

  Halifax Regional Municipality

Mayor

Mayor Mike Savage (Projected winner)

Max Taylor

Matt Whitman

Councillors

District 1 (Waverley - Fall River - Musquodoboit Valley)

Cathy Deagle Gammon (Projected winner)

Stephen Kamperman

Steve Streatch

Arthur Wamback

District 2 (Preston - Chezzetcook - Eastern Shore)

David Boyd

David Hendsbee (Projected winner)

Nicole Johnson

Tim Milligan

District 3 (Dartmouth South - Eastern Passage)

Vishal Bhardwaj

Clinton Desveaux

Lloyd Jackson

Becky Kent (Projected winner)

George Mbamalu

District 4 (Cole Harbour - Westphal)

Ryan Burris

Marisa DeMarco

Kevin Foran

Darryl Johnson

Jerome Lagmay

Jamie MacNeil

Tania Meloni

Chris Mont

Trish Purdy (Projected winner)

Jessica Quillan

John Stewart

Caroline Williston

District 5 (Dartmouth Centre)

Sam Austin (Projected winner)

Mitch McIntyre

District 6 (Harbourview - Burnside - Dartmouth East)

Douglas Day

Tony Mancini (Projected winner)

Ibrahim Manna

District 7 (Halifax South Downtown)

Richard Arundel-Evans

Waye Mason (Projected winner)

Jen Powley

Craig Roy

District 8 (Halifax Peninsula North)

Virginia Hinch

Dylan Kennedy

Lindell Smith (Projected winner)

District 9 (Halifax West Armdale)

Bill Carr

Shaun Clark

Shawn Cleary (Projected winner)

Stephen Foster

Gerry Lonergan

District 10 (Halifax - Bedford Basin West)

Andrew Curran

Mohammad Ehsan

Renee Field

Sherry Hassanali

Christopher Hurry

Debbie MacKinnon

Kathryn Morse (Projected winner)

Kyle Morton

District 11 (Spryfield - Sambro Loop - Prospect Road)

Stephen Chafe

Matthew Conrad

Bruce Cooke

Patty Cuttell (Leading as of 10:37 p.m.)

Bruce Holland

Kristen Hollery

Jim Hoskins

Ambroise Matwawana

Lisa Mullin

Hannah Munday

Dawn Edith Penney

Pete Rose

In district 11, the election is too close to call. According to Halifax's unnoffical results, as of Sunday morning, Patty Cuttell lead the race with 1,634 votes; however Bruce Holland trailed behind with 1,605 votes.

District 12 (Timberlea - Beechville - Clayton Park - Wedgewood)

John Bignell

Eric Jury

Iona Stoddard (Projected winner)

Richard Zurawski

District 13 (Hammonds Plains - St. Margarets)

Tom Arnold

Derek Bellemore

Tim Elms

Robert Holden

Nick Horne

Darrell Jessome

Pam Lovelace (Projected winner)

Iain Taylor

Harry Ward

District 14 (Middle/Upper Sackville - Beaver Bank - Lucasville)

Lisa Blackburn (Projected winner)

Greg Frampton

District 15 (Lower Sackville)

Mary Lou LeRoy

Anthony Mrkonjic

Jay Aaron Roy

Paul Russell (Projected winner)

David Schofield

District 16 (Bedford - Wentworth)

Tim Outhit (Acclaimed)

  Town of Amherst

Mayor

Ed Childs

David Kogon (elected)

Vaughn Martine

Councillors

George Baker (Elected)

Vince Byrne

Sheila Christie (Elected)

Hal Davidson (Elected)

Lisa Emery (Elected)

Paul "Skippy" Farrow

Dale Fawthrop (Elected)

Darrell Jones

Leon Landry (Elected)

Wayne "Butch" Mackenzie

Roy T. Pettigrew

Terry Rhindress

  Town of Yarmouth

Mayor

Charles Crosby

Gregory Doucette

Pamela Mood (Elected)

Angie Romard

Councillors

Don Berry

Steven Berry (Elected)

Byron Boudreau

Timothy Clayton

Wade Cleveland (Elected)

Gil Dares (Elected)

Brandan Gates

Heather Hatfield (Elected)

Clifford Hood

Mark Hubbard

Derek Lesser (Elected)

Daniel MacIsaac

Neil Mackenzie

Sean MacLellan

Jim MacLeod (Elected)

James Ogden

  Truro

Mayor

W.R. “Bill: Mills (Elected)

Terry Baillie

Councillors

Ward 1

Wayne Talbot (Elected)

Alison Graham-Fulmore (Elected)

Gregor Archibald

Cheryl Fritz

Ward 2

Jim Flemming (Elected)

Bill Thomas (Elected)

Terry Matheson

Jessica Frenette

Vince Roberts

Ward 3

Cathy Hinton (Elected)

Juliana Barnard (Elected)

Danny Joseph

District of Lunenburg

  Mayor

Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Elected)

Caleb Wheeldon

Councillors

District 1

Leitha Haysom (Acclaimed)

District 2

Martin E. Bell (Elected)

Morgen Reinhardt

District 3

Lee E. Nauss

Wendy Oickle (Elected)

David Sutherland

District 4

Pam Hubley (Elected)

Bud Webster

District 5

Cathy Moore (Acclaimed)

District 6

Claudette Garland

Sandra Statton (Elected)

District 7

Wade S. Carver

Michelle Greek (Elected)

District 8

Kacy DeLong (Acclaimed)

District 9

Frank Fawson

Reid A. Whynot (Elected)

District 10

Josh Healey

Chasidy Veinott (Elected)

Ann Westhave

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3lYeVcj

[junker-town]

TITLELESS: 16 overachieving NBA teams who fell short of a title

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant never won a title on the Thunder.

Some great non-champion NBA teams weren’t supposed to be great teams until they showed off in the playoffs. Here are 16 near-miss playoff runs defined by outperforming their talent, seed, or both.

Some great non-champion NBA teams weren’t supposed to be great teams until they showed off in the playoffs. Here are 16 near-miss playoff runs defined by outperforming their talent, seed, or both. Meet the Overachiever Division.

We begin with the ultimate NBA Finals Cinderella and end with a more recent contender that broke up in the summer, though not by choice.

16. 1975-76 Phoenix Suns

ERA: John MacLeod’s Suns

RECORD: 42-40

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +0.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in Finals to Boston Celtics (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Paul Westphal

COACH: John MacLeod

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Alvan Adams, Gar Heart, Dick Van Arsdale, Curtis Perry, Ricky Sobers, Keith Erickson, John Shumate

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1982-83

The most unlikely Finals participant in NBA history was this close to pulling off an improbable championship. After winning Game 7 on the home floor of the defending champion Warriors in the conference Finals, Phoenix split the first four games with a Celtics team that didn’t take them seriously.

That brings us to Game 5, often referred to as the greatest game in NBA history. Boston won in triple overtime and took the Finals in Game 6, but some truly wild shit happened in that game. Boston took a 20-point first-quarter lead, but the Suns chipped away. Led by Paul Westphal, who was traded by the Celtics for Charlie Scott in one of those now-for-future moves that benefitted both teams, the Suns came back from nine down in the final three minutes to force overtime.

With the score tied at 101 and three seconds left in the first overtime, Boston veteran Paul Silas grabbed a rebound and visibly signaled to call timeout despite Boston having none left. It should have resulted in a technical foul and a free throw. But referee Richie Powers ignored Silas’ request, allowing the game to go to double overtime.

Powers later admitted he “did not want Boston to lose like that,” according to Bob Ryan’s book Scribe: My Life in Sports. (Probably not coincidentally, then-Celtics coach Tommy Heinsohn called Powers “my favorite referee” in a 2016 Boston Globe interview). Years later, even Silas admitted he called timeout and Powers “didn’t see me or didn’t want to see me.”

