#“who let their 5 year cook”- some artist to this “art”

[forevermore05]

So, since I don't have anything critical or thoughtful to contribute in terms of analysis due to my schedule. Here is some more fan art to fuel your soul and evoke emotions. I call his piece "bending".

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

CHI-CHI (DRAGON BALL)

1.) okay so to start at the beginning, she was introduced as a young kid but they put her in a super revealing bikini styled outfit. pretty sure it was supposed to be armor too, so besides just being a disgusting design choice even in-universe it’s impractical. but besides that she was pretty charming as a kid, she was cute and funny and pretty tough, and had a cool gimmick in her blade/ laser helmet. even when she reappeared in late Dragon Ball, she was a bit abrasive but was overall rational and kind. she was strong enough to make it into the World Martial Arts Tournament, one of only 16 to qualify.

but come Dragon Ball Z and on, she’s reduced to just a shrill, nagging, aggressive wife and mother. all she gets to do is cook, worry, and berate her husband and sons. her physical strength is only used so she can comically hit Goku. sure its played for laughs, but he’s shown to be afraid of her. I only recall her leaving her house once or twice in DBZ. just the worst mother character stereotype, with nothing left to make her likeable. she’s portrayed as irrational but despite her aggressiveness, half the time her wants are completely reasonable. can’t blame a woman for not wanting her husband to die every other day!! her writing us ass but I still love her and she deserves better!!!

2.) So in Dragon Ball she wasn’t the BEST character to start out with. Toriyama hasn’t ever been the best at writing women or not making stupid fucking sex jokes about them. So she had to deal with that. The outfit she wore as a kid was… NOT GREAT. Let’s say that! Then in late Dragon Ball her entire character revolves around Goku and trying to marry him, which she gets by tricking Goku and getting beaten by Goku in a tournament in one hit. Not off to a great start. Then Z started and Toriyama just… gave her an ENTIRELY NEW new personality, and that new personality was just a stereotype of a tiger mom. Regardless of how correct she might’ve been about letting Gohan fight (and she WAS completely correct, he was 5-6 for a HUGE chunk of Z) the narrative frames her as a hysterical and unreasonable woman nagging at the menfolk and not letting them do things. So naturally people hate her without even considering why she’s upset because the story itself frames her as in-the-wrong. The whole franchise also just forgets that she’s a martial artist and never has her DO ANYTHING.

This is only scratching the surface, there’s a LOT more because the franchise is like 40 years old and we’d be here all day.

3.) GODDDD okay so full disclosure i guess shonen is such an easy pick but like. out of every shonen wife she was and is THE most hated by the narrative and creator (maybe tied with sakura omfg). shes always made out to be a beast, got her fighting skills shafted after she got married, was always played like she was hysterical for worrying about her kid dying in battle, and not to mention the creator actively HATES her. like toriyama just straight up hates writing her. its bad. its really bad. shes just “bitch wife” but for no reason :(

BUMBLE (WARRIOR CATS) (CW: Domestic Abuse)

1.) Back with another Warriors submission, I bet you’ll be getting a lot from other people too LMAO. Bumble is a kittypet (housecat) who befriends the male protagonist Gray Wing’s girlfriend, Turtle Tail, and lets her stay in her house. This gets Gray Wing all pissy because he’s controlling of Turtle Tail and shares most of the wild/clan cat’s proclivity for looking down upon kittypets. Turtle Tail gets pregnant by another kittypet, Tom, who tries to control her by hiding the fact that humans take away kittens after they’re born. Eventually Bumble comes clean about it so Turtle Tail returns to the forest. Some time later, Bumble is found in the forest seeking refuge because Tom has been physically abusing her, scratching her where the humans can’t see. So, she’s CANONICALLY ACKNOWLEDGED as a domestic abuse victim (unlike Squirrelflight who meets all the textbook signs but the narrative and authors deny it). How do you think our good guy protagonists, i.e. Gray Wing “The Wise” and Turtle Tail, respond to an abuse victim seeking refuge? They tell Bumble to go home, thinking to themselves that she’s fat and soft and therefore would be useless in their group. Bumble stands up for herself and asks to speak with the leaders of the group. One of them asks if Bumble could just get along with Tom better (bro???) and when Bumble says it’s not within her control, the leader suggests being nicer to the humans instead. Another rival leader butts in and verbally abuses Bumble again by ripping into how fat and lazy and useless she would be. Despite Turtle Tail having been friends with Bumble and Bumble had helped her through her own hard times, to Gray Wing’s approval Turtle Tail chooses not to intervene as Bumble is forcibly escorted back to her abuser. But that’s not all. Later Bumble is found in the forest maimed and dying, and it seems likely that Gray Wing’s brother Clear Sky, a male with a long history of violence, is the culprit. Rather than mourn the dying innocent cat, Gray Wing’s primary concern is how other cats might be mean to Clear Sky if they think he’s a murderer, and reassures himself that refusing to help Bumble in her time of need was still the right decision.

2.) I have no idea how she managed to be written so horrifically from an abuse victim and woman (/she-cat I guess) standpoint but here we are. Okay so my memory is a bit fuzzy but basically Bumble was a character in Dawn of the Clans and a close friend to Turtle Tail, a major character, as well as a character who lived close to Tom, an abusive dickhead of a cat. Bumble was largely depicted as just a really sweet cat. Turtle Tail was very briefly the mate of Turtle Tail, but once she got pregnant, he became super violent towards both her and our gal Bumble. Tom actively hid the fact that, once her kits were old enough, Turtle Tail’s kits would probably be taken from her, and made Bumble keep quiet about this too, but Bumble eventually told Turtle Tail the truth, Turtle Tail left and Tom became extremely violent towards Bumble because of this, and was extremely abusive towards her. Eventually, Bumble ran away from him to where Turtle Tail and co were and begged to stay, since the wilderness as a whole was genuinely more safe than being around Tom was. Naturally, this meant kitty xenophobia from cats who had only arrived in that area recently, because everybody was insistent than, since she was a kittypet/house cat, things wouldn’t work out, and even her friend Turtle Tail denied her on this, insisted she was too soft to live in the wild and only sent her towards a cat Bumble wanted to convince because she was absolutely certain she’d be denied. Also our good old protagonist Gray Wing got to spend this scene being all upset about this soft cat wanting to join them to escape an abuser and was all bitter about the fact that Turtle Tail lived with her for a short period of time, and he also got to have a sweet romantic moment with Turtle Tail after denying an abuse victim an escape from her abuser. Also as much as I like Tall Shadow usually she sucked ass in the following scene because she was essentially telling Bumble to go find a way to make peace with Tom as if she was not the one being abused (Bumble pointed out that Tom was the one who would need to make peace for it to happen, not her) and that she should just make life better by going back to being a housecat and being spoiled despite the fact that she was actively at risk with her owners because of Tom. Then she leaves after being threatened by several cats there and is called soft on the way out. The next time she appears she is literally dying, and her death is just a plot device to create a stupid little mystery which is solved in a very stupid way. Also her abuser does continue to be a shithead and for some reason is fully permitted to kidnap his own children but he also gets a heroic death and the only reason I will not rant more about him is because this is too long already. Long story short Bumble deserves the world and everybody who decided not to let her escape her abuser just because they thought she was soft sucks

3.) Is nice to the group of starving, feral wild cats that left the mountains so their friends and family could have more food to eat and befriends one of them to the point of opening her home to her after she leaves the group because the guy she likes is too dumb to notice she likes him and keeps falling for his brother’s love interests.

Unfortunately, because Bumble is a house cat who lives in a house with people and not a Wild and Free cat, this is a grave and horrible crime (luring a wild cat into the safety and comforts of domesticity) and is villainized for the rest of the arc, including for things wildly out of her control

I.E.

Her owners taking in an aggressive male cat that bullies and abuses the two female cats already living there

When Bumble’s friend leaves and goes back to the wild cats, Bumble leaves her home (as the abuse as has gotten worse) to see if she could either get help or have her friend return so the abuse isn’t as bad again)

Bumble eventually dies in the wild because the feral cats all hate her for ‘stealing’ their friend and tricking her into becoming a kittypet for awhile and refuse to help Bumble adjust to wild life or even teaching her how to hunt.

They are littl e to no hard feelings at her death beyond ‘good riddance’ but the aggressive tomcat that chased her out of her home is later regarded with good feelings and regret at such a ‘good, heroic cat’ passing when he dies despite him literally never doing a good or kind thing in his life and actually causing trouble for the wild cats right before dying

[choicesficwriterscreations]

July Creator of the Month: Eadanga

Please welcome this month’s Creator of the Month: @eadanga

Each month, CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers or artists. The writer or artist is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page. Past COTM's can be found here.

Tumblr Blog Name: Eadanga How do you want to be known on Tumblr? Esang

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog Masterlist

1- When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played?

I don't remember the year, but I started playing when it was only The Crown & The Flame, The Freshman, and Most Wanted. I thought it was a rip-off of Episode because many apps like that exist. The first book I started playing was The Crown & The Flame, and then I got bored of it, so I tried The Freshman, and I was hooked. Been playing ever since 😃

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I joined about four years ago. I was in a Choices group on Facebook and saw people sharing fanfics. I first thought it was an ad, but when I looked, it was a fanfic, and it was amazing. That's when I joined so I could read more, and then I posted one of my own that I wrote.

3- How did you pick your blog name? 

Literally, it's just my name. I didn't think I'd be here long, not to mention posting. It's the first letter of my name, Esang, and my last name, Adanga. Maybe one day I'll change it 🤣😂

4- Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it!  

This was my first post. I saw people making stories in the Choices group and decided to make one of my own. I didn't think it would get much attention, but it did 😁

5- Do you write fanfiction, create fan art, or are you one of those really gifted people who do both? 

I write fanfiction, but I’m not really good at making art, lol

6- How long have you been creating for Choices and for any other fandoms?

Let's see, I think I started in 2020. Choices is the only fandom I write for.

7- What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to create for?

The Freshman and The Royal Romance will always be my number one favorite books to read and write for 😁

8- Share your first Choices fanfic or fan art that you posted with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were creating it today?

This was my favorite, and I'll never change anything about it. It is so romantic, hehe 😍

9- What is your favorite piece of fiction or art that you created? 

This one wrote it for @flowerpowell, and even though she doesn't post anymore, it was so much fun to write something for her. 

10- Do you have a fic/art that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to do well but found it could use a little more love?

It's definitely my Deepest Desire series. I didn't expect people to enjoy it, especially @littlegreenmoo, who was having a field day with that series 🤣. Chris's Journal could have been better; a little bit more detail would have made it pop.

11- (WRITERS) If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? 

I hate angst, and I haven't written smut since my Deepest Desire series 🤣 so fluff all the way. I love happy endings 😁

12 - Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

I put some of me in my MCs, like when they're cooking, cause I love to cook 😁

13 - What element of writing/art do you struggle with most?

Keeping up with a schedule. I make one, but then real life gets in the way, and I gotta change it.

14 - Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

Eternal Love, I haven't written for that in a long time. I just got caught up with other fanfics, and then you lose inspiration, but I will get back to it one day.

15 - If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to see your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you show them first? 

Yes, I would love to show them, but I've shown my work without people asking. I've shown my best friend my work; she didn't ask. I just showed it to her, and she enjoyed it. I've shown my mom, too. She constantly told me to send it somewhere and get paid even though I only write for fun, not as a job. I stopped showing her after that because she was tired of hearing that.

16 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing or art? Are there any artists that influence you?

@maxattackpowell and @drivenbyfantasy are both no longer here, but their fanfics inspired mine. I’m grateful to both of them for that. 

17- (WRITERS)  Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series? 

The Graduate would make a great movie or Choices book, hehe.

18- Do you write original fiction or create non-fandom art? 

Choices is my first fandom.

19-  What other hobbies do you have?

I love cooking and baking, watching anime (I'm a total anime nerd 🤣), spending time with my baby @choicesgodfanatic, reading Archie comics, watching cartoons, praise dancing, and writing episode stories. 

20- BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to)

Thanks to everyone who enjoys all my stories, and don't ever worry about me leaving cause I'm here to stay. Choices is why I met my amazing love @choicesgodfanatic. It's part of our love story, and I'll never give up on it.

