#and the pandemic gave it an extra boost

[i-amusemyself]

i think what musks nazi gesture at trumps inauguration has shown is that there will be no easing in of the fascism this time. the time for lube and a gentle entrance was 2016. now, the rise of the right wing on the background of the ongoing pandemic and genocides means that these nazis have judged America to be ripe and fertile for the full force of their agenda from day one

[bloop-bl00p]

Hi! I'm new to your post so please feel free to one me out😅🙏 imma give some context before going the real thing [it's been a while since I watched Helluva boss so I only stopped somewhere at western energy, I was able to watched the helluva shorts, short 4 is my favorite, I was able to watched some important parts of the series such as the full moon episode. End] ever since the released of sinmas and mastermind, my hate for Stolas continues to rise. I never knew nor understood the appeal of the Stolitz relationship during the pandemic to 2023. Until I started to see more of the Stolitz fanarts, it created the idea of a forbidden relationship aka the commoner x the emperor, it's a good and engaging trope to read when written well in a love story and in a psychological way. So imagine my surprise when seeing leaks of Blitzø kissing and hugging Stolas, however seeing the outcome of Stolas choosing Blitzø over his daughter wasn't enough for me to satiate my hate for him. After for a few days I started to analyze how maybe I'm hating too much on Stolas when Blitzø also has a big fault too, so when searching in google; searching for others opinion on what Stolas SHOULD have been, I stumbled upon you! You were able to state the important facts on both parties being in the wrong, despite how I have a few arguments you still able to reach out the IMPORTANT facts. So I'm glad you initiated in making a post on how the Stolitz relationship is so toxic and in the same time they are still bad but victim beings. I was also planning to write my own original helluva boss so this gave me an extra boost on what kind of characters Stolas and Blitzø should have been, ever since I watched videos on YouTubers hating Stolas I was able to create an illusion that Blitzø was a saint however I was still able to grasp that MAYBE he was NOT a saint.

[here are a few things I want to state and I WANTED to hear your take, I think Stolas should have a knack in conversation when talking to Blitz in the Ozzie episode {however it can be easily eliminated since he's having a person conversation with Blitz without any indication of fornication}, and if Stolas was banging Blitz for how many months I think he should have asked how's his relationship with Loona since that's something they're in common. I also like to state how a lot of people hate on Stella too much, I did NOT like how they made Stella the evil mom. It was scene and implied how she and Stolas were happy during their marriage, so it would understandable for Stella to be mad at Stolas not to mention he was sleeping with an Imp. A lot of people really said how Stolas was in the right for cheating on Stella and it made me question about my idea of relationship and marriage. I do accept that Stella should have face consequences for abusing her husband, but Stolas should at least face some consequences which was shown in Sinmas. He CHEATED on his WIFE, the word wife/marriage means you're ONE with your partner and that you're in a BINDING VOW. He also should have think about his actions and how it will affect his family{Octavia mostly}. Stella is wasted character to be made since it could explore her experience in marriage, motherhood and her mixed feelings for Stolas and Blitzø. (I know how it's set in hell but why is it they have hospitals, rehab and such. Despite how an amount of demons cheat I'm sure there's room for demons who don't accept cheating.) I'm sure you have some thoughts and amazing facts to point out my opinion, so feel free correct me!]

All in all I enjoyed your post and I hope you continue more to create amazing content! Your post of the analysis on Stolitz relationship gave me motivation to create my own fanfic, and is it alright for you if I take inspiration to your take of the Stolitz relationship cause I have some big plans for those two characters, I'll always make sure to credit you and mention your analysis is my inspiration. That's all I have to say, have an amazing and healthy day, Merry Christmas!!!❤️🔥🎄

Hey, so I’m happy to have helped you and you can totally take inspiration from me for your rewrite.

Anyways, you’re right. Having Stolas try and make moves on Blitzø without it being sexual would have helped show that he was interested in more than hooking up. The things I didn't mention in my review are that we spent the entirety of season 1 barely seeing him, and when we finally do, he’s making bad attempts at dirty talks. We don’t see the progression of him being only interested in sex to "I’m in love" so his attitude in episode 7 is just random, they were no buildup.

As for the Stella situation, I’m equally disappointed that up to now she’s reduced to Le Evil Wife, but I look forward to season 3 since we’re going to have more info on the Goetia, so possibly her backstory. As for the cheating, I think they should have empathized with the fact that it’s not the cheating that bothers her, it’s the fact that it’s an imp. This was done at first in episode 2 but they should have kept it going.

Since Stolas and Stella have an arranged marriage, they could have established that they’re in a free relationship. They slept together only for Octavia, but aren’t sexually interested in each other, so they keep appearances in public but sleep with whoever they want indoors. Then there are two ways to go with it:

Stolas follows the terms of agreement

He keeps his relationship with Blitzø indoors and does everything to stay low-key. In that case, Stella is unreasonable because she’s only angry that he’s sleeping with an imp and that’s just fucked up. On the other, Stolas and Blitzø’s relationship could never evolve because Blitzø will probably doubt the prince’s sincerity considering he’s doing everything to keep him in his closet. Imagine the drama.

2. Stolas is exactly like in the shows

By that, I mean flirting publicly, going on dates and stuff. While it’s certainly going to make Blitzø trust Stolas, Stella is a little bit justified. I mean, you shouldn't kill your husband for cheating, but Stolas would have been allowed to "cheat" whiting certain conditions. Not only is he ruining her reputation but he cheated with an imp, which means that now her friends think that she’s such a bad wife that Stolas searches for relief whiting the lower class.

This could also impact Stolas’ reputation whiting the Goetia Circle, and perhaps even Blitzø whiting the imps. All of them could think like Striker, "You think you’re better than us because you date a Goetia."

Merry Christmas to you too by the way.

[industrynewsupdates]

Understanding Direct Selling Market: Trends and Growth Drivers

The global direct selling market size is expected to reach USD 328.26 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.4% from 2023 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The consumers' increasing desire to inspect and authenticate products before purchase is driving the global industry. As a consequence of the internet ecosystem and changing client demands, new business models have arisen, resulting in the emergence of direct-to-consumer (D2C) distribution channels. For product and service marketing, direct selling has emerged as a dynamic and rapidly developing way of distribution.

Direct selling organizations have been effective in supplying new things on a regular basis in order to reach the majority of the consumer base over the previous many years. In order to fulfill the changing needs of today's consumers, businesses have been developing new product versions. By increasing their brand portfolio, direct selling organizations have been able to cater to a large audience with a variety of product preferences. Direct selling provides an extra source of income for a large number of people and fosters micro-entrepreneurship.

Direct selling witnessed an increase in the usage of internet tools and video meetings during the global pandemic of 2020, as well as a welcome boost in social interaction for customers who were separated due to national lockdowns. The worldwide health crisis, according to the DSA, increased customer demand for health and wellness items, and direct selling gave home-bound entrepreneurs a method to supplement their income.

The health and wellness category led the worldwide market, owing to the rising incidence of chronic diseases among the global population. Stress, anxiety, diabetes, and other health problems have increased as a result of consumers' sedentary and rushed lifestyles. Furthermore, a lack of a sufficient diet has resulted in lesser consumption of vital nutrients and minerals required for the healthy and active functioning of the human body. As a result, the use of health and wellness goods such as vitamins and supplements, as well as other nutritional items, has increased.

In 2022, Asia Pacific dominated the global market, owing to increased healthcare and cosmetics expenditure. Direct sellers are gaining popularity in emerging economies, notably in lower-tier cities in China, India, and Indonesia. In 2022, North America accounted for a substantial portion of the market. The existence of multiple players is driving the region's growth, as is an increasing desire for extra income through direct marketing. Furthermore, increased disposable income, in combination with government initiatives, is expected to support regional market growth in the coming years.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Direct Selling Market

Direct Selling Market Report Highlights

• The Asia Pacific led the global market, accounting for the majority of total sales. The growth of the regional market is driven by the rising adoption of health & wellness and cosmetics products

• The cosmetics and personal care section of the worldwide market is expected to increase at a rapid pace. The category is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% over the forecast period on account of rising knowledge of skincare regimens, as well as innovative product branding and promotion tactics

• In 2022, North America accounted for a notable market share. The existence of multiple players is driving the region's growth, as is an increasing desire for extra money through direct selling. Furthermore, increased disposable income, in combination with government initiatives, is expected to support regional market growth in the coming years

Direct Selling Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global direct selling market based on product and region:

Direct Selling Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017 - 2030)

• Health & Wellness

• Cosmetics And Personal Care

• Household Goods & Durables

• Others

Direct Selling Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017 - 2030)

• North America

o U.S.

o Canada

• Europe

o U.K.

o Germany

o France

• Asia Pacific

o China

o India

o Japan

• Central & South America

o Brazil

o Argentina

• Middle East & Africa

o GCC

o South Africa

Order a free sample PDF of the Direct Selling Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[samfayee-blog]

Drawn Into the Dream

Art wasn’t something I planned to fall in love with—it just happened. My story began in first grade, with a school activity that asked us to draw a place we visited during vacation. I hadn’t gone anywhere special. But instead of admitting that, I decided to draw Boracay. Why? I don’t even know.

When I turned in my work, I wasn’t expecting anything. But then my teacher came over, holding my drawing like it was a masterpiece. She told me I had talent and suggested I join a poster-making contest. Me? In a contest? No way. I was so shy I could barely raise my hand in class, let alone compete in front of people. But my teacher wasn’t giving up. She used the forbidden technique—calling my mom.

