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melodich4n · 13 hours ago

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I have an absurd HC about certain games I feel like with a passion Caesar Clown would love if he ever got to even put his hands on the games either for the concept it centers on like DEATH Or for more in depth reasons from genre to scenery, and sci-fi elements that would intrigue a man like Caesar.

I can see him loving the following games listed and why:

Franbow,

More for its psychological horror in narrative and artistic choice that I see Caesar taking the enjoyment. Along it makes you think, and put together items and figure puzzle-like tasks to get through levels/segments of the story that is very narrative driven that would keep him very deep to play it fully. In more detail knowing being someone who played the game myself plenty of times before. The timeline Franbow takes place is in the 1940s. Which depicts the very depressing reality of mental illness and the lifestyle of how children grew up in them. Along how it goes through this canon of *The Five Realms of Essential Existence*. He'd eat that shit up. Also because of the gore, lots of death. Like seriously the very fucking opening slaps you right off the bat with its jump into the narrative. I see him also enjoying Miss Unfortunate, the same developers of Franbow too for its more dark witty humor and twist in the story he'd find it amusing for a one shot experience. I see him enjoying Franbow more though as mentioned reasoning.

Fallout 1, 2, 3 tactics, bhos, NV,

I'm pushing for NV, but it stays because it has a lot of DLC I definitely would see him enjoying. But anything like 4 and 76, or the mobile Fallout game are out of his interest for being more adventurous and the atmosphere that the older games had, being more dreadful with fallout's usual depicted storyline and emotional given storyline of humanity barely surviving the remains of a once thriving society that plummeted into war is what would not have him into those games unlike the ones mentioned instead. Also because Caesar wouldn't really take mobile games like the Fallout Shelter because it's more tediously *grinding* and waiting and he would be preferably doing something more gruesome with its entertainment. Fallout as a franchise provides a lot of ideas that Caesar himself has done somewhat or most definitely.... Or would open new thoughts and ironically a sense of even inspiration because I do take this idea that he'd enjoy things like the Vault lore and the whole pre-war segment canon. And as much as I don't see him into Politics the politics in fallout are always something that I take interesting because of how it went with it and the end of the world feel and war driven mongering American purist themes it has. He'd definitely perhaps be the kind to max out his character in charisma and be a speech build guy who'd take in ED-E as his companion as one for also the quests that follow with "ED-E my Beloved" With Veronica to continue any BHOS quests (maybe). Despite her annoyance at first for my own use of Veronica. She is a tank, and I see Caesar using companions like a pussy he is too- though funny enough. Caesar would be too annoyed with Cassidy for her whole BS reputation triggered opinion for you as the player. He'd get that fucking BLOODY MESS perk as soon as he ever sees and can achieve it just for the endless nonstop every kill animation one can get to feel the immense pleasurable enjoyment of killing literally everything in sight like it's the forth of July with how literally 99.9% of all kills result in an explosion of guts. Also makes up for comedic kill times too.

Haven't played too much though of 1 and 2 (Yes. I have, but to say I did everything? No. Far from it. It's a play style I'm not used to but I did take my shot to say Caesar though would enjoy the older game click to move and see the grim feelings of what older fallout offers. Also because it's still full of its own story. Something that I am familiar with to say this myself.

The GAME Adaption of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,

A click and scroll game. Very old style. The voice acting, the game's forward story, being it is an adaptation based from yours truly of Harlan Ellison's book of the same name. The very simple nature but intriguing manner the game took to depict AM like for an experience for gamers. Yeah. It's a peak game. He'd take the character AM interesting, and take each storyline that the 5 humans have with a thought that lingers a good while. It would make him ponder a bit.

BioShock 1&2,

I'm not including infinite. Caesar would not be as interested in the story Infinite has, and be more so put off by it for its Multiverse twist, and the plot holes given with the DLC it brings (Burial at Sea). Yet step aside that and back to 1&2, Caesar would've loved to have been in a place like Rapture. A place where scientists and creative geniuses alike that can get away from the government, and especially away all those who try to "say" what is and isn't fine to work with for the name of scientific discovery. He'd enjoy this place. Especially because it's not just stuck for that but full of musicians and artists. There's a place down there just for Caesar to spend his days outside his work and it's Eve's Garden down at Fort Frolic. That dirty manwhore. If only he could be his personal paradise. Though he'd lovingly keep his DF and not use the Adam *unless* SPECIFICALLY he had one for something like a youth Gene-tonic addition.

Yet to play the game itself forwardly. He'd have a blast and enjoy the story that comes with it. Only daydreaming away why he can't be in a place like prime Rapture when he heard of it 😔...

An honorable mention would be Bloodborne. The atmosphere and themes are there but the gameplay style would make Caesar want to shoot himself in the head in anger. I had set my case after seeing a friend of mine play it and. Yeah. Def not Caesar Clown gameplay mechanic approved.

Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal would also be an honorable mention. He'd love its bloody action pack violence but not be so into the whole lore aspect of the games. He's into the visual death aspect that the game gives you.

Don't escape franchise, I think its atmosphere brings something he'd enjoy.

That's all I got today. Personally. I could make a revamp eventually. I just wanted to post something after having the flu and taking a small break.

#caesar clown #headcanon #rambling

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super-hero-confessions · 1 year ago

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Interesting that the people who hate or criticize Captain America do so because they think he's the classic American white boi like Homelander without realizing he is a more direct and nonsatirical criticism against what makes a Homelander or the Homelander mentality.

Cap's meant to represent what Americans should strive for while harshly critisizing the worst of what America is and has done. True patriotism is recognizing the problems at hand and doing your best to work on and improve them, especially when you have the power to do so. And 616 Cap has. When he's wrong he admits it and tries to do better. Having consideration and compassion for others. This would be why he has lost faith in the flag many times, wore that gaudy awful Nomad suit and literally fights against the U.S. government when he knows what they're doing is wrong.

Also why he has multiple enemies that are actual white supremacists or pro-America propaganda white bois. And why those in universe assuming he is an authoritarian propagandist who works solely for government interests are portrayed as obviously wrong or being proven wrong. Almost all of his enemies are Nazis which is more than can be said about 99.9% of Golden or other Age comics trash.

Being the "1940s white man" and a "disabled Irish kid no one looked twice at" as Steve Rogers who disagrees with everything his time period supports helps drive the point home that it shouldn't matter what you are or where you come from, you should always try to do what's right. Hammered in further by the Cap mantle being taken on by others of different backgrounds and experiences following the same philosophy and trying to spread that same beautiful and essential message.

"Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world -- "No, you move.""

"We must all live in the real world… and sometimes that world can be pretty grim. But it is the Dream… the hope… that makes the reality worth living. In the early 1940s, I made a personal pledge to uphold the Dream… And as long as the Dream remains even partially unfulfilled, I cannot abandon it!"

But basically and ironically, who he is and that the Cap mantle's been passed around is ignored. He's hated for all the wrong reasons of what he literally isn't and it makes them massive hypocrites who refuse to see past their own prejudice and bias, just like the racists who 'love' him for the same wrong reasons.

Fascinating and a bit hilarious. But also deeply tragic.

Think it may be time for them follow Cap's example and start learning to do better instead of just being bitter.

Oh, and Cap and Co. would definitely vote for Bernie. He even dated a Bernie!

#confession #homelander #captain america

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sxizidbyniex3 · 14 hours ago

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Intro im bored as fuck

<<Name: caliber 𝜗𝜚>> ^obviously not my real name because I got a 18 year old bitch that don't hop off my dick always trying to report me to my school she doesn't even go to because she failed hella classes or sum shit^

<<Age: under 18 but not in middle school>> so peds stay away pleaseee!!! I beg!!!

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

<<General Intrest>> 𝜗𝜚 art- movies, music, paintings, drawings, ext, tcc obviously, kitty cats, any type of 'alternative' sub culture and shiz (I say shiz a lot bare with me) :p

<<Movies>> 𝜗𝜚 Zero Day, Archies final project, The Dirties, Elephant, Bang Bang You're Dead, Duck! The carbine mass, Donnie Darko, Brick, Fight Club, American Psycho, Grave Encounters, yadayada the basic degenerate movies dawg

sorry idk why im acting so bitchy while writing this trust I think im a very sweet person im just a nonchalant gangster ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ) (God kill me)

<<Music>> 𝜗𝜚 mostly Doom Metal I can't even lie so like electric wizard, weedeater, cough, toke, sleep, black tusk, yes. I also like Industrial, OSDM, most Black Metal, Incelcore/Bedroom Punk, Screamo, not the fucking TikTok vs self shit tho. . . and hella more I just don't know which ones to add D:

I FUCKING LOVE MY LITTLE PONY IS JESUS GOD IS ME :3

<<Tv shows?>> 𝜗𝜚 literally mostly just dexter (that's why i'm sxizidbyniex3), breaking bad, bones, ncis, cis, fuck it even glee if you will

I would love music and movie recommendations!!! ( ≧ᗜ≦)

<<Books?>> 𝜗𝜚 I literally just started getting I to reading I read perks of being a wallflower, American psycho, Im reading the shinning, and I wanna read fight club and a lot more for sure

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

TW?!?- True crime duhh, maybe ED, SH topics since I struggle with that shit a lot.

DNI- idk I genuinely don't care much :< ACTUALLY maybe if ur just sensitive asf like I get it but sometimes you mfs be annoying as shit

𝜗𝜚 that's pretty much it idk im a fucking yapper most of the times not sure why? but I love talking to people so be free to text me I would put my insta and shit but again I got opps bro :(

𐙚 my discord - sxizidbuny 𐙚SpaceHey- sxizidbuny (if you use it sigh)

<<I am a degenerate loser>>

𝜗𝜚 I will genuinely be like annoying 99.9% of the time its a curse, I am brain rotted most times ill say shit in a irony way.

𝜗𝜚 Also when I say tcc I don't just mean mass shooters just a little thingy so Im interested in a lottt of cases and went to know more about a lot lot lottt more

I HOPE THIS ACC LASTS!!!

