#Lee Mattocks

[lee-mattocks]

Exploring Life and Love: David and Fiona's Story

Love has a unique way of connecting people, crossing boundaries of distance, culture, and time. Such is the story of David and Fiona, a couple who have been together for three beautiful years. David, a 35-year-old Electrical Engineer from Plymouth, Devon, and Fiona, a 27-year-old originally from South Korea, are proof that love can bridge any gap—geographical or cultural.

Their journey began when Fiona moved to the UK to pursue a degree in international business. Drawn to the rich history and scenic beauty of the British Isles, she decided to stay after graduation, eventually finding her place as a consultant in the industry. It was during this time that she met David, who was immediately captivated by her warmth, intelligence, and adventurous spirit.

Their relationship blossomed quickly, with shared interests and values strengthening their bond. Though from different parts of the world, David and Fiona have found common ground in their love for nature and the outdoors. On weekends, you’ll often find them exploring the British countryside together, hiking along rugged coastal paths, or discovering the quiet beauty of remote natural parks.

Fiona has also introduced David to many aspects of her South Korean heritage, from the flavorful, nourishing dishes of Korean cuisine to cultural traditions that bring them closer together. Whether it's sharing a homemade Korean meal or celebrating festivals like Chuseok, the couple enjoys weaving together the threads of their respective cultures into a shared life tapestry.

At the heart of their relationship is a deep respect for each other's backgrounds, along with an eagerness to learn and grow together. David, who is also a passionate photographer, often captures their adventures with his camera, documenting the moments that make their relationship so special—from the scenic landscapes of Devon to the more intimate, everyday moments that reflect their closeness.

Three years in, their connection only continues to grow stronger, rooted in mutual support, shared passions, and the beautiful fusion of their different worlds.

View Source - https://medium.com/@leemattocksuk/love-across-cultures-david-and-fionas-journey-together-e78db50457e1

[faunandfloraas]

If I don't have Changbin arms by the end of the year, what's even the point

[mikus-coining-blog]

Names and Pronouns request~! (long post!)

Weapon Themed Names:

Magnum, Caliber, Shooter, Gunner, Hunter, Trigger, Pistol, Arrow, Bowie, Remington, Archer, Chimalli, Ammo, Boomer, Bomb, Pow, Swordia, Blade, Spear, Dagger, Stabber, Sniper, Katana, Axe, Grenade, Javelin, Star, Pernach, Falchion, Rapier, Saber, Bill, Fork, Pike, Sovnya, Spetum, Scythe, Hammer, Daikyu, Skane, Musket, Ram, Cannon, Mortar, Trebuchet, Cog, Mail, Chain, Claw, Brass, Katar, Cutlass, Scimitar, Talwar, Claymore, Bilbo, Bolo, Sickle, Pick, Mattock, Labrys, Ono, Club, Sai, Sledge, Scepter, Dory, Glaive, Dart, Harpoon, Pipe, Vel, Boomerang, Wallace, Flintlock, Whipper, Bullwhip, Knout, Urumi, Lasso, Buckler, Parma, Scuta, Bayonet, Revolver, Browning, Rast, Roth, Pieper, Steyr, Flammen, Colt, Nagant, Ruby, Lewis, Maxim, Mills, Saint, Machete, Webley, Lee, Speed, Marlin, Martini, Madsen, Vickers, Hales, Jam, Torpedo, Hay, Morriss, Livens, Sauterelle, Beholla, Frommer, Smith, Peabody, Savage, Winchester, Hotchkiss, Tank, Barbed, Bayard, Krupp, Beretta, Perino, Guntō, Nambu, Arisaka, Trench, Carl, Chauchat, Gatling, Auto, Semi, Viven, Newton, Puteaux, Nail, Stiletto, Buckle, Thompson, Perosa, Cei, Thornycroft, Caldwell, Darne, DeKnight, Sia, and Dayton

Weapon Themed Pronouns:

Ax/Axe/Axes/Axe's/Axeself

Arm/Armed/Arms/Armed's/Armedself

Bayon/Bayonet/Bayonets/Bayonet's/Bayonetself

Blade/Blade/Blades/Blade's/Bladeself

Club/Club/Clubs/Club's/Clubself

Dag/Dagger/Daggers/Dagger's/Daggerself

Harp/Harpoon/Harpoons/Harpoon's/Harpoonself

Jav/Javelin/Javelins/Javelin's/Javelinself

Pistol/Pistol/Pistols/Pistol's/Pistolself

Sword/Sword/Swords/Sword's/Swordself

Weap/Weapon/Weapons/Weapon's/Weaponself

Cut/Cutlass/Cutlasses/Cutlass's/Cutlasself

Clay/More/Claymores/Claymore's/Claymoreself

Katan/Katana/Katanas/Katana's/Katanaself

Rapier/Rapier/Rapiers/Rapier's/Rapierself

Stab/Stab/Stabs/Stab's/Stabself

Saber/Sabre/Sabers/Sabre's/Saberself/Sabreself

Strike/Strike/Strikes/Strike's/Strikeself

Ammo/Ammo/Ammos/Ammo's/Ammoself

Bullet/Bullet/Bullets/Bullet's/Bulletself

Gun/Gun/Guns/Gun's/Gunself

Mag/Magazine/Magazines/Magazine's/Magazineself

Rifle/Rifle/Rifles/Rifle's/Rifleself

Shot/Shot/Shots/Shot's/Shotself

Shoot/Shoot/Shoots/Shoot's/Shootself

Snipe/Sniper/Snipers/Sniper's/Sniperself

Scope/Scope/Scopes/Scope's/Scopeself

Trigger/Trigger/Triggers/Trigger's/Triggerself

Pow/Pow/Pows/Pow's/Powself

Pew/Pew/Pews/Pews's/Pewself

Boom/Boom/Booms/Boom's/Boomself

REQ BY: @de-rune!

