#AMAZON DELIVERED IT A DAY EARLY WHICH HAPPENS TO BE MY BIRTHDAY!!!
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
A Women’s History of City Lights: Interview with Nancy J. Peters
We'll be celebrating Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s 102nd birthday on March 24, and what better way to remember his legacy AND to mark Women’s History Month, than to honor Nancy J. Peters, Lawrence’s business partner, friend, and longtime comrade at City Lights Books. While Ferlinghetti certainly deserves all of the accolades he’s received, the fact of the matter is there would literally be no City Lights without Nancy Peters. Beyond shepherding City Lights through various fiscal crises and providing the steady anchor that allowed Ferlinghetti to travel the world as a poet and activist, Nancy's vision as an editor and acumen as a publisher were a vital key to the success and longevity of City Lights Publishers.
***
City Lights: How did you come to know what City Lights was? How did you meet Lawrence Ferlinghetti?
Nancy Peters: In Greece in the early 1960s, I became friends with Nanos Valaoritis and Marie Wilson who were at the center of an international bohemian/surrealist community. They had a large home which was always full of traveling writers and artists whom they made welcome. The Beat writers were among their guests, and City Lights was frequently talked about as a place everyone would meet up someday. I met Philip Lamantia there and in 1965 he introduced me to Lawrence in Paris at one of Jean-Jacque Lebel’s anarcho-surrealist festivals of free expression. Before a riotous crowd Lawrence gave a show-stopping rendition of his “Lord’s Prayer.” I was impressed by his powerful stage presence. Later that year, when Philip and I were living in Andalusia, Lawrence wrote Philip, asking for a selection of poems for a Pocket Poets Series volume. We corresponded some while we were putting the book together, but I didn’t see him again until 1971 when I moved to San Francisco.
I’d been working as an executive-trainee librarian at the Library of Congress in the fall of 1968. In April, Martin Luther King was assassinated and the impassioned protests that ensued left Washington neighborhoods in ruins. There was shockingly little assistance to residents from the government and my part of the city was under military surveillance, helicopters hovering over my apartment through the night. A Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam took place in Washington the following year. Over 750,000 people peacefully demonstrated. In a small way, I was involved in the planning and, during the protests, my apartment was crammed with fellow activists.
The Library of Congress was an amazing, fascinating place with compatible co-workers from all over the world—thousands of book people all in one place. However, the mission of the Library is to serve Congress, and the institution was a huge conservative bureaucracy serving a conservative and ineffective Congress as I saw it. I believed that if I stayed there I would have little contact with actual books or opportunities for civic activism.
So I moved to San Francisco, where Philip was living and urging me to come, and spent an enormous amount of time at City Lights while I was job hunting. It seemed like paradise, such a stimulating atmosphere where people could sit down to read, share ideas, and have conversations about books, politics, art. One day in early 1971 when I was walking down the street in North Beach, Lawrence hailed me and asked if I would like to help him with a bibliography of Allen Ginsberg’s writings. After just a brief meeting at the publishing office, Lawrence went to Europe and his editorial assistant Jan Herman suddenly decided to move to Germany. Jan showed me how all the editorial work was done in the office, told me Lawrence “wouldn’t mind,” and so I found myself beginning an exciting new career in publishing.
What was your experience taking over as executive director and co-owner in 1984?
The store back then employed seven people: six men at the bookstore and one (me) at the publishing branch. So “executive director” is far too grand a title. City Lights was a small, failing organization by 1982. The store was not founded to make profits for the owners and it never did make a profit. Breaking even was the goal. But every year the losses mounted and there came a time when there were very few books left on the shelves. No one had seen a customer venture downstairs to the lower part of the store for many months.
At the time, Lawrence was immensely popular and in great demand as a performer and a speaker, so he was traveling much of the time, visiting foreign colleagues, living abroad, finding new writers to translate. At this low point in the store’s history Lawrence told me in a frustrated moment that if I’d like to own City Lights, he would give it to me outright if I would run the business, freeing him to do all the other things he wanted to do. I declined, but told him I would be honored to be his partner. Theft was seriously addressed, and a protracted payment plan was agreed to by Book People, the East Bay employee-owned distributors who extended us credit for a generous period. Savvy booksellers Richard Berman and Paul Yamazaki headed the re-stocking plan. The three of us would go every week to Book People and Lou Swift Distributors to collect enough books to sell the following week. As time went on, everybody at the store consulted book catalogs and took on the responsibility for buying subject sections. I envisioned a participatory structure. If not a co-op, I wanted a bookstore where all the staff had responsibilities and power.
Why the decision not to have multiple bookstore locations around SF?
At one time we seriously considered additional locations. We explored sites in San Francisco’s Mission district and visited city officials in San Jose to talk about a second store there. But our resources were limited, and we were concerned about the time and money that would be required to create a sister store that would embody the same spirit and ethic as the original. During my time as director, the evolving challenges from chain stores and especially Amazon made beginning a new store a very risky enterprise. In retrospect, so many independents were closing that we decided to invest in our present, iconic location. In retrospect I think it was a good decision after watching attempts by other stores fail to duplicate their success elsewhere.
How has North Beach changed, how has it stayed the same? With the exodus of Big Tech and falling rents, how do you think that will affect North Beach and San Francisco in general in the future? Will there be “a rebirth of wonder”?
North Beach when I came to SF was a small bohemian village, where neighbors shared meals on their flat rooftops watching the sun set over the Bay. My rent was $125 a month, cheap even then. City Lights and the Discovery Bookstore (used books) next door to Vesuvio were key places to spend an evening. Two large Italian grocers delivered (no charge) bags of groceries up four flights of stairs to my apartment. The neighborhood was full of inexpensive Basque, Italian, and Chinese restaurants, and many cafes, many of which seemed unchanged since the 19th century. Change happens, and City Lights is well prepared for the future. It’s never easy to predict how things will develop, but the feeling of a lovely Mediterranean town persists, with the wooden buildings painted pastel colors, and the shimmering sea light on misty days. I feel certain that the light of City Lights will prevail for a long time to come.
Do you feel that your gender had any impact on your experience during your 23 years as director? Do you have any comments about women in bookselling or publishing in general?
Gender always has an impact. The Beat movement was certainly male focused. Even though the undaunted Diane di Prima was recognized, she was never enthusiastically supported by the inner nucleus of Beat poets. It was a long time before the Beat women came into their own. From the start, Lawrence, who insisted he wasn’t a Beat, had eclectic tastes and was open to women’s poetry. He admired Marianne Moore and Edna St. Vincent Millay as much as he did T.S. Eliot, Jacques Prévert, and Allen Ginsberg. In the Pocket Poets Series, he’d published di Prima and, very early in the series, both Marie Ponsot and Denise Levertov.
Women’s rights and opportunities are always vulnerable and cyclic. The Women’s Movement of the 1970s was very powerful and widespread, its impact on women��s lives enormous. At City Lights we hired more women; we published more women. There have always been outstanding women in publishing and bookselling, and during that time increasingly more women writers were published, reviewed, and were given accolades and awards. Women opened general bookstores and women’s bookstores, founded feminist and lesbian presses. It was a thrilling development, to see so many marginalized writers, and not just women, finding established publishers or creating their own presses. Together they created a larger, much more diverse national literature.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with many talented women at the bookstore. And in the publishing branch: Stella Levy, Kim McCloud, and Patricia Fujii. Gail Chiarello collected and edited our bestselling Bukowski stories. Annie Janowitz proposed the timely Unamerican Activities, and Amy Scholder brought us classics by Karen Finley, Rebecca Brown, and others. I’m happy to say that Amy Scholder is again working with City Lights as an editor.
When did you meet the now current publisher and executive director Elaine Katzenberger? What was her position at the bookstore? When did you know that she was the right person to take over as director?
Ah, Elaine, the woman who can do everything! Elaine began at the bookstore sales counter, then reorganized files and the store accounts, and very soon excelled as a book buyer. She had a great feeling for good writing, so I asked her to become an editor and she immediately began adding excellent books to City Lights’ list. She’s smart, witty, multitalented, and politically astute. We are very lucky to have her at the helm.
What is your understanding or vision of what of City Lights is and what it could be? How has Lawrence’s passing impacted this?
Lawrence’s democratic inclusiveness made him the best-selling poet in the U.S. His moral principles, his courage and resilience are a model to be emulated. He conceived City Lights as an educational institution that would open minds to explore and relate to the world through books. “One guy told me he’d got the equivalent of a Ph. D just sitting in the basement reading all our great books,” he often reminded us.
His “literary gathering place” was to be a fulcrum of San Francisco cultural experience, where our bookselling and publishing could amplify the voices of diverse experiences, connect with other creative communities, and serve as a center of dissent and, at the same time, a force for creating a better society.
Lawrence’s vision will continue to be our guiding light. An optimistic realist, he believed that City Lights would long endure as the co-creation of all the dedicated people who work here and make it what it is.
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
Take A Chance IV
Simon Dominic (AOMG) x Y/N (Reader) Genre: Romance / Angst Count: 2.4k+ Warnings: None Rating: Mature (suggestive, swearing) Summary: Who would’ve thought a one night stand with Simon D would turn into FWB? It only gets more complicated when you developed feelings, against your better judgement.
Chapter One. | Chapter Two. | Chapter Three. | Chapter Four. | Chapter Five. | Chapter Six. | Chapter Seven. |
Over the course of two weeks, you and Kiseok had a pretty good routine going on. He didn't come over every night, more like every other but he called and texted you nearly every chance he got.
At first you didn't think anything of it. He would ask you how your day was, if you ate and how you were feeling. Nothing crazy or out of pocket. It was innocent most of the time, and usually followed up by making plans to see you later on.
There was nothing you could do to stop your heart from bursting out of your chest each time you heard a small chime. Nicole had glared at you once when you two were on lunch and you scrambled over the table to reach your phone.
"Is that Lover Boy?" She teased. You were thankful that, out of all the nicknames she could've used - and she had a lot of them -, lover boy was the one she had stuck with. For now.
"What?" You feigned ignorance, "I have no idea what you're talking about. That's...Amazon. My package was delivered."
She smirked, sipping her iced tea, "I'm sure it was."
After a few days, Kiseok's texts became a little more...risky. You had no problem with sexting. When in the right setting, it was hot but he would send you wild shit while you're in the middle of a meeting, or when you're trying to finish up the last of your work before heading to see him. Usually you could play it off then retreat to the bathroom to respond but when he sent a voice recording of that damned deep voice of his, you stood from your desk and went to the stairs corridor to call and cuss him out for getting you bothered at eleven in the morning. You promised punishment as soon as you were off and Kiseok was, to say the least, intrigued. That night he was stunned at how different you could be if he gave you the reigns. Days after that, he still catches himself staring after you with amazement.
From that point on, he pretty much figured out that he could make you do nearly anything with a certain voice. It was a dangerous game that you two played. It only escalated when he coaxed you to touch yourself in the private bathroom at your company with him on FaceTime. You were lucky that you had finished in record-breaking time, before any of your coworkers (or God forbid, your boss) found out what exactly you were doing.
By the time the third week rolled around, Nicole had stopped hounding you for details of your hookups. Instead, she cautioned every now again. Typically, it was the same thing.
"Don't get too attached."
"He's a celebrity. You know how society is to foreigners dating celebs."
"What if he's a player? I just don't want you to get hurt."
While you appreciated her concern, you knew it was already too late not to get attached to him. Other than text you constantly, Kiseok did little things that had your head and heart confused.
On his bad days, he would complain to you about what happened and asked for your advice, if you had any to give, on the topic. He joked and teased you just like a friend would and willingly showed you pieces of his personal and work life as well. It was subtle at first - videos of him in the studio and then pictures of his friends when he was telling you a story about them. Each time, he would bring you food or have something delivered so you both got to learn each other's eating and drinking habits. You had seen him tipsy but he made it a point not to over do it in front of you.
Kiseok was also very considerate of you and your time, which you appreciated more than anything else. He didn't hound you if you didn't text back immediately and understood if you were swamped at the office or had to cancel that one time because the work would not be done until late in the night. He just told you to take care of yourself and later, had a pizza ordered to your job. It was around that time that you noticed you were falling a little too fast. You hadn’t admitted it out-loud, instead you chose to ignore those feelings completely. Hopefully, they would magically disappear into thin air.
You both didn't get into intimate details of your life. It was only by a weird stroke of luck that he hadn't found out about Cookie. She usually called right after you got off work anyway. Kiseok was busy during the day so when you went out to meet with your daughter and her father on your off days, he was in the middle of his own jam-packed schedule. Really, he was only available during the night time so you were more of a booty call than a FWB at this point. Neither of you had defined the "relationship" so far though, so it was hard to put a name to it right now.
It was Saturday when you woke up early and got dressed in casual clothes to go with Cookie to the zoo. Her, her father and his girlfriend were flying back to the US tonight so they wanted to do one last thing to fill the hours before the boring plane ride. You had cried last night as you thought of being without your mini-me for two whole months but his family hadn't seen her since she was much younger. You knew she would have fun, especially since his parents were dying to take her to Disneyland. You wished you could take an extended vacation and go with them but you had used most of your vacation days to take Cookie to Disney World for her birthday and that was only a couple of months ago.
Either way, you were sadder these past two days and thankfully Kiseok was swamped with an upcoming project so he hadn't been over in about four days. You didn't have to explain your blood-shot eyes.
You had so much fun at the zoo with your daughter that you didn't bother touching your phone. Your ex had taken most of the pictures for you all with promises to send them to you. It was around two in the afternoon when you four decided to go to a nearby burger joint and get some lunch. Cookie was shoving her face with chicken tenders so you decided to check your phone to pass the time. There were a few new gray message bubbles.
'Hey sexy thang ;)' 10:09AM
'This song better go double platinum with all the work I'm puttin in this bitch' 11:32AM
'Don't tell me you're asleep still?' 11:38AM
'I'm going to find a way to get your sexy ass as a video vixen one of these days' 11:47AM
'Argggh PD is calling me back. Text me when you wake up' 11:51AM
'We should be done by 2. Loco is taking me to some new place for food then I'm free. Can I swing by your place?' 11:52AM
Of course they were all from Kiseok. Not even your mother texted you as much as he did and although you liked the attention, right now you wanted to focus on Cookie since you won't physically see her for weeks after this. You frowned to yourself, feeling tears well up in your eyes for the millionth time today. You were going to miss her so much.
Composing yourself, you quickly typed a reply back. 'Hey. I'm up, just a little busy today. I won't be able to see you tonight. Maybe tomorrow if you're free?' 2:16PM
With that, you locked your phone and slid it in your pocket, once again forgetting about it soon after.
Your ex's girlfriend, Mia, nudged you slightly when she saw how pensive you were. "Hey, you okay? Was that work?"
