#frank & mike

[xxpobloxx]

Chapter 0 - A Bit of Backstory

Middle School is quite the awkward year, you arent a kid anymore, but you are not an adult just yet. which brings us a group of kids, Billie Joe Armstrong, and his friends, Frank Edwin Wright III, and Michael Pritchard, though those two instead called themselves Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt. This trio of kids were troublemakers to say the least, often pulling pranks on teachers and school faculty. They found it odd that the school would be funded not by a board, but by a pharmaceutical company of all things, so they chose to no longer give a shit.

One day, hanging out in the lunchroom, a few hours before school normally starts, Tre comes in with a large box full of stuff.

"This dude I know, his name's Spencer, he brought me this, a whole music kit!" he said, revealing a drum kit, some microphones, a guitar, a bass, and few amps, "I call dibs on the drums!" Tre said, getting them set up, Billie choosing the guitar, and Mike choosing the bass. They plugged in, and noticed the amps were full of stickers of all sorts, all of which were strange and different, but all of them were green.

"I'm gonna sing too, fuck it." Billie said, setting up a mic stand for himself. The trio would soon play, it started off sounding a bit reckless, but soon, transformed into something of value.

They called it, Welcome To Paradise

Though as they rehearsed the song one more time, faculty members came in, apprehending the three. Billie remembers being taken home and not going to school that day, he cant recall the rest of the day, though he came back the next day, and before class, he would come see Tre.

"Hey, Tre! What's up?"

"Uhm... I don't know you? And my name isn't Tre."

Billie frowned as his friend had forgotten him, he went to find Mike, though he too had forgotten him.

Billie would never see his once-friends again, and as he grew, he would unfortunately forget he had friends. As the medicine he had to take after the incident, unbeknownst to him at the time, would make him soon forget them too. Though years later, now older, would look out the window of his apartment, soon, he would see in the alleyway, a group of people in masks spray painting messages on walls, displaying messages about how Better Living Industries, the company who made Battery City, are controlling people, it made him realize, those pills he had to take since the incident were from BLI, and it made him think, he never really had a girlfriend before, and he was told he needed to prioritize that. But he didn't know if that was what he wanted.

But seeing this enlightened him, the message was clear, this life, in Battery City, was suppressing his full potential. He got a red t-shirt, a marker, wrote "FUCK YOU" on it, switched into it, ripped a jacket into a vest, put it on, put some tape on both for decorative purposes, and began his escape.

He didn't know where the exit to battery city was, so he went in with the masked people vandalizing the alleyway, one of them noticed he had no mask on.

"DUDE! PUT SOMETHING ON! THEY'LL FIND YOU!" she whisper-yelled, getting a helmet from her backpack and putting it over his head, she chucked, "Hehe, suits you well, I don't remember you, what do we call you again?"

"Uhhhh... Jim Dickman." Billie said, making the name up on the spot, before sighing, lifting the visor up, "Look, I saw your messages, so I came down and wanted to join you guys."

She smiled, "Hey, bud, y'know, I can set you guys up, I know a guy in the zones- er, the zones are sorta the outskirts of Battery City, anyway, so, I know a guy who can deck you up with a better look, you look like a fish learning target practice right now, they'll fix you up."

Once the group was ready to return to the zones, Billie went with them, the girl, calling herself Cassiette, brought him to a place where he would get a new outfit, to which he used a bit of what he got, and a bit of what he knows will shock any exterminators, this included wearing a skirt, leggings high enough to be presumed to be pants, and lots of funny penises, on his new ray gun, on his new mask, and as a patch on the back of his vest, once he was all ready, putting on some makeup just for fun. Billie Joe Armstrong was no more, now, he is Jim Dickman, and Cassiette loved him, she thought he looked super cute and sexy, so, she brought him into the restroom for some, private time together...

This would be a first, he was lead to believe he should be on the giving end of these kinds of things, but receiving it was way more fun, this would be a beginning for him. He would go on from there blasting Draculoids and flirting with fellow zone runners, he would not be able to be friends with Cassiette forever, as one time she was captured, and/or killed, he didn't want to figure out which. Despite this, Jim Dickman did meet some other friends in the zones, the Fab Four, the most well known, a mystery by the name of Psycho Beauty, and a trio of misfits named Fresh Salters, Jaxxy Jupiter, and Voxel Purple.

[smallcollegebasketball]

Bevo Francis Award Watch List of 50 Players

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 15, 2023 Media Contact: Matt Ankenbrandt Sports Information Director │ Small College Basketball 616.780.1335 www.smallcollegebasketball.com

2023 Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List Announced

Kansas City, MO – Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee are extremely excited to announce the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List for the 2022-23 season. The Top 50 Watch List consists of some of the top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA. 

John McCarthy had this to say about this year’s Top 100 Watch List: “Congratulations to the 50 players on this prestigious list,” stated McCarthy. “There are approximately 13,000-16,000 players that compete at the small college levels; as such, this is a very elite list. Thank you to our National Awards Committee for all of their insight and guidance on the creation of this list.”

The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations will be season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. This is an incredibly prestigious award, as this award will only be given to one player within Small College Basketball per season.

2023 marks the seventh year of the Bevo Francis Award. Past winners include Dominez Burnett of Davenport University in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State University in 2017, Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial University in 2018, Aston Francis of Wheaton College in 2019, Kyle Mangas of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2020 and Trevor Hudgins of Northwest Missouri State University in 2022. The award was not presented during the 2021 season.

On March 15th , the list will be reduced to the Top 25 players. On April 1 st , the finalists of this year���s award will be announced, followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned on April 3rd .

The Bevo Francis Awards Committee consists of the following coaches: Gary Stewart – Stevenson (MD), Chris Briggs – Georgetown College (KY), Bill Dreikosen – Rocky Mountain (MT), Mark Berokoff – Oklahoma City, Mike Donnelly – Florida Southern, Sam Hargraves – Olivet, Stephen Brennan – Babson, Richard Westerlund – Great Lakes Christian, Chase Teichmann – Florida College, Aaron Siebenthall – Ottawa (KS), Tae Norwood – Humboldt State, Mark Vanderslice – USC-Aiken, Grant Leep, Seattle Pacific, Matt O’Brien – Southwestern (KS), Chris Wright – Langston (OK), Nathan Champion – LeMoyne.

To stay up to date on all things Small College Basketball, please head to smallcollegebasketball.com.