My mom encouraged me and she made it non-negotiable. “Join the contest, or I’ll hide your toys,” she joked. I was horrified. Losing my toys? That was serious business for me as a kid. So, unwillingly, I joined. And to my surprise, I won. The compliments from teachers and classmates gave me a confidence boost.

From that moment on, art became my thing. I joined every competition I could, whether it may be poster making, editorial cartooning, or painting. I even started experimenting with colored pencils and watercolor, trying to figure out what I liked best.

Then came the pandemic. With all the extra time at home, I threw myself into art like never before. I explored new styles, watched endless tutorials, and spent hours perfecting every detail. That’s when I rediscovered my love for portraits. As a kid, I loved drawing people, even if my attempts were, let’s say, less than impressive. But during the lockdowns, I focused on improving.

My inspiration? K-pop idols, specifically Seventeen and Enhypen. Their faces were perfect for practicing symmetry, shading, and expressions. I’d sit for hours, sketching their features and trying to capture their personalities on paper. Eventually, I created an art account to share my fanart. Posting my work felt like sharing a piece of myself, and the positive feedback from strangers on the internet made me feel seen.

Over the years, I’ve learned that art isn’t just about skill, it’s about connection. Whether it’s a drawing inspired by a childhood memory or a portrait of someone I admire, every piece tells a story. Looking back, I’m so grateful for my teacher and mom, who saw something in me before I saw it in myself.

It’s just amazing to think that it all started because someone believed in me.

Here are some of my favorite works. I hope they inspire you as much as they’ve inspired me to keep creating.

[treasurypreserve]

The Greater Boston Food Bank- Latest News of This Month

Hunger is an unavoidable issue that influences a large number of Americans, and Massachusetts is no exception. At the core of this battle lies the More Great Boston Food Bank (GBFB), a crucial association committed to reducing food uncertainty. Laid out in 1981, the GBFB has turned into the biggest appetite alleviation association in New Britain, giving nutritious food to a great many people and families every year. This article investigates the set of experiences, mission, activities, and effect of the More noteworthy Boston Food Bank, as well as ways for you to engage in this pivotal reason.

Figuring out Food Uncertainty

Food frailty alludes to the absence of solid admittance to an adequate amount of reasonable and nutritious food. As per late examinations, roughly 1 of every 10 occupants in the More prominent Boston region experience food frailty. This measurement features the critical requirement for associations like the GBFB.

THE SCENE OF GREAT BOSTON FOOD BANK

A few elements add to food uncertainty in the More prominent Boston locale:

Rising Living Expenses: The expense of lodging and fundamental necessities has expanded essentially, overburdening family financial plans.

Monetary Inconsistencies: Numerous people battle with work insecurity and compensation stagnation, making it trying to manage the cost of sufficient food.

Effect of Coronavirus: The pandemic has exacerbated existing issues of craving, with numerous families confronting joblessness or diminished hours.

The Mission and Vision of Greater Boston food bank

The More prominent Boston Food Bank plans to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts by guaranteeing that everybody approaches nutritious food. Their central goal centers around a few key regions:

Food Dissemination: The GBFB gathers and disperses food through a tremendous organization of accomplice offices, including food storage spaces, soup kitchens, and safe houses.

Sustenance Schooling: They offer projects that teach the local area about smart dieting and nourishment.

Backing: The association advocates for strategies and drives that help food security and battle destitution

How the More Prominent Boston Food Bank Works

The More prominent Boston Food Bank works through an organized framework intended to boost its effect locally. Here is a more profound investigation of how they capability:

Food Obtaining

The GBFB sources food through different channels, including:

Gifts: They team up with neighborhood supermarkets, homesteads, and eateries to gather overflow food that would somehow or another go to squander.

Buying: When important, the GBFB buys food things to guarantee that they can address the issues of the local area.

Taxpayer-supported initiatives: The GBFB accomplices with government and state projects to get to extra assets.

Food Dispersion

Whenever food is gathered, it is arranged, put away, and dispersed through a few techniques:

Accomplice Organizations: North of 500 accomplice organizations benefit from the GBFB’s dispersion endeavors, including food storage rooms and dinner programs.

Direct Dispersion: The GBFB works in portable food storage rooms and different projects to straightforwardly reach underserved networks.

Nourishment and Schooling Projects

Notwithstanding food dissemination, the GBFB offers nourishment schooling to enable people and families to settle on better decisions. Programs remember cooking classes and studios for planning for food.

Support and Mindfulness

The GBFB is focused on upholding arrangements that address the main drivers of craving. They work with legislators and local area pioneers to keep food weakness at the front of public talk.

The Effect of the More Noteworthy Boston Food Bank

The More prominent Boston Food Bank has had a momentous effect since its establishment. Here are a few key accomplishments:

Feasts Gave

The GBFB disperses a huge number of feasts every year. In ongoing measurements, they have given sufficient food to more than 140,000 dinners every day. This monstrous exertion guarantees that people and families get the nourishment they need.

Different Populaces Served

The GBFB serves different populations, including kids, seniors, and low-pay families. Their projects are intended to meet the particular necessities of these gatherings, guaranteeing that everybody approaches food.

Imaginative Projects

The GBFB persistently grows new drives to adjust to the changing necessities of the local area. Programs like the “Sound Storeroom” center around giving nutritious choices at food storage rooms, guaranteeing that families approach good food decisions.

Examples of overcoming adversity

The effect of the More noteworthy Boston Food Bank should be visible through various examples of overcoming adversity that feature the distinction the association makes in the existences of people and families. The following are a couple of moving models:

The Johnson family, in the same way as other others, confronted huge difficulties during the Coronavirus pandemic. With the two guardians losing their positions, they battled to put food on the table. Through a neighborhood food storage space that accomplices with the GBFB, they got fundamental food and found out about planning and feast readiness. The help they got filled their storage room as well as furnished them with expectations and assets for a superior future.

Enabling People

Maria, a single parent of two, wound up depending on the GBFB when her hours were cut working. With the assistance of the GBFB, she had the option to get to nutritious nourishment for her youngsters and take part in cooking classes that showed her how to plan quality feasts on a tight spending plan. Maria presently shares her encounters with different families, assisting them with exploring comparable difficulties.

How You Can Engage with the More Prominent Boston Food Bank

The More prominent Boston Food Bank depends on local area backing to proceed with its main goal. The following are multiple ways you can reach out:

Volunteer Open doors: Chipping in is a remunerating method for having an effect. The GBFB offers various worker open doors, including:

Food Arranging and Pressing: Help sort and pack food gifts to set them up for conveyance.

Preparing and Feast Arrangement: Help with getting ready dinners for those deprived through local area kitchens and occasions.

Give: Monetary commitments are fundamental for the GBFB to keep up with its tasks. Gifts assist with buying food and backing different projects aimed toward diminishing food weaknesses. Indeed, even a little gift can have a tremendous effect.

Advocate For Change: You can likewise assume a part in upholding food security locally. Remain informed about nearby issues connected with hunger and draw in policymakers to empower drives that help the GBFB’s central goal.

Spread Mindfulness: Assist with bringing issues to light about food frailty crafted by the More prominent Boston Food Bank. Share data via virtual entertainment, partake in local area occasions, and teach others about the significance of battling hunger.

The Fate of the More Noteworthy Boston Food Bank

The More noteworthy Boston Food Bank keeps on developing to meet the changing necessities of the local area. Looking forward, they are centered around a few key drives:

Growing Access

As food weakness stays a basic issue, the GBFB means to extend its compass to underserved regions. This incorporates expanding the number of portable storage rooms and accomplice organizations to guarantee that more families approach food.

Upgrading Nourishment And Training

The GBFB plans to upgrade its nourishment training projects to engage people and families with the information and abilities expected to pursue better decisions. This incorporates growing cooking classes and studios zeroed in on feast arranging and planning.

Backing For Strategy Change

The association is focused on supporting for strategies that address the underlying drivers of yearning, like reasonable lodging, living wages, and admittance to medical care. By teaming up with local area pioneers and policymakers, the GBFB expects to make enduring change.

CONCLUSION

The More prominent Boston Food Bank is a significant asset in the battle against hunger in Massachusetts. Through its thorough way of dealing with food circulation, sustenance schooling, and support, the GBFB has a massive effect on the existence of thousands of people and families. By reaching out — whether through chipping in, giving, or upholding — you can assist with supporting their central goal and add to a local area where everybody approaches the nutritious food they need to flourish.

Together, we can make progress toward a future where food uncertainty is a relic of past times, and everybody in More noteworthy Boston can lead solid, satisfying lives. The More noteworthy Boston Food Bank represents the force of the local area and the distinction that can be made when we meet up to address a typical test. We should hold hands and back this fundamental association in its central goal to end yearn for great.

[socialistexan]

I know I'm being like fairly self-interested here, but like it's just endlessly annoying to me that we've had two Covid stimulus bills, working on a third, and essential workers have literally been left out of all of them.

Like, y'all want us to do all this extra labor while in the middle of one of the worst pandemics this country has ever seen while you're on your little zoom calls but we don't get anything? No benefits, no hazard pay, no direct assistance or protection, no prioritization for the vaccine. Nothing, asside from an occasional empty thank you that we don't even get anymore.

Unemployment boosts? We should be doing that anyway. Direct payments? Fuck yeah. Loan forbearance and eviction moratorium? On fucking board.