Shaking your head, you took a breath, "No, I'm just gonna miss having my best friend around."
Cookie popped up, french fries sticking out of her mouth, "I'm gonna miss you too, mommy!" Her curly hair was pulled into two pony-tails, coils springing happily as she devoured the food in record-breaking time. "Don't cry! I'll make daddy buy you a Tiana dress so we can match!"
You laughed at the sight, tears pooling in your eyes again as her father pouted. "Ok, sweetie, I'd love to match with you."
About thirty minutes later, you all were getting ready to leave when Mia said she'd swing by and grab the rental car from the parking lot. They had to go to back to their hotel to pack. You all said your goodbyes, tears flowing freely between you and Mia. Cookie looked concerned for you as she wiped your tears, kissing your cheeks to reassure you.
Your ex hugged you and thanked you again, his eyes sparkling with happiness to have his precious daughter with him. You wished you could go with them once again as you watched their car drive off.
Back at home, you were greeted with a depressingly quiet apartment. It was cold and dark, something that was going to be a common occurrence for the coming weeks. Sniffling, you made your way to Cookie’s room, scanning her pink room with a blurring gaze. You were slowly walking around the room when you felt your phone ring.
It was Mia.
"Hello?" You called, wondering what could've happened in the last hour since you parted ways.
"Hey, Y/N, Cookie is freaking out because her father forgot to ask you to bring her Peach doll," Mia nearly shouted over the distraught crying in the background. You could hear your ex trying to console Cookie, to no avail. "Can you meet us at the airport with it?"
Searching the room, you spotted the Princess Peach doll on her bed and nearly sprinted out of the door. "I got it. When is your flight again?"
"Boarding is in another hour and a half."
Shit. You scrambled to snatch your keys and shoved the doll in your purse. "Okay, I'll leave now and meet you at departures, okay? Tell Cookie mommy's on the way."
You hung up and made a mad dash down to the parking garage. The airport was about a forty-five minute drive from your place, not including traffic or any other delays like the predictable Seoul rush hour.
At his own apartment, Simon was lounging on his couch, laptop on his chest as he worked. Loco was right next to him, on Face Time with the one and only Jay Park as he was at the airport.
"Have a safe flight," Loco was saying before Kiseok slid shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
"Get there and back in once piece, boss," the oldest one teased and Jay laughed. Unfortunately, he was distracted a little too long because he suddenly collided into a woman. The phone fell, face up and there were suddenly two faces on the screen.
His body guards reacted immediately and made sure the two were alright. Mildly interested, the two on the other side of the line watched on.
"I-I'm so sorry, oh God, I'm just in a rush." The woman's voice was so eerily familiar to Kiseok that he took a second to strain to hear it over the airport commotion.
Jay was off to the side, picking up his passport and other belongings that fell. "Nah, it's alright. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, thank you. Again, I'm so sorry I wasn’t- Is this your phone?"
Without further ado, the woman picked up Jay's phone, and Kiseok felt his eyes bulge out of his skull when her face came into view.
What was Y/N doing in the airport? Loco didn't notice the other's tense reaction and simply waved at the stranger. You didn't seem to glance at the screen, yet they could easily notice your tear-stained cheeks, and just passed it back to the owner.
Over Jay reassuring her that it was fine for the third time, a loud and very male voice yelled. "Y/N! There you are!"
With another apology, you left the frame and turned towards the male voice. Jay watched the interaction for a second before continuing on his way, which was conveniently right past you. Loco was talking to the CEO like that didn't just happen when Kiseok saw you in the frame again. He was positive it was you this time around.
You wore that over-sized gray sweater that he thought was so cute on you, hair tied messily and hugging a handsome foreigner tightly. He pulled back from the hug and pushed back some pieces of your hair from your face before smiling, his lips moving. Staring up to him, you nodded, wiping your face with your sleeves. He brought you back to his chest, arms around your shoulders.
Involuntarily, Kiseok felt his jaw clench at the display of affection. His eyes tore from the phone quicker than he meant to, causing his junior to stare at him in confusion.
For the rest of the night, Loco was warily watching as the older man was fuming next to him. There was hardly any movement from his part and he was sure he was in a coma until Simon wiped out his phone, tapping it a few times before pressing it to his ear.
“Nayoung? It’s been a while. Are you free right now?”
Almost choking on his coke, Hyukwoo coughed. Why was Kiseok calling her, of all people? Once the call wrapped up, he nervously voiced his concern, “Hyung...Why are you calling her at this hour..?”
He didn’t get an immediate response, instead, Kiseok stood and glared with the power of a thousand suns at the TV in front of them.
“Am I not single? Can I not do what I want, with whoever I want, too?”
Without any further explanation, he stormed out of the apartment all together.
Hyukwoo stared after the front door in confusion. “Too?”
#simon dominic#simon dominic scenarios#aomg#aomg scenarios#jung kiseok#aomg simon d#simon d scenarios#jay park#loco#kunderdogs#kunderdogs scenario#take a chance#chapter four
81 notes
·
View notes
Text
What qualifies as a gaming monitor
Best 22 Esports Blogs To Study Inked Gaming
The Gaming industry has been the most influential and lucrative small business in quite some time. What Wikipedia is to know-how, GameSpot is to video games. From video game blogs to testimonials to downloads to previews on console games. GameSpot characteristics just about every nook & cranny of gaming planet. The greatest portion of this gaming web-site is it gives an open platform to users to share their opinions, blogs & critiques on their forum. The web page is really very good seeking and characteristics section such as: Computer Gaming, PS4, Xbox 1, Gametech, 3Ds, Deals & a great deal extra.
Less developed nations like Indonesia and Philippines have drawn less consideration from app publishers. Fashion and trends in mobile gaming in these countries have been heavily influenced by Western markets, with inroads from China, Japan and South Korea. In Indonesia, globally well-liked games like Clash of Clans and Candy Crush Saga took five of the prime ten spots by revenue and 7 spots imot9pa.site download games by downloads in December 2014. In Philippines, global leaders took an even greater share: six of the best ten spots by revenue and the entire top 7 by downloads. On the other hand, unlike in Japan or South Korea, Supercell and King did not rely on massive Tv and outside advertising campaigns to acquire customers and climb up ranks. It seems that the development in these five emerging Southeast Asian markets was a lot more organic. In Indonesia and Philippines users have been acquired more by means of marketing automation channels such as Facebook.
Lone Wolf Development specializes in creating innovative digital tools for the tabletop gaming sector, allowing players to streamline game preparation, eliminate errors, and commit much more time playing the games they like. With an ever-growing suite of tools, which includes the award-winning Army Builder, Hero Lab, and Realm Works goods, Lone Wolf's digital tools are the industry standard and are in typical use by tens of thousands of gamers, from miniatures games to function-playing games.
If you do not have a significant gaming group, you have in all probability noticed that two-player games are tough to discover, and actually fantastic ones that are just as good for two players are even far more uncommon. I've wracked my memory (and pestered my mates) to come up with a bunch of tabletop games that are a blast for two— not just technically playable with no far more.
Will not Be Deceived By GAMING
Did you know that Mobile games now account for 51% of international revenues in the gaming market followed by Console games (25%) and Pc Games (24%) 62% of smartphone owners set up a game inside a week of finding their phones and Mobile Games now account for extra than 43% of total time spent on smartphone. Check out our infographic on The State of Mobile Gaming Industry” for latest mobile gaming statistics and trends.
If you are reading this from a mobile device, possibilities are you have a laptop or computer chip full of games that have intrigued your require for gaming, but not very happy it. With the invention of the smart telephone, mobile gaming device, and portable laptop straight out of Star Trek, gaming has much more platforms than ever, along with as quite a few blogs as ever.
Bit factors continue to develop up and platform was changed differently. Google and Apple changed their algorithms few time and this shake entire App search outcomes. Platforms fixes their early concerns and if you recall Balmer's joke "Who's gonna obtain $500 telephone? men and women start to bought $500 phones. Also steady platform bring "BigGuys" there like EA, GameLoft in gaming market or Adobe, Autocad in graphic apps. This happens around 2011-2012.
The benefits of this cloud model for gaming? The newest gaming hardware does not come low-priced: hundreds of pounds for a console or thousands for a tricked-out Computer, plus the games themselves - and with gaming technologies constantly evolving, upgrading hardware every single handful of years is mandatory to enjoy the most recent titles at their ideal. By connecting to devices in the cloud, costs are decreased to a subscription fee, and the provider takes on all the responsibilities of preserving higher-finish gaming systems. With no need for on-website hardware, cloud gaming also saves space in the home and eliminates the noise and heat generated by gaming machines.
In March 2017, Green Man Gaming launched its first local language eCommerce site in Germany, 33 providing its buyers the capacity to shop in German utilizing their preferred payment strategies. The business also launched its brand new Neighborhood platform in March 2017, 34 providing gamers a new neighborhood to connect with each other, view their gameplay stats, get the latest news and watch common Twitch streamers - all in a single location.
Virtual reality is the future in all meanings of the word. The penetration of this idea in all crucial sectors across the globe and the ever developing numbers are testament to the truth that this is here to keep. Points, workings, processes, and game engines all pertaining to the virtual reality industry are regularly enhancing just about every day. With the intense proliferation of gaming platforms in the previous years there are a quantity of game engines becoming created out there in the marketplace for the development within this sector.
Functioning in partnership with Vox Media, Polygon brings its neighborhood original content material on video games and their creators. People today interested in the gaming culture verify up on Polygon many instances during the day for the most current and reliable news, critiques, previews, and videos viral in the gaming world. Their eclectic Forum homes wide-ranging discussions and opinions on games and gaming trends.
This (Blog) is exactly where you can study anything I know. Find out about the best board games for game nights in original critiques, get tips on every thing from organizing to snack and drinks, and read up on inclusivity and diversity in gaming communities. There is stuff right here for person players trying to chip in on game night, to hosts who want to (ahem) up their game, to companies interested in hosting standard board game nights.
Some like it wireless. Some prefer to go old-college with wires. If you happen to belong to the latter group, you may well want to give the Havit HV -MS672 Wired Mouse It may perhaps not have a pretty remarkable optical sensor that can run in the 16,000s, but its maximum of 3,200 DPI should be enough to deliver you with an exceptional gaming knowledge. Its DPI settings can also be adjusted to three other levels with the lowest at 800 DPI. The Havit Mouse also comes with breathing LED light effects including 7 circular LED light effects to set the mood in your game.
You initially convinced oneself that you would attempt a single or two board games, but somehow you have ended up spending a lot of money on new board games and come to accept that board gaming is your new hobby. You commit your paychecks on frequent impulse board gaming buys and kick starters. You religiously watch your favourite youtube channel and you have decided to attempt and uncover matching game players who have equivalent tastes for you to play games. You start out searching for the ideal bargains on Amazon and you happen to be kick-starting every single modern new board games coming out. While the huge signal that you are at this stage is that your secret birthday wishlist's for your buddies now has board games on it.
In fact, in the realm of mobile gaming, females are much more likely to be avid participants than men! According to a 2017 Google Play and NewZoo survey , 65% of U.S. females ages ten-65 play mobile games - and that is a big audience. What's a lot more, according to the very same survey, females make up practically half - 49% - of all mobile gamers, and they have a tendency to play far more often than their male gamer counterparts, creating them much more most likely to come to be habitual (and as a result profitable) players.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Personal: My Parcels Adventure Around Most of Australia
Now this is a pretty funny story, but to start it off, I will give a little bit of a backstory of my history with this shipping method in the past and some of the things that have happened before. This shipping method is pretty good, but I’ve had some problems with it in the past. There are quite a few locations of it within the country (mainly within capital cities and surrounding areas, not out in the countryside), but it’s probably more used by corporate business that can get discounts on shipments. This is a little bit long so I’ll put it under a cut.
Back when I used to get things shipped directly to Australia from Amazon Japan, I had a few little issues with shipping. They were good the majority of the time, I just had a few little hiccups occasionally. One being my delivery of my FIVE DVD box & CD+DVD being later than estimated and showing up in a different box (as either the box was broken in transit or they opened it, I still don’t know to this very day); and the another is one of my magazines (Sparkle Vol.33) being signed for as ‘delivered’ but I never got it, then it showed up a few days later.
Coming back to the present, I bought some goods with my proxy as a birthday present to myself, and because my usual shipping method is suspended temporarily for the time being, in order to get my goods safely, I went with the next best option that I’ve used before. So it got shipped off as normal and everything was going okay. It got to Sydney to go through customs and sorting, but the second it left the facility in Sydney, it was meant to come to Melbourne. But, you’re wrong, it ended up in Brisbane xD At the time I was so confused why and even said to myself, “Where is it going to go next? South Australia or something?”. But it ended up arriving in Melbourne the day after.
It arrived to Melbourne on Saturday and was hoping it would come early in the week. I waited and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday passed, it hasn’t arrived yet. Until on Friday morning, I got a text saying it would be delivered today, along with the tacking with the local postal service (as I had the tracking details from the shipping method at the beginning and that’s usually the only tracking I have). I don’t usually get texts about it being delivered and if I’ll be home, but I responded anyway. I then decided to look at the tracking from the postal service to see what took so long. It was in the Melbourne area on Sunday, but then on Wednesday, it ended up in Adelaide! (・Д・)
At the time I had no idea why it went to Adelaide, but I felt like I jinxed myself with what I said and was wondering what on Earth were they doing. When continuing to look through the postal service tracking, it ended up back in Melbourne the next day and on its way to me on Friday. So it had arrived to me midday Friday (but couldn’t look at it until tonight). And as I look at the shipping label on my package, my proxy may have made a mistake by putting my town name on there twice, one of them being where the state probably should have been. But then I decided to do some checking and saw that there’s a town with the same name as mine in Brisbane, and a street and shopping center with the same name in Adelaide. Which would explain why it went to both of those states xD However, if they looked at the labels, they could have noticed that it has ‘AU-MEL’ written on it for Melbourne, and they could have checked which town/state by looking at my postcode when going through the sorting facilities it ended up at xD
So in the end, my parcel had a good little adventure to some parts of Australia before arriving to me xD Mind you the amount of money I had to spend on this shipping method was a bit insane (as my proxy isn’t a corporate business, so it’s more expensive than it would be with Amazon Japan that’s a corporate business for example), but at least it got a bonus with the short tour to 4 different states including my own xD
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
So it's the first Monday of the stay at home order for Covid-19 (order started Saturday) and it happens to be my birthday today. Making the best of it since can't go to a restaurant or anything like that.
I did receive the recent Entertainment Weekly mag featuring Supernatural today (via Amazon). Ordered it as a gift to myself. Since I missed out on the other magazines focused on SPN and they got too expensive as well. This EW one has Jared, Jensen and Misha on the cover. 💙
I'm looking forward to reading through the mag. ☺ It was supposed to come tomorrow but it was really nice it was delivered a day early. 👍
Update following SPN episode: There was a new Supernatural episode (15x13) tonight too, which was pretty awesome.