2022-23 Bevo Francis Award Top 50 Watch List

Kaden Anderson 6’8” Sr. Point Loma Nazarene Josh Angle 6’3” Sr. Claremont-Mudd-Scripts Raheem Anthony 6’4” Sr. St. Mary’s (MN) Diego Bernard 6’0” Sr. NW MO State Jesse Bingham 6’6” So. Indianapolis Octavio Brito 6’4” So. Keene State Jalen Brooks 6’5” Sr. LSU-Shreveport Anthony Brown 6’5” Sr. Mid-America Nazarene Julius Brown 5’10” Sr. West Texas A&M Bryce Butler 6’5” Jr. West Liberty Frank Champion 6’7” So. North Georgia Luke Chicone 5’10” So. John Carroll Jack Clement 6’0” Sr. Ohio Wesleyan Tyshaun Crawford 7’1” Sr. Augusta Tyson Cruickshank 5’11” Sr. Wheaton (IL) Cole Frilling 6’6” Sr. Case Western Reserve Zach Goodline 6’1” Sr. Huntington Tristan Harper 6’6” Sr. Langston Jahn Hines 6’4” Jr. Christopher Newport Jarred Houston 6’10” Sr. Emerson Jeff Hunter 6’7” Sr. Keene State Josiah Johnson 6’1” Sr. Mary Hardin Baylor Reid Jolly 6’5” Jr. Thomas More KJ Jones 6’6” Jr. Emmanuel (GA) Shawndale Jones 6’3” Sr. IUP Brandon Knapper 6’0” Sr. Cal State San Bernardino Akuel Kot 6’2” Jr. Fort Lewis Zach Laput 6’4” Jr. Bentley Peter Lash 6’6” So. Nebraska Wesleyan Jaden Lietzke 6’7” Jr. Oklahoma Wesleyan Drew Lutz 6’1” Sr. Bethel (IN) Miles Mallory 6’5” Jr. Randolph-Macon Sam Masten 6’2” Sr. Northern State Seth Maxwell 7’0” Sr. Indiana Wesleyan Riley Minix 6’7” Sr. Southeastern (FL) Brendan Mora 6’5” Sr. Pomona-Pitzer Robert Osborne 6’5” Sr. Virginia Union Jalen Overway 6’9” Fr. Calvin Christian Parker 6’6” Jr. Mount Union Carlos Pepin 6’7” Sr. East Stroudsburg Chase Rankin 6’1” Sr. Lincoln Memorial Tyler Schmidt 6’4” Jr. Olivet Nazarene Joel Scott 6’7” Sr. Black Hills State Matt Simpson 6’1” Sr. Florida College Alex Sobel 6’8” Sr. Middlebury RJ Sunahara 6’8” Jr. Nova Southeastern

Blaise Threatt 6’3” So. CO Mesa

Markelle Turner 6’2” Jr. Union (KY) Mason Walters 6’9” Sr. Jamestown Jaden Wells 6’1” So. Central Oklahoma

[graphicpolicy]

Preview: Transformers '84: Legends & Rumors

Transformers '84: Legends & Rumors preview. The classic stories that inspired Transformers: Secrets & Lies. #Comics #ComicBooks #Transformers

Transformers ’84: Legends & Rumors Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, Steve Parkhouse, Simon Furman (A) Kim DeMulder, Frank Springer, John Ridgeway, Mike Collins (A/CA) Guido GuidiIn Shops: Apr 07, 2021SRP: $7.99 Some events in history are so incredible, that they’ve gone down in legend-epic tales of epic heroes and villains. Others remain shrouded in mystery, only surfacing as snippets of the real…

[larryland]

REVIEW: "Tales of the Lost Formicans" at Silverthorne Theater

REVIEW: “Tales of the Lost Formicans” at Silverthorne Theater

by Jenny Hansell In Silverthorne Theater Company‘s Tales of the Lost Formicans, a cheery group of aliens from the future explore and describe an odd life form, their artifacts, and their environment, a place we know as “the suburbs.”  They explain oddities such as chairs and tables, social interactions and the means these creatures reproduce. It’s as arch and cute as it sounds: the actors playing…

[thecomicon]

Previewing 'Transformers '84: Legends & Rumors 100-Page Giant' #1 From IDW

Previewing ‘Transformers ’84: Legends & Rumors 100-Page Giant’ #1 From IDW

Written by Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, Steve Parkhouse, Simon Furman Art by Frank Springer, Kim DeMulder, John Ridgeway, Mike Collins, Guido Guidi Colour art by Nel Yomtov, Josie Firmin, Gina Hart, John-Paul Bove  “Some events in history are so incredible, that they’ve gone down in legend—epic tales of epic heroes and villains. Others remain shrouded in mystery, only surfacing as snippets of the…

[suzannemsabol]

90's Part Deux

90’s Part Deux

[namtanlovesfilm]

THAI ACTORS WHO ARE ALSO YOUTUBERS

amp phurikulkrit

arm weerayut

ciize apichaya

chimon wachiwarit

drake laedeke

oajun korn

earth katsamonnat

fiat pattadon

fluke natouch

fon sananthachat

frank thanatsaran

gam wichayanee

godji tatchakorn

goy arachaporn

gun korawit

gunsmile

jan ployshompoo

jeff satur

jennie panhan

kao supassara

kay lertsittichai

kimmon varodom

lay talay

love pattranite

luke plowden

mario maurer

mild lapassalan

mike chinnarat

mook worranit

nanon korapat

nicky nachat

nune woranuch

nut supanut

papang phromphiriya

pavel poom

perth nakhun

petch chanapoom

porsch apiwat

pp krit

puimek nasaporn

saint suppapong

singto prachaya

thanaerng kanyawee

ticha wongtipkanon

tommy sittichok

toni rakkaen

up poompat

* if I have missed an actor, feel free to send me the link to their channel & I will add them to the list!

[nightingveilxo]

JOE BOB BRIGGS & THE LONE STARS - MONSTER MASH B/W ZOMBIE JAMBOREE EP

Ship to Shore PhonoCo. is proud to present the Monster Mash / Zombie Jamboree 7” vinyl, performed by horror supergroup Joe Bob Briggs & The Lone Stars, featuring the musical talents of heavy-hitters Fabio Frizzi, Frank Iero and Piggy D!

Presenting everyone’s favorite horror-movie host Joe Bob Briggs on vocals, Monster Mash is a new Halloween anthem replete with lyrics for the Last Drive-In faithful! The ghoulish rock ’n’ roll tune is cut into the A side, while a whole new new take - reconstructed Texas-style! - of the calypso classic Zombie Jamboree can be found grooved into the wax on the flip. Zombie Jamboree is an exclusive track not to be found anywhere else!

With artwork from acclaimed artist Mike Luckas, and pressed on limited edition Monster Mashed Marble vinyl, it’s a 45 perfect for the Halloween season! Joe Bob Briggs & The Lone Stars are a supergroup featuring renowned names in the annals of both music and horror!

