#also enjoy a classic trash! starter

[simplymaddox]

recently jupiter had been in his own little bubble with imani and the kids, blissfully unaware to what seemed to being on around them. he hadn’t spoken to margo or elvie in weeks, at least not in person anyways. he had left the kids with imani and nova, heading over to elvie’s and astrea’s place. he knocked on the door, waiting almost impatiently for elvie to answer. “hey pipsqueak.” he comments, the nickname from the first time they’d met all those years ago, and even now when jupiter’s only a few inches above elvie, he still uses it. “sorry for coming unannounced. i would’ve brought hudson, but i didn’t know whether or not you wanted a two-year-old running around your place. anyways, i haven’t heard from you or margo in like weeks. i would’ve called or texted, but this just felt right i guess.” he’s never been good with words unless he’s telling imani how beautiful she is. “i don’t have to hang around if you don’t want.” // @ellvie

[breadbythehour]

Do You Have to Discard Your Starter Daily?

Many bakers know that the secret to naturally leavened bread is a strong, active sourdough starter.

But sourdough starters can seem fickle at times.

Experts recommend feeding a starter twice daily. And at each feeding, you hold onto 1/2 cup of your original starter, discard the rest, and then add its same weight in water and flour.

With this schedule, you’d be discarding almost a cup of sourdough starter daily. While a cup might not seem like a lot on the surface, it can quickly add up. And if you don’t bake often, that discard will end up in the trash.

Do you really need to waste so much starter every day?

Well, that depends on a few factors.

How Often Do You Bake?

I don’t run a bakery at my house, and my family is fairly small. Even though I bake regularly, I couldn’t possibly use a cup of sourdough discard on a daily basis.

However, to minimize waste, I keep much smaller amounts of my sourdough discard. Instead of 1/2 a cup twice daily, I only feed my starter 1/4 cup daily. This ensures I have a constant supply of sourdough starter when I need it, but it is also means my sourdough starter is slower and less active as a result.

If you reduce your feedings to daily 1/4 cup amounts and it still feels like you’re baking too much, you can further reduce your feedings to weekly if you keep your starter in the fridge rather than on the countertop.

What Do You Want to Make?

Sourdough starters require constant feedings to stay active. If you don’t discard the excess, eventually you’ll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won’t be enough to feed your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, depending on what you want to bake with it.

Although you will definitely need an active, well-maintained starter for certain artisan-style sourdough recipes, you can still make perfectly tasty bread with a sluggish, slow starter.

In fact, many of my favorite sourdough bread recipes use discard for flavoring to give bread that classic tang. To get a better rise in the oven, these recipes combine sourdough discard with commercial yeast. No need to worry about timing your baking with your starter feedings.

My Secret for Baking With a Slow Starter

Sourdough discard recipes are a great way to bake with a slow and sluggish starter. You don’t have to worry about timing, and you can still enjoy that sourdough tang.

But what if you want to make naturally leavened artisan bread? Should you still discard your starter daily?

Let me tell you my little secret: No. You don’t have to discard your starter daily.

In case you didn’t see my White, Wheat, and Rye Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe, you may want to check it out. In that particular recipe, I make a levain with my starter the night before I mix my bread.

To make the levain in that recipe, I take 3/4 of a teaspoon of my starter and combine it with 50 grams flour and 60 grams water and set it aside. This essentially mimics feeding an active starter, as you’re giving a small amount of starter a large amount of food.

By the time morning rolls around and I’m ready to mix my dough, I have an active, bubbly starter that’s ready to go. I’ve successfully used this technique with multiple artisan bread recipes and my bread has still risen beautifully.

Need Some Sourdough Discard Recipes?

For a list of sourdough discard bread recipes (and non-bread recipes), check out the full, original post at Breadbythehour.com

[marimelwrites]

Experience yourself meme (,numbers picked randomly) 3, 6,18, 25, 37 !

o3﹕ do you prefer to write in silence , or with music / background noise ?

-I prefer to write with music playing. It’s usually this massive playlist of a ridiculous number of songs that I enjoy the sound of and which give me the right mood. On occasion, I prefer classical or instrumental soundtracks of which I have a separate playlist for.

o6﹕ is there something about the roleplay community that irks you ?

-Gif icons because they’re so small I can’t see what the heck facial expressions they’re going for? Haha! No, but really, I would say it’s how catty or nasty people can be at times about faceclaims or more than that. I’m very much of the opinion that people should be allowed to write using the faces that fuel and inspire their writing. If you don’t like it, just avoid the face and list that face in your rules for banned FCs. Simple as that. But you don’t need to bring another writer down simply because of your dislike of a face. That face is not the writer, the FC could just have the aesthetic the mun is going for. I detest negativity, hated, whatever. I prefer to enjoy myself while writing, and my biggest aim is to write well for my writing partners so that THEY can enjoy themselves too. I fully support your creativity. I want you to feel like you can do your best work. OH! And one more thing… people who reply to someone else’s reply with one line, usually only a one line conversational response. This does NOT include one line starters as those are fun and leave things open for all sorts of shenanigans. I mean, when your writing partner has given you a reply with effort, they have earned your effort in return. It’s kind of an insult to give only one sentence/line/word. I’m NOT saying write a whole novel in response but cmon, you can give at least a few sentences. If you have no muse for a thread, communicate.

18﹕ which of your verses or arcs is your favorite to write about ?

-I wouldn’t say I have a necessary favorite. I will say that I have been hoping to be able to FINALLY see Madeleine get through a point where she fully trusts the shipmate and finds happiness. Writing her for the years that I have, I’ve never been able to see her realize true and complete happiness, for someone who I created with a horrendous past, but deserves a solid and strong relationship… I just want that for her. Note: i do not care what the opposite does for a living, neither does she, she finds beauty in all but what’s important to her is a person who loves HER, chooses her, doesn’t leave her, actually wants her. She’s far too accustomed to people leaving her and this is both in what I’ve created and what’s happened to her over the years with opposite RP partners. Other than that, or kind of including that, I value a story. I value growth. Give me something to start with and let’s realize a life for whatever charas be it good, or bad. It doesn’t need to be some massive life change, small growth is also growth. Let’s just tell a story together.

25﹕ who is an author whose writing inspires your own ?

-Authors whose books I love… oof. Brandon Sanderson is my absolute favorite for his ability to tell a complex and detailed story, build an entire world, make everything real and believable. His characters are probably some of the most multi-dimensional, thorough, and fully realized characters I’ve ever read in literature. Patrick Rothfuss, also incredibly beautiful way at explaining things. Joe Abercrombie for his colorful characters, and damn him for making me connect even with the small characters and then destroy my life. There are plenty of others, I know, but I am literally drawing a blank right now and will regret this later. (But also if you want to nerd out with me and talk to me about things regarding the above authors? I would be more than happy to) Either way the above inspire me to not be complete trash.

37﹕ have you ever ventured into writing fanfiction ?

-Not on tumblr, but yes. All of my writing outside of tumblr is personal, as in nobody reads it but me. I write a lot. Possibly too much.

[the-beskar-alchemist]

Camaro Headcanons Pt. 2

Ahoy my fellow stans!

So I've decided to split this into parts, I'll do at least 10 at a time, the posts will be spaced out (possibly on a weekly basis, not sure yet, I'm still mulling...)

I feel like I should clarify that while Billy has a significant chunk of my heart, this is NOT a Billy Hargrove blog. I think it's important that I make that perfectly clear so there is no confusion regarding my making these posts, they are made out of a general love for blogging.

*** PLEASE NOTE: According to my research Billy's car is a '79 LT (luxury touring), however the body style is also consistent with the '81 Z28.  Honestly any self-respecting vintage car fan will tell you that you can have a classic car that is actually a hybrid of two different model years, so you can go either way, it'll still fit into the timeline of the overall plot ***

These are for YOUR benefit, I'm still debating on writing anything myself, but please feel free to use any combination of these for your stories, and yes I am Harringrove trash, you have been warned:

1) Fuel pump acting up, possibly stops, I've already mentioned this one but I want to expand a bit on the concept. Billy and Steve are stranded so you can either a) have Billy partially under the car trying to fix it, Steve keeps asking questions, they start bickering like an old couple. Or b) Billy convinces Steve to give the pump a wack with a wrench, meanwhile Billy takes advantage of Steve's somewhat vulnerable state to stroke Steve's legs, belly, etc.

2) There's always the obvious "it just ran out of gas" scenario, which can work a number of ways, but I'm sticking with my top two: a) Billy/Steve run out of gas in the middle of nowhere in between Hawkins and perhaps a concert or something out of town, they have to walk to the nearest station to fill up a fuel can, queue an opportunity for a little banter followed by a heart-to-heart. Or b) Billy runs out of gas while driving home, runs to nearest house for help, finds out Steve lives there, and your imagination can take it from there (dirty, cute, angsty, or wholesome.....you decide)

3) Car is turning over but won't crank, Billy realizes the starter is going bad, decides to use the old screw driver trick (PM me if you need help with this one) to get it going. Max tries to help, long story short Billy almost electrocutes himself, and Max tries not to laugh but fails miserably.

4) The traditional lying on the hood/windshield and watching the stars romantic scene where Billy and Steve talk shit about each other but one of them slips up and it turns into an opening up opportunity (either one or both of them participate).

5) Sneaking into a drive-in by hiding some of the group in the trunk of the car (any combination of the characters is sure to make the story entertaining, so have at it)

6) Billy takes Steve for a drive and decides to speed through some back roads, this could lead to a number of scenarios: a) Hit a deer and watch the boys argue over what they should do, b) get pulled over and watch Billy get all awkward because it's Hopper and he's not thrilled, c) accidentally get into a race with another car, Steve is freaking out meanwhile Billy is having the time of his life, d) Steve is scared at first but his adrenaline kicks in and he gets horny and makes Billy pull over, the list goes on....

7) I'm taking a page out of the Supernatural/Winchester handbook and adding in a scenario where Max is questioning Billy's tape collection that he keeps in a box under the seat and Billy does the "driver picks the music, shotgun shuts her cakehole" bit while popping in a tape and turning up the volume.

8) Billy's having a hard day so Steve decides to wash the car for him, but once he realizes that Billy is secretly watching him it turns into a method of seduction.

9) Billy is fixing up the car one morning before heading off to work, Joyce (who happens to have the day off, or goes in later) decides to help him, queue a little mother/son bonding where Billy teaches her a couple things (she knows a little but not as much as he does).

10) Another fixing-the-car scene, but it's Hopper this time, and he gives Billy some pointers on what needs to be done, this leads to a discussion on why Neil never showed Billy what to do and Hopper begins to fit more pieces of the puzzle together.

I'll post the next set at some point, for now enjoy! <3

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Spider-Man 2099 v3 #13-16 Thoughts

This was mostly great fun!

I must admit when hearing about this arc and even approaching my re-reading of it, I was not looking forward to it. Typically event crossovers derail the ongoing plot in a big way, and for PAD’s Spidey work and for his 2010s Spidey 2099 work in particular it was a problem.

Plus I despise both the original Civil War 2006 and as this arc was originally released was in the midst of despising Civil War II.

I don’t know if it was the fact that I’d forgotten most of the plot points, the fact that I binged the whole arc or if the tie-in nature of the story lowered my expectations but regardless, I wound up really enjoying this arc, much like the last one.

In fact comparisons to the last arc are very apt as they’re almost going in for the same thing.

It’s an adventure in the altered 2099 future depicting futuristic versions of characters and groups we’re (in theory) familiar with, utilizing a fair amount of older 2099 continuity.

The difference is that whilst the Sinister Six arc was more Spider-Man centric, this arc is more concerned with the wider 2099 universe.

Just off the top of my head this story features:*

·         Spider-Man 2099

·         Captain America 2099

·         Strange 2099

·         Hawkeye 2099

·         Black Widow 2099

·         Hercules

·         Hulk 2099

·         The X-Men2099

·         ‘The Power Pack’

·         Punisher 2099

·         Iron Fist 2099

·         Deadpool 2099

·         Daredevil 2099

·         Moon Knight 2099

·         Sub-Mariner 2099

·         Ghost Rider 2099

·         Nik Fury, granddaughter of the original Nick Fury

·         And Ravage 2099 (although he’s an original character debuting in the 2099 line anyway)

 Now featuring this many characters is a double edged sword, much like the last arc.

