#I should post more sg content honestly

[whirlybotart]

Here's an old SG comic I made to jack stuaber's new normal, it was very fun to draw but I'm not a big fan of how it looks now, I might remake and finish it one day but mmm, edgy art just feels so... Off brand for me so Im not sure if its smth my followers would want to see more of-

[justagirl-purplejellosg1]

27: Boxes, Sam/Jack

Prompt: Boxes, requested by both @joyhargraves on Twitter and @writingherhope on Tumblr. If either of you want to send another prompt since you shared this one, feel free.

Boxes, boxes, everywhere.

Moving house had never been one of her favourite things to do. Sam supposed she should be used to it by now; her childhood had been spent moving around to fit her father's assignments. She knew her Mom hadn't enjoyed that facet of the life of an Air Force wife, but she'd put a brave face on it and accepted it as necessary in order to be with the man she loved and keep their young family together.

As an officer herself, she'd grown used to living with a view to never really settling in one place. While she'd been based in DC, she'd been hoping for a reassignment back to Colorado Springs and some of the boxes she'd taken with her instead of leaving them in storage had remained untouched. Getting to head back to the Stargate project had been her dream, and getting to stay long enough to buy a house of her own was everything she'd never thought she'd have. In fact, she'd waited until two years into the SGC to put down a deposit on her own place, moving out of military housing into a bungalow that was well and truly hers.

In all honestly, she'd thought that would be it. The end of the boxes. Even when she'd gotten engaged to Pete, she hadn't given much thought to moving out of her home. It was one of the reasons his buying a place without discussing it with her had blindsided her – and when she'd imagined lugging boxes around from her bungalow to the house he'd chosen, she'd realised she couldn't do it.

Didn't want to do it.

The house was perfect, really, everything she'd described to him during the early days of their relationship.

It'd been the man that was the problem.

She'd resigned herself to moving again after her assignment to Nevada, but she hadn't minded that time. The boxes she'd packed had gone to one of either two places; some had gone with her to the small apartment she was renting out, the others had gone into storage at General O'Neill's house.

Jack's house.

Their house, albeit unofficially.

They'd decided the best thing to do was to rent out hers, and store both of their belongings in his larger home, which also meant they had somewhere to stay when their duties required them to be at the SGC.

Their teammates didn't understand it at first, not even when Sam moved back to the Springs to retake her position on SG-1. They thought it weird that the couple were unofficially a couple, and still spent more time apart than they did together.

And now she was packing again, preparing to leave the house she'd started to think of as home even if it only truly felt like it when Jack could be there with her, heading off to Atlantis, where she'd not only be in a different state but in a different galaxy.

Sometimes, she questioned her life choices. Sometimes, she wondered if her father had been lying when he said she could have it all.

“You all set?” Jack stood in the doorway of their room, hands in his pockets. He’d wanted to see her off as it were, so she’d opted to be transported to the ship in Earth’s orbit from the comfort of their home rather than the SGC with the rest of the new personnel heading to Atlantis. It meant they could say their goodbyes without any prying gazes, meant their relationship could stay just theirs - with a few exceptions - for a little bit longer.

“I’m all packed, not sure if I’m ready.” She finished sealing the last box, one she would be leaving under the safekeeping of the SF’s who would be checking on the house while neither of them were in town.

 “You’ll do great, Sam.” He moved to take her in his arms, sighing when she all but melted against him. “I wish you could have half as much confidence in yourself as I do.”

“Confidence isn’t really the issue,” she admitted, lifting her head to accept a short, soft kiss. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” he replied immediately, leaning in to kiss her a little longer. “But we’ll keep in touch, and either I’ll come to you or you can come visit me. I’ll need regular debriefings you know. Gotta keep updated on what’s going on in the Pegasus galaxy, too.”

She smiled but it didn’t last long; they both knew her reports would be delivered by video over a data burst and that trips back and forth were going to be few and far between. 

Her watched beeped, signalling it was time. They pulled apart after a final kiss, reluctantly putting enough distance between them to ensure he wouldn’t be caught in the transporter.

Jack gave her the lopsided grin she’d come to know and love, his hands going back to his pockets. “Stay safe, Carter.”

“You too, Sir.” She smiled though her eyes were suspiciously bright.  A flash of light, and she was gone. # Post-Atlantis Boxes. More boxes. For two people who were kept busy by their jobs, they’d somehow managed to accumulate a hell of a lot of stuff.

Still, Jack found himself whistling as he cut the tape sealing one of the boxes, rummaging around inside it before deciding its contents wouldn’t be needed in the immediate future so could be set aside for later.

Sometime.

There was no rush, no rush at all.

And that thought had him grinning as he reached for another box, and the grin was still on his face when Sam walked in with yet another box in her arms.

“What’s so funny?” She asked as she walked past him to set the box down on the kitchen table. “Unpacking isn’t usually something to smile about.”

“Packing isn’t,” he corrected, abandoning the boxes in front of him to get closer to her. He took her in his arms, turning her from the cardboard she’d been about to open and kissed her thoroughly before she could question it. “Unpacking, Mrs O’Neill, is much more fun.”

She grinned back at him, the same dopey smile he knew was on his face. “That’s Mrs Carter-O’Neill to you,” she said, lifting her arms to wrap them around his shoulders.