#tcc fandom #zero day #archies final project #tcc columbine #teeceecee #nevada tan #joey smack #poopy #intro post #sillyposting

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sa7abnews · 4 months ago

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5 travel essentials to pack for your summer getaway

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/5-travel-essentials-to-pack-for-your-summer-getaway/

5 travel essentials to pack for your summer getaway

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#a47e0092-16f5-531a-b64d-a74ef8955d29

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fuck-customers · 3 years ago

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I recently found out that I can't access this blog through work wifi, because it has "fuck" in the URL. 😂 anyway. I've submitted stories about how I'm glad the country I live in lets cashiers sit in chairs and food breaks are in the law, and how customers, despite being a bit stupid are not as needy and tantrumy as anglosphere customers. some people replied with "stop bragging, this is a blog for complaints", so let me assure everyone: retail is still hell this side of the world too. (north europe)

heres examples of some major inconvenient differences from American retail. so when a customer decided they don't want sth that I've already scanned, it's gonna be a huge hassle. I as a cashier can literally only delete the last item that I scanned. need to summon a higher up and then WAIT face to face with an annoyed customer who just wants to put back the gum they can't afford....

in the previous store I worked at, I couldn't delete at all, so it's a step up from that at least?

the second thing I can think of is: there is no changing the price. 99% of the time when a customer thinks the price is wrong, they either looked at the wrong price label OR they don't have the store discount card. cashiers, managers, nobody does price changes on a whim for fussy customers. or anyone. so the stories where someone's like "the manager gave him a discount for throwing a tantrum" are always so foreign.

also we don't have cash registers with touch screens and 99.9% of the population has a card that doesn't require a signature upon a purchase, so for that 0.01% (usually foreigners) the receipt printer prints a paper where you sign AND write your document number just in case. and that's north european retail. hope this was an interesting read.

also a big fuck you to all the customers who bitch and moan and yell at me about having to wear masks. a universal retail experience amongst countries.

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dashnite · 3 years ago

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"come on don't you see that it's cool to be weird? epic to be strange? sexy as hell to be fucked up and perhaps even a little bizarre? feel how affirming it can be to claim that for yourself, to embrace what makes you peculiar in other people's eyes" is the hot take of today and while i respect the people who view the word queer as a slur, i do not consider it to be one myself. they literally wrote on huge fabrics and chanted "WE'RE HERE, WE'RE QUEER, GET USED TO IT.". this is a part of our history y'all.

but again I'm not american so i never had to deal with the trauma of being an English speaker and being offended by it and consider it's a slur. you're absolutely totally valid. my opinion is completely from the outside since i live in another country.

EDIT: trying to reclaim words takes time. some people WILL be offended. they have every right to be as you do. but i myself believe queer is a positive connotation word and it's overflowing to mainstream. so, nice.

EDIT 2: we do have something similar in portuguese. the words "viado" and "bicha". but we are also trying to reclaim those words to change their meanings from negative to positive. I constantly greet my queer friends with "E AÍ VIADO", and we refer to each other as "bichas" like 99.9% of the time.

#queer #q slur #q word #calaboca miguel #discourse

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awed-frog · 4 years ago

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What I find scary as fuck is how unwaveringly anti two state solution the loudest pro Palestine voices on the internet are. What do they think is going to happen to Israeli Jews under Palestinian rule? Do they think it's going to be any different than the rampant antisemitism faced by Jews in any other Middle Eastern country (which led to such a great influx of Middle Eastern Jewish refugees to Israel in the 1950s in the first place)? Or do they (rightfully) consider Israel an apartheid state but not Islamic states’ treatment of dhimmi under Sharia law?

I have much empathy for the Palestinian plight and I used to think antisemitism was only ever brought up as an excuse to deflect any criticism of Israel. But the more things escalate in Palestine, the more comfortable people become in being openly antisemitic and the more it dawns on me what Israelis mean when they say it's essential for a Jewish state to exist. Yes, Israel should absolutely be held accountable for its war crimes against Palestinians. But seeing liberals talk about Holocaust victims fleeing Europe, people who were open to negotiations with Arabs and a two state solution so they could make a home in the land of their ancestors as “colonizers” is just heartless

I have a lot of issues with current (American) left-wing activism, but its enthusiastic adoption of Noble Savage tropes and unquestioning parroting of radical Islamist points are probably at the top of my list. And while many people are just young, a lot of others should really know better.

As for the current situation, look - personally I don’t see the whole ‘colonizer’ mindset as useful at all. I think that, realistically, every nation state in the world got where it is by appropriating someone else’s land and massacring or assimilating minority communities. That’s how things work. And before nation states there were kingdoms, and before that villages and tribes and groups of wandering half-apes, and this is a thing that always happens: sooner or later, you’re going to want or need more land. Maybe yours got barren, or submerged by a flood, or invaded by someone else. Maybe your community grew too big. Or maybe you have a visionary or an asshole chief who’s all like, ‘If we had more pastures then we’d have a godzillion horses and no one would ever go hungry again’ - in a way, the why doesn’t even matter. The realpolitik here is that these things happen and have happened a lot over the last three centuries or so, which means the number one item on our list as democratic governments (term used loosely and optimistically) is always the same: making sure people are fed and making sure they know their voice counts so they don’t start to question why the country exists at all.

(It may sound cynical, but we often lose sight of the fact there’s a difference between ‘moral discussion about moral implications of moral choices’ and ‘practical decision we can bring to a negotiation table with enemies and opponents’. Sometimes you’re right but you need to compromise anyway, and that’s something else that’s never going to change.)

In the end, this is what 99.9% of people care about: if your kids are happy, if you have a house and a job, and if you feel yourself represented and part of the country you live in (and know you can peacefully demand meaningful change if you need to), you don’t give that many fucks about everything else. That’s why, on the whole, most separatist movements go nowhere: because while many people agree on a very basic human principle (“Things would be much better if everyone was like me and thought like me”), they’re not that keen to trade their stability and security for economic chaos or even civil war...for what? All nation states, in the end, are fictional creations, and deep down everyone understands it: when you’re leading a decently happy life, the colour of your passport doesn’t really matter all that much.

So the issue here is not even who’s right and who’s wrong. Of course it’s important to recognize even old crimes and tragedies: it’s definitely one of the steps towards healing and peace and (let’s be optimistic again) the reason why international courts exist, but the immediate priority is always keeping people safe. I mean if you had to make right all the border insanity that went down even in the 20th century, you wouldn’t have the time or resources to do anything else, and, more importantly, you would only create more hostility and conflict in the process. The issue is, a) let’s try not to make more mess in the future and mostly b) let’s make sure everyone is happy and feels heard where he is. If Israel had a system like, idk, Switzerland, with tons of shared wealth and a Parliament full of different voices and minority people getting federal subsidies to preserve their unique cultures and traditions, there would be zero violence. Like of course some people would still resent Israel is there in the first place, and others would resent Israel existing not as a Jewish state but as a nation with sizable Muslim and Christian minorities or whatever else, but it wouldn’t come to civil war because everyone would have too much to lose.

Unfortunately, in many cases it’s just too late to undo the initial damage. The best we can work towards is ensuring people are safe, can build good lives and are politically represented. The main problem we have now in many regions around the world - like the Middle East - is that lots of powerful people have zero interest not only in righting historical wrongs but also in ensuring literal human beings are not killed in the streets. And as long as their power is made stronger by chaos, hatred and violence, we’re not going to get anywhere.

#ask #news #potentially unpopular opinion

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thewhizzyhead · 4 years ago

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Hey, your misfits musical thing sounded super super interesting! Any other details about it that you're willing to share? Minor plot points? Gay Relationship stuff? :0

oh boy this is gonna be long *cracks knuckles* here we go

SO FUN BACKSTORY BEFORE I GET TO THE PLOT PARTS TJXJJS: my sunday school has a tradition of um holding productions of christmas musicals every december. My teachers would find american christian christmas kiddy musicals productions on youtube and then basically um translate all the dialogue to Filipino (the songs stay in English) and have us um reenact the whole thing and ngl it was a lot of fun! I even acted as some of the main roles there when I was like 10-13 so um I can kinda say that I have some experience with musical theatre YAYYY (jk jk that doesn't really count djsff).

When I was around 12-13 years old, I became obsessed with A Very Potter Musical and wondered what it would be like to make AVPM but Christmas so that my church could perform it (very silly idea but shh i was 12 and I was obsessed) and then over time a plot that Was Definitely Not Harry Potter started to form and them um here we are fjsjd so thank you Starkid for making me go down this hellhole

Oki backstory over, now here comes the very long part:

(Also um warning this musical concept involves a lot of religion talk since majority of the thingy is me criticizing a lot of the hypocrisies in religious institutions here based on my experience so um yea proceed with caution if ur sensitive to religion-related stuff)

p.s. ari i am so so sorry but this is so fucking long and definitely more than what you asked for so um yea goodluck fjxjsjf

SO BASICALLY Misfits is about 5 "narrators" - these guys serve as the "floor directors" of the show and um yea they make sure that the plot actuall happens and everything goes exactly according to the script given by the church higher ups or "producers" - who have to bring 3 teens branded by their church as "Misfits" back to Bethlehem 1 CE in order to "teach them a lesson about God" aka convert them to Christianity thus removing the "Misfits" branding. (Also they can only go back once they successfully arrive at the manger because um that's how the producers want it to be tjxjs)

I have to emphasize that although this tackles a lot of stuff related to Christianity and religion as a whole, this really isn't a Christian Musical and that this very morally questionable mission (through the power of Stage Magic and Super Powers, the Narrators essentially bring the Misfits back to the past against their will for the sake of completing their mission) goes horribly, horribly wrong very very quickly.

