#2017? 2016??? I legit can't remember

[mechaseraph]

Post this bird

[cant-get-no-worse]

So, I'm a relatively new FCB fan and I've been doing some research about why the club had a downfall. What I understood was that everything went to shit since Neymar left. Plus he didn't even have any legit reason to leave apart from more money being offered by PSG. People say he left because he was in "Messi's shadow" but that's not true. All I saw was love and appreciation for him by the fans and his fellow players. Especially Messi. He treated him with so much love and respect. Even now, after going through so much shit at PSG, Neymar doesn't seem to want to leave that club. In my opinion, he is one reason why Barcelona went downhill. The club spent so much money on his replacements which all ended in failure. I think if he hadn't left at that time, Barcelona would be in a relatively better place right now. Maybe I'm wrong but that's what I interpreted. Please correct me if I'm getting it wrong or if I missed some important thing amidst all of this. I have nothing against Neymar, he's a wonderful player, but I can't help but put a little blame on him.

Hii ! I love ranting about this stuff, so warning: long ass ramble, I'm putting it beneath.

I think it's fairly common for people to assume Neymar's departure in 2017 was the thing that started FCB "downfall" (which is a pretty dramatic term in of itself), because it's such a public move that made everyone talk. It's a transfer whose consequences on the market value of players and the way we appreciate those is still underappreciated; genuinely, that Neymar saga is mad, it changed everything (to me, for the worse). But the decline of FCB, the institution, began way earlier than 2017. 2017 is kind of, the first most visible consequence of every prior stuff.

Everything was a mess by 2006/2008, for the team & institutionally wise. It got better from 2008 - 2012, under Pep Guardiola (coach) & Laporta/Rosell (presidents, although both not v good men) & which is now commonly referred to as the "golden age" of FCB's recent History. Then, from 2012 on, everything kind of started to decline. It's not very visible since we won the treble in 2014-2015 (KING SHIT VISCA BARÇA VISCA CATALUNYA etc. etc.) , but already behind the scenes it was rocky as hell. Political stuff, power struggles within the board, etc. Even that 2014-2015 "golden" season was a mess, what with the breach of the Transfer Regulations (we couldn't sign players until 2016), firing of our sporting director, firing of medical/staff members, lies about state of finances, restriction of said finances, Messi/Enrique/Chelsea conflict, etc. That 2014-2015 team winning the Treble effectively masked to posterity & the general public how fucked up the club's politics were at that time. But on the long run, that bad gestion did end up affecting that team that arguably should've gone on to win way more in 2016 - 2017, what with the bunch of talents we had in hands.

Then there was the Neymar stuff in 2017, Iniesta leaving in 2018. Of course, by then the mess that was the cub began to reflect on our style of play; by 2017/2018 already we weren't playing as good as we had. There were moments of brilliance of course, games to remember, iconic ones, but still. It was already falling, there were ovious issues, weaknesses, boring times, some alarming performances. I think that 2018-2019 UCL campaign symbolizes everything that had changed since that 2015 UCL ; we didn't have a team, we had one guy, surrounded by too unstable performances from players around. As football proves times and times again, you can have the current best player in the world, if he's alone, you'll never win shit. You'll win games, not competitions. That's the beauty of the sport, you need a team, or you'll go nowhere. Ultimately that "downfall" confirmed itself by more harsh and evident results, with the 2019-2022 period being rock bottom. Jesus Christ that period.

As for that Neymar stuff: it's so real complicated. And not as black/white as it appears. As a FCB supporter, when he left, I despised his guts for a bunch of years, genuinely. Many still do, just look at the comments under the rumors of his comeback; large portion of culers don't want him there, because we really saw it as a treason. A guy who left for money and some more fame. I guess you can say the fact that most culers still haven't swallowed that pill six years later is a testament to how much we loved him.

