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seulsbit · 6 years

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why klance still has a chance lol

okay so, my friend wrote an analysis of this article, but didn’t want to post it themselves in fear of backlash. so i asked if i could copy it all and post it for them, so here you go. it’s very long but it’s worth it. everyone from this point on is their writing not mine

“There’s still plenty to wrap up in the final 13 episodes, however.”

“Andrea Romano, who was our voice director at the time, walked in and was like ‘Is this the last episode? Did you kill them all?’ And it does feel like you could technically end the series there, and everything would be hunky-dory.”

Okay first let me talk about these

Because first there is plenty to wrap up in the final 13 episodes and the interviewer acknowledges this which means that outside our fandom people do realize lots have to be answered and 13 episodes is a lot but that’s a short time to do it

2nd SS:

That’s (either Lm or JDS) saying they acknowledge this as well. They could have ended it there if they wanted too but they know there is again a lot left to be gone over and answered involving Honerva

And the ships too

Forgot this one

Dos Santos joked, “We were hoping it would be a surprise”

This made me think okay this is confirming what I thought and a lot of others thought

They like surprises

They like the wow factor of their audience

Okay now onto the good stuff

Interviewer:

“In terms of other loose ends left to tie up in the final 13 episodes, season seven hinted at the possibility of romantic relationships between Allura and Lance and and a potentially one-sided attraction between Keith and Acxa. Aside from Lotor and Allura’s brief relationship in season six (which ultimately ended in betrayal and Lotor’s demise), romance hasn’t been a particular focus in Voltron: Legendary Defender. That was deliberate.”

Lauren Montgomery:

“We really wanted to focus the beginning of our show on making sure each of these characters had a fully formed arc and a fully formed self before they started doing anything beyond that so that none of these characters felt solely defined by being solely ‘the girlfriend’ or ‘the boyfriend’ or ‘the whatever’ of ‘whoever,’” Montgomery explained. “Now I think that you can look at every character and really feel like they’ve grown personally — maybe they feel a little more comfortable in themselves to feel comfortable looking beyond themselves.”

The parts of that I found really interesting and key note worthy

THIS ONE

“The girlfriend” “the boyfriend” the whatever of whoever

That jumped out at me

That implies that it doesn’t really necessarily mean it’s boyfriend and girlfriend, this means any kind of ties to the characters and it doesn’t *specifically* state boyfriend & girlfriend it keeps those separated

As far as the “girlfriend of whoever” goes

This could be a NUMBER of people aside from Allura who they aren’t even together yet and I don’t know that they will be together

Lauren and JDS don’t actually specify anything concrete

Example: This could be Shay for all we know

And the fact she talks about the whatever of whoever

Details it from being specifically about anyone in particular

She’s talking about the relationships the cast have with each other and side characters in general like

Pidges father and brother

Keith and Krolia

This could be about Allura and Coran

This could be about family

The friends they’ve made along the way like

Keith and Kolivan

So this isn’t strictly about romance or pointing out any specific romance

Now moving on

This next paragraph is the Interviewer writing

Not JDS or Lauren there are no dialogue quotations

The only dialogue they quoted is a Lance line

Interviewer:

This seems to be the case with Allura and Lance in particular. In earlier seasons, Lance’s incessant flirting with Allura was little more than comic relief — his first words to her were “I’m Lance, and you’re right here in my arms,” after which she immediately called his ears hideous. Things have changed since then, and Lance and Allura have had the chance to mature and bond with each other. Lance’s cheesy pick-up lines seem to be a relic of seasons past — what remains is a relationship built on mutual respect and trust that could hold romantic potential after the galactic crises start to abate.

Keep in mind that wasn’t said by the creators from what I can tell because there are no quotations and no (Lauren said of Joaquim said) which this writer puts and points out when putting in quotes and their responses like an interviewer typically does so

I think people get hung up on this paragraph

When JDS and LM didn’t say this, this was the interviewer and if your caught up on what I’m about to show their responses

Specific parts of their responses jump out at me too

“I think things evolve,” Dos Santos said. “You know, we’re the rare situation where we have this many episodes to serialize a story and character arcs. So, I think while initially romantic interpersonal relations weren’t really the driving factor of the show, things naturally evolve.”

One he says things evolve naturally and what pairing has JOAQUIM HIMSELF said is a natural evolution of their characters

Keith and Lance

Specifically

I’m positive that was JDS who said that in an interview before and he’s right

Romance interpersonal relations really weren’t the driving factor they don’t push the show forward they aren’t the main focus. That’s a minor subplot thing. It’s extra.

brief or enduring

BRIEF OR ENDURING

Brief makes me think of Allura just because she’s never returned anything romantic to Lance. Until this season in one episode ???

Enduring Let’s see what that word actually means

I wonder who this makes me think of

Hint hint it’s Keith

Their friendship, relationship, whatever it is atm

Is *show spanning*

They’ve had highs and lows. They’ve reciprocated soft important moments.