Throughout the course of the musical, the 5 Narrators struggle to stick to the given script and get their mission done as the 3 Misfits prove to not only be very freaking stubborn but also quite insightful as well as they bring up really good points in regards to religious hypocrisies and socially questionable, prejudiced and backward views commonly held by most religious institutions here i.e gender roles, homophobia, the demonization of science and technology at times, elitism and classism, etc etc (i can only speak in behalf of the Philippines so um yea Philippines). Overall, this is kinda a case study on as to how religion can influence and shape people's mindsets for either the better or the worse and how it is often used by the authorities to simultaneously give hope to the people (especially those of the poorer sectors wherein because of how hopeless the present seems here because a very flawed system kept in place by the exploitative privilged here, they choose to just trust in God instead and also hope that the afterlife is much much better than this shit) while also keeping them in line and like preventing them from rioting. (Church and politics undeniably go hand in hand here even though we have legislations enforcing the separation of the church and state and um yEA THIS WHOLE THING HAS BEEN VERY PROMINENT THROUGHOUT PHILIPPINE HISTORY AND WE CAN ALL THANK THE SPANIARDS but um anyways that'll be a rant for another day)

On a more personal and emotional aspect, this thingy also tackles a lot of stuff I find rather common among kids my age, especially those who had a very Christian upbringing (aka 99.9% of the philippine population tjxbdbf). There's a lot of questioning involved in regards to one's faith, sexuality, perspective and purpose in life and all that fun stuff and how oftentimes said questioning is discouraged due to the church (and ph society overall) wanting us to just like um sTICK TO THE STATUS QUOoOoO and just comply with what is seen as appropriate and godly cause anything out of the ordinary is ngl treated like it's heresy. (YES THERE WILL BE A LOT OF SELF PROJECTION HERE)

One final and important thing to note is that the show is essentially a musical-inside-a-musical in a way fjsjf I originally designed this thing to be like um produce-able on my church's stage (because they were supposed to help me produce the first version of misfits which um yea that's def not gonna happen now tjxjdv) which um kinda looks like the OG Spring Awakening Stage (and yes Misfits is very much inspired by Spring Awakening God I love that show) which is why the show is kinda stylized like a concert with handheld mics and all wherein um the 5 narrators are aware that they are putting on a show to the point of even directly addressing the audience a lot while the 3 Misfits (except for 1 which i'll get to in a bit) aren't aware that they are in a show. The three do eventually find that out and that's when all hell breaks loose to the point that the "producers" (represented by Hades-ish voices) have to intervene by literally changing and manipulating the show's setting and plot to make sure that their script gets followed and that's when the characters really try to break the show to get out of it bUT THE POINT I WANNA MAKE HERE IS THXJD keeping in mind that I had initially planned for Misfits to be produced by my church prior to the many drastic changes, the show the narrators were putting on (aka the musical-inside-the-musical) was made with the intention to pander to a Very Religious Audience. Successfully convincing people to convert to Christianity, especially those of the youth, is what many religious audiences want to see and that is exactly what the "producers" have written for the 5 "narrators and floor directors" to enact. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a Christian and preaching the Gospel and bringing in new believers isn't essentially a bad thing; if they want to believe in the religion then woo good for them! But, such preaching becomes detrimental when you take away one's agency and basically force them into Christianity by means of guilt tripping and manipulation which is sadly very much a reality here (again, a rant for another day) and a representation of such is shown here in the show where um the 3 Misfits were basically forced into this show that 5 Narrators are putting on and, through the influence of the 5 Narrators, the 3 Misfits have to decide to become "good Christian youths" for the show to conclude because that's show the "producers" have written. So when the 3 Misfits stubborness goes to the point that even the 5 Narrators start questioning the morals of their mission, that's when the show starts to go off-script and that's when the production starts to like umm "break" and whenever that happens, the "producers" start speaking to the Narrators, reminding them that they have an audience that they need to please and a message that they need to convey.

So while the Misfits (2 of them, at least, cause um the third one has um yea i'll get to him in a bit) mainly focus on figuring out what in the everliving fuck is going on (while also dealing with their um unfortunate circumstances, childhood trauma, a shit ton of guilt and the concept of salvation and self-forgiveness), the Narrators are tasked with the burden of carrying the show and making sure that the audience finds it appealing while trying to convince themselves that what the church wants them to do is "right" and what the Misfits keep telling them is "wrong" ala um Holier-Than-Thou mindset. Once they eventually start becoming more willing to see the true nature of both the Misfits and the Producers despite the fear of disappointing everyone who's watching, that's when the Narrators and Misfits all start breaking the show by going off-script and completely destroying the plot and production that the Producers have made for the audience - thus making a statement of refusing to comply with a flawed system for the sake of audience approval while also making the first step to fixing that system for the good of all.

Also fun fact: Although it'll make my job a lot harder because I am more fluent in English than in Filipino, i wanna write the thingy in both English and Filipino fjxjdf the dialogue can be Taglish but um the songs that are "part of the script" aka what the Producers want the characters to sing are in English while the songs that aren't part of the script are in Filipino; songs that are both in Filipino and in English are um i guess indicative of the struggle to follow the script while also trying to do what you believe is right (an example of a song with that style is Interpretasyon - which means Interpretation and um Ezekiel (one of the Misfits) sings in Filipino while Joshua (leader of the narrators) sings in English and um just imagine Wallflower cuz IT IS VERY MUCH LIKE WALLFLOWER GJDJNF) and um yea i kinda imagine it to be some sort of rock-pop musical concert thingy so um woo thank you pma for once again influencing my work

SO ANYWAYS UM THAT WAS LONG SO LET'S GO TO THE GAY SHIT

Okay so far 4/8 of the characters here have queerness directly related to their individual plotlines here but um yea honestly i'm tempted to make all of them queer CAUSE IT'S FUN oki so um anyways on to the character dynamics (I won't be able to include more in depth descriptions because im hungry and GOD THIS IS LONG so um yea)

June & Anna (Narrator 2) - oki so June here is one of the Misfits and she's from the poorer sectors (i'm still working on her backstory to make it more believable but um yea) and she isn't able to go to school due to having to prioritize providing for her family first. Due to a very unfortunate childhood event (one that involves Zack, another Misfit), she had to grow up fast and now appears to have a rather jaded view of the world. Anna, one of the Narrators, is the very opposite of that - she's privileged and wealthy-as-fuck and seems to be very optimisitc and friendly. However, ever since she has been blackmailed by her own churchmates for merely questioning her sexuality (true story), she became a more reserved and emotionally closed person despite her very friendly and cheerful demeanor. So when she finds out that June's music carries a lot of beautiful insight and hope in spite of her unfortunate circumstances (the two girls bond over music btw that's how Anna got June to trust in her), she becomes confused because how can June, a girl who has nothing, not even faith, still have hope that she'll be able to find some semblance of happiness while Anna, who has everything, has such a downtrodded view of the world? So um basically their dynamic will also consist of Anna checking her privilege, June explaining how good people turn against the world when the world turns against them (YES A LOT OF TALK ABOUT POVERTY AND HOW THAT IS A RESULT OF CAPITALISTIC EXPLOITATION) (yes June will talk about that a lot), and um what it means to hope with or without faith and what it means to trust another and oneself again. Oh and also lots of philosophy talk and emotional expression through music wie

Zack and Mikael (Narrator 3) - Zack, another Misfit, is a childhood friend of June and a younger stepbrother of Ezekiel (the third Misfit). After Zack and June lost contact after the 'unfortunate childhood event' (i am not sure on what exactly it'll be but in the earlier drafts a fire burned both of their homes and killed both of their dads and rn I have a song concept describing that called "Umaapoy" which means "Burns" but i dunno i'm still working on it), he became best friends with Mikael and um yea said best-friendship was Definitely Not Platonic. After a picture of them kissing was sent to not only the school principal but to basically everyone in the school, both of their parents were called to the principal's office which led to both of the boys moving to different schools to um mitigate the damage i guess gjdjd while Zack's mom eventually learned to accept her son's sexuality, Mikael um wasn't so lucky - I'd say he went through um a lot of religious intervention almost akin to conversion therapy which then um yea has caused him a lot of internalized homophobia and um yea Mikael and Zack haven't been able to talk or even chat in about 3-4 years so imagine Mikael's surprise when he found out that his mission involved Zack - who does not and cannot recognize Mikael because welp not part of the script. Zack, a bit braver now, takes a liking to Mikael and wants to at least be friends with him partly because he somehow finds him really familiar while um Mikael tries to maintain a strictly professional demeanor out of fear that Zack will recognize him and out of fear that he'll fall in love with Zack again. Their dynamic will also include um learning to trust one another and oneself again (like June & Anna's dynamic), to learn how to be brave and be sure in one's beliefs (Mikael um doesn't really speak up that much out of fear while Zack is not only outspoken, but is also an activist - this is another one of the many reasons why Zack is branded as a "Misfit" aside from the fact that he's gay and um yea Ezekiel spends almost 2 minutes berating Joshua for this out of pure anger and disgust), and what it means to reconnect with the past and to forgive oneself (although that is much more expounded upon with June & Zack's dynamic).

Ezekiel and Joshua (Narrator 1) - SAY HI TO THE RILEY AND CAIRO DYNAMIC WOOOOOOO but yea ari dude your analysis on Riley and Cairo (and Kate) being the Main MAIN characters and everything about cheerwives gave me a lot of think about and SO I PUT IT IN HERE WOOOOOO so basically um Ezekiel is the older stepbrother of Zack and the first of the 3 Misfits to figure out that they are in a show. He figures this out because he recognizes Joshua aka the leader of the Narrators aka his former churchmate and ex-bestfriend. He also realizes that they are in a show because he recognizes their tricks which he knew about because he had participated in these missions before as one of the Narrators (Joshua and Ezekiel are older than the rest of the cast and the other narrators don't know that Ezekiel was once a Narrator as well). Due to an Unfortunate Incident (that i'm still working on) 3 years prior to the events in the show, Ezekiel cut off all ties to the church but he is still viewed as this "perfect role model golden boy" which is why the 4 Narrators were shocked to find out that Ezekiel was part of their mission. Joshua, knowing that the real reason to his sudden involvement is due to "producers" somehow finding out their secret about the Unfortunate Incident, lied and told the others that he was just included to make converting his brother a lot easier, which they believed. Out of all the narrators, Joshua is the one who tries his best to stick to the script the most because he knows that if he doesn't, the true nature of that Unfortunate Incident will not only be revealed to his companions but to everyone else watching. Meanwhile Ezekiel, who doesn't know that him being involved in this mission is some sort of um penance for his involvement in that Unfortunate Incident, tries his hardest to sabotage he show by being the most outspoken when pointing out a lot of hypocrisies within religious institutions and in ph society in general (he refuses to tell the other two that they are in a show though because if that happens, he knows the Narrators, Joshua especially will um get very heavily scolded by the producers and despite everything, he still cares for Joshua a lot). I'd say that these two are the ones that push the plot the most - one wants to push the show accordingly to plan in order to please the audience and the producers and in order to not let his and Ezekiel's secret go out while the other wants to push the show off-script in retaliation against the producers (and yes the Unfortunate Incident involved the time travelling thingy which is why he really wants to sabotage this). In fact, these two have 2 duets that are basically them trying to convince the other to go along with their plan ("Interpretasyon" which means Interpretation and "Sikreto" which means secret). This dynamic involves um yea trying to convince the other to switch sides gjxjd and um reconciliation, responsibility out of guilt, and what it means to forgive oneself (forgiveness is a common theme here) and to start to heal from trauma and to not deny the existence of said trauma any longer.

