#20 penalty shots omg

[jadelotusflower]

[devilsupdates]

🥅 Jacob Markstrom leads the #NJDevils  onto the ice in Vancouver. He’s your starter tonight against the #Canucks .

Arturs Silovs officially your goalie matchup in Vancouver.

#NJDevils  starters versus #Canucks :

→Palat-Hughes-Bratt

→Siegenthaler-Kovacevic

→ Markstrom

Quinn and Jack Hughes are taking the ceremonial faceoff for Firefighter Night here in Vancouver.

It's one of Quinn's big charity involvements here in Vancouver.

First period

Nico! #NJDevils  take the 1-0 lead early!

Kovacevic the last one to get a change on the PK... just played 1:30 straight

Great pressure from Ondrej Palat along the boards gets the puck out of the zone rather quickly and Canucks are forced to regroup.

Jack Hughes on the #NJDevils  PK.

Absolutely outstanding work by the #NJDevils  PKers who kill off the entire four minute penalty to Jesper Bratt.

Aggressive, used their sticks and kept the Canucks from registering a one shot.

#NJDevils  are flying tonight.

Paul Cotter just hauled his butt up the ice on the backcheck and broke up a 3-on-2 heading towards Jacob Markstrom.

Ondrej Palat just made an excellent defensive play and ended up drawing a penalty.

Off-setting minors to Haula and Garland. So we're headed to 4v4.

Brett Pesce with the shot block 🔥 on a 3-on-1.

With 4.7 seconds left in the period the #NJDevils  go to the PK. Siegenthaler off for a "trip".

End of one.

#NJDevils  hold the 1-0 lead on the Canucks.

Who else but Nico?

🚨 Hischier (Mercer)

Shots 7-5, VAN

Second period

1:56 left in Jonas Siegenthaler's penalty.

2-0 Dawson Mercer

Siegenthaler is out of the box and rushes up the ice. His shot wires off the far post.

3-0 #NJDevils ! Timo Meier with an absolute SNIPE of a shot.

Tatar had all the time in the world alone in front of Silovs with the puck.

Fumbled it, however.

Erik Haula is dropping the gloves with Conor Garland and omg.

Erik Haula goes to the box with a huge smile on his face.

Both Haula and Garland will sit for five.

They just showed Erik Haula in the penalty box and the Canucks fans booed him. He looked up and blew them a kiss. 💀💀💀

The Canucks crowd are booing Luke Hughes (??) while he holds the puck behind the #NJDevils  net.

Dillon wants a piece of Sherwood after a melee breaks out in front of Jacob Markstrom's net.

Some unreal saves by Markstrom in this game.

Now Dillon and Heinen are jawing at each other and Stefan Noesen is standing in the middle.

Erik Haula and Conor Garland are finally freed from their respective penalty boxes but now Paul Cotter is going in for roughing.

End of two in Van.

#NJDevils  cruising along with a 4-0 lead.

1: 🚨Hischier (Mercer)

2:🚨 Mercer (Hischier) - SHG

2:🚨Meier (Hischier)

2:🚨Palat (Hamilton, J. Hughes)

Shots: 14-all

Third period

To the power play the #NJDevils  go

Jack on the doorstep! #NJDevils  take the 5-0 lead!

Tomas Tatar scores making it 6-0

#NJDevils  throttle the Canucks 6-0.

Jacob Markstrom earned his first shutout as a Devil, stopping all 20.

Every single player contributed in a positive way.

The Devils are now 7-4-2. Now we can sleep.

[hardtchill]

Unfortunately I didn't get to watch the match today. How did the Dutchies play and what was Sarina's tactical masterplan? Did it work? Was the loss deserved? Absolutely heartbroken for them

Boy this is hard to recap because there is so much lol.

Anyway. They played really well, i don't know if it was Sarina's tactics or just Viv but her plan of not having the Americans isolate Viv 100% worked. Viv was the best player on the field from both sides, there is literally no debate possible for that one.

The first half they started pretty well although they didn't have any chances, then Viv scored a great goal out of the first real attack they had. Literally was stood between 4 defenders with her back to the goal and she turned and scored somehow? I don't know how it happened.

Then they had a massive dip, cue two American goals. Definitely some shady defending there, but also just good attacks from the US tbh. So they went into halftime 2-1 behind, not great. But, they came out swinging. They had more confidence and definitely were the better team for large parts of the 2nd half. Viv scored the 2-2, again in very little space and she somehow got the shot on goal (did i mention she was the best on the field today?).

So it's 2-2 and tbh they were still better, they are attacking and the defenders are holding up. Although they definitely had mistakes they kept it 2-2. Cue a penalty for the Dutch (omg right?). Sadly Lieke missed, it wasn't a great penalty but Alyssa was also just a beast today, she did a really good keeping that out.

So, we're going to extra time and again the Dutch are better, more dominant and the US really don't create much (aside from offside goals throughout the game actually, sorry American followers, an offside goal is not a goal, it's good defense from your opponent). No goals, but definitely chances. The 2nd half of extra time sees more chances for the US, but again no goals, both teams seem bone tired (i mean duh, 120 minute of play and it's really hot).

They got into penalties and well this was always going to be something the Dutch are not the favorites for. For one because Lieke already missed during the game, but also because they team is just not as experienced. The US scores 5 out of 5, two Dutchies miss theirs, but they have no reason to be ashamed. They played a great game and in the words of Danielle van de Donk "we were better", because overall they were (yes you can disagree with that American followers, i'm just basing this on what i saw especially in the 2nd half).

In the end the loss wasn't deserved, but also not undeserved. Either team could have won this game and it would be fair, the US won in the end and that sucks if you're a die hard Dutch fan, but for the neutral viewer this was a really fun game and a great way to promote woso.

I'm especially proud of Aniek and Lynn because omg these babies are 20 and 22 and they defended like season pro's. Yes they had mistakes, but i'm so proud of those two. Other players who did really well for the Dutch were Viv, Daan and Lineth, they really had a great game. Overall all the players and Sarina can be proud, they fought and they were so incredibly close to winning.

They will get there and with the babies on the team they have years ahead of them.

[ladyc0312]

A Jikook Guide to RunBTS: 112-121

Yes, I'm still doing these! It's just happening more slowly than I'd like because writing for work + writing fic + trying to go to bed before midnight + so much amazing content being released that clearly must be poured over and dissected = less time to make guides. For anyone still with me, he's the next section!

Ep 112 “Dalbang School Part 1” (Ep: 5 / KM: 4)

The ones with BTS in a classroom driving Teacher Jin insane

5:58 - JM declares that he and Taehyung will pair up (by being the first to hug each other in a game), but then when Hobi blows the whistle at 6:38, JK runs over to hug JM before Tae can get to him.

6:58 - Jin asks why JM said he wanted Tae and then hugged JK. JM explains that he didn't hug him, he just found himself in JK's hug as JK cackles in the background.

7:24 - When Jin blows his whistle at the class, JK and JM mirror each other in putting a finger in one of their ears.

7:35 - Teammates JK and JM are immediately on the same page about wanting their team name to be Kim Seokjin. When they have to change it, JM quickly picks up JK's suggestion that they call their team Bang Sihyuk. These don't sound like particularly unique moments, but when you watch it, it just really strikes you how in sync the two of them are in terms of physicality, ideas, and sense of humor.

9:52 - After Jin comments that he heard JM did very well in school, JK adds that JM was the top student. When someone else asks if JM was the best or second-best, JK forcefully reiterates that he was the best student.

12:45 - When they get a question right, JK and JM clasp hands and bump their shoulders together.

13:10 - JM and JK both goof around, speaking in satoori and challenging JHope to a fight of sorts.

13:27 - When Jin repeats that they got the question right, JK and JM do exactly the same as 12:45, but seated this time.

14:22, 14:36, 15:13 - In all three of these moments, JM nearly falls over laughing at something JK did that no one else found anywhere near as funny.

23:36 - When JK says he's good at this game, JM laughs and pokes JK in the chest with a marker.

BEHIND 2:30 - JM takes a selfie of him and JK with his personal phone while they're supposed to be paying attention to Jin.

6:35 - JK cheers on JM and calls him Jimin-ssi when JM announces he's doing well on this spot-the-difference round. When Jimin modifies the brag to say he only found four, JK says "that's still quite impressive."

Ep 113 “Dalbang School Part 2” (Ep: 5 / KM: 4)

4:50 - We all know how JK is when he gets into his "focus" zone, especially in a competitive environment. But here, when JM rather rudely interrupts JK's melodica practice, JK just starts playing around with him and giggles.

7:41 - As RM & JH take their turn, jikook are whispering to each other in the back row.

11:42 - After quickly agreeing on a lunch option, jikook do a high five / handshake thing and then JM says "we think alike" and "we get along pretty well." JK responds "that's exactly it" and the on-screen captions tells us they are a "good match."

22:20 - This is where JK and JM start switching back and forth carrying each other on their backs to get under a limbo stick.

They go again at 23:35, 26:11, and 28:13.

And again at 30:22 and 32:16 and 34:30 because, even though they lost, they want to try to do it again to show that they can as a "matter of pride."

25:00 - JK points something out to JM and then pats his butt.

33:33 - JM announces they lost, and then jikook do another handshake / high five thing.

34:33 - JM does an... interesting pose for the camera where he puts his hand on a bent-over JK's back and smirks.

34:56 - Yet another handshake and JM pats JK on the back when they finally pass the limbo challenge.

BEHIND 5:55 - While examining the limbo setup, JM comments that JK is good at this. JK comes over to give a demonstration and JM watches him be silly with it and says "he's a strange kid" fondly.

6:21 - Another jikook limbo attempt - this one was cut because they did it too easily.

Ep 114 “League of Number One Part 1” (Ep: 3 / KM: 1)

The ones where BTS play games with League of Legends world champions

3:55 - After Jimin protests that he shouldn't be out, JK tells his hyung to turn around and face the back.

14:40 - JK fake-boxes JM after losing the hammer game.

18:18 - JK mimics Jimin's BWL intro.

Ep 115 “League of Number One Part 2” (Ep: 2 / KM: .5)

BEHIND

7:05 - JK comes over to check on Jimin's phone to make sure he's actually visible in the selfie the teams take.

Ep 116 “Team-Building Special Part 1” (Ep: 4 / KM: 1)

The ones with random games in that rec room-looking place that are a lot more fun than they sound

22:14 - JM and JK play around with the jump rope during breaktime.

22:26 - JM and JK play around like they're boxing with each other.

BEHIND 5:15 - JK appears to take an interest in watching JM's... back as he moves around acting out potential poses.

Ep 117 “Team-Building Special Part 1” (Ep: 4 / KM: 2)

5:30 - Despite showing pretty much everyone else touching everyone else in the pose guessing game, we don't get a single shot here or in the behind of JK feeling up Jimin. The above photo proves that it happened, though, so definitely side-eyeing the editors, here.