So Joaquin’s statement is not just a poke at Allurance it’s a poke at Klance too it’s a poke at every romantic relationship. Initially Romantic interpersonal relationships weren’t really driving the show. But like he said things naturally evolve. And looking back at Klance interactions through the seasons and into season 7, there’s a lot, and the farther it went the more it got naturally evolving which Joaquim has said they’re a natural evolution. And lance’s endgame is a slowburn confirmed. Now s7 Klance is tense because Lance is hurt. Keith was hurt we saw Keith get hurt early in the show Lance refused to acknowledge he remember they bonded. And has been hostile towards Keith in several situations which died down in season 3 onwards but there was still here and there times that they’d argue and poke fun right. Because it’s a part of their relationship. This season was different it was tense and serious and Lance is seriously hurting because he’s acknowledging his feelings for Keith internally or very close to that. He was hurt when Keith left (which I’ll argue Keith left so lance wouldn’t have to leave the team). But Lance didn’t know that. Lance didn’t know why it hurt so much. But lance getting closer to his feelings and accepting/acknowledging them, he’s gonna lash out, he’s angry. Keith lashes out too. But you say things you don’t mean when you’re angry. You get so angry you’ll say things to hurt people because while your mad about something. You may not mean exactly what you’re saying. Anyone whose ever argued knows this cause your head isn’t clear when that happens. You start relaxin and thinking about it and regret what you’ve said. And ups and downs to me that’s enduring. Having good times and bad times that’s enduring. Being soft and open with each other and having fights. THATS ENDURING, THATS NATURALLY EVOLVING. Their back and forth fights this season. Held WAY deeper meaning than ANY bickering they’ve EVER done. This isn’t S1 Klance, this is a Klance we’ve never seen before. Because I believe we’re gonna see the issues tackled and resolved next season. This isn’t a bad Klance this is a Klance that’s

This to me isn’t the resolution, we haven’t seen the resolution. Would I classify this is Falling action or the climax I’m not sure but it’s one of those. Klance’s end relationship whatever it may be will NOT be hostile and I hope and I do have hope a big part of me still believes it’s romantic

The interviewer (later putting a quote in from JDS):

“Whatever the final season of Voltron: Legendary Defender holds, there are plenty of details — both major and minor — that beg resolution. “To continue the story doesn’t necessarily mean that it gets bigger in scope in terms of, you know, the universe and a battle growing between millions and millions of people,” Dos Santos noted. “Sometimes things get smaller and that means more as well.”

He’s sayin it doesn’t mean it’s gonna be another huge battle action packed season even though they have the honerva deal to solve. We were so plot focused this season that the relationships and the other stuff wasn’t a focus

The things I BET Jermey was talking about

I bet those are s8 things. S8 is gonna be the personal season I think. And what better season to be a Lance season than the personal one. The one character we’ve followed, the one who is arguably the focus of the show. While the other paladins are the focus, i see Lance in the role most and more than the other paladins. Even if he doesn’t get upfront evolution he has grown as a person. I’ll argue that with anyone who thinks he hasn’t, and he hasn’t been destroyed or devolutionized. I don’t think Keith has either. It was stressful and Lances heart has been put through the ringer in turmoil and stress over his feelings for Allura and Keith. He’s been stressed since Keith left and hasn’t not been that way since. He’s had to look into himself and question things and he felt like something was missing, and now that something is back. That something being a someone named Keith. They are a pair, and if it’s a friend pair fine but they are one nonetheless and I believe it’s romantic. Just Keith is angry too. He’s never liked leading. Even if he’s good at it or moderately better at it and learning, it’s always stressed him out. And Lance had been his impulse control rock. Now Lance can’t be, Lance NEEDS a rock he needs someone to walk things through to understand he’s got so much going on in his heart and head and I believe Shiro will walk him through it. Because he’s the only one who understands and then Keith will play a role. (Oh look my demon Klancer is coming Out mega my bad guys)

Lauren:

““There’s more story to tell,” Montgomery stated. “And we think it’s pretty rewarding.”

There’s more story to come

They have more to say and tell

They think it’s rewarding

As a whole

Not herself but “we” everyone involved i bet

Now this has to be something major wether it’s hetero or homo or not romantic at all, something big is coming in s8 that’s not plot driven, but story driven.

So in conclusion,

#omg this was a lot to copy and paste #@ my friend who doesnt want to be named #i love you so much you have a galaxy brain #vld #voltron legendary defender #klance #keith kogane #lance mcclain #keith #lance #vld spoilers #s7 spoilers #voltron season 7 #voltron theory #season 7 theory #lauren montgomery #joaquim dos santos

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thepinkseat-askthemoonbunny · 7 years

