#You can get bullied by middle schoolers as a 21 year old if you look like one of them ;—;

[ranvwoop]

I have to wake up at 5;30AM to catch the bus for an 8:30 class which i think is some sort of torture probably

[tohruhondaismydaughter]

I've just discovered there's people who hate Kakeru. Not dislike or don't get the hype about him but genuinely seem to hate him. Now obviously personal preferences are a thing but I seriously don't get where this hate could be coming from because with

1. Akito- phyically assaults people (including kids), held a teenager hostage for daiting & trying to take a box of her's that Akito already knew was empty & also stabbed someone after they tried to help her & left them to potentially die

2. Shigure- regularly makes perverted "jokes" about people who are underage (including the 16 year old girl who lives with him & cleans/cooks for him + he's family) & admits to manipulating everyone around him for he's own selfish goal regardless of how it could hurt others & that he dosn't really care about being kind even to the people he supposedly loves + he likes messing with people he knows are already terribly anxious & he also won in the end while never having to actually sacrifice anything important to him or really learn anything of value

3. Ayame- abounded he's brother to abuse till he was almost 30 & says various inappropriate things in front of & towards High Schoolers

4. Kagura- pretended to love someone 3 years younger then her who she saw as beneath her in a violent (though it was obviously in out-dated slap stick) way until she was like 18 & then slaps Tohru so hard she becomes uncounsious

5. Kureno- enabler of Akito despite no longer being supernaturally bound to her & knowingly fell for a High Schooler

6. Hatori- enabler of Akito & erasers people's memories when told to regardless of how he knows it'll hurt others

7. Katsuya- knowingly married (& later impregnated) isolated & homeless 15 year old Kyoko when he was in he's 20's after meeting her as a teacher in her middle school

8. Ren- everything about her

9. Kyo's sperm donor- everything about him

10. Momiji's parents- how they handled the situation

11. Machi's mum- raised her daughter like a robot, replaced her, insulted her entire personality, acussed her of attempted murder with bassically zero evidence, kicked her out of her home, cut her off from her sibling & only ocasnially calls to insult her leading to her developing a rather unhealthy coping mechanism to deal with her damaged mental health

12. Machi & Kakeru's dad- cheated on his wife, made he's kids fight over thier inheritance before getting another child & then treating the first two like they no longer exsisted

13. Kakeru's mum- took years to realise that she shouldn't use her child to get money/power from an affair

14. Haru- got a little too insistent about phyical affection from someone who he knows is super emotinally scarred (I still love him though just don't think certain scenes with Rin were handeld as delicately as they probably should have been) & can get rather harsh to random people when he goes dark (the worse case of this being when he grabbed Tohru's arm)

15. Rin's parents- belong in hell

16. The Sohma maids (especially the old one)- are part of the reason Akito became as messed up as she did + just straight up seem to not view kids or the zodiac as human beings with thier own feelings or rights

17. Uo's mum- straight up abounded her young daughter after getting into a new relationship

18. Yuki & Ayame's mum- narsastic, dismissive, controlling, litrually sold one of her kids to thier abuser in exchange for wealth/status, never apologised or even acknowledged what she had done

19. Akira- pursued a relationship pretty much out of pure lonleyness, went along with the suppression of Akito's biological gender, didn't do enough to protect Akito from he's wife's abuse (though in he's defense he was incredible sickly), last few things he told he's child before dying was that he was glad he had her as proof of he's relationship with Ren (AKA the person that had made it clear to Akito that she hated her guts) & that she was special due to being god & her bond with the zodiac was her birth right & would always be there (leading Akito to obviously feeling possessive & intilted over the zodiac & base her entire identity on her position as their god)

20. Kyoko- neglected infant Tohru for months due to her depression after Katuya's death & was even planning on killing herself to be with him again before finally coming to her senses (I love her & I tottally get why she did what she did but if it weren't for gramps little Tohru would have been in one hell of bad situation)

21. The Yuki Fan Club- just thier entire attitude towards Yuki & any girl that interacts with him (I get that it's obviously a delibretly over the top anime gag but irl the way they behave would be seriously disturbing & I'm pretty sure might even be illegal now what with all the photos taken of Yuki without he's knowledge)

22. The former school president- he's creepy fravriotisim towards Yuki (& later he's son) & he's flat out harrasing of anyone wearing the school uniform in a none tradishinal way or anyone with an unusual hair colour (despite him bassically admitting that the school officials had already said that Momiji, Haru & Kyo's appearances were ok)

23. Kimi- I like her & she's obviously iconic but honestly the way she treats Machi kind of borders on bullying sometimes for me

24. Hiro- he's a child & I like him but when we first met him you can't deny he was being a grade A shit to Tohru, Kisa & everyone else (& he fucks up again with Tohru during the beach arc)

25. Rin- love her so much but the first time she met Tohru she did try to kick her in the head while in her horse form which you know isn't great & she was rather antagonistic towards Yuki for no real vaild reason

26. Kyo- using Yuki as a scape goat he's entire life even when he knew none of the terrible things that had happened to him were actually he's fault, hurting Tohru in he's true form (I get that he wasn't in he's right mind & was suffering greatly but it still wasn't good) & rejecting Tohru after everything they had been through in the way that he did (again he wasn't in he's right mind & was suffering greatly but it's still an incredibly low blow & I think he knew that as he tragically wanted to hurt her, similar to what he did in the true form scene, badly enough that she would finally choose to give up on him)

27. The entire zodiac (outside of Kagura & maybe Momiji)- it is revealed that the zodiac are supernaturally inclined to look down on the cat & that they know about Kyo's tragic fate yet do not plan on trying to stop it from happening as he's suffering is thier one true reprieve in the curse as no matter what happens to them they will never be as "low down" as the cat yet once the curse finally breaks for everybody almost nobody even thinks to apologises to Kyo for how he was made to be an outsider since birth

