#wild west and back to school do NOT mix like who came up w that though

[m3llowm1sh]

THEYRE SO CUTE 🥺🥺🥺

(BRAWL TALK SPOILERS IN TAGS)

[squiddybeifong]

Trek to Themyscira, Ch. 5

On Ao3 here:

--

The birds curiously peered down at the two researchers as they stumbled over the tree roots and pulled their boots out of the rotting leaves, their already shaky steps losing confidence the further in they went. Zatanna carefully held her compass in one hand and a knife in the other, marking every fourth tree they passed with a hastily carved X. She focused on the lack of any obvious hints of humanity, ignoring as the zoologist behind her let out lazy hums as she noticed knots in the trees and thick branches, warped from being used for sleep.

“I don’t think there are any small primates here,” Raven was just a step behind her. Zatanna glanced over her shoulder as the girl asked, “What do you have so far?”

Taking a breath as she decided to turn west, Zatanna marked a tree with an X and a W before beginning to read aloud, “Log date: June 12th, 1902. Trek One: some large primates reside on the closest island to Themyscira, noted by loud howling at random intervals so far into our stay. We have spotted two Amazons who appear to be in remarkable physical health--” She paused to glare as Raven snickered at her words, whipping back around to mark another tree before continuing, “Although the smaller one was shot in the arm after nearly breaking into the cabin.”

She fought back a smirk at the groan her words caused. “Location-wise, Roth and I have started due north from the cabin’s back. This trip is to only last a few hours to note any and all features that coincide with the expedition’s goals, recorded on the other pages. We turned directly west after just over forty minutes of walking, as noted by the X we’ve carved in every third tree and our pocket watches, which state it is 14:23. We departed at 13:37 when the weather was clear and sunny.”

Zatanna’s steps slowed as she unfastened her bun, letting her hair fall to protect her neck from the bugs that were starting to bite. Raven clicked her tongue, “That might be dangerous if we need to run.”

The anthropologist waved her concerns aside, “We have a gun, that’s plenty enough.”

Raven took a few seconds to respond, her breath coming out in a sigh as she quipped, “You know, Victor told me that once.”

“And was he right?”

A thunderous grunt sounded across the treetops. Raven rolled her jaw, “No, actually.” She narrowed her eyes as Zatanna went to her weak side, her knife steady as they waited for the animal to make itself known.

After a second of silence Raven thought better of herself and turned off the safety, not trusting her reaction time with so little room. They kept walking, their movements more of a crouch. Only a few steps through the underbrush and the two came upon a semi-clearing, made from when a thick-trunked tree had fallen. The zoologist tilted her head at the sight; no more that a year must have passed, if the rotting plants, thriving insect hub and mushroom patches meant anything. Before she could dwell too much on it another ruffle of leaves filled the air and both women went tense at the unmistakable feeling of being watched.

Raven let out a breath and murmured, “Keep an eye on our backs and a hand on me.”

Zatanna did as she said, her fingers curling to fist her shirt as a thud! sounded just beyond the clearing. Shifting until her lead foot was closer to where the sound had come out, gray eyes narrowed as something darted through the leaves. Zatanna let out a gasp half a heartbeat before an ape came crashing into the clearing.

It’s golden eyes were wild and angry. Raven raised her weapon as it bluffed a first charge, not knowing what to do.

The ape let out a scratchy roar, it’s nostrils flaring indignantly as a scathing howl was cried back in response, somewhere incredibly close to where they stood. Zatanna’s grip turned piercing as a symphony of shrieks started up around them. Raven faltered as she chanced a look around and the ape took advantage.

It charged and, once again, Raven fired the gun.

And, again, she only just grazed her target.

The primate stumbled at the tiny blip of pain and then lunged forward, its screech going up a pitch as a second bullet pierced through its palm. It swiped at her with its non bloodied hand, missing by just a few inches as Raven backpedalled. Her boot got stuck in mud and she tripped over Zatanna, her gun slipping out of her grasp as they fell. Gold eyes glinted as the ape stood up on its hind legs in front of them, its arms swinging back to strike in tune with the other apes roaring out their approvals and disagreements. Before the hairy fists could swing down a shadow seemed to pass over the sun.

Something hit the animal like a cannonball, sending it careening back and toppling ass over end. The beasts around them hesitated, shrinking back into the shadows of the vines at the sight of her.

Raven scooted back in the brush as she stared up at the younger Amazon, her fists curled tight as she stood in between the three. Zatanna shifted under her at the tension, her scream caught in her throat as the ape threatened to charge again.

Without a moment’s hesitation their protector rushed forward, dirt kicking up from her heels as she met the ape head-on. Raven could only gape as she watched the woman shoulder check the creature, spinning with her momentum to punch it in between the eyes. A quick flurry of wallops accompanied the blow and one final, mighty kick to the ribs sent the ape scampering away. The unseen primate audience dispersed, the leaves crinkling and the vines snapping under their weight as they went back into hiding.

Raven blinked up at the woman, softly moving to crouch on her knees. Free of any weapons, the Amazon paid her little mind, although her ears did twitch at the incredulous huff that came out of Zatanna and the stretch of fabric as the anthropologist tugged on her shirt.

As the nearly naked warrior put her attention on them, Raven found the strength to fully stand. Her movements were slow, half so as to not incite panic and half so that her heart didn’t give out with how fast it was beating. Now that they were (relatively) face to face she could tell that despite her height this Amazon couldn’t have been a year older than her, if that. Gray eyes flicked from the round features of her face to the path the gorilla had scampered off on.

She took a small step forward and wove her fingers in front of her stomach, nervous and grateful. The warrior’s chest was still heaving from her exertion, but she went still as Raven softly addressed her, “Thank you.”

A blink was her only response. The zoologist felt heat curl up her neck when the Amazon merely looked her over once, her chin turning to glance at the gun that was discarded in the mud. Silently, the woman stared down at her, the plain curiosity on her face taking away any intimidation that her size brought.

Taking a quick breath through her nose, Raven stepped forward again. She ignored how Zatanna’s stare bored into her back and decided the least she could do was introduce herself, language gap or not. She smiled, her amazement coming through in a quiet chuckle, “I’m Raven. What’s your name?”

When all her question got was a pair of furrowed brows and a head tilt, she repeated her name and shaped her hands as if making a shadow puppet of the bird whose name she bore, “Raven. You know, like a raven bird?”

After a beat her name came out of the girl’s mouth, disjointed, “Rey-van?”

Confused, cerulean eyes glanced from the zoologist to where the gorilla had run off to and back. Biting the inside of her cheek, Raven shook her head. The woman tilted her head to the other side this time, even more perplexed.

“Um,” She figured directly naming a bird probably wasn’t her best bet. Since her repetitions didn’t seem to be working, Raven pointed at herself and spoke clearly, “Raven.” She immediately aimed her finger towards the other scholar as she tried to pick herself up out of the mud, “Zatanna.”