On the one hand a lot of them have little development, little substance to them. They show up with cool looks, cool abilities and the novelty factor of seeing futuristic versions of familiar characters.

Some of them are pre-established people too, like Daredevil 2099 and Moon Knight 2099. So there is fanservice to be found there, but if you really liked those characters you didn’t get that much out of seeing them briefly back in action.

On the other hand I think considering this was a mere four issues and with this many characters, giving them all depth and distinction is difficult. More importantly I think it would detract from the fact that this is ultimately Spider-Man’s book. It’s about him and his ‘world’, of which these figures are definitely a part of, but also definitely not the point.

The fact is PAD does the best he can with what he has. More than this, I think it’s an example of PAD making the lemonade out of lemons and making the tie-in nature of the issues work for him  as opposed to making his series work for the tie-ins.

For starters he uses Ulysses lightly but effectively. He gets the ball rolling on the plot and beyond that has little involvement. In fact the entire story has little to do directly with the events of Civil War II, which is a plus given how shite the crossover is.

Rather PAD uses the tie-ins as an excuse to essentially present his own story with the general gist of Civil War, which you could say is true of every 2099 spin on the classic characters.

So in practice this arc is less a Civil War II tie-in and more Civil War 2099. It actually has more in common with the original 2006 Civil War story except you know, it isn’t dogshit.

There is an anti-superhuman legal act in force. Superhumans work directly for the government to round up their fellows. Those opposed to the law fight back. Hell Skrulls are even the root of the problem, which was initially the implication during Civil War 2006 and Secret Invasion.

PAD also demonstrates how massive crossovers and events like this should ideally be played. If I were being blunt, there isn’t much substance to this, there isn’t much character exploration.

With so many characters who draw from so many genres that simply don’t really go together (Greek myth side by side with sci-fi monsters, arcane magic and crime noir), going for something simple, superficial and yet fun (with at best a singular central character who shoulders whatever substance there is to be found) is the most logical approach to such events.

It’s why Infinity Gauntlet and Secret Wars 1984 are still fun reads decades later but hot trash like Civil War II has been forgotten about. The former know they’re trying to have fun and at best place one or two characters as the heart of the stories, the latter try to include everyone, be about everyone, and also strive for substance in stories that can’t support that.

Getting back to the specific heroes vs. heroes nature of the series, if there is one major failing in the set up its that the two sides don’t feel evenly matched.

The rebel superhumans have heavy hitters like Hercules, Cerebra, Hulk, Sub-Mariner and Strange, whilst the government forces...well, don’t have anyone in the same league. They’re also outnumbered by the rebels.

The pro-government side is also a clever use of subversion as they are comprised of the Punisher, the X-men and the Power Pack. Now I know little of the Power Pack so I did feel a little lost with them, and know equally little about the X-men 2099. But what little I do know makes their choice of sides unexpected but toally logical. The reasons given are that mutants were deemed not responsible for their powers as they were born with them and thus granted amnesty from the anti-super human laws provided they work for the government. Essentially mutants were given their best chance for rights and protection from persecution BY discriminatory laws. Ironic, but as the comic points out, mutants accepting this deal makes sense given their history.

Now we need to talk about Jameson and the Skrulls.

On the one hand it was a good twist. It had sufficient set up and you genuinely didn’t see it coming. It also made for neat and effective explanations of Jameson and Power Pack’s surviving into the distant future along with their questionable histories (like marrying Liz Allan or JJJ running Alchemax).

But I must admit, I was a little bummed by the Skrull reveal as I found the prospect of Jameson as the actual villain behind this fascinating. I’ve noticed that Peter David’s Spider-Man work, whilst not painting Jameson as a villain per se, has painted him often less flatteringly than he’s usually been played since the 1980s. In the 1960s-1970s, Jameson was one step away from practically being a super villain, his bufoonishness often offset his more unethical practices in the eyes of readers.

In PAD’s stories he still does unethical stuff and so the idea he could go down a road where he’s essentially happy to persecute super humans is frighteningly believable.

The Skrull reveal undermined this, and undermined the great twist halfway through the story that Jameson was behind everything. I thought it was Tyler Stone so the subversion really worked!

It also wrapped things up a little too neatly, in the sense that the heroes could get along just fine because the heroes on the opposite side were fake anyway. Maybe that was a subtle dig at the original Civil War, that they should’ve done something like this instead of commit to the schism in the superhuman community. But at the same time since we’re dealing with a version of the Marvel Universe that doesn’t need to last long term that’s kind of unnecessary.

One small criticism I have, and this is a nitpick. I felt that the part where Spidey was holding Punisher hostage before the issue ends wa not properly resolved at the start of the next one. The X-men have simply retreated, the heroes have gone back to their bases. It’s like if you smashcut in the middle of a hostage situation to the aftermath when everything is fine.

Over all a great way to do a tie-in and deliver a fun time for old time 2099 fans. I’m not one of them and even i had fun with this.

 *Note, whenever I don’t put ‘2099’ after a character’s name it means we’re dealing with, at least supposedly, an older version of the 616 characters, rather than new characters adopting their mantles.

[glacies-tempestatem]

THE MEGA RP PLOTTING SHEET / MEME.

First and foremost, recall that no one is perfect, we all had witnessed some plotting once which did not went too well, be it because of us or our partner. So here have this, which may help for future plotting. It’s a lot! Yes, but perhaps give your partners some insight? Anyway BOLD what fully applies, italicize if only somewhat.

MUN NAME: Hatshepsut/Hats    AGE: 23       CONTACT: IM, Ask, Discord

CHARACTER(S): Rukia Kuchiki andKiaen Shiba

CURRENT FANDOM(S): Bleach

BLEACH FANDOM(S) YOU HAVE AN AU FOR:  I plan write in the future an ATLA and I have some others AU written.

MY LANGUAGE(S): Spanish (first language) English (fluent or I think so) and I leanrt a bit of Japanese and I’m currrently learning German

THEMES I’M INTERESTED IN FOR RP: FANTASY / Science fiction / Horror / WESTERN / ROMANCE / Thriller / MYSTERY / DYSTOPIA / ADVENTURE / MODERN / Erotic / Crime / MYTHOLOGY / Classic / HISTORY / RENAISSANCE / MEDIEVAL / Ancient / WAR / FAMILY / POLITICS / RELIGION / SCHOOL / ADULTHOOD / CHILDHOOD / APOCALYPTIC / GODS / Sport / MUSIC / Science / FIGHTS / ANGST / Smut / DRAMA / etc. 

PREFERRED THREAD LENGTH: one-liner / 1 para / 2 PARA / 3+ / NOVELLA.

ASKS CAN BE SEND BY: MUTUALS / NON-MUTUALS / PERSONALS / ANONS.

CAN ASKS BE CONTINUED?:   YES / NO    only by Mutuals?:  YES / NO.

PREFERRED THREAD TYPE: CRACK / casual nothing too deep / SERIOUS / DEEP AS HECK.

IS REALISM / RESEARCH IMPORTANT FOR YOU IN CERTAIN THEMES?:   YES / NO.

ARE YOU ATM OPEN FOR NEW PLOTS?:  YES / NO / DEPENDS.

DO YOU HANDLE YOUR DRAFT / ASK - COUNT WELL?:  YES / NO / SOMEWHAT. 

HOW LONG DO YOU USUALLY TAKE TO REPLY?: 24H / 1 WEEK / 2 WEEKS / 3+ / months / years. /DEPENDS ON MOOD AND INSPIRATION, AND IF I’M BUSY I

I’M OKAY WITH INTERACTING: ORIGINAL CHARACTERS / a relative of my character (an oc) / duplicates / MY FANDOM / CROSSOVERS / MULTI-MUSES / self-inserts / people with no AU verse for my fandom / CANON-DIVERGENT PORTRAYALS / AU-VERSIONS.

DO YOU POST MORE IC OR OOC?: IC / OOC.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WITH FOLLOWING OTHERS?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.  

BEST WAYS TO APPROACH YOU FOR RP/PLOTTING: You can send me an IM if we’re mutual or an ask in case we’re not. Don’t be shy, I love plot and talk ooc! BTW if you have me in discord,is the best way toplot with me

WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HOLD TOWARDS YOUR PLOTTING PARTNER: I just expect they reply me sooner or later, and that we have fun writting!

WHEN YOU NOTICE THE PLOTTING IS RATHER ONE-SIDED, WHAT DO YOU DO?: Nothing, at times I lack of muse or inspiration, and sometimes will be that situation on my partner. I mean, it’s okay! It can become complicated if after a lot of time,my partner barely shows interest in plot. 

HOW DO YOU USUALLY PLOT WITH OTHERS, DO YOU GIVE INPUT OR LEAVE MOST WORK TOWARDS YOUR PARTNER?:  I tend to tell my idea, if our characters haven’t interacted, I find it harder at times, but I think that it’s a perfect opportunity to develop cool ideas and approaches. 

WHEN A PARTNER DROPS THE THREAD, DO YOU WISH TO KNOW?:   YES / NO / DEPENDS. - For me comunication is essential. And I don’t have any type of issue with dropping threads, it’s okay. Just tell me and in case you want to start something new, we do something new, simple.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY LEAD YOU TO DROP A THREAD?:  Lack of muse for the topic, but I rarely drop them.

- WILL YOU TELL YOUR PARTNER?:   YES / NO / DEPENDS.

IS COMMUNICATION IN THE RPC IMPORTANT TO YOU? YES / NO.

- AND WHY?: I don’t have a crystal ball, so I need you tell me how do you feel about a thread,plot, topic,whatever. ALSO I do trully appreciate if you tell me if I did/said/written something that made you feel unconfortable. Again, I don’t know what I did wrong unless you tell me.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH ABSOLUTE HONESTY, EVEN IF IT MAY MEANS HEARING SOMETHING NEGATIVE ABOUT YOU AND/OR PORTRAYAL?: Yes, as long as the person is respectful,I’m more than fine. Respect is just fundamental.If you don’t likesomething about me/my portray whatever, you can tell it,but with respect. 

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE SUCH SITUATION IN A MATURE WAY? YES / NO.

WHY DO YOU RP AGAIN, IS THERE A GOAL?: Because Rukia is my bae, and in Kaien’s case,I think that aremany things that are necessary to know, and weprobably never know because he died before the anime/manga began.And gosh I enjoy writting their backgrounds

WISHLIST, BE IT PLOTS OR SCENARIOS:  Rukia and Kaien childhood. 

THEMES I WON’T EVER RP / EXPLORE:   I’ll not write rape,non con and similars it’s understandably triggering for a lot of people and writing it glorifies it, Then, I’m not disposed to write either racism or misoginy stuff.

WHAT TYPE OF STARTERS DO YOU PREFER / DISLIKE, CAN’T WORK WITH?: Aslong at I can reply with freedom,I’m fine with your starter.It’s better if is a plotted idea, but random ones are okay. 

WHAT TYPE OF CHARACTERS CATCH YOUR INTEREST THE MOST?: Friendly ones, specially if I can write alot of their background. 

WHAT TYPE OF CHARACTERS CATCH YOUR INTEREST THE LEAST?: Depressive ones or just distant persons.

WHAT ARE YOUR STRONG ASPECTS AS RP PARTNER?: II want to think that I’m very comprehensive. 

WHAT ARE YOUR WEAK ASPECTS AS RP PARTNER?: I’m super slow, and I know that somepersons don’t have much time, so the rp process becomesslow for both.

DO YOU RP SMUT?:  YES / NO/ DEPENDS.

DO YOU PREFER TO GO INTO DETAIL?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH BLACK CURTAIN?: YES / NO.

- WHEN DO YOU RP SMUT? MORE OUT OF FUN OR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?: For both, I think that write the sexuality and the sexual life of characters is part of their development.Although I understand that not everyone feels comfortable writing it, so it’s fine for me just talk about some aspect about their relationship. 