The Suns then scored four straight points at the end of double overtime to take a one-point lead with four seconds left. Boston inbounded to ageless legend John Havlicek, who was playing through a torn plantar fascia. He banked what appeared to be the game-winner off the glass and in. As Celtics fans stormed the court and the players rushed to the locker room, Powers, perhaps in an attempt to atone for his previous mistake, ruled there was still one second left in the game. (An angry Celtics fan apparently tackled and pinned Powers to the floor during the ensuing melee. Imagine if that happened today.)

But wait, there’s more! Westphal knew of a loophole in the league’s technical foul rules and exploited it for Phoenix’s benefit. He called timeout, knowing Phoenix had none left and would receive a technical foul. (Funny how Powers saw this one, but not Silas’ unintentional gaffe).

Boston hit the free throw to lead by two, but Phoenix retained the ball and actually got to inbound it at half court. The Suns threw it to Gar Heard, who turned and nailed a 20-foot jumper to force triple overtime.

Relive all of that here. It’s WILD.

The Suns finally fell short in the third overtime when little-used Boston reserve Glenn McDonald ran circles around their dead legs. They stayed in the mix for the next half decade, but never came that close again.

15. 2013-14 Portland Trail Blazers

ERA: Dame Time

RECORD: 54-28

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +3.9

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to San Antonio Spurs (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge

COACH: Terry Stotts

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, Mo Williams, Dorell Wright, C.J. McCollum

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2014-15, 2018-19

Like the early-2010s Pacers, these Blazers hit their peak in the middle of the following season. Portland’s well-balanced starting lineup was in the thick of the West title race by the middle of the 2014-15 year, but lost all momentum when Wesley Matthews, the team’s heartbeat, tore his Achilles.

The Blazers fell apart thereafter and chose to break up the team the following summer after LaMarcus Aldridge signed with the Spurs.

14. 2001-02 Boston Celtics

ERA: Pierce and ‘Toine

RECORD: 49-33

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +2.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to New Jersey Nets (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker

COACH: Jim O’Brien

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Kenny Anderson, Tony Battie, Eric Williams, Tony Delk, Rodney Rodgers, Erick Strickland, Vitaly Potapenko, Walter McCarty

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

What a strange team. After taking over for Rick Pitino late in the previous season, coach Jim O’Brien fashioned a wacky style of play that encouraged players to shoot tons of threes even if they weren’t especially good at them. Antoine Walker took a whopping 645 attempts while making just 34 percent. Nowadays, that’s less weird. Back then, it was wild. But it all somehow worked because Paul Pierce was incredible and Walker’s versatility eased the burden on the rest of the team.

Nobody took these Celtics seriously, which nearly worked to their advantage after they staged a memorable 26-point comeback to take a 2-1 series lead over the Nets in the East Finals.

But the Nets won the next three games, including two in Boston, to earn the right to be the Lakers’ sacrificial lamb. Boston faltered the next few seasons and nearly traded Pierce, but got bailed out when Timberwolves general manager and Celtics legend Kevin McHale relented on trading Kevin Garnett to Boston.

(Celtics Blog did a wonderful tribute to the 2001-02 team that’s well worth your time).

13. 2012-13 Memphis Grizzlies

ERA: Grit ‘N Grind

RECORD: 56-26

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +4.1

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to San Antonio Spurs (4-0)

KEY STAR(S): Zach Randolph

COACH: Lionel Hollins

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Jerryd Bayless, Quincy Pondexter, Wayne Ellington, Ed Davis, Darrell Arthur

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2010-11, 2014-15

I won’t argue if you’d rather include Dave Joerger’s 2014-15 Grit ‘N Grind team that took a 2-1 lead on the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in the second round. That team briefly appeared to solve its longtime shooting problem before the Warriors unveiled their Andrew Bogut-on-Tony-Allen defense. (Grizzly Bear Blues, SB Nation’s Grizzlies community, would also take the 2014-15 club)

But I chose the 2012-13 team that reached the conference finals despite (or because of?) trading Rudy Gay in midseason in a money-saving move that angered coach Lionel Hollins. Marc Gasol was at the peak of his defensive powers, Zach Randolph was still a force, and Quincy Pondexter looked like the 3-and-D wing that could have completed the Grizzlies’ core.

12. 2012-13 Golden State Warriors

ERA: Pre-Kerr Steph

RECORD: 47-35

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +0.9

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to San Antonio Spurs (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Stephen Curry

COACH: Mark Jackson

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: David Lee, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Jarrett Jack, Carl Landry, Festus Ezeli, Draymond Green

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 13-14

No Overachievers Division is complete without a Stephen Curry Cinderella team. The 2012-13 team was decent, but didn’t take off until Curry went en fuego in the playoffs. (David Lee’s injury, which forced Mark Jackson to go small, also helped.)

The cagey Spurs ended the Warriors’ run, but Curry lit them up twice on the road in the first two games before re-injuring his ankle in Game 3. That limited him the rest of the series and made the Warriors’ Game 1 collapse that ended with horrible, botched coverage on a game-winning Manu Ginobili three loom larger.

The decision to pick the 12-13 team instead of the 51-win outfit the next year was an easy one considering the dysfunction surrounding Jackson’s final season in charge.

11. 1989-90 Phoenix Suns

ERA: Pre-Barkley Suns

RECORD: 54-28

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.1

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to Portland Trail Blazers (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Kevin Johnson

COACH: Cotton Fitzsimmons

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Tom Chambers, Jeff Hornacek, Dan Majerle, Mark West, Eddie Johnson, Kurt Rambis, Andrew Lang

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1988-89, 1990-91, 1991-92

The pre-Charles Barkley Suns were a wonderful story and might have been even better than their more well-known counterparts. After an embarrassing drug scandal rocked the team in 1987, new owner Jerry Colangelo held a fire sale. The most controversial move was trading Larry Nance, the team’s best player and a model citizen who wasn’t involved in the scandal, for a package that included little-used big man Mark West, a future first-round pick that turned into a Central Michigan guard named Dan Majerle, and a backup point guard named Kevin Johnson who was stuck behind young all-star Mark Price.

The turnaround was swift. Johnson turned out to be a superstar, teaming with the undrafted Jeff Hornacek to form the “KJ and Horny” backcourt. (Great name.) Along with marquee free agent signing Tom Chambers, the Suns stormed into the West’s elite. They ended the Lakers’ dynasty with a stunning 4-1 win in the West semifinals, with Johnson blowing by Byron Scott repeatedly and Hornacek making Magic Johnson pay for his defensive roaming. After winning the decisive fifth game in LA, Kevin Johnson declared his desire to make the Suns the “team of the 90s.”

But that didn’t happen. Phoenix blew it in a six-game conference finals loss to Portland, coughing up fourth-quarter leads in the first two games in Portland and blowing a six-point advantage in the final few minutes of a Game 6 defeat. Johnson missed the second half of that decisive loss with one of the many nagging injuries that defined the rest of his career.

By the time Barkley arrived in 1992, Johnson was a more muted version of himself and Chambers was nearing his last legs. Barkley and Johnson never fit seamlessly, and the Suns never quite got the most out of their on-paper talent. What might’ve happened if Barkley arrived in 1989 instead of 1992? We’ll never know.

10. 2007-08 New Orleans Hornets

ERA: Young CP3

RECORD: 56-26

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West semifinals to San Antonio Spurs (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Chris Paul

COACH: Byron Scott

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, Morris Peterson, Bobby Jackson, Bonzi Well, Jannero Pargo, Rasual Butler

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

Another long-forgotten cult classic I loved during my college days. Chris Paul was robbed of the MVP because the collective media decided to give Kobe Bryant a lifetime achievement award. Yeah, I said it. Those Paul/Tyson Chandler lobs were things of beauty. I’m still mad at Jannero Pargo for shooting the Hornets out of that Game 7 against the Spurs. They would have put up a better fight against the Lakers in the next round.

That was the only real moment of glory for Paul in New Orleans.