BEHIND 5:35 - JK keeps throwing water bottles when they're supposed to be taking a group photo. Jimin pulls him back next to him and puts an arm around his neck. JK puts an arm around Jimin's shoulders in return.

7:51 - After it's explained that JK is staying late to watch Jin do his penalty, a packed-up Jimin comes over and stands next to JK, waiting until they're done to leave.

Ep 118 “Photo Story Part 1” (Ep: 3 / KM: 3)

The ones where BTS play a Samsung-sponsored game involving getting specific pictures while a spy tries to ruin the fun

4:22 - JM appears to direct JK to go punish Tae and pats JK's back when he starts to obey. Something happens that we don't see when the angle changes - next thing we see, JM seems to be pushing JK? JM then giggles at JK pretending to beat up Tae. (After this, JK spins around like a ballerina. Not jikook-related, just adorable.)

29:51 - JK calls Jimin twice without adding "hyung."

32:28 - JM pulls JK along by the wrist. Meanwhile, J-Hope once again mixes up their names.

32:44 - Though there is now a group walking slowly together and he doesn't need to pull him along anymore, Jimin takes JK's hand again.

37:02 - There are a bunch of seats open in the room, but Jimin walks over to sit right next to JK.

BEHIND 5:40 - When JM tries to steal a post-it from JK, JK scolds him in satoori banmal. JM calls him out for not calling him with hyung and JK quickly apologizes (in a way some k-army jikookers have said is like how a married person would respond to their nagging spouse!).

6:09 - JK and JM meet up and JK tells JM he's exhausted. There's a kind of weird moment that I fully admit I may be reading too much into where JK seems to be walking right towards JM, then abruptly stops and turns, looking at the camera, before walking with Jimin in a different direction than he had been heading. Then, JM says he thinks their matching shirts are hilarious and that it's funny they're wearing them for the show.

Ep 119 “Photo Story Part 2” (Ep: 4 / KM: 3)

8:21 - "You are me, I am you" moment: Jimin does a ballet spin the same way JK did in part one.

11:18 - JK is the only one to vote for JM to be able to keep a picture in other than Jin (who has nefarious reasons for doing so).

29:40 - JM goes over to help JK see how many of his photos the spy ruined and almost falls over laughing when it becomes clear it's nearly all of them.

34:21 - JM puts his hand on JK's shaking leg to help calm him (see above photo), but JK is so irritated that it doesn't work like it usually does. Poor bunny!

35:17 - JM pulls at JK's shirt and hand, then folds over his back while trying to get him to confess that he actually lost.

38:24 - JM has a comforting hand on JK's neck when he's acting upset about losing.

38:32 - When it seems like JK is struggling to come up with an ending statement, JM helps prompt him.

BEHIND

0:55 - JK talks about how amazing it is that Jimin found so many cards.

3:51 - When JK is playing with the sequin art on the front of his shirt, JM leans over and starts rubbing on them, too.

5:11 - Jimin tells JK that, if he wins, he's going to make the loser hike Mt. Achasan. JK asks why he's looking at him when he says that and they both laugh. Jimin pats JK's chest and they laugh even harder. Jin and Tae both have "omg, these two" looks on their faces.

Ep 120 “Reply BTS Village Part 1” (Ep: 3 / KM: 2)

The ones with a real-life Mafia game inexplicably set in a 1970s village. It's... fairly difficult to follow, but the guys are into it and the outfits are great!

24:40 - Jimin breaks character and laughs when asking JK if he's the culprit.

29:40 - Caption: "The air is undeniably tense between Gamer Jeon and Chief Park." Not explicitly jikook, I just find it funny that the writers seem to be playing with some real life relationships, making sope best friends and jikook have tension that leads to banter...

BEHIND

5:34 - When Jimin is playing with the yo-yo, JK expresses concern that he's going to hurt his fingers (caption: Kook is just worrying for his hyung). Then, JK asks poutily and in banmal if he can play with the yo-yo multiple times and Jimins says no. Like, JK straight-up gives his hyung a command ("let me try that") using informal speech and no one bats an eye!

5:58 - Jimin starts singing a song about an ants. JK watches him. JK initially says to Hobi "look, he's a fool/dummy!" (in banmal again), then starts singing along. He jokes that JM doesn't know all the lyrics and Jimin says back "quiet, you."

Ep 121 “Reply BTS Village Part 2” (Ep: 3 / KM: 2)

38:48 - After having asked for it a bunch in the Behind of the previous episode, JK now has Jimin's yoyo.

non-jikook note: At the end of this one, they "time travel" to solve a mystery in Joseon-era Korea and I can't express how badly I want to see that. Please come back to that, Run!

BEHIND 0:58 - Jimin and JK play around accusing each other with exaggerated accents and formality. Jimin comes up behind JK and reaches out to touch his shoulder, but stops when Tae joins them and accuses them of plotting together.

9:05 - When JK says everyone else is so good at acting, Jimin compliments him that he was very funny towards the end.

[disengaged]

alright this might be a bit of a weird ask but. seeing all ur posts on hockey teams n whatnot makes me Interested in hockey but i have absolutely no idea about the majority of it like all the positions n shit so. where do i start

not weird at all omg !!! it's probably one of the only sports i enjoy, cuz it's super easy to understand and very active :'-) 💘💘💘

i've written out a basic guide to rules, penalties, and positions below the cut:

(ITS SO LONG IM SORRY SJDNDKNDNDJDN I GOT EXCITED)

ok first off: the object of the game is to score the most goals :-) yayyy! nice n easy. it gets a little more complicated when you start looking at things like points, stats, player rankings, etc in the NHL, but you don't have to worry about that right way.

each team normally has 5 players on the ice at a time (3 forwards, 2 defence, plus a goalie).

there are also referees around! the NHL has 2 refs and 2 linesmen for every game, but community leagues/kid's teams would prob just like.... hire a teenager and pay em $50... yknow...

sometimes we have what's called a powerplay, which means one team is serving a penalty, so one team has more players than the other. (e.g: "a 5 on 4 powerplay", which means there are 5 guys playing against 4 guys. easy stuff.)

(ok now let's talk abt rules, penalties, and positions...)

----

ICE HOCKEY RULES

short version, i promise!! first, you kinda gotta know what the rink looks like (this diagram looks complicated but i swear it's not skdjskndj):

to kick off the game, (& every time the game stops and starts again), a faceoff has to happen. this means two players get in one of the 5 faceoff circles, the ref drops the puck (aptly called the puck drop lmfao), and they do that little swipe with their sticks. you gotta love it !!

from there on, it's really pretty simple:

the only person who can grab the puck (closing hand on puck) is the goalie

you can't shoot the puck out of the rink or move the goal ("the net") on purpose

you can't raise your stick above shoulder height to smack the puck out of the air (called "high sticking"). if you score a goal that way, it doesn't count

when your skates crosses the blue line (#4 on the diagram) before the puck does, you're offside. (if only one skate is over the line, you're "onside")

icing happens when you're on your side of the center line, but you shoot the puck all the way across the ice and it crosses the goal line (#7 in the diagram) on either side of the net. when that happens, the game stops and another faceoff has to happen in the offending team's zone (#6 on the diagram). HOWEVER, icing won't be called if the goalie is outside of the crease (#10), if the other team just lets it happen on purpose (lmao), or maybe if the ref says it was an attempted pass.

if you were about to score, but another player tripped/yanked/whatevered you (or knocked the net outta the way), you get a penalty shot! this means the other players clear outta the way & you get to take a shot on the other team's goalie >:-)

GOAL HOLES lmaoooooo why r they called that + a fun infographic

stick side low

glove side low

glove side high

stick side high

five hole! (hardest place to score)

WHAT IF THE GAME IS TIED AT THE END?

the game goes into sudden-death overtime! this means the timer is set for 5 minutes, and whoever scores first wins

if no one scores in overtime, the game goes into a shootout! this means the teams take turns taking penalty shots (3 each)

if that STILL doesn't end the game, the shootout continues until one team scores and the other team doesn't match it... ta-da !!!

FIGHT RULES (per the NHL):

the ref blows a whistle, everyone else has to stop what they're doing and go to their bench

the players have to drop their gloves

they can't remove their helmets before the fight starts. (if it falls off while they're getting whacked that's fine, but taking it off beforehand is a minor penalty)

the fight is allowed to keep going until one player hits the ice, or the refs decide to stop it

both players automatically get major penalties, plus any other penalties that apply. (this site explains it really well!!)

(in community leagues and kids' leagues, fighting is either not allowed at all, or it's a lot less regulated... it could really go either way lmao. in 2021 we know that concussions = bad, but back in the day... hoo boy!!)

---

PENALTY BASICS

3 types: minor, major, and misconduct

penalties are basically decided on severity/degree of injury, etc

a standard minor penalty is 2 minutes and it's served in the penalty box. if the other team scores during this time (the powerplay), the penalty ends and the player can hop back on the ice.

examples of minor penalties could be high-sticking, tripping, elbowing, hooking, slashing, roughing, boarding etc ... like. if a player is acting shitty but didn't do any real damage, that kind of thing

there's also a thing called matching penalties (aka coincidental penalties), which means both teams have a player in the box at the same time. in that case, they usually just keep playing 4-on-4, and the penalty keeps going even if a goal is scored. (except if the game was already 5-on-4 before the matching penalty was called, in which case both teams would be allowed to make substitutions to keep shit moving lol)

there are also double minors or triple minors, which just means 2-3 minor penalties all at once lmao ... so a player could be stuck sitting in the Shame Cube for 4-6 minutes, and if the other team scored, it would only cancel out one penalty at a time

a standard major penalty is 5 minutes in the box, and the player can't get out early if a goal is scored. (if there are matching major penalties, both teams sub players in)

fighting is always a major penalty!!! other examples could be spearing, boarding, butt-ending, charging, clipping, or cross-checking

misconduct:

there are 3 "subtypes": misconduct, game misconduct, & match penalty

a misconduct penalty means 10 minutes off the ice, & the team can sub a guy in. if the player returns and then get another, they can get ejected from the game lmao

misconduct calls also usually come with a minor penalty (called a 10-and-2), which is served at the same time. so like ... the player with the misconduct has to leave for 10 minutes, the substitute joins the game, and then a separate player is picked to serve a 2-minute minor penalty in the box

if you get a game misconduct penalty the player is ejected from the game. their team replaces them, plus there's usually a major (5min) penalty served by a different guy. (you also still get charged with 10 or 20 penalty minutes, which go "on your record")

you can get a game misconduct penalty by getting 2 misconduct penalties, butting into a fight/joining a fight (called "third man in"), leaving the penalty box early, or if you board someone & they get a head/face injury

a match penalty is serious shit but they're less common, i'm just gonna drop screenshots if you wanna read:

(also here's a handy chart off wikipedia lmao:)

----

POSITIONS

ok this is gonna the MOST basic guide lol. here they are on the ice:

2 types:

FORWARD = center, right wing, or left wing. job is to score. they're usually smaller and faster than the defense players.

DEFENsE = right D or left D. usually physically larger, their goal is to protect their zone.