They’d been married for all of three days, opting to do so as soon as she’d returned from her stint commanding the Hammond and he’d demanded - and received - a transfer of office to the SGC. Neither wanted to waste any more time, deciding it was long overdue for them to make their relationship official.

Having tied the knot, they’d decided it was time they finally cleared out the spare room and garage, clearing out the boxes they’d amassed over the years while they sorted through those he’d brought with him from his flat in DC.

“C’mon, fly boy,” Sam murmured a few moments later, drawing back when he went to kiss her again. “The sooner this is done, the sooner we can celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?” He asked, reluctantly letting her go so they could set about clearing at least some of the spaces in the house. 

Her smile was blinding, her eyes bright. “Finally having it all.”

Jack grinned, understanding the reference. Finally was right indeed.

#

I couldn’t end it on an angsty note, so needed to keep going till there was a happy ending. Hope that's okay! :)

[trashyeggroll]

Please explain appeal of Danolsen to me cuz I honestly don't get it! My blocks for shipping it currently - it feels like a make up for Kara/Jimmy being broken up so fast not an organic pairing. There's no filler to their relationship it's all just cute looks this season. Kelly in S5 feels like she could be replaced with extra of the week & nothing would change sadly. So why should I ship Danolsen 2.0 when I could just rewatch Sanvers stuff or another show?

Ok ok ok wait, parameters here. What are the terms of the discussion?

filler vs cute looks: usually I would use the word filler to describe vapid or irrelevant content (“empty calories”); in the context of your message, I think you mean substantive storylines vs the cutesy moments?

Danolsen vs Dansen: just so I don’t confuse myself, if I say Danolsen it’s Kara/James and Dansen is Alex/Kelly

Some overhead disclaimers from me:

1. While Dansen and ThunderGrace are often used as examples of white wlw rejecting wlwoc, we’re talking about an entire media landscape and the experience of being in wlw fandom spaces online, whether this hellsite or AO3 or whatever.

There are a lot more ships of varying degrees of development/duration involving women of color out there, across networks. All American has Coop/Patience. I hear Annalise Keating’s storyline is all unfolding around her wlw identity in How to Get Away with Murder. Proven Innocent made me cry with the romance between Madeline and Wren. Charmed has had like four or five romantic interests for Mel Vera. Freya and Keelin got fckn married in The Originals, and they’re still married in the sequel spinoff.

And if you spend enough time looking for wlw content around this site, you’ll see that white wlw are watching whole series and movies even the single gifset of wlw content… but it’s never these couples. “This fandom” and “that fandom”, whatever—but it’s almost never interracial couples or wlwoc. Why? Why do people spend the time writing whole apologisms for Gentleman Jack and the predatory behavior of Anne Lister, but they “just don’t see it” for healthy relationships? Why is it more appealing to watch fascist propaganda ruining the lore of witches, cheering on the love of someone who isn’t even aware that the person she loves is part of a massive campaign to force people to die by suicide en masse?

And we see when media rises and passes from blog to blog, too. Word of mouth is absolutely a thing, even here on the ol’ tumblr, so we see how a single kiss from a series circulates like wildfire and a whole gifset of ThunderGrace gets no notes—over and over and over and ov

2. Whenever this topic pops off in the Discourse, almost without fail, and a white wlw reacts to the above questions, it’s about “chemistry” or an adjacent concept. Again, this isn’t about one single ship—it’s about black women and nonblack poc being told their ships just have “no spark” over and over and over and ov

3. While there is logic to comparing ships in terms of quality, duration, and volume of content in order to assess who reasonably or “rightfully” gets more attention or dedication, that’s all just subjective and honestly sounds like bull to me. See #1.

4. Unless you’re a Trump voter, you’re most likely reading these posts and going, but I’m not racist, and I’m only one person. It’s easy to say. But we are all a product of a racist, xenophobic system, and at the end of the day, you can do what you want, watch what you want, but if you get defensive about these indirect callouts… It’s up to you to put words to why that is.

Ok, parameters set, now I’ll get to SG—

Making up for Danolsen: Honestly I highly doubt that that’s what the writers were trying to do—it’s an entirely different couple? Unless the implication is that they’re trying to treat an interracial couple better, which… is a good thing? I’m of the mind that SG added Azie because the cast would be almost entirely white once Mehcad left. Remember, Kelly Olsen was not introduced as a love interest for Alex, but the actresses thought their chemistry was too good, and they asked for it, which I thought… is exactly what we want from shows. I think the fact that she’s James’ sister is arbitrary, just a means to plug her into the story, and they’ve been winging it since then.

Dansen content in season five: I guess there are multiple elements to this, but for the “no filler” bit—the question is what kind of filler you want. They had lots of romantic moments early in the season, and then continued to be happy and in love. So is the content you want relationship drama or storylines that cut closer to the core of each episode? Because when I go back and look at Sanvers, there was a lot of pain and struggle in that relationship, which is sometimes how they go until people get their bearings, but ya’ll… It doesn’t have to be that way. There was Kelly’s PTSD moment and subsequent breakup with Alex, but they resolved that in one episode and… that’s a good thing, too. They talk about things, openly and truthfully, without shame or strife, and that’s what a good relationship should look like, whether it’s wlw or any other variation.