9. 2002-03 New Jersey Nets

ERA: Kidd’s Nets

RECORD: 49-33

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in Finals to San Antonio Spurs (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Jason Kidd

COACH: Byron Scott

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, Kerry Kittles, Dikembe Mutombo, Jason Collins, Lucious Harris, Rodney Rodgers, Aaron Williams

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2001-02, 2003-04

The 2001-02 Nets had the novelty factor and won more games, but the 2002-03 version was much stronger. The big offseason trade of Keith Van Horn for Dikembe Mutombo was a bit of a flop, but it did allow second-year forward Richard Jefferson to step into Van Horn’s spot and emerge as an all-star talent. New Jersey had the mighty Spurs on the ropes in the Finals, but they blew Game 5 at home and succumbed to Tim Duncan’s near-quadruple-double in Game 6.

It all fell apart from there.

8. 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks

ERA: Bud’s Hawks

RECORD: 60-22

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.4

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)

KEY STAR(S): None

COACH: Mike Budenholzer

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague, DeMarre Carroll, Dennis Schroder, Thabo Sefolosha, Kent Bazemore, Pero Antic, Mike Scott

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

I loved this team. They had five quality players whose talents blended perfectly, all working together to create one of the prettiest offenses of the modern era. Their regular-season win over the eventual champion Warriors in Atlanta is still one of the highest-skill basketball games I’ve ever seen.

But deep down, we all knew they didn’t have enough to win a title or maintain their flash of success. They were wobbling before LeBron James and the Cavaliers unceremoniously finished them off in the conference finals.

Still would’ve been nice if Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll were fully healthy and the NYPD didn’t break Thabo Sefolosha’s leg.

7. 1963-64 Cincinnati Royals

ERA: Prime Oscar Robertson

RECORD: 55-25

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to Boston Celtics (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Oscar Robertson

COACH: Jack McMahon

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Jerry Lucas, Wayne Embry, Jack Twyman, Tom Hawkins, Bucky Bockhorn, Adrian Smith, Bob Boozer

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1962-63, 1964-65

This was Oscar Robertson’s best team during his heyday, though it wasn’t the team that got closest to the Finals or the one that featured Robertson’s famous triple-double season. It was the year Oscar won league MVP, earning the crown in a landslide over Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

But Oscar had nothing left by the time the East Finals with Boston began, and he was locked up by the combination of K.C. Jones on ball and Russell on the backside.

6. 2012-13 Indiana Pacers

ERA: Paul George and Frank Vogel

RECORD: 49-32

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +4

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to Miami Heat (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Paul George

COACH: Frank Vogel

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Roy Hibbert, David West, Lance Stephenson, George Hill, Gerald Green, Ian Mahinmi, Tyler Hansbrough, Sam Young, D.J. Augustin

OTHERS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2013-14

These Pacers were an NBA powerhouse for a calendar year that took place over two NBA seasons. During the second half of 2012-13, Paul George emerged from the injured Danny Granger’s shadow to push the Heatles to the brink. (I’ll defend the decision to bench Roy Hibbert at the end of Game 1 until the end of time). Then, the Pacers built one of the game’s stingiest defenses and went 33-7 during the first half of the 2013-14 season. Let’s not speak of what happened thereafter.

So pay no attention to the Pacers’ mediocre 2012-13 full season record. They’re ranked this high because of their play from January 2013 to January 2014.

5. 2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers

ERA: Iverson

RECORD: 56-26

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.7

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in Finals to Los Angeles Lakers (4-1. Stepover game)

KEY STAR(S): Allen Iverson

COACH: Larry Brown

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Dikembe Mutombo, Eric Snow, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, Aaron McKie, Matt Geiger, Kevin Ollie, Raja Bell

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

These 76ers are iconic because of one small man and one memorable stepover after a made shot. They were — or rather, Allen Iverson was — David going up against a Goliath in the apex Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant Lakers. Every NBC promo highlighted that theme.

But the story of the 2000-01 76ers is more complex, as SB Nation’s Rewinder series beautifully illustrates.

To wit:

Iverson was nearly traded to the Pistons before the season in a massive four-team deal. The trade, which was agreed upon by all parties, would’ve sent Eddie Jones, Glen Rice, an ancient Dale Ellis, and Jerome Williams to Philly. Yuck. Iverson was told the trade was happening. But it fell apart because backup center Matt Geiger refused to waive his 15 percent trade kicker, which he needed to do to make the salaries make up.

Dikembe Mutombo wasn’t the midseason acquisition that pushed the 76ers over the top, as you might expect given his name recognition. It’s more accurate to say he was an emergency replacement acquired by necessity. Philly was 36-13 at the NBA All-Star Game break thanks to Iverson and shot-blocking dynamo Theo Ratliff, who rode a career season to an all-star nod. But Ratliff broke his wrist in the final game before the break, jeopardizing Philly’s run. Rather than wait things out, the 76ers made him the centerpiece of a trade with the Hawks for the disgruntled Mutombo, with Toni Kukoc also heading to Atlanta. After that 36-13 start, Philly went just 20-13 down the stretch and had to endure two Game 7s before reaching the Finals.

Ask a Bucks fan about the officiating in that 2001 conference finals. Just do it.

The 76ers’ victory was still an amazing feat considering their injury situation. Starting small forward George Lynch broke his foot in the second round and didn’t play again. Point guard Eric Snow fractured his foot in the next round and played through it. Sixth Man of the Year Aaron McKie broke his foot in Game 1 of the Finals and played through it, too. Also, Mutombo was playing through a broken finger. I’m surprised those dudes could even walk.

4. 2008-09 Orlando Magic

ERA: Dwight and Stan

RECORD: 59-23

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in Finals to Los Angeles Lakers (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Dwight Howard

COACH: Stan Van Gundy

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Rafer Alston, Courney Lee, Keith Bogans, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick, Marcin Gortat, Anthony Johnson

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2009-10

The story of the NBA’s three-point revolution isn’t complete without mentioning the Stan Van Gundy-Dwight Howard Magic. Desperate for answers after starting power forward Tony Battie got injured in the 2007 preseason, Van Gundy made the bold decision to slide marquee free agent acquisition Rashard Lewis up to power forward to make room for the enigmatic Hedo Turkoglu. With Lewis spacing the floor for Howard, Turkoglu, and Jameer Nelson, Orlando spent the next three seasons shattering three-point records while maintaining one of the league’s best defenses.

The 2009-10 version, with Vince Carter instead of Turkoglu, was stronger in the regular season and favored in the East Finals after LeBron James’ Cavaliers lost to the Celtics. But I prefer the 2008-09 version because it advanced further in the playoffs, scored the most impressive series victory of the era over a better LeBron team, and had two giant “what if” moments — Nelson’s midseason injury and Courtney Lee’s blown layup that would’ve won Game 2 of the Finals against the Lakers — that could have made them champions.

3. 1997-98 Los Angeles Lakers

ERA: Shaq, Pre-Phil

RECORD: 61-21

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.7

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to Utah Jazz (4-0)

KEY STAR(S): Shaquille O’Neal

COACH: Del Harris

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel, Rick Fox, Kobe Bryant, Robert Horry, Elden Campbell, Derek Fisher

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 96-97

I wasn’t sure where to put the pre-Phil Jackson Lakers in this tournament. Maybe it’s a stretch to call them “overachievers” considering they were one of the preseason favorites, won 61 games with a ton of talent, and got schooled by the veteran Jazz in four straight games in the conference Finals. By that logic, they belong in the flameout region. (Speaking of flameouts, hoo boy the Nick Van Exel-Del Harris relationship was ugly by this point.)

Here’s my case for them belonging as overachievers:

They went 61-21 despite Shaquille O’Neal missing 22 games early in the year. In fact, they were destroying everyone before that untimely injury and never got a chance to return to that level.

Van Exel’s ongoing feud with Harris, combined with a midseason injury, forced the Lakers to rely on a little-known second-year guard out of Arkansas Little-Rock named Derek Fisher to run the point.