Bur like, my store never closed, we never even reduced hours. You know what my company gave us? A month and a half of a $2 wage boost and a slightly higher employee discount when that ended (and now that's done, too). We've been essentially left out to dry while dealing with these plague rats that come in with no masks coughing all over shit and the constant danger of getting sick and losing everything since I only get 40 hours of sick pay but a mandatory 2 week waiting period - even if we don't get sick ourselves, any employee getting sick means the store goes down for two weeks and I don't get paid and everyone but the highest paid store management can survive that kind of hit.

It's. Just. So tiring. I've worked 45-50 hours a week every week since March (except my one 1! allowed week off) and what do I have to show for it?

[pwarkluv]

❝ electric love ❞ - pjs

park jisung x reader | fluff | 2k words

WARNINGS | lowercase is intended, too fluffy because it’s my fav genre to write about, kinda strangers to lovers au, idol au, idol!jisung, itzysixthmember!reader, I’M SO SORRY TO MY CURVY AND THOSE TALLER THAN JISUNG READERS y/n is called small and tiny in this fic (i still love you though), mentions hair color but just pretend it’s dyed like lisa’s hair in the hylt era, shy!jisung and shy!reader because y’all are babies who don’t know how to approach someone who you like

SUMMARY | when itzy and nct dream meet on weekly idol, one member of itzy catches a certain maknae’s eye.

AUTHOR’S NOTE | inspired by “electric love” by borns :P yes it’s a tiktok song but it’s a good tiktok song so bite me >:( i disappeared for a bit so enjoy this trash imagine because i lost the will to write for a bit. also not edited really well i’m sorry for mistakes :(

your palms become sweaty as you nervously sit in the chair, the makeup artist diligently working on your face. wannabe came out about a month ago and the overwhelming popularity and support came flowing through, especially with ryujin’s shoulder part in the beginning. 

itzy’s fandom grew and so did the group as a whole, the six of you continuing to learn more about being an idol. 

but the one thing you were lacking in was interacting with other idols. 

itzy debuted in early 2019 giving you guys a little interaction with others like your brother group, stray kids. but when the whole pandemic hit, causing you all to isolate in quarantine to protect each other, talking to others outside of your company became rare. 

you were extremely awkward when it came to other idols. sure, you could talk to fans. you knew how to act and talk to them since that was a part of your training. but talking to idols, another person who wasn’t a fan, was different. 

unfortunately for you, on the episode of weekly idol you are about to appear on, another group was going to be present. and of course they just had to be one of your favorite boy groups of all time: nct dream.

you’ve always looked up to nct as a whole, but nct dream has always been your favorite because they were young when the six, originally seven, first debuted. you were twelve when you saw their debut stage. dancing has always been a passion of yours. it made you feel free and alive. music has always been a part of you as well. you taught yourself how to write songs and produce them, even releasing music on soundcloud under an alias. 

so ever since you saw nct dream debut, you decided you wanted to be an idol too. three years later and you’re in itzy, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. but now that you were going to be in close proximity to the people you’ve looked up to for so long, even talking to them made your head hurt. 

ryujin bumped your hip teasingly as the six of you prepared to go on screen, knowing how you felt about nct dream. she was casted during a got7 fansign so when she first met them after her debut, that girl was a statue (though she would never admit it). 

“don’t worry y/nnie, i won’t mention your crush on park jisung.” ryujin slyly said before moving to escape your wrath. 

“ryu!” you whined, trying to smack her moving body. your face flushed, the heat rushing to your cheeks at the mention of the older boy. though you’ve never said it outloud, you’ve always had a thing for the maknae of nct. how could you not? he’s tall, polite, has a really good voice, and is the main dancer just like you. his style and the way he moved was beyond impressive, causing you to fall for him even more. 

the girls found out about your so-called “crush” (quotation marks to make you feel better even though you’re head over heels for him) when you saw nct dream in an award show. yuna saw the way you blushed and how your eyes strayed to the tall then pink haired boy a couple tables away from the six of you. since then they’ve all teased you about it whenever they can, making you whine in embarrassment every time. 

you shakily wipe your hands on your outfit, a stylist making a sound of disapproval before you turn to give her a small smile. moving towards a small mirror, you examine how you look with a worried face. your pale blue paper bag jeans were slightly baggy and you cringed knowing you were gonna perform wannabe in those. you adored the flowery top you had on though. it was white with tiny black flowers printed all over, the puff sleeves adding to the look. your hair was slightly curled, the blonde highlights peeking through from your jet black hair. 

you let out a worried breath as the management ushered you to hurry. showtime, you thought to yourself as you anticipated for the words “action”. 

in the middle of the room was the iconic white stage where weekly idol have always held their episodes. on one side was itzy waiting to enter and on the other was nct dream. 

“today is a very special episode for we have two awesome groups joining us today!” one of the hosts exclaimed excitingly, adding on to your nerves. lia sensed your distress and reached to give your hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“give it up for the hottest girl group of their generation, itzy!” the other host yelled before the six of you partied onto the stage. each of you had an excited expression on your face as the two hosts continued on before introducing nct dream.

“let’s warmly welcome one of our favorite teams to have on this show, nct dream!”

your heart raced as you saw the six of them walk on stage goofily, trying not to laugh at how awkward jisung looked. as if he sensed your eyes, jisung’s gaze met yours causing you to look away in shock. suddenly the floor became more interesting than the boy you’ve been crushing on for almost a year. 

“all in us! hello, we are itzy!” the six of you greeted towards the screen. unknowingly to you, the boy you were caught staring at was looking at you too. 

❝ baby you’re like lightning in a bottle ❞

jisung likes to think he’s a simple boy. he doesn’t like breaking the rules and is mostly a good kid. but gosh from the moment you two made eye contact, the brown haired boy was ready to run away then and there. you were pretty. like beyond pretty, and he’s never felt this way before.

sure it was a little creepy and slightly concerning for his image seeing as he currently has heart eyes for you while the cameras are rolling, but jisung couldn’t help himself. that flowery top of yours made you look soft and small, as if he could scoop you up in his arms like a child. jisung knew he was tall but dang, seeing you from afar made him think he was extra tall. the boy chuckled under his breath seeing you wear boots, knowing that gave you an extra boost.

she’s so small, he thought, smiling a bit.

renjun nudged him, noticing the younger was spacing off before following his eyes to a certain member of itzy. the elder smirked a bit as they all did their introductions.

“to the world here is, nct.” 

the boy smugly looked at their maknae who was currently blushing at being caught by his hyung for looking at you.

young love, renjun thought before turning his attention back to the hosts. 

❝ i can’t let you go now that i got it ❞

“so you guys have two main dancers in itzy right?” one of the hosts asks as the 12 idols sit together on chairs. yeji nodded and spoke up.

“yes it’s me and y/nnie but y/n’s a better dancer than me.” she replied, pointing a shoulder to you. you quickly rebutted and waved your hands in disagreement.

“no way~” you denied, turning red. “yeji unnie is the best.” you replied shyly, an awkward thumbs up to try and back up your claim. 

everyone cooed at your shy face. although you were the second youngest in itzy, 4 months older than your maknae, yuna’s much taller than you which made you look like the youngest. because of this everyone, including yuna, tended to child you because you were just so baby. 

“weren’t you a part of a highlight reel?” the other host asks you, once again embarrassing you. the girls laughed, the other six boys looked at the host in confusion.

“y/n unnie was apart of bts sunbaenim’s love yourself highlight reel!” yuna exclaimed. although she too was in the highlight reel, yuna always thought you were much cooler because you got selected for your dancing skills. 

everyone gasped in surprise (the hosts a bit more fake since they already knew that) at the revelation. 

“i was able to dance with j-hope sunbaenim and jimin sunbaenim for that highlight reel.” you responded, smiling a bit at the memory. the boys were beyond shocked knowing this must meant you were good. 

“how was it?” a host asks.

you marveled at the thought. “they were such good dancers and really really nice!” you said with a happy expression. “i would definitely love to dance with them again if i were given the opportunity.” the look on your face was clear you loved dancing and loved working with the pair. 

“can you show us the dance?” the host asks and just like that you immediately become a shy mess.

“o-oh um i mean yeah i could do that.” you stuttered as chaeryoung softly pushed you off your chair and into the middle of the room. she smirked a bit at your timid form, knowing what she’s doing. from the moment you walked in, the maknae of nct seemed to be head over heels for you and she knew he was the main dancer just like you.

i swear if they don’t end up together after this i’m suing, chaeryoung thought as she looked at the starstruck boy watching you expectantly. 

❝ and all i need is to be struck ❞

jisung wasn’t surprised to hear that you were one of the main dancers in itzy but to hear that you worked with bts’s j-hope and jimin? he was beyond impressed and (though he would never admit it) was lowkey really excited to see you dance. 

he watched as you timidly walked towards the middle of the stage, calming down your nerves. jisung watched with a faint smile until the music started playing, and just like that he was a goner. 

❝ by your electric love ❞

the way you moved, your technique, your facial expressions. everything was mesmerizing. the whole room watched in awe as you danced to the routine you burned into your mind as a trainee, knowing that this was one of your biggest projects ever. in that moment jisung completely fell for you, and everyone in the room except for you knew that. 

“and that’s the end of today’s episode of weekly idol!” you all cheered with the hosts, jisung’s heart beating fast knowing he wanted to talk to you after this episode but not knowing how to. 

“cut!” the director yelled out, a little excited to know what was to come. they of course noticed jisung’s lovestruck expression and the way your eyes lingered on the boy, and of course they didn’t catch it on camera. knowing you two were young and idols, they didn’t want to ruin what you two might have since they were all rooting for you two. 