Hope this helps! I spent a week collecting names and pronouns for this! Teehee!!

[pi-creates]

Let’s say you’re Lee and the apocalypse is just breaking out in downtown Macon, you have time to grab some things... What are 7 things you would bring with you into the apocalypse? (Besides sentimental things such as family, pets, photographs.)

Oooh.... I kinda wanna cheat here and just say my bag since that has most of the stuff I’d want to take with me in one handy place - but I don’t think that fits the spirit of what you’re asking, so:

1. My solar battery pouch with its cables.

Basically to recharge anything I come across if I need it. I know it seems superfluous, but it is a useful item that I wouldn’t want to be without.

2. My phone.

Yes, I know I wouldn’t be able to make calls or whatever - but I would be able to take and store photos, make notes, have a light, have a calculator, and be able to play music (though I imagine that would get old real quick - I need something to keep my sanity).

3. My kindle.

I know I’m sounding tech obsessed here, but there is a point to this one. My kindle has books on survival techniques, plants with medicinal properties, basics on engineering, and also some classic books that I feel like it would take the apocalypse for me to actually read.

4. My first aid kit.

I specify my first aid kit because I know what’s in it. Which includes a sheet of my allergy medication, my spare inhaler, pain killers, my spare allergy masks, an emergency firestarter, and a mini-sewing kit (aside from the standard bandages, disinfectants, and such in a normal first aid kit).

5. One of my multi-tools.

There’s a few to choose from, though I’d pick my one that is a mini-hatchet, hammer, pliers, mini-saw, knife, screwdriver, and bottle opener. There’s also some other stuff on there - but I’ll be honest, I don’t know what they’re for.

6. My water bottle (2 Litres)

Because how else will I hold my daily supply of water?

7. a) A bag to hold it all in (if that’s not supplied by this question)

Self explanatory - I want something to carry stuff.

7. b) My Pop’s pick mattock.

A bit clunky to carry since it’s definitely something you need two hands for, which is why I’d only take it if I already had a bag for everything else. But like - I know I can swing that thing well, and it’s good as both a weapon and a tool.

[the1959project]

November 30, 1959

Reviews hit newsstands after the first televised, and second overall Grammy awards (Sunday, November 29, 1959) — the first ceremony had been in May 1959. Like the first edition, the ceremony took place simultaneously in New York and Los Angeles; the telecast also featured prerecorded performances from Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Jonah Jones (though the critical favorite was the ...Mormon Tabernacle Choir doing the....Battle Hymn of the Republic). 

37 awards were presented in the hourlong (!) program, and then as now it was not without some snafus (a pianist presented an award to the wrong person). Below are the jazz awards for the first Grammys (record and song of the year both went to Domenico Modugno’s “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” — better known as “Volare” — though “The Chipmunk Song” (!) was nominated, and album of the year was Henry Mancini’s The Music of Peter Gunn) :

Best Group Jazz Performance

Count Basie – Basie

Jonah Jones – Baubles, Bangles and Beads

George Shearing – Burnished Brass

Basie Rhythm Section, Dave Lambert Singers – Sing a Song of Basie

Four Freshmen – The Four Freshmen in Person

Best Female Vocal Performance

Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook

Doris Day – Everybody Loves a Lover

Eydie Gorme – Eydie in Love

Peggy Lee – Fever 

Keely Smith – I Wish You Love

Best Individual Jazz Performance

Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book

Johan Jones – Baubles, Bangles and Beads

George Shearing – Burnished Brass

Matty Mattock – Dixieland Story

Jonah Jones – Jumpin’ with Jonah

And for the second Grammys — Frank Sinatra, who was not in attendance, won album of the year for Come Dance with Me, and Bobby Darin won record of the year for “Mack The Knife” (effectively a Louis Armstrong song...). The big victory of the show, as far as its hosts were concerned, was the total lack of rock and roll (big Recording Academy energy). Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra were the most awarded artists of the night. 

Best Jazz Peformance – Soloist

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Swings Lightly

Urbie Green - Best of New Broadway Show Hits

Ruby Braff - Easy Now

Andre Previn - Like Young

Red Norvo - Red Norvo in Hi-Fi

Best Jazz Performance – Group

Jonah Jones - I Dig Chicks

Shorty Rogers - Chances Are It Swings

Duke Ellington - Ellington Jazz Party

Henry Mancini - More Music from Peter Gunn

Red Norvo - Red Norvo in Hi-Fi

Best Musical Composition

Duke Ellington - Anatomy of a Murder

Dmitri Shostakovitch - Shostakovitch: Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 101

Henry Mancini - More Music from Peter Gunn

Morton Gould - St. Lawrence Suite

Serge Prokofiev - Prokofiev: The Overture Russe, Op. 72

Best Performance by a Dance Band

Duke Ellington - Anatomy of a Murder

Count Basie - Breakfast Dance and Barbecue

Glenn Miller - For the Very First Time

Larry Elgart - New Sounds at the Roosevelt

Perez Prado - Pops and Prado

Best Rhythm & Blues Performance

Dinah Washington - What a Diff'rence a Day Makes

Elvis Presley - A Big Hunk o' Love

The Coasters - Charlie Brown

Jesse Belvin - Guess Who

Nat King Cole - Midnight Flyer

Below are some of the reviews:

From Billboard:

From the Washington Post — notice how Sinatra is topline, even though Duke Ellington won more awards:

From the Boston Globe — the payola incident cited was the fact that the New York District Attorney had just subpoenaed 11 different record companies the previous week as part of a payola investigation. You’ll be shocked to learn that the companies subpoenaed were almost exclusively labels that distributed Black music, including Jubilee and King, and the much-maligned rock and roll — jazz label Roulette was included as well. 