- ANYTHING YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO RP THERE?:  Idk, I suppose that some certain type of fetishes

ARE SHIPS IMPORTANT TO YOU?:   YES / NO Ships are first of all,part of character development, and depending of the partner and the ship,can be incredible fruitful to muses. Both can evolve together, or can bring dispiar and traumasto both or one of them, and that change and influence the character and I’mmore than open to write her in both cases.

WOULD YOU SAY YOUR BLOG IS SHIP-FOCUSED?: YES / NO. Ships are funny,won’t deny it. But isnt my focus.I’ve already had that time of my rp life, and sincerely I’m now more into just casual rping and develop my characters. 

DO YOU USE READ MORE?:  YES / NO / SOMETIMES WHEN I WRITE LONG STUFF.

ARE YOU:  MULTI-SHIP / Single-Ship / Dual-Ship  —  MULTIVERSE / Singleverse.

- WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO EXPLORE THE MOST IN YOUR SHIPS?: How both change with the relationship, their failures and their strong sides. How they individualy grownw or do a recoil.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS?: YES / NO. - DEPENDS I need you tellme a lot of your plan and idea.I prefer developalittle before ship them.But if you come with a good story, background etc I’M IN

► SECTION ABOUT YOUR MUSE.

- WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE YOUR MUSE INTERESTING TOWARDS OTHERS, WHY SHOULD THEY RP WITH THIS PARTICULAR CHARACTER OF YOURS NOW, WHAT POSSIBLE PLOTS DO THEY OFFER?: Kaien is someone a bit stubborn, but that’s just his facade, inside he has some insecurities and some events from the past made himlike that,so I’d love amuse who tell him ‘man, you don’t need to be like that’.

- WITH WHAT TYPE OF MUSES DO YOU USUALLY STRUGGLE TO RP WITH?:  Muses extremely selfish and which will trait my muses like trash towards their point of view. 

- WHAT DO THEY DESIRE, IS THEIR GOAL?:  Gosh,Kaien hadmany goals he could had never achieve! I think he would be so proud to see Rukia as captain! Rukia has now as goalcontinue incresing her powers and keep the legacy of Kaien and Ukitake alive.

- WHAT CATCHES THEIR INTEREST FIRST WHEN MEETING SOMEONE NEW?:  If is just someone that Rukia never met or talked, she is automativally interested in know better that person. But at times she is just rather shy.

- WHAT DO THEY VALUE IN A PERSON?:  Loyality over all. 

- WHAT THEMES DO THEY LIKE TALKING ABOUT?:  Tea,Chappy, fashion,perfumes, LivingWorld. In kaien’s case, fights,cars,movies

- WHICH THEMES BORE THEM?:  Noble’s probelms, for both muses

- DID THEY EVER WENT THROUGH SOMETHING TRAUMATIC?:  Rukia? Traumas? LMAO she had killed his rolemodel, lived in poverty for many years and experienced countless issues relatedto it. The lack of thelove of parents and near death experience while was just a kid.

- WHAT COULD LEAD TO AN INSTANT KILL?:  Just only to hollows

- IS THERE SOMEONE /-THING THEY HATE?:  Rukia hates Gin, Aizen and Tousen, and she does not mind that Gin and Tousen redeemed themself. For her will always be traitors. Then there is Ywach and As Nodt. She simply cannot bare them. 

IS YOUR MUSE EASY TO APPROACH?: YES / NO. - Best ways to approach them?:  With something of Chappy

SOMETHING YOU MAY STILL WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT YOUR MUSE?: Not really.

CONGRATS!!! You managed it, now tag your mutuals! ♥

Tagged by:  Soteln from @skyvar​

Tagging: Everybody did at this point lol.Idk who tag

[polygarnstars]

part 1: 4, 12, 15, 18, and 19

If you think I’m going to have common sense and not answer all of these in a single post, I have Bad News lmao

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? Smart, mostly. “Gifted”. This very much Did Not Last lmaoooo

12. name of your favorite playlist? I literally never make playlists I’m a stupid fuck who uses their spotify premium to skip freely through all my thousands of liked songs on shuffle until I find something I want to listen to lmaooooo (Having said that: Rey and I put together a playlist for some characters we were entering a contest to win last fall which I titled Story and Song after the TAZ arc and also because we wrote Way Too Much for it and I’m Very Proud Of That)

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment? Okay upon reading this I initially genuinely couldn’t remember any of the books I read in school because for the last several years of my schooling I just fuckin Sparknotes and TV Tropes-ed everything lmao... having said that, I do remember enjoying Maus! It was neat having a graphic novel assigned amongst all the “literary classics” that I couldn’t sit through a sitting of without falling asleep, and it may be the furry in me but the depiction of the characters/people as animals was Good :0c See, if all history was depicted with methods like this, I’d maybe actually be able to remember it ghfdjhgjfkdl

18. ideal weather? Depends on the day, but generally: Between like 65-80°F, not humid, not a lot of wind, and either sunny, partly cloudy, or drizzly but not outright storming. Basically decent temperatures without feeling like I’m walking through soup because of the humidity and weather that’s not completely gray and boring. Aka what Maine basically never is lmaoooo

19. sleeping position? I change positions every five minutes I swear to god (don’t take that out of context gfhdjbhvjd). Usually with at least one arm draped over a pillow that is Definitely Not Being Mentally Portrayed As A Character I Like To Supplement The Fact That I Did Not Get Enough Affection To Be A Functional Adult As A Child ghfdjknbhgfjdk

21. obsession from childhood? bold of you to assume i don’t still obsess over nintendo games (and just video games in general tbh)

23. strange habits? OKAY I COULDN’T THINK OF ANYTHING FOR THIS AT FIRST BUT I HAVE ONE NOW: MIDNIGHT FRIES

28. five songs to describe you? Speeding - LightsDaydreaming - ParamoreMusic - Mystery SkullsNo Lullaby - SIAMÉSLonely Dance - Set If Off+Bonus because it came up on Spotify while I was shuffling for songs for this and it’s a Mood: Pineapples Do Not Belong on a Pizza - Vargskelethor

29. best way to bond with you? I don’t know I usually just scream about ocs or video games with people and suddenly it’s been a year??? @riskreyes how has it been a year since we started talking but also how has it only been a year??? Wild bvhfdjkbhvgfjdk

30. places that you find sacred? Lmao I’ve never had anywhere like that really. Need a goddamn lock on my door :p I guess... the woods by my house? As a little kid before things got shitty my neighbor’s cousin or niece or something would go out there wandering around catching frogs and stuff in the spring or almost falling into the frozen streams during winter. When things started to go to shit in my life as a teenager I would hide out there to get away and nobody would find me. I haven’t been recently but the last time I did my friend and I walked along the train tracks and dove off into the woods by the side to avoid the amtrak coming by, it was great lmao. Uhh, other than that... I dunno, Boston and New York and New London all make me feel good to visit. Probably mostly because during those trips I don’t feel trapped in a dying land like Maine feels like bgvhfdjkhvgfjd

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? ......my entire wardrobe is my work outfit, excessive graphic tees, and jeans. So uhh... I dunno. I guess my NWTB shirts are pretty rad, I’d kick a dude’s ass wearing Nate’s merch

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? if i have to see another ad for some fuckin branch of the us military while i’m just out here trying to watch people play video games i swear to god-

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? Oh boy I don’t know how weird these are but do you want a list??? I can give you a list hang on- In 4th grade we had a day of class where we all just had a party and ate chips and salsa and stuff because the pats won the super bowl and our teacher was Obsessed- In middle school my math class started working out of college textbooks, which is a bit much when you’re 11, advanced classes or no. Yet somehow none of the other students had any problems with this- Also in middle school, the school counselor really wasn’t very Good at his job so I usually just ended up playing Rock Band in his office instead of talking out any of my Many, Many Problems. I played the drums, for the record- Also in middle school, one time I straight up fell down a flight of stairs? Like, a full flight of stairs. Fuckin somersaulting down the stairs. The binder I was carrying broke open, papers went everywhere, my arm got cut open somewhere along the way and started bleeding. I get to the bottom, the other students are staring at me in horror, aforementioned counselor fuckin steps out of his office which is, of course, right at the bottom of the stairs, all concerned because what the fuck a kid just fell down the stairs, right? And so I, laying on the floor disoriented and laughing, declare, and I quote: “That was fun, let’s do it again!”- THE MOTHERFUCKING MAC AND CHEESE MUFFINS IN HIGH SCHOOL. Macaroni and cheese baked into the sweet batter of a muffin. I refused to touch the stuff but a friend of my did and it was bad enough he had to go to the trash can and fucking empty his stomach in it.- SAID FRIEND ALSO MANAGED TO GET A CARTON OF MILK THAT EXPIRED A MONTH BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED AT THE START OF ONE OF OUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL and if I didn’t trust cafeteria food before that sealed the deal on me Never Trusting It Again- OH BUT SPEAKING OF CAFETERIA FOOD one time in the old school before the renovation, in like freshman year I think? I laughed so hard a piece of spicy chicken strip flew up my windpipe and got stuck in my nose and it was too big for me to snort out so I had to suck it back down and for the rest of the day all I could smell was burning- ON ANOTHER FOOD RELATED TOPIC down in the library I was on my iPad and 3DS because I had Long Since Given Up On School and some asshole dudes threw a rotting orange at me and it splattered all over the screens of both? So I picked up the remains and chucked it back at them and yelled “Do you wanna fucking NOT?” and they all ran off. The librarian heard me yell and saw me throw the orange back at them and she just didn’t give a fuck lmao- The librarians at my school were cool as shit really during one of our years we had to do x hours of volunteer work so I did some adjustments to the library catalogue for mine but the thing is I was fast enough at it that there really wasn’t enough to fill up my required hours so instead of giving me more to do they just sort of let me and my friends hang out playing Yu-Gi-Oh and called that good lmao. (For the record I only had one starter deck so I let my friend pick half of the cards and I would use the half she didn’t want. I managed to fuckin WRECK her with throwaways it was Iconicque)- OKAY ONE LAST LIBRARY STORY on the last day of finals I was hanging out in one of the smart tv rooms in the library right? My last finals weren’t for a few hours and lord knows I wasn’t gonna study, ADHD ass couldn’t do that and I’d already given up on school lmao. So I fucking... I brought my Wii U to school, hooked it up to the smart tv, and just started playing Splatoon there in the library. One of the librarians walked past to check on everyone, stopped at my room, watched me play for a minute (I noticed her and just sort of nodded and waved like ‘Sup’ so she Knew what was going on), and then just LEFT. Like, she didn’t give a fuck. Shoutout to the librarians, the Chillest- ALRIGHT LAST STORY LAST STORY I straight up never got all the credits I needed to graduate lmao. I was missing half a credit but they let me go anyway and to this day I cite the reason as being my high scores on the SAT/PSAT? I was the first student at the school in like, a decade, to have gotten an award from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for my performance on them, and I guess they must have thought that me failing to graduate on time would look bad on them because, uh, yeah, it would, if people found out their teachers couldn’t handle a ~smart kid~ to the point that they did poorly enough to not even graduate with the rest of their class nobody would be willing to send their kids there lmao. And that’s the story of how I graduated when I wasn’t technically supposed to!!!