The Amazon’s brows jumped as Zatanna reacted to her name being called, her eyes brightening as she understood. She pointed to her chest, her name less cautious on her lips as she spoke, “Donna.”

Donna patted her collarbone again and Raven couldn’t even find it in herself to be abashed at the slap of skin. Hell, in the midst of this stunning discovery she couldn’t even find any hint of intelligent rationalizing that years of schooling had been drilled into her. Instead, all she could do was beam up at the tall fighter, “Hello, Donna.”

The Amazon’s grin was enough to stop her heart and a tanned hand pointed to the treetops, where her sister was apparently hiding if that earlier feeling of being watched was any indication. Donna gave a laughing sort of snort, one that made Raven’s heart tumble as she named, “Diana.”

The girl couldn’t bite back her soft laugh as she nodded in understanding, tilting her head up to wave at where she supposed the older woman sat, “Hello, Diana! I’m Raven!”

Her voice came out a bit louder than expected, rattling in the air. In response there was a shift in the leaves and the sense that Diana had left. The trees creaked with the woman’s jump and then Donna quickly looked up in realization, her chin tightening. Blue eyes quickly went back to the short woman.

Reaching up to touch the now-pink cheek, Donna gently said the pretty stranger’s name again, the word full of regret and wist as she tried to get the syllables just right, “Raven…”

Gray eyes were wide and soft as they stared at each other for a long moment, but what must have barely been a second. “Roth,” Zatanna’s voice was a worried hiss as the air dangerously shifted and another howl sliced through the air. It was deeper and scratchier than the one that they had just encountered and for not the first time she wished Raven wasn’t the only one who knew how to shoot a gun, mud-jammed as it was, “We should go.”

Before Donna could pull away a pale hand inched up to touch where the bullet’s graze was tightly bound. Raven’s face was an odd mix of delighted and flustered and questioning, but her smile came through in her voice. “Thank you, Donna,” She murmured again, tearing her gaze away and quickly jogging to catch up to the anthropologist before she got caught in the Amazon’s stare for any longer.

Zatanna kept her knife at her side and her pocket watch near her face as she set about leading them back; so consumed in making sure they got back to the cabin she didn’t notice as Raven peeked over her shoulder at Donna again, her fingers curling in a timid wave as they disappeared into the forest.

Donna watched them go for just a second. She hesitantly moved to touch where Raven’s fingertips had trailed across her skin, shook her head once to clear her thoughts, then jumped towards one of the trees, ready to rejoin her sister’s patrol in the treetops.

--

A part of them knew that the Amazons were probably nearby, especially when no animals tried to nip at the space around them as they made it back to the cabin. The trek was a quiet one, accompanied only with the sound of the birds cawing as they went out for their afternoon hunting before the sunset could begin. Neither scientist was in the mood, let alone able, to talk about what had happened.

Zatanna was still in disbelief that they hadn’t perished not two days into their solo mission; Raven was still in disbelief that she now knew Donna’s name and what her voice sounded like. They split off as they dragged themselves into the cabin, one going to drown her worries in recording all that she could remember with the air of their stash of horribly underspiced jerky and the other going to meditate near the broken-boarded window. The sunset’s heat on the zoologist’s skin wouldn’t do much compared to the schoolyard-crush blush that burned at the mere thought of Donna, but it was enough to distract her.

A few short hours laters, as the sky turned from blue to orange to pink, Zatanna joined her out on the steps with two cups of tea. Raven opened her eyes as the boards creaked under them, announcing into the air, “Do you think they even speak Greek?”

Zatanna sipped at her jasmine. She let out a small sigh, the sound matching the small dark circles under her eyes, “They obviously speak something. They’re wild but not feral… No one who didn’t grow up around language would be able to pick up on your cues like that.”

Gray eyes flicked to the splintered wood chips that scattered the other half of the makeshift porch, “Do you think they’ll come back?”

“Maybe,” Zatanna’s voice was even, the undercurrent of wistfulness obvious as she kept herself from saying anything else with another sip of tea. They settled into silence for a minute.

The girl bit her lip, “I hope they do.”

--

Raven was tossing and turning as she tried to get comfortable on her mat. Her lids drooped as the full consequences of nearly two days without a proper rest made themselves known, although her skin still buzzed with unused adrenaline at all that had happened. She looked up in the dim moonlight as Zatanna snuck closer and started slicing some of their provisions, sleepily nodding and resting her cheek on the pillow.

She was still trying to get comfortable as the anthropologist slipped out of the cabin. Carefully balancing the tray of bread, jerky, and dried pear slices, Zatanna stepped off of the splintery steps and walked to the wooded side of the cabin. She took a quick look around and then glanced up, her breath catching.

Sapphire eyes blinked at the sight of the woman who must have been Diana. Perched on a branch nearly twice the height of the cabin’s roof she seemed to be… keeping watch?

The Amazon’s gaze turned to her as another howl rumbled over the island, making the Gothamite’s shoulders rise to her ears. She briefly wondered just how many apes roamed the archipelago, but pushed the thought aside. As long as the Amazons were there, they had some semblance of a chance for survival.

That would have to be enough for now.

Taking a soft breath Zatanna carefully walked up to the tree Diana sat in, clutching the tray’s edges as she rested it against her hip. She softly waved up at her and mimicked what Raven had done earlier. “Hello, Diana.”

The anthropologist pointed to herself, “Zatanna.”

A squeak escaped her as Diana abruptly jumped down at her introduction, kicking up some dirt with her landing. The scholar’s eyes went comically wide as she had to crane her neck up to look into the Amazon’s face. Zatanna couldn’t hold her blush back (mainly due to exactly what her face was level with given their height difference) as Diana narrowed her eyes at her visitor and the food, curious.

Flustered, she tried to hand Diana the tray. The Amazon let out a quiet laugh as she easily balanced the plate on her palms, obviously confused at what it was for; Zatanna didn’t know if she was amused at the pink glow that must have been radiating off her cheeks or the mess that was their first interaction. But something in Diana’s face made her chuckle too.

There was a splash! as a bird dove down to grab a crab and a screeching squawk as its meal pinched its legs. Shaking her head as she remembered why she had come out, Zatanna lifted the tray in the oh-so-small space in between them. Diana tilted her head and the scholar spoke, “Oh! Uh, here--”

Zatanna softly ripped some of the bread apart, taking the smaller piece for herself as she laid the jerky on top and took a bite. Diana watched her and then faithfully copied her steps, her azure eyes lighting up at the snack. They then immediately hardened as yet another howl rang out, echoing from so far away that it must have been on one of the other islands.

As she noticed the tension that tightened the tall woman’s (broad, so very defined) shoulders, Zatanna turned to go back to the cabin, her heart leaping in her throat when Diana spoke, “Za-tanna?”