“if you don’t talk to her i swear i’ll tell her embarrassing stories of you.” donghyuck threatened. just like the others, he too noticed jisung’s attraction to you throughout this whole episode. the boy’s eyes widened in shock, yelping as chenle pushed him towards your way with a small smirk. 

“unnie no.” you cried out, beyond terrified as you watched jisung walk towards you. as soon as the episode ended you were pulled away by the girls who quickly explained to you that jisung “had the hots'' for you (ryujin’s words, not yours). 

your mind was going at a million miles per hour, heart racing as jisung came closer and cleared his throat.

“h-hi.” he said, his voice never not taking you by surprise. jisung was towering over you, looking down at you nervously.

“h-hello.” you smiled and jisung could’ve sworn he melted just a little. 

“get together already!” lia and jaemin yelled out together, making the two of you blush and unconsciously lean closer. 

❝ electric love ❞

“wanna hang out sometime soon?” jisung asked, his sudden confidence taking you and him off guard. you bit back a smile before holding your hand out. 

“give me your number.” you replied, jisung’s smile he let out making you fall even more for him. 

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

Pokemon Card of the Day Schedule: Ultra Prism

Ultra Prism was the first set to survive a rotation, being available not only in 2018 and 2019 but into 2020 as well. The extra year ended up not having a World Championship due to the pandemic, but there were still tournaments before everything shut down and online results to look at. The new mechanic here was Prism Star cards, which were limited to 1 of a specific copy instead of 4 per deck and said cards went to the Lost Zone instead of the discard pile. They tended to have quite good effects to make up for it, especially once more sets with the concept were released.

The card list here had some notable ones, though it wasn’t one to break the game open as much as, say, the Team Up set eventually did. Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX and Lunala Prism Star gave some more help to Psychic decks. Oranguru could recycle resources for stall decks, which really helped them keep the opponent locked down. As for Trainers, Cynthia brought a good form of hand refreshment, which got it into a lot of decks. Lillie was another draw option, though only useful in the right spot. Escape Board helped with retreating once Float Stone was gone and paired amazingly with the later Jirachi, while Volkner didn’t come into its own until Lightning became a top type with the release of Pikachu & Zekrom-GX as well as Zapdos in later sets. Generally, Ultra Prism wasn’t the most impressive set compared to the impact a lot made, but had several cards that got into good decks nonetheless. Bringing a new type of card into the game would also pay off over time.

Cherrim Leafeon-GX Mow Rotom Araquanid Magmortar Infernape Heat Rotom Salazzle Turtonator Alolan Sandslash Empoleon Abomasnow Glaceon-GX Wash Rotom Frost Rotom Luxio Pachirisu Rotom Drifblim Spiritomb Giratina Prism Star Lunala Prism Star Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX Rampardos Lucario Hippopotas Passimian Weavile Skuntank Darkrai Prism Star Alolan Dugtrio Magnezone Bastiodon Heatran Solgaleo Prism Star Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX Magearna Shiinotic Tapu Lele Alolan Exeggutor Garchomp Dialga-GX Palkia-GX Purugly Fan Rotom Oranguru Silvally-GX Ancient Crystal Cynthia Cyrus Prism Star Escape Board Gardenia Lillie Looker Looker Whistle Mars Mt. Coronet Order Pad Pal Pad Unidentified Fossil Volkner Super Boost Energy Prism Star Unit Energy GRW Unit Energy LPM

[nsaint1]

Hi! Fall semester was my very first semester in college and I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. Do you have any advice or tips on preparing for the next semester, and getting good grades?

Aw, that’s okay keep in mind we were all going to school in the middle of a pandemic. But here are my tips

Tips For Getting Good Grades:

Enjoy what you are studying or some aspect of it: if you like your major it will be easier to study and work hard

Take notes: surprisingly a lot of people do not take notes! Notes are very helpful and help you stay focused during long boring lectures. Take notes even when it’s not required.

Ask for extra credit and complete it

Try to complete assignments early to avoid work piling up

Go to tutoring when you need extra help

Become friends with most of your professors: this has helped me so much! I’ve had classes where I was suppose to get a B in but since I formed a relationship with my professor they boost it up to an A for me. Also, if you form a good relationship you will have someone to write you a recommendation letter. You don’t have to be best friends with them, just ask them questions about the course and their life! They are humans too and some love getting asked questions about their life.

Give it your all: instead of giving 100%, give 150%. You need to finish your next semester knowing that you worked hard and gave it your all

Ask your professors questions and tell them if you are struggling: it will show your professors that you care

Create a study schedule and stick to it

Try to study mon-fri, for at least 2 hrs a day

Make your goal to do better than you did last time: your aim should be progress because that’s all that matters

[dingletragedy]

many fic writers are working extra hard to provide a constant stream of content for their fandom(s) at the moment. but with ao3 now not counting hits from non-logged/non-account holder readers during the pandemic, it means a lot of authors will see a sudden, and a most-likely steep drop in hits. it’s very likely this will leave writers feeling very downbeat/discouraged/upset.

so please let this encourage you to leave more kudos and comments on fics!!!!!! i know leaving comments can be daunting for some people, and maybe it’s something you’ve never done before, but trust me when i say you will make someone’s day with just a few words! so....

go back to the last fic you read, that one that made you cry, and tell the writer so

that fic you read at 3am, the one you forgot to leave a kudos/comment on because you were so tired? go back and change that - and no, no amount of time could be “too long” to leave a comment on a fic

just reread your favourite fic? cool, now tell the author you’re back again, why you’re back again. it will make their day

that fic that made your heart burst with love? pick out some favourite lines, tell the author what it was that gave you that feeling, maybe you’ll make their heart burst to

missing a particular writer's fics? it may be that they’re feeling insecure about their writing currently, hence not posting much. one single comment could give them the confidence boost they need to post again

that wip fic you’re desperately waiting for an update on? go back and comment on the last chapter, hell comment on every chapter, tell them that you’re looking forward to an update. give the writer the boost they need to write the next chapter of your favourite fic

give a writer a compliment on an old fic, let them know you loved their writing then and you love their writing now

a kudos/comment can go such a long way for a writer. you never know, your comment, however long or short, may well be the reason someone updates/posts their next fic!!!!! show the writers in your fandom(s) how grateful you are for their talent and dedication during this scary time.

stay safe xx

[thejosh1980]

I was lookin' back to see if she was lookin' back...

Yesterday Alex, Mum and I celebrated...

It's been one year since Alex and I arrived at Mum's place in Ocean Shores, NSW Australia.

If you've read my earlier blogs in 2020, you'll know that we had a lot of trouble getting home. Between the government and airlines, at one point it looked like we'd never get here; we were stranded. I was living in constant worry, stress and hopelessness - in fact, we all were: Alex's family in Germany and Mum's family down under.

Our July 2020 flights were cancelled or rescheduled many times, and eventually we decided to buy new, more expensive flights, on another airline through an agency, which gave us some assurances we'd be on the flight. Our new flights booked and confirmed for early September.

We flew Frankfurt to Adelaide, which was not our original plan. Adelaide had no COVID, and the chance of getting on a flight and getting into the country was higher than say, Brisbane, or Sydney. We could quarantine in Adelaide for 2 weeks and then fly on to Brisbane, which is closer to Ocean Shores.

That was like.... so last year...

This area where we now live is known as the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, and when we arrived at Mum's there was no COVID in the area. We are only about 35 minutes south of the Queensland border, about 8 hours north of the big smoke, Sydney.

Now, a year on, COVID has arrived here.

It's been biting at the heals of tourists and essential workers travelling north since Sydney went into lockdown a couple of months ago.

It's not our idea of a good time.

Right now it's school holidays, which is meant to be 2 weeks of families holidaying in caravan parks and hotels, an essential part of this tourist attraction mecca. Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads, and surrounds are usually very popular places; so popular that most locals complain about how busy it gets here during the holidays. You just can't get a parking sport anywhere!

The Northern Rivers was locked down for about 6 weeks through August into September because cases from Sydney were getting into regional NSW. These regional areas affected by COVID weren't near here, but they made a blanket rule for everywhere outside of Sydney, just to be on the safe side.

Honestly, I don't blame them for the rule, regional outback Australia can't cope with COVID, there's few hospitals, beds, or COVID experience in the scrub and farm land.

Anyhow, I digress...

After those 6 weeks or so in lockdown, they lifted the restrictions here in the northern rivers (and other areas of NSW).

And now, after 2 weeks, lockdown is back on...

There are a couple of cases in the area. Snap lockdowns are the government's preferred method of containing outbreaks. Lockdown areas wherever cases pop up for a week or two (or longer) to limit exposure.

It reminds me constantly that life can change quickly at any time. I have decided I will not waste time once this current lockdown has ended (who knows when that will be). I will visit friends, family, and musicians who live close by. I want to see as many folks as quickly as possible, before another lockdown kicks in.

Besides the boring, never ending tale of COVID, there have been a few things happening this past year...

Alex has been working consistently in the real estate industry since her temporary visa kicked in late last year.

Her first job was a few more miles away than any of us locals would consider driving, and the position wasn't as enjoyable or rewarding as she had first hoped. She really dived in the deep end, and while she didn't drown, she probably needed a few swimming lessons before the attempt. It was a life lesson, one she took on board, and when a new job came up closer to home, she nailed the interview (as she always does), and hasn't looked back.

The 2nd job is less than half the distance away, strictly 9 to 5 and in a company which she enjoys. There's a strong company structure, good work ethic, and entertaining colleagues. Her supervisors, colleagues, and managers are all very supportive; I think she'll be sitting tight on this one for a while.

