#FUCKED !! H3 RELEASE NOW !!!!!!

[bluejaybytes]

aloy for bingo

BLORBO FROM MY GAMES

[incorrect-hs-quotes]

Terezi: [walking around with Nepeta on her shoulders] B3HOLD MORT4LS, TH3 M1GHTY 3MPR3SS N3P3T4, H3R3 TO 4DM1N1ST3R V1B3 CH3CKS TO ON3 4ND 4LL

Nepeta: [giggles]

Terezi: 4ND 1, H3R LOY4L L3G1SL4C3R4TOR, SH4LL 4TT3ND TO H3R 3V3RY COMM4ND

Terezi: WHO 1S OUR F1RST V1CT1M, MY L13G3??

Karkat: [walks by]

Nepeta: [points]

Terezi: V3RY W3LL, OUR 3MPR3SS H4S SPOK3N!! YOUNG THR3SH3CUT1ON3R, YOU H4V3 B33N S3L3CT3D FOR 4 V1B3 CH3CK

Karkat: I BEG YOUR PARDON, A WHAT?

Karkat: [walks into a wall]

Terezi: H3 H4S F41L3D TH3 V1B3 CH3CK, W3LL DON3 MY L4DY

Terezi: WHOS3 V1B3S SH4LL W3 1NSP3CT N3XT

Nepeta: [whispers in her ear]

Terezi: 4 F1N3 CHO1C3

Terezi: L4DY 4R4D14 OF HOUS3 M3G1DO, COM3 FORTH

Aradia: [descends from the ceiling] my empress, y0u summ0ned?

Terezi: PL34S3 R3M41N C4LM 4S TH3 3MPR3SS ST4R3S 1NTO TH3 D3PTHS OF YOUR SOUL!!

Terezi: 1T SHOULD ONLY T4K3 L1K3 T3N S3CONDS

Nepeta: [stares]

Aradia: [stares]

Terezi: W3LL?? WH4T 1S TH3 V3RD1CT, YOUR 3XC3LL3NC3??

Nepeta: [nods]

Terezi: WH4T JOY!! L4DY 4R4D14 OF HOUS3 M3G1DO, YOU H4V3 P4SS3D TH3 V1B3 CH3CK

Terezi: 4 H34RTY CONGR4TUL4T1ONS TO YOU

Nepeta: [whispers in her ear]

Terezi: BUT OF COURS3!! 3MPR3SS N3P3T4 H3R3BY KN1GHTS YOU W1TH 4LL HONORS 4ND FULL P3RM1SS1ON TO V1B3

Terezi: H3R GR4C3 1NV1T3S YOU 1N FULL F3LLOWSH1P TO JO1N 1N H3R CRUS4D3

Aradia: [salutes] y0u have my vibes my liege

Terezi: WOND3RFUL

Terezi: NOW GR4B TH4T V4S3 4ND COM3 W1TH US

Eridan: [walking down the hall as he talks with Vriska on the phone] yeah serk in and out i swwear

Eridan: none of these suckers havve evven noticed me yet--

Aradia: [smashes a vase over his head]

Eridan: [collapses]

Aradia: Y0000000

Vriska: [muffled] Ampora? Ampora? Did you get the cookies? ERIDAN!?!?!?!?

Terezi: [from the top of the stairs] S1R 3R1D4N OF 4MPOR4 H4S F41L3D TH3 V1B3 CH3CK

Sollux: [walks in]

Terezi: HOW GLOR1OUS YOUR H1GHN3SS!! 4NOTH3R V1B3 TO CH3CK!!

Sollux who hasn't slept in three days and craves the sweet release of death or a nap: two viibe or not two viibe?? that ii2 the que2tiion. whether tiis nobler two 2uffer the check2 or two fiight agaiin2t outrageou2 fortune, ii know not. liife ii2 two viibiing a2 exii2tence ii2 two dyiing, iindeed, do any of u2 truly exii2t at all?? doe2 any 2oul truly viibe?? what ii2 the an2wer two the age-old query of liife and death, viibe and check?? iin the end, we are all the 2ame--all of u2 do be viibiing, alway2, iin our heart2.

Sollux: [faints]

Everyone: ...

Aradia: [tearing up] that was beautiful but what the actual fuck

Terezi: W3 4PP34R TO B3 4T 4N 1MP4SS3

Terezi: YOUR 4DOR4BLOODTH1RST1N3SS, WH4T 1S YOUR V3RD1CT?? DO3S TH3 YOUNG M4G3 P4SS TH3 V1B3 CH3CK??

Nepeta: :33 < ...

Aradia and Terezi: ...?

Nepeta: X33 < yes!!!!!

Terezi: 4LL H41L TH3 M3RC1FUL 3MPR3SS N3P3T4!! THR33 CH33RS FOR SOLLUX TH3 M4G3!! H1P H1P--

Nepeta: X33 < HOORAY!

Terezi: H1P H1P--

Aradia: H00RAY!

Terezi: H1P H1P--

Sollux: [passed out on the ground]

[dianaburnwood]

I was in Hokkaido and Jason just casually name-dropped Hush in his phone call. They planned this far ahead holy fuck. We need to thoroughly listen in on every damn season 1&2 convos now. My jaw dropped and I lost the opportunity to kill Yuki LMAO

Yup, the WoA trilogy story arc was planned from the beginning. It was gonna be like a TV series as an episodic release, but I’m glad that collapsed (no offence IO) so I could devour H2 and H3 in one go lol 

[lordendsavior]

1000% agree and I keep thinking about that too. As he’s said many times he became more okay with making poppier music (tbf FL is still a bit over the place musically) but he still managed to do it his own way like they are decidedly Harry songs. the album and singles were a lot more accessible than hs1 and they maybe had an inkling that it’d do well but i truly think all that has happened in this era for him has exceeded his and his teams expectations. He’s blown up in that way where if you’re a longtime fan you can feel it continuing to unravel in real time and it’s just crazy to watch it happen bc I knew it was possible but didn’t think it’d actually happen like this. So truly the question is how does he approach the next album bc we know for both hs1 and fine line he had moments where he felt pressured to just go super mainstream cos he felt it had to be big. I hope he still has that fuck it I’m gonna make what I want attitude and I think he will? It paid off with fl so hopefully it pays off with the next one too cos the pressure will be doubled since fine line has done so, so well.

Anonymous said: I’m sure there is more pressure to deliver but even his label(?) has said how the success of Fine Line has validated how Harry doing it his own way has worked. I wonder if that would embolden him to stretch more into whatever he wants to do instead of purposefully chase hits. Either way I feel like even the gp recognizes the attention to detail and effort he puts into his music and anything he releases is worth a listen.