Plus, I've met some wonderful people here and never want to leave them. So glad you all enjoy my fanfics, and look out for many more cause more is coming your way 😁

[hinamie]

hi hina! i was wondering what your favorite scenes from jjk s2 are in terms of color/cinematography/animation/anything! really curious to hear about it from an artist's perspective ✨

oh my god ok i'm 100% sure im going to forget some scene that i rly loved because my memory is that of a goldfish and i have no object permanence but ! from what i do remember ! in no particular order:

stsg + riko aquarium scene oh my god the BLUE th IMAGERY th FRAMING of every single shot in tht goddamn scene jesus christ th animation team really said oh so we're going for fleeting summer meets calm before the storm meets Vastness and Power of th ocean and its creatures confined within manmade structures ,, Bet. that and listen im a weak bitch i'll admit it im not immune blue is simply gojo's colour

tojigo fight scene pt 2 electric boogaloo. u know. bc it took me a billion years to actually get around to watching s2 I never *really* understood where all the god/heathen/worshipper religious imagery associated with tojigo came from UNTIL I SAW THIS SCENE JESUS FUCK *icarian fv grows louder in th distance* i am so . god. blood and gold and Mania how r they meeting all my standards how r they ticking all my boxes . who leaked my address and ao3 search history

fushiguro squared fight scene. i did that megu screencap redraw for a reason !!! colour theory comin in HOT in that scene oh my god it's so good and that's not even saying anything abt the animation which was on Full display holy shit . th snappiness the rough frames its all there its all so fucking deliCIOUS god i love art

listen ik everyone and their mother lost their shit at the animation during sukuna's shibuya rampage and fight with jogo but it's /so/ incredibly justified. i mean . gestures. th fire looks like ghibli water.....how did they do that............who let them cook so severely....who on the animation team do i address these flowers to bc i owe them my life fr Sukuna Nocking An Arrow Made Of Fire.gif

Yuuji having a panic attack :( i see him chest heaving clawing at th concrete in my nightmares

Yuuji throwing a car :) i think abt this to combat th angst of #5

[andthebubbles]

Character Development Questions ask game

A simple 2 + 3. 😌

(for this ask game thing)

i hear i had a choice to do this for a/b!anthony and/or canon!anthony but lbr everyone knows canon!anthony (for these two questions esp (in hindsight i realised that some of the other questions listed might be interesting for canon!anthony bc they're kinda headcanon-ey)) and canon!anthony isn't really... mine per se, SO.

this is for a/b!anthony! :3

2. What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

With Violet: I think he liked her, I mean he (atm) last saw her when he was 2 years old. And he's her firstborn, so. She probably spoiled him a healthy amount :P But then when Benedict was born, she probably paid him more attention for a while so Anthony went through a (imo) very natural jealous stage

ETA: after he meets her again and she realises who he is, I think she's just gonna smotherrrr him with affection and not want to let him out of her sight, and he's just gonna be like, uhhhh (and... etc, lost as well, and... lots more things I haven't considered yet bc i'm not up to it. but he's ... probably gonna be so angry at his adoptive parents for a while? but he also doesn't really have anyone to turn to, exactly? like, he hardly knows violet, and him and benedict are... also going through it...... in a different way.................. lmao)

With his adoptive mum... who iirc I am calling Jo??? I haven't even written her yet bc I haven't got up to her or written the flashbacks haha: I think he really loves her. And she really loves him. (This is before he finds out that they (she and his adoptive dad) kinda hid him from his real parents.)

Ummm I think she took care of him really well when they were on the ship, she was the cook so... I think she had him in the kitchen with her, and once he stopped being upset about his real mum and dad/forgot about them, he started helping out. And his mum also sorta picked up recipes from the different countries they travelled to and started cooking different cuisines because Anthony tried food from whatever country they docked in and then decided that he wanted more of that when they left (e.g. he likes Indian food).

I think the day he forgot his real parents and called her mum, she would've been really happy. (This is after they tried to return him to Edmund, but Edmund got the note too late of where the ship would be docking on the way to finally leaving England for a few years, so from Anthony and his adoptive parents' perspective, Edmund didn't want him because he didn't show up, so his adoptive parents were quite angry/upset for him/'well we'll take care of him then!' and Anthony ofc was distraught when Edmund didn't turn up to take him home (because it's just further proof that they didn't want him/preferred his new baby brother (happily, he kinda forgets this trauma, but he gains a fear of abandonment :P)))

I think Anthony finds out fairly soon that his mum is trans (like when you're all sleeping in one big room (I presume) in hammocks, and Anthony is probably sharing a hammock with his mum, welllll) but he doesn't realise until he's 5 or 6 that if both his (adoptive) parents are biologically male, then he must be adopted

Ummm. When he realises that his parents have this goal of saving enough money so that they can stay in England permanently and have a shop (that sells art supplies), he starts working on the ship (when he's about 7 i think)

(Somewhere along the way, the art shop idea evolves... because they're trying to make it profitable, and Anthony's adoptive dad is an artist (painter (for the ships) originally) so it becomes a publishing company for children's books mainly, with illustrations by his dad)

His mum is good with money. And hmm maaaybe with languages too since they're translating some of the fairytales from different countries by themselves. But I'm not sure about that yet. I haven't really thought about it because I haven't gotten up to it :P But yeah his mum IS good with money/business-minded/kinda ends up running the shop

Iirc I think I said somewhere in one of the earlier chapters that she's the best out of the three of them re sailing/rowing and Anthony learnt both of those things from her (and from other people on the ship ofc)

At some point when they're back in England, his mum sees the ~missing posters for Anthony Bridgerton with a reward if he's found, and she (and his dad) know that he's a Bridgerton (because 2y/o Anthony told them) but ofc Anthony has since forgotten. And since there's a monetary reward for finding Anthony, plus Edmund didn't show up all those years ago, his mum's just like, we are NOT giving up our son for money/to people who don't even really want him!!!

Later on, Anthony starts asking questions about his biological parents, and his mum says they adopted him from an orphanage in London as a baby and that his real parents didn't want him (1/3 true (from their perspective) lol). And later when they're living in England permanently and Anthony starts looking for info on his biological parents in the orphanages, she gets kinda pissed off/scared about it/scared he'll find out he's a Bridgerton somehow, so Anthony learns not to tell her about it (or his dad) and continues looking in secret

Re Anthony going to Harrow, I... think it was probably his mum who was very determined that he get a good education. Like, to her, education is important, and she kinda instilled that in Anthony. (I think Anthony must've had some lessons from someone educated on the ship, maybe a passenger, orrrr... huh idk, HUHHHH no i just had a thought, maybe his mum is a bit more on the middle/upper middle class side than working class?? but she (well, probably he* at that point) wanted to marry a working class guy so her family disowned her, maybe... ANYWAY (that could work actually!! Basically I need Anthony attending Harrow on a scholarship))

(just gonna say that upper middle class people (or middle class people) from places that aren't london/kent/(bath?) don't know/haven't heard of the bridgertons~)

Anywayyyy, so re Harrow, because his mum was so keen for him to attend, he doesn't tell her he's getting bullied. I am not sure if he holds it against her....... because he knows that this is important too. Hmmmm. Idk

Anyway. Fast forward to Oxford. He does love her. And thennNNNNN when he finds out he's a Bridgerton (and that she didn't tell him he's in a relationship with his biological brother when he introduces Benedict to his family HAHAHHkfjdhfkkfkgf but like, how can you tell that without giving the entire thing away? skjngkSJDNKGJ)

3. What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

With Edmund: idolised him, just like in canon. Idk why but I headcanon lots of piggyback rides/lil Anthony sitting on his shoulders skfjgnk. (maybe it was mentioned in the book? iirc it was?? hskjfkf) And... Edmund trying to teach him things like how to be a good person/a gentleman even when he was like, 2 years old, and them spending a lot of time together. And then Benedict is born and Edmund is a bit busy with him for a while, naturally, so then Anthony gets kinda clingy with him/wanting more of his time again. Normal stuff imo.

I think... maybe the day he lost (?) Anthony/Anthony went missing, ... I have written a bit of this, but I got bored lol, so maybe I should change it, but they were kinda near the docks looking at the (at the time) biggest ship built so far, or at least, just a very big ship. Maybe Anthony had a ship phase and Edmund indulged him :3

With his adoptive dad who I STILL haven't named skjfngkfg: he's a painter for the ships, which is why he (and Jo) was even at the London docks (because the London docks don't take passengers afaik...). Anyway, Anthony obviously loves him too. They're just really nice people?? Apart from the whole... sorta stealing Anthony bit... lol

Umm so yeah he starts out as a painter but he draws/paints/watercolours on the side, and he's very chill. Once they get the shop in England, he can like, lose daysss in the studio just painting something.

Idk why but I feel like he's painted lil Anthony's face before like you do with kids, where they get like a tiger's face, and then Anthony goes around pretending to be a tiger for a day

(I think when they go fishing, they go as a family (all three of them))

I feel like his adoptive dad's a bit more chill about Anthony asking about his biological parents (his mum's more like, omg stop asking!!) but still also guarded.

Anyway, yeah! I don't have much about him yet apparently SKJDNKGJFKG

ETA: Anthony is probably gonna resent his adoptive parents later for... well, several things lmao, but probably the main thing will be for... well, lying to him, not so much keeping him from his real parents. After all he doesn't know them. But he hates that he was lied to :( (Also maybe there'd later be some regret that because he was lied to, he never got to talk to/get to know Edmund?)

Thank you for the ask!! This was really fun 💙

[choicesholidays]

Spring Holidays

Welcome to Choices Holidays Spring Edition!

Dates: March 1st through May 31st.

This is open to all choices fandoms. It’s open to fan artists as well as fanfic writers.

Below you will find a few Spring Holidays with prompt/theme suggestions for each one. Hopefully, they will inspire some stories and/or artwork, mood boards, etc.

This is not an exhaustive list. Tag us in any spring holiday themed fic or artwork and we will reblog it!

Use these less as word for word prompts and more as a general theme (of course, you are welcome to use them word for word if you like).

They do not have to be done in order or by a certain date. Pick and choose and submit whenever. Stories and art will be reblogged as they come in and a master list will be posted at the end of each month.

International Woman’s Day (March 8th)

Girl power!

Let me explain what it’s like to be a woman in this field. (Sit down, you’re about to get educated!)

She’s such an icon! I have to meet her!

St. Patrick’s Day March 17th

That’s a whole lot of green!

I think I caught a Leprechaun!

I’m not drinking green beer.

April Fool’s Day April 1st

You can’t fool me, I’m the prank champion!

What do you mean this isn’t a joke?

Shhhh, s/he has no idea what’s coming!

Easter April 9th

You hid the eggs where?

You can’t say that in church!

Oh, that’s how you’re supposed to cook a ham! So, about dinner….

Passover April 5-13th

You don’t speak Yiddish?

Who drank all the Seder wine?

I’m reflecting on the narrow places in my own life this year. I know what I need to release.

National Sibling’s Day April 10th

You’re the best sibling ever!

My sibling was responsible for the most traumatizing moment of my childhood.

Talk about sibling rivalry…

Earth Day April 22nd

Let’s celebrate by turning all the power off tonight.

I want to commune with nature.

I think I’ll start a garden!

May Day

Jumping the Beltane fire

A pagan fire festival? I’m in!

The use of fire is supposed to be symbolic now? I’ll be right back….

May the Fourth (for the Star Wars fans!)

There’s a midnight showing, meet you there(./?)

Han shot first

May the force be with you

Cinco De Mayo

Did you hire a mariachi band?

Now I’m going to show you how to dance!

There’s so much food!

Mother’s Day May 14th

I love my mom/my wife is a great mom

I miss my mom

I’m trying to be a better mother than I had

[blackberrysummerblog]

15 Questions

Thanks so much for the tags, @thewholelemon and @alleycat0306! And I’m sorry it took me an age to get around to replying, I’ve been meaning to I swear!

1. Are you named after anyone? I’m named after the title character in a historical romance novel, of all things 😜 I got chicken pox when I was 13 or so and my mom finally let me read it; the character has a very eventful life without ever getting the one thing she really wants, so…thanks Mom lol

2. When was the last time you cried? Ugh, I cry all the time. Happy, sad, angry…it all gets me going. The last time was probably a day ago after an extremely dumb argument with my husband and it was over 3 minutes later

3. Do you have kids? Two almost-adults! Yikes

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? I don’t think so? I tend to be pretty earnest I guess. I don’t dislike it, though

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people? I spent way too much time thinking about this, mainly because I’m going to *first* notice whatever stands out. If you have spaghetti sauce all over the front of your shirt I’m going to notice that before nice hair or eyes, right? I think beyond that, physically, I’d take note of a contagious smile, and on a personality level I’d notice if someone were particularly sunshiney or grumpy. I have a weird and desperate love for both, in real life as well as fiction

6. What’s your eye color? Gray, though the kind that often gets called blue. It’s not a very exciting color

7. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings every time. I can appreciate an open or tragic ending for its realism and/or artistic message, but it’s kind of the same as seeing a deeply ugly or tragic piece of visual art that you can appreciate the skill, vision, and message of in a museum, but do you want it on the wall of your home to look at all the time?…I mean, some people definitely would, but it’s not me. I like an ending that makes me feel happy or at least hopeful (I’m capable of and have written endings that aren’t, but these days I’m not very likely to, at least in fanfic). As for scary movies, I like the idea of them but seldom get on with them. I don’t like gore full stop, and while I do enjoy tension and jump scares, it can get overwhelming. I’m very much the person who will sit there burying their face and/or literally jumping in the air when I’m startled

8. Any special talents? I like to think I’m a decent writer, and I used to be a pretty good artist, but I’ve let it go a long time and these days when I sketch something I’m kind of appalled at how the skill atrophied. I’m sure it would improve again if I worked on it—I’m good at really visualizing something in my mind, which I think is the most important thing about being able to create any kind of art. On a more quotidian note, I’m really good at research and I’m a fairly good cook. I love love love to eat, so that helps motivate me in the kitchen lol

9. Where were you born? Arkansas

10. What are your hobbies? Reading, writing, walking, cooking, looking at art, trying new food. Classic introvert

11. Do you have any pets? Five dogs and two cats, it’s a proper zoo up in here

12. What sports do you play/did you used to play? *tries not to laugh*

13. How tall are you? Just barely over 5 feet

14. Favorite subject at school? I started listing my faves and it turns out it was pretty much everything but math, which I feel like I’m bad at but my test scores always indicated I was slightly above the average, so I suppose I must be ok at it. I like learning and enjoyed most of my liberal arts and science courses, but I’m going to narrow it down and say literature

15. Dream job? Writer! (I would very much not be good at this because left to my own devices I procrastinate like hell) I’ve had a lot of jobs over the years that I found interesting though, and I like doing work that I find meaningful. My current job lets me feel like I’m doing good in my community and the world, and most of the time it’s an extremely full work day, which is honestly better than having too much time on my hands.