Kobe Bryant wasn’t Kobe Bryant yet. He made the All-Star team due to his popularity, but was still a moderately efficient sixth man that played behind Eddie Jones.

The Lakers were not favored in their second-round series with a resurgent Sonics team that had swapped the disgruntled Shawn Kemp for the in-shape (at the time) Vin Baker. Yet after Seattle won the first game at home, the Lakers crushed them in the next four, winning each by double-digits. It was a stunning display at the time.

In hindsight, that 97-98 Jazz team was a couple plays away from winning the title. Was it really a huge shame to lose to them?

The worst of the pre-Jackson Lakers drama occurred the following season after the lockout. Van Exel got traded, Jones was moved for Glen Rice, Harris lost his job, and the bizarre Dennis Rodman experience threw everything off. That’s the season they really underachieved. I’m not sure the 97-98 edition qualifies.

Thus, they’re here.

2. 1981-82 Philadelphia 76ers

ERA: Dr. J, pre-Moses

RECORD: 58-24

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.7

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in NBA Finals to Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Julius Erving

COACH: Billy Cunningham

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Caldwell Jones, Lionel Hollins, Bobby Jones, Darryl Dawkins, Steve Mix, Mike Bantom

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1976-77, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81

Julius Erving did win one title with the 76ers, but that was only after getting MVP Moses Malone as a running mate in the summer of 1982. Based on the rules of this game, all of Dr. J’s Philly clubs prior to then are eligible for this tournament.

The 1976-77 club had the most star power and the 1980-81 version had the best regular season, but we’re going with the 1981-82 edition because they were the ones to slay the Boston Garden dragon. Andrew Toney really was a forgotten legend.

That was the game the legendary “BEAT LA” chant was born. Alas, the 76ers did not heed the call of their strange bedfellows in Boston. They got blown out at home in Game 1 and fell to the Lakers in six games.

1. 2015-16 Oklahoma City Thunder

ERA: Post-James Harden trade

RECORD: 55-27

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to No. 1 Golden State Warriors (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook

COACH: Billy Donovan

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, Dion Waiters, Enes Kanter, Randy Foye, Kyle Singler

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2012-13, 2013-14

This was the worst regular-season team of the post-James Harden, pre-My Next Chapter Thunder, but the most terrifying at full power. After sleepwalking through the regular season under new coach Billy Donovan, the Thunder beat a 67-win Spurs team in the second round and made the 73-win Warriors look like a junior varsity team during the first four games of the next round. They then lost Game 5, got blitzed by an unconscious Klay Thompson in a thrilling Game 6, and lost in Game 7 after Stephen Curry rediscovered his form.

That series was the start of a budding Western Conference rivalry featuring two of the greatest of this era and tons of other … ah, nevermind.

[gone-series-orchid]

admittedly i don't know a whole lot of autistic characters in literature specifically, but i know some tv/movie portrayals that could be used for historical context, maybe!

the boy who could fly (1986)

representation of asd as its own specific disorder with specific symptoms (instead of it being portrayed interchangeably with general intellectual disabilities) started in the '80s, as far as i know. the earliest example i can think of is the 1986 movie the boy who could fly and its portrayal of eric gibb, an autistic teenage boy who, due to the trauma of losing his parents in a plane crash at age five, has deluded himself into believing he can fly (when, of course, he can't...or can he?). like little pete, eric is a largely nonverbal character who is implied to have supernatural abilities and is largely dependent on others for care and support.

here's the trailer linked below:

side note: not gonna lie, i love this movie despite its middling quality. it can be found on youtube at a cost and dailymotion for free if anyone's interested (part 1, part 2). i'd love to talk about it if anyone's interested! 🥺

while not progressive by any means by today's standards, eric's portrayal is surprisingly tame in terms of active offensiveness. for instance, the film is surprisingly (thankfully) lax on portraying him mainly as a burden to deal with, an unfortunate trope that many later "message" movies featuring characters with asd fall into (though that's more on the framing of the characters by the narrative than the actors' portrayals themselves, imo). symptoms of asd that eric demonstrates are stimming (rocking from side to side with his arms out, imitating an airplane), social aloofness, implied restricted interest in airplanes/things that fly, inexpressiveness, and a stiff manner of walking (physical awkwardness/clumsiness is a lesser-known symptom).

notably, the tumblr blog autisticcharacterarchive said this about eric's portrayal:

st. elsewhere ending (1988)

little pete's character is, imo, most evocative of the portrayal of tommy westphall from the '80s tv show st. elsewhere. this show is probably most remembered today for its infamous ending in which the entire show is implied to have taken place in the imagination of tommy.

the series finale aired in 1988; tommy was a character featured before then, but appeared rarely. when he did feature, he notably spoke in simplistic sentences typical of a toddler rather than a kid of about ten or twelve, perhaps implying mental impairment as well as asd. symptoms that tommy demonstrates are stimming (rocking, as portrayed in the clip linked above) and restricted interest in his snow globe. in the "real" world, he could possibly be nonverbal; in the clip linked above, he doesn't speak.

my commentary

both eric gibb and tommy westphall demonstrate a well-meant stereotype of autistic individuals on the side of the spectrum that are "low-functioning," aka require a moderate-to-high level of support. these depictions contrast against older depictions of this "in their own head" manifestation of asd, primarily those from the '50s and '60s, in which the autistic individual was often stigmatized as being an "empty shell" of a being whose intellectual capabilities were nil and whose motivations were unfathomable and illogical.

instead of being portrayed as simple and primitive in their intellectual and imaginative faculties, eric and tommy are shown to have a vivid inner world despite their lack of neurotypical functionality. this was an important milestone for asd representation, as it demonstrated self-awareness as to the limits of neurotypical understanding and an implicit acknowledgement that just because certain autistic people don't respond to stimuli in a neurotypical way doesn't mean they aren't processing, thinking, and feeling.

rain man (1988)

the same year the st. elsewhere finale aired, in 1988, the movie rain man came out, which changed the majority's understanding of autism. most infamously, the portrayal of raymond babbitt was notorious for conflating asd with savant syndrome (though, notably, this isn't the movie's fault; a character specifically states that babbitt is an "autistic savant." the movie's failure in this regard is mostly the fact that it doesn't explain the differences between that and typical asd). babbitt is the first "modern" portrayal of asd as far as i know; his influence can be seen on characters like the titular protagonist of the good doctor and abed from community. rain man is notable for being the first movie to really exemplify about symptoms of asd that manifest verbally, such as a flat affect. it also focuses heavily on raymond's need for routine, which is a source of conflict throughout the film.

rain man, while groundbreaking for its time, has garnered criticism over the years. even over thirty years later, dustin hoffman's portrayal is still the main association people make when they think of asd.

of course, little pete isn't a savant like raymond is; mg's portrayal of him harkens back to more primitive portrayals of people on the "low-functioning" end of the spectrum.

i'm not sure if this helps, op, but maybe? 🤷‍♀️

Just a quick update:

I'm planning on posting my Little Pete analysis either next Sunday or the Sunday after. I really want to do some research on autism in both real life and literature in order to do my analysis of him some justice. If anyone has any good examples of characters with autism please feel free to send them in and I will check them out.

In the meantime, I'm working on some 7 deadly sins Gone art. I have the sketches along with basic colour down now so I should be posting at some point in the next few weeks.

[victoramt2001]

WESTPHAL EVENT

The Westphal event that I attended was the opening reception of “What Might This Be? The Art and Science of Rorschach Inkblots” by Eric Zillmer and Kanya Zillmer. this event had many inkblots test and it showed how these test connect to science as well as art. It had a wide range of design and there were lots of panels explaining the history behind them. I saw many interesting pieces but the one that caught my attention was the one where all of the viewers got to try and guess what they though the inkblot was. I thought is was an elephant, but there were many peoples guesses on the walls like birds, people, and other things as well. 

one thing that I learned about was the different backstories of each piece. some were simple in the fact they were just ink dumped onto a piece of paper. Other stories were more in-depth of psychology of the people that influenced the art. I really enjoyed this exhibit one, because I went with friends that had different views of the installations, and two, it was something new that I have never done. This was my first time going to an actual opening of an event and it felt very formal. This was a great experience and if there is another Opening like this in the future, I will gladly go again.