NOW ORIGINALLY I REALLY DID NOT INTEND THE JOSHUA AND EZEKIEL DYNAMIC TO BE GAY BUUTT WHEN I WAS THINKING OF THE LYRICS, I REALIZED THAT OUT OF CONTEXT, IT SOUNDED VERY GAY SO UM HERE'S AN EXCERPT OF SIKRETO (still not finished writing the thingy)

Joshua: (singing to Ezekiel) (this is also the first time Joshua sings a Filipino solo so this is him breaking the script for the first time) (also um yea the translations aren't direct translations cause I wanted to make them rhyme fnxnf) (So to those who know filipino i am terribly sorry cause yup this isnt an accurate translation fjfjd)

Ang natitirang alaala ay aking binura (I have scrubbed away all the memories that may have still remained)

‘di ko na sila kilala (I don't know them anymore)

Kinalimutan na kita (I have forgotten about your name)

Ngunit ang bigat ng pagsisisi ang aking dinadala (But the weight of regret, I carry all the same)

Ang sakit sa balikat, lagi kong dinarama (I constantly feel the sting of my shoulders' pain)

Pero masasabi ko pa rin na sinusubukan kong itama (But at least I can say, I tried to right-)

Ang aking mga pagkakamali (all that's wrong)

Ikaw, saan ka pumunta? (What about you? Where in the world have you gone?)

Tumakbo ka lang at iniwan mo ako (You ran, you just ran, and left me behind)

Sa pagbubuhat ng kasalanan at sikreto (In carrying the sins and secrets, and you paid me no mind)

Pero pinapanatili ko paring malinis ang ating munting kwento (But I stillade sure I kept our little story clean)

Patuloy na sinisigurong ‘di nila malalaman ang totoo (I kept on making sure the truth would never be seen)

Alam na natin ang kwento (We already know the story)

Alam na natin ang kwentong kailangang itago (We know the story that we need to hide)

Itong munting sikreto ay kailangan burahin (This little secret that has to be erased)

Ating pagkakamali, patuloy na bubuhatin (We will have to always carry, our sins and our mistakes)

Alam na natin ang kwento (We already know the story)

Alam natin ang katotohanan ng nakaraan (We very well know the truth of the past)

Ito'y nakabakas sa isipan, ‘di natin malilimutan (We'll never forget what will remain ingrained in our minds)

At sa Diyos na lang natin mahahanap ang kapatawaran (And from only God could we find forgiveness for what we left behind)

Habang buhay bubuhatin ng konsensiya (Forever will our consciences bear the weight and carry

ang ating pagkakasala, ang kwento't sikreto nating dalawa (our sins kept in secrecy, the story of you and me)

Pero ngayon, ‘di ko alam paano pero nalaman nila (But now, I don't know how, but somehow they know)

At ngayon, dinedemanda na nila ang penitensya (And now, penitence is what they demand)

Kaya ngayon, naghihingi ako ng pasensiya (So now, patience and forgiveness is what I ask)

Sa iyo at sa kanila (From you and from them)

Sa aking gagawin at mga nagawa (for what I'll do and I've done)

Baka nga (Perhaps)

Tama nga mga sinabi mo (What you've said all this time is right)

Na ‘di tayo ang tanging may sala rito (That we aren't the ones only at fault here)

Pero ‘di ko matatakasan ang aking naging tungkulin (But I can't really escape my little role here, because)

Sana ‘di mo nakalimutan: lahat sila nakatingin (God I hope you haven't forgotten: they're all looking at us)

Lagi silang nakatingin (Always looking at us)

Kahit ano man ang iyong gawin (No matter what we do)

Tayo'y mananatili sa entablado (On the stage we shall stay)

At lahat sila nakatingi- (And the stares still won't go awa-) (He then realizes that he's on stage and Should Not Be Having A Breakdown In Front Of The Audience Because Duh and Because That's Not Part Of The Script)

SO UM YEA IN RETROSPECT SOME OF THOSE LYRICS COULD ALSO REFER TO SOME SECRET NOT-PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP THAT THE AUDIENCE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT YET (because the Secret doesn't get revealed til much later) WHEN IN ACTUALITY IT'S ABOUT THE TRUTH BEHIND WHAT HAPPENED 3 YEARS PRIOR TO THE EVENTS IN THE SHIW AND NOT GONNA LIE,,, THEM BEING IN A NOT-SO-PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP KINDA ALSO WORKS SO I'M CONSIDERING MAKING THEM HAVE SOME ROMANTIC HISTORY TOO JDHXBSJF

Oki that's all for today hdhdh there are two more characters (narrators 4 and 5) but i'm still working on them and i kinda wanna make the both of them not cis cause WHY NOT also i have been typing this for like 6 hours now and i'm tired and hungry so tjjxjs anyways if you read to the end, I'm sending you carbonara-

#I HAVE TYPED THIS #FOR 6 HOURS #I AM SO FUCKING TIRED GJXJSJJD #ARI I AM SO SO SORRY I WAS NOT EXPECTING FOR THIS WHOLE THING TO BE THIS LONG #but i guess thats what happens when you work on a thingy for 4 years fjsjf #FBZJSJJF ARI MY DUDE UM GOODLUCK AAAAAAA #God i hope you make it to the end gjxjdjf #um feel free to like reblog this in the tags if you wanna express ur thoughts there! i'd love to know what you think about this clusterfuck #the same goes for anyone woo feel free to rb if u wanna!!#SO ANYWAYS I AM TIRED AND WILL NOW EAT CARBONARA #once again ari i am so sorry jfhxhf #ari! (wattblr tag rambler yay!)#ask me stuff #izzy's rambles and shit #religion tw #ask to tag

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glittergummicandypeach · 4 years ago

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Fake Hafez: How a supreme Persian poet of love was erased | Religion | Al Jazeera

This is the time of the year where every day I get a handful of requests to track down the original, authentic versions of some famed Muslim poet, usually Hafez or Rumi. The requests start off the same way: "I am getting married next month, and my fiance and I wanted to celebrate our Muslim background, and we have always loved this poem by Hafez. Could you send us the original?" Or, "My daughter is graduating this month, and I know she loves this quote from Hafez. Can you send me the original so I can recite it to her at the ceremony we are holding for her?"

It is heartbreaking to have to write back time after time and say the words that bring disappointment: The poems that they have come to love so much and that are ubiquitous on the internet are forgeries. Fake. Made up. No relationship to the original poetry of the beloved and popular Hafez of Shiraz.

How did this come to be? How can it be that about 99.9 percent of the quotes and poems attributed to one the most popular and influential of all the Persian poets and Muslim sages ever, one who is seen as a member of the pantheon of "universal" spirituality on the internet are ... fake? It turns out that it is a fascinating story of Western exotification and appropriation of Muslim spirituality.

Let us take a look at some of these quotes attributed to Hafez:

Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, 'you owe me.' Look what happens with a love like that! It lights up the whole sky.

You like that one from Hafez? Too bad. Fake Hafez.

Your heart and my heart Are very very old friends.

Like that one from Hafez too? Also Fake Hafez.

Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.

Beautiful. Again, not Hafez.

And the next one you were going to ask about? Also fake. So where do all these fake Hafez quotes come from?

An American poet, named Daniel Ladinsky, has been publishing books under the name of the famed Persian poet Hafez for more than 20 years. These books have become bestsellers. You are likely to find them on the shelves of your local bookstore under the "Sufism" section, alongside books of Rumi, Khalil Gibran, Idries Shah, etc.

It hurts me to say this, because I know so many people love these "Hafez" translations. They are beautiful poetry in English, and do contain some profound wisdom. Yet if you love a tradition, you have to speak the truth: Ladinsky's translations have no earthly connection to what the historical Hafez of Shiraz, the 14th-century Persian sage, ever said.

He is making it up. Ladinsky himself admitted that they are not "translations", or "accurate", and in fact denied having any knowledge of Persian in his 1996 best-selling book, I Heard God Laughing. Ladinsky has another bestseller, The Subject Tonight Is Love.

Persians take poetry seriously. For many, it is their singular contribution to world civilisation: What the Greeks are to philosophy, Persians are to poetry. And in the great pantheon of Persian poetry where Hafez, Rumi, Saadi, 'Attar, Nezami, and Ferdowsi might be the immortals, there is perhaps none whose mastery of the Persian language is as refined as that of Hafez.

In the introduction to a recent book on Hafez, I said that Rumi (whose poetic output is in the tens of thousands) comes at you like you an ocean, pulling you in until you surrender to his mystical wave and are washed back to the ocean. Hafez, on the other hand, is like a luminous diamond, with each facet being a perfect cut. You cannot add or take away a word from his sonnets. So, pray tell, how is someone who admits that they do not know the language going to be translating the language?

Ladinsky is not translating from the Persian original of Hafez. And unlike some "versioners" (Coleman Barks is by far the most gifted here) who translate Rumi by taking the Victorian literal translations and rendering them into American free verse, Ladinsky's relationship with the text of Hafez's poetry is nonexistent. Ladinsky claims that Hafez appeared to him in a dream and handed him the English "translations" he is publishing:

"About six months into this work I had an astounding dream in which I saw Hafiz as an Infinite Fountaining Sun (I saw him as God), who sang hundreds of lines of his poetry to me in English, asking me to give that message to 'my artists and seekers'."