From the New York Herald Tribune:

From the Los Angeles Times:

From the Daily Defender:

[365store]

Marc Velez Joins UCP As Head Of Development, Naketha Mattocks Joins Universal TV As SVP Drama

Marc Velez Joins UCP As Head Of Development, Naketha Mattocks Joins Universal TV As SVP Drama

UCP and Universal Television, divisions of Universal Studio Group, have each brought in an SVP-level development executive. Lee Daniels Entertainment President Marc Velez has been named SVP, Head of Development for UCP, reporting to Jennifer Gwartz, EVP, UCP. Former Netflix executive Naketha Mattocks joins Universal Television as SVP, Drama Development reporting to Vivian Cannon, EVP, Drama…

[37q]

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45551/simon-lee-the-old-huntsman

In the sweet shire of Cardigan,

Not far from pleasant Ivor-hall,

An old Man dwells, a little man,—

'Tis said he once was tall.

For five-and-thirty years he lived

A running huntsman merry;

And still the centre of his cheek

Is red as a ripe cherry.

No man like him the horn could sound,

And hill and valley rang with glee

When Echo bandied, round and round

The halloo of Simon Lee.

In those proud days, he little cared

For husbandry or tillage;

To blither tasks did Simon rouse

The sleepers of the village.

He all the country could outrun,

Could leave both man and horse behind;

And often, ere the chase was done,

He reeled, and was stone-blind.

And still there's something in the world

At which his heart rejoices;

For when the chiming hounds are out,

He dearly loves their voices!

But, oh the heavy change!—bereft

Of health, strength, friends, and kindred, see!

Old Simon to the world is left

In liveried poverty.

His Master's dead—and no one now

Dwells in the Hall of Ivor;

Men, dogs, and horses, all are dead;

He is the sole survivor.

And he is lean and he is sick;

His body, dwindled and awry,

Rests upon ankles swoln and thick;

His legs are thin and dry.

One prop he has, and only one,

His wife, an aged woman,

Lives with him, near the waterfall,

Upon the village Common.

Beside their moss-grown hut of clay,

Not twenty paces from the door,

A scrap of land they have, but they

Are poorest of the poor.

This scrap of land he from the heath

Enclosed when he was stronger;

But what to them avails the land

Which he can till no longer?

Oft, working by her Husband's side,

Ruth does what Simon cannot do;

For she, with scanty cause for pride,

Is stouter of the two.

And, though you with your utmost skill

From labour could not wean them,

'Tis little, very little—all

That they can do between them.

Few months of life has he in store

As he to you will tell,

For still, the more he works, the more

Do his weak ankles swell.

My gentle Reader, I perceive,

How patiently you've waited,

And now I fear that you expect

Some tale will be related.

O Reader! had you in your mind

Such stores as silent thought can bring,

O gentle Reader! you would find

A tale in every thing.

What more I have to say is short,

And you must kindly take it:

It is no tale; but, should you think,

Perhaps a tale you'll make it.

One summer-day I chanced to see

This old Man doing all he could

To unearth the root of an old tree,

A stump of rotten wood.

The mattock tottered in his hand;

So vain was his endeavour,

That at the root of the old tree

He might have worked for ever.

"You're overtasked, good Simon Lee,

Give me your tool," to him I said;

And at the word right gladly he

Received my proffered aid.

I struck, and with a single blow

The tangled root I severed,

At which the poor old Man so long

And vainly had endeavoured.

The tears into his eyes were brought,

And thanks and praises seemed to run

So fast out of his heart, I thought

They never would have done.

—I've heard of hearts unkind, kind deeds

With coldness still returning;

Alas! the gratitude of men

Hath oftener left me mourning.

were reading poetry tn ladies give me a number under like 800 and ill post a poem for you if you want :)

[itsmeizumine]

so, i searched high and low for a post i swore i made talking about why i wanted to make a naruto oc and had this initial blurb and everything that i just intended to add on, but since it disappeared somehow, i'll start again

it's going to be long, but feel free to tag along the ride under break!!

_________________________________________

so, i know anyone who has followed me for a while might have caught up to the fact that i’m on my own naruto nostalgia personal hell right now. it has been dragging for a few months in and out since my lil sibs started to watch the ENTIRETY of naruto franchise just because (we’re talking about all filler eps, all arcs, all ovas, all movies; they’re real champs like that). we all are stuck in the same rooms with each other and nowhere else to go so there was really no way to escape this even if i wanted too, which… i did, in the beginning, not gonna lie (i can’t handle second-hand embarrassment guys, i just can’t, and kid naruto is– oh my god); but then i kind of settled on this constant utterly mortified state so deeply nothing else phased me enough to stop watching the damned thing with my sibs, and here we are.