Producer - Last Drive-In song ’n’ dance wolfman John “Howlin’” Brennan Vocals - Joe Bob “Bat-Slayer” Briggs Guitar, Drums & Bass - horror punk rocker Piggy “Count” D (Wednesday 13, Rob Zombie) Guitars - Frankenstein-lovin’ Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance, Leathermouth) Piano & Synths - legendary composer Fabio “Fantasma” Frizzi (The Beyond, Zombi 2) Additional Vocals - frightful fan favorites Darcy the Mail Girl & Yuki Nakamura

[chips1977]

WARNING : I'm just an addict ... addicted to music. There are people who are born to make music, o8 thers are born to hearing. Whenever was part of this second group. Maybe it's. a habit, I gotta use, even if it 's rock, jazz or the quiet storm. Great pictures of the things I love - music, painting, books, photography, architecture, design, women, and more. I love music more than lasagna. Better to burn out than fade away. The older you get, the better life gets. But time also seems to be accelerating, the clock running too fast. So, looking at those early days, everything is very slow, stretched, and great significance. The most recent time, I spent busy with simple things.People think rock and roll is only about teenage rebellion, but why can not exist old rebel too? THE RESIDENTS is my Biggest Addiction, and,THE RED KRAYOLA, OLD TIME RELIJUN-ARRINGTON DIONYSO,R. STEVIE MOORE,SHRIMP BOAT,SMEGMA,THE SUN CITY GIRLS, LEGENDARY PINK DOTS,MINIMAL COMPACT,FRANK ZAPPA,CAPTAIN BEEFHEART,THE VELVET UNDERGROUND,THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282,THE EX,CAN,FAUST,WEEN,TELEVISION,THE MODERN LOVERS,SNAKEFINGER,MILES DAVIS,SUN RA,KRAFTWERK,ANAL MAGIC & REV. DWIGHT FRIZZELL,MICHAEL YONKERS,MOONDOG,THE WORK,RAYMOND SCOTT,THE GO-BETWEENS,SLAPPY HAPPY,ART BEARS,NAKED CITY,HENRY COW,SKELETON CREW,JOHN ZORN,FRED FRITH,THE FIBONACCIS,BONGWATER-MARK KRAMER,SHOCKABILLY,BAND OF SUSANS,THE PAINTEENS,STUMP,RENALDO AND LOAF,CERTAIN GENERAL,THE THREE JOHNS,CHROME,PRIMUS-LES CLAYPOOL,EUGENE CHADBOURNE,ESKIMO, MINUTEMEN, MISSION OF BURMA,FUGAZI,BLURT, GLAXO BABIES,THIS HEAT,THE SEA AND CAKE,SAVAGE REPUBLIC,TUXEDO MOON, XTC,U.S,MAPLE,THE PAPER CHASE,DANIEL SMITH- DANIELSON FAMILE .......  Other musical priorities are: HENRY FLYNT, THE FEELIES,PERE UBU,THE CLASH, JOY DIVISION, PROTOMARTYR, CAR SEAT HEADREST,THE BETTER-BEATLES, DARKSIDE,THE MEMBRANES, THEATRE OF HATE, NOCTURNAL PROJECTIONS,THE LINES,CARDINAL,CLEANERS FROM VENUS,THE JAZZ BUTCHER, ELVIS COSTELLO,THE MONOCHROME SET, TELEVISION PERSONALITIES, ALTERNATIVE TV, GONG,ANNIE ANXIETY, THE DEL-BYZANTEENS, WALL OF VOODOO, BUTHOLE SURFERS, RICHARD DAWSON, MAC DeMARCO,WOVEN HAND,16 HORSEPOWER, DAVID EUGENE EDWARDS,SHELLAC, SLINT-PAPA M-DAVID PAJO, LUNGFISH, OM, EARTH,THE BOOK OF KNOTS,LOUNGE LIZARDS-JOHN LURIE,ANTON FIER-GOLDEN PALOMINOS,PETER BLEGVAD,PETER HAMMILL,TOMAHWAK,FANTOMAS,MR. BUNGLE, MIKE PATTON, SUICIDE-MARTIN REV+ALAN VEGA,AARON FREEMAN,JAPAN,STEREOLAB, SPACEMEN 3, SPECTRUM, SWELL MAPS, SILVER APPES, SWELL,MORPHINE, HAWKWIND, DEVO,FLYING LIZARDS, MAGAZINE, RALPH CARNEY,ROBERT WYATT, JOHN WILKES BOOZE, KEVIN COYNE, DAEVID ALLEN, SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM, MX-80 SOUND, SOPOR AETERNUS & The ENSEMBLE of SHADOWS, THE AUTEURS,MAN MAN, DAMIEN JURADO, DAVID DONDERO, CHAD VANGALLEN, LONG FIN KILLIE, MAGIC TRICK-TIN COHEN, CHRIS COHEN, DAVID BAZAN,VAMPIRE RODENTS, JON WAYNE, PRAM,THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL, PAVEMENT, PATTI SMITH, FUGS, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE-TOM RAP, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-JOSEPH BYRD, FAMILY, GODZ, BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND,PENTANGLE,THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND, SLOVENLY, CHEER- ACCIDENT, TARWATER, COIL,THROBBING GRISTLE, SHAWN LEE, CLUTCHY HOPKINS, JURYMAN AKA IAN SIMMONDS AKA WISE IN TIME+SANDALS, ZOOGZ RIFT, THE BOOKS,NEW THRILL PARADE, CHRIS KNOX , DAVID KILGOUR,THE BATS,THE CLEAN,THE PIN GROUP, CRIME CITY SOLUTION, ROWLAND S. HOWARD,TOM WAITS, VIC CHESNUTT, JOE HENRY, ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO,THE TAPE BEATLES,THE GUN CLUB, MAGAZINE,THE DENGUE FEVER,THE PAPER CHASE,THE FIERY FURNACES,THE MICROPHONES-PHIL ELVRUM,GARY WAR,RAILROAD JERK, KARL BLACK- SOCK HEADDED PETERS-LEMON KITTENS,THE MUSIC TAPES,THE SHAGGS, BOBB TRIMBLE, FISH AND ROSES, DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA,POP D`ELL ARTE,MLER IF DADA,TOM ZÉ, WALTER FRANCO,OS MUTANTES,CAETANO VELOSO,MILTON NASCIMENTO, ARNALDO ANTUNES,VINICIUS CANTUARIA,JORGE BEN,CAZUZA,CEREBRO ELECTRONICO,CORDEL DE FOGO ENCANTADO,ROGERIO SKYLAB,OTTO, MOMBOJÓ,CRIOULO,MAX CASTRO, METÁ METÁ, ATALHOS, ROMULO FROES,WADO,ORQUESTRA IMPERIAL, LENINE,APANHADOR SÓ,MUNDO LIVRE SA,NAÇÃO ZUMBI, ALÇEU VALENÇA,ANT- BEE, BILL FAY,RON SEXSMITH,EL GUAPO,DAVID GRUBS,TORTOISE, SAM PREKOP, GASTR DEL SOL,HENRY