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? That’s a good fuckin question hey shit memory what was that thing that made us laugh so hard we couldn’t breathe again?...Don’t remember? Yeah I thought so lmaoI dunno, probably a joke in some let’s play? Or... god. Now that I think about it was probably the Slicer of T’pire Weir Isles moment actually. Holy shit, that was good.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? That I’ve ever tried? Jesus, I dunno, I have issues with texture more than flavor. I Refuse to eat my mother’s stuffing because it’s literally just soggy ass bread. In terms of pure flavor alone? Her shepherds pie. It’s just... there is no flavor. It’s like eating cardboard. I’m begging you, De, use seasoning. If I ever have to eat shepherds pie that just tastes like tin from canned peas and vague hints of unseasoned beef again I’m going to go on a murderous rampage.That said? F in the chat to Cameron for that mac and cheese muffin. Rest in pieces

73. favorite weird flavor combo? GVFHDJBVDN JUST GONNA MAKE ME SHARE THE DILL PICKLE/CHOCOLATE PUDDING PACK COMBO FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE HUH

93. nicknames? Gar, Garn, Lane, Bill, Master, Pants, Shortpants. The first three are self-explanatory, first two are shortenings of my name and then my masc/surname. The latter four come from usernames of mine - Bill from Bill Ciforce (If you stack a Bill Cipher on top of two other Bill Ciphers, you get the Ciforce), Master, Pants, and Shortpants from MasterShortpants in reference to one of Link’s nicknames in Skyward Sword

95. favorite app on your phone? Does the internet app count? No? Lmao. Spotify I guess :p Need me some Tunes

[smallelephants]

Dynamics of a CGLRE relationship

Day 2: Starting a CGLRE relationship! 💖

So, you’ve decided to take that exciting leap into a cglre relationship?

Great!

Now, here comes the decisions, conversations, and getting to know your partner (platonic or romantic)!

~

I will create an index of sorts, so you can scroll to a certain part you want or like! This post is for experienced littles/ care givers, and for newbies (If this is you.. WELCOME CUTIE PIE! Hope you find everything you need here! 💖)!

~

Lastly, so I don’t go on a rant haha, I hope everybody has a great day/ night!! ❤️ I’m always free to talk if you want to private message me for more advice or just to vent and talk!

Index:

Adjusting to the feeling of being with your partner platonically and romantically as a little/ care giver

Getting to know your partner (suggestion of activities included)

Making time for each other

Schedules/ charts (for chores if you live together)

First time little space!

First time caregiver space!

Okay! Let’s begin!! 💖💖

So, now that you and your partner have decided to be in a cglre relationship, it time to ACTUALLY start.

It may seem nerve-wracking or unsure for a bit (if not, that’s great!), and that’s 100% okay! It’s a very unique type of bond you two will have, and for some of you who have never been in a cglre relationship, it’s ALL new. So, don’t fret! I’m here to tell you easy peach lemon squeezy ways to get comfortable with each other! 💖

Talking about your personal experiences as a little or care giver!

While this may seem nerve-wracking for people who are new to this community or who aren’t open people, I can assure you it’s a great way to get to know your partner! If you two take time to sit down and talk about your past experiences with other littles/ care givers, then it can lead to so so many other conversations. Also, talking about how you found out you’re a little or care giver can be a great thing!

Talking about your favorite experiences!

This is slightly different than just talking about past experiences because this is more specific, and it doesn’t deal in your own personal hills you had to climb to know you’re a little or care giver, OR necessarily your experience with a little or care giver. This can be maybe a moment on a play date, by yourself, with a friend, etc! Just talking about some favorite experiences (funny, emotional, warm, etc) you’ve had as a little or care giver can build a less-tense and more relaxed atmosphere as you open up to your partner!

Starting off the cglre relationship SLOW

One sure fire way of getting closer and more comfortable with your cglre partner is to take things slowly at first! I know it may seem tough if you’re excited, but trust me, you won’t regret taking the time to adjust and get comfortable. Once you’ve spent time together getting to know each other, then you can take more steps.

Go out together/ hang out!!

This is very very important for adjusting to someone as important as your little or your care giver! You MUST actually go do things together! You can watch movies at home or out, go out to eat, go to an amusement park, bake at home, etc! Or, you can just call them everyday and make sure to keep in touch for an extended period of time throughout the day, rather than just five minutes of text conversation! It’s vital that you spend time with them; quality, real time that gives you opportunities to grow closer!

Next topic is getting to know your partner! This may be new for a lot of people who aren’t used to this community, or they’re just someone who isn’t used to sharing things about themselves. But, it’s VERY IMPORTANT that you become a more open, honest person when in these types of relationships! I will touch on this subject in a later post XD

Firstly, you must understand that getting to know someone TAKES TIME! Luckily, you two have all the time in the world! Don’t feel pressured to share every secret or detail within the span of five minutes! Take your time, relax, and enjoy each other! I’ve created a list of activities or conversation starters you can do if you’re struggling with getting to know your cglre partner! 💖

The little and care giver making a top ten favorite’s list and compare (this can be cglre related or not, your choice!)

Two truths and a lie (a great way to find more out about your cglre partner!)

Quarters! (With a twist.. oooooh~) Basically, you bounce the quarter into the cup, but instead of drinking, you have to tell something about yourself! It can be a fun fact, secret, or life experience!!

A “what if” game! Ex: “If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?” Or “If you had to pick between having the power to control fire or fly, which would you pick?” And you can always go into detail about why!

“Would you rather?” It’s a classic, but it’s still really good to know your cglre partner’s “oh heck yeah”’s and “oof no”’s

Another classic: “Never Have I Ever”! This is a great way to know how experienced your little or care giver is in the cglre community OR just know their experience in life!

The next topic is “making time for each other”! This topic is going to be a little bit long, since I do want to discuss some important things that deal with emotional abuse or dependency, so buckle in!

I won’t be discussing everything about emotional abuse, since that’s going to be a post for another day. However, I want to say that you and your cglre partner (whether you’re a little or caregiver) should have space. You should not be relying fully on your partner being around to exist. You both should have school, a job, or some other responsibility that requires time apart. Building a life for YOURSELF outside of this relationship is very very important, because you don’t want to build your life around this other person.

This means that you should not guilt your partner into spending more time together. If you find yourself begging your partner to stay home from work every day, or guilting them into not hanging out with friends like they do once a week, then perhaps you need to take a step back and slow down. It’s 100% okay (and I even highly encourage it) to have a job, to volunteer, to have time alone, or to hang with friends! You do NOT need to exist purely within this relationship!

Now that that’s said... let’s talk about how you CAN make healthy time for your cglre partner in your daily life!

Talking about your days! This can be a great way to connect while also detoxing from your long day. Take maybe 10-20 minutes at the end of the day to sit down and just TALK. It’s really good for people to communicate our stresses and problems, and who knows? Perhaps your partner can offer some guidance or advice! At the very least, they can definitely give emotional comfort and support!

Having a designated day(s) with your cglre partner! Perhaps, if you work all week, you can give yourself every Saturday to spend doing whatever y’all want together! Maybe go see a movie, go out to eat, go to an arcade, go on a walk! Anything that you two like to do, assign it a day or two every week, and FOLLOW IT! I know for me, inconsistency as a little can feel jarring, so if you’re going to make a commitment to Saturday’s, keep that commitment. If you’re not able to, talk to your partner about it! Communication, communication, communication!!!

Have an alotted time or a specified day(s) for little/ care giver space! I know that little space can sometimes hit randomly, but I think it’s a great idea to have certain times within your week alotted for little and care giver space! It’s wonderful to come home from a long day and know you’re going to have the rest of the evening with just you and your cglre partner!

Invite your cglre partner to meet your family and friends! This doesn’t mean that you have to tell your family and friends what kind of lifestyle you lead, but perhaps you can introduce them as a significant other or friend! Making your cglre partner feel comfortable around friends and family can build such trust and pride in your partner! Plus, you could eventually get invited to family/ friend events!

Have slumber parties! These are my FAVORITES (can’t ya tell haha?)! I love love love these! Staying up all night, playing games, eating snacks, etc! I love the feeling of cuddling and just relaxing all night with someone you trust! This is an AMAZING way to build a bond, get to know someone, spend quality time together, and have fun!!

This one may not apply to some (if not most) cglre relationships, as some/ most may not live together! However, I will offer many suggestions for long distance relationships or relationships where the two partners just don’t live together!

~

For cglre partners who live together:

I suggest for those that are living together (platonic or romantic), you start a schedule/ chart for chores! This is a great way to give your little a chance to earn rewards (I will discuss rewards in the next blog)! It gives them a chance to be responsible to earn praise, while also helping around the house.

Some suggested chores can include:

Cooking meals

Vacuuming

Sweeping/ mopping

Dusting

Dishes

Taking trash out/ collecting trash

Feeding/ letting out (to pee and eat) pets if you have them

What’s great about this is you can do cute sticker systems on your chart, such as hearts, Stars (my personal favorite), etc! It can be fun and colorful!

~

For those that do not live together or are long distance, don’t worry, you can STILL do this! There are many many chores apps where you can monitor your littles’ chores and responsibilities!

I will list some below:

Thumbsters- this app is amazing! It’s cute, fun, and colorful! You can have multiple littles (if this is something you and your little have agreed upon), and you can track many things beyond just chores, such as attitude! You can do rewards as well on here!

Smiles and Frowns: Rewards Chart- this app is also colorful (though, slightly less). It uses a smiles and frowns system for if your little has completed a chore, activity, or remained respectful! This, I would say, goes more in depth than Thumbsters, but the draw back is it’s not as fun/ colorful!

Mothershp- this one is interesting because it’s BOTH fun/ colorful, and also super in depth! You can alott chores, physical activity, and attitude certain point values. As they earn these point values, they can redeem them for rewards! I’d say this one is my favorite, and I highly suggest!

Now, he comes the last two topics, which can be super duper exciting!!

Firstly, little space!! Yay! 💖

~

This time can be a little awkward at first (in the best way), because it’s the first time you and your cglre partner are experiencing little space together! However, trust me, there are many activities you can do together to help it smoothen out and get more comfortable!

Coloring! This always a fun way to spend time with your little, and you can listen to them as they talk about the book! Trust me, asking a little a simple question like, “What colors are you gonna use?” Can get them REALLY ranting! (Or, at least for me, it does) Coloring together is super fun, especially when you can compare at the end and talk about it!

Watching Disney/ Pixar movies, or any cartoon movie! This can be a super fun, relaxed activity for littles, depending on their regression age! I do suggest you ask your little questions through the movie, so you can get to know their little space side even more!

Baking! You can use the easy bake ovens, or just have them help with the mixing parts of regular baking (so they don’t get hurt)! This can be so so fun, and it takes time, plus you can have ALOT of conversation! Ask about their favorite foods, foods they hate, snacks they love, etc! It’s a great way to know their little diets!

If you have a pet, like a cat or dog (I don’t suggest small animals since they’re more fragile and can get lost easily), then absolutely play with them with your little! You two can dress up the pet, even, for fun!

Speaking of dressing up... play dress up! This is a super fun way to pass time in little space! Trying on silly outfits is sooo fun for a little, and it’s gets their goofy side out more! Talk to them about what they love and don’t love clothes wise, talk to them about shoes and accessories! For me, I LOVE heels, and I could go on for hours in little space about it!

Board games! I love board games in and out of little space personally! Ones such as Candy Land, Sorry!, and Life are fun, lead to a lot of laughter, and they’re easy for a little to play when in little space!

Those are just SOME suggestions of activities you can do together when in little space for the first time to get used to it and more comfortable! As time goes on, you can do more relaxed activities, or things more specific to your little!

Now, I’ve talked to some people who don’t believe this is a thing, but trust me it is! Caregiver space isn’t as widely known as little space because it’s “age regression”, but believe me, caregiver space is real.

Caregiver space can be when a caregiver experience a large amount of love and warmth for their little, and they really want to take care of them and give them love and affection. It’s like an intensified care giver pretty much haha!

Some ways you and your cglre partner can spend caregiver space (in little space or not):

Cuddling/ snuggling! This is a way for caregivers to give a lot of affection to their little, showering them in love! And, it’s really awesome for littles too haha

Watching movies/ tv shows together! Caregivers enjoy this too, just as much as littles, and they love to see their little light up when their favorite cartoon character comes on!

If your caregiver is someone who loves to give gifts (perhaps it’s their love language), then maybe you and your caregiver can make bracelets or necklaces together with beads and string and personalize them! Or, you can paint, and just do crafts in general!

Dancing! Whatever type of dancing y’all love, do it! I prefer the cheesy slow dancing in the kitchen to old songs haha, but if you’re more the swing type of person or hip hop, do it! It’s super fun, and it bonds you both even more, plus if it’s in public, caregivers can proudly show off their little (which I know is what some caregivers love)!

Thank you for reading this! If you read this far, here’s some extra love for youuuu ❤️😍

I hope you have a great great day/ night!!!