Her name sounded gruff and uncertain on the Amazon’s lips but that didn’t stop Zatanna from turning around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. Smiling at the wide-eyed look aimed her way, Diana held up one of the pear slices as she tested out what Donna had kept repeating earlier, “Thank… you.”

Somehow, the anthropologist’s enamored speechlessness didn’t keep her from her manners, her words coming out in a tremble, “You’re very welcome, Diana.”

Diana’s eyes flicked to the cabin as Raven opened the door and peeked out, graphite eyes widening and a sheepish smile coming to her face as she waved and ducked back inside. Her quiet hiss of “Sorry!” carried over the wind and Zatanna looked back at the Amazon, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. Softly shaking with laughter and nerves, Zatanna jerked a thumb over her shoulder, “I’m going to head back in now.”

She bit the inside of her cheek then let her tongue poke out to lick her suddenly dry lips. Her mind screamed at her to both ignore and focus on the way Diana watched the move, but all she could think was to say, “You probably don’t understand what I’m saying, but I’m really glad we got to meet here. So… thank you.”

Diana’s brows jumped at the one familiar phrase she knew. Zatanna’s lips curled, “For your sister running off those apes and for you watching over us. We appreciate it.”

Zatanna rubbed the back of her arm, “I appreciate it.”

Blushing, she ducked her head and turned her shoulders to go back, figuring that neither she nor Raven would need to keep watch, “Anyway, goodnight Diana.” At the warrior’s confused stare she pressed her palms together and mimed sleeping, her smile brightening her face even more as Diana let out a hum of understanding.

The anthropologist took a step back, repeating, “Well, goodnight, then.”

Diana’s words were slow as she tried to get the sounds just right, but the scholar’s heart still tumbled end over end as she bid, “Good.. night. Zatanna.”

[daggerzine]

Tony Potts of The Monochrome Set gives us the details! (interview by Steve Michener)

I started writing a weekly post on Facebook about two years ago, wherein I would pick a song from the extensive catalog of The Monochrome Set and write a few words, trying to hep people to their fantastic music. It became a fun, online conversation with friends and fans and the band would sometimes join in, adding to the story or correcting my (frequent) historical errors.  I was presenting myself as a TMS scholar when I was really just a doofus with a love for the music. The FB feature eventually led to my volunteering to drive the band on the West Coast swing of their recent US tour, which was a total blast. 

 Recently, I came up with the idea of interviewing various members of the band and when I initially hit upon this plan, the first person I thought of was Tony Potts, their early ‘5th member.'  Tony added another dimension to the band’s early shows by projecting films onto screens (and sometimes the band), helping to differentiate the band in the crowded post-punk music scene of the late 70s/early 80s England. I never personally saw any early TMS shows so I missed out on his contributions until last year when  I attended the TMS 40th anniversary shows in London and got to experience his visuals along with the music (albeit from a laptop now instead of a Super 8 film). I’ve always been intrigued by his role with the group and he was nice enough to answer some of my email questions about the early days of the band, his art, and, of course, his favorite TMS song. Tony’s Facebook page is one of the most entertaining around; he doesn’t hold back much, whether it’s about his cancer diagnosis, politics, or the state of the Great Western Railroad. TMSF and now Dagger Zine present the Weird, Wild and Wonderful World of Tony Potts!

That’s Tony far right  

 Q: How did you come to be involved with the Monochrome Set? What drew you to them and them to you?

 Ah, now there are two answers to this question. The first is terse and accurate, although less interesting than the second. Well, I knew John, J.D. Haney. That's the terse answer. However, in the interests of interest, and name-dropping, we have to travel back to about 1974. The story illustrates I think, how our lives are built upon great swaths of happenstance.

While studying on my pre-degree arts foundation I became close friends with Edwin, later Savage Pencil, who later still formed The Art Attacks. After some itinerant drummers, including Ricky Slaughter of The Motors, and Robert Gotobed of Wire, JD became the Art Attacks drummer. Now, Edwin didn't know him, so I can only guess, at this great distance, that I put his name forward. But again, we must spool back in time. How did I know John? After Edwin left for London, and still at my provincial art school, I became good friends with two fellow student artists like myself, Andy Palmer and Joy Haney. They both became founder members of Crass, under the names N A Palmer and Joy De Vivre, and are now exceptionally good fine artists.

It was through my friendship with Joy that I meet her brother, the aforementioned JD, when he came down from university in the summer of '76. We hung out with his college chum, Jean-Marie Carroll, later to join The Members, and discussed narrow neckties and casual trousers. Then Joy, Andy, and I went off to the Greek islands for the summer, before returning to London to take up our degree course at Chelsea School of Art.

Thus it was, with us all now in London, that I believe I introduced JD to The Art Attacks, with whom I worked until their demise, at which point JD took up with TMS. Due to mutual creative interests in art, I was invited to display my films at their gigs. That was late '78, with my first gig with the band being at Acklam Hall, Notting Hill, on 22nd February 1979. Thereafter we fell together and I started to make films specifically for the live shows. It’s worth pointing out that the TMS was not formed in an art school, or by art students. It is lazy journalism that perpetuates the Art School band epithet. Both Bid, the main song writing power behind the longevity of the band, and the other key lyricist, JD Haney, have never been anywhere near an art school.

 Q: What were your films like? Who were your art-school influences at the time? What were you doing with the Art Attacks?

 I was studying fine art painting, and painting was my main interest. Although I loved films, I never expected to move in that direction. As a painter, I was a devotee of the Russian Constructivists like Tatlin, but mostly the geometric forms of El Lissitzky, and the Suprematist Kazimir Malevich - best known for Black Square and White On White. My paintings were an amalgam of geometric forms in the vein of Lissitzky on grounds inspired by Malevich's painterly surfaces. With the rise of the Punk movement in London, I somewhat changed direction, moving into filmmaking that had a quasi-narrative style, intended to be more emotional and poetic. Although driven by what was happening in music during ‘76/'77/'78, ironically, my films couldn't be any less punk if I tried. Well, not to punks anyway. These days I regret that I never resuscitated my painting practice.

At the time of the Acklam Hall gig, I had made one large scale Super8, and two 16mm works. I think it must have been 'Strange Meeting', which in part was about aliens and The Red Army Faction murders, which we showed at that gig, but as a support. I had previously made some other 8mm films, and I might have used them during the band, but I can't recall. However, I now have vague memories of projecting B & W film over the whole stage and band. With The Art Attacks, I didn't have a creative role, I just supported the band in rehearsal and at gigs with Paul Humphries their manager, and the initial manager of TMS. Paul, JD and I all shared the same squat in Brailsford Road, Brixton. So, with TMS I had something more creative to do.

 Q: For those of us who weren't able to see those shows, describe for us what you were doing with the films during the shows. How were the films received by the audience?