28. Naohito- decides to hate Yuki out of jelousy because he has feelings for Motoko (who clearly has feelings for Yuki) despite Yuki showing no romantic feelings for Motoko & barley sharing any kind of connection with her at all which is obviously not fair as just because you happen to be liked by someone who is liked by someone else dosn't mean you should have to except being seen as a bad person (especially as in Yuki's case he never tried to encourage Motoko's obsession with him & in fact barley notices her exsistance as they aren't in any of the same social circles & she follows the ridiculous club rule of not speaking to him without another fan club member present)

29. Yuki- rather judgmental over how others choose to present themselves in regards to gender norms

30. Momiji- I love him but he did try to take advange of Tohru not knowing how old he really was to bath with her & did actually mange to use this fact to sleep along side her one night before she found out how old he actually was (now obviously Momiji is a wonderfully kind person & clearly would never actually do anything to hurt Tohru but let's be real if someone did that to you irl you'd be pretty creeped out & understandably have a hard time trusting them again)

31. Yuki & Ayame's father- has always been complety missing from he's kids lives (& even seemingly he's wive's) despite being mentioned to be still alive & well enough to work

32. Uo's dad- getting dumped for someone else must suck especially when your left with a young child & I know he did eventually clean up he's act but there's no changing the fact that he's years as an alcholic messed up Uo really bad & could have led to her death if Kyoko hadn't stepped in

33. Kazuma- I know he had good intentions & I love him but there's no denying that he did ignore Kyo's right to free will when he removed he's bracelet & though the plan ended up making he's life better if it had gone wrong in any way then Kyo had pretty much admitted (at least to himself) in S2E9 that he would have probably killed himself that night which would have clearly destroyed Tohru

34. Kyo's mum - she was obviously treated terribly by her husband & I do feel sorry for her but her way of dealing with the situation really damaged Kyo

Your really telling me that the character you have the most issues with is a boy who said a few horrible things to the MC when he was 15 in service of someone he loved who was in pain, got told by said loved one that what he'd said was wrong, felt bad about it, befriended a lonley teen that was close to the MC, quickly grew to genuinely care about them & made them come out of thier shell, wanted to help he's half sister but knew he wasn't really the right person for the job, realised that he's new friend was, encouraged the friend & he's sister's growing connection, learned how good of a person the MC has been to he's new friend, admits to he's friend that he'd been horrible to the MC in the past but just dosn't know how to go about rectifying it (especially as she dosn't seem to remember him), introduces he's friend to he's GF (further expanding the friend's positive social circle), finally bumps into MC alone & is shocked to find out that she dose now in fact remember him & even appoliges to him + thanks him for bringing her friend out of thier shell before he comes to he's senses & assures her that she has nothing to apologise for & then visits her in the hospital when she gets injured & even goes shopping for a gift to give her beforehand (even if he dosn't end up getting her something that actually fits her personality because well duh he dosn't really know anything about her).

Out of every questionably moral thing in the series this is really the hill you wanna die on?

I just honestly can't understand it. Sure he's not perfect but then no one in the series is. That's kind of the entire point of the story, that anyone can do things that hurt people but that it's what you choose to do going forward (even if it takes you a long time) that's important & Kakeru, eventually, chose to try to do the right thing. He tried to understand Yuki even though the guy didn't seem to like him at all, he chose to check up on Machi even though she seemingly hadn't made any sign of wanting to deepen thier sibling bond, he chose to finally talk to Tohru instead of continuing the ruse that he'd never spoken to her before, he chose to come clean about what happened to Yuki despite the potential of ending their friendship (& you can't tell me once he'd realised how much Yuki cared for Tohru the very real possibility that Yuki might hate him if he found out what he'd said to her wouldn't worry him at all) & he chose to visit Tohru in the hospital instead of just wishing Yuki luck or hoping Kormaki would go so he could avoid feeling uncomfortable.

You don't have to love him or even like him but I really don't think he deserves this amount of hate (especially incomparsion to some of the other characters I've listed).

[jamlocked]

For the identity ask thing: 2, 6, 15 :)

2. have you ever found a writer who thinks just like you? if so, who?

Uhhhh…hmm. I think there’s a reason I’ve lived on a steady diet of Terry Pratchett since I first read Reaper Man at age ten. But then, the very fact I start reading him young could mean that he influence the way I thought, rather than just resonating with how I thought already. Either way, a pretty bloody good worldview to identify with.

I also have to shout out to @summeringminor here; we might differ in the odd Jim Moriarty headcanon, but we’re both pretty much here for the beauty of pain and suffering. :D

6. are you religious/spiritual?

In a word…yeah. I guess. I would not call myself religious at all, though I grew up going to church most weeks. The older I’ve got, the more anti-organised religion I’ve become. Hard not to be, when you start seeing the things people do and say while using God as an excuse. But I also can’t deny that I’ve known many, many wonderful people who are religious and use that faith to do great, helpful, caring things. I will also never tell anyone they’re wrong to believe what they believe, as long as they’re not hurting anyone else with those beliefs. 

As for me, personally - well, I’m not an aetheist, lets put it that way. It’s  complicated, in that no one ever really knows, but really simple in that I have no trouble believing in a higher power. And it may just be humans and our collective power, but if so there’s no truer God than that. 

15. five most influential books over your lifetime.

…oh man. What a question. GAH. 

Okay, well, I’m just going to pick five that have stood out at different points in my life because otherwise I will have a shortlist of hundreds. 

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. 

I must have read this a dozen times when I was a teenager. I used to get to the end of it, then go right back and start it over again. I think it was the first book that made me think about religion, and the way it is in the world. I think I was about eleven when I read it first, which was also the age I was both confirmed, and stopped going to church. Reading Good Omens made me think about religion outside the confines of organised religion, and massively expanded my horizons. 