(and pls, don’t get me wrong. i love naruto, it was important to me as a kid and i still feel echoes of its impact on me even now in my life; it’s just– watching it with my kidsie sibs and parents in the same room with it dubbed in my native lang and them having no context to most things anime, just… no lol)

and god, as much i like the series, rewatching it made my heart ache too. kid naruto had an awful life, dude. for real. it just made me want to swoop in, adopt him and get him somewhere else asap the whole time we watched classic. it was devasting blow after devasting blow since day one, and it took too long for him to find support and bonds (as flimsy as they were) he could cling and lean on (and even then he was left/had to leave behind some).

idk guys, i might be overthinking this but kids in precarious situations always make me emotional af

so i thought: my mojo is making ocs, okay, that’s how i dive into fandoms and such, maybe i could make someone he could call a friend? even if it’s just to comfort him and myself a bit?? yeah, let’s go with this

and like, i wanted him to have someone to goof up with and be silly and talk freely and not have to appear awesome to with that false bravato of his (because he uses that when he’s not comfortable, and i really really really need him to be, for once) but i also wanted him to have someone he could fall back whevener he wants, no questions asked, and that could take care of him if things came down to it, but couldn’t strip naruto’s control over his own situation as an adult would (because that’s terrifiying thing to feel, no control over what’s gonna happen to yourself; now imagine that as a kid that has to live and tend and watch out for their own well-being themselves or else they might as well die in a ditch and no one - in naruto’s mind on the very beggining of classic - would bat an eye?? yeah, no good indeed); so an older kid it had to be. older sibling figure or whatever.

and since i wanted this older kid to approach naruto amicably, they couldn’t be a kid native to konoha, even if they were there from on and beyond. or else they’d first think of naruto in the preconceived notions leaf-civilians kid thought (as a vague monster/demon their parents made of him), or as leaf-nin kid thought (a dumb numbskull, disgrace of the academy).

so before i even started on the kid themselves, i had to settle on a place out of konoha to start the deal (hahaha going through naruto wiki pages on my dying computer was so much fun guys, you have no idea)

i didn’t find a location that made sense in the wiki so i came up with something on my own. it turned out really cool actually. i’m going to link a post talking about this location in particular because this post is too long already, but what you need to know about shokinin daichi is that it was a completely civilian-based settlement. no one was prevenient from a ninja clan and married out of it for peace and quiet, no one had a second cousin that once dreamed about shinobi life as a kid or anything. i know it seems unfathomable in naruto’s universe to such a place exist, especially with how the world is exposed to us on the anime at least, but believe me, it’s more likely than you think. there’s far too much empty space on naruto’s geography and petty, small 1x1 feuds between clans for it not to. shokunin daichi was a place civilians were relatively content with their lives, and if one of them was more ambitious they’d aim for bigger things, yes, but it wouldn't usually scale so far as to become ninja.

my kid, kawarake, was the same. his family made up one the cores of the sanka clan, but since no one was looking forward to taking the clan head’s position from the main family anytime soon, they all lead relatively quiet lives with their own thing going on. the sanka clan run the ranch of shokunin daichi, and each of its cores took care of one kind of animal. kawarake’s family core took care of horses, and he spent most of his days since he was five tending to them or taking care of his littler cousins who wanted to tend them. if he wasn’t on the stables, he’d be strolling in the settlement’s main square to talk to and help all his extended family, or he’d be in his little hide-out by the river farther south from it. he was looking forward to start an apprenticeship under kakka’s clan on metalwork once he was bit older to have the excuse to go out of the settlement more often, but there was no rush on his part still. he was fine like this.

one seemingly random night, with most of the settlement preparing to lay down for the day, a group of nuke-nin found the place. no one knew how, nor who they were; and whoever was left after that disaster could only guess why, but as soon as the rogue shinobi caught sight of the quaint little thing that was kawarake’s home they started to set things on fire. they pillaged and ransacked and destroyed everything in their wake and soon it became clear that there was little to no thing the civilians could do to defend themselves, even with their mattocks and sickles and ropes and wooden planks and the strongest men and women there. smoke and heat enclosed around all of them, and people that had lived their entire lives there together were forced to leave with no plan or direction, just the clan heads’ ultimate order to grab who they could in their way out and survive. hope against hope that they’d find each other again.

kawarake had managed to find his nephew, and be found by his mom before they had to leave the remains of their burning, collapsing ranch behind. with stingy eyes and searing burns and scratches and soot here and there, they made their way out of the settlement to find kawarake’s dad and a distant cousin by chance, but couldn’t manage to reach a group - their people - running in the distance before they too dispersed each to some direction in search of safety. between the kawarake’s mom, dad and cousin, they decided that their best bet would be to seek refuge in konoha for now; and there they fleed to through forest and packed dirt as the night went on.

i don't think it's confirmed in canon but i've seen it around enough in fanfiction to think it might have been implied somewhere. the politics of seeking refuge in a hidden village might change from country to country but i think there's a consistency on the treaty: it has to be compensated for the risk it takes in accepting the refugee, either by trade if the said refugee can has capital to start producing right away or by demanding a shinobi from the refugee's household.

kawarake then becomes the first gen nin of his family, in order for them to stay in konoha and under it's protection. he's the best conventional candidate because of his age; his cousin and parents at too old for the academy, and his nephew too young. he's uneasy in the beginning, he's surrounded by ninja that can, with a few hand seals, create a catastrophe as big as what happened on his settlement just because they felt like it, and that's disconcerting af, but once he realizes that he's also gaining this power, and he's also also learning how to counter it, he manages to ease up a little bit. he even starts to look forward to the possibility of making missions out of konoha in the end; that way he can look around for all his family, and warn them they have a safe place to stay in konoha.

his family arrives two years after the uchiha massacre, and he graduates as a genin on team 3 the same semester as neji, tenten and lee. here's what i have of him and his team, intend to post more soon

he's a nice kid, guys, but he really shouldn't run around with a kunai like this

here's him, isako (also oc, gotta write stuff for her) and shiyoka (same, tho y'all have seen art of them and kawarake together already), their sensei is dope too and deserves her own presentation just because.