 As I said, initially I used the films that I had made in another context, and they were added to the performance to create an overall ambiance, a statement of presentation that was not about a band energetically leaping about on stage, as was the order of the day. Soon I started to make Super8 material specifically for TMS performances. This included the scratched and bleached footage for 'Lester Leaps In', or images filmed on the road, like the Berlin footage used for ‘Viva Death Row’, or staged material of the band getting up to also sorts of antics, like the beach ball larks and bits of animations I would make with no specific aim. In the early days, I made two roller blind screens in long boxes, [we took them on the first two US tours] with one on either side of the stage as space allowed, with film projected onto them so the band members were often in silhouette, although it bled onto them also. The stage was very dark, lit by blue footlights, which I made. I think Mark Perry of Sniffing Glue/Alternative TV said something like it was the most brilliantly depressing thing he had seen. That was always the irony at that time, the music was pert and poppy and uplifting, but the show wasn't. What a laugh, we all thought.

 The shows became increasingly more elaborate with more screens, more projectors and a theatrical lighting rig. At this time we were using Ground Control, Bowie's original PA, run by a lovely guy called Robin Mayhew. Using the theatre lights allowed me to focus and shape controlled beams of light exactly where I wanted them. For example, I could just illuminate Bid's face or other small areas with geometric shapes, while leaving the stage largely unlit. Then the film screens could glow and flicker in the dark. The lads tended not to move a great deal. A tradition assiduously upheld by Mr. Warren.

 As to reception, well some people liked it, and others couldn't see the point. I think it mostly worked as a spectacle, an integrated whole, a total experience, but for those just into the music, it was probably irrelevant. I mean, they are a great band, so nobody missed me when I didn't set up, like at the M80. That stage was toooo big, man.

Bid and Tony 

 Q; As the 'Fifth Member' whose focus seemed to have been on the live performances, how did you fit in with the band in the recording studio?

 Yes, my key role was the live performance; anything else was a bonus for me. I was at all recordings from the second Rough Trade single to the end of the second album, as an enthusiastic supporter and admirer. Of course, I chipped in with the odd suggestion or noise and was probably ignored where and when necessary. Being musically incompetent, my timing is off by a good margin so I'm not sure my handclaps ever made a final mix. You can hear me on TWWWWofTP. I've got quite a pleasant singing voice, also, just not in public. Bid once marked out the chord changes for Ici Les Enfants on a plastic organ I had, to fill out the live sound, but after the first chord change, I was lost and bewildered.

 Q: You've done promotional videos for the band. Can you talk about a few of those projects? Do you have a favorite video?

 The first promotional film I made was the one for Dindisc, and called Strange Boutique, not after the title of the first album as many think, but coincidentally, after the name of a pair of corduroy trousers! Actually, that may not be true. So, this was conceived as a short film, with two songs and a Rod Serling type piece to camera as a linking devise. Done on the very cheap. Unfortunately, there were syncing issues with some of the dialogue and the master got damaged, scratched, and I'm not sure if I still have the original film, or not. It's on our DVD as a complete piece as far as I remember, but it turns up on YouTube, usually cut down to either of the two songs LSD and Strange Boutique, without all the linking material.

We then waited a long time until I was commissioned by WEA to make the promo for 'Jacob's Ladder' with the release of 'The Lost Weekend' album. The deal was negotiated from a public phone box on Clapham Common tube station. It was somewhat compromised by cock-ups at WEA which meant I was forced to hand it over before it was fully edited to my satisfaction. I seem to have made a style out of technical imperfections; at least that's what I'm saying. At the time Top of the Pops had a video preview section, and a short clip of Jacob's Ladder was shown. That’s primetime TV, folks!

And then, of course, I was delighted when Bid asked me to make the official MaisieWorld video for ‘I Feel Fine’, which I was very pleased with. All these projects were very personal to me, not just the execution of a job, and the first two were part of my life at the time of making.

 Q. The only footage I've seen of you actually playing with the band is the Old Grey Whistle Test TV spot. Was it common for you to join the band onstage?

 Well, I was usually visible on stage, controlling the projectors, which needed constant manipulation, like a DJ scratching, changing speed and switching images, fading and mixing. Also, there might be some little set piece we had devised, which required me to do something. At one point, during the Ground Control days, I remember I had my own mic so I could interact with the stage, which didn't last that long. So, to some extent, I always had a relationship with the stage as both performer and technician. Once, when Lester Square had had enough, I did perform the encore, He's Frank, by incessantly plucking one string of his guitar. Pretty good, actually! Music and Maths very similar to my mind, no sooner do I believe that I have mastered the execution of some small calculation, but I soon discover that I haven't.

Don’t shake the ladder, Tony gettin’ down to work. 

Q: Tell us about your film education and your career in film and video outside the band.

 I made a living of sorts working commercially in film and video production, and teaching, but as I mentioned before, I actually trained in fine art. My art foundation took a very academic approach and involved copious hours of life drawing and other drawing classes, while being given time to develop one's own particular discipline and style.

I made one Super8 film based on geometric elements in my painting. I had made three other 8mm film before this. It wasn't until I was on my degree course that I started making more moving image work, but this stemmed from a fine art perspective, so I didn't ever have any film school type training. My own work I would categorise as poetic experimentalism, that is under the general umbrella of artist film and video. Just a reminder that you can catch up with lots more detail of everything I've said at my website, http://tonypottsloopform.altervista.org. Although it has all the history of the films and staging, as well as the making of Jacob's Ladder, it's rather old and not up-to-date. That site includes all the art projects I've worked on, the history of TMS film, and my own films. My creative life can be divided into three separate but overlapping strands. The first being, my personal practice as an artist/film maker, the second, my skills and knowledge deployed in the service of collective artworks and community arts projects, and those same skills employed commercially in film and video production and teaching.

 Q: It's obvious from FB that you are a big film fan. Who are some of your favorite directors/favorite movies?

 With a few exceptions, I'm not much interested in modern Hollywood, old Hollywood is better, and pre-Hays better still. My film tastes are somewhat esoteric for most folks. I prefer silent film, particularly that of the classic German period of the twenties, Lang, Murnau, Pabst, Dreyer. Then in the sixties, PP Pasolini, Robert Bresson, Akira Kurosawa, soviet era Tarkosky and Parajhanov, plus a host of even less well know eastern European directors like Miklos Jancso, Jan Nemec, or Frantisek Vlacil. Don't you wish you'd never asked?

 Q. You live in Wales, pretty far away from the London of your youth. How did you end up there and what appeals to you living there?

 Well, we split our time between London and Pembrokeshire at present, while my wife Rachael is still working. In a few years, we'll move out completely, I think. I can't relax in the city anymore. I need some more space to feel comfortable. I've had as much London as I can handle. Rachael is Welsh, although Pembrokeshire is known as little England beyond Wales, and we are fortunate to own her childhood home there.