KAISER,HOME & GARDEN, BOB DRAKE, MY DEAD IS DEAD, AKRON FAMILY, SWANS,THESE IMMORTAL SOULS, UNREST WORK & PLAY,THE TAPE BEATLES,THIS KIND OF PUNISHMENT,SWOLLEN MONKEYS (Ralph Carney) LIARS, SNAPPED ANKLES, CAVERN ANTI-MATTER, GANG GANG DANCE, THE DAMAGE MANUAL,THE BLACK ANGELS,SCOUT NIBLET,DIE FORM,LONELADY,COP SHOOT COP,WAR ON DRUGS,THE MONKS,TIM HUEY,TRACHTENBURG FAMILY,THE TRIFFIDS,THE CRUEL SEA,THE MEKONS,THE METOD ACTORS,THE SOFT BOYS,THE MISTAKES,THE MOUNTAIN GOATS,THE NEW CREATION, BRUCE HAACK, LOREN MAZZACANE CONNORS,GLEN BRANCA,ALBERT MARCOEUR,LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY, SHELLEY HIRSCH,NEW YORK GONG,THE POLYPHONIC SPREE,LYDIA LUNCH,LOVE, LUCIA PAMELA,FATIMA MIRANDA,SAFETY SCISSOR S,RICHARD HELL & VOIDOIDS, SACCHARINE TRUST, ADAM FORKNER of [[[[VVRSSNN]]] YUME BITSU, ROY MONTGOMERY,RUN ON, LOVELY LITTLE GIRLS,SAFETY SCISSORS, BRIDE OF NO NO,TONE DOGS,TREAT HER RIGHT,TRIPOD JIMMIE,LIFTER PULLER,THEY MIGHT BY GIANTS,GANG OF FOUR,THE POP GROUP, WIRE, JOSEPH K, ORANGE JUICE, RAIN PARADE, THE GREEN ON REED, THE RENDERS,SOUL COUGHING-MIKE DOUGHTY, MAZARIN, KARATE- GEOFF FARINA, SECRET STARS,THE CHURCH, BLANK DOGS, FROG EYES, JOAN OF ARC, PURE X, YUNG WU,WAKE OOLOO, SPEED THE PLOUGH, DRIVE BY TRUCKERS, CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN, MARTIN NEWELL, ERLAND and The CARNIVAL, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX,CALIFONE,RED RED MEAT, LOW, Eels, LOWER DENS,THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION, KING MISSILE, THE NOTWIST, CLINIC, QUICKSPACE,THE COMSAT ANGELS,THE ASSOCIATES, EZRA FURMAN and THE HARPOONS, EFF BARZELAY, BORN RUFIANS, FERGUS & GERONIMO, CHAIN AND THE GANG-IAN SEVENONIOUS-WEIRD WAR-THE MAKE UP,ESCAPIST,MOONFACE, DEAN BLUNT,COLLEEN,ZERO 7,THREE MILE PILOT,LIFE WITHOUT BUILDINGS, CLOUD CULT,BLACKOUT BEACH,PINBACK,ARIEL PINK,MAGIC HOUR,MAJOR STARS, MAPS & ATLASES, MEGAFAUN,MENOMENA,TAME IMPALA, AMPS FOR CHRIST,ARBOURETUM,TRUE WIDOW,NANA GRIZOL,TIMBER TIMBRE,THE, IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES,THE LOVE EVERYTHING,THE MAE SHI, DEAD SKELETONS,THE SHIPPING NEWS,NEW WET KOJAK,GIRLS AGAINTS BOYS,LES SAVY FAV,GERMAN SHEPHERDS,SILKWORM,DIANOGAH,31 KNOTS,90 DAY MEN, 17 PYGMIES,PARENTHETICAL GIRLS, GUN OUTFIT,VAMPIRE RODENTS, PUMA JAW-PINKIE MACLURE and JOHN WILLS, SLUG GUTS, DOG FACED HERMANS, GOD IS MY CO-PILOT, THE SKULL DEFEKTS, CUL de SAC, PELL MELL, FOR CARNATION, MARVIN PONTIAC, ARIEL PINK, FLAT WORMS, AMEN DUNES, IDDLES, WAXAHATCHEE, WOLF PARADE, SUN KILL MOON, NATALIE PRESS ,CHELSEA WOLFE, SHILPA RAY, INCA SILVER, IBEYI, ANGEL OLSEN,THE COMET IS COMING,SLEAFORD MODS, VAGABOND, SUUNS, MADONNATRON, BIG THIEF, FAT, SHAME, SAVAGES, ICEAGE, OMNI, PARQUET COURTS, WHITE FAMILY, LYDA HUSIK, SHARON VAN ETTEN, dEUS, MITSKI, LAUREL HALO,JULIA HOLTER, MARISSA NADLER, JOSEPHINE FOSTER,TRACY BRYANT, MALE GAZE, TY SEGALL,THEE OH SEES, TYVEK, GOAT, WAND,YUCK, THE MOONLANDINGZ, VIET CONG, OUGHT, ALLAH-LAS,THE FRESH & ONLYS, WHITE FENCE, LAURA MARLING, EMA, PHAEDRA, LHASA, FIRST AID KIT, JANE WEAVER, WYE OAK, CAROLINER AKA CAROLINER RAIBOW ... E gosto de viajar, andar de bicicleta, de comboios, de animais.... não gosto de pessoas superficiais... sem cultura.Gosto de dança, de arte o que quer que isso seja!. Não gosto da monotonia. Gosto de criticar no sentido positivo. Não gosto de sonhar em ficar rico. Gosto do “Vive cada dia como se fosse o último “. Não gosto de despedidas. Gosto de pormenores.Gosto de perfumes. Não gosto de mentir nem que me mintam, não suporto hipócritas.Gosto do mar. Não gosto de quem não acredita em nada e não se importa com nada e tem a profundidade de uma colher... Gosto de viajar, gosto de ajudar e de saber que pude ser útil a alguém em qualquer coisa. Não gosto da efemeridade da vida e da constante lembrança da proximidade da morte. Não gosto de não perceber. Não gosto de atrasos e de quem não é capaz de cumprir as suas promessas, não gosto de quem volta atrás com a sua palavra e ainda menos que voltem atrás comigo. Não gosto da cusquice.Gosto de amigos e da camaradagem, não gosto das” amizades “que se perdem por coisas que no final das contas não significam nada... Gosto de palavras e de conversas sem fim... Gosto de pessoas originais, com humor,com ideias próprias... e com classe. Não gosto de carinho quando estou nervoso.Gosto do campo. Não gosto de seguir a onda.Gosto de coisas pouco claras, mas bem esclarecidas. Gosto de dominar. Não gosto de brincar com os sentimentos dos outros.Gosto de toques e de trocas de olhar, de demonstrações de carinho e de cenas sensuais. Não gosto de ficar bêbado até dizer a verdade. Gosto da grandeza das coisas simples, e gosto de coisas complicadas mas não gosto de complicações... O comum não me atrai, gosto normalmente de coisas que passam despercebidas... Gosto de gostar e de não gostar de tudo isto e muito mais...