 It - Stephen King.

I was also a teenager when I read this. I think books are usually the most influential when you’re that age, probably? Anyway, I think I was thirteen. There had been lots of books - every book, practically; I used to read one a day - that I just couldn’t stop until I’d finished. But this is the first one I clearly remember not wanting to finish. It scared the everloving shit out of me, but it sucked me into a world that was so fully realised, both on the page and in my head, that I just couldn’t get out of it. That was the first horror book I read, the first Stephen King, and it opened my eyes to a whole new kind of fiction. I’d read a multitude of kid’s books, and Enid Blyton, and I’ve mentioned my early love of Terry Pratchett. I’d also devoured a good chunk of the classics by that age (I counted Far From the Madding Crowd as my favourite book) - but this was something new. I read a ton of SK after that, but none quite held the magic of It. 

Unnamed kid’s story/author unknown

Okay, so, in primary school you get set reading books for your age, et cetera, and when you get through those you’re allowed to be a ‘free reader’ - or that’s how it was when I was that age, idk. So anyway, I blazed through all the set stuff, and once I had the freedom of the library, I picked up this random book of short stories one afternoon. They were age-appropriate, of course, and this one story was about a group of kids who built their own go-karts, and had a massive race with them. Maybe once a year, maybe more often, idk. So of course, there was one kid who was better than all of them, won every time, built his own kart and no one could beat him et cetera. I strapped in for the usual kid’s fare of a new pretender showing up, and either taking the crown, or this kid - who I think was called Billy - overcoming the odds to win again. It was told from the POV of another kid, who also raced but couldn’t touch Billy. And Billy seemed like a decent guy, he wasn’t a bully or anything. 

So anyway, blah blah, they built their karts, they had the race. All was as expected. And then…a car showed up. Billy and New Pretender were neck and neck at the finish line, everyone’s screaming and cheering, and…Billy crashes into the car. God, I can still remember my shock, and how I jumped from ‘this is exciting, but normal’ to ‘omg, wtf is happening.’ But I also remember thinking, ‘but he won, and he’ll be fine.’ And the reason I remember it all so clearly is because…well, here’s Billy’s final words. ‘No, I didn’t. I lost.’

Someone told him that he won the race. But he didn’t, and then he hit the car, and then he died. And he died knowing he’d been beaten.

Like…I was young when I read this, about eight. Maybe younger. The notion that the focus of a story could not win and then actually die…I was not prepared for that. It stuck with me as the first real idea that things don’t always turn out the way you think. Good guys don’t always win, you don’t always achieve the things you think you will. A pretty hard lesson for a primary schooler, but it made me think about things in a different way from then on. 

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig

Moving on from childhood…this book. Fuck, man, this book. I was 21 or 22 when I read it, and I‘m not even going to talk too much about about it because I can’t remember the details. There’s too much in it to try and explain anyway. But I remember reading it because my best mate recced it, and it didn’t seem very promising at first. And then I got sucked in, and I just could not stop. It’s semi-autobiographical, it’s about a road trip a man is taking with his son, it’s all about philosophy and self, and then mental illness, and…God. There wasn’t a single page that didn’t make me think. It made me start a course in philosophy. It was just a wonderful experience from start to finish, and I’ve never read it since because I don’t want to break that magic. But I will read it again. I’m going to find free time, and indulge myself fully. It was just that good. 

sdlfkj I really can’t pick a fifth and I’m rambling on forever, so I’m going to go for a really simple and obvious choice. 

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkein

My dad gave my sister a copy of this when I was ten, and she was thirteen. I remember thinking how grown up it looked because it was all black and had a dragon on the front. By the time I was twelve I had nicked it off her bookshelf, and I don’t think she ever got it back. It’s another one I read endlessly through my teen years, and it was influential because it my first introduction to that type of fantasy. I couldn’t tell you exactly why Tolkein’s fantasy feels different to Pratchett’s - maybe it’s just more Old Worlde, and of course the writing style is more old-fashioned. It just felt more highbrow, less ‘fun’, but just as enjoyable. It was like travelling back in time, as well as to a different world. I massively preferred the Discworld to Middle Earth - and still do - but I remember loving The Hobbit for its introduction to something I’d never come across before. And when I wrote my first fantasy story when I was about fifteen, it was a perfectly terrible mish-mash of pterry’s satirical style and Tolkien’s highbrow backdrop (and I am serious when I say it was terrible. It was terrible). But any time I think of books that have influenced me and what I like, what I use as a touchstone, what I think of fondly - The Hobbit is always among the first that springs to mind. 

(I re-read it a couple of years ago, and was struck by how simplistic and childlike it seemed. Inevitable, given I’m so much older and have read so much more now. But it doesn’t diminish the fond memories I have of that first love for it.)

I AM SORRY FOR RAMBLING ON FOREVER. Me and books, idk. But thanks for the ask. :)

[musicaldefiance]

Do not ever bully someone about their art

I don't know why I'm feeling really retrospective about this tonight, but I wanted to make a little post about this because I think it's important. It's just been on my mind because I know it's something that I struggle with even now.

When I was a middle schooler, I was your typical anime obsessed little girl. It heavily inspired me to draw, starting in about fifth grade and especially all through middle school. Of course, middle school is only one of the worst times of everybody's lives. During that time, everybody is very judgemental, and our dumb cliquey mindsets make us think that we can't have anybody be different than us. Needless to say I was bullied pretty often. That's all in the past though and I don't really stress over that anymore.