Got to say it was great to see Rachel Miner back on the show even briefly! That was a happy surprise. True, she was playing the Empty, not Meg; but it was still nice to see her! And even better she interacted with Cas - calling him Clarence / pizza man. It was a welcome bday "gift" for me. :)
I met Rachel Miner at a SPN Con last year and she was really nice. So I'm a fan. 💜
All the best to everyone in these trying times.
#personal#my birthday#supernatural spoilers#spn s15 spoilers#spn 15x13#destiny's child#march 2020#2020#rachel miner#text post
1 note
·
View note
Text
“you weren’t supposed to hear that.”
——
entry for @underoosbws’s 3k writing challenge!🧠💓
tom or peter
type - mostly angst, some fluff🧠💓
word count - 2.5k
warnings - swearing/language
w/n; sorry I’ve been absent lately! family drama has been in my head! enjoy this! and let me know your thoughts, please!💓
tag-list; @therealme13posts @crxssourbones @space-starz
——
It had been two weeks since the secrets began filling the hallways, and each room of your shared apartment. It soon began infiltrating your phone, messages being deleted shortly after you pressed the send button and saw the ‘delivered’ font appear briefly. You would glance over to the brunette boy who would sit on the couch, zoned into whatever show was playing at the time of the day, before gently tapping details of the plan into your notes section, and sending screenshots to your closest friends to ensure the idea was bulletproof.
You spent your days online. Reading success stories of similar situations, and researching current trends to ensure you were going about it the right way. You would clear your history after any searches, and would log out of Amazon after any purchases. Your laptop went everywhere you did, and your phone suddenly had a passcode on it.
You felt guilty at times; confiding in your best friend over FaceTime on a Thursday night, in a cropped hoodie and pyjama shorts, but when Tom arrived home early one day, and heard you muttering things like “I just don’t know if this a good idea anymore,” and “I feel bad,” followed by you quickly ending the call when you heard his footsteps along the wooden floor of the main hallway, he finally lost it.
“What the hell are you hiding from me?!” He yelled, spitting anger throughout his tone. “I am tired of this, Y/N! You could not be more god damn secretive!” He raised his arms in a mix of exhaustion and frustration, before bringing them back down to his sides in a swift motion. His head shook, making his hair follow, while he looked up to you with dark eyes, that were equal parts hurt as they were mad. You stood there quietly for a few seconds after the latter outburst, and you stepped closer to him in an attempt to reduce the tension between your two bodies, which were simply standing in your shared loosely-lit bedroom. “I’m sorry, Tommy. It’s nothing, I promise. I’m just researching for a school proj-.”
“Bullshit, Y/N! If you want to lie to me, then at-least have some fucking respect, and don’t do it straight to my face.” He almost yelled, but his tone was more controlled now. His voice was laced with pure exasperation as he expressed his final comment, before turning around, shaking his head once more and slamming the door behind him.
By the time you had pulled open the wooden door which physically separated you, though, the front door was closed too. The handle was jittering due to the force he had used to slam it shut, and your face dropped. Your hands shook lightly, as you pulled them up to run through your slightly greasy hair - your gaze not leaving the closed door he had placed between you both. You sighed deeply, hoping he would not be out for long, so you made your shared-bed, turned on the lamp, and stayed up reading a book he had brought you from his last travel. But your initial hope was wrong; Tom didn’t come home that night.
The next day came, which happened to be a Thursday, and it was now the afternoon - but the morning had dragged you slower than you could have ever imagined. You didn’t know when he would be home, and after several morning hours doing unproductive activities, which included six cups of hot tea; you decided to try and at-least get some of your initial plans to progress. You opened your shared wardrobe, before rummaging through the jacket section and pulling out a large plastic box with three letters scribbled on the side. “Tom.”
As you laid all of the contents out on the living room rug, your body in a crossed leg position, you realised the situation was getting hectic. You attempted to continue the work independently at first, but it wasn’t long until you called a familiar face to help you along. To your surprise, Harrison was free. Majority of your thoughts assumed Tom would be with him, drinking an afternoon beer and expressing his irritations he had accumulated lately.
“No - he’s not here. I can definitely come over and help: we only have a few days left so if you need help, I’m there.” He smiled through the phone, before leaving his apartment and arriving at yours in around fifteen minutes. A couple of hours went by - scissors, glitter, glue, paper, sharpies and string were littered over the carpet. You had laid newspaper down, but it didn’t help that much - glitter was always going to end up everywhere. You were on your phone, ensuring people were still okay to join you on Saturday evening, which you received numerous ‘yes’ replies to, making you smile and feel a lot less nervous.
All was content, and as Harrison helped you pack the previous items, along with new creations, into the plastic container that usually lived in the wardrobe, you finalised a few things that were on your mind. And as the snap sound of the container plastic rang through both of your ears, you didn’t manage to hear the normally all-too-familiar car lock from outside the studio apartment.
Tom made his way to the front door, placing his key within the lock compartment before turning it clockwise to produce a faint ‘click’ unlocking noise, and pushing the door open slightly. He expected the sounds of a Netflix show to be ringing through the building, imagining you sitting on the couch, eating popcorn, either crying over a character death, or laughing at a joke. What he didn’t expect, however, was the sounds of his girlfriend and his best friend, laughing lightly and expressing future plans.
“And you’re still free on Saturday night?” You expressed, moving the box to a couch cushion, ready to be placed back in the bedroom once Harrison had left.
“All fine - I can’t wait, if I’m honest. Today has got me really excited.” He grinned, moving his jacket sleeves back down now any glue on his hands and arms had dried.
“Okay, great.” You smiled softly, tucking a piece of loose hair back in your ponytail carefully. “But remember, no telling Tom.” You looked seriously at him, your eyes not leaving his until he nodded and replied. “I know, I know. I won’t - I promise.” He stood up, stretching his legs out as he helped you with any loose rubbish you two had produced.
“Someone want to tell me why the fuck not?” A voice echoed through the hallway, and into the usually happy, laughter-filled living room. You heard the front door shut, along with the sound of a jacket being flung across the stair bannister, before footsteps marched along the wooden floor. “No telling Tom? Are you fucking serious?” He exclaimed, scoffing slightly as he spoke.
“Oh my, Tom, you, you weren’t supposed to hear that.” You stuttered, your eyes slightly wider before as you froze in your tracks, your eyes quickly glancing to the box that was still resting on the grey couch that was centred in the room.
“No shit. Why the fuck would I want to hear my best friend and my girlfriend making fucking secret plans?” He yelled now, looking at Harrison, before his gaze flicked to you, seeing your eyes drop, hurt filling them from his tone of voice.
“Tom, trust me, it’s nothing bad.” Harrison followed, stepping towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. Tom quickly shrugged it off, pushing it with his rough right hand, before looking at you, seeing you glance to the box again, trying to turn it with your hip so it was less out of sight.
“What the fuck is in there then? Hm? Clearly it’s got your bloody attention more than the current situation!” Tom’s eyes were dark now, more of a black than a brown. His jaw was tight, and veins were pulsing in his neck and arms as he began to storm over to the couch. Your instinct was to move in front of the box, facing him as your put your arms on his chest. You didn’t push him, but it was more of a physical barrier as you attempted to plead, while attempting to diffuse the situation in anyway you could. “Tom, really, it’s nothing. Just some stuff I’ve cleared out, I’m going to throw them away in a minute!” You let out, trying to move your head to stop his line of sight being available on the contents of the transparent box. This quickly frustrated him even more though, if that was even possible, proved by him grabbing your hands from his chest and pushing them down before moving you to the left of him and ripping off the grey, plastic lid.
He had no idea what to expect in the contents. His thoughts had been all over the place in the last twenty-four hours. It began with the cliché; lingerie, photographs, love letters, romantic gifts, all from other people, or simply, another guy. It moved to other ideas, some a lot more far-fetched than others - at one point the idea of you being an assassin popped up in his mind, but he quickly dismissed this, drank more of his beer, and moved onto a more rational idea, like you contemplating on different ways to break up with him. Advice columns on how to make break-ups easy, good lines to use when doing it, what to expect in the aftermath, etc. His eyebrows were raised, and his lip was bit - almost bleeding due to the pressure he was placing on it. His grip on the lid was tight, his knuckles practically bulging from his skin as he inhaled sharply and opened his eyes to see what the last two weeks had bubbled over for.
What he did not expect, though, was a box full of handmade, glittery banners that read expressions such as “Happy Birthday!”, tens of packets of party poppers, hundreds of metres of different colour streamers, too many balloons to count, and small packets of confetti and place-cards with family and friend’s names carefully written onto them. An invitation card laid on-top, one that had “Tom” written on the top row, with a small wink drawn next to it. After the typical line, ‘You are invited to the birthday party of...’, there was a three letter word, revealing the true intentions of his girlfriend in the past weeks. It explained the secrets, the quickly ended phone calls, the secretive texts, the consistent Amazon packages arriving at the door from places such as “PartiesRUs”, and finally, the all-nighters you had pulled throughout the time.
‘You are invited to the birthday party of...you.’
“I told you, you weren’t supposed to hear us.” You sighed, feeling slightly defeated - the cat was out of the bag. He knew, the surprise was gone.
Two months ago, on a Sunday morning, as the morning sun shone brightly through the curtains next to your shared bed, onto the white duvet cover you were both under, Tom expressed to you that he hadn’t had a birthday party in three years. Due to work, the difficulty to get a date everyone was available for, and one year, pure stupidity, the event had been missed. As soon as his confession left his lips, a plan formed in your mind. You checked his calendar app that night, while he was showering, choosing a date he was free and selecting the ‘busy’ option, but left the event blank.
As two weeks passed, secrets were filling the hallways of your apartment, along with his parent’s home, his friend’s homes, his colleagues’ homes and those of your family too. Each room of your shared apartment had hidden compartments, featuring essential additions to the date. Your bathroom had a basket of receipts under the sink, your kitchen had RSVP’d invitations in an blank envelope, pinned to the board next to the fridge, and your bedroom had a plastic container of decorations, some handmade by you and Harrison.
He dropped the invitation gently into the box, before turning around to face the girl he had yelled at two nights in a row. His eyebrows returned to their usual position, and his jaw loosened. His face dropped, his mouth parting slightly as his shoulders slumped. “I’m so,” He expressed slowly, “shit, my love, I’m so sorry.” He softly held your hand, standing close to you, before looking up to his best friend that was also standing beside him.
“Haz, I’m sorry too. My mind - it just, jumped to the worst conclusions.” He sighed, running his free-hand through his hair, as Harrison smiled sympathetically, patting his shoulder. “No hard feelings mate; we were probably a little too secretive. I’ll leave you two it, though.” He smiled at you, receiving a soft, and thankful, one back from you, before he nodded at Tom, and made his way out of the room.
“Love, I really am sorry - I just, my mind started racing; after all the things you were doing, and the call the other night.” His eyes dropped significantly, and you didn’t know whether you saw them water a little bit. “I thought you were planning on leaving me, especially after you were telling people you felt bad.” He sighed, moving his hair from his forehead, pushing it back. “I should have known you were planning something harmless, something thoughtful in-fact, so fucking thoughtful. But I had to come in and start yelling, screaming and just fucking the whole thing up. I can’t believe I’m such a idi-.”
His words were interrupted by your lips on his, pressing gently, with your right hand softly resting against his chest. He leant into the kiss, but didn’t harden it - this kiss was loving, but calm. It was a ‘I forgive you,’ kinda kiss, and it was all that he could hope for. His right hand laid on your hip, with his left cupping your cheek gently as the kiss continued for a few more seconds. As you slowly pried yourself from his lips, a soft smile curled on the corners of your lips once you saw he was grinning slightly, and a sigh of relief emerged from his lips. You gently nudged his shoulder with your fist, shaking your head jokefully before looking up to his gaze again.
“You’re half-forgiven. You’ll get the other half if I’m happy with your fake-surprised face on Saturday.” You laughed lightly, slowly taking the lid from the couch and clipping it back onto the box carefully. “And until then, no freaking out at me.”
“Deal.” He agreed, a smile plastered on his face as you hid the box behind the jackets, closing the wardrobe and walking back into the living room, where your slightly silly boyfriend was still standing.
“Okay, now show me your surprised face.”
“Bloody hell, that is awful, aren’t you supposed to be an actor or something?”
“Fuck off.” He laughed loudly, collaborating with an eruption of giggles from your lips. He may be a complete idiot, but at-least he was yours.
#jess3kwritingchallenge#tom holland blurb#tom holland imagine#tom holland series#tom holland fanfiction#tom holland au#tom holland x you#tom holland x y/n#tom holland x reader#tom holland#peter parker fluff#peter parker x y/n#peter parker x you#peter parker x reader#tom holland angst#tom holland fluff#peter parker angst#peter parker imagine#peter parker
570 notes
·
View notes
Text
Man of Letters
Stephen Meyers, City Lab, July 24, 2018
My fourth day delivering mail for the U.S. Postal Service, it snowed-one of those heavy, wet, spring-in-Colorado snows that knocks down tree branches and crushes newly-bloomed tulips. I was training with a veteran letter carrier on a walk-out route, the type where the carrier pushes a blue buggy full of mail and small packages. It’s a lot harder, I discovered, to push that thing through slush.
I schlepped my disheveled, wet self into downtown businesses where concerned secretaries took pity on me as I handed them their soaked mail.
Welcome to the Postal Service.
“Neither snow nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night ...” that’s how the saying goes right?
The rude welcome to the Postal Service quickly taught me mail delivery is no leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, dismantling the idyllic image of a smiling Mr. McFeeley handing out birthday cards in “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” My first week on the job, I lost 5 pounds.
Being a mail carrier is hard.
I’d eventually get used to the physical rigors of the job and learn the rhythms, tricks and routines of delivering mail, but what surprised me the most over the next 15 months working on the front lines of this vast, imperfect, but essential big-government institution is how the Postal Service delivers much more than just letters, magazines and Amazon packages to a neighborhood.
I met elderly residents who lived alone and just wanted someone to talk to for a couple minutes a day. I saw how critical the Postal Service is for local businesses, like the one that ships dozens of Priority Mail boxes of custom-made zippers for wedding gowns across the country every day. I met strangers willing to donate grocery bags full of food during the long-running Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which tallied 71.6 million pounds of found collected nationwide. I learned the value of a powerful union and experienced the most diverse workplace I’ve ever encountered. And most importantly, what I found while roving from house to house on foot was an intimate insight into my community and fellow Americans.
