#Hayden come to North Carolina

[lboogie1906]

Louis Johnson (March 19, 1930 - March 31, 2020) was a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and director who worked across artistic genres in dance.

He was born in Statesville, North Carolina, and grew up in DC. His early dance training was with Doris Jones and Claire Haywood. In 1950, he was accepted to George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet where Black students were uncommon. Of his time in the school, he recalled:

“I had started out at the beginning and worked my way up the class levels… I was in advanced classes with Jacques d’Amboise, Eddie Villella, Melissa Hayden, Andre Eglevsky, Tanaquil LeClercq, and Maria Tallchief. They were my peers at the time… It was a learning experience like no other.”

He was not hired as a full member of the New York City Ballet, he was a guest artist and premiered a role in Ballade. He performed in Broadway shows including Four Saints in Three Acts, My Darlin’Aida, House of Flowers, Damn Yankees, and Hallelujah Baby.

He choreographed the ballet Lament for the New York City Ballet Club. This was followed by many more stagings of ballets for companies including the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Cincinnati Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Philadanco. One of his most famous works is Forces of Rhythm. He created the choreography for the Broadway shows: Purlie, for which he was nominated for a Tony award, Lost in the Stars, and Treemonisha. He was the choreographer for the films: Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Wiz, Tales of Erotica, and Baby of the Family.

He was a choreographer for the Metropolitan Opera for productions including La Giaconda and Aida. He directed the dance department of Henry Street Settlement. He started Howard University’s Dance Department and taught the first Black theatre course at Yale University.

His honors include the Pioneer Award from the International Association of Blacks in Dance and honor from the California chapter of the NAACP for his work with the original Negro Ensemble Company. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[nwbeerguide]

Ecliptic Brewing releasing two fresh-hopped beers an Italian Pilsner and an IPA.

image courtesy Ecliptic Brewing Press Release Portland, Oregon. Earth … Ecliptic Brewing is releasing two fresh hop beers for 2023: Altair Fresh Hop IPA and Astro Fresh Hop Italian-style Pilsner. Both beers are expected to ship mid-September. Altair Fresh Hop IPA, which comes in a 16-ounce can and draft, is brewed with fresh Strata and Centennial hops from Roy Farms, as well as regular Strata and Centennial. Astro Fresh Hop Italian-style Pilsner is a draft-only option, brewed with fresh McKenzie hops coming from B&D Farms. Regular Sterling and McKenzie are also included. Says John Harris, Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster,” This is the best time of year. We love brewing with fresh hops and are so lucky to have hop fields less than an hour away from us.” Altair Fresh Hop IPA and Astro Fresh Hop Italian-style Pilsner will be released throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network in mid-September. Visit Ecliptic’s website or social media for up-to-date details on this release and other potential small-batch fresh hop beers. Altair Fresh Hop IPA The brightest star in the constellation Aquila, Altair uses fresh Strata and Centennial to celebrate the annual hop harvest. ABV 6.5% IBU 50  …  Astro Fresh Hop Italian-style Pilsner Astro, originating from the Greek word for star, shines with fresh McKenzie hops. A crisp, clean lager to celebrate the annual hop harvest. ABV 5.5% IBU 35 About Ecliptic Brewing Ecliptic Brewing is a venture from John Harris, an Oregon beer icon whose background is steeped in the state’s rich craft brewing history. The name Ecliptic unites Harris’ two passions: brewing and astronomy. Ecliptic Brewing’s Mothership location opened in October of 2013 in North Portland and its second location – the Moon Room –opened in November of 2021 in Southeast Portland. Ecliptic celebrates the Earth’s yearly journey around the sun through both its beer and restaurant menus. Harris’ signature beers include Ecliptic Starburst IPA, Phaser Hazy IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale, Capella Porter and Pyxis Pilsner. Ecliptic beers are available at the mothership brewery (825 North Cook St), the Moon Room (930 SE Oak St), in grocery stores, bottle shops, and on-tap throughout the area. They are distributed by: Maletis Beverage (Portland, Salem, Vancouver WA), Bigfoot Beverage (Eugene, Bend, Coast), Fort George Distributing (Northern Oregon Coast, Southern Washington Coast), Hodgen Distributing (Eastern Oregon), Summit Distribution (Southern Oregon), NW Beverages (Seattle, Tacoma), Odom (Eastern Washington, Northern ID), Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham), Hayden Beverage (Idaho), Crooked Stave Artisans (Colorado), Freedom Distributors (North Carolina), Arizona Beer & Cider (Arizona), Beer Thirst (Canada) and Tread Water (Japan). For more information, visit: eclipticbrewing.com. ### from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3PlX2oq

[bebepac]

Six Sentence Sunday 05.16.21

ORIGINAL POST DATE: 05/16/21 at 10:35AM EST

My first week of vacation has been interesting with the gas shortages here in North Carolina and waiting in line for gas, for significant periods of time.  I actually took a picture and posted it on social media, which one of the news affiliates in my area contacted me and asked me could they use the picture in the evening news, I said yes.  

I had to use the app GasBuddy in order to find gas because every place I went by didn’t have gas, and when friends posted online saying somewhere had gas, it didn’t by the time I got there, or they only had Diesel.  Even the first place I used the app for had gas when I left home but by the time I got there only had diesel.  The app updated when I got there. So I’ve been parked the past few days.  Today (Sunday) is the first time I’m heading out into the world in the past two days.  Did I also mention my new car almost got hit twice when I was out driving around these gas stations,  people trying to get into the gas lines cutting people off?

Sadly I found out I didn’t get the new job.  I was disappointed, but I do want to say thank you to friends for keeping an encouraging word in my ear, and a virtual hug through this time while I continue to job search for a better quality of life.  Thanks for being there for me.  I know something better is out there for me.

I had to stop writing for a little bit as my writing got incredibly angsty.  You’ll see in my WIP one in particular.  

Here’s what I’ve posted in the last week in case you missed it:  

The Life of Riley Book Two:  Derby Girl

The Meet: A Greek Meet Prequel:   Falling For You ❤

What are some of my writer peeps up to?  @dcbbw @speedyoperarascalparty @burnsoslow @ownworldresident  @bbrandy2002 @jessiembruno @darley1101 @sirbeepsalot @ao719​

Here’s what I’ve been working on:  

Birthday Celebration

Mia’s 🌎World: A Birthday Fic

The Book: TRR x The Freshman

Pairings: Mia x Jaiden (TRR MC x M!OC) / Emily x Chris

Status: Still in the writing process.

Mia was talking with some of her gym friends and Nico when Jaiden walked into the gym.  Nico was shirtless.  

Jaiden rolled his eyes. Of course he was sitting right next to Mia, looking like that's where he belonged.

“Are you ready Mia?”  

“Yeah, everyone, do you remember Jaiden, my boyfriend?  Jaiden this is everyone!”  

Jaiden smiled politely, but his eyes rested on Nico.  

“I could have brought her back to campus, I'm headed back there now too. Could have saved you the trip.”  

“It’s fine, I was going to look at her car anyway.  Besides, she’s my girl, not yours Nico.”  

An uncomfortable silence fell on the group.

“Okay…. Jai  we’re going.”  

Once they had gotten into Rubi...Mia glared at him.

“What the hell was that Jai?”  

“What did it look like?”

“Jai, you said it wouldn’t be a problem for me to still go to the gym here?”

“Why didn’t you call me Mia?”  

“I was about to, but Nico walked by in the student parking lot.  I figured since we were going to the same place, it wasn’t a big deal.”  

“I would have taken you to the gym no problem Mia. He still has feelings for you. He was staring at you like a sad puppy.”

“Do you trust me?”  

“It’s not about trust.”

“Yes it is Jai.  Don’t you trust me?”

The Wait is Over

Just The Way You Are: Chapter: 13

The Book:  Crossover:  Perfect Match x TRR

Pairings:  Hayden x Kai (Hayden!M x Kai!F) / Liam x Riley

Status: Still in the Writing Process

“Who’s the cool parent Dipper?”  

Dipper nuzzled against Kai's leg.  

“Told ya.” Kai stuck her tongue out at Hayden to which he laughed.

“You indeed are the junk food, party parent, Kai. Hands down.”  

Hayden’s face softened.  

“You’ll be the cool mom. You’ll be the one who makes the menus when our children have sleepovers with their friends. Because every kid has to have junk food when their friends come over and spend the night.  You’ll be the one that lets them stay up extra late, and sleep in, in the morning.  I’ll make the cookies you ask for, but you’ll be the one to give them extra.”

Kai smiled, her eyes glistening with tears.

“Hayden, you’ll be the one to gently tell them to keep it down.  You’ll be the one they call when they think they have monsters under the bed and in the closet for you to scare them away, and when they want Daddy’s strong arms to protect them.”

“Will we tell them about me? That I’m different?”  He softened the words as he knew how upset it made Kai when he referred to himself as anything computer based.

“When they’re old enough to understand what it means I think. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I want them to know, and truly understand what I am, and how wonderful a woman their mother is, that she still loves me in spite of everything.”  

“We’ll be good parents Hayden because we love each other, and we’ll love them.”

Chasing Pavements

The Meet: Chapter 5

The Book:  TRR

Pairings:  Liam x Jillian (Liam x F!OC) / Leo x Bebe (Leo x F!OC)

Status:  Still in the writing process.

Why couldn’t he just say “Her?”  

He didn’t know truly what he wanted from Bebe, what was happening between them either.  But something… was happening.  He’d never felt like this about someone before.  Like he might want to commit to her.  Bebe wanted more, and he wasn’t sure he could give her that.  He didn’t want to hurt her.  Leo wasn’t like Liam.  Liam only dated in monogamous, long term, serious relationships.  Leo had never been in anything like that.  Honestly, the time he had spent on and off with Bebe over the last six months had been his longest “pseudo relationship.”

He also knew she was trying to keep him at a distance too.  He saw the look in her eyes when she was staring at him and Maddy talking and things were going well.  Bebe looked hurt.

That look in her eyes had followed him the rest of the evening. Every time he tried to kiss Maddy, he saw Bebe. He had to leave Maddy’s place because of that look.  

He also saw the look in her eyes change in that moment she pushed her feelings away, if there were feelings, when he couldn’t answer.  She pulled away from him, slipping back on her shirt.

“Did you drink all the root beer?”  She asked.

“I’ll get you another one.”

Bebe had turned on a comedy when he came back in.  

He didn’t even think the movie was that funny, it was Bebe’s reactions to it.  He loved her laugh, even the fact that she had seen the movie so much she was quoting it. Which was something he hated, but it was cute when she did it.  He really didn’t like slapstick comedy like that.  But watching her, it was absolutely hilarious.

[anisanews]

March Madness bracket busters 2021: Which 13 seed is best bet for a first-round upset?

Will there be a lucky No. 13 in the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament?  

The track record 13 seeds in the NCAA tournaments isn’t great. The No. 4 seed is 111-29 – a winning percentage of .793 – in the first round. A total of six No. 13 seeds have advanced to the Sweet 16 – and none made it to the Elite Eight.  

That list includes Valparaiso (1998), Richmond (1998), Oklahoma (1999), Bradley (2006), Ohio (2012) and La Salle (2013). Ohio pushed No. 1 North Carolina to the limit in a 73-65 overtime thriller in that 2012 run. The Bobcats are back in the tournament this year, too, and one of the more-intriguing upset picks again. Are they the best bet to pull off another 4-13 upset?  