Anonymous said: I feel the opposite about h3 - I think FL being such a massive success will give him license to get more weird/niche if he wishes. I don’t think he’ll chase the same style of success, I think he’ll go left field and experiment. (But who knows really! I’m just excited to get more music from him)

you know, by the pressure of ‘i need to deliver’ i don’t mean the commercial success only, and def not mainly. what i mean the most is the pressure to meet the expectations of quality bc now they’re gonna be higher than ever and to stay relevant the way he truly became thanks to fine line

[touchlotsofbutts]

Tay’s fav new artists, songs, albums of 2019; decade favs too <3

Hello friends. I have listened to 20,000 songs this year (#brag). Some of them I have listened to more than once, and some of them are all together on one really good album I like. Here's some lists of the songs, albums, and people who make them that I liked a lot.

For your listening convenience: a Spotify playlist with the artists, songs, and albums in question. One song from each artist, one song from each album: checka me out

5 new artists from (roughly) this year (unordered)

Slayyyter

Slayyyter is the logical conclusion of the early 2000's pop wave, absolutely bubble gum but no longer pulling and punches with its sexual desire. "He wanna get in my guts" indeed.

100 Gecs

I love high energy, I love noise, and I love catchy. Synthesize major electronic musical movements of the last 10 years and then kick that in the dick and you get 100 Gecs.

Stef Chura

A consistent AF album, with great single songs and a slow procession as well, I'm very hyped for more!

Glass Beach

This band is cutting edge, they know a shitton about music, their hour long album feels like it's only 30 minutes, it teleports you away.

Nilüfer Yanya

Clearly someone who is making music with a succinct style and aesthetic, I find it great to see a full album form around (relatively) simple concepts like an imaginary mental health spa.

10 Songs from this year (ordered)

10. "Good News (Ya-Ya Song)" by MUNA

Unexpectedly a smash hit for me, this is such a simple song but something in the melody stirs a deep and warming feeling within me.

9. "Falling Down The Stairs Of Your Smile" by The New Pornographers

New Pornographers always have great singles. Their albums never quite capture the same feeling, and it breaks my heart every time. Still love the band.

8. "Can't Believe The Way We Flow" by James Blake

A many month throwback, this song was a go-to for the whole year. Seemingly forgotten by many (surely not Dave tho), this album and song really showed additional depth for Blake in my eyes.

7. "24" by IDK

Should to DJ Big Fan. This song is fun as fuck and has so many good one-liners. "She says she not a THOT she a nymphooo"

6. "Clarity" by Kim Petras

This song is a guilty pleasure, not because I am ashamed of its content or sound, but because Kim consistently works with Dr. Luke, the fuckhead who absolutely abused Ke$ha. This song absolutely bops though. Oof.

5. "All I Do is Lie" by Stef Chura

A very small sleeper hit for me, and a big regret when I missed Stef playing nearby, but I love the winding and twisting of this song and the simple mantras bouncing back and forth between meanings.

4. "Lark" by Angel Olsen

This song encapsulates all of Angel's album. It's the lead-in to the album, and it truly matches the scope and grandeur.

3. "Stupid Horse" by 100 Gecs

A song so strong I also want to beat the shit out of a jockey. Distill 100 gecs and for me, this song is at the center. High energy, nonsense, and just total fun. I don't feel bad saying I kind of wish all music sounded like this (sometimes).

2. "Jelmore" by Bon Iver

14,115 feet above sea level, I look out to the sweeping arc of the horizon, a cloudy sky blankets the landscape I left behind. Play this song on your rental car speakers when you choose to conquer fear and ascend a towering mountain.

1. "Gretel" by (Sandy) Alex G

I adore the slow fade in, the garbled vocals, the familiar guitar. The garbled mix slowly devolves into a clear message. Alex G has said he never looks up lyrics, that there is an ambiguity to all words in songs. Is that why he sings this with such clear conviction? There's no misinterpretation here: "good people got something to lose."

20 Albums from this year (ordered)

The first ten are great, but I didn't want to blurb for them all!

20. Clarity by Kim Petras

19. MAGDALENE by FKA Twigs

18. Midnight by Stef Chura

17. Miss Universe by Nilüfer Yanya

16. Dedicated by Carly Rae Jepsen

15. Two Hands by Big Thief

14. Assume Form by James Blake

13. basking in the glow by oso oso

12. Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? by Deerhunter

11. Pang by Caroline Polachek

10. Animated Violence Mild by Blanck Mass

I became stuck in place while listening to Blanck Mass on a plane this summer. One of the only albums I downloaded, it was all I had at 30,000 feet, thrumming engines piercing all the other music I had handy. The cacophony only added to this album, noise layered on noise but turning into melodies and stretching into songs.

9. Father of the Bride by Vampire Weekend

I don't know a ton about jam bands, but I definitely feel it when everyone else says this album was made in hopes of becoming one. This long ass album has some great highs, some charming lows, and honestly a really good chunk of Danielle Haim. Really a soundtrack to 2019 in a lot of ways. But it's really fuckin' long.

8. IGOR by Tyler, the Creator

Tyler's career has had the craziest arc. Rapping about killing women and progressing all the way to IGOR, which, is it even a rap album? The album contains such clear direction and vision, and far less of the reckless anger that Tyler became known for. The energy and sound has been honed down to a fine point, and there's a conciseness that sticks with you for hours after listening.

7. House of Sugar by (Sandy) Alex G

Alex G has always done so much for me. Bedroom music that has transformed each time into bigger and more detailed versions of itself. House of Sugar is no exception. While maybe a little less thrilling for me than Rocket, it's another evolution of this stripped down style, still laid bare but richer all the same.

6. U.F.O.F. by Big Thief

A lot of lists are going to feature some Big Thief. Big Thief is good, their music pierces you through the flesh and hits you in the bones. It stirs the spirit of a time now lost, sidelong glances through thickets of woodsy pines, listening to a friend play a simple song on their new guitar. It's great to celebrate a band and an album that puts a lot of pretense to bed and creates a simple, pleasing experience.

5. Charli by Charli XCX

Charli delivers an album after years of PC Music collaborated mix tapes and psuedo-album releases. Charli isn't some sort of second coming, but is the pinnacle of her expertise: fantastic collaborations, cutting edge beats, and familiar tales of her love and loss.

4. All Mirrors by Angel Olsen

Angel wasn't really known for her grandeur. Her songs and albums were dynamic, sure, with strong emotions, but All Mirrors dives into the direction of a grand pool, crystal clear and vast. "Lark" is a sweeping masterpiece, while "All Mirrors" has a methodical build and release. Angel is fully putting her voice and composition to work with an album this magnificent.

3. the first glass beach album by Glass Beach

My favorite description for this band is "post-emo." Many of my compatriots are not fond of band genres in generally, but for me this really nails it. It's a combination of an emotional, DIY scene with an online mentality, which I feel is representing the pace of the world. Also the music absolutely blasts, grand and epic and quiet and pensive, meandering as it wants.

2. Ghosteen by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Until about two months ago, I wasn't even a huge Nick Cave fan. Serendipitously, I happened to look into his backlog a couple weeks before this surpirse release. I spent a small amount of time looking into his older style, but when Ghosteen popped up, it floored me. That tangible loss, the grief that winds around you and grips you from within, it's on this album in full force. It's an album I know I will listen to sparingly, but lovingly, for ages and ages.