[ordo-scriptus]

"We were called to halt at the five mile marker, partly 'cause we were all dead on our feet, but mostly 'cause McKellan was gettin' whingy about his armour chafing. He ducked into the treeline to do some readjustin', and Ol' Nate went down the line to see how folks were farin'. "I guess the Claimjumpers saw that as an opportunity. Liepwik had limbered up his battery to the back of the tank, and his crew were left with only their ammunition cases to carry. As the column rolled to a halt, they piled up the cases and lounged about on them as if they didn't contain enough powder to open a new clearing in the forest. At the van, it were just me, an' the crew, an' Liepwik in the lee of the idlin' tank. And then, like a dracoline blinking in, there were a bundle of Claimjumpers too. "The Az Carazi 'adn't exactly forgiven Liepwik's misfire. In fact, these lads didn't look the forgivin' type under any circumstance - big mountain men, humans, faces like a Darkoath's axe. They were wearin' bandages, and the bandages were a bloody mess. Liepwik stood there an' pointed up at them, glowering through his aiming monocle. He said somethin' 'n' all, but ah were too far off to hear it. The Az Carazi weren't. Their faces split like a squig's gob, suddenly all angry teeth. They hefted their mattocks. Liepwik shook his hammer-wrench. I stood, and brought my zweihander wi' me." #paintingwarhammer #gamesworkshop #citiesofsigmar #freeguild #duardin #ironweldarsenal #helstormrockets #rocketbattery #warhammer #warhammerfantasy #warhammeraos #ageofsigmar #aos #warhammerdogsofwar #regimentsofrenown #hobbystreak #hobbystreakday21 https://www.instagram.com/p/B3neODEHUP2/?igshid=1xjhlzd5wv7nn

[lee-mattocks]

Navigating Love Across Cultures: David and Fiona’s Journey

Relationships are a beautiful blend of shared experiences, mutual understanding, and growth. For David, a 35-year-old British engineer, and Fiona, his 27-year-old girlfriend originally from South Korea, their relationship is a testament to the beauty of love transcending cultural boundaries. Together for three years, they’ve built a deep connection, navigating not only the usual challenges of a committed relationship but also the unique intricacies that come with blending two different cultures.

When David and Fiona first met, their attraction was instant, but they soon discovered that their relationship would require navigating unfamiliar customs, traditions, and expectations. For David, Fiona introduced a whole new world of Korean culture—food, language, and family values that were different from what he was used to in the UK. He embraced these experiences with open arms, learning how to cook traditional Korean dishes like kimchi and bibimbap, and attending family gatherings where he found himself immersed in an entirely different, yet incredibly warm, way of life.

Fiona, on the other hand, has embraced the charm of British culture, enjoying quiet Sunday roasts, countryside walks, and the wit that often accompanies British humor. Together, they’ve built a balance between their two worlds, merging their traditions and creating new ones along the way.

But it isn’t just about food and traditions—David and Fiona have had to communicate openly about their cultural differences. Whether it’s how they celebrate holidays, interact with family, or approach life decisions, their willingness to understand each other's perspectives has been key to maintaining their strong bond.

One of the greatest gifts of their relationship has been the opportunity to grow, not just as individuals, but together. Through their shared experiences, like hiking in the British countryside or enjoying Korean street food during trips to Seoul, they’ve built a relationship rooted in trust, respect, and love.David and Fiona’s journey shows that relationships across cultures can offer endless opportunities for learning, compromise, and deep connection. Their love story is a beautiful reminder that while cultures may differ, the core of any relationship—love, respect, and understanding—remains universal.

[365footballorg-blog]

Fantasy: Week 33 positional rankings

USA Today Sports Images

October 10, 20182:32PM EDT

With so few games in Round 33, Reid, Mike and Blayne take the opportunity to start thinking about the 2019 fantasy season and review some of the more interesting suggestions they have heard so far. They also try out a new open format for player reviews and it turns into a heated discussion about who should win Newcomer of the Year. Where do you fall? Listen to the show and then let us know your thoughts. But don’t forget, games start on FRIDAY at 10 pm ET!

The FIFA international window brings us to a condensed Week 33 of MLS Fantasy, with just four games to build a team around this week. With international absences in mind, let’s take a closer look at the top players at each position.

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Goalkeepers

New England’s Brad Knighton has conceded two or more goals in three straight games, but he’s in a good bounceback spot at home against Orlando City on Saturday. The Lions have been shut out in four straight games and will also be missing key pieces of their attack in Yoshi Yotun (international duty) and Dom Dwyer (yellow-card accumulation).

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1  Brad Knighton NE vs. ORL $ 7.0 2  Bobby Shuttleworth MIN vs. COL $ 4.4 3 Tyler Miller LAFC vs. HOU $ 8.9 4  Bill Hamid DC vs. DAL $ 7.9 5  Jesse Gonzalez DAL at DC $ 5.4 6 Joe Willis HOU at LAFC $ 6.4 7 Tim Howard COL at MIN $ 5.6 8 Joe Bendik ORL at NE $ 4.5

Defenders

Walker Zimmerman has three goals over his last three outings, highlighting his ability to contribute attacking points as a towering target on LAFC set pieces. A home game against Houston on Friday presents another opportunity for Zimmerman to deliver.