[brunhiddensmusings]

argument starters

top ten statements on my mind that might start moderately intellectual debates A- rick and morty still exists primarily as a vehicle to create more funko pop models and most episodes are written for the sole purpose of such B- the movie industry has learned nothing from marvel, not even marvel has learned from marvel. nor have they learned what made the original starwars films beloved, or lord of the rings, despite having literal decades to have studied it and having actual classes in colleges for filmography majors to have figured this out by now. or really learned anything from any good movie on what those movies did well regardless of if they were as big as those trilogies or if they were as off in left field as asking what worked about ‘labrynth’ and what didnt. any movie that ‘fails’ is assumed that the elements of the movies are what made it fail, not that it was poorly made and bad, so the attack will always be on any innovation of the movie or the genre, so that the studio shuns anything that isnt formulaic and safe even if that would also produce a garbage movie. honestly twats on youtube analyzing movies actually -DO- know more about what makes a movie shit or good then the actual executives in charge of multi billion dollar companies and thats both scary and satisfying. B part 2- this may sound like a petty concern but its literally an industry the not only employs millions of people and is worth a severe chunk of the economy but also is involved with shaping culture and whats seen and what is critisized, movies and tv impact the world by changing what people see as normal and guiding their worldview C- naruto, as flawed a thing as it is also has reason people enjoy it, however it could have been made into legitimately impressive and quality content if -naruto himself is not the main focus, he is instead a prominent side charachter -rock lee is the focus, as he actually idealizes the point of the show about hard work being more important then natural ability and isnt as much a twit -just put sasuke in the trash can, close the lid -open the lid briefly to also dump in the weird obsession with bloodlines, birthright superpowers, and reincarnations that make hardwork pointless as everyone has a lineage of superninjawizard powers over and above the normal ninjawizard powers so if your dad wasnt ninja-merlin you arent worth shit D- there is nothing wrong with zombie based media, its just mostly created by people who have no fucking clue how to use zombies in a story D part 2- if your moral is ‘man is the real monster’ i need to slap you E- creepypastas and SCPs are actually a very good practice ground for aspiring writers to toy with ideas within a prompt framework its just that we see predominantly derivative early works of people that hopefully later go on to surpass their bad fanfiction stage and we need to re-approach the style with the ambition to actually do something with the setting and move past the sea of cheap knockoff psycho teen with knife stories and thing that makes people die F- capitalism may be extremely flawed but ‘free market’ concepts can exist without capitalism much like socialism can exist alongside democracy G- avacados, while healthy, are relatively flavorless in addition to being damaging agraculturally due to how water demanding they are despite often being grown in areas with water shortages but are also being seen as a finantial diversification for cartels that typically manage drugs. avacado money actively funds gang violence H- well meaning people unintentionally hurt their cause all the time yet calling them out on it weakens the cause by creating needless infighting I- pie is an acceptable meal option, cheesecake is a pie not a cake, cheesecake might not be the best meal choice but its ironically far from the worst J- kickstarter, youtube, and patreon are amazing ideas that allow creators to actually produce content without relying on pitching a concept to a giant soulless corporation that will inevitably crush any innovation even on the tiny fraction of creators they ever say yes to and will only say yes to pitches that are garbage, however these platforms have taken such massive hits to reputation that they may soon become unusable for that intended purpose. you may feel bitter about mighty number nine style fiascos or ultra fake douchebros who have airhorns on every video as they tell you to smash their button but that bitterness threatens actual opportunities for real creativity and very worthwhile things being made K- shakespeare shouldn't really be given any more reverence then any other author, really no writer should be put on a higher pedistal simply because they were from a certain era of writing. conversely popular current/modern literature isnt inherently worse or better then the ‘classics’ as all the classics were popular/modern at some point in the past which is the only reason knowlege of them survived till to day for people to assume theyre somehow more profound

[moviegroovies]

oh god after last time i really did think i was done but i must have unlocked some new level of hell because here we go, here we go, lost boys hcs PART 3!!!!

so ummmmm michael... is sort of dumb. 

like, ok, specifically??? i think he’s got a higher than average emotional intelligence, but he’s just one of those kids who’s bad at school. there’s some hints of this in the movie: when michael is telling sam that he can’t tell lucy about the vampirism thing, sam’s line is that it’s “not like getting a D in school, mike!”, implying that hiding that kind of thing is something the two of them have been over before, and a deleted subplot has him repeatedly insisting to lucy that he’s going to drop out of school to get a job and help her pay for things.

tbh i think he’s got that classic “child of divorce” thing going on. he feels like a burden on sparse resources and can’t stand the thought of wasting his days in school, where he doesn’t even want to be. he wants to help his mom! he gets a job for he so he can do that! what a good, sweet boy!!!

hmmm. dyslexic michael, anyone? like, i was going to say that he was particularly vexed by math & science, but the more i think about it, the more i’m leaning toward him maybe just being disinterested in those subjects, even though they’re the ones he’s better at, while english and history (but particularly english) really piss him off because studying takes so goddamn long.

so he gets like, C+/B- in math and science, consistent C- in history, and wavers C- to D+ or even lower in english. 

he’s so polite to his teachers that they help him when they can though, especially because they know he’s trying so hard, but he’s just not entirely gifted at this sort of stuff. 

the worst is when he has to keep his grades up to stay eligible for sports--that pressure just makes everything seem so much worse.

i think michael plays some of everything. he’s like, some kind of guard on the football team, not particularly their star player or anything, but i think he’s also got a starter position on the basketball team, and he is the star pitcher on the baseball team. 

physical stuff just comes easier to him than academic stuff, you know?

his high school girlfriend was a cheerleader, but they weren’t that serious. she was a kind of preppy girl, a little vapid, and it felt to michael like they only really dated because they were supposed to. breaking up with her kind of led to michael’s attraction to star; he saw her on the boardwalk and she looked like she dressed for herself and she was outwardly enjoying her time at the concert--plus, you know, she’s really pretty.

he hates to admit it, but michael’s favorite classes in school were the home ec classes that his guidance counselor suggested he take. he took shop first, which was okay, but really, what he liked to do the most was the cooking and sewing shit. when he joins the lost boys, he kind of “takes over” these roles from star (who had been pressured into acting the mother for all these assholes who could be her great grandfathers, easily), and it turns out that he’s a lot better at that stuff than she is. 

guess he was always kind of training to be david’s bitch after all.

the guys stop ribbing on him once he shows them how he can fix their clothes and shit, though. goddamn assholes.

michael’s main circle of friends in highschool was made up of other jocks, and like with his girlfriend, they weren’t super close. he often got excluded from stuff because he would insist he couldn’t do something or other on account of his mom needing him home that night, or he would get pissed at them for making fun of sam. 

michael said family comes first, fuckers!

he did drink and smoke and shit like that back in phoenix when he knew he wouldn’t be missed at home, though. he’s not a goody two shoes, really, he just didn’t want to make things harder than they were for his mom. 

one day he did come home drunk, and he’ll never forget how upset lucy looked. he still doesn’t feel like he’s made that up to her. ouch.

one of the guys michael hung out with, probably the closest michael had to a “best friend” was a dude named declan who he’d known since elementary school. declan as the only one of the jock guys who didn’t really hold it against him when he’d skip out on stuff, and the only one he ever even thought about telling the divorce shit to, although in the end, he chickened out of actually doing it. 

like i said, they weren’t best friends or anything, but they could have been, y’know?

one of the less nice dudes in his group (probs one michael got in fights with often) started dating michael’s girlfriend about a week after he moved. michael wasn’t really pissed by the time he found out about that; he had way bigger problems to worry about by then.

there was a guy that michael saw around who was kind of a beatnik loner outcast and almost definitely a fag. he liked shakespeare and oscar wilde and probably drew pretty things in the margins of his notebook, and the guys that michael hung out with trashed on him pretty much constantly. michael himself, however, had kind of a thing for the guy: he thought he was cool and would ask when he could to see what he was working on.

you know how michael acted around star at the very beginning of their association? that’s pretty much how he was around this dude. local bi disaster is bi.

the guy (i was going to say fuck it and name him after the guy who i’m sort of basing him on from peggy sue got married, but guess what my fucking luck is, that dude’s name is michael. jfc. let’s call him charlie) thought michael was just there to make fun of him like the others did, but he eventually, he might have come around to trusting that mike really was just interested in his art. 

maybe they made out or something before charlie eventually pushed back against him because he didn’t want to get fucking murdered by michael’s friends for making him queer if they got caught 

michael always felt like he should have pushed harder to have some sort of relationship with charlie, but once he moves to santa carla, there’s no use in thinking about it anymore.

unlike michael, sam did have a close circle of friends at school, even though he wasn’t as classically “popular” as his brother. 

it was probs this reason that made him take the move a lot harder than his brother did.

sam, also unlike michael, was/is really good at school. he’s super skilled at memorizing dates & facts (just look at him rattle off semi-obscure superman trivia lol), and pretty talented at writing to boot. he doesn’t like math as much, but if he works at it, it comes to him pretty quickly. 

gifted kid perks™

being that everything came easy to sam, and that he didn’t do any sports like michael did, he had a lot of downtime to read books and comics, keep up w/ pop culture, and hang out with his nerdy friends who liked to do the same. he was even in a d&d group

his character was an elf rogue.

it’s about gay rights

re: sports, it’s not that sam couldn’t be athletic, just that he didn’t ever really want to be. he used to do little league to be like michael and as a concession to his father, but really, he was always put in the outfield, and at the end of the day he would just rather read or watch tv than stand out in the hot sun playing this game he didn’t care about.

when they were little, michael trained himself to get better at reading so that he could read stuff to sam when their parents were fighting or their mom was away. he remembered how his parents (in better times) had read to him, and he knew it made sam feel better, so he put aside his difficulties and discomfort to read to his brother before bed.

the easiest things to read for him were comic books (he had some batmans and supermans and even a few wonder womans, although it wasn’t all superhero stuff. he also had richie rich and, of course, archies), which kind of sparked sam’s love for them--they were something he shared with his brother. <3

i’m thinking sam’s nerd club was the prototypical “mostly boys who never talked to a girl in their lives” type thing, but at the same time i’d like to imagine that at least one of them had a pretty brash (and nerdy) sister who pushed her way into the club, winning their respect by doing what sam did to frog brothers, only with star wars lore.

also, i’m kind of picturing a shy girl from their school who sam takes under his wing when she’s getting bullied, only to find out that she’s really into that stuff too.

she’s part of their d&d campaign; she plays a badass orc barbarian woman and consistently has the best luck with the dice. 

the girl is almost definitely a lesbian, but sam asks her to homecoming and stuff like that so that they’ll both have dates; they’re basically each other’s beards. 