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Quote from one particular rabid Dumbledore hater who's also a raging sexist who thinks liberals are evil. Oh goody. "I'm so sick of DD apologists that say that everything DD did was necessary since Harry wasn't killed. I try to point out that 1) he kidnapped a baby, 2) kept said infant in durance vile for 24 hours, and then 3) dumped him on the doorstep of people who hated magic and any magical people. " First of all sir, us Dumbledore FANS don't say that everything he did was necessary. We say that MOST of it is, can you argue that it isn't?! Leaving Harry with the Dursleys: Necessary. He would be dead otherwise. Baby Harry in durance vile (basically physical restraint or a prison sentence) for a day, no. That never happened, Dumbledore didn't do that. Kidnapping Harry. I'm still on the fence to whether this is kidnapping or not. By the law in our world it most likely would be. But Sirius, Harry's rightful guardian before he got locked up gave Hagrid permission to take little Harry to Dumbledore, even giving him his bike. So, does it even qualify as kidnapping in that case? I don't think so. Leaving Harry on the doorstep: That was stupid, I agree with that. Even though it's stupid I think Dumbledore did it so Petunia had a smaller chance to refuse outright. Second of all, WE'RE sick of Dumbledore HATERS spewing their poison and acting like they're morally better than us. Everywhere you look, try to find something about Albus and everywhere they talk like he's so evil and bad. You literally can't get away from it. Everywhere we look, we can't even find decent fanfiction anymore because of people like you sir, Dumbledore is either Voldemort on steroids, ridiculously stupid or over the top manipulative because haters can't be bothered to flesh him out properly and give him real motivations like the author managed to do. And you claim you're better than her? At least JK actually made Dumbledore a PERSON and gave him real GOALS instead of writing a cartoon villain with no motivations beyond "I'M SO EVULZ!" Even VOLDEMORT had motivations and goals for what he did, fanfic Dumbledore does not. Also they said: "Oh goody, DD and his Mental Breakdown. Now, remember..you've killed off LM and DM, so you are doing really well. Now, you just have to kill DD, SS, and LV. The trifecta of fanfic. Keep those chapters coming." Wow, you're happy that an old man had a mental collapse? You're a real peac. And this isn't the first time they said this, every time I see a comment from them they tell the author, "Just kill off Draco, Snape, or Dumbledore and this will be great." But what if the author doesn't WANT to kill off all these people?! Stop trying to make people kill off the characters you hate, it's not cool. If you wanna go see Dumbledore, Snape and Draco die a painful death, I can link you to several hundred fics all over the web, and there are thousands more. I'm not the Fandom police, but sometimes I wish I was.

#harry potter #dumbledore defense squad #rant #hp #albus dumbledore

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patiencetakestyme · 6 years

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This is a big one, but it’s an important scene!

SMC walks towards a lunch table with a tray full of food. SS comes up behind him, looking jumpy as always.

SS: But dreams aren’t memories!

SMC: Then it wasn’t a dream! Something happened last night and I can’t remember what.

(Both sit down and place book bags behind them)

SS: What makes you so sure that Derek even has all the answers?

SMC: Because (pauses) during the full moon he wasn’t changed. He was in total control. While I was running around in the middle of the night attacking some totally innocent guy.

SS: You don’t know that.

SMC: I don’t not know it. I can’t go out with Allison. I have to cancel.

SS: No, you’re not canceling, okay? You can’t just cancel your entire life. We’ll figure it out.

(LM comes out of nowhere and places her tray down next to SMC and sits down. She looks back and forth between both of them. SS immediately looks at her, dumbfounded. SMC also looks at her.)

LM: Figure what out?

(SS raspy laugh, looks to SMC because he can’t speak).

SMC: Uh...just, uh, homework.

SS: Yeah. (Disbelieving laugh. Leans in and speaks quietly to SMC. LM has mischievous look on SMC). Why is she sitting with us?

(SMC shrugs, equally confused. Suddenly a bunch of other people sit down with them, including AA. SMC has to move his backpack so AA can sit down).

AA: Thanks.

(SS chuckles very fake sits back and rolls his eyes; he’s not happy at their new table mates. Turns, see Danny, nods, this time looking slightly intrigued, curious Danny chose to sit next to him.)

JW: (Approaches out of nowhere, talks to the kid at the head of the table and in the seat next to LM) Get up.

RB: How come you never ask Danny to get up?

Danny: Because I don’t stare at his girlfriend’s coin slot. (SS looks very observant; he realizes he can get intel from these people).

(JW literally pushes RB out of his chair and sits down).

Danny: So I hear they’re saying it’s some type of animal attack. Probably a cougar.

JW: I heard a mountain lion.

LM: (frustrated and confident) A cougar is a mountain lion. (JW quirks an eyebrow, looks very confused at her confidence. LM’s expression changes to confusion). Isn’t it?

JW: Who cares? The guy’s probably some homeless tweakier who’s gonna die anyway.

SS: (looking down at his phone) Actually I just found out who it is. Check it out.

TV announcer: The Sheriff’s department won’t speculate on details of the incident but confirmed the victim, Garrison Meyers, did survive the attack. Meyers was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.

SMC: (stutters) I know this guy. (SMC looks at SS, still clearly afraid he was the one who attacked this guy).

AA: You do? (SS sits back, also worried).

SMC: Yeah, when I used to take the bus back when I lived with my dad. He was the driver. (SMC and SS look at each other, equally concerned).

LM: (looking at the table, clearly bored) Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please? Like...(pauses) oh! Where are we going tomorrow night? You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow night, right? (looks mischievous).

AA: (swallowing food, looking uncomfortable) Um we were thinking of what we were gonna do.

LM: Well, (SS looks nervous; he fears the group date. LM’s eyes are big and she looks displeased with her relationship) I am not sitting at home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the four of us are hanging out, (pointed look at JW) we are doing something fun.