[sunflowerseedsandscience]

X-Files Fic: What Was Taken, What Was Lost- Chapter Five

Previous chapters: One | Two | Three | Four

A/N:  This is the end!!!  I honestly thought it would have more chapters, but the entire story that I wanted to tell fit naturally into five, so five chapters it is!  Thanks for reading!!

As much as he wants to stay awake with Scully and make a plan for tonight, Mulder is still not recovered from his ordeal in the blizzard, and as a consequence, he sleeps for much of the day.  Scully is there every time he wakes, reading in the chair by his bed, studying case notes, nibbling on a plate of fruit from downstairs, napping by his side.  At seven o'clock, she pulls him out of bed and makes him get dressed.

"We need to get you moving before you grow roots in that bed," she tells him, quelling his grumbling protests.  "Let's go and have dinner downstairs tonight."

"We can just as easily order it up to our room," Mulder argues, but Scully remains firm.

"There's no telling what will happen tonight," she says.  "For all we know, you and I could end up running through the snow in the middle of the night again.  That's going to be much harder to do if you're stiff and sore because you haven't used your legs all day."  He's about to continue fighting her, but the cramps that shoot up his thighs the moment he stands silence him, while she stands there, looking smug.  "Get dressed," she says, handing him a pair of clean boxers from his suitcase.  His legs continue to protest as he raises them, one at a time, to pull his shorts on.  Looking up, he sees her grinning mischievously at him as she offers him a fresh pair of jeans.

"What?" he demands, taking the clothing from her.

"Do you need help?" she asks.  Glaring, he shoves his legs into his jeans with unnecessary force and winces, which only makes her smile wider.

"No, I do not need help getting dressed," he growls, crossing the room (suppressing another grimace as his stiff joints protest- he doesn't want to give her the satisfaction) and pulling a long-sleeved sweater from his suitcase.

"You seem a little stiff, is all," Scully says.

"You didn't mind me being stiff this morning," he shoots back, leering at her, and she rolls her eyes, chuckling.

"Come on, Mr. Foster," she says, taking his arm and leading him from the room.  "Let's go get some food in you."

Downstairs, dinner is in full swing, and it takes a moment for the hostess to locate an open table for them.  Their server is a young woman they haven't had before, and she's much too busy to talk to them, beyond taking their orders.  At Scully's urging, Mulder bypasses the richer options on the menu, in case he's not recovered enough to handle them.

As they're finishing their main course, Mr. Pekarcik rushes up to their table, his wide blue eyes full of concern behind his wire-rimmed spectacles.

"Mr. Foster!" he exclaims.

"Please, call me Eric," says Mulder.

"Eric, then," says Mr. Pekarcik, coming to a stop beside them.  "I'm so glad to see you up and about.  How are you feeling?"

"A little tired, but otherwise, no more the worse for wear," says Mulder.

"I can't tell you how relieved I am," says Mr. Pekarcik, and he looks it.  "I've arranged for two of my employees to patrol the first floor tonight.  Another snowstorm will be blowing through at around midnight, and I would hate to have a repeat of what happened to you... and I'd certainly like to avoid any more accidents like the ones we've had in the past."  From his breast pocket, he withdraws a business card and gives it to them.  "I'm making sure that all of the guests have my private phone extension.  If you have any problems, if you see anything strange or suspicious, please, don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Pekarcik," says Scully sincerely.  The hotel owner gives them a cordial bow and moves on to the next table.  Scully turns back to Mulder.  "I feel terrible for him," she says softly.  "He's really doing the best he can with this place... and aside from all of these unexplained deaths, it's a lovely resort."

"Well... with any luck, we'll be able to help him out," says Mulder.  Scully looks skeptical.

"Even if it is a ghost that's responsible for all of this, how are we going to be able to help?  How are you planning on making her leave?  Asking nicely?"

"She wants something, Scully," Mulder says confidently.  "If we can get her to stop trying to kill me long enough to get her to talk to us, maybe we can figure out how to help her find peace."  Scully sits back, arms crossed over her chest.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Easy," says Mulder, grinning.  "I'm going to try to get her to talk to you."

Upstairs, after dinner, they sit on the bed and play cards to try and stay awake, but when Mulder notices Scully trying to conceal a yawn for the fifth time, he puts his cards down.

"Why don't you go ahead and take a nap, Scully?" he asks.  "You must be exhausted, you were up half the night with me."

"Will you be able to stay awake?" she asks.

"No problem," says Mulder, waving his hand dismissively.  "I slept most of the day.  I've got hours left in me."  Scully doesn't look entirely convinced.  Mulder reaches out and takes the cards out of Scully's hand, shuffling them back into the stack and putting them in the box.  Standing, he turns the bed down, and with a hand on Scully’s back, coaxes her to lie down amid her half-hearted protests.  He tucks the covers securely around her, bending to kiss her.  She squints up at him.

“You’ll wake me?” she asks.  “If you start feeling sleepy?”

“The moment my eyelids get heavy,” he promises.  She nods, closes her eyes, and dozes off within minutes.

And within an hour, so does he.

——————————

Unlike that first night, when the cold had been responsible for waking him up, this time, it’s the noise… though, since the noise comes from the balcony doors blowing violently open, the cold isn’t far behind.

At the loud THWACK of the left-hand door striking the wall, Mulder starts awake, the scrapbook that had been open on his lap sliding to the floor.  Next to him, Scully sits bolt upright in bed, seeking out her gun on instinct, her eyes scanning the room for any possible threat.  When her gaze catches on the open doors and the falling snow blowing through them, she looks up at Mulder, eyebrows raised.

“Were you getting too warm, Mulder?” she asks.

“I didn’t do that,” he says, climbing out of bed and crossing to the balcony to close the doors, firmly securing the latch.  Outside, the blizzard has swept in again, as promised, and the grounds are lost in a blinding haze of white.  He turns back to Scully, who’s frowning at him.  “This is exactly what happened the first night we were here,” he tells her.  “I woke up and found the doors open, and right after that, I heard the thumping in the hallway… and then….”  He turns to the full-length mirror just in time to see the same dark shadow flitting across it… but before he can call out to Scully, he hears a sharp gasp from behind him and turns.

Scully is backed against the wall next to the bed, her blue eyes wide and terrified.  Her gun, clutched in her shaking hands, is pointed directly in front of her (he almost wants to laugh- does she really think shooting a ghost is going to work?), at the dark and shifting figure hovering before her.

Though Mulder can only see her from the back, he knows, somehow, that the face Scully is seeing is not the nightmare visage that had backed him into the mirror that first night and charged him in the graveyard on the second night.  He’s almost certain that the face she is seeing is the one he had only seen in profile, the face that had worn a sad, gentle expression as the spirit had huddled over Scully, watching her sleep.

The woman’s head is cocked to one side, as though she’s considering the shaking, frightened woman in front of her, and Mulder thinks that this is probably the best chance they’ll have.  He senses no rage, no malevolence coming from the spirit.  And perhaps, now that they know her name, she’ll be more willing to communicate without trying to force Mulder to harm himself.  He decides to give it a try.

“Olivia?” he says softly, calmly.  “Olivia Westphal?”  The ghost turns to face him… and Mulder knows, immediately, that he’s made a terrible miscalculation.

Olivia Westphal’s face transforms instantly, fine features melting into a flat, black mask with a gaping hole for a mouth.  She advances on him with a gibbering shriek, red eyes flaming, and Mulder feels himself pushed backwards as though by a hurricane-force wind until his back meets the wall.