Alex has also found her creative side again, scrap book journalling, instant camera photography, and some kind of couples diary/journal/photo book too. It's become an almost nightly affair of focusing, creating, and having something to show for it fairly quickly. She's very proud of her work, and it's something she does just for herself. I don't expect you'll get a chance to see a photo of what she's done, and she likes it like that.

I had a bit of work late in 2020 and early 2021, nothing special really, but wait until the premier!! It's interesting to think that some day soon I'll be able to go to the cinema and see my ugly mug on the big screen (even if it will most likely be out of focus). I'll be on Netflix too.

Having the opportunity to be an extra on film and TV was a real boost for my confidence after being off stage for so long. I felt creative, met some great people, made some friends, and had a few bucks in my pocket. Happy days.

By jumping into an industry I hadn't been in before right after arriving here, it reminded me that Australia has a lot to offer. I found myself comparing Germany and Australia, and Australia often feels like it comes up short. This was a chance to prove to myself that there are adventures awaiting here down under.

So, I decided to go back to school.

The last time I was in a class room was in 1998!! I am studying a Diploma of Counselling, and am currently half way through my studies. I've found it very challenging, but have passed every assessment so far, and gained some handy skills too. I have a good connection with my teachers, and I really enjoy the company of my classmates; some of which I can even call friends.

I chose counselling for a few reasons, but the first step was really just a process of elimination. Besides being a freelance professional musician for several years in Germany, I had worked in offices, shops, warehouses, kindergartens and various other jobs. While I could go back into IT or something similar, I wanted to use this opportunity to try something new.

I had my fair share of mental health issues in the past (and present). I thought maybe those experiences could help me connect with folks who need support as well. When looking at course options, the counselling course stood out. So now I'm making a mid life crisis gamble that I'll pass the course, and feel confident and knowledgeable enough to take on the role that many others have taken on for me over the years.

The course has helped me find a routine too, one that I didn't know I needed, until it happened. When you're jobless and unfocused, the mind wanders, the days pass. Now my mind is focused on study, and I feel better for it.

Up until the lockdown hit, we were in class 3 days a week and then I'd study from home 1 to 3 days a week. When lockdown hit, we had to go online. However, being on the computer so much has worn me out, and I really start to enjoy those rare days where I am not looking at a screen!

To be honest, it's been challenging every step of the way, and I even thought about quitting several times in the past few months. However, my confidence has steadily risen to each challenge and I felt better for it.

That's the kind of vicious circle I enjoy.

In July I had my first live show in 13 months! In fact, to date I've only had 3 since the pandemic started! Fingers crossed I can cross the border next month and add a 4th.

I was approached by Cherry Divine to play guitar for her. It's a relatively easy gig for me. The songs are fun rockabilly tunes, Cherry sings great, and she already has a band and gigs. I'm helping her write a few songs too, for her next album. I can't thank her enough for sparkin' the fire in me to keep music alive in my life; for a while there I thought it was all a thing of the past.

With the spark has come the possibility of “The Josh” solo band coming together. While the band isn't moving at any great speed (the recent 2nd lockdown kicked in right as I was about to arrange a rehearsal), I'm finally eager to get a band together. I miss playing live, and I miss having musicians in my life. I miss the spontaneity of a show, life on the road, and crowd reactions.

I've even started to write some new material, and get those ideas on “tape”, well, on the computer. Slow and steady, between studying, family, pets and surfing, music is coming back into my life, and it feels good.

Our family unit here is doing well. Alex and I have been under mum's roof and mum's care for a year now. There are some ups and downs, but mostly I'd say they're ups... The house is big enough to give all of us space, all of us get time outside of the house (except during lockdown, I was mostly stuck at home, but that's OK for me)...

Last night we couldn't go out for dinner, but we did have take away from the local Indian which was really good, and a special treat for us, we don't eat out often.

Alex and I plan to get away every 5-6 months for a visit to somewhere we haven't been. In March we were on the “Sunshine Coast” and checked out Australia Zoo, and in June we went south to the mid north coast to pick up BB Junior.

It's nice to get out and explore. A bit hard to do at the moment, with the restrictions, but we've agreed another trip away (before Christmas if possible) is in order. Those trips are part of the reason why I came home, to see some of Australia, and I'm lucky I get to make those experiences with Alex.

It's also nice to get away from it all. I know we live in a beautiful spot near the ocean, but here, at home, there's the computers, the life and routine, and getting away keeps us fresh and focused on each other. It's definitely something I look forward to!

Speaking of BB Junior, he's almost 7 months old now, and a real character. While he's not the easiest cat to train, I've been getting a few tricks out of him, and he enjoys his time outside, with his harness and long lead. He visits his cousin each week for play time, Charlie, who is another ragdoll of a family friend who loves to play chase all day long with Junior. Alex adores Junior, and Junior adores Alex; they can't wait to cuddle when she comes home from work. He's very vocal too, so even when everyone is at work, I have someone to talk to!

Losing our little boy Mijo was a real difficult experience. I know I've written about him before, but he deserves a mention here, as he was a big part of our first year here. He was full of character and strength, he and I bonded very quickly and not a day goes by I don't think of him. He also brought Alex and I closer together. When she chose him for me, and when he passed, and all points in between, he brought us closer.

I've been focused on sport a fair bit since getting back and settling in. I bought a RowErg, also known as a rowing machine, and I row about twice a week, in addition to riding my bicycle about twice a week. I try to surf every chance I get, which unfortunately ends up being only a few times a month. It's my goal to do something sporty to get my heart rate up every day, and of late, usually I get there too. I don't really do it for any other reason than I love to snack and I can't snack if I don't do sport!

A benefit of my sport/snack workout routine is it helps me stay calm and focused and connected with those I ride and surf with.

I haven't asked Mum how she's feeling about having her middle aged son and his wife living with her recently. Maybe I should, but do I really wanna know the answer? Well, I think she's OK with it. After all, we drive her wherever she wishes! I suspect it goes a little deeper than that, and in all honesty, we enjoy each other's company.

Since Alex and I have been here, I'd like to think Mum has been living a little bit fuller life. I don't think her eyesight has deteriorated much in the past year, but we've been able to provide her with support, eyes to read the small print, driving and help with google, or something around the house. When Mum was diagnosed with celiac disease earlier this year, Alex took her shopping to check over the ingredients of Mum's favourite food, and when needed, found alternatives. It definitely made the transition to gluten free a little easier on Mum and it was a load off my mind that we were around to help her through that phase.

Winter 2021 was over before it even started. I forgot how warm this part of the world is, and I don't know why I own so many jackets! Returning from Europe, where I was wearing a jacket daily for about 9 months of the year, here it feels like, if it's really needed, and I mean if you're desperate, you might need one for 9 weeks of the year. I think the heater was on a handful of times, and the sun was shining just about every day.

I tell ya, it's some kind of paradise here.

It's been a bit difficult keeping up with our European friends and family. I sometimes find it hard to find the time to be proactive to contact the 20, 30 or more friends I'd like to keep in touch with regularly. I know our lives keep on keepin' on, but time passes by so quickly too, and next thing you know it's been 4 months since I last contacted you!

Sorry about that!

Don't take it personally, and I'll get back to you, eventually!

My overall mental health has improved over the year, I'd say it's become quite stable since I started the course. I mean, can't you tell? I write less and less in this blog, because I have less and less to process. I'm not sure if it's the fact there's a lot of self reflection that is inherently a part of doing that kind of mental health course, or if it's the routine of being a student or the new friends I've made and classmates I study with.

It could be that it's taken a year to come to terms with being back here, cause when I first arrived I felt uncomfortable, depressed and worn out... There were a lot of questions; is this a mid life crisis? What am I doing here? Will I ever feel good again? Is my music career over? What am I going to do now? Is Alex OK? Is Mum OK?

My journalling, blogging, and support from friends and family has helped a lot too this past year. Processing my thoughts in words, by clarifying and reflecting, has helped a lot. I've been trying to care for myself a bit more now and then too, I think people call it self care, sometimes I call it sport! Alex has helped me to recognise my achievements, however big or small, and focus less on what I haven't done.

I'm not perfect, but definitely improving.

I was hoping that Alex and I would be in a position to start looking at buying our own house around this time, a year in, but unfortunately, with one of us being a student and the ever rising cost of housing, we have to sit tight on that idea for a while longer. Sorry Mum, you're stuck with us.

There's been many smaller things happen during our first year here. Lots of moments of gratitude, love and support. There's some stuff we've forgotten, or that has been overtaken by something bigger. All in all, I'd say it's been a real rollercoaster home coming!

We're still here, a year on, still going strong, making motions, taking chances, being in love, talking shit, laughing, smiling, misbehaving and focusing... What more could we ask for?

Thank you for reading, for your support and love. I love you too.