Like I get that the meat and potatoes of TV romance has always been friction. No story without conflict, right? But I worry that the insistence that Sanvers had so much more chemistry is largely based on the sharp rises and falls, which yeah produce lots of emotions and stirring words and speeches with clauses that you can print on a shirt, but that type of relationship will always burn out, or burn you out, if you don’t figure out how to prevent it from getting to that point.

So what I’m saying is, see #2. Nobody has to do anything or support anyone, but there’s no absolute truth to interpretation of a relationship. I’m sure I am preferential to Dansen over non-canon ships like SuperCorp because I’m old and married and I move through the world as a team with my badass wife, and that’s what I see for them. Kelly brought Alex her lunch and Alex practically squealed with delight even though they definitely woke up in the same bed a little while earlier.

And what’s confusing to me too is, you don’t have to stop shipping Sanvers? That relationship existed, the content is there, the storyline was ended with a padlock? (Folks: Please do not ever stay with someone hoping they will change their mind about having kids) But you can also look at how happy your fave is with her new girl and see it for them? Maybe kudos some fics, reblog a couple gifsets, not tweet about them lacking chemistry?

At the end of the day, a tension here is that the big picture makes fandom spaces feel hostile and dismissive towards fans of color, especially black women. How is someone supposed to feel when they finally have a complex, long lasting wlwoc relationship in front of them, and it’s constantly degraded for “chemistry” reasons while all the white ships, even ones with zero canon content, float to the top and get all the art and content that we are all here to enjoy? The whole issue is that fandom and culture are, and have always been, lenses into society and people’s worlds. It’s a question of empathy and openness and accountability, and it’s not just about one ship versus another.

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

Everything Awesome about COIE Hour 3

MANY THINGS OCCURRED!

This one is Long, guys.

Also a more accurate title would be Everything Awesome and some Less So about COIE Hour 3

But I wanted the posts to match, so.

So I never watched Birds of Prey because I never knew it EXISTED when it was on, but as a fan of the Birds of Prey team in general, and the characters Huntress and Oracle...not gonna lie, t’was sad to hear Helena desperately calling out to Barbara before they were destroyed by the anti-matter wave. So I give that cameo a thumbs up.

How is it only just NOW occurring to me that the Waverider (Wave Rider?) is serving the same function as the Monitor’s Satellite from the comics????

J’onn!!!! I’m so glad he’s here! Bearing news about the supporting cast of Supergirl! And the entirety of Earth-38!

So glad that they’re alive! And safe! And not dead! And that they are sure to remain that way, for the rest of the crossover! XD

And then J’ONN IS THE PARAGON OF HONOR! 

It’s what he deserves.

And then like four different subplots are set up in short order: They gotta to to Purgatory to get Oliver’s soul; they gotta get Ryan Choi; they gotta go to the cave where the Anti-Monitor was hanging out until fairly recently; Kara’s gotta be talked out of using the Book of Destiny.

It’s...a lot.

Also Vibe is back!

“Maybe you didn’t hear me under those voluminous mutton chops of yours--!”

Another nice Iris/Barry scene, BUT, for my money, it’s the second one, later in the episode, that really tugs at them there heartstrings.

All the Pariah stuff is as accurate as the Arrowverse could possibly MAKE a Pariah. Good, solid, good.

Then the British Fellows Ham it Up for a few minutes, before The Soul Searching group goes to Lian Yu, because of COURSE it’s Lian Yu, as if Oliver would allow his soul to languish anywhere else. 

Then we’re back in the Anti-Monitor’s room domain and COSMIC TREADMILL! AW YIISSSSSS

All of the good treadmill jokes have been made already so I’ll just move on.

This is very comic-y! The Anti-Monitor used Barry to power his Anti-Matter ray in the comic, and he ultimately destroyed it as well, dying in the process.

HERE, we discover that when Earth-90 Barry vanished last year, he was captured by the Anti-Monitor, and then CONDEMNED TO A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH; HE WAS TO RUN, FOREVER, ON A TREADMILL.

(...Pretty sure that joke was made on the after show, but I couldn’t help it. IT WAS RIGHT THERE.)

So they bust Earth-90 Barry out with the help of Jefferson!!!! 

I love that he’s got his line in there, the, ‘whose life is this’ line. Good, yes, good.

(Listen: there is no greater proof that the Arrowverse will go back to some version of the multiverse model, than Jefferson’s inclusion here.)

I’m getting a little ahead of myself...BACK TO THE OTHER SUBPLOTS!

Ryan Choi is great! I don’t keep up with Legends, but it’d be cool if he stuck around, since Ray is leaving.

ALSO GREAT???? Routh Supes’ explanation of the black shield. ‘Hope cuts through the darkness.’

(And the Superman theeeeeeeme I never tire of hearing it)

There’s some Kate and Kara stuff here but I wanna cover that later so FIRST...

The Oliver reunion on Lian Yu happened way too fast! But then, many things happened way too fast! But this one REALLY FELT WAY TOO FAST.

Like: He’s ready to kill us! But no? YAY, OLIVER IS COMING BACK! But No? Wait, he’s Spectre now????