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1 Walker Zimmerman LAFC vs. HOU $ 8.0 2 Michael Mancienne NE vs. ORL $ 6.9 3 Steven Beitashour LAFC vs. HOU $ 8.6 4 Frederic Brillant DC vs. DAL $ 6.0 5 Reto Ziegler DAL at DC $ 9.3 6 Matt Hedges DAL at DC $ 8.4 7 Michael Boxall MIN vs. COL $ 7.0 8 Jordan Harvey LAFC vs. HOU $ 8.0 9 Jalil Anibaba NE vs. ORL $ 5.7 10 Steve Birnbaum DC vs. DAL $ 8.8 11 Edgar Castillo COL at MIN $ 6.6 12 Brent Kallman MIN vs. COL $ 4.8 13 Ryan Hollingshead DAL at DC $ 4.4 14 Jerome Thiesson MIN vs. COL $ 4.0 15 Eric Miller MIN vs. COL $ 4.0 16 Danilo Silva LAFC vs. HOU $ 5.6 17 Dejan Jakovic LAFC vs. HOU $ 5.9 18 Joseph Mora DC vs. DAL $ 6.7 19 Marquinhos Pedroso DAL at DC $ 7.3 20 DaMarcus Beasley HOU at LAFC $ 6.1

Midfielders

Luciano Acosta saw his run of three straight double-digit point games come to a halt last week, but he continues to be an integral part of the D.C. United attack as they make a push for a spot in the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1 Luciano Acosta DC vs. DAL $ 12.5 2 Lee Nguyen LAFC vs. HOU $ 9.9 3 Miguel Ibarra MIN vs. COL $ 7.9 4 Yamil Asad DC vs. DAL $ 9.3 5 Benny Feilhaber LAFC vs. HOU $ 7.7 6 Diego Fagundez NE vs. ORL $ 6.9 7 Michael Barrios DAL at DC $ 10.9 8 Juan Agudelo NE vs. ORL $ 4.9 9 Paul Arriola DC vs. DAL $ 8.5 10 Tomas Martinez HOU at LAFC $ 9.5 11 Santiago Mosquera DAL at DC $ 9.5 12 Kelyn Rowe NE vs. ORL $ 5.8 13 Aaron Kovar LAFC vs. HOU $ 5.0 14 Zoltan Steiber DC vs. DAL $ 6.4 15 Luis Caicedo NE vs. ORL $ 5.9 16 Rasmus Schuller MIN vs. COL $ 8.4 17 Victor Ulloa DAL at DC $ 8.2 18 Ibson MIN vs. COL $ 7.1 19 Ulises Segura DC vs. DAL $ 5.0 20 Junior Moreno DC vs. DAL $ 6.9 21 Sacha Kljestan ORL at NE $ 7.0 22 Maximiano MIN vs. COL $ 5.2 23 Alexi Gomez MIN vs. COL $ 5.7 24 Andre Horta LAFC vs. HOU $ 5.0 25 Boniek Garcia HOU at LAFC $ 5.8 26 Roland Lamah DAL at DC $ 6.9 27 Scott Caldwell NE vs. ORL $ 5.8 28 Russell Canouse DC vs. DAL $ 7.6 29 Jack Price COL at MIN $ 6.9 30 Pablo Aranguiz DAL at DC $ 5.5

Forwards

Darwin Quintero has a goal or an assist in 11 of his last 12 games, and he should be licking his chops at home against a Colorado Rapids side that have been outscored 22-1 during their current seven-game losing streak.

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1 Darwin Quintero MIN vs. COL $ 14.3 2 Wayne Rooney DC vs. DAL $ 12.8 3 Carlos Vela LAFC vs. HOU $ 12.6 4 Cristian Penilla NE vs. ORL $ 7.9 5 Angelo Rodriguez MIN vs. COL $ 7.6 6 Adama Diomande LAFC vs. HOU $ 8.0 7 Diego Rossi LAFC vs. HOU $ 9.5 8 Maximiliano Urruti DAL at DC $ 9.3 9 Teal Bunbury NE vs. ORL $ 5.7 10 Mauro Manotas HOU at LAFC $ 9.4 11 Dominique Badji DAL at DC $ 5.6 12 Shkelzen Gashi COL at MIN $ 4.0 13 Marco Urena LAFC vs. HOU $ 4.8 14 Christian Ramirez LAFC vs. HOU $ 7.2 15 Darren Mattocks DC vs. DAL $ 4.1

Stay Connected: To get all the latest Fantasy news and advice, download the MLS app and sign up for MLS Fantasy notifications. To sign up for notifications, select the main menu, choose settings. Within the settings menu, select News & Videos notifications and turn on notifications for “Fantasy Soccer.”