Like many who come to work for the Postal Service, I didn’t find my way into the USPS because I had a burning desire to deliver mail; I just needed a job. A laid-off journalist, I’d spent six months striking out on landing a writing gig and grew tired of the soul-sucking grind that is job searching. An old college friend was working happily delivering mail, and making more than I ever did in newspapering: The benefits are good, you don’t take the job home with you, and there’s lots of overtime if you want it.
And the USPS is nearly always hiring, especially in metro areas in advance of the holiday shopping season. Colorado’s Front Range, which includes Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins, is currently short more than 500 positions. The hiring process is long--I applied in mid-February and didn’t start until May--and includes two exams, a personality assessment, and the 473 Postal Exam, which tests your ability to check addresses for errors, accurately fill out forms, and memorize and recall lists of street addresses. I had to also pass a drug test (that’s the biggest hurdle to hiring in weed-legal Colorado, the Fort Collins Postmaster told me) and an exhaustive background check. Then it was off to city carrier academy, where veteran carriers taught my fellow classmates and me the tricks of organizing and carrying mail and how to drive the postal vehicles. We each got a navy blue USPS hat and T-shirt and were sent to our respective post offices to begin our postal careers; I was now a USPS employee, working as a city carrier assistant.
In the evenings I’d continue my search for a Plan B career after journalism, but for the other 8-to-10 hours a day (and up to 12 during holiday season) I’d deliver mail and packages to residents of Fort Collins, Colorado.
A lot of packages.
Receive an Instant Pot for Christmas? Yeah, so did your neighbor. My record was 18 delivered in one day--we saw that craze coming on well before Black Friday.
The old-timers at my office remember the days they’d deliver, five, maybe, 10 packages a day. Now it’s more like 50 or 60 a day, from 40-pound bags of dog food to furniture and food-in-a-box meal kits. The Postal Service wasn’t really built for the Amazon era: Our (badly outdated) vehicles don’t have enough space to house them, and few have shelves, leaving carriers to play an Amazon box-sized game of Jenga every day.
(Sidenote on those trucks, called LLVs, or Long Life Vehicles: Most are about 30 years old, with that many years of cigarette smoke soaked into the seats; they lack airbags or air conditioning, and the heaters are less than effective. The USPS is facing a major budget challenge because it needs to replace up to 180,000 of these elderly machines over the next several years, which is going to cost more than $6 billion.)
Every Sunday we’d fill our LLVs with 100 to 175 Amazon packages, thanks to USPS’ exclusive contract with the e-commerce giant--that’s the one that the president keeps objecting to, though it’s been a revenue source for the cash-strapped service. And, no fail, every Sunday, customers would ask why I was working and I’d jokingly (is it a joke, though?) tell them “Because Amazon is taking over the world.”
Other comments I’d hear almost every day:
“You bringing me a check today?”
“You can keep the bills.”
“This one better be a winner!” (I had no idea Publisher’s Clearing House was still a thing, but it is, especially in low-income and senior-living communities.)
“You staying cool out there?” (The answer is always “No, but I’m trying!”).
No one is ever upset to see their mail carrier, you know? This was so foreign to me, as a journalist who was used to being less warmly received. And while predictable and routine and mostly about the weather, I loved these little conversations with residents along my route.
When kids saw me driving around the corner, they’d drop their ballgame and race me down the sidewalk. Others were excited to see me because I was about to be a lucky customer at their lemonade stand. At the retirement home, residents greeted me every day at the wall of mailboxes; if I’d show up five minutes early or five minutes late, they’d jokingly let me have it. “You know, Sue is usually here by 3:30!”
Residents learned my name, and more importantly I learned the intricacies of their neighborhoods. A fellow carrier, a Fort Collins native and Mexican American, proudly showed me his home that’s part of the historically Hispanic neighborhood that I had never taken the time to properly explore and experience on foot. I learned from longtime residents how they felt about the gentrification happening in pockets of Fort Collins. This booming college town has outgrown its farming and ranching roots and is transforming into a progressive tech hub, known for its breweries and affinity for bike lanes, coffee shops, and high-priced boutiques.
Delivering the mail gives you a granular insight into America’s growing cultural, political, and wealth divide. North of town, there’s a senior-living mobile home community sitting in the shadow of newly-built eco-friendly condos that sell for half a million dollars. Residents at the condos subscribe to The Atlantic and New Yorker; residents in the trailer park a few hundred feet away get People and National Enquirer.
After several months, the rhythms of carrying mail became second nature; I’d successfully carried nearly every one of the office’s 50 routes around the city. I also became familiar with the downsides of the job. As one might expect at a financially beleaguered organization that’s been losing money for more than a decade, office morale was often low: Nearly every week, there’d be a shouting match between carriers complaining about mail arriving late to the office, thus delaying and extending their day, and management only shrugging their shoulders and saying that’s an issue out of their control. Clerks, whose duties include working the front desk helping customers and sorting mail and packages (sometimes overnight), were brutally overworked, often clocking 60- to 70-hour weeks. Many of my coworkers felt trapped: Sure, the job sucked sometimes, but where else can you find a secure job that pays as well?
It was my relationships with fellow carriers and clerks--a diverse group, from first-generation Americans to military veterans--that made the job bearable most days. But once I landed a long-sought communications gig, I made the decision to move on from the USPS.
After I shared my Postal Service experience in a thread on Twitter that went semi-viral, I received dozens of comments from readers who shared their nostalgia and affection for this beloved and embattled American institution. One told me about a mail carrier who heard a smoke alarm going off in an empty house and alerted a neighbor. Others were children of postal workers, grateful for the livelihoods that the jobs provided. “Both my parents retired from the post office,” one reader told me. “My mom started when she was just 19 years old. It’s not what it used to be…. They work the new folks into the ground, so I hear. I try to tip my carrier well for dealing with the BS.”
The response made me even more proud of my time wearing the blue uniform; I’m more deeply connected to my community and have a better understanding of my fellow Americans. From now on, I’ll tip my mail carrier well. You should, too.
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
huge ass vent
huge fucking vent ahead:
two of the people i'm ab to talk about follow me and i'm in deep shit if a certain one of them sees this (ALSO JAMIE IF UR READING THIS SHUT UR GODDAMN MOUTH AT SCHOOL)
i'll be using fake names for everyone but if anyone involved is reading this, they'll know who they are
ok so my love life is fucking WEIRD ok?
my first relationship was in early august 2019 and with this girl we’ll call jess. i had liked jess for like 2 months and finally got the balls to ask her out. she said yes and we went on like 2 dates before she broke up with me. she said that it would be ‘too hard to date someone who didn’t go to the same school as her’ which tf, and also she didn’t want her moms to know. even though they literally already knew.
either way, i developed a crush on a girl in my class named ‘rose’ pretty fast but it was only a “shit she’s hot” crush so it did nothing. and that only lasted like 9 months simply thinking she was hot as fuck and nothing romantic.
that same year in november, i met this person named angel (fake name) at a dance. they were wearing a suit but also makeup and i was like “uh yes i want this one please” so i asked them out. well, my friend asked them out for me. angel an i exchanged numbers and started dating. we dated FOR 5 MONTHS before angel finally told me that they only had platonic feelings for me and had only liked me as a friend this whole time. i was so relieved because i felt the same way but was too scared to say anything. we’re still best friends and they’re still number one on my prettiest people list (ily ‘angel’ lol). they also helped me figure out my sexuality and gender identity so i owe a lot to them <3
ok here’s where the fucking weird shit starts.
(the rest is below the cut)
WEIRD ASS LOVE LIVE CONTINUED
ok here’s where the fucing weird shit starts.
in march-ish of 2020, i met this girl online named allie. we were best friends for 2 months before she confessed to me and we started dating. i fell in love super fast and ended up breaking up with her because i was afraid of what being in love with someone i hadn't met in person would come out to. the two weeks we were separated were the worst two weeks of my whole life (at the time) and i couldn't live without her. one of my best online friends confessed to me and i was just kinda like :’) and pretended to like her until i just couldn’t anymore.
like a week after that, i apologized and explained myself and we got back together. just for allie's mom to find out about us in august and block me, take her phone, threaten me and allie, and leave it at that.
a little while later, i started talking to this girl (also online bc im literally stupid and didn't learn my lesson) and we started dating. that one lasted a week before i realized how much we weren't compatible. she was cool to have as a friend, but she was way too clingy and obsessive for me. i broke up with her and said i would wait for allie because she was much kinder to me and better for me.
a month or so later, a girl at my school (we'll call her taylor) admitted she liked me. i was up for dating because i thought it would help me get over allie.
it didn't, and i broke up with taylor after 'dating' for 2 days. (a pattern starts here)
allie's birthday was in october, and i tried to text her to see if she would respond, just wishing her a happy birthday etc.
she answered me.
allie and i talked for a little bit and i asked if she still had feelings for me and if it was still okay for me to call her my girlfriend. she said no, and it literally crushed me. she said that she was actually aromatic (doesn't feel romantic attraction) and i helped her figure that out. because she didn't love me.
so you can imagine how i felt then,,, i was so upset but obviously i didn't tell her. i asked if we could still be friends and she said yes. i had to leave to go to school so we said bye and i left. that afternoon, after school, i texted her again and asked how her birthday had gone. my message didn't deliver. the next day i asked if she blocked me, just to be sure. didn't deliver. so i tried again the next week and of course it didn't deliver. i tried to forget about her after that, but i still woke up every morning worried that something happened. fast forward to late december, when i developed feelings for one of my best friends (we'll call her sam).
my best friend figured out that sam liked me too, and we started dating. it lasted 48 hours before she told me she actually didn’t like me like that. (see what i meant about a pattern? it keeps going)
new years eve! i’m hanging out with my best friend and they decide to text allie. remember her? so allie answers and says she actually unlocked me a little while ago. so i text her from my phone and we talk.
only to have this girl tell me she’s actually not aromantic, she’s cis straight and has a boyfriend (she used she/they and identified as a lesbian when i dated her), and she lied to me the entire time we dated. she said she never loved me and she was “lying to herself as much as she was lying at me”. then she starts quoting bible verses at me and says “i don’t have a problem with other people being gay, i just can’t be. i just can’t”. and my friend and i agreed that she’s probably in denial and her church brainwashed her after her mom found out about us.
so she says that shE WONT BLOCK ME BUT WONT TEXT ME UNTIL WE’RE 18 (very soon) SO WE CAN MEET???????????? AND SHE WANTS TO MEET ME AND BE MY FRIEND????????????????? so i blocked her ass
-[let me bring up a creepy dream real quick. a few nights earlier, i had a dream that i met allie and we just hung out as romantic partners. she kissed me, hugged me, and i said goodbye. she just smiled sadly and said “sayonara, ash” WHICH IK HUGE BANANA FISH VIBES BUT in japan, “sayonara” is only supposed to be used if you’re never going to see someone again. in the dream she said sayonara to me and then this happened. i’ll never see the girl i knew again…]-
after that encounter happened, me and my best friend agreed that 2021 would be our year of getting over the people we’ve been in love with since march (allie for me and this other girl in our friend group for them). then 2021 came...
on like the 10th of this month (january lol), this girl in my class started flirting with me. i flirted back bc there’s no harm in that yk lol. she was straight but ended up turning queer because of me. i went WAY too fast and shoved myself into a relationship with (we’ll call he summer). she ignored me the entire time the ‘relationship’ happened. it lasted 48 fucking hours (i’m really just moving through these girls in my friend group like thatttt) before i told her i rushed myself and didn’t actually have feelings for her. she was like “lol fine” and then badmouthed me to our entire grade for the rest of the week. she was on our friend group group chat and started badmouthing me there too, but one of my best friends just removed summer’s sorry ass and we all blocked her on everything. i’ve been in this friend group for 6 years and she’d only been officially in it for a week, so idk why i was so surprised that my friends were so loyal to me through this whole thing.
ANYWAYS, the day after i broke up with summer, i realized i had feelings for sam again. i’m not going to act on them because i love her too much as a best friend, but the feelings are there and she follows me so im kinda dying lol. (i also figured out recently that she didn’t rly understand relationships and though that people who dated only dated when they were fully in love with each other, and she was in love with me back in december and had been for a while. she only fell out of love when i reciprocated,,, so uh :D)
i also spend $80 on stuff for sam yesterday and my fucking caRd dECLINED WTFFFFFFF AMAZON??
,
,
,
,
,
tyvm for sitting through this, anyone who decided to do that <33
0 notes
Text
Communication –Hello! To …… 😊😊😊(emoji)
In today’s digital world a simple handheld device, call it a smart phone, can allow you to talk, send messages (text) as SMS or WhatsApp, receive, and send emails, take photos, or shoot video and send them to anyone anywhere.
I am reminded of my first twenty years (1955 to 1975) of life from childhood to first employment when the means to communicate were limited to Post &Telegraph and so-called telephone (better known as land line today). Both these were government-controlled departments in India. This covered personal, social, and business communication.
Written communication was with the sole help of Post & Telegraph Office. Post office had three types of stationary- post card which was open, inland letter (closed but single leaf and envelop wherein you can enclose a leaf of paper. All three had printed postal stamp which was the fee for the carrier. The tariff was same irrespective of destination within India. Post card was for paise five (now Rs. One), inland letter was Paise ten (now may be Rs. 2) and envelop with 10 gms weight for Paise twenty-five (now Rs. 5).
I recall, as a child, that my father and mother would receive a letter (mostly inland letter) once a month from their relatives from Karad and Sangli (both in Maharashtra). News mainly pertained to evens like birth or marriages or deaths and some about education of children. I had to resort to written communication once I left home to go to BITS Pilani and became a hostelite. I usually wrote once a month and received one in return. Once in a while I received my money by Demand Draft.
All postal documents were transported by trains and State Transport (S.T.) buses. Some trains had special compartment or bogie assigned to Postal department. Hence these trains were called Mail e.g., Frontier Mail, Toofan Mail or Gujarat Mail. There were some places not having its own post office and hence the address must include both place and post office e.g. At Thakurali but Post Dombivali.
Another fast method of written communication was telegrams by Telegraph Department. Most used the Morse key contraption to transmit the messages. The post or telegraph office had persons who could code and decode the messages for Morse key. My personal experience with telegram was bad. I sent a telegram to my parents who were still in Maharashra village after I got my SSC (Std XI) results in June,1966. It did not reach them in time before they left hometown and that worried them a lot. They made a frantic call from Bombay on their way back to find that I had done quite well. Another instance was when I sent a telegram to my friend from Baroda on his engagement in Delhi. I got my interview call in June 1972 by a telegram from Delhi and we used to send telegram later for interview calls till about 1980.