1. 1000 Gecs by 100 Gecs

I typically do not measure these kinds of lists by the number of listens. Usually albums with emotional weight or impact are not so accessible or listenable. This album is an absolute exception, it is crystalline and pure, it is powerful and subtle, its energy infectious. For me, it's a clear message describing the future of music I love.

Honorable menties, not conclusive or ordered, from this year:

Albums:

IDK's Is He Real?

Holly Herndon's PROTO

JPEGMAFIA's All My Heroes Are Cornballs

Battles's Juice B Crypts

Bon Iver's i,i

American Football's American Football (LP3)

DIIV's Deceiver

Anamanguchi's [USA]

Sir Babygirl's Crush on Me

Sharon Van Etten's Remind Me Tomorrow

Hemlock Ernst & Kenny Segal's Back At The House

Jay Som's Anak Ko

Florist's Emily Alone

Songs:

"Harmony Hall" by Vampire Weekend

"Superbike" by Jay Som

"Aute Cuture" by ROSALÍA

Many many others!

Roughly 10 of 2010-2019's best albums (unordered)

Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter

Encapsulate all of the indie rock I listened to and make it so dramatic it oozes lackadaisical energy.

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple

The title is as long as the album is great. I am chomping at the bit for Fiona to follow this up with literally anything.

Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

Many feel Sufjan could do no wrong, but it's not that he's unimpeachable, it's that he is able to shift his sound in pivotal ways at pivotal moments.

Cerulean Salt by Waxahatchee

Waxahatchee captured the post college ennui I was so suddenly thrust into, and continues to kick ass even after I got over the dread.

Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

This album kicks ass, but also I have an undying emotional connection to it since I listened to it on repeat the months after pops died! "We Drift Like Worried Fire" is entwined in my soul.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City by Kendrick Lamar

There is a lot of great Kendrick to choose from, but the one absolutely stacked with bangers will remain my favorite (but I totally acknowledge the artistic merit and beyond of Damn. and TPAB).

The Monitor by Titus Andronicus

I only got into this album like four years after the fact, but it scratched the civil-war-concept-album-actually-about-the-Northeast I didn't know I had! Pumped it also taught me a cool Abe Lincoln speech.

E•MO•TION by Carly Rae Jepsen

This album guided me from toeing around pop music to going all in and finally have a good time in life.

Song of the summer:

"Steal My Sunshine" by Len

Remarkably, for the 20th year in a row, the song of the summer is Len's "Steal My Sunshine." What a powerhouse.

[rabidsquabbiteldewrito]

ElDewrito Dev Update (12/10/17)

Late again, but late’s better than never. It’s been 11 days since our last update, so we’d like to fill you in on what has happened since the last update, as well as give you an accurate depiction of what work needs to be completed before we release 0.6.

Q: Why haven’t you released yet? What is preventing you from releasing right now?

A:  During our last large-scale testing session, a couple rather important issues showed up that we didn’t see in our previous test sessions due to those usually being smaller-scale tests.  I’ll highlight the remaining things that need to be finished before we release. 

1. We’re working on a new updater. While it’s very close to being finished, it’s not 100% finished/tested.

2. When lots of players are in the game (13-16), the UI elements rendered with CEF (Scoreboard, medals, chat) can become very laggy, and cause some pretty bad fps drops on anything other than high-end rigs. For example, when you die and the scoreboard pops up, sometimes it would stay on the screen for an additional 2-4 seconds after you spawned, preventing you from seeing where you’re going. Obviously this is not good. Note: The videos posted below are from a higher end rig where the issue is not as prevalent.

We’ve narrowed down the culprit, which is the method and frequency at which we’re sending information to the scoreboard layer that’s eating up a huge amount of CPU, and are working (with promising results) on a fix which will resolve this. 

3. Crashes. We’ve gotten most of the crashes fixed, but there are a couple remaining that we’re finishing tracking down. 

4. We’re putting some final touches on UI elements, including the forge UI (which a video of is posted below).

Q: How long will these things take to finish? 

A. Honestly, not long. I know we sound like a broken record at this point, but we are very close. The end is in sight! 

Q: Do you have any new features or gameplay to show us?

A: Yup. 

The almighty unk_1 has been hard at work doing more badass stuff with forge. The forge UI got a pretty hefty (and awesome) overhaul. Here’s some of the changes:

All lists now supports LT/RT, PAGE UP/DOWN page scrolling

Loading/saving prefabs from within the UI

Tool Settings

Material thumbnails

Quick search now allows spaces in the query

Recently used items

Recently used materials now supports colors

Object properties color pickers

Engine flags/gametype options allows you to select which gametypes an object will be spawned in. Useful to reducing the number of spawn points needed to facilitate multi-gametype maps.

Here’s a video highlighting some of these features: 

Some other things that have been done/fixed since the last post:

Hitmarkers can be enabled/disabled on a per-server basis. You can also choose to disable hitmarkers if the server has them enabled. 

Active Camo movement penalty is fixed. 

Overshield decay is fixed. 

Added controller support for right-click mute/unmute options in scoreboard 

H3 landing responses - removed camera shake when landing.  

Multiple crashes have been tracked down and fixed. Also, you know the infamous bug many AMD users have where the game doesn’t crash but the screen completely freezes, and you can still hear sounds? It’s a very complicated issue, but we think we’ve found the culprit and are confident we’ll be able to fix it. 

Gameplay:

Here’s a video (courtesy of tester RabidEskimo) of a match on a variant of The Pit that I made that has a bunch of forge lights and map modifiers placed. 

We also experimented with some new gametypes. Here’s a Big Team Multi-Team match (4x4x4x4) on Standoff Heavy. It was kind of a Cluster-Fuck.

Here’s a match of 2 Flag Heavy on Valhalla:

Here is a video of an assortment of gameplay on forge maps (courtesy of Clutchism):

[chaj]

via planamag.com

Western reactions to K-pop, the acceptability of racist Asian jokes, and the perceived threat of Asians

Source: Big Hit Entertainment

This is a guest article by EC

Follow EC on Twitter at @ececlulu

The first time K-pop boy group BTS performed in America was on their show, American Hustle Life, where members “worried they wouldn’t find 200 fans to fill the venue” they were tasked to perform at in 2014 (Billboard).

Two days ago, BTS performed live at the annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ to millions of viewers and rang in the new year in America. Yet, Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper of CNN chose to comment on how they were “lackluster”:

“I mean…here’s the deal. We gotta get real. We just saw BTS, we think they were phoning it in.” —��Andy Cohen (2:06:46 on the countdown here)

All while BTS was still performing on stage.

I wasn’t surprised. Disrespect towards Asian artists isn’t new in the United States. Unfortunately, informed by a history of devaluing and antagonizing Asian work, Western reactions to K-pop haven’t been as accepting as media outlets have made them out to be.

Creator Ethan Klein of H3H3 Productions has never been one to shy away from controversy, especially on Twitter and his H3 Podcast series.