It is not my place to argue with people and their dreams, but I am fairly certain that this is not how translation works. A great scholar of Persian and Urdu literature, Christopher Shackle, describes Ladinsky's output as "not so much a paraphrase as a parody of the wondrously wrought style of the greatest master of Persian art-poetry." Another critic, Murat Nemet-Nejat, described Ladinsky's poems as what they are: original poems of Ladinsky masquerading as a "translation."

I want to give credit where credit is due: I do like Ladinsky's poetry. And they do contain mystical insights. Some of the statements that Ladinsky attributes to Hafez are, in fact, mystical truths that we hear from many different mystics. And he is indeed a gifted poet. See this line, for example:

I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.

That is good stuff. Powerful. And many mystics, including the 20th-century Sufi master Pir Vilayat, would cast his powerful glance at his students, stating that he would long for them to be able to see themselves and their own worth as he sees them. So yes, Ladinsky's poetry is mystical. And it is great poetry. So good that it is listed on Good Reads as the wisdom of "Hafez of Shiraz." The problem is, Hafez of Shiraz said nothing like that. Daniel Ladinsky of St Louis did.

The poems are indeed beautiful. They are just not ... Hafez. They are ... Hafez-ish? Hafez-esque? So many of us wish that Ladinsky had just published his work under his own name, rather than appropriating Hafez's.

Ladinsky's "translations" have been passed on by Oprah, the BBC, and others. Government officials have used them on occasions where they have wanted to include Persian speakers and Iranians. It is now part of the spiritual wisdom of the East shared in Western circles. Which is great for Ladinsky, but we are missing the chance to hear from the actual, real Hafez. And that is a shame.

So, who was the real Hafez (1315-1390)?

He was a Muslim, Persian-speaking sage whose collection of love poetry rivals only Mawlana Rumi in terms of its popularity and influence. Hafez's given name was Muhammad, and he was called Shams al-Din (The Sun of Religion). Hafez was his honorific because he had memorised the whole of the Quran. His poetry collection, the Divan, was referred to as Lesan al-Ghayb (the Tongue of the Unseen Realms).

A great scholar of Islam, the late Shahab Ahmed, referred to Hafez's Divan as: "the most widely-copied, widely-circulated, widely-read, widely-memorized, widely-recited, widely-invoked, and widely-proverbialized book of poetry in Islamic history." Even accounting for a slight debate, that gives some indication of his immense following. Hafez's poetry is considered the very epitome of Persian in the Ghazal tradition.

Hafez's worldview is inseparable from the world of Medieval Islam, the genre of Persian love poetry, and more. And yet he is deliciously impossible to pin down. He is a mystic, though he pokes fun at ostentatious mystics. His own name is "he who has committed the Quran to heart", yet he loathes religious hypocrisy. He shows his own piety while his poetry is filled with references to intoxication and wine that may be literal or may be symbolic.

The most sublime part of Hafez's poetry is its ambiguity. It is like a Rorschach psychological test in poetry. The mystics see it as a sign of their own yearning, and so do the wine-drinkers, and the anti-religious types. It is perhaps a futile exercise to impose one definitive meaning on Hafez. It would rob him of what makes him ... Hafez.

The tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, a magnificent city in Iran, is a popular pilgrimage site and the honeymoon destination of choice for many Iranian newlyweds. His poetry, alongside that of Rumi and Saadi, are main staples of vocalists in Iran to this day, including beautiful covers by leading maestros like Shahram Nazeri and Mohammadreza Shajarian.

Like many other Persian poets and mystics, the influence of Hafez extended far beyond contemporary Iran and can be felt wherever Persianate culture was a presence, including India and Pakistan, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and the Ottoman realms. Persian was the literary language par excellence from Bengal to Bosnia for almost a millennium, a reality that sadly has been buried under more recent nationalistic and linguistic barrages.

Part of what is going on here is what we also see, to a lesser extent, with Rumi: the voice and genius of the Persian speaking, Muslim, mystical, sensual sage of Shiraz are usurped and erased, and taken over by a white American with no connection to Hafez's Islam or Persian tradition. This is erasure and spiritual colonialism. Which is a shame, because Hafez's poetry deserves to be read worldwide alongside Shakespeare and Toni Morrison, Tagore and Whitman, Pablo Neruda and the real Rumi, Tao Te Ching and the Gita, Mahmoud Darwish, and the like.

In a 2013 interview, Ladinsky said of his poems published under the name of Hafez: "Is it Hafez or Danny? I don't know. Does it really matter?" I think it matters a great deal. There are larger issues of language, community, and power involved here.

It is not simply a matter of a translation dispute, nor of alternate models of translations. This is a matter of power, privilege and erasure. There is limited shelf space in any bookstore. Will we see the real Rumi, the real Hafez, or something appropriating their name? How did publishers publish books under the name of Hafez without having someone, anyone, with a modicum of familiarity check these purported translations against the original to see if there is a relationship? Was there anyone in the room when these decisions were made who was connected in a meaningful way to the communities who have lived through Hafez for centuries?

Hafez's poetry has not been sitting idly on a shelf gathering dust. It has been, and continues to be, the lifeline of the poetic and religious imagination of tens of millions of human beings. Hafez has something to say, and to sing, to the whole world, but bypassing these tens of millions who have kept Hafez in their heart as Hafez kept the Quran in his heart is tantamount to erasure and appropriation.

We live in an age where the president of the United States ran on an Islamophobic campaign of "Islam hates us" and establishing a cruel Muslim ban immediately upon taking office. As Edward Said and other theorists have reminded us, the world of culture is inseparable from the world of politics. So there is something sinister about keeping Muslims out of our borders while stealing their crown jewels and appropriating them not by translating them but simply as decor for poetry that bears no relationship to the original. Without equating the two, the dynamic here is reminiscent of white America's endless fascination with Black culture and music while continuing to perpetuate systems and institutions that leave Black folk unable to breathe.

There is one last element: It is indeed an act of violence to take the Islam out of Rumi and Hafez, as Ladinsky has done. It is another thing to take Rumi and Hafez out of Islam. That is a separate matter, and a mandate for Muslims to reimagine a faith that is steeped in the world of poetry, nuance, mercy, love, spirit, and beauty. Far from merely being content to criticise those who appropriate Muslim sages and erase Muslims' own presence in their legacy, it is also up to us to reimagine Islam where figures like Rumi and Hafez are central voices. This has been part of what many of feel called to, and are pursuing through initiatives like Illuminated Courses.

Oh, and one last thing: It is Haaaaafez, not Hafeeeeez. Please.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.

This content was originally published here.

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grrrrrrrbarkbarkbark · 6 months ago

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ALSO ABOUT THE CITIES.

Staten Island was part of newjersey until almost the year 1900 CE but the taxes went to NYC

There's fuckin mountains and earthquakes to go along with it but all yall fucks care about is philly and NYC.

The road ways in and out on the turn pike are mainly cause of NYC and Philly as well despite NJ being a peninsula and surrounded by water on 80% of the sides and used to have infrastructure based on port towns and boating.

Speaking of New Jersey being a peninsula. Yall shoebys are welcome for your goddamn fucking vacation spots that we spend thousands of dollars on each year for just the sand because ITS NATRUALLY GODDAMN WETLANDS. And the Sand you love shoving up your ass cracks during the summer months is quickly eroded because thats not the natrual intertidal habitat. and ontop of that is often mined from the pine lands destroying more natrual ecosystems and often causing inflatied rates of silicosis.

The Nearest hospital for most of South Jersey is atleast a 30 minutes away in the winter when 47 isn't clogged with bumper to bumpr traffic. (which isn't what it's even called in a lot of the goddamn state as it goes DIRECTLY through several towns).

And if your in the south forget about getting accurate weather reading as the nearest NWS weather observatory is in Philly! Literally several I knkw people really on *one* fucking weather man because he's actually from the area and is more accurate then the actual weather app a solid 99.9% of the time.

Not to mention the cultrual diversity of new jersey you all ignore because it "doesn't have a major city" or is just "italians" despite NJ having a large population of POC including African American communities, Latino communities, and a number of western European communities.

People be like "we care about ecological devastation" and then not care that a significant part of the marshland in New Jersey is revived and less then 50 years old, but still covered with invasive species, and there's almost no forest here that is more then 200 years old :)))

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sa7abnews · 4 months ago

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5 travel essentials to pack for your summer getaway

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/12/5-travel-essentials-to-pack-for-your-summer-getaway/

5 travel essentials to pack for your summer getaway

#a47e0092-16f5-531a-b64d-a74ef8955d29

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ufonaut · 4 years ago

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hi! sorry if this has been asked before but how did you become an alan scott fan? and what is your favorite era in comics? (i mean like your favorite era where alan is in, for his characterisation etc). and do you like any other green lanterns? from earth or in general? wow that's a lot of questions, sorry! but thanks in advance <33

THIS IS SWEET, THANK YOU!! i don’t personally, at this point in time, consider alan a green lantern that’s in any way associated with the corps BUT when we (that’s me and @slaapkat, dream team/partners in crime) were throwing around ideas of a gl cosplay that’s actually comfortable to wear and isn’t guy gardner, it occurred to us that alan was the most reasonable in the world and i think at some point while katie was in the process of making her cosplay i had the bright idea to do some research & said research led to me spending like two whole months reading all of alan’s 1941 solo and all of all-american comics and slowly realising that. hold on. this is the greatest character ever created

and this was all like. whew. a whole year ago i think (maybe a year and a little bit?) and in the meantime i’ve read every single alan appearance and i STILL think no one in comics history measures up to him. i distinctly remember us joking about alan being a gay old man even before properly getting into any of this but it’s an inside joke that’s now lost to time as we suffer from old man syndrome ourselves <3

my favourite comic eras also coincidentally coincide (how do you like that?) with my fav alan eras because he’s been present for like, the medium’s entire history. i couldn’t choose just one but it would definitely have to be the golden age (gl solo, all american comics, comic cavalcade), the seventies (paul levitz/gerry conway/keith giffen trifecta of the only living writers to understand alan in any meaningful way) and the nineties (sentinel my beloved). i feel like all of those are the literal peak of alan’s characterisation and also very neatly trace his progress from deeply traumatised young man with occasional bouts of homicidal mania to bankrupt ceo suffering multiple breakdowns to Man Actively Setting You On Fire. and i’ve never loved anything more

it’s also worth nothing that 99.9% of alan’s appearances are consistently in the best comic books i’ve ever read and for me, he’s been the gateway to the very best of what the industry has to offer. i can’t count the number of times i’ve checked out a series just for a one-off appearance from alan scott and realised the whole thing’s worth reading. all my current all time fav books were found that way!