Josh

[darkarfs]

the worst movie tie-ins in the history of wrestling

Wrestling is stupid, and will show its ass at the mere mention of cross-promotion, especially when it comes to movies, which is it's cooler older brother that can get away with a lot more. Hell, the 2nd ever SummerSlam's main event, in 1989, was Hulk Hogan facing the main villain, Tiny Lister as Zeus (RIP), from the film they were both in, No Holds Barred. So wrestling's always wanted a piece of that. So... - Army of the Dead Let's just get this one out of the way. Here's the thing; I thought the WrestleMania Backlash's card was fucking perfect...except for this weird business. WMB MIGHT've been the best show of the pandemic (hot take) were it not for making sure we sell Big Dave's big zombie heist movie. If they had just kept some of the guys in zombie makeup on the Thunderdome's webcam footage, that would have been borderline charming. But instead, the Miz (who was WWE champion 3 months ago, don't forget) and Damien Priest (who they're making WWE's pop-culture liaison so far on the main roster, for some reason) had to sell for zombies in a lumberjack match. If this was the first ever wrestling show you watched with a loved one who had never watched wrestling or hadn't since like, the end of the Attitude Era, would you for a second want them to stick around after Miz and Morrison get, for all intents and purposes, kayfabe killed and eaten, and then watch Damien Priest shoot the logo at the ceiling? My money's on "no." - Shaft Speaking of the Attitude Era, anytime someone tells you that wrestling was cooler in that 3-year time frame, point them to the June 15th of 2000 episode of SmackDown, where a storyline that ran throughout the show followed Patterson and Briscoe through New York City to find Crash Holly and his Hardcore Title. Now, I admit parts of this are kinda funny, like Briscoe just wanting to give up and find a "gen-yoo-WINE New York hot dawg!" That's fun! And who does Crash Holly run into but none other than Shaft, and his woman, the only one who understands this complicated man, John Shaft. So, we have real Samuel L. Jackson, playing fake John Shaft, talking to real/fictional Crash Holly, and man is it weird. Anyway, Shaft agrees to be Crash's bodyguard for the night, and he slaps around Patterson and Briscoe in a nightclub. After all, what better way to get across how cool and badass a character is than having him knock around the fucking Stooges? - The Wrestler Well, this is complicated. The Wrestler, starring ancient wooden lion Mickey Rourke, is a somber tale about an industry that, in its heyday, left people physically spent, washed-up and addicted to adrenaline at best, and dead at worst. It famously moved Roddy Piper to tears because he recognized what destruction and brokenness the industry once left in its wake. Which is why it's super-weird that WWE jumped at the chance to promote maybe the bleakest possible look at their world in 2009, and did so by having Chris Jericho smack the shit out of three old wrestlers at WrestleMania 25, including Roddy Piper. And then have Rourke jump into the ring, wearing his "do you want to take peyote in the desert?" starter kit and bring out his amateur boxing chops. Tonally, it's just really bleak. Like if the creator of Super Size Me screened the premiere at the world's biggest McDonald's. - Bride of Chucky Poor Rick Steiner. You didn't deserve this. You're the sane Steiner. They shouldn't have made you talk to the puppet. So, WCW was heading into Halloween Havoc 1998, and after years of stomping all over the WWF in the ratings, the wheels had come off, and dramatically. Like, all at once. Like the car in the Blues Brothers. To boost PPV buys, they spent a fortune bringing in the Ultimate Warrior to rekindle a feud with Hulk Hogan, mostly by hiding in his fucking mirror. And the Steiner Brothers, one of the best teams of the early 90s, had been feuding with one another since Scott turned on his at SuperBrawl. What was the best way to build hype around this match at Halloween Havoc? Why, to have Rick get into a war of words - and lose - to Chucky. Yes.

Serial killer doll voiced by Brad Dourif, and it's so sad. Chucky cusses Rick out while Rick challenges the fucking doll to a fight, which is promptly ignored (Chucky's video segment is pre-recorded, and you can tell because he starts talking about 3 times in 3 minutes while Rick's mid-promo and missing his cues to stop) and then is made fun of. And all the while, people were probably wondering "what's going on on Vince's show?" and the answer is...that was the episode of Raw where Austin fills Vince's Corvette with cement, which is slightly more badass than being teased by a puppet. - The Goods Here's the thing: Raw is, right now, a bad show. It is bad TV. It's been bad for a while now. And as bad as it is right now, it's still not as fuck-awful as it was in 2009, aka the Age of the Guest Hosts (which, in kayfabe, was given to us by Donald J. Trump, so blame that ambulatory Nazi scrotum for one more thing, he's certainly earned it). For those of you fortunate enough to not be watching what was objectively unwatchable at the time - and hell, I sure as shit wasn't checking in very often - from mid-2009 to around mid-2010, a celebrity would be the special guest host of Monday Night Raw, often to promote a TV show or movie, and it was nearly all horribly-written, cheesy wank. Imagine if every week was the week of the zombie attack at Backlash. That's what it was like. Bob Barker was funny. The Muppets were good. And THAT'S the end of the list. MacGruber coming out to blow up R-Truth made me want to fall on a knife. The A-Team coming out to beat up Virgil was fucking awful. Go straight to fucking HELL, the Three Stooges, Dennis Miller, the reverend Al Sharpton, the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers, Don Johnson and Jon Heder, the poor entire cast of Hot Tub Time Machine...and then there's Piven. Jeremy Piven. He showed up with Ken Jeong to promote a movie no one remembers...called the Goods. He stunk up several segments, infamously called SummerSlam "the Summer Fest" and then got roughed up by John Cena. Wrestling's the worst. Stop watching. And many did. For a looooooong time. - Robocop 2 This one's infamous, so I'll keep it brief. Robocop 2 came out in 1990, and goddamn, I don't know how much money the producers threw at WCW, but it was enough for them to rebrand an entire PPV "Capitol Combat: the Return of Robocop" and marketed the entire thing around the fancy metallic gentleman. The branding really made it seem like Robert Cop was old friends with the promotion, and indeed, old friends with Sting. Makes sense; two big, heroic idiots running on BASIC. He had been feuding with the Four Horsemen, who locked him in a cage at ringside. Out comes Robocop, called completely straight by Jim Ross, who rips the cage door off his hinges, and then leaves. An accumulated 85 seconds of screen time. Totally worth being the centerpiece of this PPV! But a little context as to why WCW fans hated it so much: 1989, the year before, was regarded by WCW fans as one of the best in company history. The era that gave us stuff like Chi-Town Rumble and the still-very-much-lauded peak of the Steamboat/Flair feud. To go from that to Robocop was seen as a bit of a slap in the face, because WCW was always seen as the more traditional "wrasslin'" company and was never into cheesy pop-culture crossovers, which is why the last one...is all the funnier.

- Ready To Rumble First of all, those dumbasses at Turner had to give Michael Buffer - who they still had on retainer - around $350,000 just to use that title, because he owns the trademark to that phrase. Strike 127 million, capitalism, that a guy gets to own a phrase and gets paid an obscene amount when he or anyone else uses it. Secondly, I initially wasn't going to do movies where the promotion itself is producing the movie, or oh holy HELL would See No Evil and the infamous May 19 shit be on here. But unlike See No Evil, this had a hand in killing a decades-old wrestling promotion, so it feels weird to not include it. On April 7th, 2000, bad movie Ready To Rumble was released, a film about two hapless dorks trying to help Oilver Platt, aka the lawyer from the West Wing, become WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Two weeks later, to promote the movie, they made David Arquette, the lead actor in the movie, the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. He pinned Eric Bischoff, who wasn't the champion, of course, in a match where he was teamed with Diamond Dallas Page, his best pal and the company's top babyface at the time, but who is also one of the villains in the film to make it extra confusing for the mainstream casual audience the movie was made to attract. And, to be fair, Arquette didn't want to do it, NO ONE really wanted to do it, and it tanked viewership for WCW once and for all. At the very least, David took his payday from the wrestling appearances and the film and gave it to the families of Owen Hart, Brian Pillman and to Darren Drozdov, who had been paralyzed from the neck down in a wrestling match the previous year.

[15megapixels]

🥚2020 Art Summary, here we go!

(some reflections and story time about this year’s art journey is under the cut)

Despite of how hellish this year is, this year gave me a lot of opportunities. An opportunity to step back from the fast-pacing world of my day-to-day job, reflect life’s impermanence, long term plans, an opportunity to save financially (due to the lockdown as it lessened unnecessary expenditures and focused solely on the needs)*, spend more time with my family (and dog), and most important of all, the opportunity to “take the leap” from the things I’m afraid of doing.

* I can’t still believe how you guys helped me at that point where my dog Max needed surgery. I can’t thank everyone enough ❤

I was full of uncertainty and fear if I plan to make my art a career, specifically opening my art commissions. Questions such as “what if no one wants to commission me?”, “what if my paypal got hacked because of online hackers and stuff?”, “what if my works are not enough?”, “how do you do pricing? i might be over-selling. i might be cutting myself short”, “what if I can’t commit my time and my clients will get angry at me?”, help

As the saying goes, sometimes the best way to solve a problem, is through it.

I took the time to ask my artist friends, consulted & watched videos for tips and advice, and thankfully, I got there :) 

First time posting an art commission service felt like I was selling some lemonades in outer space and waiting for someone to buy one. AT LEAST ONE. EVEN IF ITS AN UKNOWN LIFE FORM. Kidding aside, I was surprised at one point i got two consecutive orders, I was glad but sweating (because i dunno how to start). Fortunately, I was able to apply my job’s skill into practice (in terms of dealing customers), I was able to give them updates from time to time (i feel like its the best I should do if I cant finish one work in a day– because like any other people paying for a product and waiting for it to be shipped; we want to know what’s happening to the product/ service we paid for in advance)

Aside from being able to open up commissions and making profit from what I do and love, I also tried to be mindful how to spend that extra income to upgrade my work’s quality - I was able to also buy a decent pc set-up & an art program that really suits my needs (shout out to Clip Studio Paint- and this isn’t sponsored lmao). But I do keep going back to traditional art every now and then.

–

Isn’t it wonderful how people’s trust in your work can actually turn into self-trust and [a boost of] self-confidence? My (irl/ online) peers, family, co-workers, and even people silently going through my works always gives me hope to continue what I do, in spite of the frequent art blocks and busy work schedule. Thank you.