Gah, I’ve really not been on tumblr much in the past week or so, so probably every single person I’ll tag has already done this. Please don’t think too badly of me (and if you haven’t done it and don’t have the energy, no big deal. Take care of yourselves!) @papierhakuphoto @shutup-andletme_go @captain-arealias @onepintobean @j-nipper-95 @rwithoutaspoon @martsonmars @cutestkilla @maedhrosrussandol

[tj-dragonblade]

Tea and Books Asks

Tagged in by @littledreamling , @mathomhouse-e , and @quillingwords thank you!

1. What period of history do you enjoy learning about?

As long as it's not the fucking founding of America and drafting of the constitution, again, we're golden

2. Who is your favourite fictional character and why?

Of all time? Impossible. Current fandom specifically? ...uh. Kind of also impossible. But I think if pressed Hob might just barely edge out Dream in the standings. Because? Because...his vibes? Immortal Everyman who's not all woe-is-me this-life-is-misery is a delight and idk he's just got that je ne sais quoi that makes me smile and say 'That one, that's my favorite'?

3. What do you order at a café?

It's a rare occurrence but. Some sort of coffee, extra sweet, extra whichever flavor added. Caramel and pumpkin spice are both excellent

4. Libraries, botanical gardens, or art galleries?

Of the three, I've only ever been to libraries, so, that

5. Do you have a favourite film soundtrack?

Beauty and the Beast 1991 probably. The score tracks on that just. Do things to me. Fond of a lot of Hans Zimmer's work as well (Lion King, PotC off the top of my head) and I keep circling back around to the Robin Hood Prince of Thieves soundtrack every few years

6. What does your dream home look like?

Underwater. With bits above water too, maybe half and half, but the important things I've always wanted are submarine airlock entryways and enormous windows with an underwater view. Not too far from civilization either

7. What makes you feel better on gloomy days?

Long solo drives with good music played loud

8. What are your top three films? Books?

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; The Princess Bride; Beauty and the Beast

I've read fanfic almost exclusively the past twenty years but, let me think...I was very taken with the Shannara series by Terry Brooks in high school; I spent some time on the Vampire Chronicles after that and The Vampire Armand was my favorite (because Armand was my favorite more than because it was actually a good book)

9. Are you an organized person, generally?

...Ish. I dislike clutter and mess, but I wouldn't really classify myself as 'organized' by any standard measure of the word

10. Do you have a favourite classic novel?

...I am extremely fond of Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz both but more for their permutation into pop culture and malleability therein than for their actual books specifically

11. What character archetype or trope is your favourite?

I have a laundry list, and they're generally best when multiple tropes are blended in one character. But maybe...let's go with The Foreigner, The Outsider, the one who often holds up a lens to humanity or whatever majority/default group is involved to offer commentary, try to understand, and who is perpetually Apart from them, usually unable (or unwilling) to quite blend in or assimilate completely even when they may be welcomed and accepted.

12. Do you prefer baking or cooking?

...give me a relatively simple recipe with clear instructions and I'll probably be okay, in either arena

13. Which season do you feel at home in?

In my current climate? Summer. Summer means I can get out and go places and do things. I love autumn in theory but in practice it's far too short, far too cold too quickly, and just a very depressing reminder of the half-a-year of winter that will follow

14. What is your opinion on poetry?

It should absolutely exist, integral facet of humanity, etc. Not really anything I actively seek out, however

15. Do you speak formally when texting and emailing?

Emails are nearly always business related whether home or work, so yes. Texts are not exactly formal but it's rare that I'd ever fail to capitalize, use copious abbreviations, etc. Punctuation droppage depends entirely on who I'm talking to and whether I need the clarity punctuation can provide

16. How do you organize your music playlists?

Haaaaaah. Let me count the ways:

- by artist, when I want The Good Tracks from their discography (and related projects) in chronological order

- by genre

- by pairing - many pairs have multiple permutations of their playlist also

- by character

- by character group

- by theme (e.g. Moon, Aquatic, etc)

- by mood

- by fic inspiration/writing soundtrack

- I have playlists for Disney movies where I put the songs and score pieces back in movie order since the soundtracks always group them separately and I also leave out the shitty radio versions of the songs

- I also have a playlist with all my individual Disney playlists combined in chronological order by movie release date

- by vibes

- by which family member I'm driving with

- I have a playlist for stuff that's in (or contains sections that are in) 3/4, 6/8, and various other non-4/4 time signatures

- I have a couple different playlists of favorite voices

- there's a giant playlist where I dump all the stuff I've rated 4 or 5 stars (some 3s may also get included), sorted by play count, for when I don't know quite what I'm really in the mood to listen to

- aaaaaaand then I usually have two or three playlists in constant flux for whatever I'm really craving to listen to at this particular point in time

17. Who is your favourite author?

Can't say as I have one

18. Chai or hot chocolate?

Chai

19. Do you prefer forests, sea shores, or meadows?

Sea shore, hands down

20. If you were to cultivate a fruit orchard, what would you grow?

Everything I would name I have developed allergies to so. Maybe not. Kinda sucks.

[snat-snailcat]

I had some stupid epitome this past weekend. Like, it was an obvious train of thought that just hit me so much harder.

In a more walkable part of town, where some streets were closed off to allow only bikes, so that pedestrians could move about freely, I was amazed at the number of restaurants on the block filled with people. It was a Saturday, so of course people would be out and enjoying themselves! But after living in US Suburbia for the past few years (and most of my childhood), there was something incredible about three different coffee shops, all locally owned, sharing the same block with each other, a number of bars, bistros, art galleries. And I thought to myself, "How are they all staying in business?"

Because in my hometown, we would often see a cute little shop go up one summer just to be gone by the next- so many businesses start up and fail, it's just a fact. But then the train hit me-

If I was only spending, say, 20% of my monthly income on rent, I could afford to not cook every meal. Not just eat out at fancy places - I could afford to just pick up dinner of my way home. If I had enough to not stress about groceries, I would actually think about going places with friends more! All these people enjoying themselves as I walked and contemplated things made me feel like everything I wanted was so, so close.

I can't think of the last time I did something as simple as going bowling, or minigolf- activities that aren't luxuries at all really. These are just things that people of any bracket should have the means to do every few months. When is the last time I paid to see a movie? Or take a class? When is the last time I was able to actually let myself do something that cost just a little bit of money? Probably Ren Faire, and that's once or twice a year.

I hate capitalism, I hate profit motives, I do. But if someone wanted an economy like this to work, surely they would see that everyone in that economy needs money in order for it to function. If people can't afford to buy dinner on their way home, that's another restaurant that can't stay open. If everyone is pinching pennies because groceries take up the majority of one paycheck a month that doesn't go to rent, then it's no wonder why they wouldn't be visiting the local bowling alley or whatever.

Again, it's not a new idea whatsoever, but it had never struck me so hard.

Economists be blabbing on about the oncoming recession and the various versions of economic stagnation paired with extreme inflation. But they ignore the fucking mammoth in the room- under the current system, people require money to survive, and when survival is difficult, they are going to use less of that money on things seen as extraneous. We prioritize our rent and our food, because we need those to live, and things like going out and enjoying life are tossed to the side. And it could be so simple! If you want to keep this system where money has to move around in order for it to function, give people some money!

And if it's too hard to write a check to every person, it can start at taking less money. I spend about 45% of my monthly income right now on rent. 15-25% goes to groceries and household items. about 10-20% between student loans and car insurance. Imagine if only rent was capped at 20%. Suddenly I have enough every month to support another café on my lunch break instead of making my own beverage, and I can interact with people. Suddenly I don't feel like a melon baller has been used on my stomach every time I stop to pick up dinner somewhere. In this dream world, I can tip a barista an extra $2-3, and everyone else can to (tipping culture is stupid but that's another rant). That's another few dollars in the pocket of a worker, of a local business owner, and it moves around.

There's a joke among artists who sell at cons/fairs/markets about the same $5 that gets passed around. Someone goes to my booth and buys a sticker, and I turn around, same bill in hand, to buy from them.

It is just nice to imagine a world where we can do that. Where we all can have enough extra to offer to buy someone their breakfast, to repaint our rooms or finally replace a broken piece of furniture without feeling guilty at the cost. To host people over without feeling like you need to ask them to contribute because you're barely scraping by, and where they bring something anyways, not out of obligation, but because they also want to share in what they have.

Didn't mean to hijack a post, but it's just been on my mind. What if we did just give everyone that money. Forever. It literally could not cause anything to get worse.

there have been 774664 studies on basic income and the results of every single one have been “wow! we gave people money and literally everything improved! crime rates are down! the actual sky is bluer! my (the researcher’s) wife decided not to leave me after all!” but these have all been short studies, just a couple years. i think what’s really missing from the field is a proper long form study, with a broader, bolder demographic, to really get us those numbers we need. a truly diverse study pool like, say, everyone. forever

[theresomeone1]

Human Embryo as an elite dish

This article is an explanation of the symbol in the book "Ingredient". In the book, customers eat, order the “Forbidden Fruit” - it is this symbol that will be discussed.

Eating an Embryo is not a dinner, it is a Rite, and now I will explain everything to you about the ritual in the “underground” restaurant, the restaurant itself does not exist, everyone has their own “underground”, the entrance to the restaurant is only for crazy people.

GREETINGS FROM CHINA

Traditional Chinese medicine relies mainly on the healing properties of natural remedies, but some of its recipes can greatly shock civilized Europeans.

In a conversation with media representatives, Mr. Cheng, a businessman from Hong Kong, said that he consumed soup made from aborted human embryos for 6 months. The man learned about the healing properties of the soup from his old friends in Shenzhen. According to him, good connections and bribed employees of medical institutions on the mainland helped him obtain embryos. “Of course, it was all very unpleasant at first, but the doctors gradually convinced me that eating aborted fetuses would help get rid of my asthma. Believe it or not, my asthma is almost gone,” Cheng said.

However, I personally do not know anything about whether this is practiced in modern China, or whether these are all just common gossip and urban legends based on forgotten legends of days long past. As for the nutritional value of the human embryo, it can be a good source of proteins, fats and minerals.”

According to available information, currently in China the “healing” dish is served only in closed restaurants (by prior agreement with the administration of the establishment). The exact cost of the soup is unknown: different sources give different figures — from several thousand yuan to several thousand US dollars. Traditionally, the basis for preparing the dish is aborted female fetuses 3–5 months old. First-born boys are held in high esteem by Chinese “gourmets,” but they are very difficult to get, and the cost of the soup will be many times higher.

(This photo is just the work of a photographer, art artist from Beijing, Ju Yu) — ALL the photographs presented are not real — it’s just a silicone doll.

At one time, the Hong Kong monthly magazine Next Magazine published an article in which it was said that soup made from aborted embryos had become a rather popular delicacy among the Chinese rich. The main material for the article was the terrifying revelations of a woman who served banquets for a successful Taiwanese businessman. She said that the corpses of babies, as well as fetuses obtained as a result of abortions, are very popular among wealthy Chinese, who sincerely believe that eating tender baby meat can have a beneficial effect on health. However, such dishes are not available to everyone — those who do not have the necessary amount and connections in certain circles have to sign up on long lists in anticipation of embryos.

And let’s not forget about cases from Russian tourists: several years ago information leaked online that in one of the closed restaurants in China, Russian tourists were offered special delicacies — embryo soup. Or baby soup, as the Chinese themselves call it. Then the news The Chinese do not believe in the miraculous targeted properties of embryos that can get rid of any disease. They begin to move from any facts.

It is now generally accepted that the Chinese, if they prepare “children’s soup,” do so exclusively from aborted embryos, the fate of which in any case will be unenviable. In the last century, Chinese mercenaries, taking advantage of the connivance of the Soviet government, could pamper themselves with newly born babies, because only an experienced expert could distinguish them after cooking. However, getting both an aborted embryo and a newborn baby was not very difficult then. For a certain bribe, the Chinese were given the forcibly aborted fetuses of women sentenced to death. They were also supplied with babies who, unfortunately, were born behind bars. There are known cases when the Chinese ate aborted human embryos that came straight from hospitals — bribed employees of medical institutions informed the expectant mother during the examination that her fetus was dead, and thereby provoked her to have an abortion. Sometimes even newborn babies from parents sympathizing with the Soviet regime ended up in restaurants, who were told by greedy doctors that their child was stillborn. Meanwhile, the “dead” children were already in the hands of Chinese chefs, who were trying to pamper their compatriots with tasty and healthy food.

Of course, there are rumors that many honest clinics perform abortions illegally and without warning women - clients - who want to get rid of the fetus, so their fetus is sent to the hospital as food. (or miscarriage, parents tell you that you had a miscarriage, and the dead baby is already delivered to the restaurant). How do they say emboiron or dead children you hear in the book Ingredient.

Naturally, this is all just “urban legends” But someone actually believes in the truth and claims that such delicacies from embryos exist — in closed, underground establishments… but it was this myth that I used to create my book, the book can be read for free here https://getinkspired.com/ru/story/375405/ingredient/

Abstract to the book. Emmanuel is the manager of a closed establishment for the elite, where the main dish is not only the various delicacies served on the table, but the human SOUL. You will learn about all this in detail from the manager of the establishment.

Finding and Preparation of the SOUL.