Voice two-way messages were by telephone (called land line today). It was quite an achievement to own a telephone at residence. Most offices had telephones and only Govt. Servants, Doctors, Lawyers and very senior staff of private companies or businessmen had one at home. I got my first residential phone in 1987 at the age of 38. All long-distance calls (called trunk calls) were to be routed manually through telephone exchanges. It would take enormous time and effort to succeed in getting the connection. I recall one of my classmates used to call his parents in Ahmedabad from Pilani some time. He would spend the whole day waiting at the telephone exchange as the call was being routed via Chirawa, Sikar and Jaipur.
During these days (till I think 1975), it was exceedingly difficult to make copies of a message if it needed to go to more than one person. We had carbon copy, photocopy, and ammonia printing then. That was very cumbersome and not clear copies. For more copies, one had to depend on printing and stenciling. I remember in 1979, DGSD purchase orders were stenciled and copies distributed to various parties within Govt and outside.
One major improvement happened with introduction of telex services around 1975. Telex was like two typewriters being linked so that message can be transmitted fast. Only disadvantage was it was mainly for commercial use by offices.
Around the same time (1975~) I think Xerox copy became available to many and copying became easy.
The next major change got introduced in India when Subscriber Truck Dialing (STD) was introduced around 1985. This permitted calling out station and even overseas parties by directly dialing from your telephone without going through an operator at the exchange. But scarcity of land line connections remained a reality. I had to get a radio operated phone connection in 1998 as I could not get a land line connection from Pune telephones after I returned from Japan.
In early 1980s, a small handheld device called pager was introduced and it helped travelling people to be contacted from a landline so that they would call back. It was an improvement over only landline option. It lasted for a couple of years but mainly it was for commercial use.
Around 1985 another big leap was taken in communication when a facsimile (fax for short) was introduced. When connected, fax machine could transmit a document and a drawing or even a photo. The instant sending and receiving was a great leap forward. Initially it was only for commercial use but later it became extremely popular.
On another front, the computer got introduced and made strides. We had a main frame computer in BITS Pilani around1970 (with inputs by punching cards) and by 1987 desktop computers (with complex keys to operate) were available in offices. When I reached Japan in 1990, the laptop had made its appearance. I bought my first laptop (Macintosh) in Japan in 1993.
In Japan, the telephones (land line) were quite easy to get and I got one in less than 24 hours of arrival in 1990. The public telephones were very efficient and easily accessible. The pre-paid cards were extremely popular and most public telephones could be activated by coins or prepaid cards. On Valentine’s day, Japanese girls would gift a prepaid card to boys which would dial only their number.
Communication got a boost when in 1990 the satellite was used to transmit messages and documents. The Indian IT industry benefitted from it and some engineering companies also started using VSAT. I got my first TV satellite dish in Japan to view many European channels in 1993.
When I was in Oman in 1997, I got internet access and to use email. I believe it was just introduced. It was a good facility as my daughter was in Australia and contacting became easy. I also got my first mobile phone in Oman in 1997.
Mobiles became easily available and affordable by 2000. I got my local mobile connection in 2000 and I still have the same mobile no. Then mobiles were used for urgent calls and to send text messages (called SMS).
Internet connections were made available on desktop and toggle for laptop in the initial phase for office use. Internet connection for home use took some time and till then toggle was the only option.
Due to popular and affordable cost of mobile phones, the landline lost its place of importance. Even govt (Pune Telephones and then BSNL) started offering mobile phone connections.
The other development was mobile phones started having more features. The camera was in built in the mobile and one could take pictures. Further development allowed video shooting by mobile phone camera. Next to come was back and front camera.
The service providers started (I think by 2010) to link internet to the mobile and provide data transfer. With this facility, one handheld device could make calls, send text messages, take photos, shoot videos, send messages by internet connections and also view one’s emails.
Around 2005 the international calls were expensive from India, so we had used Skype as paid calls and conference tool. There were some doubts about its security and many other options were being opted for by international companies from UK and Belgium that we worked with.
The introduction of smart phones (compatible to various band widths like 3G /4G) the ease and speed of communication of all types became a reality and affordable. The social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp) became popular. For children and youngsters, the various games and educational videos became extremely useful.
Then came cloud technology and a boom of Artificial Intelligence. Everything done on virtual, digital, and social networking platforms gets tracked, analyzed, and thus used to help with recommendations as appropriate.
There is a security threat while all our banking and credit card information is easily available on various Apps. Along with our personal information which is available on social platforms. Hence, cyber security is a thriving business opportunity and interesting working opportunity.
In 2018 the telegraph department finally closed its services and it got replaced by speed post or mobile connectivity. Today post office continues its traditional job of delivering post card, inland letter and envelop but started using air transport for bulk movement.
The biggest benefit of the digital world was during the lockdown due to COVID-19 19. With only a smart phone (tablet or laptop may be better) and Wi-Fi connection, it was possible to conduct classes by teachers for students who were locked down, business meeting with clients and panel discussions among business associates or experts or politicians (elected) or friends. I was able to view virtual musical shows and new released movies and serials on new platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime etc. also attended virtual birthday and wedding anniversary parties online.
In conclusion I will edit the words of Elon Musk:
If you go back a couple of decades, what we take for granted today would seem magic-being able to talk to people over long distances, to transmit images, accessing vast amount of data like an oracle or google. All this progress in communication is easy to use, quick and affordable. Also, its reach is worldwide across countries, regions, languages and people.
Another issue, which has surfaced due to the pandemic in India or similar developing or poor countries, is the divide between haves and have not. Traditional divide of have and have not was based on the wealth/money but present-day divide is based on whether one has a smart mobile/laptop/tablet and Wi-Fi connectivity with adequate data.
0 notes
Text
What would be th bst amd gaming pc for gta 5
Best 22 Esports Blogs To Study Inked Gaming
Enthusiast Gaming is a media and technologies organization developing the biggest neighborhood of genuine gamers. Thank you for this entertaining post. This info can be valuable for any person who desires to play the most effective games. But in addition to my comment I would like to refer 1 web site - They have been giving gaming items to both residential and commercial clientele. I just love to buy from this website as they have a massive collection of bubble hockey game and made use of arcade games. Check out the newest new arrivals and pre-order these days.
The multitude of gaming news websites continues to grow as gaming emerges as anything bigger and more worthwhile than merely a hobby. It would be an understatement to confine the part and purpose of these sites to news and testimonials broadcasting for each and every day, the legion of geeks and gamers is strengthened by these very gaming news internet websites. In midst of this competition, there are numerous sites like Virteract which are emerging to the scene and putting in some seriously fantastic efforts to offer you with high-quality content.
The X Rocker lalar How to make a successful gaming blog Pro H3 Audio Gaming Chair can be rightfully thought of as a serious gamer's 1 and only gaming lounger. It comes totally integrated with 4 potent speakers to give you a sensational game play. And if that's not sufficient of the best gift for a gamer, its equally awesome subwoofer can turn even the slightest hint of bass into a thunderous boom, further enhancing your general gaming knowledge. Enhancing your immersive game play are vibration motors that can be fully synchronized with the various bass tones in your game, delivering you with shocks, jolts, and minute vibrations fairly much like the tactile feedback of vibration-enabled game controllers.
If you do not have a huge gaming group, you have possibly noticed that two-player games are hard to discover, and truly excellent ones that are just as terrific for two players are even extra uncommon. I've wracked my memory (and pestered my pals) to come up with a bunch of tabletop games that are a blast for two— not just technically playable with no far more.
Plan A Thriving Business? Focus On GAMING!
Did you know that Mobile games now account for 51% of global revenues in the gaming business followed by Console games (25%) and Computer Games (24%) 62% of smartphone owners set up a game inside a week of acquiring their phones and Mobile Games now account for additional than 43% of total time spent on smartphone. Verify out our infographic on The State of Mobile Gaming Industry” for most up-to-date mobile gaming statistics and trends.
If you happen to be reading this from a mobile device, possibilities are you have a pc chip complete of games that have intrigued your need for gaming, however not really happy it. With the invention of the wise phone, mobile gaming device, and portable pc straight out of Star Trek, gaming has extra platforms than ever, along with as numerous blogs as ever.
youtube
The Tegra 4 SoC is a massive improvement over other options in terms of functionality and gaming technologies capabilities. With Tegra 4 on NVIDIA SHIELD transportable, you can now knowledge higher finish graphical features native in Android games like sophisticated genuine time lighting effects, depth of field, soft shadows, higher res textures, genuine time smoke and particle simulation, greater polygon counts and substantially much more. This makes it possible for developers to genuinely generate freely for Android gamers.
EDIT:I applied to watch the Feedback video over at G4 every week, but it's gone down hill the final handful of instances I watched it and now that Adam Sessler isn't on it and they have that girl from IGN that every person hates in each and every episode I just can not be bothered to watch it any far more. Nonetheless worth going back and watching some of the older ones even though. Klepic made use of to be on that show and back then in the early days was when it was the best. Back when they really talked about gaming news with some semblance of intellect rather of just gushing about whatever game they are told is cool this week.
In March 2017, Green Man Gaming launched its initial regional language eCommerce website in Germany, 33 supplying its clients the capability to shop in German working with their preferred payment strategies. The company also launched its brand new Community platform in March 2017, 34 giving gamers a new community to connect with every other, view their gameplay stats, get the most up-to-date news and watch common Twitch streamers - all in 1 place.
Virtual reality is the future in all meanings of the word. The penetration of this idea in all important sectors across the globe and the ever developing numbers are testament to the truth that this is right here to remain. Items, workings, processes, and game engines all pertaining to the virtual reality sector are consistently improving each day. With the intense proliferation of gaming platforms in the previous years there are a number of game engines getting created offered in the industry for the development within this sector.
Awarded the Pureplay eCommerce Retailer of the Year Award, Green Man Gaming is listed in each The Sunday Instances Prime one hundred SME Export Track and The Sunday Instances Prime one hundred Tech Track 2015. Green Man Gaming is also member of the Future Fifty the 50 hottest higher growth technology companies that the British Government is earmarking to IPO.
This awesome theme is an complete package of impressive styles and web page management tools to assistance you make a frontend that is sure to wow any gamer out there. With its all-highly effective theme possibilities panel and integration with WP Bakery web page builder, you can make breathtaking gaming forums, clan web pages, news channels and game retailers with minimal effort.
The publisher funds the game and its release, whilst the studio designs and develops the game. Throughout the 2000s, publishers began funding studios that made games of all sizes and high quality. This fostered an sector that created video games at a volume also substantial for customer demand and with small concentrate on good quality Eventually demand for these low-good quality games faded and publishers stopped funding these studios, eliminating a significant portion of the gaming labor marketplace.
You initially convinced yourself that you would attempt 1 or two board games, but somehow you've ended up spending a lot of revenue on new board games and come to accept that board gaming is your new hobby. You devote your paychecks on typical impulse board gaming buys and kick starters. You religiously watch your favourite youtube channel and you have decided to try and come across matching game players who have comparable tastes for you to play games. You start searching for the most effective offers on Amazon and you are kick-starting each and every modern new board games coming out. While the massive signal that you're at this stage is that your secret birthday wishlist's for your close friends now has board games on it.
Susan distinguishes herself as a gaming blogger due to the fact she emphasizes bringing positivity to the gaming sphere. As the Senior Editor for Escapist Magazine,” Susan also has an influence that some of the other gamers don't have for the reason that she has the opportunity to encourage and influence some of the best up-and-coming minds of the gaming world.
0 notes
Text
Surprising
A belated entry for Day 6 of Molly Hooper Appreciation Week, in the same “All Holiday” series I’ve been pursuing lately...
Birthdays at “the cake place” -- Marcelline’s, a ten minute walk from 221B -- had recently become an established tradition for the small, bemused coterie of persons privileged to call themselves friends of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock had still been on the mend from his latest foray into drug addiction when he’d been the first to be honored, polishing off a slice of Triple Chocolate Gateau with an alacrity that had astonished his minders, accustomed as they were to his finicking (or nonexistent) appetite. A few weeks later, Sherlock, John, and Molly had treated Mrs. Hudson on her natal day. She had, as was proper, declined to share her true age, but she had thoroughly enjoyed the Mango and Blackcurrent Mousse she’d chosen from the menu and startled them once again with a few offhand remarks about her unconventional history. Then, about a month after the Sherrinford debacle, it had been Greg Lestrade’s turn (Strawberry Tart) -- a surprise gathering arranged by Sally Donovan. Sherlock and Sally’s interactions on that occasion seemed to indicate they’d more or less buried the hatchet, and if he and Molly had felt a bit awkward, Greg had only been unabashedly thrilled.
Molly had noticed that Greg’s joyous reaction to the unexpected event had intrigued Sherlock, but she was unaware of the exact extent of his interest and the reason for it until her own birthday rolled around.
The morning started out in quite an ordinary fashion. She’d somehow failed to ask for the day off, so she’d actually had to work, and it turned out to be exceptionally busy. By the time her shift was ending, she was so tired that she almost decided to text Sherlock and beg off coming to Marcelline’s at all. He would understand. He was, after all, a great part of the reason for her weariness, having kept her up half the night before again in the most delightfully devastating fashion.
This had happened all too often in the several weeks since the events following Meena’s Hen Night, events that had finally altered her relationship with Sherlock in the best possible way, a true testament to the efficacy of drunkenness and forcible debauchery as he’d later observed with a cheeky glint in his eye. She could hardly argue with that, or with his apparent determination to make up for lost time. His zeal was admirable, if exhausting, and since his bent for observation, deduction, and scientific inquiry were leavened with a wonderfully tender regard, she hesitated to voice even the mildest complaint. However, it was becoming obvious to her that a regimen of love-making interspersed with light dozing until three or four (or five) in the morning would not do, at least not on work nights.
She changed her mind about texting him, though. Once she left Barts, got outside in the rain-washed air of that early spring evening, she felt a great deal better. A short ride on the Tube, an easy walk through the familiar Marylebone streets, and she entered Marcelline’s with a smile of pleasant anticipation.
And then a roar of “Surprise!” echoed through the cake-scented air, and suddenly she really was wide awake.
It was the biggest gathering yet: John and Rosie, and Mrs. Hudson, with Mr. Chatterjee hovering near; Greg Lestrade with Donovan, Anderson, and Hopkins; Meena and her new husband; and several colleagues from Barts, including Mike Stamford, his wife, and the three oldest of their five children.
Sherlock was the first to come toward her, saying,, “I tried to get Mycroft to come, too, but Alicia is out of town at present and seemed unable to guilt him into it via text.”
She laughed, saw that he was holding out his hands and took them in hers. “You did this?”
“Do you like it?”
She wanted to leap up, wrap her arms about his neck and snog him senseless, but she only had time to squeeze his hands tight and reply, “Yes!” before they were surrounded and she had to let him go to turn and greet everyone else.
*
“I’ve never had a surprise party before,” she said to him later as they walked along, her hand tucked in his arm. They were headed over to Angelo’s, just the two of them now, looking forward to a light post-cake supper.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Sherlock said with a smile.