“Mulder!”  Scully calls out to him in alarm, and she says something else, asks him something, tells him something, but he can’t make out what it is, because suddenly, Olivia is speaking over her, and her snarling voice is all Mulder can hear.

”You’ve caused her enough pain, don’t you think?”  Scully doesn’t react to this at all, and Mulder quickly realizes: the ghost isn’t speaking out loud.  This is all in his head.

“Olivia,” Mulder tries again, “can’t you tell us how to help you?  Tell us what you want, please.”  She moves even closer, and Mulder finds that he can smell her now, smell her rank stench of death and decay.

”You can’t give me what I want,” she tells him.  ”But I can give her what she needs.”

“And what’s that, Olivia?”  Mulder clings to a faint hope that using her name as many times as possible will encourage something, some connection, that will make her back off.

But it’s in vain.

”The same thing I’ve been trying to give her since the day you both arrived,” Olivia sneers.  ”The same thing they all need.  You, gone.”

“I’m not-“  But Mulder’s protests die in his throat, as if by force.  He feels his mouth moving, but it’s out of his control, and the words he speaks, though they’re in his voice, are not his own.

“Scully,” he hears himself saying, “give me your gun.”  Scully stares at him, wide-eyed.

“What?” she says.  “Why?”

“You won’t need it,” Olivia says, through him.  “She doesn’t want to hurt you.”

“She wants to hurt you,” Scully protests.

“Please, Scully.  It’s the only way.”  And suddenly, Olivia’s plan becomes clear to him.  He tries to tell Scully with his eyes that it’s not him saying these words, but he feels as though the muscles of his face are frozen.  “Give it to me, Scully.  We can put a stop to this once and for all.”  Still watching him warily, Scully lowers her weapon and begins to approach him.  Mulder’s legs move of their own accord and he meets her halfway, taking the gun from her reluctant hand.  He returns to his place against the wall and turns to face Olivia.

In one swift, unhesitating motion, he places the muzzle of the gun against his temple.

”NO!”  Scully tries to run to him, to stop him, but Olivia holds out one arm without turning, and Scully’s forward motion is abruptly stopped.  She’s pushed- gently, it seems- back across the room until she’s at the opposite wall.  “Mulder, don’t do this!” she begs.  “Whatever she’s telling you, don’t listen!  Fight her!”

And he tries.  He flashes back, suddenly, to a day almost two years ago, to a situation that had been almost identical to this one: Mulder, his control taken from him, a gun against his head, Scully nearby, begging him to fight back.  Then, he had pulled the trigger on himself without hesitation… but this time, he does as Scully asks.  He fights.

”Just do it,” Olivia croons.  ”It will be over so fast.  You won’t feel a thing.”

But she will, he thinks, and god, the idea would drive him to his knees, if he weren’t being held forcibly upright.  The pain she’ll be in, the guilt she’ll never be able to shake at not being able to save him.  She’s screaming his name over and over, trying to free herself, trying to get to him.

”She may be upset at first,” Olivia says, ”but she’ll get over it… and after, she’ll be better off.”  Mulder still doesn’t disagree, but again, this isn’t the way.  He gathers himself, trying valiantly to throw off Olivia’s control, but she only sneers and moves closer.  It’s nearly impossible to resist.  He has to give in.

I’m sorry, Scully, he thinks desperately, wishing he could tell her out loud.  I don’t know if there’s anything after this… but if there is, I’ll take care of Emily for you until you’re ready to join us.

And suddenly, the pressure on his arm is gone, as quickly as though a switch has been flicked, and he’s able to lower the gun, to move again.  Olivia falls back, shrinking away from him.  As Mulder watches, the red eyes disappear, her features re-emerge from the black mask, and her face, her human face, is fully visible to him for the first time.  She looks horrified, ashamed, as though she’s suddenly become aware of the awfulness of what she’s been trying to force Mulder to do.

Her concerned, frightened expression is suddenly very familiar to Mulder, and he’s struck with the realization that whoever the father of Olivia Westphal’s baby had been, he had left no mark of resemblance on their child.

Before he can speak, Olivia all but dissolves before them, her form collapsing into a vague grey cloud that blows out of the room as though caught up in a strong wind.

Scully rushes at Mulder, snatching her gun away and taking out the clip for good measure before tossing the weapon onto the bed.  She throws her arms around him, and he shakily returns the embrace.

“What happened?” she murmurs into his chest.  “What made her stop?”  He shakes his head, mystified.

“I don’t know,” he says.  “I was begging her in my head the whole time, trying to convince her that it was wrong, that you would be hurt by losing me like this, that if she didn’t mean you any harm, she wouldn’t make me do it.”

“What’s the last thing you remember thinking before she let you go?” Scully asks.  

“I thought….”  Mulder bites his lip, unsure of whether he wants to tell her or not.  Any mention of the topic has, for the past month, shut her down in seconds.  “I thought of Emily,” he admits.  “I thought of how I would take care of her for you, if it turns out you’re right and there really is something beyond this plane of existence.”  Scully looks up at him, her eyes swimming in tears.

“You thought of her?” she whispers, and he nods.

“Yeah, I did,” he says.  “I guess I just… I was looking for any way I could possibly make it easier to let go, and hoping that she might be waiting for me, that I could tell her all about you and how much you loved her….”  He shrugs.  “Getting to see her again was the only possible good I could find in the face of so much loss.”  Scully’s eyes widen suddenly, and she steps back, raising a hand to her mouth.

“Loss,” she says.  “That’s the common thread.”  Mulder frowns.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“The Farleys,” she says.  “And the Menendezes.  Two couples who saw Olivia, but weren’t harmed by her.”  She looks up at Mulder.  “Two couples who had lost children.  The Farleys lost two children in a car crash, and the Menendezes lost their daughter to sudden infant death syndrome.”  Mulder sees what Scully is getting at, and now, it’s so obvious that he could kick himself for not having figured it out before.

“Just like Olivia Westphal lost her child,” he says.  He reaches out and takes Scully’s hand.  “And just like you lost Emily.  Olivia saw that in you, somehow: that sadness, that sense of loss, that she sympathized with.  For all her malevolence in death, she doesn’t want to hurt anyone who’s suffered the same loss that she did.”

“Including you,” Scully whispers, her eyes filling with tears.  “She sensed it in you, as well.”  She releases his hand long enough to reach up and cup his cheek.  “Because you loved her, too.”

“Of course I did, Scully,” he says, covering her hand with his own.  “I’ve been trying to tell you for weeks, but you haven’t wanted to hear it.  I loved her because she was a part of you.”  The tears in Scully’s eyes spill over, and finally, finally, she begins to cry, to truly cry, to sob the way Mulder knows she’s needed to since the moment she’d walked out of Emily’s hospital room for the last time.  He pulls her to himself, cradling her head against his chest, stroking her hair as he waits it out.

“Do you have that card Gregory Pekarcik gave us?” Mulder asks, when Scully seems to have decided that she’s indulged herself enough, and is wiping the last of her tears from her cheeks.  “The one with his private extension on it?”

“Yeah, I think so,” says Scully, turning to look through her purse, clearly glad for something to move on to.  She takes out the card and hands it to Mulder.  “What for?”

“I might have figured it out sooner if I’d ever really gotten the chance to see Olivia’s face,” he says, crossing to the phone on the nightstand and picking it up.  “Let’s just hope she can see it a little more quickly.”

When Mr. Pekarcik arrives in their room, fifteen minutes later, he’s wearing a thick, plaid robe and an expression of polite confusion.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Foster?” he asks, as Mulder lets him into their room.  “Is everything all right?”

“I think it might be, soon,” says Mulder, shutting the door.  “But we’re going to have to ask you to please just… uh… keep an open mind.”

“An open mind?”  Mr. Pekarcik is looking positively mystified now.

“Yeah,” says Mulder.  “We think we might have figured out the cause of your problems… and maybe a way to solve them.”