GOALIE: ok everyone knows what the goalie does lmao

they all have different jobs and skills specific to their positions, which you can find on this site in really great detail!!

---

ok, we're done !!

i think this should cover all the basic areas of ice hockey... there's definitely a lot more to it if you feel like doing more research (like how the NHL draft works, the different players and teams, the different divisions etc), but i hope this will be enough to get you started ..... it's also fun to watch even if you don't understand all the rules imo, i could probably sum all of this ^^ up by saying "ten players, two goalies, put on skates, chase puck, put puck in net" LMAO.

i genuinely love ice hockey so much, it's such a huge part of my personal sense of culture & community :'-) if you have any more questions, please feel free to ask em and i'll do my best to answer !!!

[rilakoya]

No Place Like Home

A Perspective! and Reality!AU

Word Count: 2.2K

Warnings: Raw honesty and social justice themes

A/N: Personal experiences ahead. I call it an AU because sometimes we’re so into escapism that reality feels like the fantasy. 

6:20 pm

“OMG, social media is so dead today!”

It’s Tuesday after the protests have begun, and my roommate is bitching and demanding his privilege. I like to believe that he means well, but he’s also a diva, and complaints are his forte.

“Well, it’s Blackout Tuesday-” I begin, but he cuts me off, eager to make his point, true to form.

“No, look, I get it. Really I do. But all I keep seeing is a black screen. I keep my phone on dark mode for a reason. I don’t want to have to keep downloading games because I need something to occupy my time today.”

Need. That’s definitely a feeling I’m familiar with. I need a sense of false security in order to leave my house and interact with others in a way that meets social expectations. I need a keen sense of self and social awareness and nimble cultural reflexes in order to ensure that I’m not perceived as angry or bitter in my responses to the way the world treats me. So what if I actually am, in fact, angry. Society has taught me that it deems my anger irrelevant, unworthy of notice, and I have been conditioned to recognize that showing it doesn’t get me what I want or need. Which makes me think again about my roommate’s commentary. He needs social media to be more lively, despite the fact that entire people groups are protesting unjust and inhumane treatment. And I need hope that my brothers won’t occupy body bags simply because they exist today.

I guess each person has their own struggles.

I’m a fiction writer. And at the risk of sounding boastful, I’m pretty good at it. But that’s just because good fiction requires a healthy dose of imagination, and I’m a master.

I have to be.

Every day since I was a little girl, I wake up and imagine that the fair rules of engagement apply to me. I imagine that I may expect the same level of courtesy and respect as my fairer-skinned counterparts.

In school, when my teachers would unspokenly expect me to work twice as hard to receive the same level of acceptance, I imagined that they did the same with all the children. When my scores indicated that I was a highly gifted student, multiple grade levels above my peers, but was frequently accused of cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty because my superiors were unable or unwilling to accept that a little black girl could have possibly produced such results, I imagined a world where education systems were tailored to students and where teachers and administrators saw the value in children rather than just their preconceived notions about them because of the color of their skin.

When people granted me interviews because of the “normal” name on my resume and the professionally “white” sound of my voice, only to thank me after minimal interviews and promise to call once they saw me, I imagined that they recognized that my professional experience and qualifications were worth more than the wage that their budget permitted, instead of acknowledging that they often chose to hire someone who was less qualified but whiter than me, and when they paid said person more, I imagined that I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed doing that type of job anyway or working at that company anyway. Even though it was the same at many companies.

When people tell me that I am “pretty for a Black girl,” or “too pretty to ‘just’ be Black,” as though being Black isn’t already the most blessed form in creation, I imagine that what they’re really saying is, “you’re so fucking gorgeous that I don’t even know how to compliment you properly, so please forgive me while I babble like a moron and potentially insult you. I’m so awestruck that I just can’t help myself.”

I wrote my first smut during one of many unjust police stops, when the only purpose of the detainment was to harass me and remind me who was in control. I imagined that it was really a sexy roleplay and that I liked it. And when the trauma and anxiety of constantly wondering if I’m about to be stopped once again for Driving While Black threaten to be too much, I imagine that I’m really just in my house, writing it all down for a story. Even though the stories carry too much shame for me to comfortably share. I imagine that’s all just part of the process.

When I interact with the world, and no matter what, am told that I’m either “too much” or “not enough,” sometimes both at the same time, I imagine that what they’re really saying is that because I originate from the beginnings of creation, because I have both the secrets of the Earth and royalty in my blood, I don’t fit the mold, and they don’t know how to process my greatness. And this enables me to smile when I feel like shattering into a million pieces, when I’m reminded of how I don’t meet the social standard, how I don’t fit in.

Most of all, every day I imagine what it would be like to feel like I truly have a place on this vast Earth that I can safely call home. Home is where we are safe, where we are welcomed, where we belong.

I was born in Germany, but I don’t belong there.

I’ve lived in Mexico and Guatemala, but it’s not safe for me there.

Some of my ancestors were from Africa, but it’s a large continent, made up of many countries, all foreign to me because of cultural eradication, so I could visit, but really I don’t belong there.

My forebears were brought to the Americas as slaves, worked like dogs, and treated as less than animals, and although early settlers were considered “Americans” relatively quickly, after four centuries, I still don’t belong here.

I’m not even 40, but I was born during the Cold War, in a country that has successfully recovered from antisemitism, but not from antiblack sentiment.

Both of my parents were born before the Civil Rights Act was passed, in the middle of the Civils Rights Movement.

My grandparents were born near the end of the Great Depression and lived under Jim Crow law. My grandparents. The ones who told me stories while holding me on their knees, the ones who spent their lives sweating and striving for me to have better.

My grandma’s grandma was a slave. My dad remembers an aunt (a great-aunt) coming to his school in elementary to talk about the fact that she had been born a slave.

I think that people forget that it wasn’t that long ago, forget that the tyranny and oppression has gone on for so long.

They forget that Europeans have been enslaving Africans since the 15th century. For those who hated school, that means the 1400s. Slaves were brought to the Americas as early as 1503. The only reason we didn’t reach the country we now call the U.S. until the early 1600s was because it took England that long to decide to colonize the area.

They forget that in my great-great-grandparents’ time, in my great-grandparents’ time, in my grandparents’ time, at the time my parents were born, I could have been beaten, raped, falsely accused, cheated, ignored, taken advantage of, or killed just for the color of my skin.

They forget that, 401 years later, 155 years after the Civil War, 157 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, 152 years after the 14th Amendment, 57 years after MLK marched, 56 years after the Civil Rights Act was passed, nothing has changed.

They forget that it is our American right to speak out, to decry our oppression.

The First Amendment says that we have the right to freedom of speech and press, that we have the right to peaceably assemble and ask the government for a solution to our complaints of unfair treatment. But we are silenced, gassed when we protest peacefully, and our cries for justice have been ignored for generations.

The Second Amendment says that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Yet time after time, legally armed, law-abiding Blacks are arrested or shot just for being a person of color in possession of a gun, while white gun owners can brandish their weapons freely without fear of being shot or unjustly detained.

The Fourth Amendment says that citizens may not be subject to unreasonable search and seizure. It’s where the concept of a search warrant comes from. Yet Blacks and other people of color have been subject to racial profiling and racially motivated searches, frisking, and seizure of property for as long as we have been citizens of this country.

The Sixth Amendment says that citizens have the right to a public and speedy trial, by an impartial jury, to know what we’re being accused of, to be confronted by the witnesses against us, and to have the opportunity to gain witnesses in our favor, and to have the right to an attorney in our defense. This is one of the biggest jokes. People of color remain in cells for weeks and months before trial, and are often coerced into plea bargains for crimes they didn’t commit in the first place, just so they can get out of jail sooner rather than run the risk of being remaining in jail for months, only to face a courtroom that is predisposed against you because of stereotypes and shady police records, with a public defender that is overworked at best and disinterested or corrupt at worst, resulting in extremely long sentencing with little to no account for the time the individual has already been incarcerated, seemingly as a penalty for refusing to take the fall and essentially “wasting people’s time”.

The Eighth Amendment says that “excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” I could laugh if it weren’t such a blatant lie. Bail is disproportionately higher for people of color than for whites, as are the fines, and while cruel and unusual punishments may be subjective, I would argue that legalized slavery for a criminal population that is disproportionately comprised of Blacks and people of color AND murder by law enforcement before even reaching a judge BOTH qualify as cruel and unusual, particularly since it’s extremely notable how many white people, even accused or convicted of especially heinous crimes do not meet this fate, while a Black person could do so for merely moving wrong during a traffic stop.

The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime. However, the only thing this changed for Blacks was the beginnings of racially motivated mass incarceration, starting from 1865 until the present.

The Fourteenth Amendment says that anyone born or naturalized in the United States is a citizen of the USA.  It also says that “no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

There are 20 other Amendments as of 2020, but this Amendment alone is the root of the problem. Black Americans are just that- Americans, and yet, we are DENIED equal protection under the law. We are DEPRIVED OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY, without due process of law.

But people seem to forget that Blacks are American citizens, too. And so, they seek to preserve their peace and forget to care.

So, as I turn up my headphones to tune out my roommate’s irritatingly ironic assertions of oppression, I turn my attention to the places where I have a voice, to remind people that this movement is more than just a lofty idea or the overreaction of a group of people that’s too sensitive or hung up on the past. I remind them that the problem is that the actions and attitudes, the injustices and imbalanced systems are still happening NOW, in the present, mid-2020. That’s why we can’t stay silent. Why no one can. I use my influence to remind the world what those who came before me died to obtain:

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the [blatant racist or the white supremacist] but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., excerpted out of order from sections of a letter from Birmingham Jail, Alabama, 16 April 1963

I remind those who care to listen that I exist in this world, hated and unwelcome. My very existence is one of danger and risk, especially if I choose to be myself. For me, there is no place like home.

I remind the world that I can’t breathe, and that for me that’s not just a catchphrase; it’s not just a concept to use for merit mongering or fitting in. It’s the fear that chokes me, the anxiety that suffocates my hopes and dreams. For me, it’s a reality.

[bowtochris]

So Much Fucking Shit Happened This Month OMG

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events

March

1st: Afghan president Ashraf Ghani rejects a clause in the U.S.–Taliban deal setting the release of Taliban prisoners Former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg suspends his presidential campaign.

2nd: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar suspends her presidential campaign Two dozen more cases are reported in the U.S., bringing the total number of infected Americans to 102.

3rd: Three tornadoes, two at least EF 3 in strength, rip through downtown Nashville and surrounding towns, killing 25 people. Myanmar turns a Silversea Cruises cruise ship away due to fears of coronavirus

4th: The United States Armed Forces says it has carried out its first airstrike against the Taliban since a peace deal was signed on February 29, 2020. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suspends his presidential campaign. The United States confirmed 11 total deaths, with the first death outside of Washington state in California. California's total of infections has jumped to 51. The country confirmed 33 new cases, bringing the total number to 159.