 Q. You were recently diagnosed with cancer and posted your experience on Facebook. How did you discover that you had cancer and how are you doing now?

 Yes, that was unfortunate. The prostate gets larger as us men grow older and so puts a bit of pressure on the bladder, changing the way you take a pee, like urgency and frequency. So any chap of a certain age should cut along to a doctor if they have persistent symptoms of this type. Our neighbour in Wales insists on calling it prostrate cancer, but I refuse to take that lying down, and firmly pronounce it prostate, but to no avail. But seriously, although it's a slow-growing cancer, the sooner you act, the sooner you can get the appropriate treatment. I had to have surgery, but it's not necessary for everyone. As my cousin, who luck would have it is a cancer specialist said, do you want to be erect or dead? Haha, what a great choice!

 Q: Since this is a TMSF, after all, can you pick a favorite song and say a few words about it?

 My choice of song to end this pleasant excursion is 'The Devil Rides Out', from the 'Eligible Bachelors' album. By the time of recording this record JD had left the band and was living in NY, and I was also spending a great deal of time in that city also. I was still contributing to the occasional gig or short tour, but I certainly wasn't around when this album was recorded. Christ, what do you expect for a record made in Luton?

So it is the live performances of this song that I recall, since it was in the repertoire well ahead of it being recorded. Although I could say it of many other songs, the open chords of 'The Devil Rides Out' always gave me a buzz as I waited to play in whatever the film images were [I can't remember]. Even if the audience or critics found the films superfluous or unimportant, I usually enjoyed watching the way that a set of otherwise unrelated images somehow meshed and synchronised with the music and gave the illusion of a premeditated vision. Of course, it was premeditated in as much as I knew what pieces of film would be used for a particular song, but beyond that, there was a lot of slack in the system. With the various parameters of the live installation, having to follow the cue of the band and the hand manipulating the projectors [no computers], there were great possibilities that the extemporisation would result in entirely unique sets of images and sound on each occasion.

Well, I should say something about why I like the song. It's one of a number of Bid's more esoteric lyrical compositions. He had previously pushed the Latin boat out with Adeste Fideles [not everyone's favourite song title to pronounce], and my spell checker isn't too keen on the words, either. In this case, the bridging line is rendered in Latin, but with the exception of the 'Hails', this is written in the ancient language of Sanskrit. Or at least that is my understanding and belief. Whatever the lyrical origins are, this is a classic TMS arrangement, altogether thrilling, incomprehensible and mysterious, yet totally pop, totally accessible and it dumps from a very great height those chart-topping household names who have followed in their wake.

And of course, I can never resist a song that features a sleigh bell, The Devil Rides Out and The Stooges 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' being the two finest examples.

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[hermanwatts]

Sensor Sweep: Roger Zelazny, Tros of Samothrace, Fred Saberhagen, Eyrie of the Dread Eye, Charles Beaumont

Authors (Rich Horton): Roger Zelazny would have been 82 today, but, dammit, he died way too young in 1995. I loved his short fiction but I haven’t written a lot about it, so instead I’ve taken four rather short bits, capsules, really, that I did of four of his novels, for my SFF Net newsgroup a while ago, and in once case for Black Gate retro-review of an issue of Galaxy.

  Tolkien (Eldritch Paths): I have a confession to make. Up until last year, I hadn’t actually read The Lord of the Rings. I know, I know. I say I read fantasy and I haven’t read what’s considered one of the greatest pieces of fantasy ever written. To be quite honest, I was a bit reluctant to read the trilogy. The complaints I’ve heard about Tolkien being “boring”, middle-earth as a setting being cliche, and that the novels having way too much description put me off. Eventually, I hunkered down and bit the bullet. To my surprise, I was blown away.

  Science Fiction (Tellers of Weird Tales): A long time ago, I wrote about Fritz Leiber, Jr., and the problem of the weird tale. The problem was and is this: How do we write convincingly about the supernatural, the rural, and the irrational in a thoroughly materialist, urbanized, and (supposedly) rational age?

Fiction (DMR Books): Talbot Mundy described the adventures of Tros in three books: Tros of Samothrace, Queen Cleopatra and Purple Pirate.  We will look at each of these books in turn and you can find them in paperback, hardcover, ebooks or here, at the invaluable library of Roy Glashan.  Although Tros of Samothrace was originally serialized in the pages of Adventure magazine in 1925 and 1926, it was not published in book form until 1934.

  Pulp Writers (My Drops of Ink): The beginning of adventure novels for men—1901-1920 period.  A few months ago, I wrote an article for Paperback Parade about Steward Edward White, an early 20th century writer of popular adventure, Westerns, and nonfiction about birds and nature.  He was a conservationist, naturalist, and big game hunter, and his love for nature, conservation, and adventure were to become very much a part of his literary works over his long career.  He enjoyed writing about pioneers, the West, logging, gold mining, and nature.

  Dime Novel Westerns (Crime Reads): Two detectives came out to Wyoming in early February 1885, seeking a boy from New York City and the ten thousand dollar reward posted by his father. The boy, an eleven-year-old banker’s son named Fred Shephard, had disappeared the month before, but had not been abducted. An obsessive reader of Western dime novels, the young man broke open his tin bank one January night and climbed down the rain spout from his room to the street. His latest book was left at school, his heroic intentions scrawled across the bottom of its open page, “Ime goin West to be a cowboy detective.”

  Fiction (Goodman Games): Science fiction and fantasy author Fred Saberhagen was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 18, 1930. Beginning his professional writing career at age 30 with a short story published in a 1961 issue of Galaxy Magazine, Saberhagen went on to become best known for his works featuring the characters Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. Fantasy role playing enthusiasts of a certain age are probably much more familiar with Saberhagen’s second-most popular work, The Swords Trilogy, which began being published in 1983, just as the Dungeons & Dragons craze was hitting its peak. Saberhagen followed that up with a subsequent sequel series, The Book of Lost Swords, which totaled eight additional books in all.

  Fiction (Paul Bishop): Somewhere, jockeying for position in my top five favorite tough guy private eyes, you will find the six book Rafferty series by Shamus Award winning author W. Glenn Duncan. Like author John Whitlatch, who I previously posted about, W. Glenn Duncan has been an enigma to his fans for many years. A former journalist and pilot, Duncan lived in Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Texas, and California, before disappearing into the proverbial wilds of Australia with his wife and three children.

  H. P. Lovecraft (Jeffro Johnson): Did this show with Zaklog the Great last Friday. Enjoyed talking Lovecraft and Lord of the Rings and… these obnoxious people that poison your mind until you’d begin to think that your “beloved past had never been.”

Lovecraft writes three times that “there was no hand to hold me back that night I found the ancient track.” After mulling this whole scene over in light of the Boomerclypse we’re in the process of rolling back, I’ve concluded that there was in fact a hand there. The hand of wisdom!