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MLSsoccer.com News

Fantasy: Week 33 positional rankings was originally published on 365 Football

[scentedstarfishtheorist]

Betrayal

http://sharegoblin.com/betrayal/

Betrayal

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0XDNW4/      IT STARTED AS AN EXPERIMENT. It ended with an invention. He never intended to use it. But then they betrayed him.BETRAYAL: Imagine Chris Kyle’s AMERICAN SNIPER meets David Baldacci’s ABSOLUTE POWER.“Best book I’ve read in years.” –Matt Mattocks“A pulse-pounding thrill ride!” –Frances Edge“An edge of your seat thriller.” –Leslie Obrien_______________________________________Presumed dead after a staged terrorist attack, FBI Agent Odysseus Carr is running for his life with the doctor who rescued him. Meanwhile, the same power players who sent Odi to his death are now manipulating an FBI profiler into blindly tracking him down. She’s not just their best, she’s also his sister.As Odi unravels a devious plot of profound political manipulation and global consequence, the hunted becomes the hunter, and the real terror begins._______________________________________Dear Reader,If you enjoy David Baldacci, Lee Child, Tom Clancy, Nelson DeMille, Ken Follett, Vince Flynn, Andrew Peterson, Daniel Silva, Brad Taylor, or Brad Thor, odds are you’ll be smiling a few pages into my books as well.Care to try before you buy? No problem. You can download one my thrillers for free at timtigner.com.Need help putting the kids through college? I can appreciate that. I have a couple of my own. I’m not in a position to help you with tuition yet, but I can provide days of delightful distraction for the price of a cup of coffee, and kind reviews will get good karma sent your way.Thanks for your kind consideration,Tim

#amreading, #newbook, #books, #book, #follow

[samanthathompsonphoto-blog]

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Agency Research

DNB Represents

 The next Agency I was going to research was DNB Represents a photographic agency who represents photographers across the field.  I thought it would be useful to keep researching different photographic agencies across the photographic industry to really allow myself to become familiar with the agency industry and learn about how different agencies present themselves and work, hopefully helping myself and Alex when creating our website but also to help me understand the contemporary world of photography agents. On the DNB website they don’t show much information about who they are as a company, something which I think is usually really valuable in allowing an online audience to understand a company. But from the DNB website I could see who they represent and how they engage with their online audience. DNB represent both photographers but also photographers who work with moving image representing the photographers, Martin Parr, Nadia Lee Cohen, Haris Nukem, Hamish Stephenson, Christopher Rudquist, Finn Taylor, Bruce Gilden, Mart Mattock, Rebecca Scheinberg, Jeff Mermelstein, Alejandro Chaskielberg, Simon Roberts, Peter Fraser and Eudes De Santana. On the DNB artists page, you are presented with an image from the photographer and their name overlaid on top. Really giving a first glimpse of who the photographer is and their style. On each of the photographer’s individual pages they have a list of the selected clients they have worked with really showing off their commercial abilities and their previous work. There is then a short description of the photographer and about their work, before providing images you can scroll through getting a glimpse of their portfolio. At the very bottom of the page there is section for their latest projects, showing you a glimpse of the jobs they have done and information about the project and a description of the commission and the client, really showing off the skills and experience of the photographer. I think the way DNB presents their photographers is actually very different to a lot of the other agencies I have researched, here they only show a short bold paragraph of text communicating the most important bits of information about who they are. DNB really try and sell their photographer through their portfolio, providing their online audience with lots of photographers, I think in a creative industry this works really well as you are not bombarded with loads of text you can really see their talent from their photographs.

 The DNB website is very simple with only 4 headings, our artists, freshly made, who cares and contact. They have been very contemporary and playful with their titles like freshly made which is a page which acts as a blog, providing posts about the new work that has been made so really the title works to describe what the audience will find on that page but in a playful and creative way. I think this page is really important to engage not only clients to the photographers allowing them to see what the photographers have been up to but also for their online audience in general to keep up to date with the photographer’s work. The Who cares section is also another creative title, which page consists of client’s logos showing the viewer the large amount of clients their photographers have work with, showing off the success of the agency. The DNM Website really does stand out from the other websites, its very simple yet effective fitting in with the creative industry and presenting themselves in a slightly different way to how other photographic agencies present themselves online. DMB are incredibly simple and playful with the way they present themselves making them stand out against the rest. But also something which allows them to stand out is that they have a tag line across the top of their website, ‘creating visual conversations’ something again I haven’t seen with any of the previous agency research and I think it also is a statement which is creatively summarising what the agency do providing information to the viewer in a creative way.  Myself and Alex when creating our own website need to think about being creative in order for us to stand out and this tag line is something which can be thought out as a creative way to communicate who we are.

 Social Media

 Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/dmb_represents/

DNB Represents uses their Instagram page as a tool for promoting their photographers work, posting photographers from their photographers promoting their current practice. On some posts they have short descriptions of the work by just saying a couple of words, but on other posts they put more information to really help the viewer to understand the narrative within the photograph allowing them to engage with the artists and understand their practice. They way they have used Instagram has really highlighted me the importance to keep Instagram as a professional social media platform posting professional photographs not social, to really help promote mine and Alex’s photographers.

 Twitter

https://twitter.com/dmbrepresents

Twitter however they use in a very different way to there Instagram account, their twitter page is a lot more social and laid pack, allowing their following to get a glimpse into the behind the scenes of the agency. The tweets show photographs from behind the scenes of shoots photographers are on again, another tool that agents use to promote their photographers. They also tweet about events the agents are at allowing there followers to follow the company and keep up today with the photographers and agency. So I guess both of the intentions for using Instagram and twitter are the same for bringing in audiences to the agency and the photographers but they are using two different techniques.

 Facebook

DNB use facebook as another platform to promote the agency and their photographers, posting links to their blog on their website promoting the ongoing work of the photographers, but also in similar way to their twitter they are providing their online audience with glimpse of the social life of the agency with events they went to and really allowing the viewer to engage with the agency and the photographers.

 DMB represents using three different social media will allow audiences to be drawn in to the agency and their photographs across all of the platforms generating a larger audience for the company than if they didn’t use all three platforms they are really maximising their potential audiences by having an active social media presence across platforms.