But also...SPECTRE!!!!!!

Spectre is the deus ex machina of the Crisis comic, so it’s fitting that he’s just. A sudden thing that pops up out of LITERAL NOWHERE and is apparently vital.

So I guess Oliver’s final form ISN’T Team Dad, it’s Mysictal Green Hooded Guy.

(Man we should have seen this coming.)

(I like that Oliver is Spectre, just to be clear.)

Iris’ pep talk with Ryan was lovely.

(And then there’s the moment I mentioned earlier, where Barry’s like, ‘I might die’ and Iris is like, ‘I don’t want to go, I want to be with you.’)

(I will admit...that part got me a little.)

HEY FLASH FANS, HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THE FACT THAT LITERAL YEARS OF TEASING LED UP TO A BAIT AND SWITCH, HUH????

I honestly don’t know if I’m impressed or annoyed by this cop-out.

I will give them props for the inclusion of the original Flash show footage, that was very nice.

(And I say that as someone who has but a passing familiarity with the original TV show.)

The disintegration effect, as well as the Flash emblem being the only thing left, are really great direct homages to art from the comic.

I’m gonna talk more about this part LATER so let’s jump back toooooo....

Oh! The Barry and Jefferson scene!

It was so niiiiiice.

Very emotional, and a nice bonding moment, and this bit:

“I don’t think Henry and Alvin raised quitters, so we should rage against the dying of the light.”

FEEEEEEEEELIIINNNGSSSSS

Another Kate and Kara bit, which again, I wanna get into in a minute, BUT, before we do, I will say that: this buddy dynamic is very nice, but it takes the place of the Kara and Alex stuff from crossovers past, which I might have been okay with...if not for the severe LACK of Danvers Sisters content in the SG season proper.

Here’s hoping 5B gives us...something.

(Also I know it’s very much because Kate is like, the lead of one of the five main shows being crossed over so obviously they’re teaming up instead of Alex and Kara hanging out but I just. Love the Danvers Sisters, okay?)

(Related side note: Really glad this crossover isn’t so focused on romantic pairings! It’s a nice change of pace! I mean we’ve got Iris and Barry obviously, as well as Lois and Clark but I’m just recalling the Double Wedding nonsense of Earth-X and...*shudder*)

(This is an improvement, IMO.)

OKAY OKAY HARBINGER’S BACK HERE WE GOOOOOOOOO

MIND CONTROL! BETRAYAL! DEATH! THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENTIRE MULTIVERSE!

And crashing on this Vanishing Point because technically we’re HooOOooOOomeless!

Aw man I was so sad to see Routh Supes go...and be replaced by LEX, ugh. 

(But it’s very Lex, so.)

And Kara’s desperate, ‘Kal, Kal! What do I do?’

:C

OKAY so I kinda wanna talk about the Kara stuff, the Barry stuff, and the Kate and Kara stuff.

This crossover does some interesting things, re-contextualizing the two ‘Big Deaths’ from Crisis. 

In the comic, both Kara and Barry die, and their deaths are kind of like...thesis statements, on their brand of heroism.

They’re willing to give up everything--even their very LIFE--to ensure the safety and survival of others.

And both are treated as kind of remarkable things, even among their peers, who are other, selfless superheroes.

Which is WHY...the Barry thing is kind of...a massive let down. 

In the after show, Marc Guggenheim talked about how they could have their cake, and eat it too, because Barry was ready to give up his life, but was denied the opportunity.

And...I get that logic, but man, they spent all of season 6A dragging out that ol Barry-Dies-Angst.

And last season too! The WHOLE SEASON LONG PLOT with Nora was centered on Barry’s disappearance during Crisis and thus, her growing up without him and now...

That’s all just out the door? Because a different Barry decided to take his place? AN ELEVENTH HOUR LOOPHOLE?

It’s so audacious...that’s why I’m also kind of impressed, as well as annoyed.

And they don’t quite do the same thing with Kara, since they haven’t so much as TEASED anything resembling her comic death--I kind of assumed they might with the Book of Destiny stuff, but she didn’t even open the thing.

(And ultimately this is GOOD because if they’d done something similar to Barry--a last minute bait and switch--HOO BOY. There would have been...WORDS. OF STERN DISAPPOINTMENT.)

Instead, the crossover frames living as the more heroic option, because these heroes are Paragons, and thus are needed for some...other purpose, put in motion by the Monitor.

So if they die, they’re actually DOOMING the multiverse.

As mentioned! It’s kind of an interesting inversion, and until we know being a Paragon fully entails--it is difficult to say if it’s a positive or negative change!

(Still love that Kara and J’onn are Paragons, tho, cause they’re my Favs.)

OKAY so that’s the Kara and the Barry stuff. NOW, for the Kate and Kara stuff!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KRYPTONITE, MY DUDES.

Yeah, you thought we were DONE talking about Supergirl-specific plot lines...BUT THINK AGAIN!

LET’S TALK ABOUT HOOOOOWWWWW Kate was gonna use that Kryptonite...BUT DECIDED NOT TO, AND THEN WILLINGLY HANDED IT OVER TO KARA because she knew that 1.) SHE WOULDN’T NEED IT and 2.) Kara deserved to have the deadly poison THAT IS ONLY POISONOUS TO HER AND HER SINGLE SURVIVING BLOOD RELATIVE to decide how to dispose of it.