Sporting News takes a closer look at the four matchups to find out:  

HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED: 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5

13 Liberty vs. 4 Oklahoma State  

FanDuel odds: Oklahoma State -9 (O/U 142)  

Why this could happen: Liberty averages just 9.7 turnovers per game – and Oklahoma State commits 15.9 turnovers per game. The Flames have the guard play necessary with Darius McGhee and Chris Parker, and this an experienced team that pulled a 5-12 upset in 2019. Liberty takes a 12-game winning streak into the tournament, and that makes them a dangerous team. Liberty does not have Cade Cunningham. The All-American averaged 20.2 points per game, and the Cowboys’ offense will pose a style challenge for Liberty – especially if the second-chance points are there. If Oklahoma shoots better than 50 percent from the field, then the Flames will have trouble keeping it within double digits.  

13 UNC-Greensboro vs. 4 Florida State 

FanDuel odds: Florida State –11.5 (O/U 145)  

Why this could happen: Senior guard Isaiah Miller is a superstar player who can go off. He averages 27.4 points per game in his last five games, and UNC-Greensboro won eight of their last 10. Florida State lost three of its last five games. The Seminoles have advanced to the second weekend in their last two tournament appearances, however, and the matchup between 7-foot centers Balsa Koprivca and Hayden Koval will go a long way in determining the tempo. The Seminoles rank eighth in the nation in three-point percentage (39.0), and leading scorer M.J. Walker shoots 44.4 percent behind the arc. He would need to have an off night for UNC-Greensboro to have a chance.  

BRACKET PICKS: DeCourcy (Gonzaga) | Bender (Illinois) | Fagan (Gonzaga)

13 North Texas vs. 4 Purdue  

FanDuel odds: Purdue –7.5 (O/U 125)  

Why this could happen: The Mean Green caught fire in the Conference-USA tournament, and North Texas has four players who averaged double figures in the regular season. The Mean Green have a top-10 scoring defense that allowed 61.5 points per game. The challenge is for 6-10 forward Zachary Simmons, who will have to be more active against a Purdue front line led by forward Trevion Williams, who averages 15.6 points and nine rebounds, and 7-4 center Zach Edey. If guard Jaden Ivey is on, then North Texas will be in trouble. Under Matt Painter, the Boilermakers are 9-2 in the first round, and they have reached the second weekend in each of their last three appearances.  

13 Ohio vs. 4 Virginia  

FanDuel odds: Virginia –8 (O/U 132)  

Why this could happen: Virginia’s biggest issues are off the court right now after COVID-19 issues forced the Cavaliers to pull out of the ACC tournament. The Cavaliers still give up just 60.5 points per game, and opponents commit 12.4 fouls per game against Virginia. They will test Ohio’s patience with that defense and their ability to limit possessions. A pair of Wisconsin natives – Virginia’s Sam Hauser and Ohio’s Ben Vander Plas – come into focus. Vander Plas will have to at least match Hauser – one of the ACC’s best players. The challenge lies on Ohio star guard Jason Preston, who averages 16.6 points, 7.2 assists and 6.8 rebounds. Ohio shot 26 of 58 from 3-point range in the MAC tournament, and that hot shooting will need to continue to have a chance against the 2019 national champions.  

REGION BREAKDOWNS: WEST | EAST | SOUTH | MIDWEST

Which 13 seed is best bet for an upset?

North Texas has the lowest point spread of the four, but we don’t like their chances against that big Purdue front line.  

UNC-Greensboro has the most-intriguing scorer in Miller, but Florida State presents too many problems on the offensive end.  

Liberty has the best of the four teams, and even with that ability to limit possessions it’s tough to pick the Flames against Cunningham and that Oklahoma State offense.  

Ohio is the best chance for an upset – and to cover the spread knowing the Cavaliers are 11-13 ATS this year – but it’s also a game that Virginia could dominate if the Bobcats have a rough shooting night.  

This might be another unlucky year for No. 13 as a result. 

from Anisa News https://ift.tt/3vqEqJ1

[hay---diaz]

Full Name: Hayden Amelia Diaz 

 Nickname (s): Hay, H 

 Date Of Birth: September 17th, 1981 

Current Age: thirty-nine 

 Gender: Cisfemale 

 Pronouns: She&Her 

 Occupation: Content Creator, Blogger, and freelance photographer also part time photographer at the Aquarium (it's a lot i know) 

 Birthplace: Wilmington, North Carolina 

 Current Residence: Somerton, Maine (Evergreen Dock) 

 Positive Traits: Hardworking, Outgoing, Creative, Passionate 

 Negative Traits: Emotional, Lonely, Sarcastic, Moody

On September 17th back in 1989, the Davis family was completed. Elizabeth and Antonio Davis had welcomed their third and final child into this World at 6:30 in the morning, with two older children named Thomas and Ryleigh impatiently waiting for their new sibling. Another beautiful baby girl was born and everyone wasn’t surprised one bit, they decided to name her Hayden. Her beautiful brown eyes opened and starred up at her mother and father, and they couldn’t of been happier and more in love with the little one. Hayden Amelia Davis was a name to remember. 

Hayden’s childhood was pretty much perfect. She had two older siblings whom she loved, parents who were her best friends and a dog that she took care of. Living right smack on the the beach in Wilmington, North Carolina it helped that the girl was a fan of salty air and sea hair. Hayden would spend hours when she wasn’t in school in the ocean, swimming until the sun went down. Her parents had taught her however that education was the most important thing, and even though Hayden was labeled as the Wallflower early on throughout her school years, she studied hard and always got straight A’s. She made a good group of friends and never really felt alone while growing up. Hayden was really a happy kid. Aside from surfing, her hobbies included volleyball as she was placed on the junior varsity volleyball team in highschool, she was also a fan of reading and writing. Even if Hayden was considered as a wallflower, the girl was a big part of her school and wrote for her schools newspaper and was on the Yearbook committee. It probably wasn’t the best clubs to be apart of, but Hayden didn’t care. In her Junior year of high school when you’re supposed to know what you want to do in life, Hayden figured out she really loved writing. Being editor in chief for her high school newspaper really helped with finding that passion. Getting along with her siblings, it helped that they were supportive when Hayden had told them she wanted to get into photography and create a blog. On her free days when she wasn’t so busy, that’s what the brunette was doing, was blogging and becoming obsessed with the World within it. 

She soon got into fashion, and watched her blog soar with the content she was posting. When Hayden graduated from high school with honor roll and other achievements, Hayden decided to move out of her small town of Wilmington to New York City. She got accepted into FIT, and majored in Fashion Design, and minored in Film and Media. In college, Hayden pretty much kept to herself but again made a good group of friends. She didn’t party much, but whenever she did people around Campus knew who she was due to her blog. Never really getting used to the popularity, Hayden realized she was more than just a blogger. She was a content creator, and had decided during her Senior year of college that she wanted to take this job seriously. After researching more about the job she’s found a passion for, Hayden’s followers grew and grew. 

When graduating from FIT again with honor roll and other achievements, once again always being good about school, Hayden realized she still loved photography. During the time she’d come home, Hayden decided to take it up upon herself to find a job that included photography. During the summer time throughout her teenage years, she worked at her local Aquarium. Taking up the job again, this time she became a photographer for them. However, after a few years of living back home, Hayden figured it was time to move again but this time she moved to some place she’s never been before to get a fresh start, which was Somerton, Maine. Hayden always loved to travel and always dreamed about starting over in another tiny town, and that’s what she did. Still being a content creator, and now a freelance photographer, Hayden couldn’t of been happier with the decision she has made. Living in Somerton for two years, she’s been working at another Aquarium and continues with her blog. She now has a Youtube Channel and is active on instagram and twitter, she has gained a ton of followers and is still passionate about what she does.    

[nooralsibai]

Pro-Trump OAN pushes wild conspiracy theory that novel coronavirus was created in a North Carolina lab

Published by Media Matters for American on 3/18/2020.

OAN’s chief White House correspondent endorsed a conspiracy theorist who has said Anthony Fauci funded creation of the coronavirus to destroy the Trump economy.

WRITTEN BY JOHN WHITEHOUSE

RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NOOR AL-SIBAI

On March 14 and 15, pro-Trump cable news network OAN aired a coronavirus special called Exposing China's Coronavirus: The Fears, The Lies and The Unknown. During that program, the network’s chief White House correspondent, Chanel Rion, suggested that the novel coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic may have originated in a North Carolina laboratory. 

As support, Rion cited Greg Rubini, whom she described in the special as “a citizen investigator and monitored source amongst a certain set in the D.C. intelligence community.”

There is no evidence that Rubini is a “monitored source” for anyone but Rion. He has pushed wild “deep state” conspiracy theories on Twitter, where he has over 100,000 followers.

Rubini has said that the novel coronavirus “was GENETICALLY ENGINEERED as a Bio-Weapon at the Univ. of North Carolina BSL-3 Lab.” He has also said that it was spread from North Carolina to China, Italy, and elsewhere in the United States by the “Deep State” in a plot “to destroy the Trump economy.” In addition, Rubini suggested that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the well-respected head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, personally funded the production of the virus, even calling him “Little Tony Fauci.”

OAN coronavirus special featured former top Trump officials

The OAN special, which was promoted on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, began with commentary like what you would see on Fox News, such as calling COVID-19 “Chinese-born” (viruses have neither a race nor a nationality) and saying that President Donald Trump had taken strong steps to protect America (he downplayed the threat and reacted extraordinarily poorly and slowly).

The first hints of just how deranged that this special would be showed up in the second segment, which was, amazingly, geared toward attacking South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The segment featured a panel including two former top Trump officials: acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and former National Security Council chief of staff Fred Fleitz. The panel also included columnist and frequent Fox guest Gordon Chang and former South Korean official Cho Tae-yong. The panelists attacked Moon’s response to the coronavirus epidemic, with Fleitz even saying that the South Korean president showed “incompetence and naivete” because he has downplayed threats coming from China and North Korea. (South Korea’s response to coronavirus has been widely considered a success, thanks largely to its aggressive testing regime, an area in which the U.S. has failed.)

In the next segment, after a discussion of outsourcing production of drugs and medical supplies, Chang said that China “owns” the World Health Organization.

But it was in the final segment that OAN's coronavirus special went completely off the rails.

Conspiracy theory: A bioweapon created in North Carolina to undermine the Trump economy

Rion cited experts who had expressed doubt that the virus originated in a seafood market in the city of Wuhan, China, and then she took that doubt to mean that it must have originated elsewhere. Saying that there are some “interesting clues” in the United States, Rion pointed to a laboratory in North Carolina:

Rion is pushing a debunked conspiracy theory. It circulated last week in Britain’s Express tabloid, after which experts repeatedly debunked it and the Express even ran a correction. The Express’ source was a guest on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ show, Francis Boyle, who alleged that the coronavirus was a bioweapon created in Wuhan.

While Boyle, Steve Bannon, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), and others have pushed a conspiracy theory that the virus was a bioweapon that originated in a facility in Wuhan, Rion went in a slightly different direction. She cited a 2015 study from the National Institutes of Health, titled “SARS-like cluster of circulating bat coronavirus pose threat for human emergence,” and used its links to the University of North Carolina to suggest that the novel coronavirus was created there.