5th: The Republican-controlled Arizona House of Representatives passes a bill banning transgender females from women's sports. In total, the US confirmed 69 more cases, bringing the total number to 228. Three more deaths were reported, bringing the total number to 14.

6th: SpaceX successfully launches a Dragon spacecraft in orbit to resupply the International Space Station. Florida confirms its first two deaths from the coronavirus.

7th: The Xinjia Express Hotel, which was being used for quarantining those with COVID-19, collapses in Quanzhou, Fujian, China. Ten people were killed and twenty-three are trapped. Thirty-eight have been rescued alive. The total number confirmed cases of for the US increased to 444. There was 1 new death, 11 in total.

8th: California U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate Kamala Harris endorses former Vice President Joe Biden in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson endorses Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. The first COVID-19 death is confirmed in Canada.

9th: Black Monday - Prior to opening, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures market experienced a 1,300 point ... This predicted 1,300 point drop would establish 9 March as being among the most points the Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped in a single day. By the end of the day, it fell a total of 2,013.76 points. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit confirms a 2016 ruling that Led Zeppelin's 1971 song "Stairway to Heaven" was not unlawfully copied from Spirit's instrumental "Taurus". The United Kingdom's largest retailer Tesco say they will be restricting the sale of essential food and household items in response to fears of mass panic buying.

10th: Vladimir Putin backs a constitutional amendment that would allow him to remain in power after 2024 and make a lifetime presidency possible. Iran reports 881 new confirmed cases and 54 more COVID-19 deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date, bringing the total to 8042 cases and 291 deaths.

11th: The bond market falls, in the first time since the financial crisis of 2007–08 that the stock and bond markets moved in the same direction. American film producer Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for two felony sex crimes. The world's largest annual video game industry event E3 2020 is officially cancelled due to concerns over the coronavirus.

12th: Black Thursday - All three major United States trading indexes fall 7% during early trading, leading to a 15-minute trading halt. They all closed over 9% down. The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 10%, the largest one-day percentage drop since ... 1987. First day where every story on Wikinews is coronavirus-related.

13th: Delta Air Lines says it will cancel all flights to Europe for the next 30 days. Florida, Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio will proceed having Democratic Party primaries despite the coronavirus outbreak. Astronomers discover 139 new "minor planets" in the Solar System that are beyond the orbit of Neptune.

14th: A total of 16 U.S. states have closed all of their schools. Italy's Ministry of Health reports 250 more deaths from COVID-19, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date. The Mayor of Bergamo Giorgio Gori says churches are now being used to store dead bodies as the city's morgues are full.

15th: The first one-on-one debate of the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries takes place between former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders in Washington, D.C., instead of Arizona as originally scheduled and without an audience as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues a recommendation to suspend gatherings of 50 or more people for the next two months. The governors of five states: California, Ohio, Illinois, Washington and Massachusetts, order bars and restaurants to close in response to the pandemic.

16th: The Dow closes 2,997 points or 12.9% lower - its largest daily points movement. The U.S. has 4,459 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of today, resulting in 86 deaths. West Virginia remains the only state with no confirmed cases.

17th: The Senate of Spain ratifies North Macedonia's accession protocol for NATO, becoming the last of NATO's 30 members to do so. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady announces he will not re-sign with the team, and will instead select free agency. West Virginia confirms its first case of COVID-19, becoming the last U.S. state to do so. Governor Jim Justice ordered restaurant dining rooms, bars, and casinos to close for two weeks.

18th: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 hits Salt Lake City, Utah, with several aftershocks reported and tens of thousands of residents left without power. The earthquake is the largest in the state since the 1992 St. George earthquake. COVID-19 cases in Washington exceed 1,000. The United States reports its 150th death from COVID-19, with a total of at least 9,400 confirmed cases nationwide.

19th: Tulsi Gabbard ends her presidential campaign in the 2020 presidential election U.S. President Donald Trump calls for the Syrian government to release journalist and veteran Marine Austin Tice, arguing the "U.S. has done a lot for Syria". U.S. Senate Republicans unveil a $1 trillion economic stimulus package proposal to aid businesses and the American public during the coronavirus pandemic.

20th: The parliament of Ghana votes to legalize the medical and industrial use of cannabis. Madagascar confirms its first cases of COVID-19. The United States moves Tax Day from April 15 to July 15 due to the spread of the coronavirus.

21st: China reports zero domestic cases of COVID-19 for a third consecutive day. Yonhap News Agency reports that North Korea has fired two projectiles from Pyongan Province into the Sea of Japan. Ketchikan, in Southeast Alaska, shelters in place after six people test positive for COVID-19 in the town of 8,000 residents.

22nd: Pope Francis, in a call for a worldwide prayer, announces he will hold a special service to pray for the end of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Senate votes down a coronavirus relief stimulus bill. Former film producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein tests positive for COVID-19. He is put in isolation at the Wende Correctional Facility.

23rd: Colorado abolishes the death penalty and commutes sentences of death row inmates. The ancestor, Ikaria wariootia, of all animals with a bilateral body plan is discovered as a fossil in rocks of South Australia. Rapper-turned-informant 6ix9ine requests an early prison release over fears of COVID-19.

24th: I'm allowed to work from home starting today. In Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University reopens, despite the coronavirus. The 2020 Summer Olympics has been postponed to 2021 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

25th: Turkey indicts 20 Saudis for the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. None of them are Prince Mohammad bin Salman. The United States has its deadliest COVID-19 day to date, with 223 related deaths. New York City records 81 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the city's death toll to 280. Mayor Bill de Blasio has warned that more than half of all New Yorkers could become infected.

26th: The United States Space Force launches its first satellite into space aboard a Atlas V rocket. A bomb explodes near a Sikh crematorium in Kabul, wounding a child and disrupting funerals for 25 people bombed and shot the day prior. 2020 G20 Riyadh summit - World leaders convene virtually to coordinate a response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The death toll from COVID-19 in the U.S. reaches 1,200. The total number of cases in the country is 83,097. The U.S. has surpassed China in number of active cases, making it the country with the most cases in the world.

27th: Pope Francis delivers a special Urbi et Orbi blessing in an empty Saint Peter's Square, praying for the end of the coronavirus pandemic and offering a plenary indulgence to repentant sinners. The House of Representatives passes a $2 trillion stimulus relief bill as an effort to save the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump signs the bill. Uzbekistan reports the first death from COVID-19, a 72-year-old woman with underlying health conditions in the city of Namangan. The USNS Mercy, which has 1,000 beds, arrives in Los Angeles to offer assistance during the COVID-19 crisis.

28th: In a televised address, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi offers to release five Saudi prisoners of war in exchange for the release of dozens of Palestinian activists convicted by Saudi Arabia earlier this month. New York postpones its primary from April 28 until June 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

29th: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean, the latest in an unprecedented flurry of launches. Both South Korea and Japan condemn the launching. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo extends the stay-at-home order for non-essential workers to April 15.

[chrismalcolmhnd1d]

Decade

Project: Decade. #Decade

In the mid-1820s, Nicéphore Niépce first managed to fix an image that was captured with a camera, but at least eight hours or even several days of exposure in the camera were required and the earliest results were very crude. 

The First Cameras

“The basic concept of photography has been around since about the 5th century B.C.E. It wasn't until an Iraqi scientist developed something called the camera obscura in the 11th century that the art was born.

Even then, the camera did not actually record images, it simply projected them onto another surface. The images were also upside down, though they could be traced to create accurate drawings of real objects such as buildings.

The first camera obscura used a pinhole in a tent to project an image from outside the tent into the darkened area. It was not until the 17th century that the camera obscura became small enough to be portable. Basic lenses to focus the light were also introduced around this time.

The First Permanent Images

Photography, as we know it today, began in the late 1830s in France. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used a portable camera obscura to expose a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light. This is the first recorded image that did not fade quickly.

Niépce's success led to a number of other experiments and photography progressed very rapidly. Daguerreotypes, emulsion plates, and wet plates were developed almost simultaneously in the mid- to late-1800s.”

Source: https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/brief-history-of-photography-2688527

Retouched version of the earliest surviving camera photograph, 1826 or 1827, known as View from the Window at Le Gras

Photography has long been influenced by painting and art.

“The relationship between painting and photography has extended the possibilities of image creation. When photography appeared on the scene, it was supposed to herald the democratization of portraiture (among other genres, like landscapes and still-lifes). Photography gave painting the freedom it needed to burst into the rich fountain of expression it is today. There are many classic and modern painters whom, thanks to their skills with lighting and conceptualization, can serve as valuable guides for today's photographers.”

Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675)

Source:https://www.lightstalking.com/8-painters-real-effect-todays-photography-photographers-influenced/

My Decade to research – the 1980’s

Timeline of 1980’s Events

Overview:

“The decade was great socioeconomic change due to advances in technology and a worldwide move away from planned economies and towards laissez-faire capitalism.

As economic deconstruction increased in the developed world, multiple multinational corporations associated with the manufacturing industry relocated into Thailand, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Japan and West Germany saw large economic growth during this decade. The AIDS epidemic became recognized in the 1980s and has since killed an estimated 39 million people (as of 2013).[1] Global warming became well known to the scientific and political community in the 1980s.

The United Kingdom and the United States moved closer to supply-side economic policies beginning a trend towards global instability of international trade that would pick up more steam in the following decade as the fall of the USSR made right wing economic policy more powerful.

The final decade of the Cold War opened with the US-Soviet confrontation continuing largely without any interruption. Superpower tensions escalated rapidly as President Reagan scrapped the policy of détente and adopted a new, much more aggressive stance on the Soviet Union. The world came perilously close to nuclear war for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis 20 years earlier, but the second half of the decade saw a dramatic easing of superpower tensions and ultimately the total collapse of Soviet communism.

Developing countries across the world faced economic and social difficulties as they suffered from multiple debt crises in the 1980s, requiring many of these countries to apply for financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Ethiopia witnessed widespread famine in the mid-1980s during the corrupt rule of Mengistu Haile Mariam, resulting in the country having to depend on foreign aid to provide food to its population and worldwide efforts to address and raise money to help Ethiopians, such as the Live Aid concert in 1985.”

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s

Timeline of major events: (from a very American perspective)

Photography and photographers in the 1980’s

Equipment:

The 80s were a peak time in photography. 35mm cameras were just starting to shift from predominantly mechanical devices into slightly more advanced machines. Having micro-electronic systems at the heart of a camera became the new normal and that made photography easier; new features progressed from more accurate shutter control to program full auto-exposure, to multi-segment light metering systems, to automatic reading of ASA/ISO codes, to integrated motors for advancing and rewinding, and finally AutoFocus (although AF didn’t truly come into its own until the next decade). The dominant manufacturers at the time are sometimes referred to as the ‘Big Five’: Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, and Pentax. These brands produced the majority of 80s cameras and are now classic models.

CANON AE-1 PROGRAM

MINOLTA X-700

NIKON FA

Olympus OMG

Pentax P3

Source: https://www.keh.com/blog/thats-so-80s-cameras-from-the-1980s/

Photographers:

An American perspective of 80′s photography...