SMC: Hanging out? (looks to AA who looks equally as nervous). Like, the four of us? (Looks to SS who looks like he’s actually in pain, hand over his mouth, trying not to say anything. SMC turns back to AA and whispers so LM can’t hear). Do you wanna hang out, like us and them?

AA: (doing her best to sound excited) Yeah, I guess. Sounds fun.

JW: You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with this fork. (LM, clearly frustrated, takes the fork from him rather aggressively. SS takes a drink, shrugs and tosses his hand int he air and looks disgusted with JW. He can’t believe this is what LM is dating).

LM: (Leaning in to JW, clearly trying to get him excited about this) How ‘bout bowling? You love to bowl!

(SS puts food in his mouth and looks very worried at SMC, also clearly still frustrated by JW. He seems to want SMC to say something to make this not happen).

JW: Yeah with actual competition.

AA: (leaning forward, almost insulted. LM is still all eyes on JW; she does not seem pleased) How do you know we’re not actual competition? (LM looks satisfied with AA’s answer, almost like she’s showing JW). (AA turns to SMC). You can bowl, right?

(SS looks terrified. He knows the answer to that question).

SMC: Sort of.

JW: (leaning forward, interested now because he might beat SMC) Is it sort of, or yes? (LM looks pleased at his return of confidence and interest).

SMC: (sitting forward, confident) Yes. In fact, I’m a great bowler.

(Scene changes to the end of the school day in the hallway)

SS: You’re a terrible bowler!

SMC: I know! I’m such an idiot!

SS: God, it was like watching a car wreck! I mean, first it turned into the whole group date thing. And then out of nowhere comes that phrase. (Lowers his hands to his head).

SMC: Hanging out!

SS: (Lifts head, and throws hands up) You don’t hang out with hot girls, okay? It’s like death. Once it’s hanging out, you might as well be her gay best friend. You and Danny can start hanging out. (Looks off to the side, clearly distracted, clearly feeling some ADHD symptoms and losing his focus).

SMC: How is this happening? I either killed a guy or I didn’t--

SS: I don’t think Danny likes me very much.

SMC: I asked Allison on a date and now we’re hanging out--

SS: Am I not attractive to gay guys?

SMC: I make first line, and the team captain wants to destroy me, and now--now I’m gonna be late for work.

SS: Wait, Scott, you didn’t--am I attractive to gay guys?! You didn’t answer my question.

This combination of scenes is fascinating for several reasons. But the first has to be the confirmation that SS was clearly full of crap with his whole “Scarlet Nerded” comment: not only was he never popular, he never wanted to be popular. I remember first watching this scene and how it changed my opinion of him. Between that early conversation and his apparent crush on who appeared to be ultimate popular girl Lydia, I really thought he was trying to be popular. I liked him so much more after this scene, knowing that that wasn’t truly the case.

Second, his star-studded reaction at having Lydia sit with them is just priceless. He isn’t grumpy until everyone else sits down: he would’ve loved to have her there, of course. But, as their last interaction has already told us, he knows who she really is when these other people aren’t around. If it had been just her, he could’ve gotten to talk to the real her: not the person she projects when all these other idiots (in Stiles’ opinion) are around).

Third, I was originally disappointed that Stiles was clearly on his phone doing research while Lydia laid down the line on Jackson. He missed an opportunity to see her almost own him (of course, she backed off, but that’s another story: she’s not there yet). But then I realized he doesn’t need to see that: he already knows she’s constantly selling herself short for him. And I do love that instead of sitting here speculating like these idiots, he’s decided to actually take out his phone and research it.

Fourth, I can’t be absolutely certain, but Jackson’s response here of “is it sort of, or yes?” seems familiar to me: I feel like that is precisely the wording that Lydia used when asking Scott during the math problem if he was going to play in the game. If that’s the case, it’s interesting to hear it here and know that she may just be mirroring him.

Finally: we have the gay guys comment. I know this scene is the source of a lot of people’s Sterek hopes and dreams. And, on a surface level, I completely get it. But, to me, I see several other items at play here. First is Stiles’ Adderall wearing off at the end of the school day and, more importantly, I see his insecurities coming out as a direct result of losing focus from losing the effects of the medicine.

The lunch scene would’ve been a big deal to Stiles. Those people don’t talk to him. And, overall, he’s okay with that. He doesn’t like vapid and selfish Jackson and certainly doesn’t want to be his friend. I’m not even really sure he wants to be that close to Allison, outside of the fact that his best friend has a crush on her (more on that in a later scene of this episode).

However, there are some people there who he really does like and think of as good people: namely, Lydia and Danny (and Scott, of course, but we already know that!). He likes them both and sees them as a kind of opposites. Lydia hides who she truly is so she can secure a relationship with the winning lacrosse captain--because she’s pretty and that’s what she’s supposed to want and what she’s supposed to do. Danny, on the other hand, is openly gay in high school. The show doesn’t really address this, but, as a high school teacher, I can tell you that being openly gay in high school is very hard on the individual. To be openly gay in high school is extremely brave and awesome. Frequently, my openly gay students come to me and say that they are bullied and that it is not easy, but that they are so happy to be free to be themselves. To Stiles, Danny is being honest and open--something he wishes Lydia would feel free to do. Danny did it, so Stiles has hopes that Lydia will one day too. And, shocker: he’s right. It just takes her some time to get there.