AND THEN...Kara tells Kate to keep it, and I thought, for one HORRIFYING MOMENT, that Kara would insist that she might someday NEED it, should Kara ever go rogue, thus VINDICATING every stupid pro-Kryptonite debate ever BUT...

NO! Instead she’s like, ‘I know you won’t use it!’

And folks.

Folks.

If nothing else. If nothing else. Please. PLEASE. Let this fun week of death and destruction be a learning moment for Kara, that she both HAS and DESERVES better friends, than a woman who casually subjected her to Kryptonite to further her own ends.

PLEASE, SHOW, PLEASE. 

Anyway! That’s hour three! And now we have to wait an ENTIRE MONTH to see how this plays out! XD

[b0nie-studies]

useful college tips

requested by @cl0udlessdays ☁️

i’ve wanted to do a big college help post for a while so hopefully this helps !

a small note that this is from my personal experience from studying in college in sg ! studying methods varies for people so you could add on to it if something helps you !

🌱 reframing your mindset

this is probably the most important part because if you dont have the proper attitude to study, its hard to do well. everyone can say they want to do well but not everyone can set their mind to do so. be that person !

i told myself i would cut down on social media and hang out sessions so that i can really focus on schooling. this step is really important for people like me that gets distracted easily.

⏰ as soon as possible

do your work and revise asap!! try to review your content within 3 days from your lectures !

when work piles up, you would feel even more stressed and defeated so DO THAT WORK !

✏️ do your hw but dont do everything !

honestly, the workload from college is crazy and if you try to do everything, you are going to burn out really quickly. definitely try your best to do your work, at least the most important bits if you are really struggling.

🗣 be vocal in class

try to answer questions when your tutor poses a question. it might be embarrassing if you get it wrong but at least it will result in a mental note to go over that detail in revision ! it helps you stay focused and engaged in class which helps to cut so much extra revision time !

ask your tutor questions asap ! it’s always hard when starting out and i always thought “what is there to ask??” but the more you try to generate questions, the more natural it is.

📖 revision breakdown

focus on your weaker subjects and topics from the beginning of the year because you will need more time with them to improve. ( dont neglect revision for the rest though ) make sure you have gone through your content at least two to three times before exams !!

content revision should be mostly completed by prelims before study break definitely !! make time for practice papers !

📒start a bujo

if you fail to plan, you plan to fail

i used mine to plan my study schedule ! i struggled a lot with studying in the past because i relied on my mood to study. if im feeling depressed, i just feel bad for a day and do nothing which makes me feel even worse. i relied on periodic spurts of productivity that comes like once in a while.

when i started planning my study schedule, i am able to study more consistently instead and make enough time for every subject

📕keep a journal

this is to write all your goals and aspirations.

to chart your improvement in school, after every test or study session.

to sort your feelings out so that you can clear your mind to study.

to write in when you feel like you are distracted from your original path so that you can note it down and try to focus again. ( usually me after fic binging days )

🏝 sacrifices will be made

in college, i really didnt have much of a social life so i had enough for revision. i still indulged in things i liked once in a while as a tried but your focus should be on studying if you want to do well !!!

DONT EVER SACRIFICE YOUR SLEEP !

😴 sleep is important

some of us may say sleep is for the weak but not true ! having enough sleep is important to recharge you so that you can have productive study sessions !

@educatier | how to sleep

📵 lay low on social media

on my second year, i had all my social media ( other than studyblr ) deleted. its really disrupting to see other friends having a life when you are mugging and trust me, that time feeling terrible can be used on something more productive.

🍃 have a study buddy

if u dont trust yourself that much in staying focused throughout a whole study day, study with a good study buddy !! 
usually more productive with only one person but groups might work out with the right people

🖋 practice


taking the time to consolidate is important but solely reading ur notes wont necessarily get you good grades ( esp in college ) !!
practice writing out the content with syllabus, practice papers etc and review to see what you need to improve on !!

🧘🏻‍♀️take breaks


this is actually so important but quite overlooked !! you need to satisfy yourself to stay motivated !! you need rest and energy to feel functional enough to study !!
try to not take phone breaks because its hard to go back to studying.

i find exercising as a break really nice !!

💦 discipline over motivation

this is a valuable lesson that studyblr has taught me. motivation is less sustainable as a reward must be present and in the case you do not have enough self control, this method will cease to be useful. discipline, however, can help you to remain productive and on task consistently

@a-disciplined-life | how to be more disciplined

thank you for reading ! i know this is really long but i wanted to list everything that helped me ❣️cheers to all the kids in college, you can do this ! 🌟

[localistvocalist-blog]

How to build your very own home studio for rock & metal music for under $2000

Hey all, I am localistvocalist! These days I’m re-assembling my small room studio in a new space. I like to call it a “quiet” studio, because everything is recorded directly in the box. Of course, vocals are the only thing being “loud”. Since I’ve been basically finding my own way to make my own little studio, I decided to make this post to help you create and build your very own studio. Note that my picks for a studio might not be applicable to you, as I’m primarily a rock and metal musician, some of these will not apply to a, say, house or trap musician. Let’s get started!

