#broke my ipad playing rhythm games

[residentmara]

my ipad . BROKE. when i was playing arcaea.

no more drawing for a little while because i need to fucking ..get a new one >:(

fml

have an arcaea score!

[thetourguidebarbie]

caroline and rebekah + you're my brothers latest attraction but are you sure your 100% straight cause damn

This got wayyyy more incesty than I planned. There isn’t any actual sex between Rebekah and Klaus (Klaus isn’t even present), but there’s a lot of dirty talk that explicitly talks about him and Rebekah fucking. 

If that is not your thing do not read this. This is your only warning, and don’t be mad at me if you click the read more and get blindsided.

It was infuriating, the way they looked at each other. They were all slightly parted lips and dark eyes, the scent of arousal annoyingly prevalent whenever she was in their presence, and Rebekah generally would have taken the opportunity to kill Caroline if she hadn’t elicited smiles from her brother that she hadn’t seen in centuries.

They were disgusting, really.

It was possible that she might have been a little jealous. Caroline stole her favorite brother, and it was infuriating to see him spend all of his time with the little tart. Worse even, Rebekah found herself liking said tart, and not in a friendly way. It wasn’t until Nik was off on some trip that he insisted Caroline had to stay home for (some sort of ‘danger’ or some such that he believed she wasn’t equipped to handle) that Rebekah realized the feeling might be reciprocated.

The constant arousal and little smiles were always around with Nik, but she found that it didn’t go away when he left. Caroline would steal glances at her, teeth sinking into her plump lower lip in what was an accidental invitation, the tiniest movement of her thighs visible when she clenched them to stifle the scent of her wetness.

Rebekah was quite adept at recognizing the telltale signs of attraction, however. It was satisfying to know that Caroline wanted her, at least physically, and she’d had a debate with herself about how to handle it. Nik didn’t like sharing his toys, after all, but it was possible that she could convince him...

They hadn’t done it in centuries, and it was only a few (hundred) times over the last thousand years when they were on the run without any humans around and the lust was overwhelming, and Caroline seemed like the open-minded type, at least from what she’d overheard when Nik tried to coax her filthiest fantasies from her lips at night and forgot to burn sage.

It all came to a head when she and Caroline were in the living room relaxing in a comfortable silence, Caroline playing games on her iPad while Rebekah read a book. Rebekah nearly flinched when the silence was abruptly broken, never quite having gotten out of the habit of being able to run at a moment’s notice.

“Have you and Klaus had sex?”

“What?” she asked, trying her best to sound scandalized.

“You know, like...together?” Caroline asked, as though she thought that Rebekah hadn’t understood the question.

“Why do you want to know?”

“So...that’s not a no,” Caroline said slowly, her eyebrows raised slightly.

“Occasionally,” Rebekah said, trying to sound as casual as possible, knowing that Caroline was probably judging them and that if she was too grossed out Nik might put her in a box for upsetting his flavor of the century. “Why?”

“Did you ever have threesomes?”

“Can you just ask what you clearly want to ask, Caroline? I’m a thousand years old and I’ve done enough dancing around the topic of sex for quite a few lifetimes. Spit it out.”

Caroline gave her an offended look, though her face cleared quickly and she took a deep breath, letting it out sharply. “Do you think Klaus would be okay with us having a threesome? Or just us fucking?”

“That’s a question for him, I think,” Rebekah said slowly. She was quite sure he’d agree, but Nik had always been a loose cannon and it was best not to assume you knew what would happen.

“Okay,” Caroline said, looking thoughtful, and Rebekah tried to put the conversation out of her mind for now as she turned back to her book. A few minutes later Caroline spoke up again. “He says it’s fine.”

“What?”

“I texted him,” Caroline said with a face that indicated that it should have been completely obvious. “He said ‘take pictures’ but I’m 99% sure he was joking.”

Rebekah knew quite well he wasn’t, but she wasn’t about to break that to Caroline. That was Nik’s job. “Are you even going to ask whether I want to? You realize that this entire conversation has been about you, right?”

Caroline snorted. “Please. You keep looking at me like you want to eat me, of course you want to.”

“I could actually want to eat you,” Rebekah pointed out, deciding not to deny it, and Caroline gave her a smug smile.

“Yeah, okay.”

They stood in silence for a few seconds, Caroline looking confused and a bit hesitant at Rebekah’s lack of answer and Rebekah wanting her to make the first move beyond the proposition. It would be so deliciously satisfying to rub it in her face later. “Well?” Rebekah prompted, raising her eyebrows, and Caroline huffed before speeding over and catching her lips with hers.

Rebekah moaned at her taste, the light stroke of Caroline’s tongue against the seam of her lips made her sigh, her mouth dropping open as she sat on the loveseat, pulling Caroline down to straddle her and making quick work of her dress, the garment ripped in half on the floor within seconds.

“What is it with you two and shredding this? Jesus,” Caroline muttered, glancing around when she realized that the room was open.

“Not a fan of public sex?” Rebekah asked innocently, knowing full well that it was one of the fantasies Caroline had admitted to her brother during one of the nights they forgot sage.