“Underground” is not a specific place. Entrance to the Underground restaurant is only for crazy people.

“…. “There have always been people dissatisfied with the dominants of conscious life. The hero of the book had to understand that his experience of “NIGREDO”, the first stage of work, which in alchemy was felt as “MELANCHOLIA” and now corresponds to a collision with the shadow in psychotherapy.” The main character of the novel, Emmanuel, has to pay in a very sensitive way — he is less and less able to understand himself. He does not see that, with all his rationality and all his skill, he is guided by uncontrollable “forces”. His gods and demons did not disappear at all, they received new names. And his life is a new place — the Underground. Irrepressibility, vague premonitions, psychological complications, an insatiable craving for pills, alcohol, tobacco, food and, above all, a lot of neuroses — do not give him any rest.”…

“Parole parole” (from Italian — “Words, words”) everything in the book is just “meaningless words” that drive the hero crazy — The absurdity of the hero’s life, all the “words” mean nothing, like life, the hero, like This whole book is stupid! Throughout the book, the hero meets only psychos, the girl is a fucking drug addict, and all the heroes are also schizos — but everything is fine with the hero, he just has a difficult fate, he is weak, poor, he is forced to work (work is a synonym for neurosis and schizo), a beggar is doomed to survive, the hero is completely conditioned by circumstances (determined from the outside), the Hero will have to become infected with schizo from others — in order to free himself from schiza (go through schizophrenia), to emerge from his psychosis into reality…

- I, of course, also borrowed a lot of philosophy, since the hero and the clients love to talk about life and death at the table… all the dialogues are conducted at the table when the clients place an order “forbidden fruit”, the hero just does nothing but idle, but the money is given with great difficulty, poverty is not a sentence to give up on life, the hero is a nihilist-atheist, an egoist who is obsessed with mass consumption, but this only causes him pain and loneliness, he must go through his own path of knowledge and establish relationships with the world of his existence, From many Wisdom has much sorrow, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. WE must try and fight for Joy as the Lord Jesus Christ did.

“Everything returns to its place: everything came from dust, and everything will return to dust. Everything goes back there: everything came from the dust of the earth and everything returns to dust. And everyone has the same fate: they came from dust and will return to dust. The body of an animal and the human body equally comes from the earth and goes back into the earth.” Ecclesiastes 3 verse 20

“not all people have a Soul, it still needs to be earned — which a hero can do,” but why? It’s an Ingredient! “

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. John 3:6

I, of course, also borrowed a lot of philosophy, since the hero and clients love to talk at the table about life and death… “not all people have a Soul, it still needs to be earned — which the hero can do” but why? It’s an Ingredient!

“Truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, there will be no life in you.” Gospel of John 6:53.

READ FREE https://getinkspired.com/ru/story/375405/ingredient/

[brainyxbat]

Chapter 8: Time to Fight Back! Usopp's Quick Thinking, and Fire Star!

(episode 76)

"We made it! Ah! So that's the second island in the Grand Line; Little Garden!"

"W-what's with this island?!"

"Collier Shoot!"

"L-Little Garden?! W-what's so little about this island?!"

"This is an island of ancient times. It's stuck in the age of the dinosaurs!"

"The duel has continued for 100 years now. I've forgotten the reason for it; but that doesn't matter, anyway."

"Then why?!"

"Pride!"

"Man, he's huge..."

"This is Elbaf, the God of War's... judgement! I didn't have his divine protection."

"Who is it?! Come out! You guys spoiled the old giant guys' duel! I'm gonna beat you up!"

"It's no use! Your friends are going to become my works of art!"

"Venus!"

"Luffy!"

"Ahh. Such nice tea."

"He was hit with the Tranquil Green!"

"Such... nice... tea."

-

"Luffy! What are you doing, you idiot?!" Usopp then spotted the green mark on his vest, and began to sneak up on him.

However, Mr. 5 saw him. "It's over for all of you." He took out his revolver. "This is my ultimate ability!"

"Special Attack: Exploding Star!" Usopp launched a bullet at him, and leaped in the air with Karoo, dodging his gunshots. His bullet hit the target: Luffy!

Ms. Golden Week jumped back when his vest burst into flames, and Ms. Valentine floated up in the air. "What an idiot! He missed his target, and hit his own friend!"

Usopp looked behind his back after Karoo landed. "Where'd his bullets go?!"

"Breeze Breath Bomb!"

Out of nowhere, an explosion erupted, sending Usopp and Karoo tumbling away. "Usopp-kun!" Venus' eye widened.

"I forgot to mention it, but my breath explodes."

Usopp landed with Karoo by the wax cake. "Dammit! This is insane! He had no bullets?! Karoo! You alright?!" He turned to the captain after Karoo quacked weakly. "Hey! You come to your senses?!"

"Y-yeah," Luffy regained his footing, now missing his vest, "I'm awake! Thanks!"

Ms. Valentine glared. "That attack was meant to burn his clothes, and the Trap on it, to undo the manipulation!"

Luffy panted in anger. "I've had enough of that paint! I refuse to let anyone else die! Now I'm mad!"

-

Meanwhile...

"It's definitely weird," An oblivious Sanji remarked in confusion, now back on the Going Merry, "Damn weird. Why hasn't anyone come back after all this time?" He had his larger catch on the shore close by. "Something must've happened to Nami-san, Venus-chan, Vivi-chan, and the rest. In which case, this is no time to be getting ready to cook a lizard!"

Using his catch as leverage, he leaped down in the jungle, and "persuaded" a saber-toothed tiger to give him a ride. "Nami-san! Venus-chan! Vivi-chan! Hey! Say something! I love you!" He stopped, and jumped down upon noticing a strange, cube-shaped structure. "What's this?"

-

Mr. 3 laughed evilly. "So what if you're mad? Just look at your friends now!"

"So what?! They're still alive!"

"Are they now? All they need now is some of Ms. Golden Week's paint, and they'll be exceptional wax figures!" Usopp was silent with fury. "You're too late, Straw Hat!" A tree collapsed nearby. "That's correct! You're not only late, but now you can experience even more despair!" More trees suffered the brunt of his next attack. "Move out!" Venus gaped in awe from the ground, as the wax formed a giant, robot-like battle suit. "Candle... Champion!"

Usopp and Karoo screamed in terror. "What's that?" Luffy asked.

"It's said he once took down a 42 million berry bounty with this," Mr. 5 replied.

"It's Mr. 3's ultimate artistic talent," Ms. Valentine added.

"Now, Ms. Golden Week! Perform an artistic paint job on me!"

"Can I take a break after that?"

"Yes, of course! I'd actually prefer you to stay out of this!" She nodded with a small smile. "Like this, I am invincible! This armor is hard as iron, and wrapped around me like velvet! My form now... has no flaws!"

Everyone stared on in silence, before Luffy brightened up. "S-so cool!"

"This is no time to be admiring him!" Usopp shouted.

"Fight!" Venus urged.

While Ms. Golden Week painted, Luffy prepared to attack. "Alright! Gum-Gum..." He reeled his fist into the jungle.

"Paint job complete!"

"Now, then!"

"Pistol!" His fist bounced off of the wax mech.

"Champ Fight! Harvest Field!" He spun the arms ferociously, the boxing gloves digging into the ground, as Luffy leaped away.

"Gum-Gum... Stamp!" He was ejected yet again.

"It's no use!"

"Not good!" Usopp frowned. "The guy's so solid, his attacks don't work!" Luffy landed on the cake by his decapacitated friends, then jumped off. Usopp and Karoo covered their mouths when the rain started falling on them. "Damn! The wax haze!"

"Don't turn into statues!" Venus exclaimed fearfully.

He stared at the white material on his hands. "Wax?" He turned to the spinning top; more specifically, the flaming candles. Flame? Of course! "Yeah! Why didn't I realize it?! The fact it turns into a mist means it can melt!" He turned to the captain, and the witch. "Luffy, Venus! Fire melts this guy's wax! No matter how hard it is, wax is still wax!"

"Yeah!" Venus perked up.

"Zoro, and all the others hardened only moments ago! We can save them!" Karoo quacked.

"What?! For real?!" He beamed.

"Yeah, for real," Ms. Golden Week confirmed.

Mr. 3 gaped in shock. "Don't admit that to them!"

"Too late!" Venus mocked.

"But even if you realize that now, you have neither time, or a chance of winning! 30 more seconds at most! After that, their hearts will completely stop! As we speak, they're probably writhing in pain with what little consciousness they have left, as they experience the terror of dying!"

Karoo pushed Usopp up on his feet. "We don't need 30 seconds! I'll save them now! Special Attack: Fire-"

"Breeze Breath Bomb!" Mr. 5 shot at him again, this time with a direct hit!"

"Usopp!" Luffy screamed.

"Usopp-kun!" Venus cried.

His slingshot was dropped, as he fell on his back. "Did you not hear him say you had no chance of winning?"

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "There's no time!"

Mr. 3 then appeared behind him. "Give it up!" Before Luffy could do anything, he was punched into the ground.

Usopp crawled over to Karoo, now with a rope on hand. "Listen, take this rope-"

"Oh?" Ms. Valentine floated over, interrupting him. "This looks like fun! Whatcha planning? Can I join in, too?"

Usopp was fearfully quiet for a few seconds. "Karoo! Run!" He loudly whispered, before finally shouting. "Run! Just run around the candlesticks!" Karoo quickly began doing as told.

Mr. 5 readied his revolver again. "Everything you try is pointless!"

"Pardon me." Ms. Valentine sat on Usopp's back. "Crescendo Stone! How many kilograms can you ensure, I wonder..." Karoo dodged the bullets, as he ran. "10 kilograms... 100 kilograms..." Usopp grunted in discomfort when her weight increased. "200 kilograms..." His eyes were wide, as he felt his lungs being compressed. "300 kilograms..." She was oblivious to Venus sneaking towards her ominously, dragging her heavy mallet restraint.

"Damn nimble bird!" Mr. 5 complained when he couldn't shoot Karoo.

Mr. 3 started punching at Luffy again. "Give it up! Give it up! They've become my works of art!"

"I don't think so!" Luffy leaped into the air. "I won't let you have their lives!" He grabbed his topknot, and made a beeline for the cake. "If fire can melt them, then I'll use this fire!"

"Don't pull! Stop!"

"Luffy!" Usopp protested, as Venus inched closer. He didn't see her either. "That small flame won't do it fast enough! Light Karoo's rope on fire!"

"The bird's rope?!" By now, Karoo had the rope wrapped all around the cake.

Usopp poured some kerosene on his end. "It's a special rope, soaked in oil!"

"Okay! Everyone! Wake up!"

"Hey! Wait! Stop!"

"It'll be a little hot, but endure it." Closer.

"Stop!" With one single touch, the whole structure erupted in flames. "Oww!" Mr. 3 struggled. "Hot! Hot!"

"What a big fire!" Luffy exclaimed. "Are they gonna be alright?!"

"Curse you... curse you, Straw Hat! How dare you destroy my Candle Service Set! You'll pay for this!"

Luffy turned around to find Mr. 3, and Ms. Golden Week attempting to flee into the jungle. "I won't let you get away, you jerks!"

A scared Karoo jumped back and forth, avoiding wax mounts falling around him. "Dammit! How dare you mock us!" Mr. 5 exclaimed.

Ms. Valentine punched Usopp's face. "Now you've done it! Playtime is over!" She shot up in the air. "I'm going to shatter that neck of yours into pieces! Special Attack: 10,000 Kilogram Guillotine!" Closer.

Usopp watched fearfully, as she started rocketing back down. "This is bad!"

Little did she realize, a certain someone was coming for her. Three someone's; Venus finally swung her restraint, while Vivi spun her slashers, and Nami (who was missing her shirt) wielded a staff, all to knock her away. As Venus dragged herself to him, Nami and Vivi stood back-to-back. "That was hot!" Nami remarked. "Couldn't you have done it a different way?"

Venus turned to her with a snarky look, as a stray ember ignited her mallet. "Ouch!" She yelped from the burn. "What other option was there, huh?"

An irritated Usopp managed to sit up with the witch's help. "Yeah, don't be fussy! Just be thankful you were saved!"

"You're right," Nami admitted, "Thanks!"

"This doesn't seem real," Vivi remarked, "We're alive!"

"The wax melted," Mr. 5 observed, "What a pain! We can't afford to screw up our mission any further!" He pointed his revolver, alarming the girls.

"Stay behind me," Usopp surprised Venus with his sudden bravery, "Mr. 5! Special Attack: Exploding Star!"

Mr. 5 ate the bullet again. "Fool! I've shown several times that explosives don't work on me! I'm an explosive man!"

"You took the bait!" Usopp grinned.

"Huh?" Venus looked up at him in confusion, and watched their adversary.

He soon sweating profusely, and his complexion was turning red. "So sorry! I'm a liar, you see!" Venus put her fingers to her mouth, stifling giggles. "That wasn't even an Exploding Star! It was a Special Tabasco Star!"

"Spicy!" Mr. 5 screamed, as fire shot from his mouth like a geyser.

Usopp laughed victoriously. "I already proved its effectiveness the hard way!"

"Alright, Usopp!" Venus cheered.

Mr. 5 collapsed to his knees. "Damn you pirates!" He coughed. "How dare you make a mockery of me!" Usopp's eyes widened in terror. "Time to blow up a full-body explosion!" He made a mad beeline for the sniper. "There won't even be bone fragments left!"

Just as he pushed Venus away to safety, he was trapped in a dangerous embrace. "No! Stop!" He thrashed frantically in his arms, but he was too strong.