The final component of this goes back to something he said to Lydia at the hospital: he feels that he has a connection with these people who have deeper depths than most of their other classmates. He’s are smarter than most people give him credit for. Danny’s braver than most people give him credit for. Lydia’s both: braver and smarter than most people give her credit for.

Knowing this, he sees a similarity in the way he feels for Lydia to the way he feels for Danny. I think he wants to be friends with Danny: he seeks his approval, just as he seeks Lydias, but for different reasons. He loves Lydia and he understands Danny. Between that and with the offset of lack of Adderall, this conversation is one of the ways it emerges.

There were only three people there he liked: Lydia, Danny and Scott. He’s already got Scott’s approval. He knows Lydia isn’t being herself (which is when they share that connection, by the way) and, therefore, won’t have the time of day for him (yet), but Danny’s a question mark. How does he get Danny to understand him, as he feels he already understands Danny? Like most high school boys, his brain goes to attraction and, from there, a curiosity about what it means to be gay and attractive to a gay friend.

Finally (really, I mean it this time) I’m disappointed in Scott here. Stiles is clearly crying out, trying to indicate that he wants the approval of these two other people he likes, and Scott is just wrapped up in his own little world. But more on that in a later scene in this episode.

#kas rewatches tw #1x3 #LM #SS

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oselatra · 7 years

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2017 Best of Arkansas editors' picks

Pie, dog-chasing-geese watching, wrecked groceries, etc.

Best place to get up close and personal with a pegbox

"Rachel, are these all done? Are you working your way down?"

Joe Joyner, violist and owner of the Little Rock Violin Shop, stands behind a row of violins, each instrument sitting on its side, like dominoes, atop a workbench. Rachel Herman, the shop's bookkeeper and sales associate (and an award-winning violinist), is photographing one violin after another as part of the shop's move to offer an increased inventory of restored and repaired violins for sale online. One of the shop dogs — two chocolate long-haired dachshunds named Truffles and Omobono, the latter of whom takes his name from the son of a famous Italian violinmaker, Antonio Stradivari — barks, sensing that the attention has shifted away from him.

At first glance, even for someone who's spent time around orchestras, the violins all look pretty much the same. If you stare at the row long enough, though, variations emerge. One's a muted amber color; another a ruddy orange. A few have pristine, hard candy complexions, others have been around the sun a few more times. Each instrument contains around 80 pieces of hand-carved wood, and a few of the older models have begun to deepen and mature, as organic materials are wont to do. On those models, there's a warmer complexity to the wood, and despite an expert restoration — a replaced chinrest, a new bridge — a couple of them look like they've been around long enough to have a few good stories.

Joyner and his team do much of their business renting instruments, giving lessons and setting beginners up for a trouble-free first year, but old instruments are their passion. "Every instrument has its own story to tell," the shop's website reads, "from the fabled histories of the craftsmen who made them to the remarkable journeys of the musicians, collectors and restorers who have preserved them over the past four centuries. At LRVS we recognize our role as temporary caretakers for these tools of art whose useful life may well exceed our own."

One such temporary caretaker, Josh Wheeler (another accomplished violinist), is seated at another workbench along the shop's perimeter, violin in hand. Like Joyner, he's wearing a heavy canvas apron, and the workspace he's hunched over is lined with at least a dozen plastic bottles, stacks of small cylindrical vials and an assortment of small hand tools. Overhead, violins hang from a rack as if they were pots and pans, and a pegboard lining the wall is equipped with paper merchandise tags, bridges of various sizes and tiny drawers full of tuning pegs and screws.

Joyner picks up a violin that Wheeler restored a year or so ago. "For this one, we took it apart. It was a major restoration. It's from the 1820s, 1830s, probably." It's priced at $6,500. "With a lot of older instruments, you can't really attribute it to a specific maker. The really nice instruments — the old Italian ones that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars — they spend a lot of time and effort to figure out exactly who made it." I ask about the frequency of forgeries, instruments meant to pass as an Italian rarity, worthy of a pedestal and glass case in a museum somewhere. "Absolutely," he said. "That happens, and they're not always intending to pass instruments off as fakes." He tells a story about a violinmaker in England ("one of the best in the world," Joyner says) who used an Italian antique to make what's called a "bench copy" — a replica of a treasured original made with the original instrument present, or, in violinmaker parlance, "on the bench." Once in the hands of a new owner, the violin was passed off as the genuine article and picked up by a big-name auction house, making it to the cover of the house's auction catalog before the violinmaker, seeing it, recognized his own work and called foul.

In the violin world, questions of authenticity are ever-present — and maddeningly subjective. "There are makers today that are every bit as good as Stradivarius," Joyner said. "But their instruments aren't 300 years old. They don't have these fabled histories and they don't inspire players the way playing a 300-year-old instrument does." Blind and double-blind studies tend to support what Joyner says about living violinmakers: Most often, new violins aren't distinguishable or preferred overwhelmingly to those crafted by the old masters.