The issue was in the fact that I liked to draw all the time, but because I had bullies, I would get shamed for doing it a lot. I would have my sketchbook out in a class and would get accused of drawing pornography or told that I was drawing ugly characters. People would make snap judgments on my drawings, and they would typically be far from constructive. It was often times just a way to stab at me. And while fortunately it didn't do anything to take away from my interest and love for drawing, it made me stupidly self-conscious about it. I found myself very quickly hiding drawings and sketches from other people, and if I ever had a sketchbook or drawing out in class I would always hide it with my arm or my hand. I tried to make sure as much as possible that people wouldn't see what I was doing, and even if people were legitimately interested I would always shy away. There would even be occasional times where I would be open to showing others my drawings, but then I would find out that they were just making fun of them in the end. It was a pretty difficult time to want to be an artist.

I haven't been in middle school for a very long time, but even now as a senior college student whose talent has improved immensely, I still have the same exact quirks that I had when I was in middle school. If somebody wants to look at my sketchbook, I have to pick the drawings that they look at and they can't have the actual sketchbook in their hands, because I don't want them to have free rein to look at everything in there. If I'm ever drawing something, very often if I notice somebody coming by me I will hide the drawing. It doesn't matter if I think it's good, or something that I should be proud of, I will still hide it. I won't share sketch books with even the people who are the closest to me. That being friends, or boyfriends, or family, and I've gotten a lot of resentment for that. And as much as I hate to admit it, I have a pretty hard time taking criticisms. I'm always happy and open to improving upon my art, but even very sincere constructive criticisms feel like I'm being poked fun at. It just makes things very difficult.

I know I'm far from the only person that's ever had to deal with something like this in their life, and honestly my issues are miniscule compared to a lot of people. I would never go as far to say that I've suffered more than someone else, but I honestly think that if I still am impacted by that today as a 21 year old college student, then I can only imagine how much that impacts a younger artist, or really any artist. Considering how much I've improved over time, I really consider myself very lucky that I never stopped. But I do hate that I feel so afraid to show off what I've done. I've definitely gotten better about it, feeling free to post things on this website or on other social media sites without feeling scared, but I still can't really get past the actuality of being around others while I'm working. It's a stigma I fear I will never be able to shake.

If you are somebody who considers themselves a person who beats down others for doing what they like to do, allow me to grant you a very sincere "fuck you". You're the kind of person that makes it hard to want to do things that people enjoy. And when you tear somebody down, they may not be as invested or interested as someone like I was, and you may not get to see the amazing transformations between what they do back then and what they can do now.

Do not ever bully somebody for making art.

[bunkernine]

until you make a proper (and maybe shorter 😭) post, here's some times acne were mentioned in toa:

“Horrors!” I cried. “Is that—Is that acne ?” Immortal gods do not get acne. It is one of our inalienable rights. Yet I leaned closer to the glass and saw that my skin was indeed a scarred landscape of whiteheads and pustules.

I balled my fists and wailed to the cruel sky, “Zeus, what have I done to deserve this?”

(The Hidden Oracle, ch 3)

The child seemed unfazed by the cold weather, the dangerous journey ahead, and the fact that I was suffering from acne.

(The Hidden Oracle, ch 3)

Whoever Meg McCaffrey was, however she had happened to find me, our fates were now intertwined. It was almost as embarrassing as the acne.

(The Hidden Oracle, ch 3)

“And I have acne,” I lamented. “And flab.”

Will tilted his head. “You’re mortal, and that’s what you’re worried about?”

“You’re right. I’m powerless. Weaker even than you puny demigods!”

“Gee, thanks….” I got the feeling that he almost said Dad but managed to stop himself. It was difficult to think of this young man as my son. He was so poised, so unassuming, so free of acne. He also didn’t appear to be awestruck in my presence. In fact, the corner of his mouth had started twitching.

(The Hidden Oracle, ch 10)

“Ah…” I wasn’t sure why, but it felt like my acne was turning into live insects and crawling across my face. “Well, according to my extensive research—”

(The Hidden Oracle, ch 21)

Calypso tilted her head. “Perhaps you have changed. That does not sound like the Apollo I remember. You definitely are not as handsome.” “I am still quite handsome,” I protested. “I just need to clear up this acne.”

(The Hidden Oracle, ch 39)

Fun fact: i skipped a few, and this is ONLY from the hidden oracle.

apollo having acne is whatever. i grew up with acne and dermatologist visits, having it more years than most people and will probably go into adulthood with it too. lots of teens have acne, its completely normal!!! except the thing is that almost NO ONE in pjo has acne- oh wait. there's a few people. the villains and the bullies. typically those were not supposed to find attractive.

the only two people i can think to counter this is grover and piper. grover, the satyr who has a beard is really like 30 yrs old, and piper, who had a pimple on her face but got whisked away by magic when she was claimed... so yeah.

apollo complaining made sense in the beginning like @thepencalledriptide mentioned. he was a hot god!!! he had control over how he presented himself and wanted himself to look good!!! but as it grew on, the constant berating made it seem like acne was absolutely ugly and hideous and one would never be beautiful if they had a pimple or two.

not exactly the message to send to middle schoolers hitting puberty.

i remember making a post about how rick portrayed acne in toa made me super self conscious and now i can’t find it and i might just have to make it again when i’m back in my room

[docholligay]

My Personal Eurovision Rankings 2017--Part two

Okay, so part two: The Bottom 5 and my full ranking list! 

My Bottom 5

39. United Kingdom: Never Give Up On You

The UK hasn’t won since everyone was allowed to sing in English, and honestly that makes complete sense, since they CONSTANTLY send this bland shit that screams ‘you have to send us to the final and we don’t really want to host. Also, we have enough tourism.’ This song is more of the same, an ultimately forgettable warbled piece of trash about love or some shit, and honestly it infuriates me because Y’ALL SPEAK ENGLISH. DAILY. OFFICIALLY. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. 