  Westerns (Frontier Partisans): During the summer between junior high school and high school, a movie came to our little local theater that I simply had to see. It was titled The Long Riders and it had this cool gimmick — four sets of brothers played four sets of brothers — the James Boys, the Youngers, the Millers, and the Fords, played by James and Stacy Keach; the Carradine brothers; the Quaids; and the Guests. My parents thought it was too violent and they didn’t like the idea of “glorifying outlaws.”

  RPG (The Mixed GM): Today, let’s take a look at AX5: Eyrie of the Dread Eye. I purchased the pdf and physical copy, but this review will focus on the pdf, due to the fact that the physical copy is still on its way. There is a 5E version of this, but I am only interested in the Adventure, Conqueror, King System (ACKS) version of it!

Sidebar: Really appreciate Autarch making the pdf + physical copy combo the same price as just purchasing the physical book.

  Cartoons (Kestifer): Mobile Suit Gundam aired on Japanese television in 1979 and birthed a brand new sub-genre of giant robot fiction: the “Real Robot.” Where the 60s and 70s had a thriving “Super Robot” field populated with classics like Tetsujin-28 Go,Mazinger Z, and Getter Robo (worthy in their own ways), Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Gundam treated giant robots less as giant superheroes calling out their attacks, and instead as advanced weapons of war against a backdrop of space opera and large scale warfare.

  Fiction (Easily Distracted): I first gave up on the paperback edition of Fires of Eden in August 1995. But powerful images and scenes from Fires of Eden stuck with me, particularly a legion of night-marching spirits filing through the wilds of Hawaii. Similar to the staying power of scenes of devouring lampreys in Simmons’ Summer of Night or the vampiric stomach siphons of Romanian orphans in Children of the Night.

  Cryptozoology (Kairos): Cryptozoology has been a sporadic hobby of mine since childhood. I’ve studied the research of investigators like Loren Coleman, Jeff Meldrum, and John Keel for years. I can’t tell you what our guest blogger encountered. I can tell you that his account perfectly aligns with multiple data points consistently found in the most credible Bigfoot reports.

  Gaming (Walker’s Retreat): WOWhead has more information as there are some significant difference between how it was and how Classic will go, mostly of a technical nature due to technology changes between 2004 and now, but if you weren’t there then you might want to read up on what you’re getting into.

Get ready for How Things Used To Be, folks, including everybody and their uncle rolling a Forsaken Rogue.

  Fiction (Pulpfest): A prolific writer of both fiction and nonfiction, Charles Beaumont was born on January 2, 1929. According to award-winning writer and editor Roger Anker, “In a career which spanned a brief thirteen years,” Beaumont wrote and sold “ten books, seventy-four short stories, thirteen screenplays (nine of which were produced), two dozen articles and profiles, forty comic stories, fourteen columns, and over seventy teleplays.”

    Sensor Sweep: Roger Zelazny, Tros of Samothrace, Fred Saberhagen, Eyrie of the Dread Eye, Charles Beaumont published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

[susantregre]

Screen-Free Fun Learning Activities

We all love technology! But sometimes we all need a break from screen time, especially kids! That’s where Screen Free Learning Activities come in!

  Technology plays a vital role in our daily lives. We use it for banking, communicating, learning, and even for our entertainment. It is a magical thing really that opens doors, enhances experiences, and makes almost anything possible with the right searches.

There is no denying that we all love technology, but if your family is anything like mine, you also love a break from all things tech sometimes, too!

I am sure you have seen the popular memes on Facebook about having a childhood before technology took over. No doubt, some of my best memories are devoid of phones, tablets, smart watches, and GPS systems.

As a parent, I want my kids to have that experience too! That is why I have compiled this super fun list of Screen-Free Fun Letter Learning Activities. This list is packed full of fun ways to learn without a trace of technology involved, although, you may want to capture the fun in a photo, with no judgments!

Screen-Free Learning Activities

This post contains affiliate links. 

Life is An Adventure

With screen time being a very real part of our lives, it’s easy to take for granted the everyday, ordinary things. Head out into your neighborhood and explore nature. If the kids are learning to read, searching for letters on street signs is a fun way to have a scavenger hunt. As the kids master their letter recognition skills, challenge them to find letters in unconventional places. Or to navigate directions, such as east and west, without the use of Google Maps, by reading street signs. These are simple ways to have fun with letters!

Learning at Your Feet

Grab some sidewalk chalk and practice writing the ABC’s. Draw alphabet themed pictures to create a story packed with letter learning fun. An ABC hopscotch square is always a fun way to make learning an active affair!

Turn to Nature

A pile of rocks, or a handful of dandelions are fairly common sights to find outdoors. They can easily become an exciting tool for learning letters without a screen. Position a few pine cones or sticks to form a letter, then ask your child to identify it, and recreate it. Then, see how many letters of the alphabet you can create together with the things you find outdoors.

Make DIY Puzzles

You can simply glue a picture onto craft sticks, and carefully cut the sticks apart for an easy DIY puzzle. You could make one for each letter of the alphabet, to make learning the ABC’s a hands on, screen free experience. As your child learns to write the letters, work on making your puzzle doublesided. Have your child write each letter in an upper and lower case form, on the backside of the original puzzle for an additional challenge!

Have Fun with Letters

In Fun with Letters, you will find nearly 500 pages of printables, coloring pages, handwriting sheets, book recommendations, crafts, and activities to help your kids get ready for kindergarten, while having a ton of fun in the process. This is such a great resource for parents! Grab your copy and start exploring the alphabet without ever turning on a screen!

  Write A Short Play, Then Act It Out! 

My brother and I used to do this all the time as children. He was a good sport, as I was usually the writer, director, and generally the star! Kids love creating things. It’s just natural to them. They are brimming with creativity and wild imaginations. Encourage kids to work together to write a short story or play, and then assign roles. They can use dress up clothes to create costumes, and make programs to distribute to the audience. Once they are ready to regale you with a performance, pop some popcorn, and enjoy!

Get Creative

With some very basic supplies and an idea, you can create amazing things with the kids! An invitation to create is a great way to learn! Kids can experiment with ideas and materials to create a work of art worthy of the displaying on the fridge. The Fun with Letters book is a great resource for finding letter themed crafts and activities to enhance your abc activities!

Open A Family Art Gallery

Set your little artist up at the table, or the easel, with all of the supplies they need: paper, paint, and paintbrushes.

Meanwhile, find a wall that you want to use, and then attach a Wall Mount Art Display to attach their dried artwork to. You can also recreate this art gallery look with fishing line, mini clothespins, and some wall tacks. Once their artwork is on display, crack open a bottle of sparkling cider with some fancy glasses, and admire their creations, while decorating your walls!