Joyner should know. He's heard a lot of violins since 1998, when he began playing viola with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. After those first two seasons, Joyner headed for school in Houston, where he played with Orchestra X, the Texas Music Festival Orchestra and the Victoria Symphony. Before returning to Little Rock in 2007, Joyner attended the Bow Making School of America in Salt Lake City, where he honed the skills he'd use to start up his workbench operation the Little Rock Bow Shop, now the much more comprehensive (and tenured) LRVS.

When it comes to his own choice of instrument, Joyner's put his trust in the shop's own luthier, Wesley Rule. Rule makes his home in El Paso (White County), and is in the shop Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Like many luthiers, Rule uses measurements from the old Italian masters to make new ones. For Joyner's instrument, Rule used a pattern based on a viola by the Brothers Amati, two famous luthiers from late 16th century Cremona. "Brothers Amati violas are always my favorite violas to play on. I love the way they sound, so I commissioned him to make one." SS

The Little Rock Violin Shop is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit littlerockviolinshop.com.

Best conspiracy theory

Courtesy of Turnt Woolridge on Twitter (@twooldridge):

"2006: Houston Nutt is forced to hire Gus Malzahn in order to land Mitch Mustain. Nutt resents it, treats Malzahn badly. Malzahn leaves.

2007: In large part due to outrage over Nutt's treatment of Mustain/Malzahn, a message board FOIAs phone records that help take Nutt down.

2011: Freeze coaches ASU for one year, leaving for Ole Miss to replace fired Nutt, and getting replaced by none other than Gus Malzahn.

2017: Nutt gets Freeze fired using the same message board tactics that got him fired, which were precipitated by his treatment of Malzahn.

If Mitch Mustain hadn't decommitted from his first commitment to Arkansas, none of this would have happened."

Best pie

Everyone knows (or should) that Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales in Lake Village is an essential stop en route to New Orleans or the Redneck Riviera for Delta-style tamales, but don't forget pie. Rhoda's half-and-half pecan and sweet potato pie is unrivaled. The secret ingredient, I suspect, is 20 sticks of butter. Or scoops and scoops of lard. Or something else bad for you. But how can a pie so good you dream about it be bad for you? LM

Best place to see a border collie run after geese

There's a big, white bird. I've been told it is a goose but it looks to me like a swan. It hangs around MacArthur Park, near the pond. This bird is an asshole. Whenever I go running in the park and come anywhere near it, the goose-creature-thing makes eye contact, turns up its ugly face, and charges me. I run away scared. While fleeing, the lack of support from any of the other geese always pisses me off. I never get an "I'm sorry for my friend doing that" or "Oh man, the goose-swan is such a jerk, it's actually just working out its own insecurities." These other geese enable the swan-goose by milling about in total silence near the water or pooping in the grass. Their silence damns them, too. Why can't we both enjoy the park, geese? You poop; I run and step in your poop. That's harmony! There does not have to be a conflict! But, there is. So, I called the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department to learn more about my enemies, to hopefully bridge the gap even. I was only disheartened. I learn these are "resident geese." They do not migrate, sticking around the area for the entire year. This is their turf and they are not going to adjust to me. Attempts to relocate them have gone poorly, too — a rope around the pond and flashing yellow lights at night both failed. What to do then? (And, no, I am not anti-goose enough to advocate for the idea of hunting them as was proposed a few years back). But, there is a light in the darkness. "Her name is Jill," Eric Bowden, assistant facilities supervisor for Rebsamen Golf Course tells me. Jill is a border collie that runs after these geese. The geese fly away when they see Jill (safely to another spot where they can relax). "She's a certified goose dog," Bowden told me and "very effective." The geese are scared of Jill because, to them, she has "got that fox look" and so when they land they think it's a predator but it's just Jill and "a scare tactic," Bowden said. No harm to the geese. He also explained to me how the whole geese-clearing process works, he said, "If we see geese, we get her out." Here are some perks of being Jill: She has an AC kennel, she has a steady job with good benefits and she is a hero that runs after the damn geese. Go be a certified goose dog watcher and check out Jill at Rebsamen Golf Course. JR

Best summer jams from a White County native you haven't heard

In this age of music on demand, does a song of summer have to be one that you can't escape, that soundtracks every visit to the pool or roller rink or snow cone stand? Can't you simply decide on your own song of the summer in the comfort of your headphones at work? Of course! In that spirit, consider the new solo record from Judsonia native Beth Ditto, "Fake Sugar," especially the first half of it — tracks 1 through 6 could all be on your S.O.S shortlist. Ditto, who led the now defunct pop-punk band Gossip for more than a decade, has a voice as big as anyone this side of Adele, but until now, it's mostly been used in a kind of agro blues belt. On "Fake Sugar," the arrangements are stripped down and poppy, leaving plenty of room for Ditto to offer up the full range of her vocals. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she name-checked Bobbie Gentry as an influence on the album, and listening to Ditto's Southern-accented riffs on the title track, with lines like "hambone, hambone, where you been," does make me daydream about the possibility of a self-described queer, feminist, fat girl from White County becoming a country pop radio darling. LM