40. Finland: Blackbird

You know, I said I only hated one song for non-song reasons, but I think that might not be true. I saw this song early on in the National Finals runs, and I went, “OH NO ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A BALLAD YEAR?????” So I hated this song early on. It’s pretty bland, and like most ballads, she sings it technically well but never manages to make me give literally any fucks, and I think if I hadn’t heard it so early on it might be in the middle-low of the pack. Still don’t like it though. Blackbird, please don’t sing, I agree.

41. Russia: Flame is Burning

Pretty sure everyone assumes this is the one I’ll hate for non-song reasons, but honestly you don’t even have to. Russia’s...Russianess aside, they generally put out a very fun and watchable pop song with lots of cool effects. It’s a brilliant PR campaign! I have enjoyed a lot of the shit Russia’s put forth! Watch last year’s You Are The only One. Not even taking into account Lazarev’s personal charm, which was a huge boon to Russia, the staging is clever, the song is fun as FUCK, and it’s generally great. This year? Apparently no one in Russia who can sing has ever not illegally crossed into Crimea, despite there being 143 million or so people in fucking Russia, because the garbage they put forth this year is absolute sludge, and I really want to love that there’s a performer with a visible disability on the Eurovision stage BUT I CAN’T BECAUSE a) I KNOW RUSSIA IS TRYING TO GO FOR SYMPATHY and b) HER SONG SUCKS REALLY BAD. I’M SO ENRAGED. GIVE THIS GIRL SOME STAGING OUTSIDE OF “LOOK AT HOW PROGRESSIVE WE ARE UKRAINE IS BULLYING A GIRL IN A WHEELCHAIR HOW NAUGHTY???? FEEL BAD FOR US. DID YOU NOTICE SHE IS IN A WHEELCHAIR?????” I know you can put out better shit, you literally hemorrhage money at this competition, fucking seriously. 

42. France: Requiem

France is the country version of “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I actually enjoyed last year’s song, in a departure from the very fabric of reality. (My wife likes this song, we’re getting a divorce immediately.) It’s actually almost the UK argument: You ALWAYS sing in French, how is it not better? HOW??? I wish I were more surprised about how little I ever desire to hear this song again, but I’m not. 

43. Australia: Don’t Come Easy

WE ARE NOW TO THE COUNTRY I AM UNFAIR TO FOR NON-SONG REASONS. I hate that Australia participates in Eurovision when a) it isn’t even Euro-adjacent and b) the contest has gotten significantly more serious since they showed up because they misunderstand completely, go home Australia. I don’t care if they pay for rights and everyone watches it, it was cute when they got to come for the anniversary, but go home now. I don’t care. (In b4 “you’re just mad America can’t go” listen friend, we are a country the size of Europe, conveniently divided into 50 fiefdoms--if I wanted us involved in anything of this nature, it would be our own Proxy Civil War Becasue We All Hate Each Other Anyhow, with me representing my dirt-poor state with the Montana version of Irelande Douze Pointe). I was fucking horrified when they almost won last year because the judges love fucking boring ass ballads. 

THAT BEING SAID THIS SONG ALSO SUCKS ON ITS OWN MERITS. This song shows the inherent trouble with selecting your song before selecting your singer--this kid has a great voice, but he is SEVENTEEN. There’s literally no reason I can take a seventeen year old singing “I used to move too fast to erase my past” seriously. Your love “don’t come easy, and it don’t come cheap”? You’ve “been burned too many times to love easily”? DID YOUR CRUSH STEAL YOUR LUNCH MONEY??? I literally laugh hearing a high schooler sing something so totally fucking inappropriate. 

If you’re bound and determined to sacrifice your babies at Eurovision, as some countries seem to be, there are less weird ways to do it. Bulgaria’s song about how your love is the MOST. UNTOUCHABLE. EVER. is VERY appropriate for a teenager. Ireland’s song about giving everything to relationship and wanting it to succeed so so bad is VERY appropriate. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. 

I’m reasonably sure Australia will qualify, but I’m hoping we’re out of the danger of last year. 

OKAY THE TOTAL RANKING LIST

1 Romania Ilinca feat. Alex Florea Yodel It! 2 Estonia Koit Toome & Laura Verona 3 Portugal Salvador Sobral Amar pelos dois 4 Belarus NAVI Historyja majho žyccia 5 Montenegro Slavko Kalezić Space 6 Georgia Tamara Gachechiladze Keep the Faith 7 San Marino Valentina Monetta & Jimmy Wilson Spirit of the Night 8 Moldova SunStroke Project Hey, Mamma! 9 Switzerland Timebelle Apollo 10 Israel Imri Ziv I Feel Alive 11 Hungary Joci Pápai Origo 12 FYR Macedonia Jana Burčeska Dance Alone 13 Sweden Robin Bengtsson I Can't Go On 14 Italy Francesco Gabbani Occidentali's Karma 15 Armenia Artsvik Fly With Me 16 Slovenia Omar Naber On My Way 17 Ireland Brendan Murray Dying to Try 18 Germany Levina Perfect Life 19 Croatia Jacques Houdek My Friend 20 Serbia Tijana Bogićević In Too Deep 21 Azerbaijan Dihaj Skeletons 22 Denmark Anja Nissen Where I Am 23 Lithuania Fusedmarc Rain of Revolution 24 Cyprus Hovig Gravity 25 Austria Nathan Trent Running on Air 26 Ukraine O.Torvald Time 27 Greece Demy This Is Love 28 Malta Claudia Faniello Breathlessly 29 Bulgaria Kristian Kostov Beautiful Mess 30 Norway JOWST feat. Aleksander Walmann Grab the Moment 31 Latvia Triana Park Line 32 Netherlands O'G3NE Lights and Shadows 33 Spain Manel Navarro Do It for Your Lover 34 Iceland Svala Paper 35 Belgium Blanche City Lights 36 Czech Republic Martina Bárta My Turn 37 Albania Lindita World 38 Poland Kasia Moś Flashlight 39 United Kingdom Lucie Jones Never Give Up on You 40 Finland Norma John Blackbird 41 Russia Yulia Samoilova Flame Is Burning 42 France Alma Requiem 43 Australia Isaiah Firebrace Don't Come Easy