After Rion mentioned the study, she named authors who purportedly have links to Wuhan. While there are no audio issues elsewhere in the special, on both the Saturday and Sunday airings of this special, Rion’s voice is muted when saying the names, though the authors list for the 2015 study does include the names of two scientists, Zheng-Li Shi and Xing-Ye Ge, who have worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. (Conspiracy theories about these scientists go back to at least January 26.)

On OAN, Rion also cited Greg Rubini as an expert. Rubini had tweeted the conspiracy theory at Rion the day before the special aired, in a thread still pinned to his Twitter profile at the time this piece was published. Before that, Rubini had also previously tweeted that the virus was created in a North Carolina lab. While never explicitly citing this study, on February 25, Rubini tweeted at former Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini: “this VIRUS is a BIO-WEAPON - genetically engineered in a North Carolina Lab, and brought to Wuhan by a Chinese scientist. … I have the documents. be advised.”

While Rion cited Rubini’s conspiracy theory that the virus was created in North Carolina, she concluded by implying that Chinese scientists, after purportedly helping to create the virus in North Carolina in 2015, then released it from a laboratory in Wuhan near the end of 2019. This is more in line with the Bannon and Cotton conspiracy theory than with Rubini’s even more deranged notion.

Rubini posits that the “deep state” sent the virus from North Carolina to China, Italy, and then back to the United States. He is also convinced that Anthony Fauci personally funded its creation.

Rubini has repeatedly accused Fauci of being behind the pandemic as a tool of the “deep state.” Along those lines, he has also pointed the finger at former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and former National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden.

Rubini also recently called for Trump to immediately declare martial law for two months. Additionally, he has claimed that communists and Muslims have “infiltrated” the Pentagon and that the novel coronavirus outbreak is a “cover” for a “Nazi coup” in Europe.

Rion has repeatedly interacted with Rubini on Twitter.

Before being hired by OAN and eventually being appointed as its chief White House correspondent, Rion was a Seth Rich conspiracy theorist.

[sunshine-tattoo]

so here's the thing, kiddos.

It can take you a verrrrry long time to come out because different things can give you mixed signals on attraction.

case and point: me.

I didn't come out as gay until I was in my early 20.

why? Two reasons.

1. I lived in North Carolina where the homophobia is r a m p a n t

2. Who I was attracted to during puberty

I'm 26. When I was hitting puberty, it was 2005 and there was no social media. we got our crushes from tv shows and DVDs.

Here's a few of mine:

1. Anakin Skywalker, played by the beautiful Hayden Christensen

2. Prince Zuko

3. Slade from Teen Titans

y'all seeing the pattern here? I was attracted to power and confidence. and maybe a bit of a bad boy thing. to be honest if I had been 13 when the force awakens came out I would have gotten a crush on reylo ken too not gonna lie

so why have I not remained attracted to men like that? Or even men at all?

one word: context.

these guys were sexy from a distance. because they were characters.

but if you put that same energy into an actual boy (even one who was beautiful) I suddenly lost interest.

there were more than a few boys in high school and early uni who I thought I liked because intellectually they checked all these supposedly sexy boxes.

But being with them I was miserable and I couldn't figure out why.

I figured that all relationships must be like this. the emotional equivalent of holding your nose. And sometimes literally holding my nose since all boys smell baaaaad to me. Even if they were freshly showered. Bleck.

then one day I saw this girl on my campus. she was butch, but not in the stout, lumberjack-y way I knew from media. she was tall and athletic and had exquisite taste in masculine fashion.

she asked me a few questions, I think I was tabling for my science club or something, and fuck me she smelled sooooo good.

Not like that bath & bodyworks nonsense every chick around campus seemed to fucking bath in, but like subtle cologne and total confidence.

it fucking hit me like a goddamn ton of bricks.

THIS was what I was into.

that power and intelligence and muscular shoulders from all those tv boys during my middle school years, but repackaged in the form of a leather jacket wearing woman.

and that attraction remains to this day. it's what I look for when I go to gay bars or browse dating apps.

my coming out experience may not fit with many of the narratives we have about lesbian sexuality. I didn't have a crush on Disney princesses as a little girl and I didn't have some torrid love affair with a gal friend while my husband was out of town.

But it is the story of how I discovered who I am.

so, babies, here's some advice from an older gay:

how you discover who you're into is unique. It may come at 12 or at 24 or even at 65. But no matter what it's yours and that's pretty fucking cool.

[randomlerson75]

Stuff people at my high school have said or done

• “I’ll just pretend I broke my ankle. I’ll limp a little”

• “You’re face doesn’t even have many bones”

• “Do you wipe your ass with your fingers”

• “I look cute though so I’m saving it”

• “They’re not dirty minded they just have a sexy brain”

• “This is not a good situation now. I’m not happy”

• *sleeping in class and randomly screams* “STOP!!!”

• “I’m coloring my weed symbol”

• “I stretch pretty violently I’m sorry”

• “I look like I’m more full of life than you”

•”I’m a good person” “haha ok”

• “I’m gonna round it to the nearest 11”

• “You don’t always have to swallow”

• “What a fucking time to be alive”

• “why are you harissing me”

• “That’s why you turn around and punch him in the face”. “I don’t have time”

• “You are the highest grade”

• “Does it taste normal”. “No it tastes good”

• “Why are we all up in this cold ass blueberry”

• “The sun can’t be that hot”

• “I could have overreached but that would make me stupid”

• “I’m all muscle bro, it’s tight on me”

• ”I’m a stripper that’s how I make my money”

• “You’re my mom” *talking to the teacher*

• “Are you high” “just get it off”

• *laughs normally* “you sound like a pedophile”

• “Pinkie ring until I roll”

• *about to jump off a cliff in a video for free diving* “push her”

• “Capitalism is ok”

• “It’s so funny how you can be alive one second and dead the next”

• “Change the m in marijuana to a j. Jarijuana”

• *teacher puts desk in the hallway*

• “He smoked water”

• “You can’t speak Latin” “Can you?”

• “May I acquire a pencil” “yes you may” “have a blessed day”

• “I’m going to write a book about how depressed I am”

• “God has forsaken me”

• *girls trying to stab each other with scissors*

• “I got a pretty long weenus. It looks like a penis”

• “My skeleton is twerking”

• *draws a skeleton twerking* “this is why it’s fun to learn art”

• “Why does he have eye holes?” “He’s a skeleton”

• “Don’t get my businesses ”

• “YOU ARE A WHORE”

• “love is so good”

• “Happy 17th day of birth”

• “You know it’s cold when you walk outside and it’s cold

• “why are you smiling like a creep Jess?” “That’s my normal face”

• “I’m living my best life, right here right now”

• *About thirty kids doing nothing but snapping*

• “Yes, I am very racist about smart boards”

• “I used to be like ;) but now I’m like :|”

• “Physically I’m here but mentally I’m still at home”

• “Emotions are like hurricanes. They never go where they are suppose too”

• “it took me a whole 27 minutes”

• “I would pay for the fire alarm to go off again”

• “Why did we get such a gay name like Florence”

• “this is my dad” *points to Albert Einstein

• *A REAL debate on wether to rip the clippy part off of mechanical pencils*

• “Not gonna lie. I grinded a friends marathon this weekend”

• “FINISH THE TEA”

• “You should know to never mess with another persons tech deck”

• “She has a thing against white people even though she’s white”

• “Speak of the devil. All white, what a fright”

• “You are a children”

• “You think a bull in a china shop? How about a bomb in a restaurant”

• “Me do”

• “I cheesed myself”

• “I never said I was going to jump you at Bojangles”

• “Knitting is VERY fun”

• “I’m not good enough, I’m great enough”

• “North Korea, South Korea, Same thing”

• *drops pencil* “NOOOOOOOOO”

• *light flickers* “excuse you”

• “You can make Australia bigger?”

• “Why don’t we burn people at the stake anymore for doing crimes. It was proven very effective”

• “It’s like I went into the pits of hell”

• “Can I borrow her crutches” “She has a lot”

• “You have arms?”

• “I was born thick”

• “I wasn’t sick I was drunk”

• “be a good person. Go go go”

• “Lotion and ravioli”

• “It smells like weed in here”

• “F*ck oxygen”

• “bring it back tomorrow or you die”

• “Tables are for glasses, not asses”

• “Stick it in between her boobs”

• “A lot of religions end in ism” “Christianiaism”

• “I just want someone to snort my ashes. That would be cool. Mix it with a little cocaine”

• “The United States of Australia”

• “Clark Kent who. I’m kidding, that’s not even Spider-Man”

• “Mental cheese”

• “Your blood is not supposed to make whistling noises”

• “Who sleeps on a Friday night”

• “A whole ass race”

• “that’s a sexy button” “I know right”

• *Screams* “and....”

• “Judaism is neither a religion or race”

• “Have you ever met someone and thought ‘wow. I would feel no remorse killing you’”

•“I hate this school with a burning passion”

•“Beep beep in your seats”

•“What is wrong with the world? The simulation is breaking”

•“What if we’re each other’s dad”

•“You use mental gymnastics to get around your head and get what you want”

•”You can’t just roll up to North Korea. You have to beat me in bingo”

•*teachers wear a dress and played despacito on the trumpet*

• “He’s a stingy boi”

• “A for anarchy? Dude i wish”

• “shut up I’m choking”

• “The snack the smiles back” “GOLDFISH!!!”

• “Where’s the pointy boi?” “I don’t know. I have the thick boi”

• “Dude. Fish can’t talk”

• “Stop taking my eraser” “it’s a ruler” “it can be whatever it wants to be”

• “A female vacuum is attractive”

• “I can love you but not like you”

• “I am mother gothel mentally, physically and spiritually

• “Mother gothel is my religion”

• “IM GETTING A COW!!!!”

• “It’s like Leonardo Da’Vinchi but instead it’s Leonardo Decaprio”

• “I wish I had some crippling disease. Schizophrenia would be nice”

• “I’m gonna kill someone for the rush of adrenaline I’ll get. I’ll get pumped, then I’ll work out”

• “Should I become an important political figure”

• “My cats might have eaten him”

• “Who else is trying to overthrow the government”

• “Where’s our kid?” “He looked at me funny and I had to teach him a lesson. I flushed him down the toilet”

• “I text Jesus all the time”

• “You are a saucy boi”

• “Your neck is really soft. Do you know that?”

• “Um. No professor. I don’t give a fuck”

• “Bro I look like a whole ass beetle”

• “You know? I’m definitely going to hell. But I’ve accepted that”

• “We need to go to the woods and have a collective cry”

• “Moths = whore”

• “Can we watch more food videos”

• “Just outlive the old people and health care prices can go back to normal”

• “Let’s just start the gladiator games again to handle population”

• “I’ll be Michael Phelps”

• “Don’t you just hate it when Nolan steps on your 69 Barbie head”

• “He’s so 20”

• “LITTLE BOY! WHERE ARE YOUR NIPPLES”

• “You guys disgust me”

• “I thought I had a good nights sleep but then I stood up and was like ‘oh no’”

• “you look better as an apple”

• “Why the fuck does it smell like weed in here. Mrs. Burch be blazing it up”

• “What is the coast of South Carolina growing” “Fish”

• “Why are we here on Halloween but not on Thanksgiving”

• “Even though I’m 18 I still might go trick or treating”

• “All minors should be allowed to trick or treat”

• “Tomorrow is not today, is it?”