“It was such an inspiration to invite Mike’s children. They were adorable when they took Rosie under their collective wing.”
“Mmm. They didn’t seem to mind being relegated to the Children’s Table. I always hated that, when I was growing up, but I can certainly see the advantages of it as an adult.”
“Oh, yes. And eating dessert first, that’s another advantage. That lovely little salad with the shrimp that Angelo makes will be perfect to follow. And it was so kind of Mrs. Hudson to offer to take my gifts back to Baker Street so we could walk to Angelo’s. Everyone was too generous!” Molly sighed happily, remembering the beautiful silk scarf she’d received from Mrs. Hudson, Mike and Betty’s Amazon gift card, the NSY crowd’s big tin of Milk Caramel Praline Sea Salt Truffles from London’s most prestigious chocolatier, Charbonnel et Walker, and the pretty new jumper from John and Rosie (“Another fruit-based cardigan?” Sherlock had muttered, to which Molly had replied, “Hush, you! I love it!”).
But now Sherlock had fallen oddly quiet, and presently Molly looked up at him.
He glanced down at her, not quite smiling, then looked away again. But then he said, “I… I have a gift for you, too.”
“Oh! I thought the party itself was your gift!” He’d arranged for everything, reserving the whole shop and paying for everyone’s choice of cake and other refreshments at what she knew must have been considerable expense.
“Well, that. But I have something else for you.” He slowed, stopped, looked undecided for a moment, then pulled her over to the entrance to an alley -- a fairly clean, respectable one, running between Petersham’s Books and the back of a gourmet food shop. There were shadows, as it was growing dark -- a few stars could already be seen between breaks in the clouds -- but there was a light by the back porch of the food shop that cast a pleasant golden glow.
Still: an alley! “Can’t this wait until we arrive at Angelo’s?” she asked as he reached into an inner pocket of his coat.
“No,” he said firmly, though it was obvious to her that he was tense, troubled. “Open it now. I… I’m not certain… well… here.”
And he drew out a small, flat, brightly wrapped parcel.
She did not take it at once. The wrapping was a shiny red, and it was tied with silky black yarn, and there was a tag.
It looked exactly like her gift to him on that terrible Christmas Eve so many years before.
She looked up at him, suddenly wary. But his lips were set in a firm line, and his eyes were… afraid. This was no teasing joke, then. There was some serious intent behind it.
She steadied herself, and solemnly took the box, happy to see that her hand did not tremble.
The tag read, as she’d known it would,
Dearest Molly Love, Sherlock x x x
Her lip quivered, very slightly.
“Open it,” he said, his voice intense.
She slipped the silken tie off the corners and carefully loosened the paper from around the box. He took the wrappings from her and shoved them in his pocket, and she found herself holding her breath as she drew the lid off and looked inside. Two narrow envelopes lay there. The kind that held tickets.
Her Christmas gift to Sherlock on that long ago night had held only one envelope: two tickets for the London Philharmonic, with Itzhak Perlman performing Vivaldi.
Memories swirled through her head, old pain once again brought to the fore: climbing the stairs to 221B to deliver some body part to him and for the first time hearing him play his violin; gathering her courage to try once more to make an impression on him, allow him to see what he meant to her, hoping he would understand that it was no infatuation (well it was, but it wasn’t only that); agonizing over what to wear, and then throwing caution to the winds entirely with that black dress, heels that were too high, earrings that she’d thought festive but realized later were simply ridiculous. Her hair. Her make-up. God, she had tried so hard…
She bit her lip, her eyes stinging. Picked up one of the envelopes and drew out the tickets… so many… good heavens…
“What… is this the whole season?” she gasped, looking up at him.
“Molly, please don’t cry,” he said softly.
She forced a laugh, and sniffed, blinking back tears. “No. Sorry. But Sherlock--”
“Eleven performances. For you, and for… whomever you like.”
She pursed her lips. “For you, too, then, obviously.”
He smiled just a little, but then grew solemn again. “I know my apology that night was not enough. I… I didn’t even open your gift until days after Christmas, and then… did you really have to work the night of the concert?”
She flushed a little. “I had Mike rearrange the schedule. On the off-chance you’d ask me… and you did! But… I couldn’t bear it.” She sniffed again, and bit her lip.
“Molly!” he whispered, and gathered her against him.
She hugged him fiercely. Thinking how very far they’d both come since that night.
And then the box slipped from her fingers.
“Oh! Sherlock, I’ve dropped them! Let me go!”
He laughed, releasing her, and together they bent and picked up the tickets, many of which had come out of the too-stuffed envelopes.
Finally she stood up and carefully counted them. “I think I have them all. Twenty-two?”
“Yes. Mostly symphonies. I think you’ll enjoy them.”
“I know I will. Did… did you enjoy the one I gave you? Was Itzhak Perlman brilliant?”
“According to all reports. I… er… gave the tickets to Mrs. Hudson and she took Mr. Chatterjee.”
“Oh, Sherlock!” she exclaimed, frowning.
“Molly, how could I go and enjoy it after… everything. If you had been willing to go…”
“So it’s my fault!” But she almost laughed.
He smiled crookedly. “You’ll get some good use out of that black dress, now.”
She frowned again, with narrowed eyes. “I gave it to charity at the first opportunity.”
“Oh.” He hesitated, then blurted, “You did look lovely--”
“Sherlock!”
“--except for the earrings, they were a bit much.”
She sighed, shaking her head, suppressing a chuckle.
He said, suddenly inspired, “I could take you shopping!”
“No!”
“No?”
“Well, maybe,” she conceded. “I have a couple of dresses that would work, but I can’t wear the same things to eleven performances -- not with the kind of attention you get from the media. But give me a chance. I may surprise you.”
And at that, he finally grinned and pulled her close again. “You’ve always surprised me, Molly Hooper,” he said. “In the best possible ways.” And he kissed her.
~.~
#Sherlock#sherlolly#molly hooper appreciation week#Music Lifts My Soul (Fanworks incorporating music)
46 notes
·
View notes
Text
A hospital gift guide
So you have a friend, family member, loved one or acquaintance who’s sick or injured and has been hospitalized. You want to bring them something special to cheer them up, but you don’t know what in the world they could use or enjoy while they’re stuck in the hospital. I’d love to recommend, from personal experience, some gifts that were especially useful or enjoyable while I was hospitalized for 3.5 weeks!
- Socks: Use your imagination! These could be warm wool socks, slipper socks with grips on the bottom, fuzzy spa socks, or socks with images or sayings on them. They will keep your loved one’s tootsies warm and cozy (especially if they only have one sock-wearing foot, like me), and will also lift their spirits. I received a special pair from my boss, Jill, that read “I’m a girl - what’s your superpower?” Those socks inspired me to start Funny Sock Fridays when I was in inpatient rehab, where I wore one interesting sock every Friday to serve as a conversation starter with therapists and nurses. I also received a beautiful striped pair of extremely soft socks from my BFF Rya, which have kept my one foot super warm and happy while I recuperate in my parents’ freezing cold house. If you know they have a cast, consider buying some oversized socks — or really stretchy socks — so that their exposed toes and the end of their cast can be covered as well.
- Blank cards, stamps and a nice pen: I was completely overwhelmed by the love and generosity that I received from so many different people when I was hospitalized. I wanted to write a thank-you note to each and every person who visited me, mailed a card, or sent flowers or a gift. (I was also on a pretty heavy dose of strong painkillers for quite some time, so it was a major struggle to even remember who sent which of the five floral arrangements in my hospital room. Oops.) I was gifted a variety of blank cards and some stamps from my best friend and her mom, Shelby and Judy, as well as my dad. Those came in handy when I wanted to send mail to thank someone for their gift, write a birthday card for my boyfriend (yes, both of us had our birthdays while I was hospitalized... bummer), or connect with a new pen pal (hi Jessi!). Although your loved one in the hospital may not “have it together” enough to write thank you cards to everyone on their list, giving them the tools to send out some mail could be much appreciated. (Hot tip: Target often has blank note cards in their $1 section near the front of the store!)
- Blank journal and pen: While I have chosen Tumblr as my platform for working through the ups and downs of my rehabilitation process, others may want to put their experiences down on paper instead. Gifting a nice notebook and a pen will give your loved one the opportunity to chronicle their own journey through illness or injury. They may want to document the event or illness that landed them in the hospital in the first place; remember the names of favorite doctors/nurses/therapists at their facility; keep a log of gifts and cards received (for future thank-you note usage); develop a schedule for taking medications or completing their prescribed exercises; or write down goals for their recovery and for the future. Those blank pages hold a world of possibilities.
- Lip balm and lotion: I have never felt more dried out in my life than during the 3.5 weeks I was hospitalized. It could have been the hospital air, it could have been the hearty pain medications... whatever the cause, my skin and lips were flaking and peeling like I was trapped in the desert without water. Trust me, males and females alike would both be reaching for the moisturizers if they were in my position, so don’t fret if your hospitalized friend happens to be a dude. Just get them the goods. My favorite lip balms are the original Burt’s Bees (peppermint flavor) or Chapstick (cherry flavor). For an amazingly non-greasy, quick absorbing hand and body lotion, I recommend Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion with Aloe. It has a nice light and fresh scent that’s perfect for either ladies or gents, and it works like a dream.
- Books or magazines: This one’s a little trickier, because you have to know what kind of reading material they prefer. Knowing their hobbies and interests helps, because you can bring magazines or books on related topics. I can give you a reading list that’s a mile long, if you need personalized recommendations.
- Pajama pants, yoga pants, or sweatpants: These don’t have to be my favorite $98 yoga leggings from Lululemon... just an inexpensive pair from Target or TJ Maxx will do! Pajama pants, yoga pants and sweats have a loose, wide leg opening. These are usually easy for your loved one to put on in bed and will definitely fit over a cast. Once the patient has regained more strength and mobility, they may want to wear bottoms that are slightly more form fitting, so leggings or track pants could be a good option.
- Tumbler or water bottle: While I was in the hospital, a fresh Styrofoam cup of water was delivered to my bedside every few hours, whether I had finished the previous cup or not. Styrofoam... nature’s best friend... NOT! Help your patient save the planet and gift them with reusable drinkware, so they can ask their nurse to refill that instead of filling a trash can with unused foam cups every four hours. I had the good fortune of receiving a cup holder for my wheelchair, and my mom bought me a cool sugar skull tumbler from Target, so wherever I went, I had my own water cup. It was awesome.
- Hat or headbands: Gotta hide that bedhead and/or third day hair grease! I received two nice wide Buff headbands from my friends at The Summer Camp Society and they were AMAZINGLY HELPFUL while I was at Mary Free Bed. When I was first learning to shower myself again, I was scheduled for night showers and didn’t have the energy to blow-dry my hair before bed, so I’d wake up with crazy bad bedhead. I also didn’t want to get up early to get pretty for a long day of physical and occupational therapy (who did I have to impress in rehab??), so being able to run a brush through my hair and slap on a nice wide headband was awesome. I have a big, round head, so headbands usually slide off, but those Buff headbands stayed. put. I also love wearing hats, especially when I have “day three hair” (ladies, you know what I’m talking about), so my birthday gift of a Roga Cap came in handy a few times. Thanks Mom and Dad! (If you are a runner, know a runner, or just love insanely comfortable hats, get a Roga Cap and thank me later.)
- Dry shampoo: This is helpful for guys and gals alike. Just ask my boyfriend — I’m pretty sure I’ll have to start buying 2 cans of Batiste at a time because he uses mine so frequently. If you don’t use dry shampoo now, you should become a convert. It is life-changing. (I recommend the Bare scent if you want something light and fresh, or Wild if you want to keep catching whiffs of your hair all day and thinking about how great your head smells.) Having this in the hospital was wonderful because I could give my hair a quick touch-up to make it last until my next shower. After a certain point, you start to feel like yourself again, which means all of your silly vanities return — like plucking your eyebrows and worrying about if your hair looks too dirty.
- Bath products and nail polish: On a similar note, a small luxury like nice bath products or nail polish can make your loved one feel like a million bucks. I would have LOVED to use smelly-good shower gel instead of the standard issue hospital soap during my 2.5 weeks at Mary Free Bed. If she is able to shower in the bathroom, ask her what her favorite Bath and Body Works scent is and bring in some shower gel. (This gift may not be appropriate if your patient is still taking sponge baths in their hospital bed.) One of the first things I wanted when I got to MFB was a manicure... but I couldn’t leave the hospital just yet. Fortunately, my amazing friend Sophia came by and gave me a mobile manicure. She did an incredible job; my nails were chip-free and flawless for the entirety of my stay at MFB. That did so much to lift my spirits and make me feel normal and pretty again. (If you live in or near Grand Rapids, call up Manic Muse and make an appointment with Sophia ASAP!)
- Gift cards to their favorite stores: Let your loved one do some online shopping from their hospital bed! A gift card is not a cop-out... sometimes it’s nice to let them pick out what they want, instead of trying to guess. Go with an Amazon gift card if you’re not sure what they like, so they can order books or gizmos or new sweatpants. Online shopping is like a gift to yourself because, even though you know exactly what you ordered, it’s very exciting when your package arrives. Everyone knows the feeling. I was so grateful to receive a Oiselle gift card from my Michigan Volée teammates while I was staying at Mary Free Bed. Because of them, I was finally able to order a shirt I had been wanting for months. Thanks, birds!!
- Cozy throw blanket: Michael brought me our furry, fuzzy Michigan State throw blanket from home, and it made my hospital bed feel so much more like MY bed. Stores like Target, Home Goods (TJ Maxx/Marshalls), or Meijer sell inexpensive, cozy throw blankets that will brighten up your patient’s room and give them something to snuggle with in their bland white hospital bed.
- Some of their (or your) favorite snacks: Snacks are nice to fill the space when hospital meals aren’t cutting it. Although I initially thought MFB had a great menu, I quickly got tired of eating the same few palatable options and found my tummy rumbling in the afternoons. Fortunately, I had a whole drawer full of snacks to choose from, thanks to wonderful friends and family members who brought food during their visits. My friend and coworker Tesi gave me a hilarious gift when she visited: a Trader Joe’s bag full of her family’s favorite snacks, along with the instructions to report back on what my favorite snack was. (Nutty Bits for the win!) Ask them what they’re craving — for me, it was extra toasty Cheez It’s — or bring them a few options, both savory/salty and sweet, if you’re not sure what they like.
Hopefully you will find something on this list that will turn out to be the perfect gift for that injured or ill special someone. And send them my best wishes when you visit! xoxo
1 note
·
View note
Photo
New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/asia-pacific/your-monday-briefing/
Your Monday Briefing
A week after Easter bombings, Sri Lanka struggles to move forward
Security forces continued to round up suspects involved in the bombings that killed more than 250 people last week while people in the capital, Colombo, held vigils outside one of the churches that was attacked.