[midnightfloats]

- Batty’s Headcanons - 

Batty’s Headcanons

 Batty:

Headcanon #1

          Batty is afraid of clowns. Ever since Batty got bitten and attacked by Pennywise, even happy clowns cause her to feel fear. Batty gets really nervous around them and faints when she’s near them. Batty hates the circus and makes sure to never go because that’s how scared she is. Batty knows they aren’t Pennywise but she deludes herself into thinking all clowns are Pennywise in disguise. Pennywise knows Batty is afraid of clowns and appears to her in this form constantly. The child has frequent nightmares about clowns and is unable to sleep most nights because of it. Batty has also been known to attack clowns with a bat and this has gotten her in big trouble numerous times. 

Headcanon #2

Batty has fake teeth. Batty has been losing teeth regularly, but her agent doesn’t want her to have teeth gaps in her movies. Her agent claims teeth gaps aren’t cute nor will people want to see any imperfections when it comes to their favorite child actress. Batty sometimes removes them as a prank towards people that have no idea she has them.

Headcanon #3

Teen Batty: Batty will legally change her name to Batty when she’s old enough. Batty hates her real name because that’s who her fans know her as. ‘Dana’ has become an identity or a role to play while ‘Batty’ is the real her. Batty separates the two names and one day she will give up being Dana to be Batty forever. 

Headcanon #4

Teen Batty:  Batty will quit being an actress when she is in her 20’s. Batty by that time will have made enough money to live comfortably and she would get tired of being an actress. Giving up fame would make Batty happy, though Batty is happy being an actress sometimes, she just hates the fame that comes with it. Batty will give it up one day and she will live in the country somewhere where nobody from Hollywood can find her to pester her. 

Headcanon #5

Batty doesn’t know the difference between salt and sugar. Batty only knows that they are both white grain substances and she mixes the two up all the time. Batty has been known to put salt in coffee and sugar in soup. Because she can’t tell the difference between the two, people should be wary of what Batty uses to season her food.

Headcanon #6

Batty looks to the left when she lies.

Headcanon #7 

Batty doesn’t get much sleep.

Headcanon #8

Batty has Aspergers and a learning disability. 

Headcanon #9

Batty isn’t very good at math, but she’s pretty good at English

Headcanon #10

Batty’s reading has the reading level of a Middle Schooler.

Headcanon #11

Batty plays the ukulele and the guitar. Batty has been playing both since she was five years old and she can play songs like House of the Rising Sun and I Wanna Hold Your Hand. Other songs are Purple Haze and Wish You Were Here. But she is very self-conscious about her guitar/ukulele playing. Batty doesn’t think she’s any good, so she practises by herself and away from other people. She also doesn’t like singing in front of people, but will sing in front of a camera.

Headcanon #12

Batty can remember her dreams

Headcanon#13

Batty wears her portal ring on her left middle finger. The ring feels more comfortable on Batty’s middle finger than on her ring finger. This is because the ring is too big for her ring finger. 

Headcanon #14

Batty has a deep fear of being abandoned. Batty’s birth parents were mostly absent when she was younger and they are still absent now. Batty didn’t have many friends before coming to Derry, and even then she is picked on by her classmates. Thankfully, Batty made friends in Derry, but they are older than she is. The child is always afraid these friends will leave her. Every time she makes a mistake, Batty freaks out and apologizes because she doesn’t want people to hate her. Loneliness is an emotion felt frequently by Batty. At all times, Batty is afraid of waking up and finding that nobody wants her around anymore and the thoughts have been getting worse and worse. It is a huge source of stress for Batty, but people have been helping her with it. 

Headcanon #15

Batty has acted in six movies and she is currently filming one. The movies she has acted in are: Lawless Katherine, Good Ship Lollipop, Curly, Family Times, Cinder Ella, and Dynasty. The one she is acting in at the moment is Little Princess

Update: Batty has completed the filming for the movie and will act in one in February 1991.

Headcanon #16

Batty can cook a few things because her parents are never around. Batty can cook macaroni n cheese, ramen, rice, eggs, and bacon. The child is teaching herself how to make pancakes and is saving up for a waffle iron. Batty often cooks for herself, but the maids make things for her. Some of Batty’s recipes have something added to them. Batty can also make omurice and macaroni with scrambled eggs in it. Sometimes Batty adds steak and garlic powder to her macaroni and cheese.

Headcanon #17

Batty has separation anxiety. Batty has been abandoned by people/friends numerous times, causing the child to develop a fear of being alone or of being separated from somebody. Batty will frequently beg people not to leave her even if they’re not going anywhere, and she has also been known to cling onto people if they have to leave. Some people don’t know how to deal with this and they get concerned for her well being. Batty also clings to her real parents when they have to leave her and she has mental breakdowns when they forget her during a holiday. Their neglect has contributed to her feelings of loneliness and anxiety. 

Headcanon #18

Batty’s texting style is informal and she uses emojis when she texts.

Headcanon #19

Batty has a bodyguard, a stylist, and an agent. The agent’s name is Mike Miland, the bodyguard’s name is Griff Garland, and the stylist’s name is Darla Kirk. 

Headcanon #20

Batty has a smartphone and two flip phones and a new home phone: Batty has a Samsung Galaxy, a DoCoMo SH-11C (pastel pink), a MOTOROLA MICROTAC 9800X, and a pager. As for the home phone, it is a wired home phone with caller i.d. It is relatively new. 

Headcanon #21

Batty carries a bag around with her. Inside, she carries: A lighter, two cell phones, a pager, a pack of pens, a laser pen, bag of cheerios, container of macaroni, her cassette player, cassette tapes, headphones, a change of clothes, a flashlight, and a first aid kit.