“In the ’80s, new wave and hip hop exploded, graffitied subway cars and gritty nightclubs colored New York City, and John Hughes’s tales of teenage angst like Sixteen Candles (1984) and The Breakfast Club (1985) seized the big screen. Meanwhile, an energized, punk-infused youth culture developed within the context of the ongoing sexual liberation that began in the ’60s, the AIDS epidemic, and the conservative leadership of President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Below are eight photographers who captured the decade’s young people in all their vibrant individuality.”

Source: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-photographers-captured-rebellious-youth-80s

Richard Corman

Madonna, Polaroid 4, Milk Gallery

A very British perspective on 80′s street photography...

Rob Bremner, Liverpool

The 1980’s are widely regarded as Liverpool’s lowest ebb. A time when work in the city was scarce, alienation from the rest of the country was peaking, and newfangled drugs were tightening their grip on the city’s housing estates.

During this period Rob Bremner, 54 – then a shaggy-haired student from Wick, Scotland – was photographing the region’s inner-city wards, as they came to terms with a Conservative government whose policies appeared to deliberately degrade them.

Source: https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/photography-2/back-in-the-day-photos-of-liverpool-in-the-80s/

The other end of the spectrum - high glamour fashion photography...

Stephanie,Cindy,Christy,Tatjana & Naomi photographed by Herb Ritts (1989)

“While some of the most creative fashion photography of the 1980s continued to be produced by 'old-timers' like Richard Avedon - see, for instance, his narrative advertising campaign "The Diors,"or his nude shot of Nastassja Kinski entwined with a snake - younger photographers also emerged into the limelight, including: Herb Ritts (1952-2002), best-known for his iconic shot of "Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood, 1989" which appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine; Bruce Weber (b.1946) who presented a new outlook on masculinity through his photo-shoots for Armani and Calvin Klein, as did Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-89) with his homoerotic shots; and Gian Paolo Barbieri (b.1938), noted for his work for fashion designers Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Pomellato, and Giuseppe Zanotti. At the same time, women's independence was emphasized in various settings, by photographers like Denis Piel (b.1944) and Bert Stern (1929-2013).

Controversy, always a handy tool with which to boost flagging commercial fortunes, reared its head as a result of Benetton's fashion campaign, shot by Oliviero Toscani (b.1942). Images included one of a patient dying of AIDS in front of grieving relatives, while others incorporated references to racism, war, religion and the death penalty.

The leading supermodels of 1980s fashion photography included: Gia Marie Carangi, Ines de la Fressange, Cheryl Tiegs, Christie Brinkley, Paulina Porizkova, Brooke Shields, Heather Locklear, Carol Alt, and Elle Macpherson, among others. It was during this decade that supermodels stopped being seen as individuals and started to be regarded as images, just like movie stars. Witness the celebrity party shots taken by fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit (b.1965) of supermodels like Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell and others.”

Source: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/photography/fashion.htm#eighties

Grace Jones, Jean-Paul Goude, New York (1981)

“I wanted to focus on Grace’s masculinity – to use what other people thought an embarrassment, and turn it around to her advantage. I wanted to create – with her, of course – a new character. It went beyond just a haircut, it was an attitude. It was new and strong and ambiguous. You didn’t know if it was a man trying to be a girl or a girl trying to be a man. It was a revolution. I remember the A&R guys at Island saying, “Are you fucking crazy? This is never going to work.” And of course it did.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/aug/01/jean-paul-goude-best-photograph-grace-jones-nightclubbing

[eirikie]

World Cup Kit Competitions: Belgium vs Canada

I think it was 20 years ago during the 2002 World Cup that I started my pre-game analysis of team kits.  That was also the year when non-black cleats started to show up with some regularity. Now no one (except maybe the ref?) wears black cleats.  This was also the time when there was some discussion of alternatives to the penalty shoot out for deciding tied games in the knock out round.  I had come up with a formula that included corner kicks and the number of white cleats on the field at the end of the game which seemed as reasonable as whatever that hockey-shoot-out-thing was.  

But I digress and after getting a late start (the U.S.-Wales game through me off). 

Let’s begin with today’s (11.23) Belgium v Canada match-up. I lived in Belgium for four years, including during the previous world cup when they made a good show of it for their small, proud country.  Now they are playing our neighbors to the North in what must be the most polite match in the World Cup.

Home team: Belgium

Kit Color: Black with red and yellow flourishes (and I mean flourishes).

Kit review: OMG, who approved this?  For a country that is usually understated in its approach this is over-the-top.  I had to grab a shot of the full kit, because the SOCKS.  Flames, stripes, and two-toned?  The jersey also has two-toned black red raglan sleeves WITH STRIPES, expanding that theme from head-to-toe.  I might have been okay with the socks with a simple jersey, but this is busyness would give an 80s keeper jersey-envy.  I am just beside myself with this one. 

Visiting team: Canada

Kit color: White

Kit review: I suppose there is only so much you can do with a white away jersey but Canada found a way to even understate white.  Bravo.  There are so few details, I struggle with reviewing, but the Canada half-soccer ball, half maple leaf, in Canadian Red is giving me the Canadian-backpacker-in-Europe vibe and I am HERE FOR IT.  It’s modern yet with nostalgic nods. I’m not going to lie, I’m totally loving this all white jersey.  I hope J. Crew makes it into a simple polo dress. 

WINNER: Canada (by a mile). 

[heyscience]

If I Were Inquisitor - Ask Meme.

@batsintheshadows @tea-me-and-smut @foxywolfmeerkat13 @howling-at-night OMG THIS IS SO FUN YOU GUYS HOLY SHIT!! Thanks so much for writing yours, and I’m so stoked to finally share mine!

If you are reading this and want to give it a shot, please reblog the original post and I’ll send you an ask! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH, I LOVE READING PEOPLE’S ANSWERS. THEY’RE ALL. SO GOOD!!!!

1. Race: I want to be a giant muscley mountain of a Qunari. I wanna be the very best, like no-one ever was, at smashing my enemies’ faces in and giving the best goddamn hugs there is. 

2. Class/Specialization: Two-handed Warrior/Champion. I like hitting things, and I love the idea of getting involved in all that pompous Orlesian chevalier bullshit and RUINING IT for ALL OF THEM.

3. Your homeland? It’s gotta be somewhere warm and by the sea (because I love the ocean and also I can’t deal with the cold cos I am WEAK), so I’m thinking Rivain. Ooh! And that would mean I’d have a bunch of sick tattoos and piercings! Rad.

4. Your family? (Ok so I’m basing this loosely off my irl family because they’re my best point of reference I guess????)

So, my family. I love them, but they’re a mess.

My Mum was the ideal Tamassran. A devout adherent to the Qun. She worked as a healer and was very well respected in her field.

That was until she met my Dad, who in short, looked at the Qun and was like ‘fuck this shit I’m out.’

Dad was a soldier and one day he was wounded in battle, ended up in the hospice where Mum worked, wooed her, and they ran away together to Rivain.

They had my brother and I and then realised that they’re actually polar opposites and it’s a wonder they were ever attracted to each other. They split up, re-partnered and had more kids. So I have a pile of siblings that I have varying degrees of blood relation with, but we all consider each other fully part of our extended, convoluted family (for serious - irl I have 9 siblings).

Mum taught me business sense and how to tend to battle wounds, Dad taught me how to fight. I’ve got a lot of family of various races all over Thedas, all related (not necessarily by blood) one way or another. People say lovely things about my Mum, and the craziest things about my Dad - the stories of his exploits are so outrageous it’s difficult to believe any of them are true (like irl my dad was involved in organised crime for a while but quit cos he got bored????).

I love my family but I’m really bad at keeping in contact with them, so I get the occasional letter from Mum being like ‘ARE YOU DEAD?!’

Leliana has taken to sending her reassuring updates preemptively.

5. Who were you before? I imagine I’d be part of something like a dnd adventuring party.

We started out as a ragtag group of misfits, travelling the land in search of gold and glory. It was mostly treasure hunting and mercenary gigs, and some of the work we did on the high seas was um, legal-adjacent (piracy). But occasionally we’d stop to lend a hand to those in need, pass ourselves off as bards to earn extra coin in small-town taverns, and we even involved ourselves in vigilante justice a couple of times.

We grew into our own little family, and eventually we found ourselves wanting to do the type of work that really mattered. That’s why we signed ourselves up to work security at the Conclave, with a plan to move into aiding refugees in Ferelden afterwards. It didn’t. Quite. Work out that way. Unfortunately.

6. Would you be religious? That’s a hard no.

7. Do you have a mabari? YES PUPPY! Who is also a fully fledged member of our adventuring troupe I might add.

8. Your opinion on other races? Elves = rad, dwarves = awesome, humans = eh, dragons?? = HELL YES

9. What would Varric’s nickname for you be? Stubby.

10. What would your tarot card look like? This one is hard! I’m thinking a lot of compass imagery (because the sea and travelling and finding your way etc.)...and I’d have to be facing at an angle that best accentuates my glorious biceps.

11. Where would you hang out in Skyhold? I like to be in the centre of the action, but I’m not sure where that would be?? Probably in the main Skyhold courtyard near the entrance, in amongst the merchants? It’d be a good spot to see the comings and goings, check in with recruits and workers for the Inquisition, and also play with any kids who might be around. 

It’s important to make sure the kids of the Inquisition are happy and healthy and, um, ok Josie I’ll admit it, they’re also way more fun to hang out with than that stuffy noble whoeverthefuck you just brought in from Orlais.

12. What would you do for fun? Knock back beers in the Herald’s Rest with my companions, come up with dirty drinking songs with Sera, get blackout drunk with Dorian (although I’ll eventually realise it’s a very unhealthy coping mechanism and encourage Dorian to join me in cutting down the booze), swap stories and quality bants with Varric, beg Vivienne for fashion advice, gush over romance novels with Cass, have tea and gossip sessions with Josie, poke fun at Cullen, spar with the Inquisition recruits (and scare the shit out of them), and, just anything to distract from the looming horror that is Corypheus.

13. What armour would you wear? Heavy, shiny, and bloodstone red.

14. What would your room look like? Organised chaos. I love playing host so my room would look mostly neat, but the writing desk would be an absolute mess. It would probably make poor Josie hyperventilate (which is why I’d always suggest we discuss things in her office, or at least give me plenty of notice before swinging by my chambers so I can tidy up). 

15. Who would be your friends at Skyhold? I’d wanna be friends with pretty much everyone, but I think I’d be closest with Dorian (BUT of course only after giving him a solid scolding for his views on slavery, and I’d only continue talking to him if he came to his senses).

We have a very similar sense of humour, and. Oh man. I have way more feelings about this than I thought I would. In short - I can imagine both laughing with him and collapsing on the floor together with a bottle of wine (each) and many tears.

16. Would you have any friends outside of the Inquisition? This makes me sad because my closest friends outside the Inquisition would be my adventuring party and they..would’ve...the Conclave...EVEN MY MABARI. MY POOR PUPPY. OH GOD WHY. TOO MANY FEELINGS.