[sssshhhthefilmsabouttostart]

The best and worst films of 2020

Let’s be honest - 2020 was an extremely shitty year for moviegoers everywhere, as the Queen would say an annus horribilis.

Due to the Covid pandemic’s dramatic impact on nearly every facet of human life, cinemas closed, film festivals went virtual and film productions became an intricate mess of insurance and safety challenges.

Yet despite these dire challenges and an unpredictable future, cinema remained very much alive throughout the year, with a wide range of ambitious undertakings snaking their way into whatever form of release seemed viable. Blockbusters receded to the background, allowing a wide range of movies to trickle through an uncertain marketplace that would have been hostile to them even in pre-pandemic times.

So what cinematic gems and unmitigated disasters were dropped upon audiences during the year?

Ladies and gentlemen, may we please offer for your consideration...

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

THE CURRENT WAR - THE LIGHTHOUSE - IN FABRIC - BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY (D) - BOMBSHELL - THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON - THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (D) - LIGHT OF MY LIFE - THE ASSISTANT - THE LODGE - THE GENTLEMEN - THE WAY BACK - DARK WATERS - 1917 - THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY - THE HUNT

2020′S TOP TEN BEST FILMS

10. THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW

Hot off the critical success of his debut feature ‘Thunder Road,’ writer-director Jim Cummings’ refreshing yet effective take on the werewolf genre amped up the dark comedy whilst delivering quite a few chills. Tinged with realistically flawed characters and clever scares, ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ might not have been your typical werewolf flick but it successfully managed to bring that classic legend to life once again.

9. LET HIM GO

Previously last seen together as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents in ‘Man of Steel,’ Diane Lane and Kevin Costner were reunited onscreen as husband and wife again in writer-director Thomas Bezucha’s neo-Western drama ‘Let Him Go.’ Adapted from author Larry Watson’s 2013 novel, the film featured stunning landscapes, full-blooded moments of sudden violence and compelling performances from Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and, most memorably, Lesley Manville’s turn as a gritty and cunning matriarch.

8. COLOUR OUT OF SPACE

Based on the classic short story by HP Lovecraft and featuring another scene-stealing performance from Nicolas Cage, this clever adaptation was an effective horror film with an unrelentingly grim sci-fi bent. In addition to the truly disturbing and inspired images of queasy body horror, ‘Colour Out of Space’ also marked the eagerly-anticipated re-emergence of filmmaker Richard Stanley (his first time back in the director’s chair since being fired from his 1996 remake ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’).

7. THE INVISIBLE MAN

Who knew a remake could be so refreshing? With this updated take on the H.G. Wells tale, writer-director Leigh Whannell did just about everything right, delivering a tense, clever thriller with touches of both horror and sci-fi. As the fascinatingly flawed yet appealing tough protagonist, Elisabeth Moss gave a captivating performance in a film that was chilling in all the right ways, packed with plenty of twists and a deliciously nasty resolution.

6. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (NETFLIX)

Whilst the subject matter of ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7′ shared an uncanny relevance to today’s politically charged times, as a gripping courtroom drama with a stellar cast, the film ticked all the boxes. ‘West Wing’ creator Aaron Sorkin put his trademark traits - razor-sharp wit, rhetorical flair and political insight - to very good use in this masterful retelling of the trial following the 1968 anti-war protests outside the Democratic National Convention.

5. HEARTS AND BONES

In his debut feature film, Australian director Ben Lawrence created a spiritually rich and immersive drama about the relationship between a grizzled, broken war photographer and a Sudanese refugee. Whilst Hugo Weaving was note-perfect in his portrayal as a crumbling man wrestling with his past, equally impressive was first time actor Andrew Luri who delivered a quiet yet memorable performance in what was an affecting piece of cinema.

4. TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL (DOCUMENTARY)

Watching a documentary about the COVID-19 crisis in the middle of a global pandemic might not sound appealing but prolific filmmaker Alex Gibney’s latest work was easily the most essential non-fiction film of 2020. Shot safely in secret for five months, ‘Totally Under Control’ played out like a tightly-wound thriller as it placed the Trump Administration’s inept response to the coronavirus pandemic under the microscope.

3. BAD EDUCATION (HBO)

As far as crime stories go, embezzlement isn’t always the most thrilling subject. However, ‘Bad Education’ turned a relatively simple white collar crime story about a New Jersey school administrator caught stealing money into a compelling drama, thanks to an incisive and nimble script and spot on performances from Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ray Romano and especially Hugh Jackman.

2. MANK (NETFLIX)

Director David Finch’s dazzling portrait of Herman J. ‘Mank’ Mankiewicz, the screenwriter who collaborated with wunderkind filmmaker Orson Welles to write the first draft of ‘Citizen Kane,’ was a cinematic jewel from start to finish. Similar to last year’s ‘Once Upon A Time in...Hollywood,’ ‘Mank’ delivered a layered depiction of the filmmaking process, whilst Gary Oldman continued to excel at immersing himself in playing real-life characters, this time as the hard-drinking, intellectual screenwriter.

1. NOMADLAND

Writer-director Chloe Zhao’s intimate drama about an unemployed widow living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad was a thoughtful, contemplative and reflective piece of storytelling. It may have touched upon mature themes about loneliness, financial instability and restlessness, but ‘Nomadland’ remained an uplifting and hopeful piece of cinema that captured the various bittersweet reasons people choose to live a life on the road.

With an outstanding performance from Frances McDormand, brought to life through the charm of the ‘real life’ supporting cast, great direction and Joshua James Richard’s mesmerising cinematography, ‘Nomadland’ was the perfect film for 2020.

...AND NOW THE WORST!

DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS

VAMPIRES VS THE BRONX - BAD BOYS FOR LIFE - THE OLD GUARD - PROJECT POWER - ISN’T IT ROMANTIC - THE RHYTHM SECTION - WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE - I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS - MIDWAY - YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT - BABY DONE - FORCE OF NATURE - CAPONE - THE NEW MUTANTS - DOOLITTLE

10. WONDER WOMAN 1984

To quote Red Letter Media’s resident film critic Mike Stoklasa, “this movie was the cinematic equivalent of the Bluesmobile.” Directed by Patty Jenkins, this 80′s-set sequel to the 2017 DC superhero hit was lethargically paced and featured a completely bonkers narrative that made absolutely no sense. Horribly scripted, disjointed and overstuffed (a runtime of 2.5 hours), ‘Wonder Woman 1984′ sadly jettisoned everything that made Jenkins’ original film so compelling. The result? An appalling misfire.

9. THE GRUDGE

A curiously talented and interesting cast were somehow lured into - and subsequently wasted in - this pointless, tired, reboot/revival of the long-running ‘Ju-On’ Japanese-based horror series. Despite director NIcholas Pesce’s attempt to disguise the rudimentary nature of the plot via back-and-forth timeline jumping, ‘The Grudge’ was just a formulaic paint-by-the-numbers meander through a poorly developed story that existed only to prop up a bunch of uninspired jump scares.

8. BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)

There are many movies that have no reason to exist - and this latest misfire from DC Comics was one of them. Directed by Cathy Yan, ‘Birds of Prey’ was a mire of uninspired ideas and recycled genre conventions that got old real quick. Penned by Christina Hodson (’Bumblebee’ being the ‘highlight’ on her resume), the script was as simplistic as it was thin, with needless subplots merely introduced to inflate the film to a decent running time. Even Margot Robbie’s manic performance as the ‘Mistress of Mayhem’ couldn’t save this mess.

7. JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT

What could’ve been a dream film for fans of these two classic stoner characters instead was nothing but a string of cameos and callbacks in a plot-less bore. Director Kevin Smith sucked all the life and fun out of this watered-down story, that suffered from a constant series of awkward and forced jokes that were painfully unfunny. An unfortunate stinker.