"Usopp-kun!" She exclaimed.

"No! I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore!"

"Flaming Oni..." Zoro leaped from the fire, swords ready, "Giri!" Only Mr. 5 was affected; he was now ablaze, so Usopp was safe. "Flaming swords aren't too shabby," He remarked.

"Zoro!" Nami addressed him.

They were startled by a sudden quaking; it was Broggy! Also on fire, he stood on his feet, ready to fight. "Yo," Zoro greeted, "Good to see you're alive."

"Yeah," Broggy grinned, but it disappeared when he looked over Dorry's body.

"Master..."

Broggy perked back up, and gazed into the jungle. "That leaves two foes left."

"Bird!" Luffy ran after them with Karoo. "Don't let them get away with this!" They jumped over a fallen tree. "Real men don't spoil people's fights!" They skidded to a stop at what was in front of them: Mr. 3. Lots of him!

"How good of you to come! Welcome to my Wax-Wax Manor!"

"What is this?!"

"Well, then. Can you tell where I am?" Karoo glanced about hopelessly. "It would appear you picked a fight with the wrong people! We're the most intellectual team in all of Baroque Works! A brute force buffoon like you, who acts on instinct cannot catch us! I am Mr. 3. I carry out all assignments given to me flawlessly. Now, then! Step forward! The moment your back is turned to me, I'll stab you..." He had a dagger ready. "Right through the heart."

Through his laughter, Luffy eyed them all carefully... aha! "Gum-Gum... Stamp!" His foot shoved the real one into a tree.

"How... did you know," He stumbled forward deliriously, "I was here?" He then fell on his back in the grass.

Luffy was silent for a moment. "Instinct."

Just then, Karoo noticed Ms. Golden Week sneaking away, and charged in, to her terror.

-

In the wax house he found, Sanji poured himself some tea. "Afternoons are definitely best with Earl Grey." Just then, it hit him. "Hold on, now! This is no time for me to be drinking tea all fancy-like! Nami-san and the others might be waiting for me to help them!" He set the teacup down, and stood off the chair. "Still, though. What's such a relaxing place doing in the jungle?"

"Beta-beta-beta-beta-"

"Huh?" Sanji turned back at a strange ringing from a woven basket. "What's that?" He walked over, and lifted the top up. "Oh... it's a Transponder Snail." It was a purple snail, with a black handlebar mustache, and a shell that had teal and darker purple vertical stripes. Sanji set it on the table, and promptly answered. "Heya. You've called the Damn Restaurant. You want reservations?" For a few seconds, no one answered.

"Quit fooling around, dumbass," A deep, male voice chided, "Aren't you a bit late with your report?"

"Oh? Report?" Sanji replied curiously. "And who might I be talking to?"

"It's me. Mr. 0." At that, he frowned in determination. Mr. 0, huh?

[correlance]

I don't know anything about Vivziepop as a person, nor do I really care to, but as a Hazbin Hotel fan who has been waiting 4-5 years (!) for the show to come out, I feel that letting A24 and Amazon Prime make it was a mistake. My friend, who went to art school and is also an animator, was also deeply disappointed in the show, calling the animation "bad" and "terrible". As a writer, I also noticed some serious flaws with the writing and pacing, as did Nuxanor on YouTube.

Nuxanor in particular pointed out issues with the dialogue and humor being "a lot less snappy and slower-paced than the pilot", and one of the big aspects I noticed - and this is a big issue with Helluva Boss as well - is that Hazbin Hotel seems to be all over the place with its plot, pacing, and focus. I think a big hindrance to this is that Season 1 only got 8 episodes to work with, which was also one of the issues I had with School Spirits, a live-action original show on Paramount+.

However, unlike Hazbin Hotel, for me, School Spirits was a lot better-written, with a much tighter focus on the plot and pacing. My artist friend and I both agreed that the animation looked like it was outsourced to save money, which, seeing as how Amazon Prime spent over $715 million on Season 1 of The Rings of Power alone, should not be the case. A24 and Amazon should absolutely be paying animators more money, as well as paying for a few more episodes.

Hell, even Rick and Morty got 11 episodes for its Season 1. BoJack Horseman got 12 episodes for its Season 1. I see no reason why Hazbin Hotel could have gotten 11-12 episodes as well, which would put less pressure on the writers to write an overarching storyline to wrap up in just 8 episodes. However, there are other writing issues as well, including the songs - many of them feel random and out-of-place, like a "musical for musical's sake" - as well as a lack of emotion, character development, and depth. Why should we care about characters like Carmilla and her wanting to protect people, for example, when the viewers have literally just met her? Why should we care about the characters singing a song when there is little to no build-up to them, much less emotional impact? Why does this show need to be a musical? What justification is there for the singing?

Charlie, I can understand. She is the daughter of Lilith, who is mentioned to be the demon of "music and song". Yet with the other characters? I thought the whole point of the Hazbin Hotel pilot was to show how out-of-place Charlie was by randomly bursting out into song, to the point where the other denizens of Hell all laughed at her? Wasn't the whole point of her character to be a play on the "Disney princess" stereotype, like what Disney themselves did in Enchanted? Why are other characters randomly bursting into song for no reason?

There needs to be character motivation or justification for why they are singing, and not just "oh, well, the show is a musical, so they sing".

A lot of the show and its writing just feels rushed; and, again, I think that has to do with the show only getting 8 episodes. Now, there are examples of writing done relatively well over just 8 episodes - Invincible being the main one - and, while the writing and pacing would've been okay for a free YouTube show, like Helluva Boss, viewers expect something a little better-quality with Amazon Prime.

As for the characters: Hazbin Hotel is quickly having a "Too Many Cooks" problem. We're only 4 episodes in so far, and already, there are way too many characters. In shows like this one, the focus needs to be on establishing and developing our core cast of characters in the first few episodes in terms of writing and screen time, and then focusing on the extended cast of characters. For as much as I think Helluva Boss is flawed, at least that show knows only to focus on our "core cast" of characters: Blitzø, Moxxie, Millie, Loona, Stolas, etc.

That being said, my artist friend and I are basically just watching for Charlie and Alastor at this point. Hazbin Hotel is okay, but for a show that was hyped up for 4 years, with so much potential to be great, it is disappointing to finally have it come out, only to go..."That's it? That's all there is to what we've been waiting for? What happened?"

Yeah, I'm only judging this show based on 4/8 episodes thus far, but still, the show feels like it's missing the original humor and charm that hooked me and so many other people into the pilot episode on YouTube. Also, hot take from me: Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel should've been switched. Have A24 and Amazon make Helluva Boss, and produce Hazbin Hotel for YouTube. Vivziepop could've spent the last 4-5 years working on Hazbin Hotel instead of Helluva Boss.

Regardless of how annoying Vivziepop’s fanbase is, I feel bad that they’ve waited since 2019 for Hazbin Hotel to release, hoping for a fun, complex show with entertaining characters that handled serious themes surrounding trauma and morality. Yet they only got an edgy show filled with sex jokes and excessive swearing that treats trauma as an excuse for awful behavior and mortality as black-and-white without any nuance.

They’ve devoted time, energy, and money to supporting Hazbin Hotel for years yet got a poorly written show made by an immature, abusive transphobe who sucked all the passion out of her own show and left nothing but scraps of what it once was. Fans have created fanfics and comics that are far more interesting and elaborate than both of Vivziepop’s shows combined.

Honestly, fans have far more of an interest in her characters and Hell than she does, putting more work into developing them than she has and will. Fans deserved a far better show than what they received.

[whatsonmedia]

Thursday Thrill: 3 Festivals to Fire Up Your 2024!

Ready to trade resolutions for revolutions? Dive into 2024's vibrant festival scene with sun-kissed shores, pulsating beats, and artistic escapes! From Aussie superstar DJs to Ecuadorian beach bliss, we've got 3 festivals to ignite your inner soul. Let the music guide you! Wildlands 6 Jan There is no better way to start the New Year than digging out your finest festival threads, and your best dancing shoes and going hard at a festival.  For true festival-goers, who are up for getting on a plane, a train, and an automobile and in need of some hot sun to beat down those UK winter woes. The festival weekend is upon us!  It is time to unleash your wild side!  Held at one of Australia's standout one-day festival sites, Wildlands is taking over one humungous iconic locations of the Claremont Showgrounds.  The festival includes a massive Stella stage production set up with all the expected festival highlights from top-notch festival street food luscious drinks and a silent disco.  The line-up is an international smorgasbord of superstar DJs and live music artists flying in from all over the globe for one big festival showdown. The line-up features RUFUS DU SOL, Central Cee, Peggy Gou, Sub Focus, Ferg, Destroy Lonely, The Jungle Giants, G Flip, LUUDE, Jayda G, Romy, Ewan McVicar, Conducta b2b Notion, Taylah Elaine, Stüm, Cobrah, Anna Lunoe, Boo Seeka, Blanke, Becca Hatch, Damela, Forest Claudette, Miss Kaninna.  Grab your tickets while you can, they are selling out quickly.  You won't be disappointed downunder!Tickets & Info www.wildlandsfestival.com.au Trotamundo 4 – 8 Jan Trotamundo is a brand-new festival for 2024, hoping to make its mark on the annual international festival calendar.  In a festival location that is off the chart and no better place to host a debut festival.  Taking over Santa Elena in Ecuador at the tropical seaside destination from laid-back chilled days to beach parties and then the biggest danceathons bringing the finest electronic dance music when the glorious sun rests its head, and the evenings' delights begin.  It's four days to the night of living your best festival heaven life delivering the best music non-stop, with dancefloors fillers that will have hands raised in the air.Offering a top-quality line-up of over 100 DJs! It is going to be one of the biggest festivals to begin the festival season in style.  From the mammoth list, the DJ line-up features tINI, Traumer, DJ Masda, Nicola Cruz, Danny Daze, Cristi Cons, Dyed Soundorom, Onur Özer, Cabanne, Maayan Nidam, Caruan, Dan Andrei, Nicolas Lutz, Binh, Dana Ruh, CHKLTE, and Gene On Earth and so many more of the freshest DJ talent featuring at various locations in the village of MontanitaTickets & Info www.rotamundo.life Nest Fest 5 – 6 Jan Back for its 5th installment New Fest takes base across two days this year in the magnificent backdrop of Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. For the big-time festival-goers who love an international shindig and where the weather is cooking good. This is one definitely for festival lovers' bucket list.  For the travelers coming from outer reach, you can throw down your tent in amazing surroundings ready to let loose for a weekend of vibrant music and a cultural experience in the art department.  Nest Fest goes above and beyond festival offerings, with both indoor and outdoor stages, live art, and wellness workshops for the ultimate holistic vibe. The festival organsiors makes sure it takes care of its community and the surrounding environment, for the discerning festival lover who fancies bagging some festival goodies there are some fantastic local market stalls and an array of organic produce from various local food vendors looking after the carbon footprint and ensuring re-investment for the local economy. Sustainibility is key!With a stellar line-up ram-packed of locals and international DJs and live acts which including the Uks Barry Can't Swim, adding to the massive line-up Kaishandao, Genesis Owusu, No Cigar, Arahi, Katchafire, Diesel, Filthy Junk Traders, Julien Dyne, Ladi6, Royel Otis, 33 Below, and Sam Wave. Mini Simmons, One Eyed Jacks, Soph, Sorry Sorry, and, so many moreTickets & Info www.rotamundo.life www.rotamundo.life Read the full article

[nandaaja2]

Recognize the things that should be celebrated in the middle of Pandemi according to Denny Ja

Pandemi Covid-19 has become a big test for the whole world, including Indonesia. For more than a year, we all must adapt to various changes that occur in everyday life. However, in the midst of all these challenges, there are things that should be celebrated. In this article, we will see a number of things that according to Denny JA, a political expert and leading community leaders in Indonesia, we should celebrate in the midst of this pandemic.    1. Solidarity and Concern  One of the things that should be celebrated is the solidarity and personality of the Indonesian nation. Although faced with difficult situations, many Indonesians are willing to share with others in need. Starting from donations of goods and money, to establishing a public kitchen to provide food to those who are economically affected due to pandemic. This shows that in the midst of difficulties, we can still unite and care for each other.    2. Technology and Innovation  This Pandemi has also accelerated the development of technology and innovation in Indonesia. We become more dependent on technology to work, study, and communicate. Many companies and individuals who adapt quickly using the video conference application, e-learning platform, and online shipping service. This opens new opportunities in the world of work and education, as well as providing easier access for people in remote areas.    3. Awareness of health  This pandemic has changed the way we see and maintain health. More people are starting to pay attention to healthy diet, improve personal hygiene, and diligently exercise. Many families are starting to cook healthy food at home, reduce the consumption of fast food, and more often physical activities together. This has a positive impact on overall public health, so we become more aware of the importance of maintaining health.    4. Creativity in Art and Culture  Although the arts and cultural sectors are very affected by Pandemi, this also encourages the emergence of new creativity. Many artists and cultural figures adapt to holding virtual arts or art exhibitions. Some also use social media to share their work to the public. This not only helps them to continue to exist, but also provides entertainment and inspiration for people who are facing difficult situations.    5. A cleaner environment  Lack of human activity during this pandemic has had a positive impact on the environment. Many tourist attractions are usually full of garbage and air pollution, now become cleaner and more natural. Many wild animals also reappear in areas that were previously rarely seen. This is a warning for all of us about the importance of maintaining and caring for our natural environment.    Conclusion  Although this pandemic brings many difficulties and challenges, we can also find things that are worth celebrating. Solidarity, technology, awareness of health, creativity in art and culture, and a cleaner environment are some examples that we can see. Denny JA stressed that in the midst of difficulties, we must remain optimistic and see the positive side of this situation. Let’s continue to fight together and maintain the spirit of togetherness in the midst of this pandemic.