Gay Rights.

one of the only ways michael could ever really relate to his dad was when they played baseball and the dad taught him Sports™ things, so sam not being at all interested in that stuff made him kind of a disappointment. even still (or maybe for that reason), michael was always the mama’s boy, while sam spent a long time desperate for his dad’s approval.

maybe bc michael and lucy tried really hard to protect him from just how shitty their dad really was, to be honest.

speaking of michael and sam’s dad, i’ve been doing a lot of thinking about him, and now i’ve got Opinions. 

contrary to what i guess is the general fandom consensus (at least from what i’ve seen? but my scope might not be that big regarding this character, so if i’m wrong, i’m wrong lol) regarding the dad, i can’t see him being particularly abusive physically. 

however, given how sweet and agreeable lucy is, i get a sense that there must have been something REALLY insurmountable in their relationship to make her decide that divorce was the only option. the way i see it, michael and sam’s father started as one of those anti-establishment punks who eventually grew up and just... snapped back the other way entirely to end up as the establishment himself. 

main justification for this is that scene w/ michael and star; he doesn’t just refer to his mother being an ex-hippie, he refers to his folks. plus, i mean, there must have been something about the man that endeared him to lucy, right?

so, over the course of their marriage, the guy goes from being a radical dreamer type with maybe some kind punk rock aspirations to being like.... reagan’s “moral majority.” 

he starts totally stomping down his old dreams and, in the process, mocking lucy for holding onto anything from their past (you know how she told sam part of the reason she divorced him was that “he never believed in the closet monster”? that was a symptom tbh). i imagine that this, in itself, was soul crushing, but what was really the last straw was when he started in on michael and sam: getting mad and telling michael that he wasn’t going to make it in the MLB and that he had to get his shitty grades up if he wanted to amount to anything (only making him hate school even more lbr), and openly disliking sam’s rejection of sports and stuff in favor of his comic books and MTV.

before the end, i think michael got in a lot of fights with his dad when he’d make passive-aggressive comments at sam for not being enough of a man. 

who made you the fucking authority on that, huh?

if he was ever actually physically violent with anyone, it was probably michael during these fights, or mayyyybe even lucy when she’d step in.

eventually, something just tips lucy’s goddamn scales, and she snaps and goes out right then and there to file for divorce. they never saw the point in signing a prenup or anything back then, y’know, so without really fighting for it, lucy wasn’t going to get anything in the divorce. 

she doesn’t. they leave arizona with just about the clothes on their backs.

if anyone actually fought against the divorce proceedings, honestly i think it was the dad. he had this idea of his respectable nuclear family, and, even though he was basically an emotionally neglectful POS to his sons, he hated the idea of his wallstreet suit-type coworkers coming to know that his home life was anything less than perfect. 

as a last ditch effort, he probably tried to win lucy back at the very last minute, even twisting her arm in an attempt to get her to stay for the boys’ sake, but he clearly no longer knows what attracted her to him in the first place, and the “effort” just makes her sad.

in her mind, she’s already gone by then, you know?

finally, he just ives up and signs the divorce papers. for a hot second it really fucks him up; he goes in to work unshaven and haggard, he’s back to eating like a bachelor, his heart isn’t in what he’s doing. this isn’t about grief over losing his family, though, is the shitty thing. not really. instead, he’s just dealing with uncertainty over how to remake his image. 

unfortunately, that’s about as much karma as their dad gets. by the time lucy, sam, and michael are gone for good, he finds it’s easiest to just pretend that they never happened. lucy didn’t demand it, but he sends the occasional bare bones childcare check in the mail and feels like he’s the goddamn father of the year or something, and meanwhile, he remarries a woman that’s both younger and more conservative than lucy, sooner or later fathering a son with her.

lucy isn’t cruel; she doesn’t want the boys to be totally cut off from their father, and even though they both pretty clearly sided with her in the divorce she offers him visitation rights and partial custody (saying that they could stay with him at least every summer and for whatever other holidays he wanted), but he mostly rejects this. 

when the boys try to call him to ask, he gives them a noncommittal answer about them maybe visiting next summer, after they’ve all gotten settled in. 

they pretty much stop calling after that. 

remember how i said michael has an above-average emotional intelligence? he’s definitely the one who helps lucy through the divorce the most. he picks up on the signals she sends about when she needs help and when she needs space, and chides sam for pushing her too hard every now and then.

sam, on the other hand, is definitely a good kid who cares about his mom a lot, but he’s a little more selfish and has a harder time acting like he’s got no problem leaving phoenix for her. the only real fights the two of them get into before all the vampire mess are centered around sam not being sympathetic enough to lucy and michael getting onto him for it.

i think that their dad might end up being a much better father and husband for his new family, and when the eventually visit him long enough to realize this, michael and sam... aren’t sure what to think.

like, they’re glad he’s not repeating the same mistakes he made before, but it’s not fair, is it? to see your little half-brother get the father you always wanted but never got. 

their new stepmom is a sweet lady, though. she really does want to try and welcome sam and michael into the family. sam, michael, and their dad all try, but in the end they find it uncomfortable, and the boys know it’s just a facade on all sides to make her happy. 

everyone is a little bit relieved when the boys just give up and go back to santa carla. 

when michael meets the lost boys (& subsequently learns about dwayne’s past with jasper and, you know, the total boner david has for him, and oh yeah, the fact that these guys are kind of universally gay asf), his only experience with gay shit had been his closeted fumbling with charlie and like, negative stereotypes from media, so he’s kind of amazed by these totally queer dudes who just... take no shit. 

like, he gets challenged to a motorcycle race and their leader doesn’t back down at all from the fight michael tries to incite, they take him back to drink and hang out in a semi-nasty man cave. these dudes aren’t what he expects from fags at all (they’re not sissies, and that’s kind of the end of his knowledge about the gay community at that time lol), and he just doesn’t... know what to think about them.

he kind of wants to be them.

like, you know how immediately after seeing them for the first time, michael buys himself a leather jacket and goes to get his ear pierced? there’s a reason for that, babes!

in other news, michael is a cancer and there’s nothing y’all can do about it.

i mean, i have Evidence behind my theory but also i’m just right.

but like, going back to that scene with michael and star again, when he’s introducing himself, you know how he tells her that he was nearly named moonbeam or moonchild or something like that? well, another name for cancers that i’ve seen is moonchildren, after the way cancer is ruled by the moon (and bc the term “cancer” itself has some... other connotations).

in conclusion, lucy really was That Bitch sgdfhghdh

[yellowpeach]

For the film asks, all of them? (2010/Chris Evans/Brie Larson/Edgar Wright for the *insert here* questions)

ahh!!! thank you so much for asking anon! this will take a while so i will probs stick most of it under a cut :)

a movie you’ve seen most times in cinema.

i answered this one here!

your most rewatched movie.

that’d be between toy story, the lord of the rings trilogy, moulin rouge, to all the boys i’ve loved before and this weird animated film called tubby the tuba. my grandma owned it on vhs and i spent basically every school holiday at her house so i watched it more times than i can think of!

a movie you quote on a daily basis.

i quote dumb youtube videos more than films on a regular basis, but i do quote a lot of lord of the rings lines like “it comes in pints?!” or anything else that comes out of one of the hobbits mouths.

favorite movie soundtrack

probably moulin rouge? that or the first guardians of the galaxy. they’re the only two that i still own on CD..

top 5 films of your favorite actor and actress

okay so my initial thought for favourite actor is actually tom hanks, so in that case.

forrest gump

philadelphia

toy story

 the green mile

larry crowne (not the most amazing film in the world but it’s so endearing to me!)

and for actress i would probably say toni colette? her or blake lively, but i don’t have a top five for either of them. for toni it’d be;

about a boy

muriel’s wedding

miss you already

and for blake it’d be;

a simple favor

the age of adeline

elvis and annabelle

top 5 performances of your favorite actor and actress.

see above, they’re one and the same to me.

a movie storyline you wish you had actually lived.

about time. might be biased since i’m watching it now, but it’d be nice to do things over if i could.

a movie that reminds you of your mum.

local hero. i’ve watched it with her many times and it’s one of her favourites.

a movie that reminds you of your dad.

any of the harry potter films. we went to all of them at the cinema together.

favorite movies from your childhood.

it’s gonna be toy story again. this will likely be a running theme, i fucking love this movie.

favourite quote(s).

too many to count from the lord of the rings. sam’s monologue at the end of the two towers, gandalf speaking to pippin in return of the king. also sam saying “i can’t carry it for you, but i can carry you!”. this is really just a love letter to sam now, isn’t it….

top 5 favorite female performances.

i would have to come back to this, i can’t brain right now.

top 5 favorite male performances.

see above.

favourite year for movies.

after googling, it looks like 1993 was a bloody good year.

your favorite movies from [insert year].

2010 is the year you mentioned and from looking on google, my faves are toy story 3, how to train your dragon, black swan, scott pilgrim vs the world, easy a, megamind, tangled, AHH DAYDREAM NATION CAME 2010!! MY FAVE!! man, 2010 was a good one :D

favorite [insert actor/actress/director] movies?

so you said chris evans, brie larson and edgar wright. so faves in order would be:

short term 12

captain america: the winter soldier

hot fuzz or the world’s end (can’t pick between the two soz)

list all you’ve seen from [insert actor/actress/director].

so many, my dude. so many.

an underrated actor.

brain is fried. i’m sure there’s some but i’m blanking hard.

an underrated actress.

see above.

an underrated director.

see above.

an overrated actor.

johnny fucking depp.

an overrated actress.

scarlett johansson soz lol

an overrated director.

QUENTIN FUCKING TARANTINO

a film you wish you had seen on the big screen.

like any of my favourite 80s movies or the original psycho. also the lord of the rings, for some reason my folks didn’t take me to those.

a movie you’ve seen that you think no one else’s here will have heard of?

i am yet to encounter someone who knows the previously mentioned tubby the tuba.

favorite movie characters.

steve rogers, rapunzel from tangled, leia skywalker, lara-jean song-covey

a film that was better than the book.

i love to all the boys i loved before, but the film captured me in a way that the book didn’t as much.

best remake.

i’d watch tom holland or andrew garfield over tobey maguire for spiderman any day fight me.

your first favorite actor.

probably orlando bloom? back when i was a wee bab, i watched anything of his that i could find at the video rental.

your first favorite actress.

hilary duff probably. child me watched all of lizzie mcguire and any movies of hers.

favorite animated film.

if you’ve read this far and can’t figure it out, i don’t know what to say. it’s toy story, obviously.

your most anticipated films.

endgame and basically any other superhero movie coming out, toy story 4, the sequel for to all the boys i’ve loved before, the richard curtis movie called yesterday that is coming out in june (???) i think, STAR WARS.

last movie that disappointed you.

sierra burgess is a loser. fuck, no one else wanted that movie to be good as much as i did.

last movie that surpassed your expectations

nothing will ever match how blown away i was by pacific rim when i saw it. i went with my cousin knowing literally NOTHING about it. also i guess 2017′s it. i’m not big on seeing horror at the cinema and i didn’t expect to find it as funny as i did because the kids in it were so great.

actor in need of new agent.

idk bruh, i can’t think of anything right now for this.

actress in need of new agent.

see above.

share an unpopular film opinion you have.

idk how unpopular this is because i’m pretty sure thanks to #metoo most people want these kind of people want out of hollywood, but i despise woody allen and roman polanski films. the fact that i had to study them while getting my degree is despicable, and the argument that they’ve done a lot for the film industry is trash. don’t make their work important, studying it so thoroughly gives it power and i want to never have to speak about their trash again.

favorite Oscar win/speech.

who couldn’t say olivia colman’s from this years oscars. that warmed my cold dead heart and i cried for her.

biggest Oscar snub(s).

arrival should have won/been nominated for more than it did.

who do you think is overdue for another nomination/win?

amy adams!!! she was so fucking amazing in arrival, i wanted her to win all of the things.

how many movies have you seen (rough estimation)?

must be hundreds (not that these answers are any indication since i’ve talked about approx four films) since i own hundreds of DVDs, i go to the cinema regularly, i am constantly watching stuff on netflix and any other streaming services.

a movie that made you go ‘wtf was that’.

un chien andalou, requiem for a dream and mothlight. the first two because they’re fucking disturbing, the last one because its just close ups of parts of moths and i had to watch it for a film paper. it’s a no from me.

a film that scarred you.

the mummy. the beetle under the skin gave me nightmares and i haven’t been able to watch it since.

most movies watched in a single day.

i havent’t taken notes, but i did watch all of the mcu movies with cap in them recently in a day?

a film that always makes you cry.

coco. i’ve yet to make it through without having a full on mental breakdown for the last third of that movie. also marley and me because doggos. and the last part of mamma mia: here we go again. and philadelphia. the take away from this answer is that i cry a lot in movies.

a film that always makes you laugh.

hot fuzz. in my first flat we watched it nearly everyday for like two weeks when we all moved in and watching it makes me think of how much we all laughed and quoted it to one another.

movies that you think everyone should watch (not necessarily your favorites).

get out, psycho, star wars, at least one classic film noir, arrival, the cornetto trilogy, back to the future. there’s more but i think this is a good starter for what i at least find to be important viewing.

a movie that took you a couple of viewings to appreciate.

honestly probably the lord of the rings. they didn’t really click with me until high school, and then they really really clicked. also fight club i guess; the second time around watching it, i got the toxic masculinity themes more. it sucks that men read that movie as the exact opposite.

a book you want to see adapted to the big screen.

i believe i already answered this here!

a book you really, really, really don’t want to see made into a film.

does jk rowling’s twitter count? i want to see nothing more from the harry potter universe that she has had anything to do with.

favorite child performance.

the kids in the goonies and it 2017 come to mind. let kids act like kids!!!

favorite pre-code.

mate, you are making the assumption that i remember enough of the old films i studied in my degree, and that i remember the pre-code dates. i’m sure i have one, but that is buried far too deep in my brain to actually remember.