6. AVA

This latest foray into the ‘female assassin for hire’ genre was about as cliched as you could get. An emotionally troubled female killer whose male mentor assumes the role of the surrogate father? Check. Pounding dance music score? Check. Obligatory nightclub fight sequence? Check. Confused love interest? You betcha! Humourless, dry and uninspired, ‘Ava’ played out like a poor man’s ‘La Femme Nikita.’

5. FANTASY ISLAND

Hollywood’s obsession with repackaging Gen-X childhoods continued with this absurd attempt to reboot the classic 1970′s TV series as a low-budget horror joint under the Blumhouse label. At a dangerously close two hour runtime, there was simply nothing interesting about the film’s characters or its inane plot about a mystical island that grants wishes (a’la ‘The Monkey’s Paw’). Our advice? Turn ‘de plane’ around if you ever plan to visit this ‘Fantasy Island.’

4. ARTEMIS FOWL

For every ‘Harry Potter’ that explodes into the public consciousness, there always seems to be a dozen or more failed franchises. Sadly, Disney’s ‘Artemis Fowl’ found itself in the latter category. Director Kenneth Branagh’s dull and superficial attempt to transfer this popular children’s book series from page to screen suffered from a lack of character development, an over-reliance in CG effects and featured a lifeless performance from newcomer Ferdia Shaw as the titular character. 

3. HUBIE HALLOWEEN (NETFLIX)

A month before last year’s Oscar nominations were released, Adam Sandler joked on ‘The Howard Stern Show’ that if the Academy snubbed him for his role in the film ‘Uncut Gems,’ he would make a movie “that [was] so bad on purpose.” And that’s exactly what happened. Supposedly a comedy, ‘Hubie Halloween’ was unfunny, disposable and completely devoid of any originality. Sadly for audiences, Sandler signed a four-movie deal with Netflix last year, worth up to $275 million - so we can expect to see more of this shit soon!

2. ALIEN ADDICTION

Aliens visit New Zealand and get high smoking human faeces? Someone should have advised Kiwi director Shae Sterling that audiences have moved on from such puerile comedies as this abomination. Suffice to say, if anybody ever admitted to finding this film remotely funny, they’d probably be outcast from society. An embarrassment to all those involved. 

1. THE BEACH BUM

Director Harmony Korine’s generic stoner comedy about a prolific poet who drifts through life in a drug-induced haze had all the natural high of an unfiltered, soggy joint and was easily, hands down, 2020′s worst film.

‘The Beach Bum’ was a pretentious and uninteresting movie whose lead character, considered to be an ‘artistic genius,’ was nothing more than a relentless shithead to everyone around him. As Moondog, the semi-naked, bongo-playing, pot-fuelled beat poet, Matthew McConaughey was insufferable and grating in his portrayal of a character you would quite easily want to punch in the face - repeatedly. Blazed and confused, ‘The Beach Bum’ had no plot, no class and no entertainment value whatsoever. 

MOVIE POSTERS

From the classic to the abstract, here is just a sample of some of the best poster designs from a highly unusual year of movies.

...AND FINALLY, WHEN WHEN IT COMES TO DIRE-LOG, THEY SAID WHAT!?

“I've never wanted anything more. But he's gone, and that's the truth. And everything has a price. One I'm not willing to pay. Not any more. This world was a beautiful place, just as it was, and you cannot have it all. You can only have the truth. And the truth is enough. The truth is beautiful” (’Wonder Woman 1984′).

And who could forget this little chestnut of advice...

“That is the only truth and truth is all there is. You cannot be the winner because you are not ready to win. And there is no shame in that. Only in knowing the truth in your heart and not accepting it. No true hero is born from lies” (’Wonder Woman 1984′).

[smallcollegebasketball]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 15, 2023 Media Contact: Matt Ankenbrandt Sports Information Director │ Small College Basketball 616.780.1335 www.smallcollegebasketball.com

2023 Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List Announced

Kansas City, MO – Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee is proud to announce the Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List for the 2022-23 season. The Top 100 Watch List consists of some of the top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA. John McCarthy had this to say about this year’s Top 100 Watch List:

“Congratulations to the 100 players on the Bevo Francis Award Watch List, as this is a prestigious honor to be included on the list of only 100 players out of approximately 13,000-16,000 players at the small college levels,” stated McCarthy. “This is an extremely challenging process for our committee, and I appreciate a great deal of information provided by our committee, and fromcoaches and supporters from throughout the country. Again, congratulations to the players on the Bevo Francis Watch List, and thank you to our committee.”

The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations will be season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. This is an incredibly prestigious award, as this award will only be given to one player within Small College Basketball per season.

2023 marks the seventh year of the Bevo Francis Award. Past winners include Dominez Burnett of Davenport University in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State University in 2017, Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial University in 2018, Aston Francis of Wheaton College in 2019, Kyle Mangas of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2020 and Trevor Hudgins of Northwest Missouri State University in 2022. The award was not presented during the 2021 season.

On February 15th, the list will be reduced to the Top 50 players. One month later on March 15th, the Top 25 players will be announced. On April 1 st , the finalists of this year’s award will be announced, followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned on April 3rd .

The Bevo Francis Awards Committee consists of the following coaches: Gary Stewart – Stevenson (MD), Chris Briggs – Georgetown College (KY), Bill Dreikosen – Rocky Mountain (MT), Mark Berokoff –Oklahoma City, Mike Donnelly – Florida Southern, Sam Hargraves – Olivet, Stephen Brennan – Babson, Richard Westerlund – Great Lakes Christian, Chase Tiechmann – Florida College, Aaron Siebenthall – Ottawa (KS), Tae Norwood – Humboldt State, Mark Vanderslice – USC-Aiken, Grant Leep, Seattle Pacific, Matt O’Brien – Southwestern (KS), Chris Wright – Langston (OK), Nathan Champion – LeMoyne.

To stay up to date on all things Small College Basketball, please head to smallcollegebasketball.com.