0. Space - You can’t make a studio without a room and space to create it! You need enough room for a desk, a chair, a guitar, a mic stand, and enough space to move around comfortably. Below is my room that is currently being fixed up, and there is plenty of space! I even decided to save a little space by ordering guitar wall mounts, so they don’t take up floor space.

1. Laptop - I have a dank piece of junk in a form of a 5 year old Acer on the lower-mid end of the spectrum. It cost $500 when I bought it, it’s beaten down and used as fuck, but it does the job to a fair extent. And you can’t really record anything without a laptop or a PC, right? Ideally you want to invest about $500-$600 building a PC, preferably a desktop version. But make do with what you got. A laptop will do home studio tasks well enough.

2. Audio Interface - An audio interface. How to record anything in good quality without one? I opted in for a budget option of a Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd gen. It set me back about $120, and it has 2 inputs. A mic one, and an instrument one. It’s surprisingly versatile for such a small piece, and I’d always recommend it to any budget built studio. It’s small, compact, well built, and sturdy. You can literally fit it anywhere, making mobility a plus, at least for me, as I carry my recording stuff with me for some sessions out of my home studio.

3. 2 speaker monitors - Need I explain? This is how you hear what you’re working with. It’s basically a must, and you can find a solid pair for under $100 these days. They’re great for listening to music, playing along to backing tracks, hearing what you’re supposed to hear, and they make mixing a breeze.

4. A DAW - A Digital Audio Workstation. A program into which you record, alter, edit, and mix all you recorded. I opted for FLStudio as I’ve been using it for a while before and I know my way around it. You can opt for Reaper, Cubase, and so many more. Find the one you’re most comfortable with. I whileheartely suggest you play with a few that are avaliable to you and find the one you find yourself most comfortable with. You don’t want to be stuck at finding how to set which input to record, right?

5. An electric guitar - no rock or metal song is complete without a guitar. I’m currently using my Ibanez ART series 120. I also sometimes use my drummers guitar which is a Gibson SG of some sort, or my lead guitarists Prestige Strat for a classic strat sound. Find a guitar that suits your needs best. If you’re into heavier metal, you might want to look into Jacksons and Schecters, or maybe a 7-string guitar. For classic rock you want to search for Strats and Telecasters, for hard rock, a Gibson or a PRS will do you good. As long as you find a guitar with a sound, feel, and tone that you like and/or need, you will be set to go. Myself, I’m currently in the process of saving money for a new Schecter Hellraiser C-1 with a Floyd Rose. A metal guitar with a rather different build than my Ibanez, which serves a different purpose, but is still able to deliver a variety of sounds. A solid mid-high tier studio guitar should set you back about $600-$1000 bucks, but if you have any guitar, it will do the job just fine, as long as it’s not cardboard trash!

6. 2 mics - one dynamic, one condenser - I stand by having at least 1 mic of each kind. For now I only need one of each. A condenser for acoustic guitar, percussion, and some vocals, and a dynamic for recording most vocals, micing guitar amps, and for getting a drum sound. I opted in for an SM57 for my dynamic, and I currently use a Neewer NW800 condenser, which I’ll be replacing soon. All in all, I’m willing to set aside $200-$300 for a pair of mics, as long as I know they will serve the purpose.

7. A mic stand - I have 2. One tabletop, and one full sized. Tabletop mostly for recording videos such as this one, and a full sized for recording vocals, drums, and micing guitar amps. It’s a rather small investment, but it is worth it. Bonus points for it keeping your hands off the mic!! Along with a stand you should invest in a pop filter. It makes a big difference with plosive sounds, especially during singing and screaming. This should set you back about $30-$50 in total.

8. Plugins - I use several plugins for my songs. Most notably Pitcher, Drum sounds pack, Hardcore, and Emissary amp sim. Most of them are free, but they really bring your shit to the next level. Whether you need various effects, different cabinets, a little pitch correction, or just a bit more oomph, you will always be able to find free plugins and effects.

9. Optional:

• Bass guitar - As a rock and metal musician I appreciate a good bass track, and let’s be honest, midi sequenced bass tracks just aren’t as good as a proper bass track. A bass guitar won’t set you back much, as you’re looking at $200-$300 buck for a mid tier one, but it can bring a lot of feel and heaviness to your rock and metal tracks.

• A guitar amp (pros and cons) - I have a 30 watt Laney with inbuilt reverb and 2 different distortion modes. I use it for band practices and recording tracks, and I must say, recording an amp’d guitar compared to recording a guitar through an amp simulator is a big difference. There is something about the energy and livelihood of the track that just gets so much better with a mic’d amp. However, sometimes you can’t mic an amp, like I can’t here, but if possible I’d wholeheartedly recommend it. This amp sets you back $130, but you’re free to spend more for a higher quality amp such as a Marshall.