i DO like other lanterns too but no earth ones besides hal, whom i love in the very specific conditions of parallax being both acknowledged & written well. otherwise i love sinestro, soranik, lyssa, arkillo, katma & even arisia on occasion and im wildly excited to see whats coming up in gl 2021 considering how ideal the first issue was. ultimately alans the One and Only tho because he made me realise i’m really gonna be a lifelong comic book fan now that i understand there really are stories out there that go beyond my wildest dreams

#SORRY THIS GOT MEGA LONG #anon #ask

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thebestchoice · 4 years ago

Text

Martin Lewis lends a hand to British families with Revolutionary Bitcoin Home Based Opportunity

'Brits Are Using This to Make An Average Of £2,265/day And Quitting Their Jobs!'

Martin Lewis OBE has had quite the career, founding moneysavingexpert.com back in 2003 and becoming known widely across the UK as the go-to-man for honest money advise. However, in the last week information was leaked about Lewis's latest success in Bitcoin Trading - an area he'd previously advised the British Nation to be cautious of.

"I just couldn't ignore it anymore!" Lewis told Rose Hill, Daily Mirror. "I get so many messages through social media asking about Bitcoin, from people sharing their challenges with money, amongst other things. This whole system came about purely out of my obesession to want to help more british families become financially stable"

The new venture is called Crypto Engine, and although he didn't come up with the idea, he's invested an estimated £1.2m of his own money into the software which enables anyone to trade Bitcoin profitably.

In a recent interview with Forbes, Martin revealed that more than half his business income for 2017 came from investing in one Bitcoin system. His Bitcoin profits reportedly exceeded revenues from the hugely successful moneysavingexpert.com website.

"No one seems to have enough money, and I believe this is the solution people have been waiting for" said Martin. After 'experimenting' with multiple Cryptocurrencies; he explained: "I think Bitcoin is better than currency. People know how much I hate huge companies controlling everything, and this new 'Crypto world' seems to be giving hard working, less fortunate people, a chance at creating financial freedom.

Political Unrest all over the world has caused people to look for a safe and stable asset, this has driven the demand for Bitcoin in the process; it's completely decentralized and gives you full autonomy and protection over your funds for the first time ever, which Lewis suggests is just what the UK needs for it's economy struggles.

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"If you had invested just $100 in Bitcoin back in 2010 you would now enjoy dividends of $75 Million Dollars!"

Lewis says: "It's a controversial investment, because the world banking community does not want the average worker to have access to this much wealth outside of the system. They literally hate me for investing in this!, but they'll hate me even more for bringing it to everyone's attention" - Lewis laughed.

Lewis says Banks hate him for making Bitcoin trading accessible for 'regular' people. (Image: Daily Mirror)

Here's the deal: The program is gaining major popularity and the results are astonishing. Lewis explains how "timing is key with an opportunity like this and sadly the window for this is this is pretty small; many British people will miss out. There really is just a few months or even weeks left to rake in that holiday money." Economists are urging people to "Start Now!"

Sound too good to be true? That's what single mum, Fiona Presley from Stevenage, initially thought too. Fiona is a 37-year-old mother of 2 boys who lost her job last October. She was lucky enough to be invited to beta test the program in January this year after stumbling across an ad on Facebook.

Fiona Presley, Mother of 2, was initially skeptical of this make-money-from-home opportunity, but it turned out to be the "best decision of her life" (Image: Daily Mirror)

Fiona admits: "At first, I thought this was a joke. Making money from home is only a dream, but I decided to try it anyway given my circumstances. I watched this video and then signed up. It was actually kinda fun learning something new. Money was flowing into my account, I didn't believe it was real. I was skeptical that I would receive a payout!"

Crypto Engine now pays Fiona every Monday morning." (Image: Daily Mirror)

"I now earn really good money just to work from home every day...and I get paid every Monday morning... I make around £7,000 a month right now and it's creeping up every week. I receive my Bitcoin straight to my wallet, and if I need quick access I can transfer cash directly to my bank account by direct deposit, but I also have the option of Paypal or Cheque too!

What exactly is Fiona paid to do? She says, "Essentially this new economy is Crypto Engine Auto Trading. You can trade it like stocks, but because it's a completely untapped market, there's no competition. I'm scooping up cash like ice cream. It's such a good time to be doing this and although I did my best to shield my kids from my challenges, they can clearly now see how much happier mummy is, and their toy cupboard is well stocked!"

What you need: Only a computer, smartphone, or tablet with internet access. You don't need any specific skills other than knowing how to use a computer and browsing the internet. Another perk of this program is you get to choose your own hours. You can work completely on your own schedule- whether that's 5 hours a week or 50 hours a week. Absolutely no selling or telemarketing involved!

To save our reader's time and double check the Crypto Engine's functionality, Fiona kindly created a guide to getting started on the system.

Here's her step-by-step walkthrough:

START NOW

First thing you see is a video showing off Crypto Engine in all of its glory. The advertising is big and bold and in your face but it is an American product and that's how they do things. Anyway, you simply submit your name and email address below the video to get started.

Next up, you're asked to fund your account. As I was navigating the deposit page, my mobile rang. It was an international number so I was hesitant to answer but then I realised it was obviously from Crypto Engine. Sure enough, it was my own personal account manager. His service was great. He took me through the entire funding process. They accept all major credit cards like Visa, MasterCard and American Express. I went ahead and deposited the minimum amount which is around £180 or $250 cause the platform works in US Dollars.

Once funded, I navigated to the "Auto-Trader" section of software, set the trade amount to the recommended $50 and enabled it. The Crypto Engine software started making trades at a rapid rate and I was concerned at first but let it do its thing. I left it active for about an hour and went and watched TV. When I came back, my account balance read $1,592.37! That's £1,127! I had just turned £180 into £1,127 in the space of an hour!

Lewis says: he's inspired by the success so many are having with this, and hopes a renewed sense of optimism will sweep the nation as it gains momentum and more people reap the rewards for "seeing what I see here".

Try Crypto Engine Now

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noona-clock · 5 years ago

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Which One? Ji Soo - Part 6

Genre: Coffee Shop!AU

Pairing: Ji Soo x You

Warnings: Use of the word ‘Soccer.’ I know non-Americans hate it, and I apologize. But I am American. What can I say? 🤷‍♀️ Oh, and also mentions of alcohol.

Prologue, Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Epilogue | Words: 3,951

“Go out?” you asked, your own voice sounding foreign to your ears. It was a bit squeakier than normal, but... what about this situation was normal?

Ji Soo, a very handsome coffee shop owner, had just asked you out.

I mean, you’re pretty sure he was asking you out!

And, like... you couldn’t stress enough just how handsome he was.

So... definitely not your average Saturday night.

“Yeah,” Ji Soo assured you with a nod. “Go out. Like... get dinner? Or see a movie?”

Yeah, he was asking you out.

But there was just one thing stopping you from saying ‘yes’ immediately.

“Do you... have time to go out?”

Ji Soo chuckled softly, his lips tilting into a half-grin. “I, uh -- I asked Joo Hyuk to cover for me tomorrow night. Last Sunday was pretty slow. I guess people don’t want all that caffeine before they have to wake up on Monday morning.”

Oh, wow, that made your heart flutter. He had prepared for this and everything!

You opened your mouth to say that you would love to go out with him tomorrow night, but -- you stopped yourself.

Because there was just one problem.

“I... actually already have plans tomorrow night,” you said, your brow furrowing. “There’s a game at 7, and I have season tickets, so --”

“A game?” Ji Soo asked. He was clearly confused by what you’d just told him. “Season tickets? What kind of game?”

You weren’t surprised by how surprised he sounded. You were kind of a technology geek, so why on Earth would you enjoy sports?

“Soccer,” you explained with a tiny smile. “The Tigers. I have season tickets. My dad passed down his love of the game to me, and one of the first things I bought with my first real paycheck was a season pass.”

The expression on Ji Soo’s face was still one of confusion, but now there was some amusement mixed in there. “Huh,” he nodded. “Soccer. I had no idea.”

For a split second, you felt bad because you had to turn him down... but then you suddenly had an idea. You gasped slightly, your eyebrows shooting halfway up your forehead.

“Do you want to come with me?” you asked excitedly. “I can see if the seat next to me is open.”

Ji Soo also raised his eyebrows, and you thought maybe he would decline, but the grin tugging at his lips gave you hope. “Yeah? Yeah, of course, I would love to come. That sounds awesome, actually.”

Your heart fluttered for probably the ten thousandth time tonight, and you had to bite your lip to keep from smiling like the biggest goofball.

“It starts at 7,” you told him, clutching your laptop to your chest. “Should I pick you up here at 6? We can get food at the stadium.”

Ji Soo slid his hands into his pockets, and even though you couldn’t be absolutely sure, you had an inkling that the expression on his face was just as hopeful and giddy as yours.

“That sounds good,” he nodded. “I’ll be waiting outside right at 6. I know how you like to be on time.”

Oh, boy. First, he had prepared ahead of time to go on a date with you. And now he was promising to be on time because he knew that’s what you like?

The date wasn’t for another 21 hours, but you were already labeling it The Best Date Ever.

“Yes, I do,” you agreed with a soft laugh. “You’re right.”

“You should probably get used to saying that, by the way,” he said casually, taking one hand out of his pocket and reaching out to open your car door for you.