• “ah yes, the glorious uno and dos”

• “I think Kanye is a crackhead”

• “Like. She’s not hideous”

• “Casserole and Gatorade?”

• “That’s what Google’s for girly”

• “this class has corrupted me”

• “You stepped on my fat”

• “What would Jesus do?”

• *Squeaks kazoo in anguish*

• “We’re going to watch a video about the depression” “weird, nobody has been following me around with cameras”

• “Approximately 50 minutes till ice cream”

• “Did you know heroin is not good for you?”

• “I have the constant need to fight myself and my demons”

• “what the hell?” “I know”

• “you are crack-a-lakin me up”

• “I have no muscles so what’s the point”

• “Flex on the legless”

• “didn’t that movie come out in November? Fifty shades of green?”

• *County music blares from another class down the hall*

• “I got a twin brother” “What’s his name” “Pj”

• “Keep the iPhone in your ear”

• “Super white red lipstick”

• “They just need a lot more dollars”

• “Don’t be like Anthony” “Isn’t he your son”

• “There’s a lot that needs to happen in the next.... today”

• *Plays bagpipe music walking down the hallway*

• “Say sorry to Billie Eilish”

• “We should make army merch”

• “Some of us have bitch lips”

• “Time is moco loco”

• “Alfred Adler sounds like Adolf Hitler”

• “Albert Einstein is my favorite president” “YES”

• “It’s winter berries”

• “She just unfollowed your ass”

• “Do you ever get so mad you’re like rrrrr”

• “Bear Grills filtered that shit”

• “The US army is trying to recruit us with socks and bandannas”

• “This dude tastes bad”

• “I’m a sophisticated retard”

• “It’ll get your heart rate up” “I think asthma will make my heart rate go down”

• “She was like egh and the he was like EGH”

• *Door won’t open* “DISRESPECTFUL”

• “if she wasn’t my sister she would be my baby”

• “Will you let me make love to an Oreo”

• “Directions turn me on”

• “I’ll eat you” “Dude that’s gay”

• “you’ve been had a 69 in here”

• “I’m gonna be real with you. Hayden is a whole ass lesbian”

• “I’m sorry that picture is ugly. Sorry sis”

• “A whole jump suit with pikachu on it”

• “He’s been birthed”

• “Ru Paul’s drag race has been dragged”

• “Imma sip some chlorine”

• “why do you gotta throw up”

• “suicidal dog collar”

• “I’m pulling out Murphy’s head ass”

• “you’re gonna be single forever”

• “Do you trust me?” “No” “why” “you know why” “I told the truth after”

• “I didn’t mean to make her suicidal”

• “I did it in the most respectful way I possible could” “oh Jesus”

• “it’s not my fault she had that much of a connection”

• “she’s a sly bitch”

• *dresses in a Thomas the train hat and plays Thomas the train theme song on a piano*

• “I’m getting better at this” “what” “this”

• “It’s just my master plan to manipulate people’s emotions and have many successes in my future”

• “How do you do that” “I just empty my eyes”

• “You know what. Give me my birthday back”

• “Bitch bye. Not even cousins”

• “they go away. They don’t putt putt”

• “why” “so you don’t die in a police chase”

• “are you a virgin” “yes” *throws paper* “there’s my virginity for you”

• “I’m not stupid. I’m just not smart”

• *tries to hit someone with a decapitated mannequin head that has swim goggles on and fake blood coming out of its eyes*

• “you ignant”

• “I hope she chokes”

• “I had to sit at the edge of my chair, feet flat on the floor and hold my horn”

• “I don’t want to get my freaking hair done”

• “he hates my moms guts” “yeah no shit”

• “ok. Can you go cry over there”

• “Fuckin Jurassic world”

• “will you please beat up my mom”

• *drops phone purposefully* *immediately gets scared*

• “I want a new mom” “then break her”

• “did you just say what’s frog juice”

• *freshman walk by* “oh shit there’s a parade of them”

• “that five year old king is a queen”

• “Join the ranks”

• “Garrett’s carressing the computer” “cool”

• “You’re going into my dragons mouth”

• “Don’t snap my crab”

• “Crab breaking black belt”

• “are you milking the crab”

• “Cameron buttered my lemons”

• “Mixed with god”

• “What’s the juice”

• “I’m your bestie and you won’t even tell me the juice”

• “Let’s amazon.com this”

[ink-flavored]

11/11/11 Tag Game (Triple Threat)

I was tagged by @bookenders @timetravelingpigeon and @oradall! Thank you!

Questions

What animal would be your familiar?

You can bring any one extinct species back, with the guarantee that it won’t become extinct again. Which animal do you bring back?

Top three favorite animals?

What’s your favorite road trip snack?

What’s one place you never want to visit?

If you had to live in the world of (one of) your WIP(s), how screwed would you be?

What’s the worst name for a character you’ve ever had?

What’s something your 8-year-old self would love about you? 

What’s the stupidest thing your OC(s) has ever done?

How important is family to your OC(s)? To you?

What’s the song you want playing in the background every time you walk into a room?

Tagging: @rainy-rose​ @rrrawrf-writes​ @aslanwrites​ @tenacious-scripturient​ @waterfallwritings​ @quilloftheclouds​ @blueinkblot​ @lilquill​ @kobalt-ink​ and anyone else who feels like it!

My 33 answers below!

1.      What baseball positions would your OCs be in if they all had to be on a baseball team? What’s the team name? What’s their mascot? What do the uniforms look like? (If you hate baseball or prefer a different sport, substitute said sport for baseball.)

Well, considering Park is literally on a baseball team, I think I’ll answer this one for him. He’s a pitcher for the North Carolina Sabretooth Cats, and if you can’t tell their mascot from that, then I don’t know what to tell you. Their uniform colors are white, gold, and black.

2.      How good are your OCs at bowling? How good are you at bowling?

I, personally, suck at bowling. I’ve never been good at it, but I still have fun!

Before Hayden was on crutches, he was the bowling master. It’s harder for him to bowl now that he can’t really balance by himself, or hold a ball at the same time as he holds his crutches.

Park is also really great at bowling, something that Jamie (bad at bowling) will never forgive him for.

If bowling existed for Teconia, she would try her best, but not succeed. Xinya would be almost good. The occasional strike. Yu-Qi would attempt to chuck the bowling ball like a softball because it Made Her Lose.

3.      Rewrite this in your style: “I picked up the book and read the back. He took it from me before I could protest. He never lets me have the cool stuff.

I took the book of the shelf and flipped it over to read the back, but I couldn’t get a single word in before he snatched it out of my hands. I pouted – he never lets me have the cool stuff.

4.      What do you love about the last book you read?

The last book I read is called Policing the Black Man, a collection of essays edited by Angela J. Davis. I’m telling you this because you should read it. It’s not an easy read, and I’ve had to take several breaks from it because it’s very heavy, but it’s an eye-opening look at how race and law enforcement interact in America. It reinforced a lot of the things I already knew (the police are an institution founded on racism), but it’s teaching me so much more about why that is, and how we can fix it in the future. Highly recommended – especially if you’re white.

5.      What are three things you love about your writing?

I really love my descriptions, character interactions, and settings.

6.      What’s a word you love the sound of? What’s a word you really don’t like the sound of?

I have an entire list of words that I love, but I’ll pick my top three: Vivaciousness, Gossamer, and Facetious.

My least favorite word is flesh. I hate that word so much.

7.      How do you like to begin your stories?

It depends on the story. Usually I like to jump into the action, to give the reader something to latch onto as soon as possible, and to get them to form questions at the same time.

8.      What other forms of writing have you tried other than the one you’re working with now? (i.e. playwriting, screenwriting, poetry, interactive, novels, short fiction. etc.) How do you feel about them?

I’ve been writing a game! It’s been a super huge blast, and even though I know neither jack nor shit about coding, the program I’m using makes it very easy to write games without any coding. Use Twine! It’s the best!

Once I graduate (in June!!), I want to finish the game and upload it somewhere so I can get people playing it. Stay tuned for that!

9.      What’s your favorite play/musical? Why? What’s your favorite part?

OH NO, I HAVE TO PICK ONE? Okay fine, it’s Chicago. I absolutely adore that musical, mostly because I love jazz. But also because the dark humor, satire, and well-rounded and unique women are top notch. I had the privilege of seeing it on Broadway in 2017, and I cannot recommend it enough.

10.  What kind of stories do you like to read? How different are they from what you write?

Honestly, not much different at all. I read a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and poetry – I write a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and poetry. The only thing I write, but don’t read, is suspense/horror-ish stuff. Which sounds weird, but I listen to Welcome to Night Vale, which is about as much horror as I can handle.

11.  What’s your favorite bit of worldbuilding from a story someone else wrote?

I’m a huge Tolkien nerd, and the whole concept of two trees that give light to the whole world is the best idea.

12.  If you had to change the genre of your WIP, what would you change it to?

Oh man, this is a tough one. I think the easiest one would be changing Firesoul from fantasy to steampunk-fantasy, a la Perdido Street Station by China Miéville, but I’m not sure if that counts. The idea of an urban fantasy God-Dragon’s Wife is interesting, too.

13.  What’s your favorite writing POV? First person? Third person limited? One or multiple POV’s?

I prefer Third Person Omniscient or Third Person Limited, but I will (very rarely) write in First Person, and even a little Second Person.

14.  Have you thought of a title for your WIP? How did you pick it?

All my WIPs have titles, but the one that was hardest was Out of the Park, because it’s way too cliché and I only picked it because I needed something to call the project.

15.  How easy is it for you to come up with outfits for your OCs?

Depends on the character. Xinya is the hardest, because all of her outfits have to be super elaborate and have to fit in with her culture, but Hayden? Jeans and a t-shirt. Easy.

16.  Who is the oldest OC in your WIP? (Either in-universe or when you made them.)

In-universe, Xinya is the oldest human at thirty-three. Yu-Qi easily surpasses that by like ten thousand years, but she’s an eternal dragon deity, so.

In real life, Teconia is the oldest. Believe it or not, I made her for my first D&D campaign, and then decided I liked her so much I would make a whole story about her.

17.  Have you ever written fanfiction (even if it wasn’t posted online?)

Yes! I write a lot of fan fiction, and though most of it hasn’t left my flash drive, I have an AO3 account, with a couple of works-in-progress. Come say hello!

18.  What are your OC’s favorite colors? (List as many or as few as you want)

Teconia: bright orange, green, red

Xinya: dark blue, silver, light pink

Hayden: purple, yellow, lime green

Park: grass green, rusty red-brown, gold

19.  What is the most significant/important/often-appearing object in your WIP? Or, what is one object that one of your OCs cherishes?

D…dragons. In almost all of them, it’s dragons. Can you tell that I like dragons?

20.  What’s that one word that you can never seem to spell correctly?

This isn’t really a spelling thing, but I will never ever remember the difference between affect and effect. I’ve had it explained to me countless times, but I will never get it. I’ll be confused for the rest of my life.