Party-pooper side story (major news): I filed my resignation in my full-time job because of toxic overwork culture, which led to me having more depressive episodes, and I really plan to re-align my career path towards the creative industry :) My last day will be end of January next year. 

In the direction I’m going, I can see that the work resignation decision will cause me impracticality (financially) as the pandemic is still there and unemployment numbers are staggering. At some point my full-time work was bearable, but for the company to ask too much from me is just unnecessary (plus I’m not even properly compensated or allowed to take vacation leaves)

I’ll try my best from thereon to brave the storm.

Here is for this year 🥂 , and I’m looking forward to finding the “me” in my craft in the year(s) to come.

-jv🥚

[uk-news-talking-politics]

'As far as I care, you can sleep in your car': The Corona tenants

By Chaminda Jayanetti

"As far as I care, you can sleep in your car."

Maria had just discovered what it means to be a tenant in the time of corona. It was June 5th and her landlady was ordering her to move out of her lodging that very day.

Just 24 hours earlier, she had given Maria a month's notice to leave, accusing her of using too much water when she washed her hands in line with government advice, and of damaging the property.

Now all of a sudden, she was being summarily kicked out.

"I was feeling all the emotions at the same time," Maria says. "I was scared, I was anxious, I was confused, I couldn't believe what was happening. I wanted to cry."

Maria had been lodging in the house in Bristol for three years when the pandemic hit. Despite there being five other occupants, the landlady blamed her alone for the rising water bill.

"She would be literally breathing on my neck [when I washed my hands], checking on how much water I'd use. She kept watching me all the time," Maria says.

"One day she came up to me and shoved the water bill in my face. She wanted me to pay £300 extra."

On June 4th, she gave her a month to move out after accusing Maria of deliberately damaging her bedroom window - "Why would I damage my own window?" Maria asks - and the next day, she called her into the bathroom they both used and unleashed an even more bizarre accusation.

"She points at the ceiling in the bathroom. And she's like, 'oh, what is that?' I was like, 'what do you mean?' 'Oh, there's black mould on the ceiling'.

"She accused me of pouring water and bleach on the ceiling on purpose to damage the property. That's what she accused me of. Why would I do that? Like, that doesn't make any sense.

"She said I'd have to leave the house immediately, and I looked at her and I was like, 'why would I damage the bathroom on purpose?' And she's like, 'no, you have to leave now or I'm going to call the police'. And I was like, where am I going to go?'

"I go, 'you can't put me on the street in the middle of a pandemic'. And she said, 'as far as I care, you can sleep in your car'.

"And the worst thing about it is she's a nurse."

Private rented tsunami

Despite everything, in some ways Maria got lucky - she was able to stay at a friend's place for a week before finding a new long-term tenancy, though she has little hope of getting back her £420 deposit.

But the situation facing tenants is perilous. Amid a crisis exacerbated by underlying inequalities, lodgers like Maria face more inequality than most, with few legal rights or protections. But even renters with long-term tenancies face a multitude of threats.

Politics.co.uk has heard of numerous cases of rising rent arrears and illegal evictions since lockdown began. Vital repairs have been delayed, with one block of flats left without running water at a time when personal hygiene is paramount. Some landlords have even tried to put the rent up in the middle of the pandemic.

Many migrants are at particular risk due to their insecure legal status and lack of access to benefits.

"If you are undocumented or you don't have the right to be here, then obviously that makes it a bit more complicated, because the landlord, if they know that, they hold some power over you - so whether you're going to stand up to them is another matter," says Fizza Qureshi of Migrants' Rights Network.

And then there's section 21.

Section 21 is the 'no fault' eviction route. It allows landlords to kick tenants out for any reason, as long as the correct procedure is followed and three months' notice is given.

The government suspended legal evictions at the start of lockdown, first until 23rd June and then until 23rd August.

But as incomes fall and rent arrears rise, section 21 eviction notices have been piling in, ready to take effect once the evictions ban is over.

“Nobody should lose their home because of coronavirus," says Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter. "But if the government fails to act, tens of thousands of renters who’ve lost their livelihoods will soon face this terrifying prospect.

"When the evictions ban lifts on 23rd August, anyone in rent arrears could face automatic eviction from their home. This could unleash a tsunami of homelessness that councils would struggle to cope with."

Aidan Cassidy of Acorn, which campaigns for tenants' rights, says he is aware of 10-20 cases of landlords issuing section 21 notices during lockdown, just among Acorn's thousand members in Bristol.

"Due to coronavirus and the whole load of financial issues that it's caused, a lot of people have missed rent payments," says Cassidy. "Lots of landlords have unfortunately decided to act without any sort of thought for the wellbeing and health of their tenants, and have essentially evicted them or given them a section 21 notice because of these rent arrears."

One such case is an elderly self-employed handyman who can't work during the pandemic and has faced delays to his benefits, leaving him £150 in arrears on his rent.

It's a relatively small amount - but it's proved enough to trigger a section 21 notice.

"Instead of the landlord being sympathetic or reasonable, he's just said, 'no, we're not even going to talk about this, you've got three months to get out'," says Cassidy.

What makes this even worse is that he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe and places him firmly on the 'shielding' list of people at heightened risk from coronavirus.

"Obviously if he is now evicted, he's at massive risk," Cassidy explains. "There's absolutely no way he can go about his normal business looking for a new place. The lockdown might be over but the virus is very much still out there and I think any suggestion that life is back to normal for people who are very susceptible to coronavirus is just nonsense."

And evictions have a sting in the tail that increase the risk of enduring homelessness.

"If people are evicted with rent arrears under section 21, the landlord can then take whatever they can off those arrears from their deposit," says Portia Msimang of Renters' Rights London. "So people are left with no deposit with which to get another property. And this is how people fall into homelessness."

It's raining rents

Short of eviction notices, rising rent arrears are a looming crisis. With the economy likely to be hamstrung for months to come, many tenants will be financially squeezed while landlords come knocking for missed rent - one of the biggest sticks of dynamite in a bulging debt timebomb also comprising utility bills, loans and council tax.

"The biggest problem we've faced is people saying that they're worried about getting behind on the rent. And those that are getting behind on the rent aren't getting the help they need from landlords," says Caitlin Wilkinson of Generation Rent.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) calculates there were 11 percent fewer rental payments in April and May than a year before. Both the debt advice service StepChange and the Resolution Foundation think tank have estimated that just under 600,000 tenants in the private rented sector are in arrears, while Generation Rent says arrears have trebled.

The government has boosted Universal Credit, reversing years of cuts - but still not enough to cover average rents in a local area.

It has also advised tenants to negotiate rent reductions with their landlords - a laughable prospect for many tenants. Acorn branches report occasional successes, but for the most part landlords hold the whip hand in Britain's housing crisis and don't want to know. The IFS has found only one or two percent of tenants have received a rent holiday.

Biting back

What makes the situation particularly egregious is that the Tories promised to abolish section 21 evictions in their 2019 manifesto. Yet nothing has happened.

A statement from the ministry for housing in response to this article did not specifically mention a ban on section 21: "We are committed to bringing forward legislation to enhance renters' security as part of the largest changes to renting in 30 years.

"We are working with the judiciary to ensure when evictions proceedings start again, arrangements, including rules, are in place to give appropriate protections for those who have been particularly affected by coronavirus.”

Most organisations campaigning for renters' rights agree on the need to increase Universal Credit to cover average rents, and scrap section 21.

The issue of arrears is more contentious. Forcing landlords to waive rents and cancel arrears may contravene the Human Rights Act - one reason Labour dropped this approach under Keir Starmer, sparking anger from campaigners who fear Labour's new policy would leave tenants with unpayable debts.

Generation Rent's solution is to effectively extend the government furlough scheme to landlords, covering 80 percent of their monthly income up to £2,500 a month per tenant - with councils able to restrict the payment on the basis of need.

Then there are rent strikes. Heather, in Haringey, lost her work income during lockdown. After her landlady refused her request for a rent reduction, and with benefits not covering the shortfall, she got involved with the London Renters Union and simply stopped paying. She hasn't heard from her landlady for two months.

"For me it's not just a means thing," Heather says. "It started out like that, but now it feels much more like part of a movement against landlords, against this culture of people accruing lots of wealth by not actually paying anything into the system."

And this is a feature of Britain's economic response to coronavirus. Employers have taken a hit. Workers and tenants have taken a hit. But landlords, the part of the economy that produces the least value, have had the most protection of all.

The names of tenants have been changed in this article.

Chaminda Jayanetti is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Twitter here.

[in-flagrante]

Michelle Dockery reveals how Anatomy of a Scandal is being filmed in the pandemic

Michelle Dockery isn’t going to lie. “I’ve watched more television in the last six months than I have in my whole life!” she says with a laugh.

Same here, Lady Mary. Also just like the rest of us, the actor is having to become accustomed to new ways of working. After twiddling her thumbs for most of the year, the actor best known as Downtown Abbey’s heiress-apparent is, finally, once again gainfully employed, filming London-set thriller Anatomy of a Scandal.

The Netflix drama is adapted from the 2017 bestseller by former political journalist Sarah Vaughan, and is being co-showrun by Big Little Lies series creator David E. Kelley. Rupert Friend plays a married politician accused of raping his aide; Sienna Miller is his faithfully disbelieving wife. Dockery is the ambitious and tough young barrister determined to prove his guilt.

It is a story with powerful contemporary resonance, of the abuse of patriarchal power and how instances of sexual assault are not believed and/or not pursued.