“Saying what?”

“You just said I was right,” he clarified. “You should get used to saying that because I’m right 99.9% of the time.”

You shot him a look which clearly said ‘Oh, yeah, right.’

“It’s true!” he argued, his eyebrows raised earnestly. “You’ll see, it really is true.”

You turned and ducked into your car, setting your laptop on the passenger seat and your bag down on the floor. “Okay, whatever you say,” you sighed, biting back a playful smirk.

“Drive safely,” he said as he leaned slightly against your open door. “Let me know when you get home?”

“I live less than ten minutes away,” you reminded him, chuckling softly but also awkwardly. It had just been such a long time since anyone besides Jane had made a request like that.

“Yeah... but still. Let me know.”

“I will,” you assured him with a nod. And just before you got into your car, you added a quiet, “See you tomorrow.”

Once you were fully and safely seated behind the wheel, Ji Soo gently closed your door and stepped back to allow you to reverse out of the parking spot. He stayed there as you drove away, lifting up one hand in a wave as you pulled out of the lot.

Oh, boy.

Oh, boy, oh, boy.

A date.

Tomorrow.

With Ji Soo.

Obviously, the first thing you did after you got home -- besides texting Ji Soo about your safe arrival, of course -- was call Jane.

You had barely gotten a whole sentence out before her high-pitched squeals filled the air. And your ear canal. You literally had to pull your phone away to protect your eardrum.

“I TOLD YOU!” she cried. “Didn’t I tell you?!”

“Yes, you told me,” you sighed, remembering just the other day when Ji Soo said ‘I told you so’ about your car troubles.

...Okay, now that you thought about it, Ji Soo and Jane were almost eerily similar. They both loved to tease you, they both were quick to point out when they were right, they were both incredibly kind and sweet, they both made you laugh, and... they both made you feel good about yourself.

When they weren’t embarrassing you, of course.

No wonder Jane had been able to predict the course of events between you and Ji Soo. They were practically the same person!

“And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed,” you told her as you held back a huge, goofy grin.

“Gotta get some beauty rest before the big day tomorrow,” Jane squealed. “Not that you need it, but it’s always a plus to use a little less concealer. Night!”

“Good night, Jane,” you murmured affectionately before hanging up the phone.

After you got ready for bed, you settled in under the covers and got out your phone to look for Ji Soo’s ticket for the game tomorrow. Even if you couldn’t find one right next to you, you could trade yours out and find two together easily enough.

Just as you pulled up the ticket app, though, you got an Instagram notification.

TheMugShop (The Mug Coffee) is now following you.

Ooooooh.

You hastily pressed the banner alert, and your phone switched over to the Instagram app, heading straight to TheMugShop’s profile. First things first, you clicked ‘Follow back’ right away. They only had three followers so far (most likely Ji Soo, Joo Hyuk, and now you), but you were sure that would change fairly quickly.

Their bio read:

The Mug, your favorite locally-owned coffee shop. ☕️ 7a - 9p

all photos taken by @yourusername

And, to your surprise, there was already a picture posted. It was the picture you and Ji Soo had edited together tonight, one of a green tea latte since it was your beverage of choice (and because the green color was just so pretty) so you quickly clicked on it.

The caption made you both roll your eyes and laugh out loud.

“🍵❤️we like you a latte ❤️🍵come visit from 7-9 and try our green tea latte, a customer favorite”

You would bet five bucks Ji Soo had come up with that. You’d have to remember to ask him tomorrow.

Here’s a question for you:

Why are dates always in the evening?

Most of the time, people are nervous to go on a date. Especially a first date.

So, why would you subject yourself to going through almost the whole day waiting to meet up? Why would you spend hours and hours in anxiety? Why didn’t people just say ‘Hey, let’s meet for breakfast’?

Maybe you would start a new trend. Morning dates!

Except it was too late now. You’d bought a ticket for Ji Soo for the game tonight, and you couldn’t very well change the kickoff time.

If tonight went well, you would bring it up for a second date. Although, you weren’t sure when a second date would happen. Ji Soo worked at the coffee shop every single day from 7-9 -- or at least, for now. They couldn’t afford to pay you to take pictures for them, so surely they couldn’t afford to pay a part-time employee.

To be honest, though... you didn’t care. You were more than happy to just go to the shop, have a drink, and see Ji Soo, even if just for a few minutes at a time.

But you were getting a little ahead of yourself.

You would see how tonight went and then start worrying about the future.

Somehow -- some way -- you managed to get through the better part of the day without freaking out. You cleaned up the rest of your place since you’d cleaned up your kitchen yesterday, and that alone successfully distracted you for most of the morning and afternoon.

Plus, you kept busy keeping up with the Tigers on Instagram, watching videos of them getting ready to play and getting hyped for the game.

By 5:45 that evening, you were all set and ready to go, donning your team jersey with your favorite player’s name and number on the back, as usual.

You were semi-fine -- meaning not extremely nervous -- until you turned into The Mug’s parking lot and saw Ji Soo waiting by the entrance for you.

Oh, god.

When you pulled up to the front, Ji Soo lifted a hand and grinned at you. He opened the passenger door once you stopped and slid into the seat.

“Hey,” he greeted, sounding far less nervous than you felt at the moment.

“Hello,” you replied. Since you were behind the wheel, you had an excuse not to look over at him. You’d basically seen him as he’d stood outside the shop, and you could tell he looked extra good tonight. You weren’t sure how that was possible, but... apparently, it was.

“How are you?” he asked as he reached back to grab his seat belt.

“I’m excited for the game,” you told him. You decided to leave off the fact you were nervous for the date.

“You’re not nervous for the date?” he asked. You didn’t even need to look over at him to know he was smirking.

Of course. Of course, he knew what you were thinking. He was your best friend in male form!

You felt your cheeks warming as a shy smile tugged at your lips, and you shook your head slightly in disbelief. “Well, yes,” you admitted. “But it’ll be fun.”

“Yeah? I’ve never been to a game before, so I’m curious.”

“Wait, really? You’ve never been to a game?”

“Nope.”

“Like any soccer game?”

“Any soccer game,” he confirmed with a chuckle. “Joo Hyuk has, but apparently, it takes a pretty girl to convince me.”

Awesome. Not even five minutes into the date, and you were already blushing wildly.

“They’re really fun,” you assured him, trying to hide a shy grin. “I mean, I think they’re really fun. Obviously. Hopefully, you’ll have a good time.”

“Oh, yeah. I think I will. I had a good time when we were editing a picture, so I definitely think I’ll have a good time tonight. As long as you’re there.”

Okay, you couldn’t hide your shy grin any longer, and you could feel Ji Soo’s eyes on you.

Judging by the car ride alone, you were in trouble tonight. If Ji Soo kept saying things like that, you were pretty sure your lips would get stuck in this little smile for the rest of your life.

“Have you always blushed so easily?” Ji Soo asked, reaching over and poking your cheek gently.

“Yes,” you chuckled. You shrugged your shoulder to try and push his arm away, but it was more of an instinctive reaction than anything.

“It’s cute,” he murmured. “Like, just on your own, you’re beautiful. But when you blush it’s just so cute.”

“Oh my gosh, can we not talk about me anymore?” you asked with just the slightest whine in your voice. But you still had that smile on your lips; honestly, you were for real on your way to smiling permanently. All because of him!

Ji Soo obliged, though, and he (somehow) managed not to make you blush the rest of the way to the stadium. He asked about the rules of the game, and that kept you talking for the whole ride.

By the time you parked, walked to the stadium, went through security, scanned your tickets, bought some pizza and beer, and found your seats, the team was out practicing on the field.

Ji Soo asked who all of the players were, so you pointed out each one, telling him what their name was and which position they played.

“Who’s on your jersey?” he asked with half a mouthful of pizza.

“Ah,” you muttered, feeling your cheeks blush for the first time in almost half an hour. “Number 16, Martinez.”

Ji Soo’s eyes searched the field, and they narrowed slightly when he found the number 16 jersey.

Of course, you liked Martinez because he was a good player...

But... you would be lying if you said he wasn’t the best-looking guy on the team.

Ji Soo turned his narrowed gaze over to you, and your eyes widened innocently.

“What?” you asked.

“I’m onto you,” he murmured, sounding utterly serious (which you knew meant he was teasing).

“What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

You shook your head, still keeping up the innocent act as you ate your pizza.

Ji Soo simply smirked at you, and you had to look away because it wasn’t possible to eat properly if you weren’t breathing.

Once you had both finished your pizza, the game was just about to start. You took a quick gulp of beer as the team came back out onto the field in their uniforms. You stood from your seat and clapped, cupping your hands around your mouth and cheering along with the crowd.

Ji Soo stood up, and you were reminded just how tall he was. Most of the time, either one or both of you were sitting, so it was easy to forget that he not only had the face of a model but the body of a model, too. Tall, slim, but you could tell he was also muscular.

As the national anthem played, Ji Soo leaned over and casually rested his elbow on your shoulder.

And, if you can believe it, it made your heart flutter.

So, literally, everything this guy did had some sort of effect on you, I guess. Even if he was just resting his elbow on your shoulder.

Plus, he smelled really good. He always seemed to smell good, even though he worked pretty much all day, every day.

After the last note of the anthem rang through the stadium, you gulped down your anxiety and leaned just a little bit closer toward your date.

“You smell really good,” you told him, raising your voice over the din of the crowd.

Ji Soo simply smirked before reaching out and wrapping his arms around you, pulling you into a hug.

You were so tempted to just bury your face in his chest, but he had already let go before you could give in to the urge.

Thankfully, the referee blew the starting whistle so you could turn your attention to the game instead of how good Ji Soo smelled. Or how amazing just that one, quick hug had felt.

“Okay, you have to tell me what’s going on,” he said, his voice suddenly close to your ear.

You nodded and began your commentary, making sure to stay close to him so you didn’t bother the people around you. You told him what was going on, you answered any question he had, and you also still managed to react to the game as you usually did.

The first time the ref made a somewhat questionable call, your brow furrowed deeply and you yelled out your disagreement.