First, let me state that it's fucking tragic, for him as for the club. He left at his prime and, arguably, wasted it at PSG (tell anyone from 2015 that Neymar Jr doesn't have a single Ballon d'Or to his name and they'll rightfully laugh at your face) ; while Barca drowned as well, failing to find a proper replacement (FCB players were upset with the board at that failure), as you said. Had he stayed, as Pep said, and had the club managed itself better (but that in itself prompts the argument of: could they really? After all the decline started in 2014?) we could've won at least one, if not two UCLs. Honestly, now that we can take a few steps back and reflect, it seems none of the parties (except PSG, who propelled itself forward on the European scene) benefited from that move. But in truth, there can be a million reasons he left. We don't know if it was a personnal initiative or one of his family. We don't know how the Remontada and the aftermath really affected this decision. We don't know if he's the one that wanted to step out of « Messi's shadow » or if his father/agent pushed him to. We don't know if it's because Barcelona rendered public some elements of his contract, effectively breaking the trust his side had towards the club. This mess is a mix of money, ego, power, ambition, personnal relationships, psychological stuff in the brain of a 25 years old and his surroundings, Barcelona being Messi's club (whether you want it or not, it has been true since 2009. Barcelona and Messi were (still remain) synonymous, and that in itself paused a problem later on), PR/image manipulation/communication, and background stuff we'll probably never know of/or much later. The guy even pushed to comeback to Barcelona a mere year or two later. The whole Messi part is a theater play in of itself, between a starstruck kid who went on to play with his idol, who became friends and formed the most successfull Trident of the decade with him, who upon each occasion praises him and rambles about their friendship/love for each other, yet leaves. I mean, the guy reportedly told others he was leaving the club on Messi's wedding, without telling Leo - if that doesn't indicates you how fucked up/messy it was in his own head, Jesus. And yet the friendship Neymar had with other FCB players showed through the very summer he left, what with them posting a pic together following the legal actions of FCB against him. So yeah.

I think part of why he stayed at PSG after they retained him from going back to Barcelona is because he's, like every great player, a winner, he wants to get everything, he genuinely wants to give Paris what he came to do, but also cause, in the long run, he's trapped himself there. The more time passed the more it became that kind of need: he wanted/needed his move to mean something, he wanted that UCL so he could feel like he didn't waste so much time and talent and prime there. All in all, it's a bit tragic, I could ramble about it for hours but I'm gonna cut it short now cause that's not your ask lmfao.

Conclusion to the essay: Neymar's transfer to PSG didn't start anything, rather was the consequence and the accelerator of a decline that began years prior in the institution's background. Hope it helped bring some elements to the table, anon! ❤️

[purplesurveys]

1937

Do you know anyone who works at McDonald's? I've worked with people who were in the company corporately because McDonald's has been one of the brands I've handled. As service crew, though, I don't think so.

What are your plans for next weekend? Shutting myself out of work and likely playing tons of Rhythm Hive. It's gonna be a long weekend for All Saints/Souls Day so I'm pretty stoked; we're out of work from Thursday afternoon til Sunday.

Do you know anyone who plays heaps of sports? Sure. I handle a couple of sports-centric brands, so I've encountered individuals who have a major passion in sports and do like 10 of them.

Have you ever been suspended from school? Nope.

When was the last time you had chocolate? Ooh, hard to recall; I rarely have chocolate on its own as I find it too sweet...I did have chocolate biscuits a week ago, if that also counts.

Have you ever been to a sports game? Sure. Usually pro wrestling shows or collegiate games; I've never had an interest in the professional leagues.

If so, what sport did you see? The last I watched were two games simultaneously happening at UP, actually. I was with Andi – we watched a women's softball game first between UP and Adamson; the second one we sat at was Ateneo and UST for women's football.

Have you used a sewing machine before? Yes, we were taught how to in like Grade 6 home economics. I never learned how to pick it up and I remember not turning in a final project because I was too shy to ask for help even until the deadline.

When was the last time you had a snow day? Continued from Sunday. I can't relate.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for using a phone in class? No. During my time in high school, gadgets weren't allowed yet. Then in college, profs didn't care if you used your phone while in class.

Where do your cousins live? Oh dude we're spread out. I can't even tell you where most of my cousins would be because literally, we're all just spread out. Not just in the Philippines but like in the US, Canada, Australia as well. I also have a couple ones in New Zealand and probably around Europe too.

Have you met any of your second cousins? Yes. I'm close with one set of second cousins, but that's it. I'm pretty sure I haven't even met all of them, too, because my parents (especially my mom!!) have a ton of cousins.

Do you like the All-American Rejects? Not really. I liked Gives You Hell but that's literally it.

Is your computer slow or fast? It's on the slower side now. I've had this since 2017 and I used it throughout my college life + my first year of work, but I'm not and probably will not be in a rush to replace it anytime soon because I only ever use this personal laptop for surveys.

What colour shirt are you wearing? It's olive green.

Have you ever faked sick to get out of something? Sure. I did it just two weeks ago when I said I had food poisoning just to avoid the company Halloween party.

If so, how did you do it? I just said I had food poisoning and will be passing on the party. I've had my fair share of legit food poisoning experiences in the past, so I know it wouldn't seem 'out of the blue' or fake to my teammates.