Indeed, when Blackpink came up in “The Most Liked Music Videos” segment of YouTube Rewind 2019, Klein commented:

“I don’t like K-pop, I hate K-pop. I don’t get BTS. They look like — They’re just a bunch of — How did this become a thing in Western culture? Where all these grown men and little girls are jerking off to little k-pop boys. It’s like a little fetish. It’s like a little tw*nk gay fetish about these k-pop boys.” — Ethan Klein, H3 Podcast #164 (25:45–26:10)

#h3h3isoverparty trended on Twitter almost immediately after the episode’s release. K-pop fans criticized how Klein characterized them as “little girls,” emphasizing the diversity of the fandom. Other fans called Klein out for xenophobia and homophobia.

Klein did not take the criticism seriously. In response, he tweeted:

My message to K-pop fans: Lighten up nerds, it you can't handle your hobby being made fun of a little bit then you are really are just a bunch of little girls jerking off to kpop boys.

 — @h3h3productions

To the rest of the world, this may be easily brushed off as just fandom drama. Yet on a deeper level, Klein’s comments reflect troubling stereotypes. His comments add to a history of Western racial humor typecasting, antagonizing, and devaluing Asians — normalized by comics, presenters, and public figures.

We’ve seen it before. 2016, on the Oscars stage: Chris Rock’s tasteless skit involving Asian children, ironically after criticizing the Oscars for lacking diverse representation (Vanity Fair). 2017, from the Chainsmokers: member Alex Pall joking about not bringing his dog to China in a Chinese interview (Mashable). 2018, in a comedy podcast by then-to-be-SNL member Shane Gillis (he got fired for this segment): “Why do the fucking ch*nks live there?” when discussing reasons for disliking Chinatown and Asians (Vox). 2019, in an unaired “America’s Got Talent” segment: Jay Leno’s tired joke about Koreans eating dog meat (NBC). All perpetuate damaging, xenophobic stereotypes about Asians. All portrayed as harmless humor.

There’s a lot to criticize in K-pop. Fancam spamming, cultural appropriation, sex crimes, etc., the list goes on and on. But stereotyping groups and the industry as a whole isn’t productive.

Categorizing something as humor can be extremely effective at perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

After all, the easiest response to someone taking offense is to counter: “it’s just a joke!” It’s an easy way to absolve the speaker of responsibility. Suddenly, it’s the listener’s fault for getting offended; they’re too sensitive, or too slow, or just unable to take a joke.

Now, imagine you’re at a bar. Or in an auditorium. Or at the Oscars. Or wherever you’re among an audience where there’s more than just you listening. I don’t know how many times I’ve kept quiet because everyone else around me is laughing.

Here’s the thing, though: not everything that elicits laughter is a joke.

There are good-natured jokes, and then there’s just plain old mockery.

If we look at racial humor, Yumi Nagashima, for example, incorporates lots of stereotypes about Asian women in her acts. Hasan Minhaj bases material on his Indian family and identity all the time. Misha Han, Joel Kim Booster, and more do similar things. But these comics incorporate stereotypes effectively. Often, their jokes are funny because their punchlines subvert what the audience expects according to their preconceived notions. Or, they attest to a universal experience between them and their audience. Most importantly, their jokes effectively provoke an examination of relevant social dynamics. Take one of Hasan Minhaj’s jokes: “Americans hit on the arm and bruise the body…Indians slap on the face and bruise the soul.” This plays on the stereotype of Asian parents utilizing corporal punishment, but consider the “bruise the soul” part. The joke prompts reflection — how and why does corporeal punishment bruise the soul? There’s an implied statement on the Asian practice of corporal punishment and how it affects children’s development here.

But where’s the punchline with the Asian jokes mentioned earlier in this article? Is joking about Asians eating dogs going to make Asians and Asian Americans listening reflect upon their dog-eating habits? No, because most of us don’t. Eat. Dogs. And even if we did, why is a joke about Asians eating dogs more acceptable than a joke about Westerners eating cows or pigs? We have to acknowledge the inherent cultural bias in these hackneyed comments about Asians consuming dogs. (See a great article about the double standard here).

Cheap shots like this only serve to denigrate Asians and Asian Americans. Like Klein’s and Gillis’s segments, their comments are mere bashing. Once called out, they attempt to mitigate reactions by characterizing their comments as humor. So why did they consider their comments acceptable in the first place?

The fact that racist Asian comments are considered acceptable says something about how Asians are viewed in the United States. Think model minority. We’re meek, submissive, quiet. We’re followers, listeners, takers of what we can get. We don’t complain about what we can’t get.

First, how problematic is it that this is considered what’s “model”?

Second, this makes us an easy target. Mockery works best when it’s one-directional.

The portrayal of Asians as meek and submissive has special implications for Asian men. As Klein echoed in his comments about K-pop, Asian men are effeminate, weak, and only desirable as fetish symbols.

Now, calling a star “gay” isn’t a new comment in pop culture. Justin Bieber, One Direction, and countless other young male stars have been insulted in a similar fashion online. Once these insults are levied at stars of Asian descent, however, racial implications are emphasized. To call a man “gay” and a “tw*nk” suggests emasculation and effeminacy, reflecting Asian stereotypes perpetuated by early racial theorists. Assistant Professor at Lebanon Valley College, Julia Meszaros, sums it up well in a HuffPost article:

In order to “prove” to the world that colonialism was indeed a “civilizing” mission, Western theorists utilized discussions of others’ aberrant sexualities to justify their interventions abroad. As white Europeans colonized large swaths of Asia, white masculinity was posited as the apex that men could potentially reach. Asian men were placed on the opposite side of the spectrum and constantly portrayed as feminine and weak in the face of European conquerors. The colonial stereotypes regarding Asian men’s femininity continue to inform our current racial stereotypes. — Julia Meszaros, HuffPost

The stereotypical portrayal of Asian male stars isn’t new. Psy, when Gangnam Style became popular in the United States, received similar emasculating comments. In an analysis of Western media coverage of K-pop published by the University of Chicago, author Jenna Gibson notes that:

In addition, even supposedly positive appearances brought with them problematic stereotypes that likely colored the view of K-pop among readers or viewers. Particularly when discussing Gangnam Style and Psy, articles often described him as unattractive, chubby, and quirky, exoticizing and ultimately dismissing supposedly shallow Asian pop culture, as well as feeding into problematic stereotypes of hilarious but ultimately emasculated Asian men. — Jenna Gibson, University of Chicago

Here, we see a conflict between Western media’s desire to take advantage of the hallyu wave and its inability to tell informed, aware stories because of internalized biases. K-pop’s ability to generate buzz and conversation is undeniable. This is why there’s been a surge in news outlets covering K-pop and celebrities dropping K-pop names to attract views and clicks. And by the nature of media, there’s nothing wrong with that. What’s wrong is relying on clichéd stereotypes to frame commentary. Stereotypes that inform judgment.