The curfew in Colombo has been lifted even as military surveillance aircraft kept an eye on the country’s main airports and naval units patrolled the waters around the island nation.
Over the weekend: The Islamic State said its fighters were among those killed in a raid of a house in eastern Sri Lanka that left 15 people dead and that wounded the wife and child of Zaharan Hashim, alleged to be the mastermind of the bombings.
Go deeper: The town of Kattankudy is one of the few predominantly Muslim towns in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka. It’s also Mr. Hashim’s hometown and where he preached his divisive ideology.
How China’s bicycle ‘unicorns’ shook up a small town
As bike-sharing swept through Chinese cities about three years ago, the small town of Wangqingtuo — home to many bicycle factories — prospered.
But then the start-ups hit financial troubles, hollowing out parts of Wangqingtuo, leaving factories shuttered and unwanted bicycles piled up on empty streets.
Takeaway: The boom and bust of China’s bike-sharing companies reflect the country’s dizzying start-up scene, with new unicorns (companies worth more than $1 billion) cropping up every four days last year, according to a research firm in Shanghai.
While the fast-paced technology industry has created new industries, the companies that quickly collapse often end up wiping out jobs and small investors.
Can a water pump undermine ISIS in the Philippines?
It took two months, an American Special Operations civil affairs team, three nonprofit organizations and a Philippine Army platoon to bring a gray, oblong $58,000 water pump to Padas, a village in the southern Philippines.
The pump is part of a U.S. counterterrorism plan that aims to help establish trust in the government and, in turn, undercut the influence of Islamic State-affiliated militants in the region.
The campaign has been focused on and around the city of Marawi, which the Islamic State seized in 2017. A monthslong military effort to take back the city left an estimated 1,200 people dead and displaced many others. But the ISIS affiliate simply started to rebuild and recruit in nearby villages, like Padas.
Background: In November, the U.S. estimated that around 500 Islamic State fighters were living in the Philippines, a majority Christian country with a small Muslim population in the south.
A school in South Korea enrolls illiterate grandmothers
As South Korea’s birth rate plunges, schools across the country have been emptying out. So one school, desperate to fill its classrooms, came up with an innovative solution: enroll older villagers who had never learned to read and write.
“My mother has become a much happier person since she began going to school,” said the son of a 70-year-old student. “Smiles hardly seem to leave her face.”
By the numbers: The country’s birth rate fell to less than one child per woman last year — one of the lowest in the world.
If you’re following the Indian elections…
Dubious candidates left, right and center
Pragya Singh Thakur, wearing garlands and the saffron robes of a Hindu ascetic, is a candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party. That she faces terrorism charges, in connection with a bomb blast that killed seven people in 2008 has not deterred her or the party.
Ms. Thakur’s situation, however, is not uncommon.
When the Association for Democratic Reforms, an independent think tank, looked through the criminal records of almost all 5,478 candidates in the first half of the general election, the findings were staggering.
About a third of the candidates had some sort of pending criminal case against them. And 13 percent faced serious charges, including allegations of corruption, assault, murder and rape.
Neither of the two main national parties, the governing B.J.P. or the opposition Congress party, fared very well in the reports.
Candidates with criminal backgrounds usually end up winning, said Anil Verma, a retired Army officer who leads the Association for Democratic Reforms.
Many of them have more campaign money and deliver results at a local level, Mr. Verma said. They also earn goodwill with small acts, he said, like “donating money for somebody’s daughter’s wedding.”
“It’s a travesty but that’s how it is in our country.”
Send us your feedback or questions on this series here.
Here’s what else is happening
U.S.: A gunman opened fire in a synagogue near San Diego on the last day of Passover, killing one person and wounding three others. The shooting, the latest in a series of deadly attacks at houses of worship, is being treated as a hate crime.
Spain: The country held its third national elections since 2015 on Sunday, amid growing political polarization, an ongoing territorial conflict over Catalonia and the emergence of a new far-right party, Vox.
Apple: Since it launched its own screen-time tracker, Apple has clamped down on competitors’ offerings, according to an investigation by The Times. In some cases Apple forced companies to remove parental control features and in other cases, it simply pulled apps from its store.
Uber: As the ride-hailing company meets with investors ahead of its I.P.O. next month, it plans to pitch itself as the next Amazon, a concept that hints at its ambition to expand into new businesses and industries.
Gender inequality: American women are the most educated ever, yet they face some of the biggest pay gaps. One reason is the changing nature of work, which has led to longer, inflexible hours.
Penguins: The Antarctic’s second-largest colony of emperor penguins has all but disappeared since 2016 when more than 10,000 chicks were lost because of a strong El Niño, according to a new study.
Snapshot: Above, “Night #19,” 2005, by Michael Wolf. The photographer who gained fame capturing Hong Kong’s dense skyscrapers and the minutiae of its daily life died on Thursday at age 65.
What we’re reading: This article in The Colorado Sun. Gina Lamb, a Special Sections editor, writes: “As a longtime typewriter owner (and former Colorado resident), I was delighted by this piece about Darwin Raymond, who has cared for all kinds of typewriters on the state’s Western Slope for decades — including a 60-pounder with a three-foot-long carriage, a purse-size portable and an IBM Selectric that Hunter S. Thompson blew apart with a shotgun.”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: Tonight might be the night for kale-sauce pasta. Not a kale fan? Try arugula, spinach or even collard greens. (Our Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter has more recommendations.)
Watch: “Avengers: Endgame” is finally out, breaking box office records. Black Widow, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man and other stars settle scores and take a long victory lap in the final chapter of this cycle.
Read: Four memoirs and one near-memoir are among 11 new books we recommend.
Go: (Or maybe don’t.) “Beetlejuice,” a musical adaptation of the 1988 Tim Burton film, has opened on Broadway. It’s “absolutely exhausting,” our theater critic writes.
Smarter Living:If buying a used car makes you want to pull your hair out, you’re not alone. There are a few key things to remember. Know which kind of car you need, not the kind you want. Review whether leasing or financing the car makes the most sense for you. Lastly, know the difference between a certified pre-owned and a lemon.
And if you find a lost phone, be sure to return it the right way.
And now for the Back Story on …
Dance history
If you’re feeling footloose today, there may be a reason: April 29 is International Dance Day, so proclaimed by the performing arts partner of Unesco 37 years ago.
Why this date? It’s the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), a choreographer and dance theorist who invented the “ballet d’action,” a forerunner of that staple of dance companies: the evening-length story ballet. (Think “Swan Lake” and “Giselle.”)
Before Noverre, ballets had amounted to spectacular entertainments. He revolutionized the art by introducing pantomime and the idea that a dance could tell stories.
Early in his career, Noverre also had the distinction of serving as the young Archduchess Marie Antoinette’s dancing instructor in Vienna, before her departure for France.
According Antonia Fraser, whose biography of Marie Antoinette became the basis of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 biopic, the future queen was an apt pupil, admired for her graceful port de bras and elegant bearing.
Their friendship helped his career, until the French Revolution. He managed to escape the guillotine and lived until 1810 in the Paris suburb of St. Germain en Laye.
A correction: Thursday’s Morning Briefing misstated how the Russian chemist Dmitiri Mendeleev arranged the first recognizable periodic table. It was by atomic weight, not by atomic number.
That’s it for this briefing. Have a foot-tappin’, hip-swingin’ day.
— Alisha
Thank you To Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and Kenneth R. Rosen for the break from the news. Marina Harss, who writes about dance for The Times, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].
P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is on the measles outbreak in the U.S. • Here’s our mini crossword puzzle, and a clue: move like a ghost (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Both Arthur O. Sulzberger, the chairman of the board and former publisher of The New York Times, and A.G. Sulzberger, the current publisher, worked as reporters and editors at The Times earlier in their careers.
#asia hockey news#asia news defence#asia news video#asianet news live#channel news asia 9pm#s e asia news
0 notes
Text
Exercise #6
youtube
Waiting for _______________
Write a scene in which two characters are “waiting” for someone or something. It’s up to you who or what they are waiting for (their professor to show up to class? their package to be delivered by Amazon?), the important thing is 1. they can’t leave 2. the person or thing they are waiting for never shows up.
Things to consider while writing: How do you keep the scene interesting, tense, and dramatic without ever giving the audience what they ask for? Take a page out of Beckett’s book and use the absurd and the existential to inject humor and tragedy into your scene. Write at least 20 lines of dialogue (10 for each character), and see what comes of...waiting. Good luck!
------
By Annie
Bertram: Well, what do you want to do now?
Archibald: I don't know. The car door won't open.
Bertram: This is what happens when we get in your Ford Pinto. I can only hope no one rear ends us.
Archibald: Hey, I love this old car! She's my first car! I do want a new car though. We should buy a Lamborghini with this money. What do you think we should do?
Bertram: Call the police, perhaps? Tell them there was a robbery at the jewelry store?Archibald: What! No! I refuse. We may as well die in here, before I spend what years I have left in prison.
Bertram: Maybe we could've just stolen a Lamborghini. Or a Ferrari. Then we'd be in the new car.
Archibald: That's a great idea actually! Why didn't you say that sooner?
Bertram: Archie! You wouldn't hear of it! You and your receding hairline. You just wanted it to be like the good old days. Those days are gone.
Archibald: I'm sorry Bertie. We could go rob a car dealership after this.
Bertram: Or a game of table tennis. Something that won't raise my blood pressure. We could have double heart attacks.
Archibald: Maybe the locksmith? I did that once, when I got locked out of my car. Do you have any money?
Bertram: Besides the money we stole? Do you think he takes jewelry?
Archibald: Maybe we should call the police. I'm sure I could sweet talk them.
Bertram: I'm sure they'd go easy on us. We're senior citizens, after all.Archibald: How much is a prison sentence, for robbery?
Bertram: I don't rightly know. But between a nursing home and a prison, I'd gladly take prison. Maybe there'd be some young people who actually want to spend time with us.
Archibald: It's almost little Hugo's birthday now. Do you think we'll be out of here by then?
Bertram: Oh, probably. How old is Hugo now?
Archibald: He's going to be 20! Maybe he'd like a pretty necklace.
Bertram: I'm sure he'd appreciate that.
Archibald: Oh, I knew it was a good idea.
Bertram: Let's just call the police alright? I'm sure you can charm your way out of it, you old dog. Let's just hope they don't rear end us.
Archibald: Oh, Bertie. You know what, maybe I will. Do you have your phone?
Bertram: No. Archibald: I didn't think I'd need it for the robbery.
Bertram: Maybe we should scream for help, or break the window and crawl out.
Archibald: My car window? Absolutely not!
-----
Waiting For the Last Bus of the Night
By Jacqueline
The setting: A bus stop at night. There is a bench for bus patrons and a weather shelter surrounding the bench. There is a bus stop sign in front of the bus shelter, to the left of it. There is a singular streetlight overhead. There is no one else around.
The characters:
Elliott
Peter
(They are two young men, in their 20s, who are friends. They are trying to get home after a late night at a mutual friend’s house. They walk onto the scene with the clothes on their backs and nothing more.)
-- Elliott: Did we make it? Did the last bus leave yet?
Peter: (checking his watch) Well, it’s 1:02am and it says the last bus should be here at 1:05am. So we have a few minutes.
Elliott: Okay. You’re probably right...but what if it came early and we missed it?!
Peter: Don’t worry about that right now. The buses have been on time for us today, so I’m sure it should be no different now.
Elliott: (steps into the road to look in the direction of the bus and steps back onto the sidewalk next to Peter) I don’t know, Peter, I don’t see any headlights in the distance.
Peter: We’ll be fine. We still have a few minutes.
Elliott: Alright. I’m just worried since it’s getting chilly.
Peter: I’m chilly too, but we will be warm soon. Don’t worry.
Elliott: That’s true…(he paces into the road again to check for signs of the bus and then back) Hey, Peter, did you ever notice how quiet it gets out here at night? It’s so lively and busy all day, but the air is eerily still at night.
Peter: Yeah, I suppose you’re right. It seems everyone retreats into their homes until dawn.
Elliott: (placing his hand on his chin, indicating a deep thought) But what if they’re not? What if we think we’re standing at this bus stop at night alone, but really we are in a liminal space…
Peter: Liminal space?
Elliott: Yeah! It’s the phenomenon that certain areas at certain times of the day, (pause) and especially night, blur the lines between reality and other dimensions. Like, there’s this story I heard about this guy who stopped for food at a rest stop diner while he was on a road trip in 2012. When he got into the diner, everything seemed like it was straight of the 1950s: the music on the jukebox ranged from Buddy Holly to “Earth Angel” by The Penguins, the waitresses’ outfits, the way people spoke, and even the design of the restaurant itself. He figured it was just the theme of the diner and enjoyed his meal and the service he received. He paid in cash and hit the road. About a month later, he took another road trip, this time with a friend, and decided to show him this peculiar diner. However, when they pulled into the parking lot, there was nothing but the abandoned shell of what used to be a diner. Baffled, he asked a cashier in the gas station market why they closed the diner down. The cashier looked at him with a confused expression and replied, “You’ll have to summon a ghost for the answer. That diner hasn’t been open since 1955!” And the conclusion, Peter, is that it was a liminal space! Somehow he had passed through to a different timeline and back into his own. Crazy, right?!
Peter: (with an expression of contemplation) That’s pretty fascinating, Elliott, but I hate to break it to ya: I don’t think we passed through to a different timeline. I think people just sleep at a normal time around here.
Elliott: (throwing his hands up) You’re no fun!
Peter: (shrugging) I tend to be more realistic about things.
Elliott: (walks back into the road to check for the bus and back to the sidewalk again. He takes a deep breath and sighs) I’m starting to think the bus came and went before we got here.
Peter: (checking his watch again) Well, it does say that it’s 1:05 am. It should be here by now. You sure you didn’t see any headlights in the distance?
Elliott: Nope. Nada. Zilch. I told you!
Peter: Don’t be so pessimistic. Maybe, rather than early, the bus is late.
Elliott: Now who’s the realist? It sounds like you’re being awfully optimistic here…
Peter: I’m just saying! The bus isn’t always on time.
Elliott: I know. Sometimes they’re early, and they leave two guys behind in the cold!
Peter: (checks his watch again, then looks around. He takes a turn at walking into the road to check for any sign of headlights, and then spots some). See! There! I told you. There’s the bus. I knew it. (he steps back onto the sidewalk)
Elliott: (steps into the road to confirm Peter’s sighting and jumps back onto the sidewalk with excitement) Fine! Maybe you were being the right amount of realistic. I’m just excited to get home and get cozy.(The vehicle approaches, but as it gets closer, the two young men realize now that it is not a bus at all, but rather, a garbage truck)
Elliott and Peter: (at the same time) Damn it!