  The Doctor Will See You Now

Help them set up a “doctor’s office and waiting room” with dolls, stuffed animals, and siblings or friends! All you really need for this is a doctor’s kit, but you can make do with some items from your first aid kit, or create what you need from paper or materials from your sewing kit. Kids can use old fabric scraps as bandages for their dolls, and they can make paper gowns for dolls from paper bags. Decorate a sign with the name of their doctor’s office, set some magazines in the waiting room, and start treating patients!

Create (And Use) An Acts of Kindness Jar

Kids are never too young to learn about the power behind acts of kindness. Create a kindness jar, containing different thoughtful acts that the entire family can perform for others. Starting with neighbors, have your kids each pick a thoughtful gesture, and have them go through with it. This can be anything from visiting with a neighbor, to helping them bring groceries in, or shoveling their walkway. 

Not only is creating a kindness jar a great craft and activity, it is an excellent opportunity to have a meaningful discussion with kids about how important it is to think of others, and to tread gently when interacting with people. This world can be a tough place. The good news is that good prevails, and every little bit of brightness helps. You never know when one small act of kindness will change the entire day for someone who might be secretly hanging by a thread.

Time For School

I used to love playing school with my brother (until he was over it, and then he “graduated” and I continued on to the next class of stuffed animals… Did I mention my brother was extra patient?).

Set up a chalkboard or a dry erase board, and then just let them go! As a Mom, I also loved playing school with my daughter when she was younger, observing her as the teacher. It was so funny and educational for me to watch her mimic what her teachers must have been saying to her at the time, because she parroted it off to her own students! As she has gotten older, I still “play school” with her. Whenever she has a difficult time with a homework topic, I ask her to be the teacher, and teach me. Sometimes, stepping back and looking at it from a teacher’s angle helps increase her level of understanding, as the student.

Create And Run a Grocery Store

As a kid, I used to raid our recycling bin for (clean) items, like empty cereal and cracker boxes, etc. I mixed them in with my play food items and a toy cash register, along with the paper bags and receipts my Mom gave me after she did the weekly shopping, and created my own grocery store. Hours of fun right there! My parents would “stop by my store” when they could, and when my friends came over, we would play nonstop.

You can also give older kids the task of creating a realistic grocery list and meal planning for a week. Give them an imaginary budget that they have to stay within, and allow them to clip coupons, and see how far they can make their money stretch. You never know… you might end up actually using sections of their list when you grocery shop! If they can shave a few bucks off your budget, award it them as a treat, after the fact.

  More Screen Free Activities

Not only is reduced screen time a developmental win for your child, it is also a really fun way to connect with and talk to them. You might even learn something new! Enjoy your screen-free adventure, and check out these other ideas:

25+ Preschool Activities

100 TV Free Activities

Preschool Activities That Are Quick To Set Up 

Lego Balance Scale STEM Project

Don’t forget to grab Fun with Letters for your child! 

Comment below with any fun screen-free activities you would add to this list!

The post Screen-Free Fun Learning Activities appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

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[junker-town]

The 27 best moments from the 2017 NBA Finals

From Rihanna, to 3-1 leads, to deleted “Cavs in 7” tweets, the NBA Finals held plenty of surprises.

Look, the basketball: it was good. But, with the exception of a wild Game 4, the NBA Finals unfolded as expected: The Warriors dominated and destroyed the Cavaliers, despite Cleveland’s best efforts.

While the final result wasn’t surprising, we did have some twists and turns along the way. From Rihanna’s appearance, to J.R. Smith’s deleted tweet, to KD and Steph’s moms dancing after a win, here are the best moments of the 2017 NBA Finals.

1. When Rihanna won Game 1

Rihanna showed up courtside and walked by Jeff Van Gundy, who was all of us when he yelled, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”

Things only got better from there. Rihanna’s a huge LeBron fan, so she bowed to him during the game at one point, then turned around to dab on the fans who told her to sit down. Never tell Rihanna to sit down.

Amazing. Rihanna bows to LeBron then hits a dab and small waves a Warriors fan telling her to sit down. http://pic.twitter.com/q0IyIPIbGK

— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) June 2, 2017

Not long after, Rihanna’s long time friend and assistant Jenn Rosales yelled out “BRIIIICK” during a Durant free throw. Durant then appeared to stare Rihanna down after nailing a three-pointer, though that depends on who you ask. He wouldn’t confirm or deny. But, I mean ... show me a world in which Rihanna doesn’t get in someone’s head, and I’ll show you a world in which a current NBA team can beat the Warriors.

Steph Curry tried to play it off like Rihanna didn’t have everyone completely shaken, saying that she’s never been on a Warriors locker-room playlist. Which is clearly their loss: There are few songs inspire the vanquishing of enemies like Desperado.

2. When it came out that LeBron and KD once recorded a rap song together

The track is ... something. I mean, it’s not good. I mean, it’s bad. Let’s hope these guys don’t quit their day jobs to pursue their art anytime soon.

Here's the Lebron James-Kevin Durant secret track! 1 million retweets to release the whole song! @espn @NBA @CBSSports @SInow @SportsCenter http://pic.twitter.com/4oCIEHsSJP

— Spider Studios (@SpiderStudiosOH) June 5, 2017

3. When Jay Z taught the world how to take a truly great candid photo

He’s a pro.

4. When we learned that JaVale McGee has a hairless cat named Raja

Where were you when you realized that JaVale McGee not only owns a sphynx cat named Raja, but has created an Instagram account for her?

Where were you when you realized she gets massages?

Shoutout to @sootheapp for the massage.... Mike W. has magic fingers... #sphynxkitten #sphynx #sphynxcat #spynxlair #sphynxlove #sphynxcat #spynxtagram

A post shared by RAJA (@rajathesphynx) on Mar 11, 2016 at 3:02pm PST

5. When we all got to meet LintBron James

I am not in the business of being speechless, but this sculpture made out of 30 pounds of dryer lint rendered me completely mute.

LintBron James. She said she made this out of 30 pounds of dryer lint. http://pic.twitter.com/brkeeITHYn

— J.A. Adande (@jadande) June 7, 2017

Breathtaking.

6. When the dude washing the court pulled off the most incredible scooting motion America has ever seen

But you’ll just have to take a look and decide that for yourself.

7. When KD and Steph’s moms got super amped together after their sons won Game 3

Do you know how incredible it feels to watch your son torch another team in the NBA Finals? Unless your son is an NBA player, then no, you don’t. Seems pretty great, if this video of Sonya Curry and Wanda Durant celebrating after their sons won Game 3 is any indication.

MAMA CURRY AND MAMA DURANT ARE HYPE

A post shared by NBC SPORTS BAY AREA (@nbcsauthentic) on Jun 7, 2017 at 8:55pm PDT

8. When Mark Jackson said “full steam of head” instead of “full steam ahead”

LOL! I could be wrong (gotta check the facts) but I’m pretty sure this was the greatest mix up in the history of the English language. “Play it by year” and “in egg shell sits Deio” have nothing on “full steam of head.”

Slightly related: Highly recommend saying “that train has sailed” or “whatever toots your boat” in everyday conversation. Really kicks people for a loop.

9. When Kyle Korver dunked and Draymond Green smiled

Even Draymond Green liked Kyle Korver's dunk. ( Kyle Terada-USA Today) http://pic.twitter.com/wmYb003B5Z

— SB Nation (@SBNation) June 8, 2017

Look, it’s not every day that we get a Korver dunk, OK? Even Draymond realized this was something special to behold.

10. When Steph Curry appeared to maybe pretend to poop on the court and then said he didn’t (I know, I can’t believe this is where we are, either)

There was this whole thing where Steph squatted down on the court at one point during Game 3, and everyone was like, “Oooooh Steph mimed pooping on the floor!”

So a reporter asked about it:

“Steph, I’m sorry we keep asking you about squatting, but while Draymond and Steve were arguing with the ref and one of them got the technical, it looked like you squatted down. And were you just stretching there, and what did Richard Jefferson say to you?”

“Are you serious right now?” Curry said to the reporter.

“You got to be better,” Durant added.

Sports writers, folks.

11. When Jeff Van Gundy defended Khloe Kardashian?

JVG went on this whole soliloquy about how people should stop saying that Khloe is the reason Tristan Thompson has been playing badly. JVG: not a fan of the Kardashian Kurse.

12. When Dwyane Wade showed up in a track suit to Game 4, and the internet roasted him for it

Everybody had jokes when D. Wade appeared on the sidelines dressed like Usher.

Ready for Game 4 of the #NBAFinals... @stephenasmith, @DwyaneWade & @SHAQ! http://pic.twitter.com/lcLP3FzBhd

— NBA (@NBA) June 10, 2017

13. When Draymond did or didn’t get a technical for elbowing Iman Shumpert in the head

I mean, he did. But then when he got another technical, the refs said that the first technical was supposed to be on Steve Kerr, so Draymond didn’t end up getting tossed out of the game. Which is totally fine and normal and not at all something that would make anyone suggest the NBA is in anyway (to quote Ayesha Curry) “absolutely rigged for money.”

14. This goddamn self-alley-oop from LeBron James ...

LeBron makes me hyperaware of my physical limitations. How do you DO THIS in the middle of a GAME?!

15. ... which J.R. Smith credited to the fact that LeBron is a Gatorade Baby

JR in LeBron's self alley-oop: 'He's a Gatorade baby. He was made in a lab somewhere.' http://pic.twitter.com/41CEC3Trfx

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 10, 2017

What on God’s green Earth is a Gatorade Baby, J.R.? The “made in a lab” part I largely agree with, given what LeBron can do, but the Gatorade part is giving me pause. Maybe J.R. is referring to those 90s ads where Mia Hamm ran around to that “Everything you can do I can do better” song.

Or maybe this doesn’t make sense nor mean anything, but we’re going to roll with it because it’s J.R.

16. When the third quarter of Game 4 turned into a WWE match

LeBron and KD mouthed off at each other, Draymond almost got ejected ... we were one metal ladder away from Undertaker coming out of retirement to drop Kerr with a piledriver.

17. When the Warriors blew a 3-0 lead and the internet exploded with 3-1 lead jokes

They wrote themselves. And namely consisted of: Remember that time the Warriors blew a 3-1 in the 2016 Finals with the first-ever unanimous MVP?

18. When Draymond basically called all of Cleveland stupid

I mean, if you’re going to play games like WWE matches, you can’t begrudge Draymond for really leaning into his role as a heel.

Cavs fans don't like Draymond. The feeling is mutual.

A post shared by SB Nation (@sbnation) on Jun 9, 2017 at 10:32pm PDT

19. When Snoop Dogg showed up to Game 5 dressed like Merlin

Maybe he didn’t get the memo that D.C. wasn’t in the finals, because he was doing his best Wizard impression.

Snoop x 40 Water x Stephen A http://pic.twitter.com/dWMcogXFDk

— Bay Area Sports Guy (@BASportsGuy) June 13, 2017

20. When LeBron dunked KD through space and time back to Oklahoma City in Game 5

The laws of physics don’t apply when you’re LeBron James.

21. When David West and Tristan Thompson got into a fight and accidentally kissed in Game 5

Things got heated on the court when West rebounded a layup that Kyrie missed in the second quarter of Game 5, and then Kyrie tried to take the ball back. West snapped, then Thompson got involved, and then all hell broke loose when the two big basketball men appeared to kiss each other before refs and teammates separated them.

The Bachelorette might’ve gotten pushed from Monday night because of Game 5, but at least we still got a make out. It raised the very important question: Is kissing on the court a technical foul?

22. When the intimate moments continued, and Draymond caught Klay and held him up in Game 5

“Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna turn around and desert youuuu...”

23. When the Warriors pulled away like a getaway car leaving a bank, went up 122 to 110 with three and a half minutes left, and we were all like, oh, that’s right. The Warriors have Kevin Durant. And this is all over. And it’s ending just the way we thought it would, only one game later, so we still got to make our 3-1 lead jokes, and now we can all go to sleep and wake up next June when the Warriors are in the Finals again

^That’s all I have to say about that.

24. When Wanda Durant also deserved to get a ring

KD and the real MVP ❤️ http://pic.twitter.com/LSPNrz00nO

— SB Nation (@SBNation) June 13, 2017

25. OK, fine, here’s a celebration picture because KD’s mom is in it

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

26. And the best GIF of all time, maybe

When it’s a school night but ur parents let u stay out past ur bedtime http://pic.twitter.com/yUP8jMvXMH

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 13, 2017

Congrats, Warriors, on the basketball.

27. And finally, here it is, the best moment of the Finals: When J.R. Smith tweeted and then deleted “Cavs in 7”

Minutes after Game 3 ended, a tweet appeared on J.R. Smith’s timeline that said “Cavs in 7.” He or someone else deleted the tweet after it had racked up close to 40,000 retweets.

In the parking lot after the game, J.R. claimed he was hacked (classic) but that he agreed with whoever sent it.

Who knows. Maybe J.R. sent it. Maybe J.R. was hacked. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. Because that transparency — whether it was Russell Westbrook’s pettiness, or Draymond’s taunts, or the Celtics showing up to Game 6 against the Wizards in D.C. wearing all black — was what kept us on our toes this NBA season. We all knew what would happen. We all expected to be here. It was the little dramas, the glorious gossip, the deleted tweets that gave it life.

So here’s to next season. The Warriors just dunked on a year’s worth of 3-1 lead jokes, and it’s hard to imagine a world in which we don’t find ourselves right back here when June comes around again. So, to that I say: Cavs in 7, Gatorade babies.