Have you ever been ice skating? I have. I did it a lot as a kid – I wasn't good or athletic at it, certainly couldn't do spins or flips and such...but I was decent at balancing and gliding. And that alone felt very freeing for me, so I loved doing it.

Who do you sit near in math? I can't remember details like that anymore, lmao.

Have you ever had Werther's Original butterscotch toffee? I've never even heard of that.

When was the last time you wore a skirt? College, so circa 2016-2019 when denim skirts were a thing.

Have you seen all the Shrek movies? Just Shrek 2. The other three I didn't find nearly as interesting.

Have you ever fainted? Yeah, I'm a fainter.

What did you have for breakfast? Skipped it as always.

When was the last time you went on vacation? June, in Vietnam.

Have you ever had to sit next to some smelly random person on a bus? No.

Do you have any pets other than dogs or cats? Nope.

What colour is your bed sheet? Brown.

Do you have a job? Yeah.

If so, where and what does it consist of doing? I work from home. Public relations. Don't wanna get into it now.

Do you know anyone with the surname Matheson? No, I don't.

Tell me about the posters you have on your walls. I don't have anything up.

Are you the type of person who gets injuries often? No, but I will say my left ankle for some reason is particularly vulnerable. I've already sprained it twice haha, the last time was two years ago on my birthday weekend.

Have you ever finished a whole video game? No. It's one of my biggest annoyances in life, lmao. I've always wanted to achieve this at least once, but I always eventually get stuck at some stage/mission.

If so, which one(s)?

Are your siblings allergic to anything? They aren't.

Tell me about a funny TV ad you've seen. Not a TVC but Lola Nena's had a hilarious streak of digital ads. My favorite one was the elderly staff talking about their doughnuts with a green screen background of a car backing up to her. It's supposed to make you think the car would run her over, only for you to realize it's just a background video.

What time is it? 11:45 PM.

Do you know anyone with a pet snake? I don't think so.

Do you own a purple hoodie or sweatshirt? Neither, but I do have a purple crocheted cardigan.

When did you last stay home from school? I'll use work as my answer here – two weeks ago, as mentioned.

^ What was the reason? They were holding the company Halloween party and I really wasn't feeling up to it mentally. They had a fashion runway portion in the program which alone was enough to make me feel a little sick, so I just faked having food poisoning so I could miss out.

Has your house ever had a pest infestation? Termites, yes.

Do you have any bad habits? Yes.

Can you speak French? I'll recognize a few words or phrases but wouldn't able to last five seconds in a conversation.

Which one of your friends has great music taste? Andi.

What can you smell right now? The air coming from the aircon.

What was the last movie you watched? Markova: Comfort Gay. Fucking terrific film. I hate that it took me this long to watch it.

What was the last CD you bought? Jin's album, Happy.

Was it a digital copy or old school? Old-school.

What will you do after this? I wanna do another one.

[billvaouli]

Blog Post 3.5 (Self Bibliography)

1. Attentional control deficits in trait anxiety: Why you see them and why you don’t. Biological Psychology. (2013). https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/science/article/pii/S0301051112000695

I chose to put this link first because I feel like anxiety rest with me the most. I'm always worried about upcoming things or what could happen in the future. I've never been legit tested for anxiety, which I should probably do, but I know I have it. Also I learned more about myself because anxiety can get worse or better depending on life events, so I know to pay more close attention in my life.

2. “I Use Weed for My ADHD”: A Qualitative Analysis of Online Forum Discussions on Cannabis Use and ADHD. (2016). https://go-gale-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=seat38459&id=GALE%7CA453533563&v=2.1&it=r

I'm an active weed smoker, but I use it because I use it for my ADHD. I've never been tested for ADHD because my parents never thought I had it so they never tested me. But deep down I personally feel like I do. The difference between when I smoke vs when I don't, I can tell the difference in my mood/vibe. When I smoke I'm more calm, relax and more focused. Whereas when I don't smoke I feel anxious, worried and sad all the time. Personally I think weed helps me more than it hurts me.

3. Unexceptional exceptionalism: the origins of American football in a transnational context. (2013). https://www.proquest.com/docview/1365015043?accountid=28598&parentSessionId=yCD2WvdCPBZWopUiBldfRGMtsKz3MVwWIFG9TL31J0A%3D&pq-origsite=primo

Early types of football played in Europe, especially England, can be seen as the ancestors of American football. Different variations of kicking a ball across a field or attempting to carry it to a goal we're featured in these games. I'm a big fan of football and I've been following it since I can remember. The most knowledge I possess is about football because it's a sport I also played growing up and in high school. It's been fun learning about the middle of the 19th century, American colleges started to play their own versions of football, which frequently had varied rules depending on the institution.