“Mul… Eric,” says Scully, catching herself, “what makes you so sure that you can summon her?  And how do we know it’s safe?  We know she doesn’t want to hurt you anymore, but what about Mr. Pekarcik?”

“Who wanted to hurt you?” Mr. Pekarcik asks.  “And what are you talking about?  Who are you summoning?  Is it another guest?”

“In a manner of speaking,” says Mulder.  “Though, she was a guest here long before the building was ever a hotel.”  He steps away from the other two and speaks loudly and clearly.  “Olivia Westphal,” he calls, “show yourself.”

“Mrs. Foster,” says Mr. Pekarcik nervously, “is he all right?  I know that last night must have been hard on him, and-“

“Olivia Westphal, we have what you want,” Mulder continues.  “We have what was taken from you.”

“Mr. Foster, I really dont-“  He gasps suddenly as a dark flash crosses the mirror.  “What was that?”

Before either Mulder or Scully can answer, she’s there, hovering in front of the balcony doors, watching all three of them warily.  She glances at Scully, then at Mulder… and then her eyes fall on Gregory Pekarcik.  Mulder holds his breath.  If he’s wrong, the hotel owner is likely to be in grave danger, and he’s fairly certain that he and Scully won’t be able to protect him.  Those red eyes will re-emerge and will be the last thing that this man ever sees.

But he’s not wrong.

Olivia crosses the room until she’s directly in front of Mr. Pekarcik, who is frozen in place, unable to move, his mouth hanging open in shock.

“She… she looks just like me,” he breathes.  The ghost reaches out a trembling, ethereal hand, holding it inches from Mr. Pekarcik’s cheek.  She lets out a single, choking sob, and draws back, looking at Mulder and Scully.

“Thank you,” she tells them, and moments later, she’s gone, in a swirl of light and fog, leaving behind a faint scent of roses.

Mr. Pekarcik turns to Mulder and Scully, his eyes practically bugging out of his head.

“What on earth was that?” he demands.

“That,” says Scully, “was most likely the cause of all the terrible things that have happened here.  I think you’ll find that all of that’s going to stop now.”

“You’re telling me my hotel was haunted?”

“‘Was’ being the operative word here,” says Mulder.  Mr. Pekarcik shakes his head in amazement.

“I think I need to sit down,” he says, collapsing heavily onto the edge of the bed.  He looks up at Mulder and Scully.  “Who was she?”  Mulder smiles.

“Someone who’s been looking for you for your entire life.”

————————-

“So they took me away from her and told her that I had died?”

They’re seated at a table in the empty dining room.  Mr. Pekarcik has his hands wrapped around a mug of tea that Scully had insisted on brewing for them, but he’s still too much in shock to lift the cup from the saucer without shaking so much that the tea spills everywhere.

“It’s all right there in Michael Westphal’s letter,” says Mulder, gesturing to the scrapbook that lies open on the table between them.

“I read it when I pasted it in there, of course,” says Mr. Pekarcik.  “I just… it never even occurred to me that  I was the child in question.”  He shakes his head.  “I guess maybe now I know why I felt such a pull towards this place.”

“It was a different time,” says Scully quietly.  “Nowadays, a single mother might get some raised eyebrows and more than a few whispers, but it’s not nearly as much of a stigma as it was then.  I’m not saying it excuses what he did at all, but I do think that he was genuinely concerned with his daughter’s future.”

“You’re being much kinder to him than I could ever be,” grumbles Mulder.

“Like I said, it doesn’t excuse the deception,” says Scully.  “And I’m sure that he learned his lesson in the most brutal way possible when he lost his daughter to suicide.”  The three sit in silence, and Mulder wonders: how would Scully have fared, in such a situation?  Losing Emily had been difficult enough for her, and that had been with both his support and her mother’s, not to mention a demanding and time-consuming career that she could bury herself in whenever she needed a distraction.

But Olivia Westphal had been alone, far from her parents, in a place that Mulder strongly suspects had not been the most welcoming or supportive of environments.  She had found happiness in the arrival of her son… only to have him snatched away.  Would it have been better if she’d known that he had been destined for a loving home?  Or would it not have made a difference?

“And you’re really FBI agents?” Mr. Pekarcik asks for the third time in the past half hour.  He had asked to see their badges twice, and both times had stared at them in uncomprehending amazement.”

“We really are,” Scully assures him.  “We’re sorry that we couldn’t tell you before we’d figured out what was going on.

“Because you thought I might have been responsible for the deaths that have happened here?”

“Because we thought there might be a chance that someone working at the resort might have been responsible,” says Scully gently.  “Not necessarily you.”

“And instead, you get to go home and tell your boss that a ghost was behind the whole thing,” chuckles Mr. Pekarcik.  “It’s like a bad episode of Scooby Doo.  What’s he going to say?”

“Oh, our boss is used to us turning in reports just like this one’s going to be,” says Mulder.  “Our unit is primarily concerned with cases just like this one.”

“What, ghosts?  The FBI investigates haunted houses?”  Mr. Pekarcik’s eyebrows are raised in disbelief, but at least he’s calmed to the point where he can finally start drinking his tea.

“Not necessarily ghosts,” says Scully.  “We specialize in cases that other agents haven’t been able to solve, usually because some details remain unexplainable.  And sometimes….”  She gives Mulder a pointed look.  “Sometimes there’s a paranormal element.”

“Sometimes?” Mulder scoffs.

“And sometimes it turns out there’s a perfectly logical scientific explanation,” Scully insists.

“But not this time,” says Mulder, barely able to suppress the gleeful I-told-you-so tone of his voice.

“No, not this time,” Scully sighs.

Mr. Pekarcik finally gives up on his tea, pushing it away.  “I think I need to go to bed,” he says wearily.  “I’ve had more than enough excitement for one night.”  He stands, and Mulder and Scully rise as well.  The hotel owner reaches out and shakes Mulder’s hand, then Scully’s.  “I can’t thank you enough for this,” he says sincerely.  “I honestly thought my dream of owning a hotel was over and done with.  Anytime either of you want to come up here and stay for a real vacation, please, let me know.  You’ll have my best room, free of charge.”

“That’s very generous, Mr. Pekarcik,” says Scully.  “I think we just might take you up on that.  We have more than a little vacation time store up, both of us.”  Mr. Pekarcik beams widely.

“Excellent,” he says.  “Please feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen,” he tells them, waving his arm towards the double doors leading out of the dining room.  “Otherwise, I’ll see you for breakfast in the morning.”

“We’ll probably be heading out very early,” says Scully.  “We’ll need to get back to Washington.”  Mr. Pekarcik chuckles, shaking his head ruefully.

“You won’t be going anywhere tomorrow,” he tells them.  “Not unless the FBI sent you here on a snowplow.  Or a dogsled.  That storm out there is nowhere near over, and until it is, the plows won’t be making their way out here.  But please, tell the FBI that the rest of your visit is on me, all right?”  And with a bow, he leaves the restaurant, as dignified as anyone in a plaid bathrobe can possibly be.  Mulder turns back to Scully, grinning.

“So… we’re stuck here,” he says.  “For a couple more days, at least.”  Scully answers his smile.

“Snowbound in a romantic resort getaway,” she says, stepping closer and sliding her arms around his waist.  “What will we do to pass the time?”  Mulder looks thoughtful.

“We could get a jump start on our report,” he suggests.  “I’m sure you’d like to have it done by the time we fly home.”

“Mulder,” says Scully, warning in her voice.

“Skinner would be really impressed with us,” he continues earnestly.  “Solving the case in three days?  Getting the owner to foot the bill for the rest of the time we’re here?  Showing up with a finished report?”  He grins.  “Come on, Scully, let’s get back up to our room and get started.”  Scully takes his hand, tugging him towards the lobby.

“Oh, we’re going back to our room, all right,” she says, as they start out of the restaurant together.  “But if you keep on insisting that we’re spending the rest of our stay writing our report….”  She shakes her head at him.