Check more: Get to know things that should be celebrated in the middle of Pandemi according to Denny JA

[cyarsk5230]

Since hip hop is 50 years old I think it’s important to learn about the “firsts” in history of the genre

60 Hip-Hop ‘Firsts': Rap’s Must-Know Milestones

Dave LiftonPublished: August 10, 2018

Play DJ Kool Herc 

on Amazon Music Unlimited (ad) 

Aug. 11, 1973 is widely considered to be the day that hip-hop was born, when DJ Kool Herc brought out his "merry-go-round" style of record-spinning during a party at 1520 Sedgewick Ave., in the Bronx, N.Y. Since then, hip-hop has grown, both as an art form and in popularity. We've compiled the must "must-know" milestone moments in its history, from before the first single was released up to the present day, in our list of 60 Hip-Hop Firsts.

1. First Female Rapper: MC Sha-Rock of Funky 4 + 1 (1976)

Hip hop is a predominantly male genre but that doesn’t mean female rappers aren’t just as good if not better than their male counterparts. There’s plenty of female rappers who are worth discussing but let’s talk about the first.

As crews came together around the new sound, the Funky 4+1 stood out, largely because of the "plus one": Sharon Green, aka MC Sha-Rock, the first female MC. Even before they put out their first record, 1979's "Rappin & Rocking the House," she established herself by going toe-to-toe in battle raps with male counterparts such as Grandmaster Flash.

2. First Single: Fatback, '“King Tim III (Personality Jock)" (1979)

While the origins of rap can be traced back to the spoken-word-over-music recordings by the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, the first commercially available single rooted in DJ Kool Herc's creation was “King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback, a funk/disco group that had been around since 1972. "King Tim" refers to Tim Washington, who provided the vocals. Originally released as the b-side of "You're My Candy Sweet" on March 25, 1979, DJs opted for the flip side and the track reached No. 26 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart. The line "A little left hand, right hand in the air / And you sway 'em like you just don't care" is believed to be the first recorded instance of what would soon become "Throw your hands in the air / And wave 'em like you just don't care."

3. First Rap Song to Chart on the Hot 100: The Sugarhill Gang, "Rappers Delight" (1979)

before there was Wu-Tang, OutKast, run-dmc, etc there was the sugar hill gang

'“King Tim III (Personality Jock)" may have been the first commercially available rap single, but not by long. Only a few months later, on Aug. 2, 1979, the Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight." And possibly because it outperformed Fatback, peaking just inside the Top 40 at No. 36, it became widely accepted, erroneously, that "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single.

4. First Hip-Hop Radio Show: Mr. Magic's Disco Showcase (1979)

John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, a member of the Juice Crew from the Queensbridge housing project in Queens, N.Y., began spinning hip-hop records during his Disco Showcase on WHBI 105.9 FM. The two-hour program began at 2AMand Rivas paid $75 an hour for the airtime. Three years later, he moved to WBLS, a much bigger station, and rebranded the show as Rap Attack. Marley Marl served as his DJ and sidekick until Rivas left the station in 1989. Whodini paid tribute to him with "Magic's Wand"

What radio station do you think is representing hip hop?

5. First Single by a Female Group: The Sequence, "Funk You Up" (1979)

Twenty years before her breakthrough as a solo artist, Angie Stone, then calling herself "Angie B," was a member of Columbia, S.C.'s the Sequence with Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook and Gwendolyn "Blondy" Chisolm. After getting backstage at a Sugarhill Gang concert and proving themselves to Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, they got signed and recorded "Funk You Up," the second single ever on the label. It peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart and they released nine more singles -- two of which charted -- and three albums for the label. In 2017, they sued Bruno Marsand Mark Ronson on the grounds that "Uptown Funk" was too similar to their biggest hit.

6. First Rap Video: "Rapper's Delight" (1979)

what’s your favorite hip hop music video?

The Sugarhill Gang made good use of their 1979 appearance on the syndicated New Jersey-based Soap Factory Disco Show, turning the surprisingly high-quality production into rap's first video. Multiple sources state that Whodini's "Magic's Wand"was the first officially commissioned video, but the clip currently can't be found on the internet.

7. First Rapper to Sign With a Major Label: Kurtis Blow (1979)

Even though so many major labels had offices in New York, it was a British company that became the first to sign a rapper, Kurtis Blow. As he told All Hip-Hop, he cut a record called "Christmas Rappin'," which producers J.B. Moore and Robert Ford unsuccessfully shopped around to 22 labels before John Stains of Mercury made a deal.

8. First Album: The Sugarhill Gang, The Sugarhill Gang (1980)

Hip-hop took its first tentative steps into the album format in 1980. The Sugarhill Gang’s self-titled effort from February of that year is widely considered to be the first full-length rap album. However, Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson reportedly didn’t think people were ready to buy an entire long-player featuring nothing but rap music. So alongside a handful of songs in the style of “Rapper’s Delight” you’ll also find a full side's worth of R&B ballads and instrumental disco tracks.

Kurtis Blow's September 1980 eponymous album is credited as the first to be released by a major label. The Sequence also released their debut full-length effort that year, and multi-artist compilations such as the The Great Rap Hits and Rap… Rap… Rap… began to appear on record shelves around this time.

9. First Gold Single: Kurtis Blow, "The Breaks" (1980)

One of the conditions of Blow's deal allowed him to record a second if "Christmas Rappin'" sold 30,000 copies. It sold 373,000, which led to his self-titled debut and the follow-up single, "The Breaks." Once again, Blow defied expectations, reaching No. 4 on the R&B chart and selling 940,000 copies to become the first rap single to be certified gold.

10. First to Appear on National Television: Kurtis Blow, Soul Train(Sept. 27, 1980)

The ultimate tastemaker for black America, Soul Train, took note of hip-hop's growing popularity when they brought Blow on for "The Breaks" during their Sept. 27, 1980 episode. Also appearing on the show were L.T.D. and Seventh Wonder.

11. First Beef: Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee (1981)

the bridge wars. Roxanne wars. East coast vs west coast. Jay z vs nas . Ice cube vs Nwa. Nothing is more exciting than a good old fashioned hip hop rivalry.

Given that boasting and trading insults has long been a part of African American music -- see Otis Reddingand Carla Thomas' "Tramp" for a perfect example -- it's all-but impossible to pinpoint the start of battle rapping. The earliest we could find was Kool Moo Dee's slaying of Busy Bee at a contest at Harlem World in 1981.

12. First Rappers on Saturday Night Live: Funky 4+1 (Feb. 14, 1981)

Deborah Harry of Blondie served as both the host and musical guest on the Valentine's Day 1981 episode of Saturday Night Live. In addition to singing covers of Teddy Pendergrass' "Love TKO" and Devo's "Come Back Jonee," she also brought along the Funky 4+1 to perform "That's the Joint." As Blondie guitarist, and Harry's then-boyfriend Chris Stein told WaxPoetics, "[T]hey let us pick a musical guest to be on with us," he said. "The people on the show were so nervous about them doing it. I remember trying to explain to them how scratching worked. Trying to verbalize what that is for someone who has no idea, it’s really difficult.” Instead, the group wound up rapping to a backing tape. You can see their performance at the 11-minute mark of the video above, right after Harry introduces them as "among the best street rappers in the country" and "her friends from the Bronx."

13. First No. 1 Hot 100 Song With a Rap, Blondie, "Rapture" (March 28, 1981)

Pop music and rap are nothing new in this genre

Six weeks after Saturday Night Live, Blondie's "Rapture" began its two-week stint at No. 1. The track concluded with a rap by Harry that gave a shout-out to both Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash. Harry had been hip to them since 1977. "She said, 'I'm going to write a rap about you on my next record.' And I was like, 'Yeah, right," Flash told the Daily News. "And about five or six months later, 'Eatin' cars and . . . eat up bars . . . and Flash is fast, Flash is cool.' She kept her word. ... "I was introduced. So now ...white people and people of other colors were, 'Who is Flash?' So she tremendously opened the door."

14. First National News Story About Hip-Hop: 20/20 (July 1981)

Eight years after DJ Kool Herc's party, ABC's 20/20 news magazine show devoted a segment to the "overnight phenomenon" of rap by Steve Fox. He credited "Rapture" for bringing it to the masses and also pointed out its deep roots in African American traditions. Fox concluded by predicting that rap would become a cultural force because "it lets ordinary people express ideas they care about, in language they can relate to, put to music they can dance to. Not everyone can sing, but everyone can rap." "That's marvelous," host Hugh Downs said.

15. First International Tour: New York City Rap Tour (November 1982)

Before hip-hop had ventured out into America, it had gone global. Bernard Zekri, a French journalist who was living in New York, had fallen in love with rap and decided to take it to his native country. In November 1982, thanks to Roxy founder Kool Lady Blue, the New York City Rap Tour brought the nascent culture to France and London, with performances by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, Fab 5 Freddy, Grandmaster D.ST and the Infinity Rappers, Futura 2000, Dondi, Rammellzee, the breakdancing Rock Steady Crew, and the World Champion Fantastic Four Double Dutch Girls. "They had this whole show," David Hershkovits, who covered it for the Daily News, recalled in Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. "It wasn't just a band, it was the graffiti and the breakdancers and the DJs and the whole experience."

16. First Hip-Hop Movie: Wild Style(1983)

Written, directed and produced by Charlie Ahearn, 1983's Wild Style told the story of a graffiti artist (real-life artist Lee Quinones) and features Grandmaster Flash, Fab 5 Freddy, Busy Bee and others. As a part of New York's downtown art scene, Ahearn had been observing the intersection of graffiti and rap cultures for a few years and decided to chronicle it.

"I was interested in making a pop movie," he told Red Bull Music Academy. "I knew that I should be documenting this thing, but I hated the idea of making a documentary. So the question is how can I make a pop movie out of this thing? To me, the Bruce Lee movies were the thing that I was most excited by. You go to 42nd Street, you go to see kung fu movies. I wanted something that could be on that level, something that could show on 42nd Street. My idea was to do what excited me most. There was no historical perspective. Let’s go on this trip, it’s like a cartoon version of what was happening."

What’s your favorite hip hop movie

17. First Rap Group Signed to a Major Label: The Fearless Four (1983)

After a pair of successful singles on Enjoy, including "Rockin' It," Harlem's Fearless Four jumped to Elektra. They released two singles for the label, "Just Rock" and "Problems of the World," the latter of which was produced by Kurtis Blow.

18. First Hip-Hop Radio Station: KDAY 93.5 FM, Los Angeles (1983)

At a time when rap was still considered a fad, Greg Mack was hired to be the music director at KDAY 1580-AM in Los Angeles. He convinced his bosses to allow him to add rap to the station's playlists, first in the evening and, when the ratings jumped, in the afternoon during his "Mack Attack" show. The station would soon go all hip-hop and Mack's program became the place for those on the rising West Coast scene to be heard.

19. First Hollywood Movie With Breakdancing: Flashdance (1983)

A year before Beat Street and Breakin', filmgoers got to see breakdancing on the big screen via a scene in Flashdance. Irene Cara, who sang the movie's No. 1 theme song, included a song called "Breakdance" on her album What a Feelin'. It reached No. 8 and was her last Top 10 hit.

20. First Music Video Show Dedicated to Hip-Hop: Video Music Box (April 1984)

Before MTV decided to start broadcasting rap videos, Ralph McDaniels, an engineer at WNYC-TV, and Lionel Martin created Video Music Box. With Whodini's "Five Minutes of Funk" as its theme, it became the place to see hip-hop in TV in New York, and Jay-Z and Nas watched it regularly. The show is still running, although it moved to WNYE-TV in 1996. "I knew this was a passion but I didn't see that it would go this long," McDaniels said.

21. First Gold Album: Run-D.M.C., Run-D.M.C. (Released March 27, 1984)

On the strengths of the singles "It's Like That," "Hard Times" and "Rock Box," Run-D.M.C.'s self-titled debut was the first hip-hop record to sell 500,000 copies. In his original Village Voice review, Robert Christgau, the self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics" gave it a grade of A-. "It's easily the canniest and most formally sustained rap album ever," he wrote, "a tour de force I trust will be studied by all manner of creative downtowners and racially enlightened Englishmen. While their heavy staccato and proud disdain for melody may prove too avant-garde for some, the style has been in the New York air long enough that you may understand it better than you think. Do you have zero tolerance for namby-pamby bullshit? Do you believe in yourself above all? Then chances are you share Run-D.M.C.'s values."

22. First Hip-Hop Video Played on MTV: Run-D.M.C., "Rock Box" (1984)

Although "Rapture" was shown twice on the day that MTV launched, Aug. 1, 1981, it took them a few years to work rap videos by black acts into their rotation. That changed with Run-D.M.C.'s video for "Rock Box." But it would still take them four years to devote an entire show to hip-hop, when Yo! MTV Raps debuted in August 1988.