2022-23 Bevo Francis Award Watch List

Ethan Anderson 6’4” Sr. Wisconsin-Lacrosse Kaden Anderson 6’8” Sr. Point Loma Nazarene Shaw Anderson 6’5” Jr. Seattle Pacific Raheem Anthony 6’4” Sr. St. Mary’s (MN) Dejon Barney 6’9” Jr. IU South Bend Trevor Baskin 6’8” So. CO Mesa Diego Bernard 6’0” Sr. NW MO State Sam Beskind 6’4” Sr. CO School of Mines Jesse Bingham 6’6” So. Indianapolis Max Bjorklund 6’2” Sr. Northern Michigan Drew Blair 6’5” Sr. MN-Duluth Octavio Brito 6’4” So. Keene State Levi Borchert 6’5” Jr. UW-Oshkosh Marcus Boykin 6’1” So. Barton Jalen Brooks 6’5” Sr. LSU-Shreveport Anthony Brown 6’5” Sr. Mid-America Nazarene Julius Brown 5’10” Sr. West Texas A&M Fillip Bulatovic 6’5” Sr. Carthage Bryce Butler 6’5” Jr. West Liberty Rich Byhre 6’8” Sr. Rockhurst DJ Campbell 6’3” Jr. Stockton Jamal Cannady 6’1” So. Bryn Athyn Dan Carr 6’8” Sr. Augustana (IL) Frank Champion 6’7” So. North Georgia Taeshon Cherry 6’8” Sr. Marian (IN) Luke Chicone 5’10” So. John Carroll Cevin Clark 5’11” Jr. Southwestern (KS) Daniel Cook 6’6” Sr. St. John Fisher Tyshaun Crawford 7’1” Sr. Augusta Tyson Cruickshank 5’11” Sr. Wheaton (IL) Antwaan Cushingberry 5’8” Sr. St. Francis (IN) Frankie Davidson 6’7” Jr. Grace (IN) Vinny DeAngelo 6’1” Jr. Swarthmore Josiah De’laCerda 6’8” Sr. Ottawa (AZ) Omari DeVeaux 6’2” So. Virginia Wesleyan Ely Doble 6’6” Jr. Morningside Jacob Drees 6’7” Sr. Cedarville Nick Fort 6’6” Sr. Asbury Zach Goodline 6’1” Sr. Huntington Austin Grunder 6’6” Sr. Cortland Tristan Harper 6’6” Sr. Langston

Jesse Hafemeister 6’5” Jr. Catholic

Matt Helwig 6’4” Sr. North Central (IL) Jake Hilmer 5’11” Sr. Upper Iowa CJ Hines 6’1” So. Faulkner Jahn Hines 6’4” Jr. Christopher Newport Jarred Houston 6’10” Sr. Emerson Jason Hubbard 6’7” Sr. Taylor Trent Hudgens 6’1” So. Arizona Christian Jeff Hunter 6’7” Sr. Keene State Josiah Johnson 6’1” Sr. Mary Hardin Baylor Chaney Johnson 6’7” So. Alabama-Huntsville Reid Jolly 6’5” Jr. Thomas More KJ Jones 6’6” Jr. Emmanuel (GA) Shawndale Jones 6’3” Sr. IUP Jaeden King 6’6” Sr. St. Xavier Brandon Knapper 6’0” Sr. Cal State San Bernardino Akuel Kot 6’2” Jr. Fort Lewis John Paul Kromka 6’7” Sr. Pitt-Johnstown Zach Laput 6’4” Jr. Bentley Peter Lash 6’6” So. Nebraska Wesleyan Jaden Lietzke 6’7” Jr. Oklahoma Wesleyan Owen Long 6’3” Jr. Emporia State Drew Lutz 6’1” Sr. Bethel (IN) Rowan Mackenzie 6’3” Jr. Lubbock Christian Miles Mallory 6’5” Jr. Randolph-Macon Sam Masten 6’2” Sr. Northern State Seth Maxwell 7’0” Sr. Indiana Wesleyan Lakeem McAliley 6’6” So. East Stroudsburg Riley Minix 6’7” Sr. Southeastern (FL) Cody Mitchell 6’7” Sr. Illinois Wesleyan Jacksen Moni 6’10” So. Northern State Brendan Mora 6’5” Sr. Pomona-Pitzer Dave Morris 6’1” Sr. IUP Robert Osborne 6’5” Sr. Virginia Union Christian Parker 6’6” Jr. Mount Union Tylandrius Parks 6’5” Sr. Union (TN) Logan Pearson 6’4” Jr. Wisconsin-Platteville Carlos Pepin 6’7” Sr. East Stroudsburg Josh Pritchett 6’4” Sr. Evangel Chase Rankin 6’1” Sr. Lincoln Memorial Sesan Russell 6’2” Sr. Florida Tech Isaiah Sanders 6’5” Sr. Fairmont State Tyler Schmidt 6’4” Jr. Olivet Nazarene Joel Scott 6’7” Sr. Black Hills State Matt Simpson 6’1” Sr. Florida College Alex Sobel 6’8” Sr. Middlebury Bennett Stirtz 6’4” Fr. NW MO State RJ Sunahara 6’8” Jr. Nova Southeastern

Josh Talbert 6’2” Sr. Randolph-Macon Adam Thistlewood 6’8” Sr. CO School of Mines Ryan Thissen 6’6” Jr. St. John’s (MN) Blaise Threatt 6’3” So. CO Mesa Markelle Turner 6’2” Jr. Union (KY) Jo Valrie 6’5” So. Point Park Mason Walters 6’9” Sr. Jamestown Jaden Wells 6’1” So. Central Oklahoma Malik Willingham 6’3” Jr. Minnesota State Drew Wyman 6’5” So. College of Idaho Will Yoakum 6’5” Sr. Nova Southeastern

[graphicpolicy]

Preview: Transformers '84: Legends & Rumors

Transformers '84: Legends & Rumors preview. The classic stories that inspired Transformers: Secrets & Lies. #Comics #ComicBooks #Transformers

Transformers ’84: Legends & Rumors Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, Steve Parkhouse, Simon Furman (A) Kim DeMulder, Frank Springer, John Ridgeway, Mike Collins (A/CA) Guido GuidiIn Shops: Apr 07, 2021SRP: $7.99 Some events in history are so incredible, that they’ve gone down in legend-epic tales of epic heroes and villains. Others remain shrouded in mystery, only surfacing as snippets of the real…

[larryland]

REVIEW: “Tales of the Lost Formicans” at Silverthorne Theater by Jenny Hansell In Silverthorne Theater Company's Tales of the Lost Formicans, a cheery group of aliens from the future explore and describe an odd life form, their artifacts, and their environment, a place we know as “the suburbs.”  They explain oddities such as chairs and tables, social interactions and the means these creatures reproduce.

[rpf-bat]

I Could Have Been A Better Son

Pairing: Mikey Way x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Friendship

Summary: After many months spent touring, in support of Bullets, Mikey is finally back home in New Jersey. He wants to tell his beloved grandmother the truth - that he’s a trans man. Requested by @nonbinaryvulcan

Mikey stared out the window, deep in thought, as the van rolled down the Turnpike. 

“Are you excited to finally get back home?” you smiled from your seat next to him. 

“Yeah,” Mikey shrugged. “I guess.”

“You guess?” Ray repeated from the seat behind you, surprised. 

“We’ve been on tour for a long time,” you reminded. “I think it’s going to be good to see Belleville again. Say hi to my folks. Grab a brew at my favorite bar - you know old Hank knows exactly what I’m gonna order, before I even say it.”

“Yeah, there’s no place like home!” Gerard grinned from the driver’s seat. 

“So, why are you moping?” Frank asked from the shotgun seat in front of you. 

“I need to tell her when we got home,” Mikey sighed. “I’ve put it off long enough.” 

“Tell who, what?” Gerard asked, looking at his brother in the rear view mirror quizzically. 

“Tell Grandma that I’m….y’know…. a guy,” Mikey stammered. 

“Oh….that.” Mikey had come out to you, and his other band mates, on the first night of the tour. That was months ago. You’d been surprised at first, but,when you saw how happy wearing men’s clothes on stage made him, you’d quickly accepted it. Calling him he/him just felt natural by now. It would feel weirder to call him a woman. 