“OH, COME ON, REF!” you cried. “THAT WAS A FOUL! ARE YOU BLIND?!”

Now, obviously, you weren’t the only one who was yelling at the ref. But the way Ji Soo was looking at you right now, you might as well have been.

When you glanced over at him, a bit of a guilty smile appeared on your lips. “What?” you asked, chuckling.

“I had no idea you had this side to you,” he laughed. “You just seem so... sweet.”

“I am!” you countered.

“You just asked the referee if he was blind,” Ji Soo pointed out. “That’s not sweet.”

“Well! It was a clear foul!”

You went back to watching the game, but you felt Ji Soo lean in close, placing his lips right by your ear.

“Don’t worry,” he told you. “I like it.”

You simply pressed your lips together, your cheeks blazing.

Since the two of you had opted to buy food before the game, you decided to stay in your seats during halftime while almost everyone else in the stadium left.

“How do you like it so far?” you asked, reaching down to pick up your beer and down the last of it.

“Honestly, it’s a lot more fun than I thought,” Ji Soo admitted. “I don’t know why I always thought soccer was boring, but it’s really not.”

“No, not at all!”

“Joo Hyuk is going to be so pissed,” he chuckled.

“You’ll have to go to a game with him to make up for it,” you grinned, nudging him gently with your arm.

“As long as you come, too.”

“What?” you laughed. “Why do I have to come?”

“Because you’re the best commentator. I feel like I know all about soccer already! ...And because you are ridiculously cute when you’re yelling at the players.”

“Be quiet,” you muttered through your smile.

“It’s true!”

You shook your head, rolling your eyes in amusement.

Before Ji Soo could say anything else, Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” started blaring through the stadium speakers.

“Ooh, Kiss Cam!” you cried, tapping Ji Soo’s arm and pointing up to the jumbo screen hanging from the ceiling. “I love the Kiss Cam.”

“You do?” Ji Soo asked, sounding surprised.

You turned to look at him, nodding -- but then you froze.

Oh... god.

What if... what if the two of you were put up on the screen?

Oh, no no no no no.

Ji Soo would love it, surely, but...

It would be so embarrassing!

The cameramen had no way of knowing this, but it was just your first date! You had only hugged, and it had only lasted less than a second!

Your heart started hammering as couples came and went on the screen, and you could sincerely say you’d never been so nervous watching the Kiss Cam. Every time a new couple showed up, you held your breath, letting it out gently when you realized it wasn’t you and Ji Soo.

When an older couple finished kissing, the Kiss Cam logo came up and the announcer asked the crowd to give all of the couples a round of applause.

Oh, thank god. You had survived.

“Aw, man,” Ji Soo lamented, shaking his head. “I was hoping we would be on it.”

Of course, he would hope that.

Instead of letting him know you were not disappointed in the least, you simply reached over and patted his arm. “I’m sorry,” you said. “Maybe next time.”

“Next time?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “You think there’s going to be a next time?”

You stared at him, blinking, your mouth slightly agape.

Uh...

Ji Soo smirked and lifted his arm, moving to rest it around your shoulders. “There better be a next time,” he smirked.

You couldn’t help but let out yet another sigh of relief.

And then... you settled down in your seat, leaning into him and tilting your head to rest it against his shoulder.

When the game was over (a satisfying 2-0 win for the Tigers, thank goodness), you and Ji Soo shuffled out of the stadium with the rest of the crowd. You headed up the stairs ahead of him, and as the people filed out with you, you felt Ji Soo’s fingers grasp yours.

Thankfully, he couldn’t see your face, but you would be surprised if he didn’t know you were blushing right now.

When you got to the top of stairs, instead of letting go of his hand, you linked your fingers through his more firmly. Ji Soo squeezed your hand as he walked beside you, and you shot him a shy grin.

Eventually, you made it out to the parking lot, and once the two of you were settled into your car, Ji Soo told you to drop him back off at the coffee shop.

“Joo Hyuk is still there, so I figure I should help him clean up some.”

“Can you please apologize to him for me?” you asked as you threw your car into reverse and began to back out of your spot. “I feel bad that he had to work by himself.”

“So, you feel bad for going out with me?” Ji Soo teased.

“No!” you chuckled.

“Don’t worry,” he assured you, reaching over and resting his hand on your thigh briefly. “We’re talking about hiring a part-timer. Hopefully. If business keeps up, we should be able to. And we can pay you for the pictures.”

“No, Ji Soo, I already told you that you don’t need to pay me. The free drinks are more than enough.”

“See? That’s why I thought you were sweet,” Ji Soo pointed out. “But then you started yelling at that ref. Now I’m afraid to ever get on your bad side.”

You simply laughed, shaking your head as you began the drive back to The Mug.

When you arrived at the shop, you pulled up as close to the door as you could since there were no other cars in the lot. You put the car in park and, a bit nervously, you turned toward Ji Soo.

“Thank you for coming,” you said softly. “I’m glad you had a good time.”

“No, thank you for inviting me. I never thought our first date would be a sports game, but that’s one of the things I like about you.”

“...What do you mean?” you asked shyly.

“You’re full of surprises,” Ji soo told you with just the slightest of smirks.

For probably the millionth time tonight, you blushed.

And you wondered if there would ever be a time you didn’t blush around Ji Soo.

“Hey, so...” he continued. “I don’t really want our first kiss to be in the parking lot, but... if you wouldn’t mind...”

Well, the blushing certainly wasn’t going to be letting up anytime soon, was it?

He was asking you if you wouldn’t mind kissing him?

Really?

You didn’t let yourself think too much about it because you probably would have talked yourself out of saying ‘yes.’

And... you wanted to say ‘yes.’

So, you nodded quickly.

Part 7

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cherp-official · 5 years ago

Text

Real Talk Time

CW: This is politics talk, sorry, folks! We’ll be returning to your regularly scheduled RP content soon.

Hiya, folks. Friendly neighborhood Mod TTMIYH here, here to talk about something absolutely unrelated to cherp or RP as a whole except in tangential broad strokes.

If you are an American, and you are over 18, you have to vote. The majority of the Cherp userbase almost certainly consists of marginalized individuals in one way or another, and if Cheeto Hitler wins a second term, a: we are not going to have another free election, and b: marginalized people everywhere (me included) are going to get fucking demolished. The planet is on fire. We have to stop the bleeding now, not in four years, not when it’s convenient for us, NOW.

How can you help? I’ll make it very easy for all of you guys.

1: Find a candidate you like. I like Bernie, and I think besides him and Warren most of the other candidates are unpalatable, so I’m going to be volunteering for Bernie’s stuff, but, and this may not be perfect praxis, literally anyone is better than four more years of trump, especially if we can get a majority in the senate and house. At the bare minimum, getting a senate and house majority will be able to cockblock Trump for four years and probably impeach him, but we really need to be aiming for a complete sweep via ANYONE other than Trump.

Bernie Sanders: https://map.berniesanders.com/ Elizabeth Warren: https://elizabethwarren.com/join-us (Sigh) Pete Buttigieg: https://peteforamerica.com/forms/volunteer/ Amy Klobuchar: https://amyklobuchar.com/ Tom Steyer: https://www.tomsteyer.com/volunteer/ Andrew Yang: https://act.yang2020.com/sign/organic-web-volunteersignup-20180821/ (Also Sigh) Joe Biden: https://joebiden.com/join/

Great. Got one you like? Did you research their policies and are sure they’re what you want? Good!

2: Fight like hell for them.

We need to be involved with the civic process at EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. Put in your zip code, find out phone banking and canvassing and door-to-door events near you. The more people you can get off the couch and inform about what is at stake, the better. Even if your preferred candidate loses the primary, you’re still helping engaging potential voters that would not otherwise have been engaged, and that can help whoever wins.

If your preferred candidate loses, I’m sorry! That sucks. But pick your chin up and get behind the next candidate in line. Your efforts are not wasted, but we have to keep it up.

3: Pester EVERYONE. See what I’m doing right now? I’m using the platforms I have (with permission from Insolent, don’t you fret) to spread the message that we need to fucking mobilize like never before. We need to absolutely crush the Republican party into the dirt with sheer numbers so that they can’t possibly fuck around with the vote enough to win.

Get your relatives to volunteer (if they’re the same party as you). Get them to pledge to vote. Bug your friends until they go canvassing with you. Talk about this on social media. Talk about it everywhere. Become the obnoxiously political friend. Reward yourself with some ice cream every time you get someone new involved with volunteering.

Do research. Don’t argue on the internet with people on the other side, because they’re not going to listen and it’ll wear you out, but convince people who seem like they haven’t decided one way or another. Make sure you know exactly what your candidate’s policies are so you can talk about them in a way that gets people on board.

Use your voice! You have one. Use it. If you reblog this post you are magnifying my voice to everyone that can hear you.

4: Engage in the civic process. I will make this just as easy for you as I did the volunteering stuff. Go to https://resist.bot/ , you can access it through Twitter, Facebook Messenger, or text message. It will guide you through the steps to send letters to your local representatives, even your representatives in your state legislature, your senators, your congressmen, and so on. You can send an email or a snail mail or even a fax because for some reason they still use faxes.

Research your representative’s policies. If they align with yours, encourage them to keep it up, and make sure they know if they keep doing the right thing, you’ll vote and donate to them. If they don’t align with yours, threaten them via civics. Explain how, if they vote against Trump’s impeachment, for example, you will do everything in your power to elect their opponent.

Make it personal. You are such and such from X part of their constituency, you grew up in XYZ town, yadda yadda. They are humans. Their staffers are humans. Appealing to their humanity won’t work for 99.9% of the bad ones but you might be that one letter that cracks someone’s shell. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot.

Resist.bot makes it so easy. I sent my representative a letter just today and it was easy so I’ll probably send more. Yesterday I volunteered to do phone-banking for Bernie.

I’ve been sitting on my thumbs my entire life waiting for everything else to go well for me, but I don’t have time to sit on my thumbs anymore.

Things aren’t going to change unless we force them to change.

Volunteer. Vote. Get yourself involved. Mobilize.

There is too much at stake not to.

Thank you.

#politics

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