23. First U.S. Tour: 1984 Swatch Watch New York City Fresh Fest Tour (September 1984)

Hip-hop first ventured out on the road thanks to the 1984 Swatch Watch New York City Fresh Festival. Headlined by Run-D.M.C., the tour also starred Whodini, the Fat Boys, Newcleus, the Dynamic Breakers, Magnificent Force, Uptown Express, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, T. La Rock, with Kurtis Blow as host. According to Murray Forman's The 'Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip-Hop, it played 27 cities, beginning Labor Day Weekend in Greensboro, N.C., and took in $3.5 million, with five percent of proceeds going to the United Negro College Fund.

24. First Diss Track: Roxanne Shante, "Roxanne's Revenge" (1984)

In 1984, U.T.F.O. put out a track called "Roxanne, Roxanne," a rap about a girl who had rejected all the members of the crew. Shortly thereafter, a teenager called Lolita Shante Gooden was asked by Mr. Magic and Marley Marl to put a new rap over their beats. She assumed the identity of U.T.F.O.'s ire and rebranded herself as Roxanne Shante, slamming them in "Roxanne's Revenge." That began the famous "Roxanne Wars," with U.T.F.O. responding by finding their own woman who called herself "The Real Roxanne." Over the next year, dozens of people portraying members of her family, doctor and even someone who claimed that Roxanne was a man, recorded answer songs.

25. First Rap Album to Be Released on CD: Run-D.M.C., King of Rock (Jan. 21, 1985)

Two and a half years after compact discs first became commercially available in stores, hip-hop went digital. Possibly because of the unprecedented success of the first album, Profile was able to press King of Rock on CD. The record slightly improved on the chart successes of its predecessor, peaking at No. 52 on the 200 Albums chart and at No. 12 at R&B, where Run-D.M.C. had reached Nos. 53 and 14, respectively.

26. First High-Profile Hip-Hop Couple: Salt and Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor (1985)

Cheryl "Salt" James met Sandra "Pepa" Denton when they were students at Queensborough Community College and started calling themselves Super Nature. James' boyfriend, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, asked them to record a song he wrote for a project at the Center of Media Arts, an answer to Doug E. Fresh's "The Show." The single, "The Show Stoppa (Is Stupid Fresh)," became a hit and they changed their name to Salt-n-Pepa. Azor would write and produce the bulk of Salt-n-Pepa's material over the next decade.

27. First Platinum Album: Run-DMC, Raising Hell (Released May 15, 1986)

If King of Rock defied those who thought rap wouldn't last, Raising Hellserved as the proof of its staying power. It not only reached No. 3 and topped the R&B chart, it became the first to sell one million copies, with its platinum certification coming on July 15, 1986. Within a year, it would sell three million and new fans went back and bought King of Rock, which went platinum on Feb. 18, 1987.

28. First Hip-Hop / Rock Crossover: Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith, "Walk This Way" (1986)

Rap and rock and roll may seem different from at first glance but they can’t be more similar . There’s plenty of examples of artists that blend these styles together well, artists like rage against the machine, korn, linkin park and limp bizkit come to mind. However the very first one to do it was run dmc. Raising Hell's success was bolstered by a bonafide pop smash. Run-D.M.C. had used the opening of Aerosmith's 1975 hit "Walk This Way" as break, but didn't know the whole song until producer Rick Rubin played it for them and suggested they cut their own version.

"I went through my whole album collection looking for a song that Run-D.M.C. could do that would point out the relationship between hip-hop and other kinds of music," Rubin said. "'Walk This Way' had a familiar rock sensibility to it, but at the same time, with very little change, would function as a hip-hop song."

Rubin brought in Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, who had only recently reunited, to be on the song and the video, which saw Tyler, quite symbolically, breaking a hole in the wall that separated hip-hop and rock.

29. First No.1 Album: Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill (Released Nov. 15, 1986)

Rubin took the hard-rock-meets-hip-hop approach even further with one of his signings to Def Jam, an all-white trio from New York that had switched from hardcore punk to rap, the Beastie Boys. Packed with Led Zeppelin and AC/DC samples, and even an appearance from Slayer guitarist Kerry King, Licensed to Ill was loud, brash and snotty, and it did the trick. On March 7, 1987, it topped Billboard's 200 Albums chart and stayed there for seven weeks.

30. First Rappers on the Cover of Rolling Stone: Run-D.M.C. (Dec. 4, 1986)

With a story called "Run-D.M.C. Is Beating the Rap," Rolling Stone finally put a hip-hop act on its cover. The piece, by Ed Kiersh, portrayed them as thoughtful, middle-class young men from Hollis, Queens who were adjusting to their fame and took their status as role models seriously. But they also had to defend themselves against the idea that their music promotes violence, following a series of incidents during their tour, including a fight between the Bloods and the Crips at the Long Beach Arena that summer.

31. First Gold and Platinum Album by Women: Salt-n-Pepa, Hot, Cool & Vicious (Released Dec. 8, 1986)

Despite the groundbreaking work by MC Sha-Rock, the Sequence and Roxanne Shante, women rappers didn't achieve mainstream success until Salt-n-Pepa's debut, Hot, Cool & Vicious. Featuring the Top 20 hit "Push It," it became not only the first rap album by a female act to go gold, but also platinum.

32. First Rappers on the Cover of Spin: Beastie Boys (March 1987)

Although Spin had marketed itself as more hip-hop friendly than the rock-focused Rolling Stone, they still took three months longer than its rival to put rappers on their cover. Scott Cohen's "Crude Stories: Meet the Beastie Boys" was a portrait of the "rudest, loudest, deffest, most obnoxious rappers in the world" that was the opposite of Rolling Stone's piece on Run-D.M.C. As recounted in Dan Charnas' The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop, Henry Allen, a friend of Chuck D, wrote a letter to the editor taking the magazine to task for putting a white hip-hop group on the cover.

33. First Rap LP to Receive an Explicit Lyrics Warning Sticker: Ice-T, Rhyme Pays (July 28, 1987)

In 1990, the Recording Industry Association of America, after years of pressure from the Parents Music Resource Center, began rolling out the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" sticker on albums with content that may be unsuitable for youngsters. Perhaps fittingly, Banned in the U.S.A.by 2 Live Crew, who were in the midst of their obscenity trial over As Nasty as They Wanna Be, was the first record to be affixed with the now-familiar black-and-white sticker. But three years prior, Ice-T warned potential listeners of explicit content on the cover of his debut, Rhyme Pays.

34. First Double Album: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (March 29, 1988)

The breakthrough record by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince contained 85 minutes of music, forcing it to be put on two vinyl records. In order to make it fit onto a 72-minute CD, seven songs -- "Nightmare on My Street", "As We Go", "D.J. on the Wheels," "He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper," "Hip Hop Dancer's Theme," "Jazzy's in the House" and "Human Video Game" -- were edited and "Another Special Announcement" was removed entirely.

35. First Album by a Solo Female Rapper: MC Lyte, Lyte as a Rock (Sept. 13, 1988)

It took nearly two years after Salt-n-Pepa struck platinum for a female rapper to release a solo album. But MC Lyte made up for lost time with the heralded Lyte as a Rock. Featuring the No. 1 Rap Single "Paper Thin," the record launched her career, which has seen her branch out into acting, artist management and philanthropy.

36. First Platinum Single: Tone-Loc, "Wild Thing" (Oct. 15, 1988)

Once again, rock and hip-hop combined to make history. Tone-Loc's No. 2 smash "Wild Thing" had the requisite hard rock sample (Van Halen's "Jaime's Cryin'") and a video that put its own spin on Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" clip to cross over into the mainstream in then-record numbers for a rap single. It was certified platinum and double platinum on Feb. 3, 1989.

37. First Grammy for Best Rap Performance: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Feb. 22, 1989)

The grammys have a love hate relationship with hip hop and it’s fans. On one hand the awards do right by its fans like this year’s award hip hop tribute which they brought out legendary rappers and groups all with in the course of 15 minutes but most of the time they don’t. Don’t even get me started on the one time Macklemore and Ryan Lewis winning best hip hop album over kanye, Drake, jay z and Kendrick lol

A decade after "Rapper's Delight," the Grammys could no longer ignore hip-hop's role in American culture. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand" was perhaps an obvious choice for the first award, in a field that contained J. J. Fad("Supersonic"), Kool Moe Dee ("Wild Wild West"), LL Cool J ("Going Back to Cali") and Salt-n-Pepa ("Push It"). Although even then it caused controversy when the RIAA announced that the presentation of the award would not be televised. In response, Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen of Def Jam organized a boycott, with Public Enemy and Slick Rickamong those who took part.

38. First Song to Top the Hot Rap Songs Chart: Stop the Violence Movement, "Self-Destruction" (March 11, 1989)

A month after the Grammys, Billboarddebuted its own chart to list the most popular hip-hop songs in the country. Its inaugural No. 1 was "Self-Destruction" by the Stop the Violence Movement. After the 1987 killing of his Boogie Down Productions partner Scott La Rock, KRS-One brought together some of his fellow East Coast rappers -- including Public Enemy, Heavy D, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh and Kool Moe Dee -- to denounce violence. Proceeds were donated to the National Urban League. The song remained atop the chart for five weeks. Sadly this song is still relevant because of many rappers who have since been shot and/or killed since.

39. First to Get in Trouble With the FBI for Their Lyrics: N.W.A. (Aug. 1, 1989)

Fun fact: this week marks 35 years since the album straight Outta Compton was released

A year after the release of N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton, Priority Records received a letter from Milt Ahlerich, the assistant director for the Office of Public Affairs at the FBI on official stationery. Without specifically naming "Fuck tha Police," he claimed one of their songs "encourages violence against and disrespect for the law enforcement officer" and told them that 152 officers had been killed in the line of duty in the past two years. Speaking to The Washington Post, Ahlerich denied that he was trying to put governmental pressure on the band or its label, but rather address concerns within Bureau over violence directed at police officers. Barry Lynn of the American Civil Liberties Union called the letter "intimidating. ... It's designed to get Priority to change its practices, policies and distribution for this record, and that's the kind of censorship by intimidation that the First Amendment doesn't permit."

40. First Diamond Album: MC Hammer, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (Feb. 12, 1990)

The statistics on MC Hammer's third disc, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, are astounding, especially given how hip-hop was still widely considered a novelty only a few years earlier. It spent 21 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and 28 weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. On April 15, 1991, only 14 months after its release, it was certified diamond platinum for sales in excess of 10 million copies.

Admit you have listened to this song you can’t touch this more than you can admit

41. First Rapper to Be Nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy: Tone-Loc (Feb. 21, 1990)

Tone-Loc's success earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, and two other acts with hip-hop leanings, Neneh Cherry and Soul II Soul, were also recognized, as was the folk duo Indigo Girls. But the winners were Milli Vanilli, whose award was rescinded nine months later when group mastermind Frank Farian was forced to admit that Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, who represented them in the videos and onstage, did not sing on their album.

42. First Rapper on the Cover of Major U.S. News Magazine: Tone-Loc (March 19, 1990)

As hip-hop was dominating the charts, one of mainstream America's two most widely read news magazines took notice. Newsweek's cover boasted "Rap Rage" in big letters, followed by "Yo! Street rhyme has gone big time. But are those sounds out of bounds?" But who did they choose to represent the anger? Tone-Loc, hardly the most controversial or threatening rapper on the scene. Reportedly Newsweek were debating between Tone-Loc and LL Cool J for the cover.

43. First Full Rap Song to Top the Hot 100: Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby" (Nov. 3, 1990)

In the midst of what became known as the "golden age" of hip-hop, rap finally got a song to top Billboard's Hot 100. But it wasn't one of the defining tracks by critical favorites like Public Enemy, the Native Tongues groups or the up-and-coming West Coast gangstas. Instead, it was "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, the much-derided, Queen-sampling Dallas rapper whose label had created a fake bio in order to boost his street cred.

44. First Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance: MC Hammer, "U Can't Touch This" (Feb. 20, 1991)

Two years after debuting a category for rap (Young MC's "Bust a Move" won in 1990), the Grammys added a second to distinguish between solo acts and groups (although not between albums and songs). They went with MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," which beat out Queen Latifah's All Hail the Queen album, Big Daddy Kane's "I Get The Job Done," Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and Monie Love's "Monie In The Middle."

45. First Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Quincy Jones, Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel & Quincy Jones III, "Back on the Block" (Feb. 20, 1991)

For the second award dedicated to hip-hop that night, voters gave the Grammy to longtime favorite Quincy Jones for his star-studded "Back on the Block" over Digital Underground ("The Humpty Dance"), DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (the And in This Corner... album), Public Enemy (Fear of a Black Planet) and the West Coast Rap All-Stars ("We're All in the Same Gang").

46. First Rapper to Meet a President: Eazy-E: (March 18, 1991)

Even as the culture wars over rap lyrics continued, Eazy-E and N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller were invited to lunch with President George H.W. Bush and the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle by Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole. According to Heller in his book Ruthless, the invitation came as a result of a donation Eazy-E made to a South Central charity and the meal consisted of poached salmon and roast beef -- and that Eazy-E was stoned. But the rapper denied that he was a Republican, or even political. "How the fuck can I be a Republican when I got a song called 'Fuck tha Police?'" he said. "I ain't shit—ain't a Republican or Democrat. I didn't even vote. My vote ain't going to help! I don't give a fuck who's the president."

47. First Rapper to Launch a Clothing Line: Christopher "Play" Martin (1991)

With his star on the rise thanks a pair of gold records and the hit House Partymovies, Christopher "Play" Martin of Kid 'n Play opened up a boutique featuring his own designs called IV Plai, taking over an old game room in his hometown of East Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y. "I love fashion," he told The New York Times. "And I knew I would give back to the neighborhood when I could. ... There is this fear in the entertainment business that you'll end up going back to your old job at Burger King. I'm going to make sure that never happens."