• Alternate electric guitars - I know I said about this earlier, but I for one want to have a few guitars. Namely the Ibanez I own now, the Schecter, a 7 string Schecter, a hollow body one, a Telecaster and a Stratocaster, in addition to an acoustic guitar. Why the hell would you need that many?! Well, various sounds, uses, and tones of course. It’s not necessary, but it is an aspiration of mine, as different tones fit different genres. Imagine playing Eric Clapton with a 7 string Schecter or playing Avenged Sevenfold with a hollow body guitar. Yeah, I believe you can already tell that won’t work. So if you really need to get different sounds for your songs, a second, or even a third guitar, aren’t off limits.

• MIDI keyboard - even for rock, it’s always nice to have a MIDI keyboard. Of course it’s not a MUST, but it’s a nice addition. Whether there is a piano part or just drums to write, it’s super convenient. You can use it to make MIDI sequences of piano, syths, and even drum tracks, and honestly, makes the whole process of writing MIDI tracks much more fun and less time consuming.

• Mixer - some people swear by it, some say it’s unnecessary. You don’t need it, but if you have one, it’s a solid addition, specifically if you are micing drums or have multiple vocals in your band.

There we go. That’s my list of things you basically MUST have to have a quality home studio for rock and metal music. Make sure to follow me, as I’ll be posting a lot more content like this in days to come! You can message me and suggest some content you’d like to see as well!

LocalistVocalist

[muneerahwrites]

The Rain in Spain

[I was trying to be clever but there was no actual rain - rain meaning my tears LEL. I want to share contents of the lessons too inshaAllah but this will come slowly and surely. Bc there was really A LOT. This post is dedicated to my unsorted-out feelings – an attempt to rationalize and understand why I felt what I felt and to attempt to move forward with clarity of heart.]

Came back to SG from Granada to find myself plunged into deadlines and unfinished work. Grappling with jet lag, acne, a worn out yet, invigorated soul, and an unsettled mind, I dragged my body to work for the past 4 days trying to refocus and get myself into my comfortable SG work routine.

I haven’t had the time to reflect properly on my Ramadan and then, the 2 weeks Critical Muslim Studies – on what I’ve learnt and about myself. Why was I crying so much everyday? I mean, I cry occasionally but Spain was something else. I felt like I was ALWAYS crying lol. I couldn’t speak without tears bubbling beneath the surface. The garden behind the school became a regular witness to my tears (and on one occasion, the whole class but I’d rather bury that in the depths of my mind.)

I did not fully understand it at that time, but I concluded in Spain that it was probably for four reasons:

1.       PMS is real.

2.        I came to learn about decolonial theory and largely expected “head-work” about Critical Muslim Studies. Instead, there were discussions about dealing with the metaphysical catastrophe of coloniality, the counter to that being weeping and praying (Fanon), embracing other ways of being (the soul as a way of decolonising) and that I’ve been approaching the Qur’an or my faith (something I hold so dear to and I thought was the anchors of my always changing life) incompletely, maybe even self-indulgently. I realized that I usually leave my soul out the door when I enter “secular” spaces. Of course, I hold on to prayer and du’a but the reminder that the soul is there with your mind and body as a way of understanding and communicating was such as shock to my system. As I realise this, my body was so still but I felt so moved. Therefore, the tears.

 3.       I felt inadequate. What was I doing in this space? Neither activist, content producer nor scholar, I entered the space positioned as a student, only to be overwhelmed by everyone else. I felt that I was not fit to talk about decolonisation or liberation theologies. What limited struggles have I gone through as compared to everyone else in the space? I shut my mouth, I listen, I took in everyone’s pain. I felt so much guilt that I did not have my own pain (or I thought I didn’t). What have I done in my life? I have nothing to share that is important in this space. Bc of these negative thoughts, I brought up all my weaknesses as excuses not to engage. I am not critical enough, not eloquent enough, my heart beats too fast when speaking in front of many people. Anyway, everyone needed to speak so I shouldn’t, whether inside or outside class. I concluded that I shouldn’t be here. I felt even more guilty because it’s Allah’s will and plan that I was in Granada and I felt that His plan was wrong. I retreated. Therefore, the tears.

 4.       Another level of inadequacy was from the fact that I was from Singapore. I have nothing to contribute coming from Singapore. Who cares about Singapore anyway? Was I even Singaporean, being away from Singapore for 5 years of early adulthood. What does being Singaporean even mean?? *Existential crisis* Other experiences seemed more valid, more pressing, more outwardly violent. The need for social justice in other parts of the world was more pressing because people are constantly dehumanised and stripped of dignity. What is Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo to Singapore’s ISA and prisons? What is racism and white supremacy in the US and UK/Europe compared to racial politics in Singapore? Was my experience not important? Or was it relegated as unimportant? Did I do this myself or was this another power dynamic that is playing out? I was confused but also, I am not a personality who insists that my voice be heard. (WHY MOO? I need to examine this more?) I was frustrated. Therefore, the tears.

As the classes come to an end plus the long trip back home, I realised that I was crying because of all those reasons and then some. I was mainly crying because I was so uncomfortable. I realised through the classes, my reflections, my interactions with the other participants and with my interaction with Granada as a place, that I am still colonised. It’s not just a theory I use in my research or studies. My self, my being and thoughts are so unchecked and it’s suddenly being called out in Granada. The process of decolonisation of the self, that the summer school was pushing me to do, was/is an extremely uncomfortable one. Therefore, the tears.