17. Who wouldn’t you get along with? Cole. It’s not that I don’t like him, I’d just be super awkward around him, like ‘HELLO SPIRIT CHILD HOW ARE YOU TODAY. OH, IS THAT AN INSECURITY OF MINE YOU JUST POINTED OUT?! WELL COOL, GOOD TALK.’ 

18. Who would you romance? I know this isn’t possible in Inquisition but I would like to be in a polyamorous relationship with Isabela. SHE IS MY FICTIONAL SOULMATE OK.

(Also I’m more than a little bit in love with Cullen but I hate myself for it so)

19. Would you do pranks with Sera? AbsoLUTELY.

20. Would you sleep with the Iron Bull (casually if not romance)? 100% YES. It’d only be an occasional thing tho, cos while I’m a masochist and I like being tied up I’m not really a sub. I’d mostly go to him for bondage tips and um. Requests for. Demonstrations.

21. Would you keep Cole around? Yes. I’d still be weirded out by him, but I acknowledge that it’s completely not his fault. I’d take his word for it that he just wants to help people and let him have at it with that freaky mind-reading and vanishing shit he does.

22. Can you play the game (politics)? A little bit. I’d have to work the scandal angle. Being a Qunari I could never hope to assimilate into the realms of the nobility, but I could win their favour by being something of a novelty. Much like Casanova in this brilliant adaptation starring David Tennant - watch from 10:42.

You see, you don’t have to be liked by everybody, just the right people, and you can usually get them onside by just being very fucking entertaining.

23. What would be on your tombstone in the fade (What are you afraid of)? Ghosts. I’m not sure how well that translates to a Thedas setting but still, it’s my biggest fear so I’m sticking with it.

24. Who would you recruit to seal the breach? Mages.

25. Opinion on Mages versus Templars? Ok, so I have a proposal for how to fix this bullshit:  

1. The Chantry should relinquish any and all control over the affairs of mages. Separation of Church and State, simple as that.

2. The Templar Order should be disbanded, and the practice of indenturing soldiers by saddling them with a lyrium addiction should be banned.

3. All people in Thedas (and I mean ALL) should be taught about magic from a young age, both the gifts and dangers of its use. Everyone should learn about magical safety and how to resist demonic possession.

4. Mage children should attend the same schools as everyone else, but they can hone their skills in their late teens to early adulthood in mage colleges, with free tuition paid by the State (of wherever part of Thedas this is). They can research magic, learn a trade or train in combat, whatever they choose. Mages will be allowed to earn money, marry, have families, and have some actual freaking rights. None of this ‘hunt ‘em down and lock ‘em up’ bullshit.

5. Also the Rite of Tranquility WHAT THE FUCK. I can’t believe it’s a thing people actually agree to do. This rite should be downright fucking outlawed, and severe penalties levelled at the people who attempt it.

26. Who would be put in charge of Orlais and why? Briala. I wouldn’t suggest to Briala that she should get back together with Celene, because honestly their relationship was really fucked up and Celene abused the power imbalance between them. Briala deserves better (like for example me..maybe...but y’know, only if she wants to..)

So I would keep Celene on the throne but hand over all real power to Briala. Celene is a crafty one however, so we’d have to corner her with blackmail and keep a hidden killswitch on hand in case she tries to pull a fast one on us (just like the Voltron kids should be doing with Lotor, which sorry, I know that isn’t related but I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT IT).

27. Would you sacrifice the Chargers? NEVER.

Seriously Fuck the Qun. The Qun actively promotes eugenics with how they selectively “breed” their people. ALSO the Qunari are gaslighted into believing that they will literally go insane if they don’t follow the Qun?!!!?!?!!??!??! FUCK THAT SHIT.

So yeah, I was never keen on the idea of allying with the Qunari, so when Gatt’s like ‘if you sacrifice the dreadnought there will be no alliance’ I’m like ‘I am ok with this.’ Also, of course, I love the Chargers with all my heart and couldn’t bear to lose them.

28. Would you go after Blackwall? Yeah. He should put all his moral posturing to good fucking use and try being an actual hero. I’d make him join the Wardens, cos it’s effectively a death sentence (or an early grave at least ) and I don’t 100% dislike him, so I know he’d be cool with it because he has a giant fucking hard-on for the Wardens (Jesus fuck). 

29. Would you drink from the well? Nnnnnoooooooooo..and it’s because I would fucking die for Morrigan. I wish I could say I have a well considered reason, but I’m just pathetic like that. She could say jump and I’d say ‘I’d rather not, but, counter offer - would you instead like to sit on my face?’ 

30. Where would you go if the Inquisition was disbanded? Minrathous. It’s warmer there (I love Skyhold but fucking hate the cold), and I would involve myself in the inevitable slave uprising - helping out in whatever way I can. Also I’d just be having a fucking great time terrorising the Magisters, rocking up at the Magisterium like ‘LOOKIT ME I’M A RAGING QUNARI HERE TO INVADE, RARRGHH!! oh hey Dorian, what’s up babe how’ve you been????’

31. How do you react to the egg telling you he is an elven god? The five stages of grief:

Denial - lol no ur not, you’re our painty pyjamas nerd! 

Anger - Wait, so it’s YOUR FUCKING FAULT MY FRIENDS AND EVERYONE ELSE DIED AT THE CONCLAVE??!?! I AM GONNA GUT YOU AND STRING YOU UP BY YOUR INTESTINES SO I CAN USE YOUR WEEDY BODY AS A GORE PINATA YOU FUCKING MONSTER 

Bargaining - but you’re a god right? Does that mean you can bring them back? Can you undo all this somehow? You gotta have superpowers or some shit right??!?

Depression - After all we’ve been through...you never even saw us as people, did you? Did you ever think of me as a friend? Or anyone else? How could you be ok with murdering your friends? Solas, please, you don’t have to do this. I know that if we work together we can find a better way. You don’t have to destroy the world to save it.

Acceptance - ..................I fUCKING HATE YOU SOLAS.

[asroarke]

The 100 Ask

Tagged by @sly2o who I love so dearly and deserves all the lovely gift baskets in the world for being a delightful human

rules: answer as many as you want if tagged and then tag three more people OR just reblog it and treat it as a regular ask meme!! have fun xoxo

1. What would you get arrested for on the Ark? Pretty sure I would jokingly kick or throw something to dramatically show that I was angry with someone (because that’s the kind of diva I am) and actually break something important in the process, potentially one of the basic things that the rest of the Ark needs to survive.

2. Would you take off your wristband when you landed on the ground? I’d probably resist as long as it was convenient but as soon as they started saying I had to take off my wrist band to get food, I’d give in.

3. What would the necklace Finn would make for you look like? (Clarke: deer/Raven: a raven duh..) the corpse of Finn Collins Pauna

4. If you could resurrect any MINOR character who would it be? SHAWN MENDES

5. Create a squad of 5 characters to go on missions with. Who are they? Okay, well Bellamy can’t go or else I’ll be distracted. In that same logic, Clarke can’t go either. My bisexual heart flutters at the sight of both of them. Raven would drive the rover. Jasper would DJ. Monty would explain smart things to me and I would just awkwardly nod. I’m gonna throw Miller in there so I can try to set them up for fucks sake. And Murphy will have to be there, for commentary purposes.

6. Minty or Briller? Minty. But really, I’m totally here for the Miller x Jackson train.

7. What would your name be in Trigedasleng? (example: Octavia=Okteivia…just make it up!): Aleks?

8. Thoughts on Finn? Just casually annoyed about the fact that homie didn’t even have to try to get two of the most fascinating, smart, and beautiful women in the 100 universe. Like how fair is that? I try really hard and just last week I blew it by stuttering when a girl said something nice to me and then told her I needed to go see what the weather was like and then hid in the bathroom for five minutes as I gave myself a pep talk. I want like 10% of the confidence Finn Collins had for literally no reason.

9. Be honest. How willing would you have been to take the chip without knowing all the horrible things it does? It would have been soooo easy to get me to take the chip. Someone would just have to say my mental health problems would leave me alone and I would give the fuck in.

10. What character do you relate to most & What character do you like the least not including the obvious ones like Pike, etc… I relate the most to Clarke in the way that she isolates herself, her bisexuality, her communication patterns... I relate with Raven because I’m quite familiar with chronic pain. The character I like the least is Thelonious Jaha. I find him to be quite preachy and arrogant, but don’t really see why he gets to be that way considering how many bad decisions he has made.

11. Describe your delinquent outfit: Okay, I want Jasper’s earth day t-shirt, Raven’s red jacket or Clarke’s blue jacket, steal a beanie from Miller, some tight pants that don’t look practical but magically never hinder my ability to run through the forest for plot reasons, AND THEM COMBAT BOOTS.

12. Favorite type of mutant animal? does Cage Wallace count Pauna

13. What would your job be on the Ark? A really terrible mechanic that Raven roasts constantly but secretly likes because I start my day by telling her she’s a genius and she replies with “I know”

14. Would you have willingly pumped Ontari’s heart if Abby asked it? There is no way in hell I would have been in that room when that decision took place because I would literally still be chipped and no one would bother to take the time to fix me like they did with Raven and Abby because I am a soft lazy soul not made for this survival world, but if I was there and it had to be done, probably (and I’d have a panic attack while doing it)

15. If Lexa wasn’t Heda, then who would make the best commander? Indra (season 4 Indra, not early Indra)

16. If you were a grounder, then where would you live and who would be your mentor? Oh God there are no good options here in my opinion. I’m gonna say Azgeda just so Roan could be my mentor (I love him) but like I’m not crazy about Azgeda for all the crazy plot reasons.

17. How would you act if you ate the hallucinogenic nuts like Jasper and Monty? You would find me having very intense, intellectual debates with... absolutely no one. I’m talking to someone I hallucinated, likely an ex boyfriend from years ago who still deserves to be put in his place.

18. How would you have dealt with Charlotte’s crime? I mean, I don’t think there was a right way to deal with it. Rehabilitation, maybe if they lived in a world without insane war and had actual guidance from actual adults (who weren’t raised on the Ark and ingrained with the death penalty for all crimes mentality)

19. Who should be the Chancellor, if anyone? Who should be? Probably Bellamy, but I don’t want him to be because I don’t think it would be good for him. I’m actually gonna go with Monty because I think he would take counsel from Bellamy and Clarke, keep a level head, and be able to separate personal feelings from what has to be done... but not to the level that Clarke would. I think he would be a nice in between.

20. Mount Weather had a lot of modern commodities. (example: Maya’s Ipod)What is the one thing you would snatch while there? There’s not a lot that I can think of that I would want for my own personal entertainment, but like maybe a water filtration system? Feel like that would come in clutch.

21. Do you think you’d have caught the virus spread through camp or would you have been immune like Octavia? I am the kind of person who goes to a doctor for one illness and catches another one while I’m in the waiting room. I WILL BE PATIENT ZERO, NO DOUBT.