 Agency  Interviews

 As the agency doesn’t include much information about who they are as a company I was really interested to research more about the company helping my knowledge of agencies develop. I came across an interview with David Birkitt the head of DNB represents, so I was really intrigued from his perspective about his company and the agency industry. The interview was with Genesis imaging talking about the changes in the industry, again something I was interested to learn about to help me understand the contemporary state of the agency industry and the wider photography industry.  I have gone through the interview depicting points which are useful in order for me to understand about DNB but also about the wider agency industry and analysed the points as I went along. (http://genesisimaging.co.uk/interview-david-birkitt-dmb-media/An Interview with David Birkitt of DMB Media)

 The interview begins with talking about the agencies participation at Unseen photo fair, a fair which I have come across in my gallery research so it was really interesting to understand how agencies also attend these photography fairs in order to promote both their company and their photographer. This really signifies the importance that myself and Alex promote both our gallery and agency at photo fairs to help promote our broader company as well as our photographers and exhibitions.

 David Birkitt: “We wanted to make our stand more of an experience than just showing work on walls, a live experience.” This really shows the importance to make yourself stand out at a photo fair to really engage with the audience their drawing in a larger audience in the long run and making the agency stand out from the surrounding agencies in the industry.

 Genesis imaging: “What would you like to see change within the photography industry in the future?”

David Birkitt: “Commercially a greater use of quality images & photographs, conceptual risks & a much bigger position in the art world.” Its really interesting to hear from a successful agent’s perspective where they want the industry to go and how as a company myself and Alex need to take in these point and try and incorporate them in our company trying to develop alongside the industry and trying to encourage photographers to take conceptual risks something we can also attempt to do with our curation.

 Genesis imaging: “And what has been the biggest challenge in your career? How did you overcome it?”

David Birkitt: “Evolving within an ever changing environment, collaborating with people that are constantly pushing the boundaries.” This really shows that in the industry people are pushing boundaries and to be prepared for it but to also try and push the boundaries myself with the company myself and Alex hope to create.

 This interview has really shown me the importance of agencies to stand out from the rest especially in social situations like at photography fairs and festivals to really allow them to stand and and draw in an audience, but also to that the industry is evolving and to be aware that photographers and people in the industry are constantly pushing the boundaries.  

 Now that that my knowledge of DNB agency had developed and my understanding of the agency industry was continuing to advance with every bit of research I do, I was really interested to learn more about how David Birkitt director of DNB represents became an agent and created an agency to really help me understand the different routes agents took to get where they are today. Fortunately, I came across an interview with David Birkitt who told his story. Again I filtered through the interview picking out useful points helping me understand his route and the wider agency industry. (http://www.ideastap.com/IdeasMag/all-articles/David-Birkitt-Photography-Agent-DRB-Media)

 “I studied photography to degree level, and then halfway through my dissertation year I came up to London and did some work experience at a studio in Shoreditch before the whole Shoreditch thing kicked off.” Its really reassuring to learn that he was once in the same situation as I am now really giving me hope that I could one day be where he is.

 “I was assisting on a John Medley shoot – making tea, clearing up – and was asked to stay there to run the studio. I had to leave my degree early to take on the job, and the work was full on. This was at a time when the industry was booming, so it was a time of big lunches and loads of drink. So from answering the phone at lunchtime I managed to build relationships with photographers while I was there, as well as their agents. One day we got a phone call for a Ben Sherman project and I just went with it without really telling anyone what I was doing. I got myself into a real pickle with that, but my boss ended up letting me run with it as my first project. That was the first inkling that I wasn’t necessarily that interested in pursuing photography as a career.” This really shows me the importance to get my foot into the door and to build your way up and learn from other people, networking and building connections as you learn. Something myself and Alex really need to do if want want to start a business together as we need to get experience in the field as we never know the opportunities which might come about.

 “Not all agents come from a photographic background, and because I do it has helped me to understand the photographers’ minds. It meant I could communicate from the photographers to the clients and from the clients to the photographers in a language they can both understand.” This is really encouraging that my photography background may help me in the agency industry as I can speak the photography language which hopefully will be in my favor.

 “Some people have a natural entrepreneurialism attached to them. First and foremost, this is a business, and most students coming out of university have no business acumen whatsoever. They say,” This is what I enjoy doing, so I’m going to make a business out of it. “The business world asks,” What do people need, and how can I give that to them in exchange for money? “It’s the exact polar opposite.” This point is really vital that I understand and really get to know the agency industry looking for what people need in order to get money something which is really important for me to remember that it can’t just because I enjoy it I have to look for that gap.

 “It’s important to see this industry as it is, rather than what you think it is. If you do that, you can carve out your own way.” Highlighting the importance of doing all this research as it is really allowing me to see the bigger picture and understand the agency and gallery industry as a whole.

 Learning about how David Birkitt became a photographer’s agent really highlighted the importance of taking risks, that in the agency industry you can’t play it safe. But also that understanding photography as a practice can be beneficial for an agent in being able to communicate with both the photographer and the client. Its been really interesting to learn about an agent’s path in to the industry and really highlighted the importance of getting a foot in the industry and you never know what opportunities may come about.

[o-crewel-world]

LEE MATTOCKS "castle bag"

[pullfaces-blog]

Lee Mattocks - LCF MA Fashion Artefacts - (click it for more!)

Produced a bag collection based around an owl catching a rabbit.

Yes, this is a little morbid but I am rather loving it. 

Taxidermy=guilty pleasure.