 Headcanon #22

Batty drinks energy drinks before bed so she can’t fall asleep because she has horribly vivid nightmares.

 Headcanon #23

Batty has the ‘power’ of transparency. Ever since Batty entered a portal shot out of her broken ring, she has been able to turn transparent. It is a very bad thing and that means she is slowly disappearing, but it will kill her when she is 12 years old.

Headcanon #24

Batty has eleven pets: a frog named Freddie Mercury, three cats named Bats, Mango, and Jester, two rats named Rattimus and Cheese, two hermit crabs named Xerxes and Iago, a male rabbit named Strawberry, a dog named Skittles, and a chipmunk named Nibbles. 

 Headcanon #25

Batty’s ninth birthday was on 7/19/90. For her birthday, she got: a rabbit, a Tamagotchi, a 3DS, the Hobbit book, two teddy bears, a Polaroid camera, lipstick, a backpack with bat wings, coloring books, a pocket knife, a doll, a Care Bear, two bikes, a painting, Power Rangers, a train set, a plush cat, dino plush, a toy truck, a rubber duck, a watch, a blanket, a wind up car, a Neopet. A bat plush. 

Headcanon #26

Batty’s injury history: Batty has been bitten in the shoulder and she has had a chunk of flesh ripped out. Batty has had a rock bashed against her head. Batty has had her legs bitten up and burned. Batty has had her arm and hand broken. She’s been stabbed twice. She has been shot at. Batty has been smacked. She has been Force choked. Batty has been kicked in the stomach and face, she’s been drowned in a special circumstance, she saw four people die. Shards of glass have been lodged in her arm. She has had Its claws dug into her sides until she bleeds. Her head has been smashed against the floor. Batty’s hands have been burned. Batty has been attacked (but not hurt) with an ax. She has also been hit in the head and legs with a metal bat. Batty was kicked in the chest and had her throat cut open. 

 Headcanon #27

Batty runs away when she can’t deal with her problems.

 Headcanon #28

Batty tells people she loves them frequently because she’s afraid the universe will kill her and cause her to fade away. Batty knows that at any time, the universe can detect her presence. Before she goes to bed, she texts people she loves them before going to bed in case she doesn’t wake up.

 Headcanon #29

Batty’s Fears: Clowns. Large dogs. Heights. Drowning. Nightmares. Not waking up. Being abandoned. Making mistakes. Being yelled at. Dying. Being a nuisance. Being hated. Getting hurt. Needles. Sid The Bully (no longer a fear). Not being able to control her power/ring. Fading away. 

Headcanon #30

Batty thinks she’s a burden to her friends and family. Ever since Batty realized she made her real parents unhappy, she has been very insecure and believes she lacks the ability to make anybody happy.

Headcanon #30

Batty has a beach house in Weston-super-Mare in Britain. It is located in North Somerset. Batty sometimes goes there during the summer and once a week at least once a month. It is more like a cottage, but Batty really enjoys going there. Her parents have a boat too they take out on the ocean or a nearby lake such as the Marine Lake.

Headcanon #31 

For the Christmas of 1990, Batty received: stickers, a yellow flower, and many other things. She spent the day with her friends and family.   

Headcanon #32

For Christmas, Batty handed out rocks. She has handed out: 19

Headcanon #33

There are some foods Batty likes. Batty likes: brownies, strawberry shortcake, strawberry and vanilla ice cream, root beer, cheese, and peanuts. 

Headcanon #34

There are some foods Batty dislikes. Batty dislikes: beans, caramel, and tea. 

Headcanon #35

Batty has a few legal guardians in North Park. Those legal guardians are Stan Marsh, Clyde Donovan, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick 

Headcanon #36

Batty went to Japan in 1987 in April. During her month long trip to Japan, Batty went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kamakura, and Nagoya. Batty spent the most time in Kyoto at a film location. During her trip, Batty got many souvenirs including a few kimono, a couple of dolls, and a fan. While there, Batty met a lot of other Japanese film stars and some animators. While there, Batty fell in love with the food and culture, but she still doesn’t like tea despite trying macha.

[delectablymaximumwitch-blog]

PSY 205 Week 8 Exam 2

Click Link Below To Buy:

 http://hwaid.com/shop/psy-205-week-8-exam-2/

 Course  Life Span Development

Test       Exam 2

Attempt Score  150 out of 150 points  

Time Elapsed     1 hour, 46 minutes out of 2 hours.

Instructions        This exam consist of 50 multiple choice questions that cover the material in Chapters 6 through 10.

•             Question 1

3 out of 3 points

               The WISC measures ________, while achievement tests measure ________.

•             Question 2

3 out of 3 points

               John and Martha have clear rules and expectations. When a child breaks a rule, they listen to their son or daughter's side of the story before deciding on a consequence. According to Baumrind's parenting styles framework, John and Martha are probably:

•             Question 3

3 out of 3 points

               Who is coping with a social clock issue?

•             Question 4

3 out of 3 points

               According to Susan Harter, self-esteem first becomes an important issue for children:

Answer                                                

•             Question 5

3 out of 3 points

               Why did high school make adolescence a defined life stage?

•             Question 6

3 out of 3 points

               Theresa, your best friend, tells you she thinks she is a terrific athlete but hates the way she looks. What might you predict about Theresa's overall self-esteem?

•             Question 7

3 out of 3 points

               Marsha has a new pimple on her chin, and Frank, a boy she finds very attractive, sits down beside her in the cafeteria. Marsha is mortified and tells her mother that she must transfer to another school because she cannot go back to class the next day. Elkind would label Marsha's assumption that Frank noticed her pimple and her reaction as evidence of:

•             Question 8

3 out of 3 points

               Which person is showing prosocial behavior?