Colonial domination is often understood as a historical process that has ended with independence of nation states. It is easy to recognise that there are legacies in our political, education, economic systems but I don’t think I understood the far-reaching creeping fingers of coloniality – it is in the domination of mind, body and spirit. But coloniality didn’t end in 1963, when the British left. It is not just concerns of “unfortunate Third Worlders” and diasporic communities in distant lands, battling corruption and poverty because they lacked the vision and the statecraft of a Lee Kuan Yew. The logics, practices and legacies of colonialism disrupted our local/faith/indigenous epistemologies (ways of seeing, being and understanding), our social orders and norms and forms of knowledge.

Singapore was colonised but emerged as “crown colony”. Someone from Guardian even wrote a whole article about how we “benefited” from colonialism LOL: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/04/colonialism-work-singapore-postcolonial-british-empire We’re so good at being a “modern nation-state” with our policies based on race and hierarchies created by meritocracy – but always framed as having the promise or intention of equality. We (or rather, I will say I myself, Idk about other people) just internalised coloniality (the colonial mindset) so much that we became model global citizens. White masks, yellow, brown, black skins. Wanting to be “modern”, to imitate. But as someone who has multiple levels of otherness (global south, woman, muslim, brown, introverted etc), when I imitate, I never feel enough or belonging to anywhere.

Discussions came up about how we should not to compare issues, but to be relative. And that’s when I realised: The logic of coloniality remains the same – whether we are talking about clear individual acts of Islamophobia in the UK or the state control of our asatizah in Singapore. No matter how it is being framed.

So returning back to discomfort in decolonising the self. The solution was not to retreat to the soul or to some pristine, native state of being. I was called to recognise the narrowness of my “broadened” mind: whose standards are you trying to meet? Whose questions are you answering? What are your own questions? What are the standards and values decreed by Allah? Why did I think or feel my personality, skills and socialisation not enough? Why do I think that I could not offer anything when everyone else could (especially those from the West?) How was I reproducing coloniality even in the way I was thinking about myself in relation to others? I was called to take my sensing and knowing beyond dominant ideas of what was natural, true and good.

Also, I don’t think my highly introverted self was ready for how short of a time, intensely close and intimate spaces (physical, mind and heart) I would share with so many diverse women (mostly Muslim WOC from everywhere). Everyone was so loving, embracing, warm, spiritual but at the same time, brave, strong, eloquent, unafraid of their thoughts and femininity, critical and aware of power and power dynamics and so quick to call out BS and violence when they saw it. They are honestly so aspirational and I have so many conversations/advice embedded so deeply in my mind (or heart? Allahu ‘alam). So honoured and grateful to have met every single one. Farid Esack (an absolute legend) advised us: “our interactions with other people are sacred. No matter how you differ, do not pee [desacrilise] on this sacred space.” Jasmin Zine (or was it Amina Teslima?) also read this hadith at the start of class which explains why some souls feel inexplicably drawn to other souls:  The Prophet (pbuh) said: "The souls are (like) an army joined (in the world of spirits) whichever souls knew each other (in that world) are attracted towards each other (in this world) and whichever remained distant and indifferent (there) are disinterested to each other (in this world)" (Saheeh al-Bukhaari)

It was truly a blessed group to be around. I regularly got advice and reminders that were so on point and poignant, I wish I had just took out a notebook to write all of it down. One of the ladies shared Audre Lorde’s concept of self-love as a radical act. I found the quote: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” A few other girls too had a discussion over salty seafood paella haha that self-love requires us to accept our flaws and understand that as Muslim women, Allah is there to forgive us and complete us for anything lacking. Our flaws aren’t meant to be overcome or pushed away, its meant to remind us of our humanity, how everyone is flawed. We can use what we think as “flaws” as strengths. When our life isn’t in alignment or we aren’t what we expect ourselves to be, we shouldn’t blame ourselves. Rather, it is an opportunity to grow and learn, make a change. Listen to yourself, how do you feel. How is your body responding? How is your heart? I need to learn how to cherish my authenticity and forgive the times I forgot my strengths and my power. Rather than treat myself as a blank sheet that can constantly be recreated everyday to be my ‘best self’, I must realise that I have a history, experiences, pains and triumphs that make me complex and valuable, if not to society, then, to God. “Make your voice the clearest and centred in this creative space”, another wise lady told me during the trip.

[Ok I will conclude for now]: Being in St Andrews as someone from “the rest” (from Southeast Asia, Muslim and woman) in a distinctly white space, I never felt fully “integrated”. In a way, I am grateful I didn’t. My sanctuary and solace was being with women of colour after uni and during Fridays. SOAS was interesting for me to dip my feet and see what using post-colonial and decolonial theory looks like in academia. But I think, if I am deciphering my thoughts and feelings correctly, Granada was a proper introduction for me into what a decolonial/liberation/social justice space looked like, it is not only a space for pain to be shared but also one of empowering resistance, love for each other and self-love. It also taught me that decolonising the self as well as histories, faith traditions, etc is going to be a long and uncomfortable process, with a lot of learning, praxis as well as reflection.

what about this theory.

the fear of not being enough,

and the fear of being ‘too much’

are exactly the same fear. 

the fear of being you. (@nayyirahwaheed)