22. What would your grounder tattoos look like? Hairstyle? War paint? Norse symbol for where there’s a will there’s a way kind of look for my tattooes, want that Octavia ponytail (because fuck that was a good look), and no war paint. My face looks like it melted at the end of the day with my makeup, there’s no telling how messy and tragic my war paint will look after a war. If I’m gonna be a grounder, I’m gonna look damn good doing it.

23. Favorite quote? Whatever the hell we want

24. Can you forgive Murphy for his actions? How about Bellamy? Yes and yes.

25. If one of the characters was in the Hunger Games, who would have the best shot at winning? I know Octavia is probably the right choice (but she did not win on her own, and I highly doubt she would get as lucky in the real hunger games) so I’m going to say Raven because she’ll be like those tech nerds who made the arena go boom. I think people would team up with her, not really thinking of her as a threat so they could kill her later on, and then she makes everything go boom and wins the damn thing.

26. Least favorite ship? Favorite ship? NOT INCLUDING CLEXA OR BELLARKE. Uh Octavia and Illian for least favorite? Like I don’t really think about ships that I do not ship, but their little storyline really freaked me out. Favorite, princess mechanic, forever and always.

27. A song that should be included in the next season, like when Radioactive was? Ummm, obviously it is an accoustic cover of Radioactive done by Shawn Mendes as he emerges from the bunker with everyone else (the accoustic cover he spent the last six years working on, by the way)

28. What would you do if you were stuck in the bunker with Murphy for all that time? Omg we would have the snarkiest time as we try to out-asshole each other. We’d be quick buds.

29.Opinion on Emori? Roan? Emori is chill. ROAN IS MY SON AND I MISS HIM SO MUCH AND I’M SO LIVID THAT HE DIED BY BEING DROWNED IN A DAMN WELL?? THAT’S THE MOST OOC NONSENSE I’VE EVER SEEN! IT’S PRINCE ROAN KOM AZGEDA GRANDSON OF THEO SON OF NIA CARETAKER OF THE THRONE AND KEEPER OF THE FLAME FOR CHRISTS SAKE

30. Would you want to be an extra that is killed off in a brutal way? No, I want to be an extra that keeps randomly doing unimportant tasks in the background and when you look me up on IMBD you get a “random teenager who once was seen having a conversation with David Miller” next to my name.

31. A character you’d like to learn more about and get flashbacks of? Uh, Roan. Like why was he banished? What’s going on with him and his mother? What kind of history does he have with Echo? Where was he during the first two seasons of the show? HAS HE EVER GOTTEN LAID BECAUSE THE FACT THAT HE DIDN’T GET WITH ANYONE AFTER GIVING SEX EYES TO LITERALLY EVERYONE MAKES NO DAMN SENSE JROTH?

32. A character you’d bang? Roan. Y’all know I’m Roan trash.

Tagging: @isla1975 @bellamyblakesfreckles @bellamyblake-kru (ignore if you’ve already been tagged. I’m too tired to check.)

[mythological-survivor-no-mikoto]

Episode 3 - so sado is HELL ISLAND - Adam

After Sam was sent home a high intensity challenge for reward and immunity was posted. It involved creating Shinsen, by prepping ingredients in individual messages. Hiroku was immediately off to a strong start, gaining a lead over Awashima. This lead continued to grow over night and by morning it was clear there was very little chance of Awashima catching up. Despite Rachael’s best attempts to coordinate and motivate Awashima, it was too late. Hiroku won immunity and reward with triple the score over Awashima. Jay and Josh were initially targeted due to their challenge performance. The majority seemed to be settling on Jay, however there was some pushback from Vi and Marc, who wanted to use Jay as a number. However as the day progressed it became clear that there was no saving Jay, and he was voted out unanimously.

Olivia went on an expedition to the lagoon on Honshu, completed the challenge requiring her to burn paper 

https://youtu.be/oT1gnCfzuDI

She found the rehidden Izanagi Sword, giving her double worshippers the next time she worshipped. 

“Haha sick. Well I know who I’ll be giving that to! (Me). My plan is every other week like boost mine and then take Katie’s down. In the long run it just may work if I keep it up!”

“Fastest way for an alliance to form? Fisting jokes”

“Here we are ladies! I feel pretty good with my position in this game. I really like Rodrigo, yes like my favorite. Jay is cool too cuz he’s a nerd. OH RACHEL my future nurse, looooove her. We talked a lot about nursing school and the career in general. Vi isn’t bad, we just don’t talk much. The first vote off was uhhh Lauren. She was AFK. The vote wasn’t unanimous tho and Adam got some so that was messsssy. I like Adam. He bounced back. Regans annoying but she’s my friend. Cori on the other tribe I did my challenge against and we had a phenomenal rapport omg I wanna work with her. OH AND EXPEDITIONS. Shikoku wasn’t iconic. Main land Japan got me 14 tickets so my ass is gonna feel it’s oats and go on a million expeditions soon lol. BUT we won the challenge and here to slay!!!”

After being exiled mid challenge:  “So sado is the HELL ISLAND”

“The ladies and nikias dominating this challenge? We love to see it”

“I mean it’s just like me and this sweet guy from halfway around the world are playing virtual hot potato with nonsense words like fowl and tray and we’re on this adventure and we’re in a cave and our tribe mates are all asleep next to us and we’re all that stands between us and the evil other tribe from coming into our territory and snatching another one of us up and we’re just two little anxious nerds who get along swell saying random incantations back and forth and it’s raining and I’m so fucking tired does this make sense I’m doing my best to keep our tribe afloat”

“I ain’t even mad. Olivia killed it. Honestly her biggest supporter is a person on the opposing team... 242 with no mistakes what a queen. Rachael is also a queen. Highest scorer for our tribe with 114, 3 mistakes. Fucking jay with his two tries but both mistakes. I literally was sick all day and still did better than half the tribe wth. Adam got a 12 hour penalty so he’s excused and he didn’t mess up.  But josh got 13 with 11 mistakes. Screeching. How do you mess up that badly. It’s just copy paste. I’m so tired I’m not even making any more sense. Good night y’all ima go try to save jay’s ass but idk if I want to”

“we love working for 6 hours without our phone all day and still being responsible for 34% of the work in this challenge on a 9 person tribe. we also love when someone does only 2 points worth...and screws up both of them. maybe this could be best for our tribe long term to purge the people that are not contributing? Idk”

On an expedition, Olivia crushed some fruit and found the idol:

“AHHHHHHHHHHH HOLY FUCK BUCKETS. OH MY FUCKING GOD. THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER

So I have 

20% advantage the next challenge

A sword advantage I just used

A block against the first vote 

AND THE FUCKING IDOL 

Im fuckin loaded wow”

“Nikias making me cry? More likely than you think. I trust him so so much, he is my PERSON. I will defend him at all costs ⚔️”

https://youtu.be/-S0ldA01GLM

“things have been rly quiet since last time, but it seems like a handful of my tribe really worked together and pulled out the win in the shinsen challenge yay!! Some have not had the opportunity to contribute as much but hopefully they will the first chance they get. I still have my voting coin if I need it, but things are definitely super chill in the hiroku tribe for the time being and I seem to have good ties all over.”

“I’m thankful that this round allowed us to win by such a long shot. I believe that we have such a strong tribe, unfortunately however, we just do not necessarily communicate all that much, or at least that’s what it seems like.

Echoing previous confessionals, I still really adore almost everyone on this tribe. I do not have any issues or concerns with anyone at this moment in time, however my eyes and ears are open  just in case, however, I believe I can hopefully stay connected with several individuals in this tribe.

I’m not the best when it comes to challenge performance and I’m the first one that would always say that to myself. That’s why I play such a big social game, because I feel like that although I don’t have any challenge prowess, people will catch on to what my next best thing is. 

It would not surprise me If there was an undercover alliance at the moment just based on certain conversations I’ve had but perhaps that is just a thought and not merely reality. I hope that this upcoming round allows us to win yet another competition and continue to do our best like we always do.”

“HERE WE GO LADIES. Well that challenge sucked. Like, wasn’t fun at all. I personally SLAYED it, with Rachael and Regan. Vi did okay too but like we legit never talk. The people who did the least were Jay and Katie. I’ve had a good connection with Jay since the beginning but he has been MIA. I think he kinda gave up cuz he’s not even fighting at all. Someone said he’s in another game and SIS, me too. But still made time and did what I could. That leaves Katie who I want to go, but it’s not getting traction so I gotta go with the Jay vote unfortunately. RIP BBY GURL. Otherwise I’m still loving Rodrigo and Josh. My ideal 5 some is Me, Regan, Rachael, Josh, Rodrigo. But idk if I can get that to happen.”

“this vote seems too simple it is scaring me. I feel like my social game is lacking. It could easily be better but so is jays like what if he has an idol idk”

“probably Jay going home unanimously tonight unless some funny business happens. He’s lost any kind of fight he had in this game. If everything I know is correct it’ll be 8-1 jay with a vote on josh but who knows.”

“This round went pretty good, i think that kind of tribe wins solidifies a type of loyalty because everyone fight for each other so we can all have a nice week-end with out having to vote anyone out of the game. I think every one loves this tribe the way it is and i kind of wanna push that even more, remain loyal to a tribe is still an option that i have never made before but it is still an option and i wouldn't wanna take away any of my options until it's time to decide. I think right now i am in a good spot, i think if we go to tribal Odd or Zach would be the target which means i am in a good spot. Voting out Sam was a big deal for me because Odd is more beneficial for my game i believe. He is good at challenges and also he doesn't talk to a lot of people so it's something that i can use to my advantage in the future. This is my favorite tribe ever and i wanna keep enjoy this tribe so i would pray to win another immunity challenge”

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Jesse Puljujarvi Surgery; Updates on Martinez, Schenn, and Perron; Svechnikov – March 5

  I’m sure most reading this has heard the news already, but it was learned Monday morning that Ted Lindsay, Hall of Famer and Detroit Red Wings legend, had passed away at the age of 93.

For his career, Lindsay accumulated 851 points in 1068 games, was a 9-time All-Star, won the scoring race in 1950, and procured four Stanley Cups, including back-to-back efforts in 1954 and 1955.

It was his impact off the ice for which Lindsay will most greatly be remembered.

Of course, there was the NHL Players’ Association, the union that would look after the NHL player membership. He helped start the NHLPA to bargain for player rights, which would eventually include free agency, a more equitable share of revenues, better pensions, better health care access, and more. Of course, there was a lot of pushback from ownership around the league, and a smear campaign of Lindsay began. Nonetheless, the NHLPA was eventually recognized and would morph into what we know it today.

Beyond that, I came across this little tidbit: Lindsay did not attend his Hall of Fame induction. Why? Because women weren’t allowed to attend, which means his wife could not attend. This was unacceptable to Lindsay, and his non-attendance led to a rule change that would allow women to attend Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

Talk to five different people of a certain age and you might get five different answers about what they remember about Ted Lindsay. Some might say on-ice stats, championships, the award named after him, the ferocity of his game, his union assembly, or even his Hall of Fame induction. All that means is this was an accomplished man both inside and outside of the rink. Not much more needs to be said than that.