•             Question 9

3 out of 3 points

               Dr. Jones is lecturing on college and careers. Pick the statement he should make.

•             Question 10

3 out of 3 points

               A colleague of yours has a child who is regularly in trouble at school, and she is considering sending him to a wilderness program for teens with similar problems. Based on the text discussion of deviancy training, what might you advise?

•             Question 11

3 out of 3 points

               You are a nurse who works with teens with eating issues. Based on the text, pick your main challenge.

•             Question 12

3 out of 3 points

               Children who are temperamentally “at risk” are MOST likely to thrive when:

•             Question 13

3 out of 3 points

               Ruth is artistically talented and would like to be a professional painter but realizes this field is highly competitive and artists rarely make a living wage. After considering several possibilities, she has decided to become an art teacher, since she also really likes children. According to the identity statuses framework, Ruth is in:

•             Question 14

3 out of 3 points

               Corinne's son Josh wants to get heavily involved in his high school drama and voice clubs and she is worried, because her child is not a great scholar. Based on the text research, what might you advise?

•             Question 15

3 out of 3 points

               From an evolutionary point of view, pick the MAIN advantage of teenage risk taking:

•             Question 16

3 out of 3 points

               Which child is apt to recover MOST quickly from his parents' divorce?

•             Question 17

3 out of 3 points

               Give each child the correct “diagnosis” or label in order: “Judy is extremely anxious and depressed.” “Jane acts disruptively and regularly gets into fights.”

•             Question 18

3 out of 3 points

               According to Erikson, our life task during adolescence and emerging adulthood is deciding:

•             Question 19

3 out of 3 points

               Which teen is MOST likely to suffer from depression and poor self-esteem?

•             Question 20

3 out of 3 points

               Your daughter gets an A on her science test. According to the research, your response should be:

•             Question 21

3 out of 3 points

               Bullying-prevention programs focus on:

•             Question 22

3 out of 3 points

               Above all else, what REALLY makes teenagers feel totally loved?

•             Question 23

3 out of 3 points

               Petra is stunted and living in a developing country. Compared to a typical U.S girl, Petra will:

•             Question 24

3 out of 3 points

               Which situation involving an 8-year-old child would you be MOST likely to witness at a toy store?

•             Question 25

3 out of 3 points

               Which response involves induction?

•             Question 26

3 out of 3 points

               If were only “so so” in your school abilities but have become huge success in life because you have terrific street smarts, you would agree MOST with:

•             Question 27

3 out of 3 points

               If John has reached formal operations, pick his UNIQUE NEW talent.

•             Question 28

3 out of 3 points

               Erik Erikson felt that an important task in our twenties is to develop a sense of:

•             Question 29

3 out of 3 points

               Since entering middle school, Julie's grades are dropping, and all she cares about is being in the “popular crowd.” Julie's behavior is:

•             Question 30

3 out of 3 points

               Helene tells you that in the nineteenth century, girls menstruated at an average age of 16. Now some girls reach menarche as early as age 9. Helene is referring to the:

•             Question 31

3 out of 3 points

               Which phrase BEST describes the transition to adulthood among U.S. young people?

•             Question 32

3 out of 3 points

               Pick the earliest VISIBLE sign that a boy is reaching puberty.

•             Question 33

3 out of 3 points

               Pick the core difference between friendships and popularity.

•             Question 34

3 out of 3 points

               Compared to other Western nations, U.S. teenage pregnancy rates are ________.

•             Question 35

3 out of 3 points

               According to Susan Harter, which child is MOST vulnerable to low self-esteem?

•             Question 36

3 out of 3 points

               Teachers in schools that “beat the odds”:

•             Question 37

3 out of 3 points

               You are devising a questionnaire to predict which female elementary schoolers are apt to reach puberty earlier. Which item should NOT be on your list?

•             Question 38

3 out of 3 points

               Pick the MAIN reason why reaching concrete operations tends to produce “self-esteem” issues.

•             Question 39

3 out of 3 points

               Carlo is the MOST aggressive “out of control” child in kindergarten. Predict Carlo's likely fate in elementary school:

•             Question 40

3 out of 3 points

               Which child is MOST likely to be resilient?

•             Question 41

3 out of 3 points

               As you are taking this test, it's so, so easy to look at the next person's answers, but you decide “No.” For each kind of reasoning pick out the correct level of moral development using Kohlberg's categories: (1)“I won't because I might get caught”; (2) “I won't because I believe that cheating is morally wrong”; (3) “I won't because I took a pledge to uphold the school's honor code.”

•             Question 42

3 out of 3 points

               Calista was highly intellectual and self-confident in elementary school. As she travels into high school (in a normal public school) and finds herself in the “brains crowd,” Calista might become:

•             Question 43

3 out of 3 points

               Which baby is MOST vulnerable to maltreatment?

•             Question 44

3 out of 3 points

               Emerging adulthood refers to:

•             Question 45

3 out of 3 points

               According to the research, what kind of adolescent is BEST set up to master the difficult challenges of college?

•             Question 46

3 out of 3 points

               Dale wants a cupcake, so he shoves Tom aside. Tom reacts by bopping Dale over the head. First, label the type of aggression each child is showing and then identify which boy will be MOST angry.

•             Question 47

3 out of 3 points

               If you asked a typical 13-year-old “What is your most important priority?, he would be MOST likely to answer:

•             Question 48

3 out of 3 points

               All of these 23-year-olds fit a CLASSIC emerging adult pattern EXCEPT:

•             Question 49

3 out of 3 points

               The MAIN peer problem for early-maturing girls is having:

•             Question 50

3 out of 3 points

               Nancy, a graphic designer, describes her job this way: “Time flies. I get so absorbed in finding just the right logo to best convey what the customer wants that, before I know it, the day is over. I don't realize that I'm one of the few people left in the office until the janitor comes to empty my trash can.” Nancy is: