The lead guards drafted above Jalen Brunson in the 2018 NBA Draft:
Luka Doncic
Trae Young
Collin Sexton
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Aaron Holiday
Anfernee Simons
Elie Okobo
Jevon Carter
Denis Villeneuve has no interest in making a Star Wars film
• He was once obsessed with Star Wars — calling 'Empire Strikes Back' his most anticipated movie ever
• Franchise was 'derailed' with 'Return of the Jedi' — 'it became a comedy for kids'
• Dislikes the Ewoks to this day
Looking back I don’t think I fully appreciated the Mavs’ Finals run because what Luka and Kyrie were doing during the playoffs (but especially against Minnesota) was just more of what they did in the regular season. I was so desensitized, I didn’t realize what I was watching
But watching this and thinking of it purely as a magic space opera deeply inspired by Kurosawa films and sci-fi storytellers like Kubrick and Herbert, it hits different. Not perfect, but timeless, even almost 50 years later. A special film
A half century of lore and franchise development has diminished the impact of this film for anyone who grew up with the franchise in a post-ROTJ world. The way the Force is represented in the first film is so, so special and is what makes the movie great imo, for all its’ flaws.
I watched it last night and undoubtedly the twins’ reunion, Kenobi vs Vader and even the droids’ return to Tatooine all have an enhanced emotional impact because of the prequel films and the additional stories told during the intervening years between Phantom Menace and New Hope.
Mavericks HC Jason Kidd tried to become team president, according to @BannedMacMahon but has known for months he wasn’t getting the job.
Kidd wasn’t involved in the search for Masai Ujiri & was informed of the move when the deal was done #MFFL
(@ESPNNBA via Hoop Collective/YT)
Not advocating for this by any means but I'm not sure there's any IP out there today that has more potential for a "What If...?" spin-off than GRRM's books/Westerosi history and lore
we got GRR Martin on tape literally saying that Baelor death changed the course of Westeros History because of how strong and competent king he would've been and you casually call him "nothing burger" LOL
GRRM asking if Aragorn sufficiently de-nazified Middle Earth post-war is both hilarious and also perfectly encapsulates the difference between the way he’s created his story, and Tolkien his. Who could’ve guessed material conditions impact art as well as politics?
George R.R. Martin explains how his Game of Thrones characters wielding power badly is his answer to Tolkien:
"Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs? By the end of the war, Sauron is gone but all of the orcs aren’t gone – they’re in the mountains. Did Aragorn pursue a policy of systematic genocide and kill them? Even the little baby orcs, in their little orc cradles?
Real-life kings had real-life problems to deal with. Just being a good guy was not the answer. You had to make hard, hard decisions. Sometimes what seemed to be a good decision turned around and bit you in the ass; it was the law of unintended consequences. I’ve tried to get at some of these in my books. My people who are trying to rule don’t have an easy time of it. Just having good intentions doesn’t make you a wise king."
What do you think Tolkien would have thought about such comments?
Harm reduction is something Liberals say when they really mean harm re-distribution. The harm is never reduced, it’s just re-distributed to someone or someplace else. It’s why they told me I had to vote for someone committing genocide over there, to protect my rights over here.