21.  Which arc do you like better/think is more interesting: a hero who starts slowly slipping into evil, or a villain who decides to try to be good?

I think both have their perks, but the villain that tries to do good has a special place in my heart because it shows that people can change, which is a dose of positivity that I think we all need right now.

22.  Do you have any minor characters that are trying very, very hard to become one of the mains?

You know, I thought Yu-Qi would be happy staying the love interest. But now she wants to be a co-protagonist with Xinya. That’s what I get for making her literally a god.

23.  Weirdest thing you’ve been inspired by?

I read a fan fiction once, and I thought, “Psh. I could write that better.”

And now I have The God-Dragon’s Wife.

24.  Which character is closest to a self-insert?

In a way, all of my characters have some aspect of me in them, or some kind of trait I wish I had. Teconia has my kindness – the kindness that’s probably too nice. Park has the confidence I wish I had a lot of the time, but also the fear that I’ll never be good enough. I gave Hayden my anxiety (sorry), but also the determination to push through it that I need. Xinya is pleasant in polite company, but behind closed doors she’s a very angry character, which is something that I’ve been dealing with lately.

I guess I just don’t like the term “self-insert,” because all of my characters are me as much as they’re their own characters. They can be both.  

25.  Favorite season?

I’m assuming you mean my favorite season. It’s summer.

26.  Do you eat appetizers when you go out to eat?

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: If they serve mozzarella sticks, you bet your ass I will eat every single one of those fuckers unless someone holds me back. Also, if you try and separate me from gyoza, you will have your arms separated from your body.

27.  What is something you’re scared to write about?

Romance. I don’t know why, but I always feel like it comes off very stiff and impersonal when I write it, so I’ve been avoiding it for a long time.

28.  Favorite fantasy book series? (I need recommendations ;))

The. Inheritance. Cycle. Ho-lee shit, I have been talking about this series since I was in first grade, and I will never shut up. The first book is Eragon by Christopher Paolini. If you read it (or if anyone reading this has read it before) feel free to drop in and scream at me. I’m always ready.

29.  The most you’ve ever written at one time?

I don’t remember, actually! I think it might have been… when I wrote 8k words in a day?

30.  When do you like to write?

Whenever I can, but mostly at night. Which is not doing my sleeping schedule any favors, I’ll tell you that.

31.  Why is coming up with questions the most difficult part?

Good question. I have no idea.

32.  Which character would cry over a marvel movie?

Teconia, for sure.

33.  First character you created. Why?

My first character was a girl who had the werewolf-esque ability to turn into a dragon. She was pretty much my ideal self.

[modernlcve]

*  —  stats —   hayden campbell !

* — basics !

full name:   hayden patrick campbell. nickname(s):   none. age:   twenty - nine. date of birth:   september twelfth. place of birth:   carina bay,   north carolina. gender:   male. pronouns:   he / him. sexual orientation:   bisexual. level of education:   high school graduate. recipient of a bachelor’s degree in public relations,   and a master’s in nonprofit management.

* — physical !

tattoos:  none. piercings:  none. notable features:   i think his moles are cute. weakness(es):   none notable. scar(s):  a long scar along the front of his right shin.

* — domestic !

occupation:   currently grant writing and gunning for  a promotion. residence:  i think he and gwen probably have a small house but i cannot confirm this. social class:   middle class. parents: don’t wanna say too much since it’s a Group Discussion but we’ve discussed that in general,   hayden isn’t super into their parents.   he’s nice enough,   and comes around now and again, but is more focused on the rest of the family. siblings:   more generally speaking since Facts about them have already been established i think hayden is invested in being a Good Big Brother to all his siblings and putting forth effort into hanging out with them and stuff.    spouse:   i felt bad not adding her because she’s important family. gwen and hayden have been together since they were in high school and have been married for a few years.   i think we said she’s on good terms with the rest of his family too. extended family:   they have a wacky uncle they like to gang up on?   it’s one of their few truly united fronts.

* — personality !

positive traits:   passionate,   solicitous,   righteous. negative traits:   tense,  doubtful,   isolating. myers-briggs ( x ):   istj;   the logistician. temperament:   melancholic. moral alignment:   neutral good. horoscope:  virgo,   the virgin. hogwarts house:  hufflepuff.

* — favorites !

movie:   forrest gump. tv show:   the office. book:   the great gatsby. drink:   dr pepper. food:   barbeque. animal:   bears. color:   blue. song:   have you ever seen the rain by ccr. artist:   chris stapleton. celebrity crush:   jessica alba.

* — impressions !

first impression:  he’s genuinely just average.   he’s a little boring,  if anything,   upon first impression. he’s a rule follower that can be a little bit of a pushover since he’s trying so hard to be accommodating.   he’s better at  asserting himself with people he knows. self impression:   again,  trying to properly assess himself is something that really freaks him out.   he thinks he’s well intentioned and Trying His Best but he tries not to think abt it all that much. lover impression:   again,   he really tries to be accommodating and Caring,   especially in his relationship.   i can see ways where it could come off as him being like.   idk the kind of person that can’t make a decision on his own or like annoying that he’s insecure but.   he’s trying to be nice.

* — et cetera !

turn ons:   kindness,   sincerity,   integrity.   fucking boring. turn offs:   arrogance,   selfishness,   spontaneity. drink/drugs/smoke:   yes/no/no. dominant hand:   right. clean or messy:   clean. early bird or night owl:   early bird. hobbies or special talents:   he was a boy scout for a Hot and retains a lot of the skills that come with that.   he’s outdoorsy and likes to watch a lot of Discovery Channel

* — QUESTIONNAIRE !

01. where was your character born? what brought them to carina bay? what do they like most about the town?

hayden was born in in carina.   he’s stuck around because it’s homey here.   he likes being close to his family.   he likes the familiarity of knowing the town so well.   he really doesn’t feel like he’s missed out by spending his whole life here,   but is open to maybe moving in the future.

02. who are your character’s friends and family? who do they surround themselves with? who are the people your character is closest to?

his most notable family is his siblings.    there’s something about the age gap between them,   especially him and wyatt,   that could have worked to distance them,   but he instead hayden’s always tried to use it to his advantage and play the cool older sibling with the car that can take them out to eat or like the sibling with their own place if anyone wants to crash overnight.   he’s probably closest to then and of course gwen,   they’re the people he feels most comfortable to be himself around as he’s quicker to try and play nice and normal around strangers/more casual acquaintances.

03. what is your character’s biggest fear? who have they told this to? who would they never tell this to? why?

hayden spends a lot of time worried about like.   what a morally good person is and if he counts as one.   he knows he does a lot of technically good things,   but so do his parents,   and he’s spent a lot of his life on the fence regarding them.   he tries his best to be kind and selfless and work towards some kind of Greater Good,   but does it matter how good what he does is if it’s only to help himself sleep at night?   his biggest fear is that he’s secretly a shitty selfish person.  saying it out loud would make it too real so he’s kept it to himself.

04. has your character ever been in love? had a broken heart?

yes!   he has been and still very much is in love with his wife,   bitch!   again,  he’s,   for some reason,   really fixated on what makes a person good,   and he thinks gwen is just about as good as they come.   i don’t think he’s had a broken heart in the way this question means but it does break his heart that they’re having such a hard time getting pregnant just because.   that blows and he feels like he’s letting her down somehow.

05. your character is doing intense spring cleaning. what is easy for them to throw out? what is difficult for them to part with? why?

he can part with a lot of things,   but he gets weirdly sentimental about the most random stuff.   like no you can’t just get rid of that baggie of sand from the beach we live literally miles from because it’s from his first beach picnic with gwen and that fucking matters??

06. it’s saturday at noon. what is your character doing? give details.

saturdays are for running errands and taking care of whatever chores were neglected during the week,   so something in that vein.   he likes to power through and get as much of it done as possible on saturday so sunday’s are freed up for other things or just being lazy and not having to worry about Shit.

07. what is one strong memory that has stuck with your character since childhood?

i’ve done a lot of positive ones but ig strong can be negative too so i’m gonna take the easy way out and say it’s that he’s the one of the siblings to actually have memory of when their dad left.   he’s never really talked to either of their parents about it,   because he doesn’t remember it as some big traumatic thing,   just something that was weird that always stuck with him,   and he’s considered bringing it up now that things have gone Real South for them and we’re all Adults here.

09. what is something that upsets your character? where do they go when they’re upset?

he gets flustered easy.   hayden is naturally an anxious person,   and tries his best to keep all of that at bay so it doesn’t get to the point that he has a big Upset time.   generally,   he’s a shove it down and ignore it person.   if he gets really worked up,   he’s a long drive just to clear his mind kind of person.

10. when your character thinks of their childhood kitchen, what smell do they associate with it? why?

i feel like this is a Group Decision to Make :)  (got no ideas)

[thelyonsempire]

Once a Single Mom with a Dream, Taraji P. Henson is Now a Hollywood Headliner

Want to know what it feels like for a woman to be a commanding presence in a man’s world? Just ask Taraji P. Henson, who might be the greatest motivational speaker we ladies have at the moment. 

“I feel like a boss bitch,” she says, flashing her megawatt grin. “I’m grabbing my nuts, like, ‘Yeah!’ ”

Could we consider this an apt metaphor for the current push-pull of power dynamics? Perhaps. As Henson knows, there’s no time to mince words anymore. From the #MeToo movement to the midterm elections, we’ve seen what happens when women stake their claim. Henson, a single mother from Washington, D.C., who has worked in the industry for over 20 years, is among those finally getting their due — and she’s not afraid to say it.

Her latest film, What Men Want, explicitly explores these themes. Out in February, it flips the script from the Nancy Meyers-directed What Women Want (2000), which starred Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. Henson plays Ali Davis, a cocky (for lack of a better term) sports agent. After getting passed over for a big promotion, she visits a psychic (the singer Erykah Badu) who provides her with a special tea that allows her to hear men’s thoughts.

Henson stars and also serves as an executive producer. It’s the first time the 48-year-old actress — who has nailed every dramatic role that has come her way — is getting a chance to flex her musical-theater-trained muscles as the lead in a full-fledged comedy. And Henson is clearly in her element, engaging in the kind of “I’ll do anything for laughs” physical antics emblematic of her heroes Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball.

“I’ve always been the funny girl,” Henson says emphatically. “Not that I was pigeonholed. They were all great dramatic roles, but I’ve been dying. I just felt so honored and grateful to get a comedy where I could let it all hang out. My best friend was like, ‘Lord, they don’t know what they have unleashed.’ ”  

“Taraji is old-school funny,” says someone who would know, her What Men Want co-star Tracy Morgan. “She is willing to take a pie to the face or stuff a bunch of candy in her mouth to get a laugh. She cuts the monster but doesn’t cut too deep because she knows we need the monster comedy.”

This past November Henson also voiced the animated character Yesss (which Henson pronounces as “Yesssssss” in her sweet drawl) in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Disney’s big-budget sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, which grossed over $400 million worldwide. It was another chance for her to show off her comedic chops, but this time for the kids. And after years of struggling to make it in Hollywood, she’s acutely aware of how doing a family film can help her bank account.

“You know, that’s [audiences buying] four tickets instead of two,” Henson says. “That’s generally going to be the largest-grossing film in anyone’s repertoire.”