Condolences to Lindsay’s family, friends, fans, and the Detroit Red Wings organization.

*

The Sabres announced defenceman Jake McCabe will miss the rest of the regular season – 5-6 weeks to be exact. It didn’t lead to a recall of Lawrence Pilut, though, so it appears Marco Scandella and Matt Hunwick will get some run. I’m not very interested in either for fantasy purposes, even in deep leagues.

*

Just wanted to chime in briefly on Jesse Puljujarvi’s injury. It’s clear that three years of development from the Oilers has done nothing, and now he’s on the shelf for most of the summer with double hip surgery. To me, that means 2019-20 will be mostly getting back up to speed as he’s behind the eight ball again. Not that this effectively ends his career, but if next year is basically just trying to get his legs under him following surgery, he’ll be four years into his career with little to show for it, even with this year and next mostly being a wash due to injury. I wonder how much longer we wait before the Oilers move on.

*

Jared McCann remained on Pittsburgh’s top line in practice on Monday. That was following Saturday night’s beatdown of the Canadiens where McCann had a goal and an assist and Sidney Crosby had four points.

Obviously, if he sticks, he’ll have the opportunity to produce. How long it lasts, we’ll see. McCann does have solid shot rates (he shoots as often per minute as guys like Anthony Mantha and Mike Hoffman) so that skill set might mesh well with someone like Crosby. I’m optimistic and he might be worth a look as a bench option for the first week of playoffs. The Penguins are a team with four games next week and they include games against the Sabres, Flyers, and Capitals.

*

As we look ahead to the 2019 draft, Dobber Prospects writer Jokke Nevalainen had a good read on prospect Vasili Podkolzin. He may have caught the eye of some from the most recent World Juniors, and it's a level-headed look at what he is and what he might be. 

*

Chris Kreider was not at practice on Monday for the Rangers. Maybe it was maintenance, but Pavel Buchnevich took his spot on the top line. Maybe it’ll be something more than maintenance? When we know, you’ll know.

*

Nazem Kadri was at morning skate for the Maple Leafs skating as an extra. He did not play Monday night but it does look like he’s on the cusp of returning.

*

Just spit-balling but I’m not sure what to make of Luke Kunin’s season so far. The underlying numbers aren’t great but how much of that is due to injuries on his part and upheaval of the roster by management? It can’t be an easy situation to overcome. By the eye, he’s looked fine whenever I’ve watched him if unspectacular. He should have a big role on this team in 2019-20 (he’s played 17:40 per game over the last month) so he’ll be a guy to follow over the final month. It could tell us a lot about what to expect from him next year.

*

Alec Martinez was in a regular jersey in practice for the Kings and looks like he’ll be returning later this week. There are serious concerns about point production and plus/minus, but he should see a lot of minutes and that will lead to a lot of peripheral stats. It’ll be up to individual fantasy owners to determine what their team needs and if he can fit into a league’s scoring system.

*

Both Brayden Schenn and David Perron should be back in the lineup soon, especially Perron as he has completed all necessary medical testing, though Schenn will be the one going on the road trip. Now it’s just up to Perron as to when he feels good to return.

It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the top line. Craig Berube hasn’t been shy to swap guys in and out (O’Reilly for Schenn, Schwartz for Schenn when the injury hit) but with the way the team is absolutely rolling right now, why rock the boat. I would expect Schenn to come in on the second line with Perron, but we’ll see.

*

Edmonton staged a two-goal comeback, scoring three straight in the second period to beat the Sabres 4-3. With time winding down, Jason Pominville had a glorious opportunity to tie the game and did this:

  OMG, Jason Pominville just stopped his own shot at a mostly open net. He literally stopped his own goal pic.twitter.com/dLprCgEZ0h

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) March 5, 2019

  I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in an NHL game.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist while Connor McDavid picked up a couple helpers. Jack Eichel scored a pair of goals in the losing cause. That makes 25 tallies on the year for Eichel, tying his total from last year.

Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and five shots in the loss. Those five shots are a single-game high for him. He hasn’t been given a lot of ice time generally but it would be nice to see him shooting more often like this rather than what he’s done most of the year.

*

Let’s check in on Andrei Svechnikov, shall we?

It’s easy for the rookie to get lost in the Carolina excitement right now. It seems Nino Niederreiter’s trade has turned the fortunes of this team around, Jordan Staal is back and healthy, the team is scoring, and even Evander Holyfield is getting in on the fun:

    Watch until the end what they do with Jordan Martinook after Holyfield throws the punch. I couldn’t stop laughing.

Anyway, as I was saying, it’s easy for Svechnikov to get lost in the shuffle. So, how’s he doing?

For one, his ice time has declined since the acquisition of Niederreiter. It’s not a huge decline but losing 40 seconds a game when you don’t penalty kill and play fewer than 15 minutes a night is significant. Even a drop of just 40 seconds a game could lead to 2-3 fewer points over the course of a season. Not to mention that with Micheal Ferland healthy, it locks Svechnikov into a third line role. Not only is he getting less ice time, but lower quality line mates.

It hasn’t really affected his production as he has 10 points in the 19 games since Niederreiter joined the fold, compared to 19 points in 46 games prior. The team has enjoyed a regression of shooting percentage (in a good way) which has led to more goals overall. A rising tide floats all boats, etc.

One concern is that he’s shooting a lot less. He had 120 shots in his first 46 games, or 2.61 shots per game. Since the acquisition of Niederreiter, that has plummeted to 34 shots in 19 games, or 1.79 shots per game. A 40-second ice time drop does not explain such a shooting drop. It’s easy to forget that he’s still just an 18-year old rookie, though.

On top of him just being an 18-year old rookie, the Hurricanes in general have been shooting less: from the start of the season through to January 18th (when the trade occurred), Carolina averaged 35.6 shots per 60 minutes. Since then, they’ve dropped to 32 shots per game. Again, that alone doesn’t account for Svechnikov’s shooting decline, but it helps explain part of it.

The ice time is important to keep in mind when we look at Svechnikov’s 29 points. We don’t expect players getting 14-15 minutes a game to have a significant fantasy impact, even more so at his age. Even Steven Stamkos, who played 14:56 per game in his rookie year, failed to crack 50 points (he had 46). Rick Nash, who played 13:57 per game in his rookie year, only managed 39. Also, Marian Gaborik played 15:26 per game in his rookie year and had just 36 points. All eventually turned into elite players, and sooner rather than later.

Having watched a lot of Hurricanes games lately, he still looks like the guy he always has: an uber-talented 18-year old rookie playing on a third line with third liners. His individual expected goals rate at five-on-five is still among the best in the league, his shot rate his top-50 among all forwards, and his goal rate is solid (it’s actually slightly higher per 60 minutes than Sebastian Aho). Everything else will come along in due time. He still looks like the future superstar we all expect him to be, even if he’s not one of the focal points of the team right now.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-jesse-puljujarvi-surgery-updates-on-martinez-schenn-and-perron-svechnikov-march-5/

[spikesandcleats]

Game Commentary: United States VS Panama

I’m back in my country, and MY COUNTRY IS PLAYING. 

Gold Cup. Let’s go.

‘01: Omg, weather alerts, staaaaahp breaking into my coverage. It’s sunny here. The storm is going to miss us. 

‘04: OH HI, KELYN ROWE, THAT WAS A GOOD TRY. DO THAT AGAIN.

- Yes, Kelyn Rowe is my favorite thing about this match no matter what. Why? BECAUSE HE’S NEW ENGLAND. 

‘08: Sometimes Bedoya does the thing, sometimes Bedoya does not do the thing... But, hey, corner kick...

‘09: I do not like this corner kick, Acosta. Do better.

‘14: Is it really a soccer game if Kelyn Rowe doesn’t go crashing into the ground? Well, we won’t have to find out this match...

‘18: Short corners are always lame. But, hey, Acosta is here to play now. I like that.

‘20: Guzan comes off his line to end a Panama chance. The commentators are saying good things about the defense, but I’m not feeling it. Not enough pace.

- Yes, I know. I never think there’s enough pace.

‘23: NICE TACKLE, KELYN. YOU DO NOT SUCK AT DEFENDING OR ANYTHING ELSE. 

‘25: KEEP SHOOTING, KELYN! I WANT A GOAL!

‘26: Sooooo what I was saying about defense and pace earlier? Yeah, that. Guzan does well to get his hands to the ball and deflect the shot, though. 

- Water break! Stay hydrated, fellas!

‘32: Dom Dwyer wants a goal. I want a goal...

‘34: Brad Guzan is not impressed with the long shot. 

‘35: Alejandro Bedoya is not impressed with anything. The close-up on that face has me cracking up.

‘40: C’mon, Acosta, you’ve got to fight more than that... 

‘45: Acooooosta. C’moooooon. I so want to believe the hype, man!

‘45+: Matt Besler, you precious thing, that’s the way to do work!

‘45+: Oh, now there’s pushing and shoving. Not cool.

‘45+: Diaz’ shot goes juuuust wide. That’s waaaay too close for comfort, fellas!

- Whew! Halftime...

‘46: OMG, USMNT, get it together on defense, would you?!?!?! Making me nervous is NOT the way to start this half!!!!

‘49: GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!!! DOM DWYER GETS IT!!!!!!!! AND, OH HI, KELYN, I SEE YOU MAKING IT HAPPEN. 

‘55: Okay, can we get it together on defense, though? Please? ‘cause Panama has all the momentum right now.

‘59: Aww, damn, there it is. Camargo scores. Panama equalizes. 

‘62: Oh, hey, Agudelo’s on! Another Rev. That’s cool. 

‘67: DON’T HURT KELYN. HE IS PRECIOUS. 

- Also, shaddap, Landon.

‘68: Gyasi Zardes is on for Kelyn, but he managed to walk off, so it doesn’t seem like he’s badly hurt. 

‘72: Uh oh. Panama’s got a player being stretchered off.

‘74: He‘s back on now. Glad he‘s okay!

‘75: Agudelo is fast. I’d like him to be fast and making more useful plays, but fast is a good start. 

‘76: Besler basically stopped that ball with his armpit. I’m just making an observation here.

‘81: Bedoya is, yet again, unimpressed with everything. No way he was gonna get a penalty call, though.

‘83: College Boy! (I know he‘s not actually in college anymore, but...) He‘s coming on for Bedoya, who looks a little gimpy as he comes off. That’s no good.

‘86: Besler’s gotten better as this game has gone on, but- behaaaaaaave, boys...

‘87: Too much sauce on that cross, College Boy... C’MOOOOON, USA!!!!!

‘90+: Gyasi Zardes keeps trying to make something happen, and it’s just not. Siiiigh. 

90+: Uh oh. Acosta’s down. This looks painful. 

- Aaaand that’s the game. 1-1. Lots of ups and downs in that one.