“Certainly there are themes of privilege at the heart of this tale about dark goings-on at Westminster, the underbelly,” says Dockery. “So, yeah, of course, it’s a timely piece and a very important story to tell. So I’m excited to get deeper into it. It’s still early days, but it’s great that we’ve started – and we can keep going!” she laughs again.

Cast and crew are only three weeks into filming, and so far the bulk of her scenes have involved only two actors, helping make the rigorous pandemic protocols easier to follow: Covid tests every other day; daily temperature checks on arrival at the set; everyone masked; 10-hour days, which are shorter than the filming norm.  

“It’ll be interesting to see how they’ll shoot the court-room scenes to make it look as though it’s full,” says Dockery. “They can do one shot and you can see a certain amount of people behind the actors, but you don’t have to have the room entirely full.”

She continues: “It’s a really wonderful cast and I’m excited to get into the real heart of it. And I’m very happy to be in London. My last few jobs have been in the States, so it’s lovely to be [working] at home.”

Dockery is back working in other ways, too. The 38-year-old is the face of a new campaign for Scotch whisky brand Glenfiddich, for which she’s been photographed by Misan Harriman.

The Anglo-Nigerian’s imagery of the summer’s Black Lives Matter protests in London reverberated around the world. That led to him being commissioned to shoot Vogue’s September cover, a triple-fold out activist-themed story – an achievement that, made Harriman the first Black man to shoot a cover for the hundred-year-old fashion title.

“He’s the photographer of the moment,” says Dockery. “What he did this year, I just think he’s extraordinary. And more than ever, this is a time for change. And Misan is really at the helm of that. His Vogue cover is historic, and it’s a real moment.”

And how is her own industry harnessing the positive energies catalysed by BLM? Dockery – who was nominated for three consecutive Emmys for Downtown Abbey and received a fourth for Netflix’s 2017 Western series Godless – says she’s seeing it already. “There’s definitely a change in casting, and behind the camera.”

Personally, too, she recognises the need to question the status quo.

“When you’re reading a script, if there’s no definition over where the character is necessarily from, then it should be open to [actors from] all backgrounds. And I think that is being challenged much more in our industry. That is something that needs to be constantly looked at.”

Dockery spent lockdown at home in northeast London “close by” Stoke Newington. She was snapped on her doorstep in late May with Jasper Waller-Bridge, talent agent brother of Phoebe, as the couple joined in with the weekly Clap For Carers.

“In lockdown, Thursday was the day of the week, wasn’t it?” she reflects. “We really looked forward to it, and it was an opportunity for everybody to come together and applaud what the NHS and keyworkers were doing. It was an important time.”

Equally, it was a boost for blocks of flats, and streets, and neighbourhoods. At a time when we were all necessarily isolated, London, I suggest, never felt closer.

“Yeah, because you weren’t seeing anyone other than the people you were living with,” she agrees, “so it was a time to come out and see everybody else in the street. I got to know my neighbours much more. It was something I’ll never forget.” In fact, she adds, “I still feel like we should be doing it, shouldn’t we?”

That sentiment, of unstinting support for our health professionals and carers, may be born of personal experiences. In 2015 Dockery’s fiancé, John Dineen, died of cancer after a long illness. In her childhood, her mother worked as a care home assistant. I ask if that gave her extra insight into how gruelling it’s been inside the country’s care homes during the pandemic.

“Of course, that was the thing that used to play on my mind: how are people managing? I used to go with my mum when I was a little girl, I’d help her take the food in.

“It’s been a really challenging time for people,” she continues, “and I’m just in awe of the work that’s had to be put in to make sure everybody’s safe, with doctors, nurses and carers doing what they can to make the system still work during a time like this.”

All of which means that our next trip to the 1920s can’t come soon enough. After 2019’s first Downton Abbey movie proved more successful than even seasoned Crawley watchers anticipated (it grossed almost $200 million worldwide, over 10 times its reported budget), a second feature is due to go into production in spring.

“I can’t tell you that much, except that there is potentially a second film. We’ve got that far!” prevaricates Dockery with an audible smile. “It’s exciting to think that we can do another one. It felt like after the first film there was immediately an appetite for a second one.

“I’d be thrilled to get back together with the gang and do it all over again. We have so much fun doing it. But that’s all I can tell you, really!”

OK, but please tell us that granny – the Dowager Countess of Grantham, played by Dame Maggie Smith – doesn’t die.

“Ha ha ha!” hoots Dockery in a cheerfully un-ladylike manner. “I’m not giving any story away to you! You’ll just have to see.”

Michelle Dockery fronts the new Glenfiddich Grand Cru campaign "reimagining a contemporary future for whisky"

https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/michelle-dockery-downton-b78950.html

[sinagrace]

I think I like my Haunted Mansion graphic novel more than I’m supposed to… When thinking about the idea of doing a Haunted Mansion book in abstract, I should have been set up for a stressful experience: taking a fan-favorite attraction at Disneyland and adapting it into a comic meant working with a corporation that is known for upholding a certain quality for its brand, and the Mansion has a particularly passionate group of fans who also have their opinion about what they want to see with anything related to the ride. I should have been intimidated, and you’d think I should have left the experience with stories about endless re-writes or tense conversations about minor story points… but I had a frickin’ blast! The premise of my story is about a ghost named Sydney who makes her way to the mansion, seeking a new home after the hotel she was haunting (and used to manage in her lifetime) got demolished. She’s tasked with improving how the mansion operates as a hazing ritual, and she takes on the challenge with optimism and zest. It’s a great way to have the reader learn how the mansion works for its ghastly residents, and it also allowed me to lean into the only prompt Disney gave prospective writers pitching for the job: for the tone to be similar to The Office. They wanted a workplace comedy, so I gave them more of a Parks and Recreation vibe, because I love stories about a group of people rallying around an overzealous-but-lovable protagonist. Sydney was my version of a toned down Leslie Knope, with Maggie from Grey’s Anatomy’s demeanor, and a friend of mine in hospitality all rolled up into one go-getter of a ghost. From there, it was a matter of working with Disney to sort out which of their fantastic cast to use, and give fans fun details to pore over. Have you read any of those stories where actors talk about joining the MCU, and needing to read the script in a room so they can’t make copies? Same, girl. After the project got a greenlight, I was invited to one of Disney’s offices in Burbank to review the Haunted Mansion’s rich history and all of the assets surrounding the ride. I was only allowed to take notes and only had an hour of everyone’s time to ask a million questions. It was exhilarating! Everyone’s energy helped boost my confidence to move forward with the story I proposed-- we were all huge fans of the ride and we wanted to do right by it. I am still so grateful to my editor Elizabeth Brei for giving me an extra day to turn in the second chunk of script pages because I was at Disneyland doing “research.” She’s an unabashed fan of the Haunted Mansion and the Disney parks in general, so she understood what a grave mistake I made telling myself I could drive down to Anaheim, ride the Mansion twice, and head home to tweak my pages (I was literally on Instagram stories scarfing a Mickey popsicle replying to an e-mail from her with some nonsense about my creative juices flowing). In all honesty, the biggest challenge I faced was really figuring out how many familiar faces to sneak in without clogging the momentum of the story. It was a no-brainer that Constance (aka “The Bride”) had to be an antagonist… Everyone loves that character, plus she seems the type to be easily threatened and quick to exact revenge. From there, I picked characters who piqued my interest, or ghosts who would offer a variety of tone in jokes. Of course I had to make Sally the best friend everyone wants when they’re in a new environment… a pure sweetheart with a little bite. These kinds of fun problems are what I call “exciting challenges,” and they make the work I do all the more engrossing. Disney was always open and amenable to helping me sort out the logics of the world, like explaining how a haunted mansion would work in the real world, and what the ghosts’ roles are within the building. It wasn’t until recently that a friend kind of smacked me in the face and was like, “Dude, you added to the canon of the ride!” If the audience embraces what I’ve added to the history, all I can say is… Whoa. We had to delay the book because finalizing Sydney’s look ended up slowing the art process a bit, and everyone decided it was best to wait for the Mansion’s next birthday in August. Cut to 2020- we are grappling with a pandemic and finally confronting the painful truths of the Black Lives Matter movement. Disneyland remains closed, and all of our plans to promote this book have been cancelled. I’m all the more proud of it, given our current circumstances. Having the protagonist be a black woman wasn’t 100% political- I just LOVE Maggie from Grey’s Anatomy wanted Sydney to embody her, but now there’s a story where an intelligent and capable black character from Baton Rouge is up against problems where the odds are against her, and she still perseveres. Sydney’s solutions to improving the Mansion come from my own approach to telling the story: sheer reverence for the mishmash of macabre and humor that the attraction manages to balance. It’s my love letter to every nook and cranny I adore about the Haunted Mansion, and this book is all I have to revel in the joy until the park opens back up. It may be a little nugget of a book, but I’m so happy that the Haunted Mansion: Frights of Fancy is finally making its way out into the world. Egle Bartolini and Nicoletta Baldari did such a great job bringing charm and joy to the artwork. They took every little thing I asked to be crammed into the artwork and then put their own extra something on top. I made a friend out of Elizabeth Brei, and felt like I did right by Denton Tipton when he called and asked me, “what do you think of the haunted mansion?” Everyone worked so hard to make this graphic novel something that we all as Haunted Mansion fans would adore. If you’re looking for a little escape, or need a little dose of your favorite attraction at Disneyland, give the Haunted Mansion book a shot. It will be available in comic stores and book stores by like 8/18, from IDW.