To attend InStyle’s shoot, she took a 24-hour break from the Chicago set of Empire and her most significant character to date, the cutting and campy Cookie Lyon. Henson admits that the silver-tongued ex-con and matriarch of the Lyon family was the one who really put her on the Hollywood map. Despite all her successes — in the Oscar-nominated films Hidden Figures and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — Henson has never had a movie studio bring her overseas to do press. But Cookie has.

“Hollywood executives would tell me that I don’t have fans all the way over there,” Henson says, shaking her head. “I said, ‘You’re lying because they can reach me any time. I’m a finger tap away, and they let me know every day.’ ” And while the international box office plays a big role in getting lead parts in feature films, it was Cookie who let Henson know she was appreciated. “Then we go to Paris [to promote Empire], and it’s standing room only in a room with 1,500 seats. I cried. If you believe what people tell you … you can’t let people tell you shit.”

Henson’s strong sense of self comes from her parents. She was an only child until she was 17 (her half sister, April, now works as her “a-sister-ant”). Her father, Boris, was a Vietnam War vet who battled PTSD and alcoholism throughout her childhood. Despite his mood swings, Henson says, he instilled in her a no-fear attitude that has stuck with her to this day. From her mother, Bernice, she inherited her endless drive and passion.

“I was like the Punky Brewster of the hood,” Henson says with a laugh. “I was a well-rounded kid, but I could also scrap if necessary. But I wasn’t that hard. I still had Strawberry Shortcake wallpaper in my room, and my friend Tracie and I were doing Shakespeare in the Park … and we were in the f—ing hood.”

Though it was clear from an early age that Henson was a natural-born performer, she spent her nascent college years attempting to follow in her father’s footsteps by studying engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. With her colorful outfits and spirited attitude, she earned the on-campus nickname Hollywood, yet it still took failing math classes for her to realize the sciences were not where she belonged. When she called Boris to tell him, he was not surprised.

“Good,” he said. “Get your ass back up to D.C. and enroll in Howard’s drama department. Do what you’re supposed to be doing.”

While attending Howard University, Henson became pregnant with her son, Marcell. After graduation the single mom and her baby boy moved to Los Angeles with $700 borrowed from family and friends so she could pursue her dreams. Between casting calls, there were stints as a substitute teacher for kids with special needs. Eventually she landed an agent, and guest spots on network television shows soon followed. But it was her roles in films such as Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow that really made Hollywood take notice.

Now that she’s got the mic, Henson is putting it to good use, choosing impactful projects like this spring’s The Best of Enemies, about civil-rights activist Ann Atwater and her unlikely friendship with C.P. Ellis (portrayed by Sam Rockwell), a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. She is also starring in and producing a movie about Emmett Till, the teenager who was lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi in 1955.

“I don’t care if you’re young or old or what color you are, art is so powerful,” she says on the topic of representation. “You can show things to people you’ve never met and you broaden horizons. I don’t take for granted what I have, and I try to use it in any way I can, positively.”

The fact that Hollywood continues to preach about the importance of diversity but then casts predominately white males in lead roles is not lost on the actress. “Here’s the deal: When you talk about money, don’t you want to make money? I want every walk of life [in my films]. If I could put an alien in, I would. I want their money too. Come on, it’s what the world looks like. That’s what people want to see, representation. That’s all. You can make money doing it. It’s a no-brainer.”

She also recently established the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (named after her beloved father), which encourages African-Americans with mental-health issues to seek the help they need. “It was born out of necessity,” she says. “You know, traumatic stuff happened to me and my son. [Her ex-boyfriend, Marcell’s father, was murdered in 2003.] You can’t just pray it away. I don’t care how strong you are. It gets to you, and if you don’t deal with it, it manifests itself in ways you don’t even know.

“My white friends have standing appointments with their therapists,” Henson continues. “I was like, ‘Why aren’t we doing that?’ In our culture, it’s taboo.” The first people to sign on? Her male friends from the industry, all of whom wrote checks on the spot. “The black men stepped up. Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Tracy Morgan, Chance the Rapper all stepped up. I called, they answered. Snoop told me, ‘Baby girl, that’s important. What you’re doing is important.’ Tyrese said, ‘You’re making it cool to seek help.’ ”  

Another supportive figure is her fiancé, former NFL cornerback (and Super Bowl XLI winner) Kelvin Hayden. The two were quietly dating for three years before Hayden proposed last Mother’s Day. They are planning to wed this summer in a private, low-key affair, and though her designer friends are offering to make her a dress, Henson is opting for the most efficient route.

“I’m not going to go through 10,000 dresses,” she says. “How does it fit? How do I feel? Does it complement me well? Let’s just go with this one. I know what looks good on me. I’m not going to spend 10 hours on a fitting. I hate that.”

The wedding itself will probably take place in July, once Henson figures out if Empire is going to be picked up for a sixth season. Fortunately, it is filmed in Chicago, where she and Hayden reside with Marcell — now 24 and an aspiring rapper and music producer — and their miniature French bulldog, K-Ball, which was Hayden’s nickname when he played in the NFL.

Their life is a healthy one. Hayden runs his own gym, and she’s always cooking new vegan treats for her tribe. She made the jump to veganism after suffering massive stomach pains while filming The Best of Enemies this past summer. “It took a doctor in Macon, Ga., to say, ‘If you don’t change what you’re doing, you’re going to get stomach cancer.’ I said, ‘Say no more.’ So I switched everything up out of necessity. I want to live. Thank God, because I feel so much better.”

Now that she’s in love, at the top of her game, and clearly adored by the world at large, Henson is ready to expand her repertoire even further. “The older I get, I want to work smarter, not harder,” she says. She’ll answer that superhero hotline if it rings — “DC, Marvel, you all can call me!” — but for now she’s content being the funny girl.

“I want to show you this,” she says, grabbing her phone to play a video that was sent to her by What Men Want director Adam Shankman. It’s footage from an early screening, and the audience is roaring with laughter.

Henson admits to having goose bumps as she cradles the device like a proud mama: “Listen to them cackling!”

[nwbeerguide]

Get to know CRI-START IPA, the newest collaboration between Ecliptic Brewing and Reuben's Brews.

Press Release

image courtesy Ecliptic Brewing Company

Portland, Oregon. Earth. (February 16, 2022)- Portland’s Ecliptic Brewing has partnered with Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews to collaborate on a beer, launching at the end of February. Ecliptic + Reuben’s CRI-STAR IPA is a mashup of Ecliptic Starburst IPA and Rueben’s Crikey IPA, as part of Ecliptic’s Cosmic Collaboration Series, coming in 16-ounce can four-packs and draft. 

Ecliptic Starburst IPA is the company’s flagship IPA, while Crikey IPA is Reuben’s first ever American IPA, and also their flagship. Cri-Star IPA – whose name plays on the two original beer names - features Simcoe, Mosaic, Amarillo, Azacca, Centennial, and Citra hops. Tropical notes, along with citrus and pine, round out this 6.8% brew.  

Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster, John Harris, says, “We have had a lot of fun with this beer. When Adam (Reuben’s Co-Owner) and I were brainstorming ideas, we thought, why not celebrate our two most popular beers? And we started working out a recipe for a mashup of the two.” Ecliptic’s design agency, Sasquatch, worked up an out-of-this-world label for the beer, too, which features astronauts covered in green octopus tentacles, drawing inspiration from Reuben’s fun mural artwork featured at their taprooms and on their website.  

Ecliptic + Reuben’s Cri-Star IPA will be released on February 23rd in both draft and 16-ounce cans throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network. A release event is planned for March 8th at Reuben’s Taproom in Seattle, as well as in Portland at both of Ecliptic’s locations on March 16th. Visit Ecliptic’s website or Facebook page for up-to-date details on these events. 

About Ecliptic + Reuben’s Cri-Star IPA 

What’s a Cri-Star IPA you ask? Well it’s an IPA that mashes up the best parts of our friend’s Rueben’s Brews Crikey IPA and our own Starburst IPA- both of which happen to feature a similar blend of hops. The result is a tropically floral IPA with notes of citrus and pine.

ABV: 6.8% IBU: 55

…

About Ecliptic Brewing Ecliptic Brewing is a venture from John Harris, an Oregon beer icon whose background is steeped in the state’s rich craft brewing history. The name Ecliptic unites Harris’ two passions: brewing and astronomy. Ecliptic Brewing’s Mothership location opened in October of 2013 in North Portland and its second location – the Moon Room –opened in November of 2021 in Southeast Portland.

Ecliptic celebrates the Earth’s yearly journey around the sun through both its beer and restaurant menus. Harris’ signature beers include Ecliptic Starburst IPA, Phaser Hazy IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale, Capella Porter and Pyxis Pilsner.

Ecliptic beers are available at the mothership brewery (825 North Cook St), the Moon Room (930 SE Oak St), in grocery stores, bottle shops, and on-tap throughout the area. They are distributed by: Maletis Beverage (Portland, Salem, Vancouver WA), Bigfoot Beverage (Eugene, Bend, Coast), Fort George Distributing (Northern Oregon Coast, Southern Washington Coast), Hodgen Distributing (Eastern Oregon), Summit Distribution (Southern Oregon), NW Beverages (Seattle, Tacoma), Odom (Eastern Washington, Northern ID), Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham), Hayden Beverage (Southern Idaho), Crooked Stave Artisans (Colorado), Freedom Distributors (North Carolina), Beer Thirst (Canada) and Tread Water (Japan).

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3Bu7vq8

[your-dietician]

Erik Moses, NASCAR’s first Black track president, on the importance of representation — The Undefeated

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/nascar/erik-moses-nascars-first-black-track-president-on-the-importance-of-representation-the-undefeated/

Erik Moses, NASCAR’s first Black track president, on the importance of representation — The Undefeated

Erik Moses loves a good challenge. The former CEO of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission and president of the DC Defenders of the XFL was named president of the Nashville Superspeedway in August 2020, becoming the first Black track president in NASCAR history. The track in Lebanon, Tennessee, will host its first NASCAR Cup event in 37 years during Father’s Day weekend.

Moses’ great uncle, John Kenneth Lee, was one of the first five Black students to desegregate the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1951. Now Moses, 50, is making his own history, looking to fill the stands at his track and to create greater diversity at all levels of the sport. At a time when NASCAR’s popularity is falling, Moses says more Black, brown and female participants and fans may be a key to the sport’s viability. “If you’re not growing,” he said, “you’re dying.”

Moses spoke with The Undefeated about why he likes racing, the possibility of hosting a historically Black college and university (HBCU) football game and what it means to be a pioneer in 2021.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What have you come to appreciate about auto racing?

Everything. Many people try to argue that our drivers are not athletes, which is a foolish argument. All it takes is to get into a car one time to understand what it requires in terms of reflexes and hand-eye coordination. You realize these guys are going 150 mph with 39 other guys on the track, six inches apart on every side around you with a rearview mirror, no side mirrors and a guy in a tower with a pair of binoculars in your ear telling you where you can go and where you can’t go.

Nashville Superspeedway president Erik Moses on diversity in his sport: “We have to tell those stories so that those who are inclined to believe the stereotypes because of lack of knowledge can counteract those assumptions with facts.”