Best summer jams from a White County native you haven't heard, part II

"Hopelessness is a catchy tune we can't get out of our head," Isaac Alexander sings on "Silver Line," one of the many summer bummery pop gems on his new album, "Like a Sinking Stone." Alexander, a Searcy native who lives in Little Rock, has been making music prolifically since he was a teenager (Screaming Mimes, Big Silver, The Easys, The Boondogs, Greers Ferry), but he's slowed down in recent years as he's been putting out solo records. This is his first record in five years. It's sonically and lyrically of a piece of his previous two highly recommended releases, "Antivenin Suite" (2012) and "See Thru Me" (2008): Like those albums, he recorded it in Nashville with Joe McMahan (Luella and the Sun) and other ace session musicians, and he's still writing about the sort of things all of us in middle age obsess over: love, fate, faith, identity, death, boredom. It's dark in spots, but Alexander has a warm sense of humor and an unwavering commitment to melody — the record sticks to you. LM

Best place for weird pantry supplies

Smoked paprika is some next-level stuff, and they don't carry it at my neighborhood Kroger. For that — or for beeswax, or mosquito-repellent citronella essential oil, I need to plant myself just downhill from Professor Bowl on Reservoir Road, squarely between Natural Grocers and Drug Emporium No. 240. Between these two businesses, you could score a giant vat of sunflower oil, soy-based meat substitutes you thought went out of print, a few dozen types of flour, bulk spices like cumin and chili powder, and tempeh that tastes like bacon. And, if you're so inclined, you can choose from a dizzying collection of knock-off designer fragrances the likes of which have not been seen since "Electric Youth" came out. DK

Best place to go if you have a need for speed

The heat off the pavement melts the horizon as tires scream for their lives, forced by the mountainous fury of an 8.4-liter V10. Dozens of bright orange traffic cones denote a winding track. Drivers from all across the region are competing to complete the fastest lap ... in the parking lot of War Memorial Stadium. Welcome to Autocross. The ARSCCA (Arkansas Sports Car Club of America) has been putting on Autocross events for years and have held races at War Memorial, Blytheville Aeroplex, Walnut Ridge and other locations featuring large swaths of flat asphalt. The concept is simple: Make your way through a cone track in as little time as possible. The rules are a bit more complex, however. Cars are inspected and placed into designated classes based on their performance from the factory as well as any modifications installed by the owner. If you're thinking your family sedan isn't fit to make the cut, that's all right. Motorheads of all ages can have a blast at Autocross events even as spectators. If you ask nicely, most of the drivers are happy to oblige a ride-along for those enthusiastic about speed. Stay tuned to arscca.org for scheduling or head up to War Memorial on Aug. 19 for the next event in Little Rock. JL

Best thrifting

The Goodwill store at 16924 Cantrell Road in Little Rock, a.k.a The Good Goodwill (as opposed to The Badwill on Markham), where wage slaves like you and me can pick up McMansionite castoffs galore, including designer clothes, shoes, decent furniture, solid sports equipment and housewares. It's a bit of a haul out there from downtown, but there's always a better class of junk to be had at The Good Goodwill than the stuff at your average thrift store, and all just as cheap as you'd expect. DK

Best gastronomic Everest

That would be the "Free Steak" at Brangus Steakhouse in Russellville, a mammoth 4-pound hunk of choice sirloin, which is yours free if you are able to move it from the table to inside your body in less than one hour. Sadly, you have to bring your own wheelbarrow to have yourself hauled out, groaning. The big 'un does come with two side orders and toast, though, in case you really want to tie one on. If you don't summit Mount Beef in under 60 minutes, no worries: The Free Steak becomes a $60 steak (which, come to think of it, is actually a dang good bargain for a pound of sirloin per person if you want to split that sucker with four friends). Check out their full menu at http://ift.tt/2w1suhf. DK

Best place to buy semi-questionable grub

When a truck hauling food crashes, the insurance company pays off. It would be a little crazy to throw all that food out, though, which is where Wild West Salvage Grocery, at 215 S. Redmond Road in Jacksonville comes in. The fare changes every week and varies by quality (and expiration date... keep an eye on that), but recent offerings in their store (photos at http://ift.tt/2v8OlHn) include cans of Diet Coke 10 for a buck, jars of Heinz chicken gravy two for a dollar, five- pound bags of fully cooked and frozen popcorn chicken for $6.99, five-pound bags of raw catfish fillets for $9.98, plus grocery-store sized cases of name brand candy, orange juice, Starbucks drinks, Gatorade and more for prices that fairly scream: "Why you cheap, cheap bastard!" Yeah, you have to be a little adventurous to shop there, so if all this skeezes you out a bit, pass on by and head to the boring old grocery store, you wastrel. If you're looking for a deal, though, it's an option. DK

Best beach within reach

While we all wish we could teleport to the white sands of the Redneck Riviera down in Florida whenever we want, that day has not yet come. Until then, you can placate yourself with some of the sand beaches available on various lakes around the state. It's definitely better than nothing. Though the long, curving beach at DeGray Lake Resort State Park has been our go-to for several years, it can get a bit crowded on weekends. Our secret fallback is the little beach at Crystal Springs Campground, just off Highway 270 west of Hot Springs. Quiet, secluded, situated on a broad, clear, spring-fed inlet a good ways off the main body of the lake, it's all a bit rustic, but features a combination bathroom and changing house, built-in charcoal grills, a playground for the kiddies and — most importantly — a clean sand beach under the shade trees. The ocean it ain't, but if you're looking for a place to do some swimming, lounging and drinking on the sand, it'll do in a pinch. DK

2017 Best of Arkansas editors' picks

#2017 Best of Arkansas editors' picks

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ase-trollplays · 7 years

Text

-- sultrySiren [SS] began trolling capriciousThespian [CT] --

SS: Hellooooooo~ §onj@~ ;]

CT: Hello, Maeron.