“Grandma gave me my deadname,” Mikey frowned. “She named me Michelina, after her mother.” 

“But, you’re not Michelina,” you shrugged. “You’re Mikey.” You thought that the name he had chosen for himself, suited him really well. 

“You don’t think she’ll be like….mad, that I don’t want to use that name anymore?” Mikey asked nervously. 

“Mikey, when you were at Maxwell’s, performing a heavy metal song about vampires and murder, Helena was there in the crowd, to support you,” you reminded. “I’d say she’s a lot more open minded than most old ladies.”  

“True,” Mikey chuckled. “I just….I dunno. She’s Catholic.”

Historically speaking, her faith had not been so kind to LGBT people. That much was true. 

“I know, but….I think she loves you, unconditionally,” you reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think there’s anything you could do, to make her stop caring about you.” 

“I hope you’re right,” Mikey muttered, pulling you into a tight hug. “Will you….be there with me? When I tell her?”

“Of course,” you promised. He wasn’t just the bassist of your band. He was your best friend. Nothing could keep you from being there to support him. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

After a peaceful sleep in your own bed (the first time in months, that you weren’t sleeping with an amp for a pillow in the back of a tour van), you made yourself breakfast, and then drove over to Mikey’s house. 

When you knocked, Gerard answered the door. 

“Hey, Y/N,” he greeted. “Come on in.”

“Hey, Gee,” you smiled, stepping inside the house. “Surprised to see you out of the basement. Thought you’d be happy to be back in your lil Batcave.” 

“Oh, I was down there earlier,” Gerard chuckled. “But, I knew you’d be on your way here. Mikey’s anxious to….y’know…”

“I know,” you nodded. “Do your parents know yet?”

“Nah,” Gerard shook his head. “I think he wanted Grandma, to be the first person he told. Aside from, y’know, us.” 

“Her opinion is really important to him, isn’t it?” you realized. For the first time, you considered how crushed he’d be, if she didn’t accept him. 

“Well, of course it is,” Gerard considered. “Ever since we were kids, she’s been the number one person to encourage us, with our music, and art, and stuff.” 

“She sounds like an amazing woman,” you admitted. 

“She is,” Gerard smiled. “I’m sure she’s going to accept him with open arms. He was always the apple of her eye. The baby of the family.” 

“I hope so,” you said uncertainly. 

“Hey, Y/N,” Mikey said, entering the kitchen where you stood, to refill his coffee mug. 

“Hey, Mikes,” you smiled. “You ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Mikey gulped, downing his java, as if for courage. 

You took his hand, lacing his fingers with yours. “It’ll be ok,” you promised him. “I’m right here with you.”

“Me, too, lil bro,” Gerard smiled. 

Mikey smiled back, comforted by the fact that his two favorite people in the world, stood by his side. “Let’s go upstairs,” he decided. 

When you reached the top of the staircase, you heard the sound of soft piano music. Mozart, you recognized. Mikey led you into a small sitting room, where a grey-haired woman sat at a baby grand, making music.

She stopped when she saw you, and her grandchildren, enter the room. 

“Miei cari!” she said delightedly. “You’re home!”

“Yeah, we got in around midnight last night,” Gerard smiled. “You were asleep, Grandma, and we didn’t want to wake you.” 

“That was considerate of you, Gee,” Helena nodded. “But, it’s so good to see you again! I see you’ve brought a friend?” 

“Grandma, this is Y/N,” Mikey introduced. “They plays drums in our band.”

“Ah, yes, of course. I remember seeing them at your show. Hello, Y/N,” Helena smiled, getting up from the piano bench, and extending a hand to you. You shook it firmly. 

“It’s an honor to meet you, Ms. Rush,” you said warmly. 

“Oh, please,” she tutted. “Call me Helena.” She grabbed a plate from off the top of the piano. 

“Would you like a pizelle?” she offered. 

“Oh, thank you,” you nodded, taking a cookie. You bit into it. “Wow, that’s delicious.”

“Thank you,” Helena smiled. “I baked them myself.” She extended the tray to Gerard and Mikey. For a moment, it was silent, as everyone sampled the baked goods. 

“So, how was the tour, Michelina?” Helena asked. 

Mikey flinched  involuntarily at the sound of his deadname being spoken. 

“What’s wrong?” Helena blinked, with concerned eyes. “Did the shows not go well? Did not enough people come to see you play?”

“No, the tour was great,” Mikey shook his head. “We sold out most of our shows. The kids loved us.” 

“Then what’s wrong, mi bambina?” Helena frowned. “Talk to me. I can see from your face, that something is wrong.” 

“There’s something that I need to tell you,” Mikey said, summoning his nerve. 

“I’m listening,” Helena encouraged. 

“I…..,” he faltered, not sure how to put it into words.

“C’mon,” you encouraged, squeezing his hand. “You were able to tell me, and Gee, and Frank, and Ray, when we were in Newark. You can find the words, here, too.” 

“Grandma, I….I don’t think I’m a girl,” Mikey said finally. 

There was a pregnant pause. It lasted mere seconds, but it felt like hours, as Mikey waited for his grandmother to say something. 

“You think….you’re a boy?” she realized. 

“Yes,” Mikey nodded. “While I was away, with the band, I started asking people to call me him, instead of her.” 

“And how did it feel?” Helena asked. “Being called that?”

“It felt….right,” Mikey explained. “Like it was what I was always supposed to be called.” 

“But if you’re a boy,” Helena considered, “then, we can’t call you Michelina anymore.”

“I’d….I’d like it, if you would call me Mikey,” Mikey pleaded. 

“Ok...Mikey,” Helena said, uncertainly at first, as if the word sounded foreign on her tongue. 

“You’re..alright with that?” Mikey stammered.

“Certainly, mi bambino,” Helena said softly. The effortless switch, brought a smile to your face. 

“I think….maybe, I knew for a long time...Mikey,” the old woman confessed. “You never like dolls, or tea parties, when you were a little one. You always wanted to play baseball with your brother. I remember when he was Batman for Halloween, one year, and you asked me to make you a Robin costume.” 

“I wanted to be Robin,” Mikey smiled softly. “Not Batgirl. Not Catwoman.” 

“And you were the cutest Robin in New Jersey,” Helena smiled. “Boy or girl….you will always be my kind, talented grandchild. And I will always love you.” 

“I love you, too, Grandma,” Mikey said, looking like he was going to cry. The elderly lady embraced him, and Gerard joined her, making it a group hug. 

You threw yourself onto the hug pile, as well. Now, Mikey really was crying. 

“We all love you, Mikey,” you said softly. “And we always will.”

[bloghumongouscollectortale]

How Your Golf Swing Looks vs Performs

How Your Golf Swing Looks vs Performs

Just how worried should you be with the means your golf swing looks? That's the inquiry Frank & Mike ask elderly golf trainer Kiel Alderink in this episode of The Golf Podcast. In today's YouTube period it could be very easy to come under the trap of obsessing over exactly how your golf swing looks. Most of us invest far way too much time trying to have our swing design emulate the golf swings we…