Favorite silent film.

i really enjoyed the buster keaton stuff we watched when i did my history of film paper.

favorite coming of age film.

boyhood, love simon, the edge of seventeen, my girl (i’ll be honest, i just googled coming of age movies and picked my faves from the top results. doesn’t mean i don’t stand by these!!)

favorite superhero film.

captain america: the winter soldier, spiderman: into the spiderverse, black panther and the dark knight rises.

best cinematography.

i still really like her and wes anderson for their cinematography.

movies you know you should watch, but can’t bring yourself to do it?

so fucking many, my dude. the amount of movies i wrote essays about when i had watched maybe three scenes and read the synopsis is insane. after getting a degree in it, and with how burned out i got, i found it very hard to give a shit about classics that lecturers told me were important. the big one is the godfather; it’ll be a cold day in hell when i finally watch that one.

favorite genres.

i’m a sucker for anything romantic. also film noir, superheroes, animated, female-led, stuff set in the 80s, lgbt film (that isn’t gross and exploitative), comedy horrors. idk man, it’s hard to describe.

least favorite genres.

dull as fuck period pieces that say approximately nothing new and hash out the same old tired shit about treatment of poc and/or women. comedies in the same vein of austin powers, napoleon dynamite and sasha baron cohen stuff. white feminist narratives. anything that is shitty about fat women. 

biggest movie pet peeve.

dark for no fucking reason!!! let films be bright and happy!!! ya girl hates having to strain her eyes to see what the heck is going on.

[lacrimosa-suit]

Murder is A Grotesque and Beautiful Art

starter for @innersanctvm

Mr. Mo is a classy man. That wasn’t just represented at how he dresses up gentlemanly and how he decorates his office room in a bit vintage. But he actually likes art such as renaissance sculpture and classical music---he even could play a grand piano. And in the leisure times, he would watch an opera stage or classical concert. He really enjoyed treasuring the beautiful painting in gallery art and if he liked it, he could spend his money to be a promoter for an exhibition. Well, he wasn’t a cold businessman, he had social life to interact with people and people came to know how generous he is---he built that image. Though, those whom he would truly appreciate are those who fit his high standard and they deserved to get his admiration.

...as well as how he’d also like to dispose of those whose life is worthless in his eyes. And there’s no beauty in it. Their body was just left in a bad shape, some even were hard to be recognized because he crushes the skull using an iron ball. And to show what their mistake is in public, sometimes he left a message using bible quotes written in their blood.

"너희는 태어났으니까 그냥 사는 거고, 판단은 내가 하는 거야" (You’re living just because you’re born, I’m the one who makes judgment of your life); that’s his motto.

Right now, he stopped by at the house of an art studio. This was the first time he visits the person behind the screen right at their place as he got a recommendation, not from an exhibition. He was searching animal taxidermy he could hang at the center of his wall above his desk. Mhh... what’s about a head of reindeer? It reminds him that he likes hunting too. His father had engaged him to hunt a rabbit and reindeer since he was a kid. He knew where the rifle was kept anyway but that’s not the weapon he uses when he’s hunting human prey. Reindeer has its beauty he didn’t wanna damage and they won’t have a life like human beings whom he could separate which one is above common herd (like himself) or below it---a human trash.

He stepped in the studio and his eyes observed all the sculptures worked in process. The place was a bit dirty for his shoes, if his secretary were here, he would say it wasn’t a place suited for him as he should wait in the guest room. That’s why he decided to drive by himself and he’s interested to see the process. Afterall, it wasn’t as dirty as a slum house he ever entered in to murder an old lady then he hanged her inside the wardrobe in Jesus pose.

“Excuse me, are you the artist of this studio, Ok Sangchul-ssi?” he greeted as he saw the figure of a younger man. “I’m Mo Taegu, I’m the one who called you by phone to visit before.”

[jessaadventures-blog]

Week Six: Chillin’ Out

Under the Lobitos pier.

This week was nice and chill, which was much needed after the craziness of last week! Nothing too crazy happened, but there were still some fun times with the EcoTeam. I’m already two-thirds through my time in Lobitos, and it feels both like I just got here and I’ve been here forever. I’m sure these next three weeks will fly by, and I’m excited to see what they hold!

The EcoHouse

My banana and strawberry compote crepe!

We only had one addition to the EcoTeam this week. Claudia arrived on Tuesday from the UK! She goes to Bristol University like Jack, but is a year ahead of him in the same geography program  (going into her third year of uni). Claudia is great, she’s always really enthusiastic and funny and we’ve had fun pointing out differences between British and American slang (it’s her and Jack and Joris against the rest of us usually). Claudia is doing research for her dissertation while she’s here, so she isn’t directly involved in any of the existing projects. She’s been interviewing local fisherman about overfishing and illegal fishing, which is really interesting! She’ll be here for three weeks total, so her, Seth, Orianna, and Chris (who comes tomorrow for two weeks) all leave the weekend before me. We have eight volunteers right now, with two people staying at Nacho’s hostel. Jenny leaves tomorrow and Chris comes to replace her, and we have one more guy, Anthony, coming on Sunday so we’ll have nine volunteers! That’s a super full house.

Diego (the Director) and his girlfriend, Nai Ana, are arriving tomorrow as well to replace Michael leaving for a week, and then Andres leaves when Michael gets back. It’ll be a big crew for my last few weeks!

We cooked a lot this week in an effort to reduce the money we’re spending by going out to eat so much. The four girls were almost always the chefs, and the four guys were the clean up crew! We did our classic Taco Tuesday, which everyone always enjoys, and on Wednesday we made two amazing vegan pot pies! Still my favorite food I think :) On Thursday we had a sweet and savory vegan crepe night with homemade strawberry compote, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, chickpeas, veggies, and more. This was a big hit; I definitely want to make crepes again before I leave. We also had some pisco sours to go with our fancy crepes! On Friday we made our famous veggie burgers (the guys were all extremely hungry though, so they went for starters at Tranqui’s and then ��came back and demolished the rest of the burgers). By Saturday we were getting low on homemade dinner materials (it’s hard cooking for ten people, six of whom eat for two or three people each), but we made a big batch of pasta and stir fried some squash and veggies to go with it and the remade pasta sauce we buy. Last night we gave up and went to Tranqui’s for dinner, which was as good as always!

A slice of vegan pot pie :)

Other than food, we had some fun nighttime activities this week! We had two game nights, one where we played BS (the card game) and Seth, who worked as a gondolier in Indianapolis, gave a wonderful performance of a famous Italian song that he would have to sing while he rowed tourists down the river so Claudia would take some of his cards (he’s quite talented). For the other game night we played the name game, where everyone writes down names of famous people on pieces of paper, and one person on each of the two teams has to get the rest of the team to guess what name they have (similar to taboo or charades), and we played some vary intense rounds of spoons, one of which was spoons hide-and-seek and we had to get up and run around the house trying to find the spoons. It was a blast!

The other big event we had was a Lord of the Rings marathon! We watched all the extended editions (each is four hours or more) over the course of four almost-consecutive days. We watched the first movie on Wednesday, split the second movie between Thursday and Friday, and watched the third (4.5 hours) on Sunday because it hadn’t fully downloaded on Saturday. Because I just finished the books, it was interesting to rewatch the movies and notice all the things they left out and little plot changes in the movies that weren’t in the books.

This weekend was really chill for me, all of the newer volunteers went to El Ñuro to swim with the turtles on Saturday, so I just hung out and read Harry Potter (I’ve just started the fifth book and I started the first one a week ago) and laid in the sun and did a big load of laundry. On Sunday everyone was tired but I got outside for a while and went for a swim (the waves were too big for me to surf) and a walk.

Overall a fun week in the EcoHouse getting to know the new interns, playing games, and cooking!

Work

Chipping paint in the sunrise!

This week was a little frustrating work-wise. I found a bunch of big cracks in the basin of the distiller that have opened up again (they originally were formed because the volunteer that built the actual wood structure of the distiller didn’t let the wood dry long enough and it warped) and the seawater was just leaking straight out of the bottom of the distiller. We got more silicone from Seth, and I did my best to fill all the gaps and create a seal between the window and the basin, but when I went to test the distiller again on Saturday morning there was still a big crack that I had missed, so all the water drained out again. Now I have to let the distiller dry again and then fix the cracks again and let it dry before testing it again hopefully on Friday. I think the seal is working a lot better, but the warping is definitely slowing down progress and making it difficult to get the distiller to perform at its best. But, I guess that’s the point of pilot unit like this one, to try it and make mistakes and learn from them! My main goal for the distiller at this point is to to a fully functional test (with no holes and a good seal) and move it up to the fisherman’s guild, where Joris has just finished building a stand for the distiller, before I leave. I think that’s doable, but I don’t want to rush it and sacrifice functionality like the guy who built the wood structure did. We’ll see how far I get! I also got my first Lobitos sunburn while painting silicone on the distiller this week, but its already faded.

Planting day was more like painting day this week. We got up at 6am as usual, and we finally decided to repaint the front outside wall of the house (there were a bunch of big paint chips in it that had been bugging me since I got here), so we spent five hours chipping the paint off the wall and getting covered in paint dust (we had catchy music to work to, so it was fun)! We then had an EcoBrunch, which was our usual big planting day breakfast immediately followed by the lunch that Angelita was already done making by the time we called planting day quits.

I’ve been keeping up with social media posts much better now, so that went well this week! We also launched and completed a crowdfunding campaign in four days, during which we raised $750 for Ale’s wind turbine project!

There’s still a lot to do before I leave, and I hope I can get it all done! I’m still very motivated to get this distiller up and running efficiently and reliably.

Adventures

Surfers jumping into the big waves at Piscinas.

There weren’t too many adventures this week, but we went to Tranqui’s for Saturday dinner and 420 for Monday dinner (we got there early and got the warm inside table and quick service)!

I went surfing a few times this week, though I usually ended up going at low tide when the waves aren’t as great, but I got up on a little green wave (before the wave had curled) which was exciting! I had only been catching the white wash before then.

My swim this weekend was nice, and my walk afterwards took me down to the Piscinas cliffs, where I watched surfers catching the big waves, saw a bunch of crabs, and picked up a bunch of trash (I haven’t talked much about it, but there’s an open landfill nearby and plastic bags and other trash tend to escape and litter the beach and everywhere between Lobitos and Talara, it’s really sad).

The EcoTeam at Tranqui’s!

This was a nice, chill week with a lot of fun nights! I’m looking forward to the next three weeks, and I’m definitely getting excited for Patagonia (we have some readings to do now, and I’m starting to read up on Patagonian energy issues) and the mountains and beauty there. I’m also missing my friends and am excited to be back on campus soon and move into my new house!

Miss and love you all as well, I hope all your summers are going well and are full of fun adventures!

[rockportliving]

Rockport Vacation Rental -

Looking for Rockport Vacation Rentals? Here is the list of homes and cottages for rent in Rockport, Texas with boat rental features.

Benefits of Booking a Rockport Vacation Rental

If you book a Rockport vacation rental, you can expect to have the added amenities and space. That comes with living rooms and kitchens right in your rental—traveling with the whole family or a group of friends? Book, a vacation rental home means you save money on multiple hotel rooms and having the luxury of everyone visiting in the same place. Spend the quality time cozying up in a living room while still having the bedroom space needed for everyone to rest and relax.

Having a kitchen in the vacation rental means enjoying home-cooked meals here and saving money on eating out during the stay. Have post-fishing h'orderves at your home following a whole day on the water or whip up breakfast in the kitchen before going out to explore the Rockport's many outdoor activities.