SS: Oh good, you’re the @ctive one. Ju§t the m@n I w@nted to talk to.

SS: §o, h@ve you t@lked to @nyone yet?

CT: Actually, yes. They were a jade, I believe.

SS: Ohoo~ Lucky you.

SS: Well, don’t le@ve me in §uspen§e. How’d it go?

CT: It was brief. They mistook me for someone else, but I opted to continue the conversation. Apparently they run a local theater troupe.

SS: Nice! You’ve been looking for one of tho§e to join. ;o

CT: I‘m highly doubtful I’ll join theirs. I don’t want someone so far below me telling me what to do. They’re going to be performing King Lear fairly soon, and I intend to watch.

CT: Of course, I’m not expecting much, but it’ll give me something to do. I might even take Altrii with me.

SS: Uuuuuugh, you’re §uch @ §nob. ;[ @t le@§t you’re giving them @ ch@nce.

SS: Did you get their n@me?

SS: You didn’t forget @lre@dy, did you? Bec@u§e you’re t@king @n @wfully long time to @nswer.

CT: Of course I didn’t forget. Their name is Idarna.

SS: Good. You better remember th@t in§te@d of filing them under “not import@nt enough to give @ §hit” like you @lw@y§ do.

SS: §o, who el§e h@ve you t@lked to?

CT: No one. I’m done talking for tonight.

SS: §onj@, @re you §eriou§? You h@ve one two minute conver§@tion @nd you’re done?? You didn’t even try, did you?

CT: It’s hardly my own fault. No one else has tried contacting me.

SS: Of cour§e not. Nobody know§ you! You c@n’t ju§t expect people to come flocking to you; YOU h@ve to go to THEM.

SS: Th@t’§ how meeting new people work§, you dork! ;P Look§ like I h@ve to get the b@ll rolling for you.

CT: Please don’t.

SS: Too l@te! I’ve @lre@dy got §omeone in @nother window

SS: @nd they’re @ doctor~ ;o I’m pretty §ure they’re @ §e@dweller, though their font color m@ke§ it @ little tricky to tell bec@u§e it’§ §et to @ gr@dient.

CT: Did you seriously start a conversation with some random person just to try and thrust me at them?

SS: @ctu@lly, I w@§ @lre@dy t@lking to them, but §ince you’re being @ big wriggler @nd giving up, I’m going to put in @ few word§ for you. ;]

CT: Maeron, please. That’s entirely unnecessary.

CT: I highly doubt you’re helping my case. I can literally feel you talking shit.

SS: I @m not. ;P I’m m@king @ gre@t c@§e for you. It turn§ out they’re @ huge prick ju§t like you, but they h@ve @ §en§e of humor @bout it.

CT: Joy.

SS: It’§ @m@zing. They re@lly @re ju§t like you. Huge prick, h@§n’t h@d @ decent §oci@l life in §weep§

SS: Gr@nted, unlike you, they h@ve @n @ctu@l excu§e for it §ince they h@ve @ dem@nding job th@t t@ke§ @ lot of their time.

SS: @l§o, @pp@rently they’re di§@bled. ;§ The poor thing.

CT: So we wouldn’t be able to “hang out” like you’ve been badgering me to do anyways. Pity.

SS: Non§en§e! Th@t ju§t me@n§ you’ll h@ve to do mo§t of the t@lking online.

SS: I’ve already given them your cont@ct info @nd w@rned them @bout your other §elf. You’re welcome~

CT: Yes, because telling them I’m crazy can only improve whatever warped opinion of me they’ve already formed.

SS: C@lm your rumble§phere§, dr@m@ queen. >;P You’re not cr@zy, @nd I didn’t tell them everything §ince I figured you’d r@ther tell them @bout th@t your§elf. I kept it v@gue ju§t for you~

CT: Thank you. You’re too kind.

SS: I c@n tell when you’re being §@rc@§tic. You c@n th@nk me for re@l next time we §ee e@ch other. @nd you better h@ve t@lked to them before then or I §we@r

CT: You have my word I’ll talk with them by then.

SS: Good. Now th@t th@t’§ §ettled, I h@ve to get going. I’m meeting Kizzy @nd Aur for @ cr@zy night.

CT: Right then. Have fun.

SS: I @lw@y§ do~ ;] §eey@

CT: Wait, aren’t you going to tell me anything about this mystery troll you’ve set me up with?

-- sultrySiren [SS] gave up trolling capriciousThespian [CT] --

-- capriciousThespian [CT] began trolling sultrySiren [SS] --

CT: Maeron wait

-- sultrySiren is offline --

CT: Don’t go y

CT: Son of a bitch.

-- capriciousThespian [CT] is offline --

#pesterlogs #sultrySiren #capriciousthespian #Love Me Dead

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