Klein likely meant to generate controversy with his comments, not attack a whole racial group — he’s basked in the attention that fans on both sides have given him in the past few days. Yet no matter the intentions, the result is the same, and it again reflects upon how casually racism against Asians is accepted in the Western world today.

Furthermore, we can differentiate between standard anti-pop reactions and anti-Asian reactions by identifying an anti-Asian narrative painting Asians as alien and not belonging. About K-pop entering the US, Klein exclaims, “how did this become a thing in Western culture,” exasperated. Here, BTS and K-pop are portrayed as infringing upon “Western culture.” Subtext: they don’t belong — they shouldn’t belong. Klein’s comments, while reflecting standard anti-pop reactions combined with emasculating stereotypes against Asian males, also reflect another troubling angle on Asians: that they are somehow threatening to the Western status quo. It isn’t hard to draw a parallel between this stance and Yellow Peril, emphasizing again just how racially charged Western reactions to K-pop are.

Yellow Peril, a racist term originating from the 19th century, describes the existential threat that Asians pose to Western culture and lifestyles; it was popularized as Asian workers began to immigrate to the West. Economically, Westerners feared that Asians workers, who often worked for much lower wages, were undercutting native workers and stealing their work. Sexually, racial theorists painted Asian men as predators of white women and Asian women as hyper-sexual and submissive. Politically, Asian immigrants were seen as potential security threats and carriers of communism. These stereotypes combined built up the metaphor of Yellow Peril, which informed legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and race riots such as the Chinese massacre of 1871. The depiction of Asians and Asian forces as threatening continues to exist and inform action in today’s society. White flight, when white people move out en mass out of ethnicized suburbias, often comes from fears that their children will be unable to compete with minority children in public schools. We see headlines about China encroaching on trade almost every day. And online, anti-Asian rhetoric festers in forums, posts, and social media.

Western society fears Asian improvement. It tells the Asian individual, yes, pull yourself up by the bootstraps enough so that he/she can be used as a model, an example, but never pull yourself up high enough to threaten existing power structures. Racial rhetoric places Asians as a convenient separator between white people and other minorities. The perceived success of Asians is used to delegitimize struggles faced by other ethnic groups; at the same time, Asians are still not welcomed into spaces traditionally inhabited by whites. The integration of Asians occurs when it only reinforces traditional hierarchies.

Pop music is not just a cultural export but also part of Korea’s economic engine. As K-pop songs begin to hit the US iTunes and Billboard charts, and as BTS begins to perform on shows such as New Year’s Rockin Eve, SNL, and GMA, the potential of K-pop unseating American pop (and by extension, Asian culture becoming more present in Western culture) becomes very real. This perhaps explains why as the Western music market has clamored to profit off of K-pop, they’ve carved out a niche for it instead of integrating it into the existing system. Despite high chart positions, K-pop songs are rarely played on radio. The VMAs were criticized for singling out K-pop as a category this year. Washington Post has called this “separate but equal” (Washington Post). And Klein’s comments, in an attempt to minimize the perceived threat of K-pop, infantilizes its fans and emasculates its idols.

BLACKPINK (Source: udiscovermusic)

It’s interesting to note that Klein’s first reaction, upon seeing a BLACKPINK music video, is to comment upon BTS’s entry into the US and not BLACKPINK’s. First, BTS is the representative group to Westerners right now. But beneath that, BTS is a male k-pop group, and in our examination of reactions to K-pop, we cannot ignore the implications that gender may have. Different stereotypes of Asian men and women likely inform differing reactions to K-pop groups as well. Asian women have been historically stereotyped as submissive and compliant. Yet Asian men, on the other hand, have been also stereotyped as predatory to white women: Asian men are a threat to dirtying or contaminating the purity of the white race, as perpetuated by Hollywood and WWII-era propaganda. Emasculation is a solution, as is redirection. Comments describing Asian men as asexual or gay invalidate their supposed sexual agency against white women, and these stereotypes may explain why Asian men are often seen as the least desirable type of partner. Steve Harvey utilized a punchline in 2017 based on the idea that finding Asian men attractive is amusing (Hollywood Reporter). Data from Yahoo! Personal in the 2000s showed that “more than 90% of non-Asian women said they would not date an Asian man” (Sage Journals). And 10 years later, OkCupid’s data shows Asian men rated lowest by women on their platform (OkCupid).

Pop culture has fed into this stereotype. As Eddie Huang from Fresh Off the Boat wrote in a New York Times opinion piece:

“The structural emasculation of Asian men in all forms of media became a self-fulfilling prophecy that produced an actual abhorrence to Asian men in the real world” — Eddie Huang, The New York Times.

Keeping Asian men undesirable proves beneficial to non-Asian men, as non-Asian men will never be the “most undesirable one.” An ego boost of sorts. However, K-pop’s popularity proves that Asian men can be attractive in the West, thus threatening this dynamic between Asian men and non-Asian men. Deconstruct further and we return to the concept of Yellow Peril, of restricting the spread of Asian culture, ideas, and genes. To racists, with K-pop, as masses of female, white fans begin to find Asian men worthy of idolizing, the popularization of Asian men connotes not just a cultural takeover but perhaps a racial takeover as well.

K-pop has continued to break boundaries anyways — groups playing major stadiums, BLACKPINK headlining Coachella, NCT 127 appearing on major talk shows — so I’m optimistic. Ironically, growing up, I don’t think my friends or I have ever been questioned for idolizing white pop stars as Asian Americans. Our favorites: Taylor Swift and One Direction. Neither have Western stars ever avoided the Asian music markets. Linkin Park, Beyoncé, Avril Lavigne— all have toured China in the last decade. Dua Lipa just attended MAMA 2019. And arguably, collaborations between K-pop stars and Western artists can be seen as attempts to capitalize upon K-pop’s popularity as much as they can be seen as attempts to penetrate a Western market. It’s just that Western reactions to K-pop can be informed by Western stereotypes against Asians.

I think back to when I went to Poptopia this year, when NCT 127 played last. Fans called out 99.7, the organizer, for letting NCT 127 apparently headline while other artists such as Halsey and Lizzo were not headlining.

Fans Expressing Their Discontent (Source: Facebook)

In reality, Halsey and Lizzo played the longest sets. NCT 127 only played four songs: Cherry Bomb, Regular, Superhuman, Highway to Heaven. Yet during the break between Lizzo and NCT 127, I watched as throngs of attendees streamed out of the stadium, leaving only a sea of fans holding green lanterns in front.

As a family passed by, I overheard the son asking, “Mom, is the concert over?”

“It’s over, we’re going home,” she answered decisively, while the son looked back at the fans congregating in the front.

Attendees were still streaming out as NCT 127 danced to Cherry Bomb. Less than half of the floor and 100s sections stayed. I couldn’t stop thinking about how disheartening it must be to dance to a leaving audience. Of course, not being able to finish watching the concert could be attributed to other things. Needing to rise early for work or wanting to avoid the traffic, for example. But secretly, I griped about attendees not being able to stay for just 15 more minutes out of respect for a new group. It seemed to me that they weren’t taken seriously because they were new, they were Asian, and that they were foreign. Like the CNN comments. It’s true that Cohen and Cooper might not have found the performances engaging. But to criticize on live national television, while the group was still performing in the background, conveys a fundamental level of disrespect.

Perhaps, the question isn’t if K-pop is ready for the United States, but if the United States is ready to accept K-pop as legitimate.

Help writers like EC get paid for their work by subscribing to Plan A’s Patreon!

Plan A Magazine is creating articles and a podcast (Escape from Plan A) | Patreon

CNN, H3H3, and BTS: The West’s Disrespect of Asian Artists was originally published in Plan A Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

[whimsically-ominously-auspice]

Update on Mark:

He tried to kill the doctor.

#GoddessProblems

He took the double prescribed mood stabilizer medication.

Then they allowed him to treadmill exercise because he doesn't want to be worn out from the pill or dazed and confused

1. That counter acts the pill and activated fighting hormones. The whole point of his exercise.

2. Actual emergency which he will figure out when the pill stsrts working and rewiring his brain will counter act any sluggishness he feels from the pill

3. Hes not allowed to exercise.

4. He can do push ups and sit ups only with some one he can trust. Which i will insist will be the doctor he tried to kill. Except he will train the doctor. In his little hospital room as if he was introducing me to the way he exercises. Because he will exercise in the bedroom when I am there and we are married. So he is to treat the doctor as though the doctor is me. But will call him "doctor" and give him the respect that the doctor and i both deserve. So calm patience and all that. I can't do sit ups because the babies and all that and I rather do weights than push ups. But I will sit in the floor with him and sometimes I'll do Like 5 each if,i need a break from what i am working on. Mark would be mean and say if i needed help then i had to work out which i refused if he talked to me like that. But doctor will match. Doctor gets tired then Mark and he both stop for the day.

5. Doctor works out more than Mark so he asks Mark can i push you? Because i want to. I want to be mean like you are to Sabrina. But we need to figure out how not to be mean. Fight the endorphins that allow us to push further. They already started a basic structure for this discussion.

Because Mark steals my excess energy. So today i went to the store and was walking and had to go sit in the car due to intense hip pain which Mark believed is because he is angry at God because he dosssnt want me on Earth. So he takes my energy instead of asking God for more.

So he took it out on the Doctor.

Mark doesn't want me on Earth unless it is perfect. Well obviously it was perfect once. And hasn't been for a very very long time. So why hide the fact it sucks? I already know. And i have my own injuries i was born with that cause pain.

So that he is reminded to care for Me.

The rule is, he cares for me then i help him care for the Earth.

He forgot. Due to his Alien foster mother whom he believed over reality and truth.

And so like the doctor said Which I didn't know, is he should ask God because I am here. And I'm staying here. And so he has to get over his anger

Even if h3 can't get over it He still needs to look over the fact of his hate. He needs to help me by not using me and using God.

The doctor used very different words and didn't quite get him this far. And that is okay.

They first had to give him sedatives the amount a horse would take.

Mark sounds crazy like we all do and are taught to believe when Gods are brought up and aliens and such. So although it does And sometimes I think man I look crazy and like i shouldn't be believed, i know what i can see and i know how it is there and how it is settled in truth.

Yet there is destruction, especially in Marks mind of the information.

Such as stealing my energy. Its likely I have a a child sitting on the hip bone. So it sits on my hip bone or on my anus and causes me to shit myself. Today I have had to shit 5 times. Tiny shits so Wendy is having difficulty to be comfortable right now. And she says it is Because he is in the hospital because he promised he wouldn't mess up. So right now she's in a nightmare.

Wendy and Peter don't want to grow up without a dad and they are by my butt. Gas. Farts. Passing wind instead of passing gas is said in some cultures.

Then Jazmine and Jazper are in front of them. Holidays are on Marks side. Christmas and Cupid his sons. Constantly Christmas. Cutely Cupid. His goals.

What we know is on my side.

But he hasn't grasped Jazper so thats why hes in the mental hospital.

And he's getting Jazmine. Via my anger.

So the doctors job is to reverse the damage done by the foster mother. If he can't reverse it then he's too remove it.

So what the doctor Said to ask God for help instead if stealing from me and to help build a relationship with God

Which Mark didn't want to.

So he was told then by the doctor about how hurting me isn't good and how if hes angry at God then he should hurt God and take his powers

To which he replied he wants me

And so the doctor said it's good So they just need to go around him wanting to hurt me

Which Mark did explain came from the foster mother.

And so what did happen was inthe physical kill attempt:

The doctor came to check about the pill and it's effects and Mark stood in his sweats: oh im good here let me show you

The doctor noted he was still in hid sweats and he had a psycho look which he mentioned through his vocal cords

And Mark said "good so glad you noticed" and attempted to choke him

So Mark got punched in the face, right hook. Which didn't knock him out.

The unprepared nurses were called for a sedation while the doctor sweeped Mark into a sleeper hold. Which is also not what i do but ill tell the doctor.

I use two arms, one around the throat and one under the pits. If they fight or struggle I hang them from their neck. If they don't, i hang from their arm pits.

Just so if they get to that point in the relationship.

This way it's a reminder I will take control, I have the ability to kill but I won't unless they do something i perceive as a threat.

Sitting is better, too, because then they have took be on their knees and you wrap your legs around them for extra control. Like on a chair or stool.

So the doctor held him while Mark faked sleep and then as soon as the nurse shot him up with the sedation in the hip, he stood, shook the doctors hand, took off his sweats and got in bed.

So Mark said he didn't want to talk but doctor said thats his job so he stood under the tv at the foot of the bed.

And it was progressive but he said he wanted to talk to me before he agreed it was a good talk.

So Doctor asked what I would do instead of shaking hands and he said squeeze or shake his foot. And since he wouldn't agree squeeze is better.

So Mark still trying to size him up told him to squeeze his heel has hard as possible. The doctor did squeeze hard. But not full strength

So Mark doesn't know how to fight the doctor. How hard the doctor can fight so all the time he spent preparing his mind to over throw him will not work.

The doctor did say "i did that friendly" and reminded him to listen to me.

...

Mark says the doctor talks very slow and professional says the same things i do but I throw down and the doctor instead of presdnting it that way says it's an opportunity so instead of being tossed in the corner bloody and left to die, the doctor makes it feel like all the doors are opening and he can breathe,

So i am an eye for an eye. Definitely ra and not Catholic. Be sure to read about the creation of Lent for human trafficking to be "blessed"

And so we can see the doctor seems to be that the doctor is also.

His job is to provide opprotunities to the mind -- the opposite of his Foster Mother, Roxanne.

Our job is to provide opportunities to the physical body. And take opportunities from evil that take opportunities from good or the general public in mass quantities.

And so our paths are parallel and similar. Which is why Mark did go and he did go willingly and called 911 for himself.

...

Right now Mark trusted his foster mother like a Goddess and worshipped her.

So now he knows from his own information that she was wrong.

And so he doesn't know where people are coming from. Or why and so everyone is considered to be 3vil right now.

He was telling me how Boss was evil and shit yesterday. And so i told him to fuck himself he was stupid and he cleared himself up

So what is happening is the opportunities he had to release his hate against the foster mom can present themselves to turn against people he loves.

Its happened before but we were younger and ibwas able to rearrange things so that they became smarter at work and i avoided the Foster Mother totally.

I removed who taught you that stupid shit and instead said "what are you guys doing?"

"That's wrong we will need to do this"

And since i had began cleaning the southwest wth such success i didn't have a problem.

In 2010 I couldn't cut a clear path. I could not even mow the grass. And certainly couldn't set it on fire.

The doctor will be able to set it on fire. I read an article about how the fires in Australia have burned so much they revealed some old canals and paths that they used long ago.

So the doctor will do that. Along with me.

The doctor sets the fire and then we all help keep it burning. The difference with Australia is he knows the canals are there. His brain knows the old pathways fo think.

We just gotta kill the poison on top, the enterwoeven vines that are crushing and preventing his success to be himself.

Vines can grow thicker than a Sequoya (sequoia) tree and taller. The biggest and thickest trees in the California forest.

So we just gotta light this shit on fire.

Its the basics of curing amnesia. Easiest way I cam explain it.

Mark kept putting wet tree branches down with fire retardant.

But Boss said lets stop. So that's one reason why Mark turned on him first and so quickly

Because the Columbians which are actually our friends from the USA, kidnapped. Came and Mark wouldn't listen to sanity.

So that's why Boss got caught up.

So everyone is in danger. But as they progress i can make sense for him to keep everyone safe.

Because while he will turn he doesn't want to kill innocent people.

So it will be a series of Kidd Rock close calls except the doctor will have to fight back and not plead for his life.

Because Mark isn't going to listen to anyone or anything when he has psycho eyes.

But hes fine enough to understand the double sleeper. And hes says hes fine if the doctor does that... Which can mean multiple things.

He says he means he went there willingly for help and he knows he's not insane but he acts criminally insane.

Which I will reply i don't believe he isn't insane. I'm quite sure he is.

He is also criminally insane on top of that. So this week is to acknowledge it. Begin the fires, so i can visit next week if i can get a ride.

Then in 2 weekish to test the ravaging fire is working and can still burn proper in public with me.

Then he will return to the doctors care in the hospital. And we will have a series of these events.

He totally burned out the medication completely though i can tell. So if he gets a simple dose of the min it might work

Unfortunately our bodies will reject high doses of something sometimes and with certain attitude and such it won't help. And so he may very well need two pills seperated through the day.

Then if that works we can try a double dose next week.

I do a pill 2 hours pill then 6-8 hours pill. For pain. Then it's 4 hours. Then 2. And of course I should be sleeping but if I don't it will same cycle with pills lasting up to 10 hours. Unless i sleep then it usually resets unless I'm making very good and clear way through an issue. Then it may not reset or i may not have any pain I'll have new pain that isn't arthritis.

So it seems he's all set. In a rubber prison like room.

And the doctor is bigger than he is, muscle wise.

[sidelpunchna-blog]

Does halo 3 odst have matchmaking

Halo 3 and ODST: Matchmaking. > All Topics The menu background image for Firefight in Halo: Reach.  The menu is different, and it says a word I forget maps or something on the main menu.  He is voiced by high-profile voice actor.  When they activate, they turn a casual Covenant make-out session into a full-on test of your manly prowess! Hopefully also the armor customization will get expanded as well, since there were voice customization with firefight as well.  The second is the multiplayer disk. .

Why no matchmaking for Firefight? Sorry for asking what is likely common knowledge to those in the thread.  The Bonus Round consists entirely of Grunts while all the skulls are turned on.  The objective of this gametype is to simply slay the opposing force and to rack up as many points as possible.  I think Halo used to be more close to earth military scifi that always had a humoristic side, too.  However, the multiplayer disc, being the exact same engine as Halo 3, will still suffer from performance issues when installed.  At the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, revealed a new Firefight gametype called Firefight Versus.

Halo 3: ODST : Games Through these 30-minute or so flashbacks which play more like traditional, linear, Halo levels you discover the fate of your teammate and unravel the mystery of the events that occurred in New Mombasa.  Both of these weapon variants have distance scopes, though as they don't do any additional damage, and dual-wielding has been removed, they are significantly less useful than their counterparts from Halo 3.  Agreed: all down to demand vs ease of doing it.  Big arenas with lots of tactical options.  In all of these game modes, players attempt to survive against countless numbers of enemies of increasing difficulty over a long period of time.  The impact the city's look has and the time difference between flashback sequences and the Rookie's seemingly hopeless current situation are big parts of the game.

Halo 3: ODST (Game) Yeah there was a voice option for Sgt Johnson too.  I sort of agree that the option should probably be there, but it would probably end up soiling the experience.  Players are allowed to customize their , background, color which now includes formerly unavailable ones: black, olive, etc.  Additionally, a new map, , was released with the on March 15, 2011 and another one, , was released with the on November 15, 2011.  Not to mention, that a lot of people who are still playing Halo 3, or are just Halo fans, are generally people with friends who will play with them.  The Bonus Round provides players a chance to earn extra lives before the next Set.

Halo 3: ODST (Game) Despite his enthusiasm, he has never seen a planet get glassed by the Covenant unlike the rest of his squad.  This new 2v2 matchmaking gametype features a team-slayer style function focusing on versus warfare.  It involved them taking different parameters skill, luck, rank, TruSkill, etc.  Even if the story focuses on just the characters rather than the big picture, I would be incredibly satisfied.  I just can't believe Bungie fucking fired him, and that 343i haven't snatched him up yet! In the beginning of Firefight, the squad will share lives between all of the players.  Depends on what you are doing with your account s as well I think.

Category:Halo 3: ODST Multiplayer Medals I suspect it's more down to what people request the most.  Given Firefight's new matchmaking support, there are also Firefight-specific and , updated on a daily or weekly basis, that will earn the player bonus upon their completion.  The Set number is represented by a number from one to infinity; the Round is represented by a circle, going from left to right; the Wave is represented by five slanted vertical boxes, going from left to right.  With each new round and set, more skulls become enabled, more than one at a time.  If you have played H3 online it may read the info off your hard drive and connect as H3 would to the same matchmaking system.  Yeah the lack of matchmaking in firefight was a horrible choice, only further compounded by the fact the vidmaster achievements are always 4 player live.

How exactly does Halo 3: ODST's multiplayer disk work? Whenever one of these objects is encountered, a playable mission occurs, with the player taking the role of a certain squadmate.  Once you reach one of the last-known waypoints of a teammate, you discover an object related to the events they've been through--such as a ruined hanging from a street light--and enter a flashback to earlier that day, where you control the squad member for an entire level.  Halo 4's soundtrack was brilliant as well if you ask me, but if they had Marty on board it would have been beyond belief how great it could have been, especially with the new direction of the campaign.  How many just want to play one round then quit? Profiles transfer over, and achievements show up as coming from Halo 3.  As you move through the waves of a Firefight match, more skulls will automatically turn on.  Extra lives will be unlocked every 2,000 points scored after the beginning of the round.

Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach Each wave gets progressively harder, players killed will at the end of each wave provided at least one player remains alive.  You can use that disc or your Halo 3 disc, in the end, everyone plays the same games together.  But this just makes me want to find something else to do.  You're friends aren't going to abandon you on purpose like the randoms will.  Other gametypes were revealed by Bungie, such as the Firefight gametype.  Had so many fund memories trying to get as far as I could without timer restrictions or needing to worry about disappearing enemy's after every wave timer because Odst felt like it was immersive than games like Warzone or Reach Firefight.  The Set, Round, and Wave can be seen at the top left side of the player's screen.

[anitabyars]

<img class=" size-full wp-image-171 aligncenter" src="https://sarahneedshtml.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/grip-remix-banner.jpeg" alt="Grip Remix Banner.jpeg" width="640" height="237" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“...one of the most engaging and well-written romance books I have read...It's like nothing you've read before. It touches the issues no one talks about in our community. And it's a MUST-READ." </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">--</span><b>LJ Shen, Amazon Bestselling Author</b></p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">GRIP</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Kennedy Ryan’s sexy, emotional Amazon Bestseller,</span></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is available now for only 99¢! </span></h2> <p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll all the way down for an excerpt and to enter the </span></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">$25 Gift Card Giveaway!</span></i></p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-170 aligncenter" src="https://sarahneedshtml.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/grip-cover-sale.jpg" alt="GRIP COVER SALE" width="733" height="1100" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Resisting an irresistible force wears you down and turns you out. I know. I've been doing it for years. </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I may not have a musical gift of my own, but I've got a nose for talent and an eye for the extraordinary. And Marlon James - Grip to his fans - is nothing short of extraordinary. </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Years ago, we strung together a few magical nights, but I keep those memories in a locked drawer and I've thrown away the key. All that's left is friendship and work. </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">He's on the verge of unimaginable fame, all his dreams poised to come true. I manage his career, but I can't seem to manage my heart. >

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Amazon ➜ </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2lAhSSC"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://amzn.to/2lAhSSC</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Amazon UK➜ </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2xSpMMS"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://amzn.to/2xSpMMS</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">WATTPAD ➜ </span><a href="http://w.tt/2kUo8Yk"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://w.tt/2kUo8Yk</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">STILL, the sexy and emotional final installment of The Grip Series, </span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">releases September 24th!</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Preorder STILL Today!>

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Amazon ➜ </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2jAkJNT"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://amzn.to/2jAkJNT</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon UK ➜ </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2f4kxSa"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://amzn.to/2f4kxSa</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon CA ➜ </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2wmWoRR"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://amzn.to/2wmWoRR</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Amazon AU ➜ </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2xcBEuD"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://amzn.to/2xcBEuD</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Add STILL to GoodReads: </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2vBiUWN"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://bit.ly/2vBiUWN</span></a></p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-169 aligncenter" src="https://sarahneedshtml.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/grip-series-remix-sale.jpg" alt="GRIP SERIES REMIX SALE" width="2400" height="1256" /> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/posts/1359597014149459"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Click here to enter the $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Excerpt </strong></h3> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Neither of us has been in a serious relationship in years.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“That doesn’t mean anything.” I stand and slide my feet into the Jimmy Choos. “You haven’t exactly been waiting around, have you?” </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Damn right I haven’t been waiting around.” He doesn’t get up, but his firm hold on my wrist stops me from walking away. “I’m not Rhyson.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">I look down at him, frowning my confusion.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“What do you mean?”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Remember when Kai put Rhyson in the friend zone?”</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course I do. For a long time, my sister-in-law Kai denied the attraction between her and Rhyson.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Yeah, so?” </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“When Kai wasn’t checking for Rhys, I assumed he had to be sleeping with other girls.” Grip shrugs. “I mean, he and Kai were just friends. But, nope. He said he only wanted Kai and didn’t sleep with anyone else.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Then you’re right.” I tug at my wrist, but he holds on tight. “You’re definitely not Rhyson.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was months, Bristol. She shut him out for months. Not years.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m not shutting you out.” I release a tired breath. “I’m living my life, and you’re living yours.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Right.” He nods and turns his mouth down at the corners. “So, if you won’t be with me, then I’ll fuck whoever the hell I want. If you have a problem with that, you know what to do about it.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">For a moment, our eyes tangle in the dimness. His words sink into my flesh like briars. Every word out of his mouth only proves that I’m right to get out of here. That I’m right not to give in. If I ever gave him a chance and he fucked around on me . . . I’ve seen what that looks like. It looks like a woman as strong as my mother reduced to pathetic, teary drunkenness.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s none of my business.” I shift my eyes away from him and to the glittering city skyline just beyond the rooftop.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s none of your business until you say it is.” </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">I force myself to look back.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Don’t hold your breath, Grip.” I say my next words with deliberation. “I mean, it’s not like I’m sitting around saving it, either.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">He pulls me forward, and I press my hand to the hardness of his chest so I don’t fall into him. My knee supports me, pressed against his on the couch.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“Are you poking me?” One strong hand wraps around the back of my thigh, anger marking his expression. “Do you want to know if it bothers me when you fuck other guys?”</span> “It makes me want to set the world on fire.” His words come softly, but the truth roars in his eyes. “To think of you with them.”

Find the GRIP Series On Audio!

FLOW ➜ </span><a href="http://bit.ly/FLOWAudiobook"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://bit.ly/FLOWAudiobook</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"> GRIP ➜ </span><a href="http://bit.ly/GRIPAudiobook"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://bit.ly/GRIPAudiobook</span></a></p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Join the GRIP Discussion Group:</span></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1891983067712410/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1891983067712410/</span></a></p> <img class=" size-full wp-image-187 aligncenter" src="https://sarahneedshtml.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/image-1.jpg" alt="Image-1.jpg" width="2048" height="1161" /> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/posts/1359597014149459"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Click here to enter the $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></h3> <img class=" size-full wp-image-172 aligncenter" src="https://sarahneedshtml.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/kennedy-ryan.jpg" alt="Kennedy Ryan" width="1638" height="1638" /> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About the Author: </span></h3> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Modern Mom Magazine</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chicken Soup for the Soul</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">USA Today </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and many others</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Headline News</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Montel Williams</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPR</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.</span> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Connect with Kennedy:</span></h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Order Signed GRIP Series Paperbacks:</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kennedyryanwrites.com/signed-paperbacks/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://kennedyryanwrites.com/signed-paperbacks/</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reader Group: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/681604768593989/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/681604768593989/</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instagram: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kennedyryan1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.instagram.com/kennedyryan1/</span></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BookBub: >http://amzn.to/2x0qCtC

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