(The road and surrounding area fall silent again after the garbage truck is further into the distance. The two young men are silent for a few seconds, letting a shared sense of disappointment hang in the air for a moment).
Elliott: So….
Peter: (closing his eyes and shaking his head) Don’t say it.
Elliott: (with a smirk, tauntingly) Maybe I’m the realistic one after all! Let’s just order a taxi or something. I just wanna get home.
Peter: Let’s just give it a few more minutes. I don’t have the kind of money to just go spending it on a taxi. Plus, I wanna get the most out of this unlimited bus pass.
Elliott: (rolls his eyes) Can’t you just admit defeat for once and call it a night?
Peter: You can go ahead and call a taxi! I’m just gonna save my money and give it some more time. If, after another 5 minutes, there’s still no bus, I’ll take a taxi home.
Elliott: No, I’m not gonna leave you out here alone. (sighs) I guess I can wait 5 more minutes.
Peter: You’ll be thanking me when we’re on that bus and not 25 bucks poorer!
Elliott: I hope you don’t end up eating those words. (Elliott steps into the road to check for any sign of the bus yet again, and then back onto the sidewalk)
Peter: So, what’re you gonna do as soon as you’re home?
Elliott: Hmm...I’m gonna jump in the shower and knock out in bed while Netflix plays in the background. (closing his eyes and tilting his head towards the sky as if meditating) I can almost feel the comfort of my sheets right now… (he lets the thought linger for a moment and opens his eyes. He turns to Peter) What about you?
Peter: I’ll probably eat a late night snack and then chug a gallon of water. I’m so thirsty all of a sudden.
Elliott: (playfully) All that crossing into and out of liminal spaces sure makes you thirsty.
Peter: (rolls his eyes) You want to time jump so bad!
Elliott: Now that’s a sentence you hear everyday.
Peter: (steps into the road yet again and checks his watch, then steps back onto the sidewalk) I’m starting to think…
Elliott: Starting to think...that maybe we should just get a taxi?
Peter: (sighs out of defeat) I didn’t want to admit it, but, I think so.
End.
0 notes
Text
Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt
Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt T shirts Store Online
Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt
Hobbies are a healthier issue to get. This is a great sensation to talk about your hobbies and interests with other people. Expending leisure time undertaking one thing you adore rather than getting rid of time with t . v . or online games is also healthier for your personal imagination. Take advantage of the pursuing hobby details and suggestions to develop or make improvements to a pastime.
If you re considering entering into a new hobby, however are not sure which to use, broaden! Participating in a hobby is great for stress reduction, so it helps you keep life in perspective. Try different types till some thing clicks, then get actually involved in carrying out what exactly it is that creates you cheerful!
Converting your children on to interests at an early age might help them in numerous methods, and reports advise it can also place them about the right and filter. Youngsters who participate in additional-curricular sports activities, artwork actions, and different organizations accessible usually do far better in education also. Present those to many pastimes, and allow them to choose their favorite!
Never enable your pastime to get an infatuation. You should make sure you will find the time for you to do things in addition to your hobby. In the event that your activity is disturbing your obligations, it may be time to minimize.
An enjoyable interest to possess is to start publishing your own video tutorials on youtube. A lot of people article up their very own videos online, either for cash, satisfaction, or both. You don t should be a motion picture skilled in order to do it. You just need a webcam or cell phone.
If you re stumped about which interest you need to get associated with, think about one that gives you lots of physical exercise. You might use up strolling, skating, or jogging to help you successfully pass time, whilst keeping you hectic, whilst getting rid of a bunch of energy at the same time! Obtain a friend concerned so you won t even seem like you re working out.
Birthday cake decorating could be a really fun activity that really helps to build a thing of beauty from your home. Specific activity stores basically offer you inexpensive food beautifying courses to help you get you started. This is a wonderful pastime that mixes your artistic talents by using a delicious treat and it doesn t charge a lot of cash.
Seashell gathering is a good activity that can give you happy recollections of beach front vacations. Seashells might be academic for kids as well as are actually excellent decorative features to the residence.
Through the article over you happen to be now aware about numerous entertaining things you can do at home. Anybody can locate fascinating interests in the home the family members can take advantage of performing. It doesn t really need to be uninteresting in your house anymore whenever you add the suggestions right here to locate that excellent hobby.
High quality Usa inspired T-Shirts by independent artists and designers from around the globe Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt. Perhaps you have done shopping online? If so, you probably understand that though there are lots of similarities to traditional purchasing, there are some dissimilarities as well. For this reason, you should be informed on the approach so that you can acquire the very best discounts. Look at this article for excellent guidance that will help you in your on the internet-store shopping ventures. In no way attempt to retail outlet from the link somebody sent you in an electronic mail, unless it’s a widely known and respectable site, like Amazon . com.com. A lot of customers get tricked into scams via links in questionable emails. Go to the Website url of your website mentioned within the snail mail, rather than clicking on the link alone. Speak with your friends concerning their favored online stores. There are many internet sites around, and there is no method for you to see them all yourself. Discuss to individuals you know to discover who the reputable internet retailers are, and where by they enjoy to purchase. This will save you time and effort and energy. When you find yourself making any transactions internet and you must create a end user account, by no means use the exact same security passwords which you use on other web sites. Usually do not utilize your e-snail mail or banking password to produce your account to acquire shoes or boots coming from a web store. If a person surely could see this password, they could get access to not just your user profile on the retailer’s retailer. If you want the best offers, look at signing up for your newsletters supplied in your favored shops. Numerous retailers provide beneficial reduced prices for new participants. A lot of retailers provide great savings to returning clients. There is lots to understand in relation to online shopping. You should not just commence buying without learning some crucial tips and tricks upon it. Ensure you meticulously go through over this informative article prior to shopping to be able to preserve as much as possible and enjoy the greatest encounter.
Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt, Hoodie, V-Neck, Sweater, Longsleeve, Tank Top, Bella Flowy and Unisex, T-Shirt
Classic Ladies
Hoodie
Unisex
Buy Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt
Store Ideal TOPS models from a large number of painters round the worldwide planet Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt. These days, locating time and energy to check out a physical shop so that you can go shopping is hard. With your busy life, you tend to postpone buying issues that you desire. Online shopping is a wonderful way to save your time to make essential purchases. You are likely to figure out some terrific information that can assist your web shopping attempts. Never ever attempt to retail outlet right from the link somebody mailed you in a electronic mail, except if it’s a well regarded and reputed site, like Amazon online marketplace.com. Lots of shoppers get tricked into ripoffs through links in doubtful email messages. Go to the Website url from the site mentioned within the mail, as an alternative to clicking the website link on its own. A respected on the web retailer should have a record that is certainly captured using the Greater Business Bureau. Talk with the BBB prior to deciding to part with your hard earned money to see if there were any significant or regular complaints lodged in opposition to them. You don’t want to be expending cash with a firm that fails to deliver. If you are looking for the very best coupons, take into account subscribing to the news letters of the shops that you just really like the most. Numerous stores supply valuable reductions for new people. These merchants continue to supply promotions on their loyal buyers. This will result in considerable cost savings as time passes. Constantly preserve copies of the purchases and invoices from online acquisitions. Numerous stores will redirect anyone to a site soon after you’ve presented a purchase order detailing precisely what was ordered, buyer information and facts, the costs, and many others. You should possibly printing a duplicate of the or preserve a copy for your laptop or computer in the event any problems come up just before the conclusion of your profit time period. Be sure to conserve any email messages relating to your items’ status or correspondence with the organization with regards to your requests, also. There’s absolutely no reason to never benefit from online shopping. Reduced costs and in many cases shipping for free is available to you. Once you try this advice, you may consistently spend less with online purchasing. A Trending T shirts Store – Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt Product. A Trending at TrendTshirtNew, we’re about more than t-shirts!
Wolves Stay Out Of My Bubble Shirt [email protected]
source https://trendtshirtnew.com/product/wolves-stay-out-of-my-bubble-shirt-2/
0 notes
Text
Secrets to Shopping at Kohl’s
Odds are, in case you’re not a Kohl’s fan, you know somebody who is – and given the opening that somebody will give you accounts of sparing huge. The Wisconsin-based retail chain flaunts a furiously faithful client base made up generally of frugal rural customers. You’ll locate a run of the mill Kohl’s – there are 1,164 stores in 49 states – in an independent area in a wealthy mall. Shopping centers are not its thing.
In the event that it strikes you as bewildering that Kohl’s has a religion tracking with the lines of Trader Joe’s or Wegmans, at that point this story is for you. Current clients may even gain proficiency with a hack or two, as we investigate the stray pieces of shopping – and sparing – at Kohl’s.
Hand Over Your Personal Info
Truly, you need to give them your name and email address. In case you’re similar to me and tired of giving out your email address, you’ve ceased. Be that as it may, surrender it for Kohl’s. It’s the place the investment funds will begin. You will likewise need to agree to accept Kohl’s Yes2You Rewards. You can do it available or by means of the Kohl’s application (we’ll get to that later). It’s essentially a 5% money back program. You collect focuses as you purchase stuff. You will likewise get extraordinary markdown offers consistently.
Give them your birthday, as well. It satisfies. You’ll get birthday limits when your uncommon day moves around.
Gather Kohl’s Cash
Exploit Kohl’s Cash. Kohl’s Cash is, basically, a coupon that you acquire by shopping during a predefined timespan. It very well may be reclaimed on a future buy made during a comparing recovery period. You get $10 worth of Kohl’s Cash for each $50 you spend after all limits are connected and before deals charge. (Insider tip: Kohl’s will gather together to $50 regardless of whether you just burn through $48.) So, for instance, on the off chance that you shop between the fifteenth and twentieth of the month, you can recover the Kohl’s Cash you procure when you shop again between the 21st and 31st of the month.
Download the Kohl’s App
Use it to store the majority of your Kohl’s coupons including Kohl’s Cash. Also, when started up coming up, you can score 10 free Yes2You prizes focuses.
“Kohl’s dependably has a coupon offer accessible and the application is the most straightforward approach to ensure you generally have the best coupons accessible when you stroll into the store,” says Heather Schisler, originator of PassionForSavings.com, a coupon and arrangement site. “You can likewise utilize the standardized tag scanner in the application to check the cost of any thing in the store.”
In-Store Technology Is Your Friend
Utilize the Kohl’s in-store stand. It resembles a self-checkout, with the exception of, in my Kohl’s encounters, it’s as a rule close to the client administration counter in another piece of the store. It has its investment funds advantages – like free delivering anyplace in the U.S., directly to you or your loved ones (think birthday or occasion presents).
While shopping at Kohl’s, interface with the free Wi-Fi. A coupon could come your direction, ordinarily in the scope of $5 off a $25 buy or $10 off a $30 buy.
Heap On the Coupons
Kohl’s acknowledges various coupons for generally buys. Exploit. “Kohl’s coupon arrangement enables you to stack a dollar-off coupon (a $10 off $30 buy coupon) with a percent-investment funds coupon (spare 20% on your whole buy). By utilizing one of each kind of coupon you can get twofold the investment funds,” says Schisler. “This is a standout amongst the most ideal approaches to spare enormous when shopping at Kohl’s.”
You can even utilize coupons on leeway things, which have just been discounted 60% or more. So if the freedom cost is 80% off and you have a 30% off coupon, stack it, infant.
There’s an admonition to couponing at Kohl’s. Progressively, more items are on the no-deal list, which means you can’t utilize Kohl’s coupons and special ideas to get them. Check out most gadgets, Keurig things and Nike products. Check before you focus on a buy.
Peruse the Signs
Electronic sticker prices on the racks of Kohl’s stores are there to be effectively changed by corporate to reflect new valuing. Figure out how to decipher the codes stopped in the upper-left corner of the LCD readout. BB represents Bonus Buy (which means Kohl’s purchased a great deal of these from a maker at a ludicrously low value); BGH represents Buy One, Get One Half Off; PP is Product Placement, which means the deal cost is fixed by the producer or Kohl’s and not limited; and S represents Sale, implying that thing will be on special for as long as about fourteen days. Is there a square in the upper-right corner of the electronic tag? That implies the item is at its most minimal cost – until it goes on freedom.
Know the Best Days and Times to Shop
Begin by playing the age card. In case you’re 55 or more seasoned, you get a 15% markdown each Wednesday coming up. What’s more, indeed, that is an offer that is stackable with different limits and advancements. Bring substantial distinguishing proof.
Night owls should shop on certain Fridays from 3 p.m. until shutting time, when coming up and online specials are advertised. Brisk riser get comparable treatment on some Saturdays from opening until 1 p.m. Night Owl/Early Bird specials happen at any rate two times per month. Check your paper supplement or Kohls.com for explicit dates.
Go Off/Aisle
Kohl’s is exploring different avenues regarding another off-value idea, Off/Aisle by Kohl’s. The as of late opened pilot stores in Wauwatosa and Waukesha, Wis., and the year-old store in Cherry Hill, N.J., sell overload things just as merchandise clients have come back to Kohl’s stores or Kohls.com. The vigorously limited product has secured costs – which means you can’t utilize Kohl’s limits, offers, advancements, coupons or gift vouchers at Off/Aisle. And all deals are conclusive, without any profits or trades. Kohl’s esteemed the New Jersey store a major hit before opening the Wisconsin stores in June. Anticipate more.
Track Carefully With Small Kitchen Appliances
Frequently wearing deal costs on their appended electronic sticker prices, little kitchen apparatuses are enticing at Kohl’s (and they’re typically unmistakably shown in print advertisements). The arrangements site BensBargains.com includes that customers can regularly stack coupons over deal costs relying upon the apparatus brand.
Be that as it may, our involvement in Kohl’s kitchen office was all in or all out – with a larger number of misses than hits. A Cuisinart Velocity Ultra 1-strength blender selling for $129.99 at Kohl’s could be acquired for $99.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond and $77.25 at Amazon.com. So also, a KitchenAid Artisan stand blender, at a bargain for $349.99 (list cost $430) at Kohl’s, was selling for $269.99 at Amazon. Williams-Sonoma was coordinating Kohl’s deal cost on the stand blender and improving the idea with a $50 blessing.
The Toys Aren’t All Fun and Games
The toy division at Kohl’s is advantageously organized as a decent preoccupation for children while guardians do their adult shopping. Yet, be cautioned: The costs you’ll discover on many toys won’t be aggressive. For instance, a Beauty and the Beast Belle Village Dress Doll was selling in-store at Kohl’s for $22.99; Amazon conveyed a similar doll for $11.99.
There are special cases. Search out the area of the toy office where the super-limited things are reserved. We discovered Star Wars toys set apart down 60% at a Kohl’s area in Northern Virginia.
0 notes