What to keep and what will be provided by Rockport Vacation Rental?

Before you pack the bags and start your trek to Rockport, knowing what will be waiting for you in the vacation rental is essential. You would not need to bring along linens or towels as those will all be provided for you. Also, Rockport Living comes stocked with a starter supply of the following items: Conditioner, Shampoo, Liquid hand soap, liquid body wash, Hand lotion,  Fabric softener, Laundry detergent Kleenex, Paper towels, Trash bags, Toilet paper, Dishwasher detergent, and Dish soap.

Of course, it depends on how extended your stay is; you may still need a trip to the grocery store to stock the kitchen with snacks, groceries, spices, and more. However, you will need at least have the basics to get started.

Plan the Rockport Trip

Now you know what separates a vacation rental from traditional hotel accommodations, it is time to start planning your trip. You can spend a whole day exploring Rockport before heading to your vacation rental.

As for safeguarding your vacation, optional travel insurance can cover prepaid travel expenses when unforeseen circumstances arise. In the end, directly book with Rockport Vacation Rentals ensures you get the best rates, quality concierge services, and a Rockport experience you will never forget. Book the first Rockport vacation rental now to experience here the classic mountain town like a local.

[grandstrandvacationsandrentals]

Pelicans Landing 304 (3 Bdrm/2 & 1/2 Bath) Oceanfront

With the beach just footsteps away, Pelican's Landing is situated on Myrtle Beach’s acclaimed Shore Drive, and is a great place to have a family-friendly vacation or romantic getaway. Come enjoy the fantastic views of the beach from this charming third-floor three-bedroom oceanfront condo. Decorated in a classic beach style with comfortable furnishings this condo is a great place to reconnect with family and friends. Pelicans Landing 304 sleeps eight people with one queen bed, one full bed, two twin beds and one queen-sized sleeper sofa. Additional features include a washer/dryer, wet-bar area, 2TVs, one DVD and CD player. Limit two parking spaces per unit

 Margate 1003 (Premier 3 Bdrm/3 Bath) Oceanfront ***

Kingston Plantation is located on 145 acres of beautiful tropically landscaped land, complete with lakes, bike and walking trails. The Margate Tower is the premiere resort on Kingston, when you enter the double-door foyer, you know immediately this will be a vacation to remember! The unit itself also has a double-door entry, 9' ceilings, large balcony, washer and dryer, televisions in each room, oversized bathrooms, granite, stainless steel appliances and much more! There are actually two Master Suites with direct views of the ocean, a king bed in one and two full-size beds in the other. There is a queen bed in the third bedroom and the couch in a sleeper-sofa. Relax and dine in comfort in the gourmet kitchen complete with dishes and glasses for the entire family. 

 Roxanne Towers ( 2 Bdrm, 2 Bath Ocean Front)

This 2 bedroom, 2 full bathroom suite is located on 4th floor of Roxanne Towers at 16th Ave N and Ocean Blvd. This is the best central location, right on the boardwalk and within walking distance to many great restaurants and stores. Only few minutes drive to Boardway at The Beach, Convention Center, Sports Center and more. The suite is direct oceanfront with private balcony from both living room and master bedroom. Master bedroom with king size bed offers amazing view of the Atlantic and has private bathroom. Second bedroom features two full size beds as well as another bathroom. Full kitchen is equipped with basic pots, pans and dishes, and a Keurig so that you can prepare a homemade meal when you just do not feel like going out. To make it a perfect place for your family or any group of up to 6 guests, this suite also offers stackable washer and dryer in the unit. This is the place you have been looking for.

There is no need to waste time checking in at the front lobby, This unit has a electronic lock for easy access. All access codes will be sent to you prior to your arrival date. Parking passes as well as pool wristbands (where required) will already be waiting for you in your unit. This unit is furnished and equipped with basic kitchen utensils such as silverware and plates/bowls. Upon check in, linens for each bed and towels for each person will be provided, along with starter items such as trash bags, toilet paper, and soaps. Items such as beach chairs, umbrellas, etc. are not provided by us but can be rented from the lifeguards on the beach. Our unit are privately owned and rented by off-site management, so all questions or requests must me made by contacting us. The front desks will have none of your information and will not assist you.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at: seasons coastal vacations, vacation rental companies in myrtle beach sc, summer cottage rentals myrtle beach sc, myrtle beach vacation rental agencies, vacation rentals in ocean lakes myrtle beach.

[jana-hallford]

Baby Boomer Halloween Memories

"Hallowe'en" means “All Hallows Evening,” and refers to October 31st, the night before All Saints Day is observed. All Hallows Eve occurs at or near the time of older pagan celebrations that mark the end of the harvest season and the start of the “dark half” of the year. This is a “liminal” time, when the boundaries between the earthly realm and the supernatural are thinned. Elements of the old ways carried over into Christian customs. Lighting candles, praying for the dead, dressing up, and eating certain traditional foods became part of Hallowe’en for many.

Hallowe’en postcards from 1900 through the 1920s depicting children dressing up in masks and costumes and making or lighting Jack O’ Lanterns are common, but none show children trick-treating, because that custom did not emerge until well into the 1930s. (The classic 1944 film “Meet Me in St. Louis” depicts children out making mischief on Halloween in 1903, before the days of trick-or-treating.) Trick-or-treating was created to encourage children to accept “treats” instead of wreaking havoc on their communities.

By the time I was growing up, Hallowe’en had lost the apostrophe, trick-or-treating was well-established, and Halloween was very much a children's holiday. Dressing up in a costume to go get candy and other treats was a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorite Halloween memories.

Vintage black cat plastic blow mold Halloween treat bucket, circa 1950s - 1970s.

The Halloween Carnival

The Halloween Carnival at Monterey Heights Elementary school was a splendid evening event, with booths, games, food, and a darned good stage band providing music. There was enough going on to make many of us divide our time between trick-or-treating and attending the carnival. 

To this day I associate Halloween with that carnival, and the memory of walking around under the night sky in my costume, eating chili from a paper cup in the early autumn chill, and listening to the band. I loved the booth where we “fished” for prizes, using a stick with a string and a clothespin for a fishing pole, line, and hook. By the 4th grade I discovered the White Elephant booth, kindling my early interest in second hand and vintage items. 

An especially fond Halloween Carnival memory is the cake walk, held in one of the classrooms. When I was in the second or third grade, I won the cake walk, and happily chose a spice cake frosted with white buttercream icing and festooned with Autumn Mellowcreme decorations. I remember being quite charmed with the candy cats, pumpkins, sheafs of wheat, ears of corn, and other Halloween and harvest symbols. Being able to take that cake home to my family felt magical.

Autumn Mellowcreme candies. These ones are similar to the candy decorations on the cake I won as a child at the Halloween Carnival.

Vintage Halloween blow mold Jack O’ Lanterns.

Vintage plastic “popcorn” Halloween decoration. This type of decoration, made from bits of colored plastic fused together, is still sold.

Costumes

“What are you going to be for Halloween?” was a frequent and enjoyable conversation-starter among my classmates and I as the holiday neared. Choosing what you wanted to be was exciting.

Some of my Halloween costumes were made by my mother, and some were purchased. Halloween costumes sold in dime stores came in a box with a cellophane window, or on a hanger, and included a plastic mask and a simple rayon smock or jumpsuit with a design printed onto the fabric. 

You could also purchase a mask without a costume. (In the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” the two main characters steal very typical Halloween masks from a dime store.) 

My earliest Halloween memory is of my father carrying me to homes of close neighbors so I could trick-or-treat. I wore pajamas with feet in them and a clown mask. A mask and “footy” pajamas were the standard ensemble for the preschool set.

When I was old enough to choose, I always wanted pretty costumes, often some variety of princess or fairy. (Purchased costumes like that rained glitter, which sales people referred to as “fairy dust.”)  An angel costume my mother had a local dressmaker sew for me for my kindergarten Christmas play was re-used as the basis for my 1st grade Halloween costume. I went as the Tooth Fairy, bedecked in pearls. (This worked fine for trick-or-treating, but not so well at a costume party, where other children chased me, demanding money.) In the second grade I had a homemade Mary Poppins costume, featuring a black straw hat an older Englishwoman helped my mother and I find at our church thrift store. (”It must have a brim!” she exclaimed, rushing to the back of the store to find exactly the right chapeau.) I won a prize for that costume at the church fair. 

In the fourth grade I used a fringed suede cloth vest and skirt with a yellow print top and a pair of moccasins I had for a Native American costume, then added a black wig and headband. (I am a card-carrying Kahnawake Mohawk, through my mother’s side of the family.)

My mother made a gypsy costume for my big sister at one point. It was a pretty skirt and fringed shawl, worn with a peasant blouse and a lot of costume jewelry. I wore it for Halloween when I was in the 6th grade. At age 11 I was already tall, looked older, and felt self-conscious about trick-or-treating for candy. I decided to go out one last time for a good cause, and collected donations for UNICEF instead. That was my final year of trick-or-treating.

Ever since then, I’ve enjoyed being the one to hand out Halloween candy. When I was 15, a date took me to see horror movies at the high school, and I felt I was really missing out on seeing the trick-or-treaters. As an adult, I’ve made an effort to have fun things to give out to the children who come to my door, even as the numbers have dwindled over the years.

Vintage clown costume. This one is from the 1970s, but I remember similar ones in the 1960s. The clown looks like Bozo, from the popular television show.

Vintage plastic Halloween masks. Masks like this could be bought separately or as part of a full costume.

Halloween costumes sold in dime stores were often packaged in boxes like this one, with a plastic mask and a rayon smock or jumpsuit printed with a simple design. This one is Wendy the Good Little Witch, the Harvey comic book character and friend of Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Vintage Yogi Bear costume, 1960s. Yogi Bear was one of my favorite cartoon characters.

When I was growing up, "dime stores," including Woolworth's, were the place to go for Halloween costumes, decorations, and candy. Such fun memories.

Treats, and Evolving Traditions

In an earlier post, I wrote about knowing which houses in the neighborhood had the best treats, and how I’ve tried as an adult to provide treats children will like and remember. (It was usually the older neighbors who gave the best stuff.)

Halloween felt very safe back then. I trick-or-treated in my neighborhood, where I knew people. (Some of my friends had much more ambitious Halloween routes.) My mother also always checked the treats we brought home. I was not allowed to eat anything I collected until then. I could not keep or eat unwrapped candy, which a few people still gave out back in the day. Anything that looked like it could possibly have been tampered with was also thrown in the trash. There were sometimes stories from other places of apples containing razorblades, but the only apples I brought home were from neighbors we knew, and they were always fine. I’m glad I grew up when I did, with crowds of children on the streets on Halloween night, that wonderful carnival, and no serious fears or worries. 

Once I was an adult, the world began to change this happy holiday. In September and October of 1982, just before Halloween, someone in Chicago laced bottles of Tylenol with cynanide, and seven adults died. Throughout the country parents were afraid the same thing might happen with Halloween candy. My parents and I gave out pencils and stickers instead that year. 

After that, Halloween was never quite the same. Decorations, adult costumes and parties became a bigger deal, but trick-or-treating as my generation knew it faded considerably. Shopping malls and churches started offering alternative celebrations, including “trunk-or-treat” in supervised parking lots. However, children still look forward to wearing costumes, and still seem to enjoy Halloween. And now, colorful Day of the Dead decorations and sugar skulls mingle with Halloween motifs. 

In Mexico, indigenous customs honoring the dead carried over into the observance of All Soul’s Day, the feast remembering all of the departed, on November 2nd. Held October 31st to November 2nd, Day of the Dead celebrations are a happy time of remembering and honoring family and friends no longer on this earth. People from Mexico brought this custom to the United States and beyond. 

Traditions evolve and change, as they have down the generations. With a little work, perhaps we can keep the best of the old as we embrace the new.

As a little postscript, and a nod to the old-fashioned Baby Boomer-era Halloween I remember, I’m including a recipe for popcorn balls my mother used. I’ll bet some of your remember this one!

Happy Halloween!

Vintage Halloween recipes. My mother used the one shown here for Popcorn Balls.