Jon Morgan Photography

That’s not even the beginning of it. The car gets built from a chassis to what you see on the track by a group of engineers and mechanics. That process is amazing to me, looking for any amount of advantage that will allow them to be fractions of a second faster than the competition. There’s so many details that are not visible to the naked eye if you have not been immersed in the sport.

What do you think your position and your track represents in Nashville?

Symbolism matters. I credit NASCAR for doing away with the Confederate flag, because for people like myself, and people not just of color but of conscience, that was a hard stop sign. Doing away with that has given people less reason to reject NASCAR out of hand without even dipping their toe in the water. Once you come out here, it’s way more diverse than people think it is. I’ve been pleasantly surprised how many brown people, young people and women I have seen at the track and in the pits. Folks will see that and have their eyes opened if they allow us the chance to give them some firsthand experience with the sport.

I’ve heard you’re interested in hosting an HBCU football classic.

I founded and developed the AT&T Nation’s Football Classic in D.C. and ran it for six years. We’ve got unique infrastructure in Nashville – a 70-acre grass infield where I can fit probably two football fields back to back. And then you’ve got 25,000 capacity in the stands and our luxury suites. The novelty of having a football game at a racetrack I think is something that can be very appealing.

What do you see NASCAR doing in terms of diversity and racial justice?

We just launched, and I am happy to be included in our diversity, equity and inclusion industry council. It is composed of folks from across various stakeholder groups: NASCAR executives, event promoters, some of our bigger partners like Coke and Anheuser-Busch and Toyota and Chevy, our broadcast partners at NBC and Fox, so it’s intended to include every kind of perspective and stakeholder who wants to see our sport grow and flourish.

A big part of it is telling people what we’re already doing and have been doing, showing people of color and women who have been in the sport for a long time. We’ve got to talk about Wendell Scott and what he meant to this sport and what he had to go through, and that throughline you see now with young people like Rajah Caruth, who is an up-and-coming racer on the ARCA Series. The kid saw the movie Cars when he was 4 years old and decided he wanted to become a race car driver. Hayden Swank out of Atlanta is another up-and-coming African American driver. We have to tell those stories so that those who are inclined to believe the stereotypes because of lack of knowledge can counteract those assumptions with facts.

Are there specific diversity initiatives that you’d like to see NASCAR tackle?

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I care a lot about small businesses and minority- and female-owned businesses and giving them a shot. I would hate if we were to end up being a sport that tried to do all it could to get ticket buyers into our venues to consume our sport but did not show ourselves willing to work with businesses owned by those same kinds of fans. You put your treasure where your priorities are. Supplier diversity, things like that matter in addition to hiring. Let’s not use the same old businesses to try to get to a different outcome. Say you have a marketing agency you’ve been using and it’s a general market agency. Well, that agency may have the same issues as it relates to diversity that you do. And now you want to go after broader racial, ethnic and gender diversity? Who’s to say they have any amount of skill or proficiency in doing that? Why not go to an agency that is accustomed to speaking in and to those channels in a way that you can measure and can see has worked in practice?

Berkeley sociologist Harry Edwards talks about the different waves of Black athlete activism, from first-wave activists like Jack Johnson fighting for legitimacy, through desegregation figures like Jackie Robinson, to 1960s social activists like Jim Brown to today’s generation powered by social media. Where is NASCAR on that continuum now?

The most visible participants in this sport are the drivers, and we only have one [Black driver, Bubba Wallace] at the highest level, so I think that drives the perception that the sport is not welcoming to people of color. Having more drivers of color and women will help to change the perception faster than anything else.

But I don’t think it’s fair to say we’re at the Jack Johnson stage, because that’s what Wendell Scott was in the ’60s. Now, the problem is we didn’t see the continuation of what he did, and part of that is, unlike boxing where you just need gloves, this is an expensive sport and so necessarily dependent on corporate dollars. What Wendell Scott was able to do on his own dime was just amazing.

We’re at a moment now where corporate America in many respects is trying to lead on issues of equality and social justice. Whether it’s Rajah or Hayden or any of these folks, they need the corporate dollars in order to show what they’re made of and how they can compete. I don’t know what makes a multinational, multibillion-dollar company decide, ‘I’m going to bet on that Black kid from Atlanta who’s driving race cars to get him to the Cup level.’

If a company bet on the right Black driver, wouldn’t that be gold?

You’d have a Tiger Woods or a Serena or a Naomi, but the fear for people like me is that you get to what I call ‘the Obama Standard.’ That as a person of color or somebody who is different you have to be superexceptional to get a shot. You can’t be good. You have to be superexceptional. And assuming there are people who have the capability to be superexceptional, they still need the investment and the opportunity in the sport. The Urban Youth Racing School is doing great work teaching kids from urban areas about cars, the driving part, and how they work and jobs in the automotive industry, and we need more of that. What I don’t want is every up-and-coming driver or female driver to have to be Barack Obama in order to make it.

That’s like other sports when leagues desegregated. There weren’t Black players riding the bench. You had to be a star to get a chance.

I do think we are past that in NASCAR. We’re not in a place where you have to be ‘the right Black’ or ‘the right woman.’ I could be wrong. But my gut is that that’s not where we are. If you can handle a race car, if you can drive, someone will see that talent and help try to nurture it. The challenge is, are you exposed enough that the right eyes get to see you as you’re coming up, and that folks who are interested in nurturing you have the resources to do so.

It’s the year 2021 and you’re a pioneer. How do you handle that?

MLS and Black Players for Change collaborate on Juneteenth efforts Read now

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SIAC will have football and basketball games on ESPN in 2021-22 seasons Read now

I’m not pursuing my career to make history. That said, representation matters. And I know that because of the communication I have received from getting announced for this job – friends and strangers saying what it means to them. I know it from going to the NASCAR Hall of Fame last October at Charlotte Motor Speedway and being escorted around and seeing a Black family in there, a mother, father and teenaged son, and thinking to myself, ‘Well, that’s cool.’ And then the father walked over to me and asked did I work in Nashville and was I the track president. This is during COVID. I had a mask on. And I said, ‘Yeah, I am.’ He said, ‘I thought so, my son noticed you as soon as you walked in. He follows you on Instagram. Can he take a picture with you?’ He brought him over and the kid has encyclopedic knowledge of NASCAR and wants to be an announcer when he grows up. So, what my having this role means to that kid is more important than me being able to say I was the first. It says to him that he can work in this industry, in an important role, and doesn’t have to worry about whether it’s possible because he’s seen that it is possible.

Andrew Maraniss is the New York Times bestselling author of “Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South.” His most recent book, “Games of Deception,” on the first U.S. Olympic basketball team at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, was published in 2019.

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[annethunderstorms]

My Year in Books 2020:

4,493 pages read

13 books read

Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez

nonfiction, nature, environment, natural history 

set in Northern Canada

Wild by Cheryl Strayed (re-read)

nonfiction, memoir, identity, grief, nature

set in Minnesota; on the Pacific Crest Trail, California & Oregon

The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee (re-read)

nonfiction, memoir, North Korea

set in North Korea, China, South Korea

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

historical fiction, racism, family

set in 30s Alabama

main characters: Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Jem Finch

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

historical fiction, mystery, romance

set in 50s North Carolina

main character: Kya Clarke

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

historical fiction, African American, race

set in 40s Ohio

main character: Pecola Breedlove

Beloved by Toni Morrison

historical fiction, magical realism, slavery, African American

set after the American Civil War in Kentucky and Ohio

main characters: Sethe, Baby Suggs, Denver, Beloved

Frida by Hayden Herrera

nonfiction, biography, art history, Frida Kahlo, Mexican history

set in Mexico

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

historical fiction, African American, feminism

set in early 20th century Georgia

main characters: Celie, Nettie, Albert, Shug Avery

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

historical fiction, magical realism, family, politics

set in Chile between the 1910s to the 1970s

main characters: Esteban Trueba, Clara del Valle, Blanca Trueba, Alba Trueba

Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende

contemporary fiction, coming of age

set in Chiloé, Chile; Berkeley & Las Vegas, US

main character: Maya Vidal

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

contemporary fiction, family, mental health

set in Alabama & San Francisco, US; Ghana

main character: Gifty

My Invented Country by Isabel Allende

nonfiction, memoir, Chilean culture

set in Chile

[thesportssoundoff]

3 am late March Mock Draft Madness

Joey

March 21st

Up early, looking for something to do. Decided to do a mock draft! Click inside for the goods;

1) Cleveland Browns- QB Sam Darnold, USC

John Dorsey drafted Pat Mahomes with Alex Smith as a one year short term stopgap solution in KC and faces a similar chance with the top pick Cleveland Browns. With Tyrod Taylor as a "get competitive!" holdover, Darnold is your guy who waits in the wings. In an ideal world/perfect scenario, this is the modern day Kitna to Carson Palmer transition.

2) New York Giants- QB Josh Rosen, UCLA

I don't believe the Giants at this point in time would take a QB at 2 but somebody is going to make a move and give up heaven and Earth to get their QB. Josh Rosen is ready to play now and while I don't see all pro QB, I think he can be a starter for a long time for some team. We've seen other teams amass picks to get value (Tennessee mainly) and the Giants might be best suited to replicate the concept with the #2 pick.

3) New York Jets- QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

The Jets made a move up to 3 which says one of two things; 1) they got desperate/jumpy and jumped up figuring they can grab one of their top 3 QBs or 2) they have some sort of unspoken word about the Giants NOT trading and NOT wanting a QB. In this scenario, they snag Baker Mayfield who really brings everything the Jets haven't had in some time. He's their chance at a swagger induced QB who can completely change the tone of a franchise. It's been rumored they REALLY REALLY like Josh Allen (and the Mike Maccagnan profile QB is normally the prototypical big armed big bodied passer) but I have to believe this is where Mayfield goes. If you're moving up to grab Josh Allen, you're moving up to grab someone else's QB.

4) Cleveland Browns- CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State

Once Cleveland gets their franchise QB (in theory), all bets are off on what they could do next. Bad teams with needs everywhere have the benefit of drafting purely BPA because BPA fills a need no matter where you take it. Quenton Nelson and Sanquan Barkley will be in the discussion for some but it's worth remembering Jon Dorsey has had a ton of success with mid round RBs. Denzel Ward is by far the best DB in this draft class no matter how tall he is or isn't.

5) Denver Broncos- RB Sanquan Barkley, Penn State

The Broncos offense suddenly becomes fun and complex. With locked in WRs Damariyus Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders plus Case Keenum in the midst of what most will hope to be a career long renaissance, the Broncos COULD take a QB here but instead opt to grab "the best player in the draft" according to most. Barkley helps transform and reconfigure a Broncos offense in need of an identity boost.

6) Indianapolis Colts- DE Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State

Easy enough I suppose. Thought about Quenton Nelson here and there's a good chance that Indy will move out of this spot but Matt Eberflus has a profile on DEs, a profile I'm familiar with given his time as the Cowboys linebacker coach. Bradley Chubb was a true combine hero at 6'4 270 lbs and has the ability to transform a talentless Indianapolis defense overnight.

7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- S Derwin James, Florida State

Speaking of Combine guys, Derwin James! James to Tampa Bay feels like such an easy fit to match up; a star defender who can play a variety of spots right away. James was rusty recovering from ACL surgery but the NFL is going to get the best version of Derwin which could mean Eric Berry-esque potential. If ya don't believe me then check his athletic profile and who it comps to.

8) Chicago Bears- OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame

The Bears have their franchise QB and now need to build around him. They spent in free agency to build a team that could help Mitchell Trubinski in his development and Matt Nagy comes from Kansas City where the offense, at its peak, was all about giving your QB time and allowing him to play quick and loose. Quenton Nelson is the "safest prospect in the draft" (the CURSE OF THE SAFEST PROSPECT!) and immediately replaces Josh Sitton. It's not a "sexy" pick but he would immediately make Chicago better and allow for guys like Taylor Gabriel, Allen Robinson, Trey Burton and Chicago's ridiculous RB corps to do work.

9) Miami Dolphins*- QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville

I feel safe in saying that some team will sneak up to 9 or so and grab the last remaining QB of value. John Lynch doesn't mind moving picks or trading around to get the guys he needs and some team (Buffalo/Arizona/Washington?) will come calling to this spot. Lamar Jackson is only not a QB if you're an dull mind when it comes to what a QB should be able to do. I'm going with Maimi to move up a smidge and get Lamar Jackson after Tannehill ended back to back seasons on the shelf.

10) Oakland Raiders- LB Roquan Smith, Georgia

Not since MAGA and the Angry Video Game Nerd has a movement so focused on bringing us back into the past been thrust upon us. Jon Gruden has said he wants to bring football back to 1998 and his big money deals respective to position to a long snapper and a fullback (Keith Smith is a great dude and a fantastic story about triumphing vs adversity so he deserves every penny) have helped us see what that means. Roquan Smith helps us further go back to 1998 with a top 10 pick for a fantastic Tampa-2 esque linebacker at the WLB spot. Smith can do it all despite his lack of elite height and could play weak or middle for Oakland.

11) San Francisco 49ers- CB-FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

Fitzpatrick is my guess for the early round 1 slider although really good corners tend to go early. 9ers can get a guy who can play in their base defense at either corner or S depending on how things shake out in FA with Eric Reid.

12) Buffalo Bills- DE-OLB Harold Landry, Boston College

This is basically who I imagine the 49ers would take at a spot like this. The 9ers had SERIOUS pass rush problems in 2017 and with a young QB and a developing hip offensive scheme under Kyle Shanahan, a key pass rusher would be a great idea. If not? Buffalo could always use pass rush help right? Riiiiiight?

13) Washington Redskins- DT Vita Vea, Washington

I'd reaaaally hate this as a Cowboys fan. Vita Vea in Washington would be scary when you combine DL guru Jim Tomsula with a physical freak like him at the nose.

14) Green Bay Packers- LB Marcus Davenport, UTSA

Pass rushers are a premium, nothing else will be said as often as that statement throughout April. The Packers really need help on defense and a guy like Marcus Davenport who has traditional rushed out of a 2 point stance will be of interest to them for sure. Davenport also did himself plenty of favors with a fantastic combine.

15) Arizona Cardinals- QB Josh Allen, Wyoming

The Cardinals are almost guaranteed to do some moving and shaking come draft time and I'd bet for sure they don't pick here. They lack a lot of the draft capital to move up (just 5 picks) so they could go backwards OR they could use 2019 picks to go FORWARDS and take a QB. Either way, pencil in a QB at this spot if they stick around. Sam Bradford is bound to break something eventually.

16) Baltimore Ravens- WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama

Ozzie Newsome and Alabama. Ridley and Crabtree give you maybe one last gasp with Flacco at the helm of the Ravens offense.

17) San Diego Chargers- LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech

So close, Cowboys fans. Edmunds flirts with taking a big drop to 19 but is gone at 17. Can play ILB or OLB in the Chargers 3-4 scheme with elite rushers like Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram around him.

18) Seattle Seahawks- OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame

For the love of God please help Russell Wilson.

19) Dallas Cowboys- WR D.J Moore, Maryland

The Cowboys seemingly will focus their efforts on two spots early; WR and LB. Anybody outside of those two positions will fall under either a best case (elite talent slides) or a worst case (wiped out at the two spots) mentality. The Cowboys might like Ridley more but DJ Moore is the better athlete and flat out better fit in their offense.

20) Detroit Lions- RB Derrius Guice, LSU

The signing of LaGarrette Blount doesn't prevent Detroit from further collecting help for Matt Stafford. The Lions are chasing the Vikings in their division and will have to contend with Minnesota's defense---so why not double up on great running backs? OL and DL help are a priority as well.

21) Cincinnati Bengals- OL Connor Williams, Texas

If you remove the fact that he weighed in under 300 lbs, Connor Williams had himself quite the combine. New Bengals OL coach Frank Pollack values OL who can scoot and jump, two things Williams excelled at at the Combine. The question is whether he's a guard or a tackle BUT I figure Cincy will have to figure that out themselves.

22) Buffalo Bills- WR Courtland Sutton, SMU

Bills need additional help at the WR spot. The Alshon Jeffery comps are apt with Sutton who will need time but can grow to be a #1 WR. Low floor, high ceiling in the case of the 6'3 Sutton.

23) Los Angeles Rams- OLB Arden Key, LSU

The Rams have acquired plenty of back end talent for this defense en flux and also moved on from linebackers. Arden Key, if focused/healthy, is the sort of guy who can transition this defense to the next level. He comes with questions across the board but he can rush the passer and Wade Phillips, having seen him work with Spencer and Ware, knows how to unlock talented edges.

24) Carolina Panthers- TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina

The best all around TE in the draft for a team that's going to have to come to grips with the end of the Greg Olsen Era.

25) Tennessee Titans- LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama

The general consensus, from my research at least, is that it'll be defense for Tennessee. Torn between Leighton Vander Esch and Rashaan Evans, I opted for the more consistent higher floor thumper MLB type.

26) Atlanta Falcons- DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama

Back to back Bama Bros! Payne was largely unproductive in college, to an almost laughable degree, but tested out really well at the Combine and might just be a case of the scheme stifling the player. He'll immediately give Grady Jarrett some help on the interior of the Falcons DL plus with Takk McKinley and Vic Beasley on the edge, the Falcons can really give OL hell.

27) New Orleans Saints- LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State

A fella with the name and look of a guy who Bruce Willis fights in a Die Hard movie, Leighton Vander Esch reminds me a lot of Jaylon Smith at his time in ND. Big athletic flashes with some passiveness to his game especially in the run. Give him a year or two to bulk up and the Saints could have a stud linebacker to add to their already impressive young crop of defenders.

28) Pittsburgh Steelers- DT Maurice Hurst, Michigan

Really was stuck here. No major QB of note, not gonna be ballsy enough to grab a RB, they just added Morgan Burnett and there's no linebacker I really feel a liking for. The perfect 3-technique, Mo Hurst would give the Steelers some help at the 3-4 DE spot. Just didn't see a really good value spot here.

29) Jacksonville Jaguars- QB Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

This would be a great spot for Isaiah Wynn but the Jaguars spent on guards in free agency. A WR would be cool here too but  Mason Rudolph would give the Jaguars a developmental QB behind Blake Bortles who fits some of the rules and models that old school types like Tom Coughlin abide by (look up the BP rules on drafting QBs).

30) Minnesota Vikings- OL Isaiah Wynn, Georgia

This is big time value for the Vikings who get to continue to rebuild their offensive line. Wynn is one of the best technicians in the draft for OL.

31) New England Patriots- CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville

The Patriots traded for Jason McCourty and have Stephen Gilmore but depth doesn't hurt at corner, am I right? Jaire Alexander is a freakishly good corner and insane value at 31 if he can stay healthy and if you can overlook his lack of elite height.

32) Philadelphia Eagles- RB Ronald Jones, USC

The Ronald Jones to Eagles bandwagon has been hot for a minute now. Don't ask ME to change that.

[nwbeerguide]

Celebrating their 5000th batch, Ecliptic Brewing Company releases 5000, a limited-edition golden barleywine aged in gin barrels.

Press Release

image courtesy Ecliptic Brewing Company

Portland, Oregon. Earth. … Ecliptic Brewing – the brewery founded by Oregon beer icon, John Harris – recently celebrated an important brewing milestone: the 5000th batch of beer the company has made. The beer, simply called “5000”, is a golden barleywine aged in gin barrels. It will be released in both 16-ounce can four-packs and draft in mid-February. Very limited quantities are available of this special brew.

5000 was brewed with Pale and Munich malts and hopped with Nugget, Azacca, and Mosaic. The beer slept in Ransom Old Tom Gin barrels for 5 months, picking up notes of oak and gin aromatics. This milestone brew was an extra special one for Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster, John Harris, who is known for his annual Orange Giant Barleywine release and is a big fan of gin. He did lots of gin research early in the pandemic, perfecting the at-home negroni. 

Says Harris, “This beer was inspired by Larry Bell and how he names milestone batches at Bell’s Brewery. We were so busy that I missed our 1000 and 2500 batches! We tracked 5000 for about four months. I wanted a stronger ale, so I chose barleywine, and I wanted all the color to come from the gin barrel. Old Tom is a darker gin, so I know if we kept the beer golden, the barrel would impact the beer’s color- and it did. We chose to package it in a can to add some fun. It’s not such a serious thing! Next up is batch 7500.”

Very limited quantities of 5000 will be released in both draft and 16-ounce cans throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network beginning mid-February. Visit Ecliptic’s website and Facebook page for up-to-date details on release events.

About 5000: Gin Barrel-aged Golden Barleywine Not particularly long, long ago, in a brewery that isn't too far, far away, an intrepid brewing team lovingly crafted their 5000th batch of Ecliptic beer. That beer was a big, brilliant golden barleywine ale that they carefully laid into cryo-sleep in great oak vessels that once held old tom gin. You're now holding a part of that celebration batch, as a toast from us. Here's to many more light years together. We couldn't have done it without you.

Ecliptic Brewing is a venture from John Harris, an Oregon beer icon whose background is steeped in the state’s rich craft brewing history. The name Ecliptic unites Harris’ two passions: brewing and astronomy. Ecliptic Brewing’s Mothership location opened in October of 2013 in North Portland and its second location – the Moon Room –opened in November of 2021 in Southeast Portland.

Ecliptic celebrates the Earth’s yearly journey around the sun through both its beer and restaurant menus. Harris’ signature beers include Ecliptic Starburst IPA, Phaser Hazy IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale, Capella Porter and Pyxis Pilsner.

Ecliptic beers are available at the mothership brewery (825 North Cook St), the Moon Room (930 SE Oak St), in grocery stores, bottle shops, and on-tap throughout the area. They are distributed by: Maletis Beverage (Portland, Salem, Vancouver WA), Bigfoot Beverage (Eugene, Bend, Coast), Fort George Distributing (Northern Oregon Coast, Southern Washington Coast), Hodgen Distributing (Eastern Oregon), Summit Distribution (Southern Oregon), NW Beverages (Seattle, Tacoma), Odom (Eastern Washington, Northern ID), Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham), Hayden Beverage (Southern Idaho), Crooked Stave Artisans (Colorado), Freedom Distributors (North Carolina), Beer Thirst (Canada) and Tread Water (Japan). 

For more information, visit: eclipticbrewing.com.

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3sj1oCr