“You’re always bugging me to be more responsible, Scully,” he says.  “Well, this is my chance to take your advice.  You take the events of the first day, and I’ll-“

“Mulder.”  She gives his hand a sharp yank.  “You keep this up, and Gregory Pekarcik is going to have an entirely new ghost haunting his halls.”

“Nah, I wouldn’t stay here,” says Mulder.  “If I’m going to haunt anything, it’s not going to be a place; it’s going to be a person.”

“You’re saying you would haunt me?” asks Scully.

“Yup,” he says cheerfully.  “Let’s face it, Scully.  You’re never getting rid of me.”  Scully smiles warmly up at him, slipping her arm around his waist.

“Good.”

[dcfairwi]

A total of 46 teams competed in this year’s Meat Animal Sale Trivia Night March 24, 2018, to raise money toward completing the pen upgrade started last summer in the 4-H and FFA pig barn at the Dodge County Fairgrounds.

The event was held at Dodgeland High School, Juneau, and featured 50 silent-auction items; more than 130 bucket-raffle items; a 50/50 raffle won by Crystal Soldner, Lowell; and of course, 10 rounds of trivia. Trivia topics included “name that song,” “name that movie,” pop culture, children’s Disney trivia, sports logos, and much more.

The winning trivia team was comprised of eight individuals: Tom Kohn, Lorraine Kohn, Vicki Marshall, Dewayne Marshall, Ryan Marshall, Katie Marshall, Lisa Eckhardt, and Mason Eckhardt. Second place was the team from Mayville FFA Alumni: Jake Cramer, Mary Feucht, Dave Westphal, Greg Clark, Pam Wellso, Glen Wellso, Tim Clark, and Maria Metke. Finally, third place included Bo Becker, Kyle Becker, Colleen Becker, Zack Conner, Kathy Fries, Todd Fries, Sandy Ellingson, and Glenn Ellingson. A random-winning team was also chosen, and those members were Sherri Hesse, Jean Borchardt, Kevin Horack, Deb Horack, Marge Benz, Don Koehler, Darlene Hesse, and Tim Hesse.

Officials for the 2018 trivia contest were Heidi Tunak, Ashipen; Mary Martin, Slinger; Louis Strupp, Watertown; Larry and Noreen Dogs, Theresa; Beth Wollin, Lebenan; and John and Christine Siedschlag, Watertown.

Andy Boschert, Beaver Dam, a youth in the meat-animal project who exhibits pigs at the Dodge County Fair, was co-chair of the fundraiser, again, this year, for the second year in a row. “We’re hoping to finish the rest of the pig barn this year, so everyone who shows pigs at the fair has a new pen,” noted Boschert. “Patience is key when trying to achieve a goal, and the support of this community and surrounding communities has really allowed us to make good progress and hopefully finish the barn.”

“We started our fundraising on Sept. 1, 2017, by selling the old swine pens, and through trivia nights, t-shirt sales, and pen sponsorships we’ve raised $23,600,” noted Eric Salmi, fundraiser adult co-chair. More money is still needed. Donations for the renovation project will be accepted until June 1, 2018; families and clubs can donate money to cover the price of one pen or part of a pen; the cost of one complete pen is $450. “We will have a plaque with your club or family name on it in the swine barn starting in 2018, and we can name a pen in someone’s honor, too” commented Salmi. “In addition, our committee is selling short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirts to help raise money. There’s a pig on the front of the shirt, and the back says, ‘I supported swine lock up 2017-2018.’ ” All shirts are gray with black lettering. The cost of each t-shirt is $15 for sizes youth through XL. If you need a 2XL or larger, the cost is $17. The long-sleeve shirts are selling for $20 (all sizes).

Contact Salmi at mastrivianight@yahoo.com for more information or to make a donation.

Written by Dori Lichty — farm wife, 4-H Mom, and full-time communicator

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Photo by Dori Lichty

Pig-barn Fundraising nears goal thanks to Trivia Night A total of 46 teams competed in this year’s Meat Animal Sale Trivia Night March 24, 2018, to raise money toward completing the pen upgrade started last summer in the 4-H and FFA pig barn at the Dodge County Fairgrounds.

[idherault]

MONTPELLIER - TOI ET TES NUAGES de Eric Westphall -Cie Illusoire Jardin

MONTPELLIER – TOI ET TES NUAGES de Eric Westphall -Cie Illusoire Jardin

(more…)

[junker-town]

The Suns’ lottery win is exactly the boost their bizarre rebuild needed

Phoenix has been one of the league’s historic franchises, but not recently. But lottery luck arrived just in time to turn that around.

The Phoenix Suns, deep into a stuttering rebuild project, finally have a real exit strategy. After missing out on a top-3 pick after each of their previous two hideous seasons, the Suns won the 2018 NBA Draft lottery thanks to the worst record in the league. This was a damn good lottery to win, too.

There are two consensus options for the No. 1 pick Phoenix will make on June 21. Both have loose ties to the organization. Luka Doncic is a Slovenian wunderkind considered the best prospect to ever come out of Europe. Doncic’s national team coach — who led Slovenia to EuroBasket gold last summer — is newly minted Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov. Bahamas-born Deandre Ayton, meanwhile, spent the last two years of high school at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix and spent his one year of college ball playing at the University of Arizona.

Either should be a brilliant fit for the Suns. Phoenix needs a lot of help, and has so many question marks beyond Devin Booker. Kokosov has a promising resumé and backstory, but you never know how first-time NBA head coaches will pan out. But if Phoenix takes Doncic or Ayton, and that player pans out like just about everyone believes they will, the Suns will have two legitimate stars in the making to build around.

That gets you out of a long rebuild. That’s exactly what the Suns need to do.

Phoenix really began rebuilding once Amare Stoudemire left in free agency in 2010 and Steve Nash exited via a sign-and-trade three years later, but a shockingly competitive 2014 season threw everything out of whack. Believing in a team built around Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and the Morris twins, Phoenix got off track.

After a couple of bizarre seasons and some interesting free agent chases and win-now trades, the Suns had to start their rebuild all over again. Luckily, general manager Ryan McDonough had struck gold in the late lottery with Booker. Results higher up the draft board have been mixed if not straight-up bad.

Winning the lottery in a year with two clear-cut No. 1 talents makes messing it up less likely. (Of course, almost everyone thought Markelle Fultz was a no-risk prospect a year ago. Remember what Socrates told us: all we know is that we know nothing.) McDonough has been forced to make tough decisions with challenging draft picks in shaky years. There’s more certainty this time around. That should be a boon.

Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

What’s often lost in modern critiques of the Phoenix Suns, especially as related to bewildering boss Robert Sarver, is that it has been one of the most well-run, successful franchises since it was founded in 1968.

The Suns won 48 games in their third season (and missed the playoffs because seeding was truly and absurdly broken back then). They made the NBA Finals — and almost won them — in 1976. Phoenix had long runs of success led by Paul Westphal, Larry Nance, and (after the 1987 drug scandal took its toll) Kevin Johnson, before Charles Barkley arrived and carried the Suns back to the NBA Finals. The 1990s finished off strangely, but with consistent playoff berths. The 2000s soon brought historic advent of Mike D’Antoni and Steve Nash’s partnership. The unraveling of that era led right into Phoenix’s current mess, which constitutes the longest and saddest playoff drought in franchise history.

The Suns are rarely held up with the NBA’s titans because the Suns have never won a championship. But Phoenix has the seventh-best franchise winning percentage among non-defunct teams. The ineptitude we’ve witnessed for the last half-decade is rare in the franchise’s history. Over the course of time, the Suns usually somewhere between good and great.

This lottery win may be just what the franchise needs to slide back into that familiar position. Luck couldn’t help Phoenix find an answer to its woes in recent years, but you really only need that sort of providence once. The Suns received it on Tuesday. Now it’s up to the team to make good use of it and turn this franchise back around.