4. Can a Dog Really Be a Man’s Best Friend?: An Exchange between Humans. (2018). https://muse-jhu-edu.proxy.seattleu.edu/article/720205

It's been about a year now since I got a dog, and I can confidently say I love my dog. But to be honest I never understood dogs being mans best friend until I got a dog of my own. Overall, the qualities that make dogs "man's best friend" is loyalty, friendship, devotion, and the numerous ways they improve the lives of their owners. They offer their loved ones practical advantages that improve their quality of life in addition to emotional support and friendship. My dog has done tremendous things to help get me on the right path and back up on my feet.

5. Insomnia with objective short sleep duration is associated with longer duration of insomnia in the Freiburg Insomnia Cohort compared to insomnia with normal sleep duration, but not with hypertension. (2017). https://go-gale-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=seat38459&id=GALE%7CA499323001&v=2.1&it=r

I have sleep insomnia and it's one of the worst things possible because I'm constantly waking up and can't stay asleep for long. Many things like stress, worry, erratic sleep patterns, poor sleep hygiene, medical disorders, pharmaceutical side effects, or lifestyle choices like excessive caffeine or alcohol intake are all common causes of insomnia. I should probably get checked out for this too. Something weird about me and never getting checked up on.

6. Working at the Car Wash. (2007). https://web-s-ebscohost-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=224c93f7-7659-4d3d-803c-f0aa4542ce8d%40redis

Found an old newspaper article from that job that I work at. I've been working at Brown Bear car wash for about 2 years now, I started when I was a senior in high school. Brown Bear's been an amazing company to me. It's funny reading all the memberships and things they've added since 2007. Brown bear has come a long way because even when I first started there they started at $16 an hour for minimum wage. Now they start at $19 an hour which is just a $3 difference in like 2 years for the minimum wage. If you haven't been to a Brown Bear yet, I suggest you go.

7. Stan Lee Came Up with Spider-Man Because He Saw a Fly Land on a Wall and Decided There Needed to Be a Superhero that Could Stick to Walls. (2020). https://www.proquest.com/docview/2674422834?accountid=28598&parentSessionId=oaC%2BhfvhZc5EFK8jc7zUFoRouaPknXK0E%2FY7bZMwWH4%3D&pq-origsite=primo

If you know Bill than you know he's the biggest spider-man fan boy alive. I can remember spider-man from my earliest moments in my childhood and he's absolutely amazing, even until this day. But I found a peer-reviewed article about how Stan Lee came up with spider-man. It's funny how he came up with a whole character that turned into an icon by just seeing a fly crawl up a wall. It's also crazy how most people, including me, didn't know this until he passed away.

[canonicallysoulmates]

Hi, I was wondering if you know more about something that I've read somewhere long ago. (Can't remember where.) Apparently a touch with the tip of a finger is a "I love you"- sign for the J's. I've certainly seen them do fingertip touches on various occasions. (On stage, at Jared's wedding photo where all his best men are holding him but Jensen only touches him with a finger, ...). Do you know if this is legit or made up by fans / speculation?

Hi,

I have heard of this and read a little bit about it; I know that j2 + hands is something that has been noticed and widely talked about over the years, however I am unaware if this is a theory that existed prior to 2016/2017. From my understanding this theory came forth, or became more talked about, after Jensen said during the j2 Gold 2016 Vancon panel that he and D supposedly touch finger tips to say ‘I love you’ and how that’s something JJ has picked up on so now he also does it with her. 

Considering how often Jared and Jensen are touching each other’s hands it didn’t take too long to put two and two together thus the theory that when they touch each others hands with the tip of their fingers it’s a way for them to say I love you in public. 

Wether or not this is, as you say, legit, is up to you anon; this is, like a lot of things in fandom space, theory/speculation so it’s your choice if you believe it to be true or not, all I can do is give you the information and my opinion. 

Personally, I do think this theory to be true, and actually I take it one step further (or would this be two steps?) I think it’s not just an I love you I think sometimes for them it’s also an ‘I’m right here besides you’/comfort thing and I don’t believe Jensen when he said it’s something he does with D, I think it’s something he does with Jared, and as he said in his story with his kids (which is so cute). 

But that’s just me...

I am going to provide some links to two gifsets that I love that have examples of j2 + hands plus to a post that has links to another example as well as to when Jensen made the comment of touching fingertips meaning ‘I love you’:

J2 + hands gifset #1

J2 + hands gifset #2

Link to Jensen’s touching fingertips mean ‘I love you’ + Jensen going to touch fingertips with jared turning into fist bump