48. First Rappers to Win a Grammy in a Non-Rap Category: Arrested Development (Feb. 24, 1993)

Prior to 1993, rappers had only won Grammys in their designated categories. That changed when Arrested Development beat out Billy Ray Cyrus, Sophie B. Hawkins, Kris Kross and Jon Secada for Best New Artist thanks to their album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... The record was one of the most popular socially conscious hip-hop records of its day.

49. First Platinum Album by a Solo Female: Da Brat, Funkdafied (June 28, 1994)

Funkdafied introduced the world to Shawntae Harris, aka Da Brat, who was all of 20 when it was released. It topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and went platinum on Jan. 6, 1995. She'd break the million mark again with 2000's Unrestricted.

50. First Hip-Hop Video Game: Rap Jam: Volume One (January 1995)

Released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995, Rap Jam: Volume One featured such popular rappers as Coolio, House of Pain, Queen Latifah, Warren G and Onyxplaying one-on-one on the streets of five cities. Each rapper had their own special move, and no fouls were called. A second volume was never produced.

51. First Rap Double Album to be Released on CD: Various Artists, Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin' (Oct 31, 1995)

As discussed above, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper was edited to fit on a single CD, but no such changes were made to Master P's No Limit two-disc compilation, which featured "Playaz from the South," his hit with UGK and Silkk the Shocker. A few months later, on Feb. 13, 1996, 2Pac dropped his own double album, All Eyez on Me.

52. First Artist to Have Two No. 1 Albums in One Year: 2Pac, All Eyez on Me and  The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)

As if All Eyez on Me being a double album didn't prove how creative 2Pac was at the end of his life, nine months later he posthumously put out The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which was credited to Makaveli. Its title referred to how much time he spent working on it -- three days to record his vocals and another four to mix it -- during the first week of August 1996, only a month before he was fatally shot on Sept. 7, 1996. Both albums went to No. 1

Two years later, DMX also hit the top spot twice in one year when he put out Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Bloodonly seven months after It’s Dark and Hell is Hot. He did it because Island Def Jam boss Lyor Cohen offered him $1 million if he did.

“I wanted to get that bonus,” DMX later told the Fader. ‘So I wasn’t playing with that show studio shit.” Indeed, he and his production crew took over numerous New York City recording studios at once, and also recorded in Miami and Los Angeles. “I used to sleep at Powerhouse,” remembered producer Dame Grease. “I’d be in there eating turkey sandwiches, Chinese and sleeping on the boards. Just cranking, cranking, cranking around the clock. The energy was crazy.”

53. First Best Rap Album Grammy: Naughty by Nature, Poverty's Paradise(Feb. 28, 1996)

For five years, Grammy nominations given out to solo and group rappers could be for one song or a whole album. That changed in 1996 with the debut of the Best Rap Album category. That night, Naughty by Nature claimed the award, beating out 2Pac (Me Against the World), Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (E. 1999 Eternal), Ol' Dirty Bastard (Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version) and Skee-Lo (I Wish).

54. First Rap Album to Win Album of the Year Grammy: Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1999)

The 1999 Grammy Album of the Year category was noteworthy from the start, as all five nominees were made by female artists or female-fronted bands. When Lauryn Hill’s solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was named the first hip-hop album to win this honor, it became historic. Co-presenter Whitney Houston made sure everybody in the audience understood and acknowledged just how important the moment was, but Hill was and remains determined to stay focused on self-improvement. To that end, she says she gives all her trophies to her mother.

“If I walked downstairs every day, and I saw all of my achievements,” she told Manufacturing Intellect in 2000, ”it would be so easy to become complacent. ‘Ive got all of these, and look at those, I don’t need to do anything else.’ But life is continued work, it’s constant learning… I get really afraid of those little comforts, those things that make us feel like we did something great. Because I’ve done nothing, and I mean that sincerely.”

55. First Oscar for Best Original Song: Eminem, "Lose Yourself" from 8 Miile (March 23, 2003)

Starring in the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile gave Eminem the opportunity to finish "Lose Yourself," a track he had demoed a few years earlier. “I had to make ["Lose Yourself" and "8 Mile"] while I was in the movie,” he toldFunkmaster Flex. “Because once I stepped out of that movie ... I wouldn’t feel like I was in [the character.]” But despite its massive success -- it spent nearly three months at No. 1 -- Eminem didn't even bother attending the Academy Awards. "I was sleeping that night," he continued. "I just felt like I had no chance of winning. ... At that point in my life, I always felt like rap never got its fair shake on anything."

Since then, two other hip-hop songs have won the Oscar for Best Original Song: "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" by Three 6 Mafia (Hustle & Flow) and "Glory" by John Legend and Common(Selma).

56. First to Reach 1 Million Downloads: Outkast, "Hey Ya" (2004)

The popularity of OutKast's Speakerboxx/The Love Below coincided neatly with the rise of Apple's iTunes music store. Their smash "Hey Ya" became the first song, in any genre, to be legally downloaded 1 million times from iTunes and other sites. The record's popularity -- it sold 10 million copies -- led Andre 3000 to focus less on music, preferring instead to follow other pursuits, like fashion and acting. "Now it’s more like a hobby for me, so I don’t think about it in that way," he said in 2017. "Even with Outkast — if we never do another album, I’m totally fine with that. When I was 25, I said I don’t want to be a 30-year-old rapper. I’m 42 now, and I feel more and more that way. Do I really want to be 50 years old up there doing that? When I watch other rappers that are my age I commend them, but I just wonder where the inspiration is coming from. At this stage I’m really more focused on what I am going to be doing 10 years from now. And I hope to God it won’t be rapping.”

57. First Rappers Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (March 12, 2007)

Three years after the earliest hip-hop recording acts had become eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five were inducted. The news from the T.V. woke Melle Mel out of his sleep, but Grandmaster Flash didn't believe it. "There had been two false alarms on it," Flash told Reuters, "so when somebody called my house, I didn’t take it too serious, to be honest. But when they told me, I just looked at the phone, hung up and went on my merry way. The next morning I started getting a lot of calls, so I just said, 'Note to self: This is it.' But it’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Later than sooner still beats never!"

They were inducted by Jay-Z, who surprised the crew with his appearance. Since then, five other hip-hop acts have been enshrined: Run-D.M.C., the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, N.W.A. and Tupac Shakur. While there will always be a segment of society that doesn't believe hip-hop belongs in the Hall of Fame, Flash sees his induction as validation that his music is all part of the same lineage.

“When you go back into the ‘70s, into the ingredient years of hip-hop, I played rock,” he told Yahoo. “I actually produced tracks that sounded like rock, from rock samples; we were into the rock sound. My instrument is the turntable, and so, I was able to walk into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with my turntables. All I know is I’m in company with some of the greatest musicians of all time — some of the greatest guitar players, greatest drummers, greatest ax players, greatest keyboardists, greatest singers. It’s incredible.”

Since then 11 rap artists and groups have been inducted including run dmc, Tupac, biggie smalls, jay z, public enemy, beastie boys, nwa and now missy Elliott the first female rapper to be inducted

58. First Woman to Rap at the White House: MC Lyte (2015)

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legislation that created the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, President and Mrs. Obama threw A Celebration of American Creativity. The evening, broadcast on PBS, included MC Lyte, Usher, Smokey Robinson, blues legend Buddy Guy, Trombone Shortyand Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Introduced by Queen Latifah, who called her "my mentor, my inspiration, my all in all, the 'Godmother of Hip Hop,'" MC Lyte performed her then-recent "Dear John" and her 1989 classic "Cha Cha Cha."

59. First to Win a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award: Run-D.M.C. (2016)

Despite having never won a Grammy for any of their hit songs or albums (Raising Hell was nominated in 1986 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal), the RIAA recognized Run-D.M.C. with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Darryl McDaniels admitted to Rolling Stonethat he was conflicted with the idea.

"I guess it’s cool," he said, "’cause — and I’m talking from my egotistical rap microphone stage right now — they shoulda gave it to me in ’86 when even Michael Jackson said there was nothing in the world more popular, not even him."

But at the same time, he felt those who came before him deserved it more: "[D]on’t acknowledge Run-D.M.C. until [you] give that award to Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation for 'Planet Rock.' Give that award first to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s a damn shame that nobody in hip-hop knows that, you know what I’m saying?"

Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Linda Ronstadt were the other recipients that year.

60. First Pulitzer Prize for Music: Kendrick Lamar, DAMN (2018)

Kendrick Lamar's DAMN wasn't just the first hip-hop album to win the Pulitzer. It was the first recording in any genre that wasn't classical or jazz to earn the prestigious award in its 75-year history. The Pulitzer board calledthe album “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”

Although Lamar publicly didn't say anything more than “It’s an honor … I’ve been writing my whole life, so to get this type of recognition – it’s beautiful" on the night he accepted the award, he later said that it was "one of those things that should have happened with hip-hop a long time ago."

"It took a long time for people to embrace us—people outside of our community, our culture—to see this not just as vocal lyrics," he told Vanity Fair, "but to see that this is really pain, this is really hurt, this is really true stories of our lives on wax. And now, for it to get the recognition that it deserves as a true art form, that’s not only great for myself, but it makes me feel good about hip-hop in general. Writers like Tupac, Jay-Z, Rakim, Eminem, Q-Tip, Big Daddy Kane, Snoop [Dogg] . . . It lets me know that people are actually listening further than I expected."

[maniamega]

HI HELLO SO GLAD YOU ASKED

Let's talk Courting! (Long Distance Edition!)

The main aspects of courting

Gifts

This one is super easy to do over long distance! Amazon has a wishlist feature that allows you to make a list and whoever you share it with can buy off of it! If you don't like supporting Amazon, you can make a google doc wishlist and add links to it when you see something you like online! Your mate wants to be the one to choose the gift? Easy peesy. Here's a guide on how to send something larger than a letter in the mail: Step 1: Choose gift! Step 2: Go to the post office to pick up a box big enough for the gift. Step 3: Package gift! (Add a letter, some teabags, some candy, a poem, maybe some art if you're artistically inclined). Make sure the address you're sending it to is correct! Step 4: Go to the post office to mail your package. They will weigh the package and give you the price based on the weight. If it's light, prepare for $5-$10. If it's heavy, it could go anywhere up to $60+, so be prepared to spend a lot of shipping if its VERY heavy.

Food

This one's a bit tougher to do long distance, but not impossible! You can deliver food to your mate's house through a food delivery app (UberEats, Doordash, Postmates) OR you can even delivery groceries to them through Walmart's (or your chosen grocery store) website/app. If that doesn't sound good, you can always order them non perishables online to send to their house (even in bulk)! Jerky, Japanese snacks, their favorite chips or sodas (wait to open any soda you get in the mail LOL). You can even send them food in the above package, but check you post office's laws/rules regarding food you can send in the mail and NEVER send perishable foods like bread, meat, cheese, etc. Stick with snacks! You can also send recipes in the mail for your mate to try out if they cook at home! Jewelry

Yup, this one is separate from gifts! Jewelry itself can be very personal/personalized to suit you and your mate.

Here are my recommendations: Necklaces! Similar to a collar, a necklace can be ornate or a more practical simple chain or charm. This is good for couple's who want that added "ownership" in their relationship/dynamic, and it has an added bonus of sitting over the scent glands on your neck!

Bracelets! Decidedly more casual, but still works with that "ownership" angle. You can go with a dainty or sturdy chain, maybe even charms, jewels, or a leather cuff is very popular!

Earrings! Very front and center- my recommendation is gold or silver hoops! Something for nice occasions or even just every day wear (just don't sleep in them)! Earrings are good for being very obvious if you want everyone to see your claim.

Nest/Den Materials

That's right- the big one! Here are some materials to give your mate for their nest/den if they have one! Clothes: You can send your mate your clothes (scented or otherwise!) for their nest/den, or you can order some online that they might like! Hoodies and scarves are my main recommendation since they carry so much scent on them. Blankets: Again, you can send your mate some of your blankets or order some offline! Great for nesting with. Stuffed animals: The same as above! If your mate has a stuffed animal they've been eyeing for awhile, now's your chance! This is great for nests AND dens! Cologne/Perfume: Pick out a cologne/perfume that smells like you and send it your mate's way! A great way for you mate to have your scent on hand for their nest, den, or even just their own clothes!

Letters

This is my own bias, since I've been sending and receiving letters for years, haha! But letters are a great (and inexpensive) way to court your mate!

Since I know sending letters has fallen out of style, here's what you should put on your envelope once you're ready to send:

You can buy stamps from your post office or online (there's more styles available online)! If you order your stamps online, make sure it's from your post office's website/app, as those are the official stamps you can use.

You can (and should) add extra stamps if your letter seems particularly bulky! If you're not sure, add an extra one just in case. If you don't have enough stamps on your letter, it will just be sent back to you.

What to put in your letter:

Letter

Candy

Tea bag/hot cocoa packet

Poem(s)

Drawings

Check what your post office allows to be sent in the mail and DO NOT send unidentified powder. I'm sorry if you have a fancy jarred hot cocoa you want your mate to try, but please don't send it in a plastic bag, haha!

And that's that! If I remember anything else, I'll add on, but for now this is all I can think of!

Happy Courting! ૮ ･ ﻌ･ა

does anyone have any cool experiences with courting or being courted? I'm quite traditional when it comes to this and I'm looking for inspiration especially something you can do online for long distance hehe