Now that she thought about it, it was possible that Nik hadn’t forgotten after all...

“Umm,” Caroline started, trailing off and flushing.

“Now, Caroline... Let’s not get shy on me...”

“I don’t mind it,” she said, meeting Rebekah’s eyes with a determined gaze, and Rebekah smirked.

“Don’t mind it?” she asked, reaching behind Caroline to unhook her bra and guiding it down her arms, immediately leaning forward to latch her lips around one of Caroline’s nipples, her palm kneading the other breast, other hand fiddling with the waistband of Caroline’s thong, tugging it harshly to give her pussy the friction she was clearly craving and was rewarded with Caroline’s loud moan, her back arching, pressing her breast more firmly against Rebekah’s lips, and she set a palm on Caroline’s stomach to push her away, releasing her nipple with a last nip of teeth. “I think you like the excitement of it, don’t you? The possibility that any of my brother’s hybrid servants could walk in at any moment and see you writhing on his sister’s lap. They won’t know you have his permission, will they? They’ll simply see you moaning my name as you ride my fingers, your head thrown back in bliss. The feeling of doing something forbidden turns you on, doesn’t it?”

“Rebekah...”

“Hmm...Or perhaps you’d just like them to watch,” Rebekah continued, her voice lowering to a whisper as she broke the flimsy lace of Caroline’s thong and stroked her slick entrance with soft fingertips, her eyes fixed on Caroline’s face “Do you want them to watch you bury your face between my thighs, Caroline? To see how you pleasure me so sweetly with your tongue?”

“What is it with you guys and dirty talk?” Caroline muttered, her voice strangled as Rebekah slipped two fingers inside of her. “Oh my god, Rebekah...”

“We know you like it,” Rebekah bit out, tweaking Caroline’s nipple with the hand that wasn’t busy scraping her nails against Caroline’s walls. “You like it when I whisper filthy things in your ear, don’t you? I’ve heard you and my brother at night, you know. The way you scream for him makes me wet, makes me wonder what you’d taste like on my tongue, and I must admit that the way you look writhing on my fingers like this is better than I imagined.”

She grinned as Caroline flushed bright red, taking a sharp breath. “Did Nik not tell you that you were being overheard? It’s possible he forgot, I suppose, but we do tend to share everything,” she said softly, tugging her fingers away from Caroline’s pussy and pressing her fingertips to Caroline’s lips. She took the hint, sucking her arousal away, her tongue darting over Rebekah’s fingertips in a way that made her shiver. “Would you like us to share you?”

“Um...What?”

“Would you like us to share?” Rebekah repeated impatiently. “Do you want to share my bed occasionally? For me to fuck you with my fingers? For me to make you come on my tongue? I’ll have you know that I’m the one who taught Nik how to do it so well, and I have no doubt I’m better. Would you like to test my theory?”

“Uhh--”

Rebekah smirked, slipping her fingers back down between them for Caroline to sink onto again, interrupting her mid-moan. “Or perhaps you’d rather have us both. Would you like Nik to take you from behind while I flick your clit with my tongue below you? Or perhaps you’d like for me to use a lovely toy to fuck your pussy, for our breasts to touch so deliciously as I reach around to spread that pretty little arse of yours for Nik’s cock.”

Caroline had wide glazed eyes now as she rolled her hips against Rebekah’s fingers, her lips parted slightly, and Rebekah was a bit worried that she’d broken her for a moment. Had the girl never had those sorts of salacious thoughts? She wondered how far she could go...

“Or perhaps you’d like to give rather than receive, hmm? Would you like to lick my pussy while Nik’s cock slides in and out so nicely? To occasionally graze the tip of him with that lovely tongue? Would you like to suck my come off of his cock, Caroline?”

“Rebekah,” she gasped, her face bright red now, though Rebekah couldn’t help but notice that her motions were growing more frenzied as she spoke, her fingernails digging into Rebekah’s shoulders as Rebekah kept her fingers motionless, just allowing Caroline to find a rhythm of her own as she rocked against them.

“Yes?”

“I...” Caroline began, trailing off, and Rebekah waited patiently for her to finish her sentence.

“What, Caroline?”

“More,” Caroline whispered, so softly that Rebekah wouldn’t have heard it if she hadn’t had supernatural hearing. “Tell me more.”

“Naughty little thing, aren’t you?” Rebekah whispered, not missing the soft gasp that escaped Caroline’s throat. She’d file that away for later. “Hmm...What else could we do with you...”

She let the dramatic pause hang in the air, let Caroline whine softly, her hips still moving, though she seemed to be struggling to find her previous pace now that Rebekah had stopped speaking.

“Come on,” she gasped.

“Hmm?”

“Tell me more, Bekah.”

“Tell you more of what?” she asked, enunciating the consonants in such a way that Caroline seemed to shudder, and Rebekah would have thought that she’d come then and there if she wasn’t knuckle-deep in her pussy. “What do you want to hear?”

Caroline swallowed audibly, the flush that had been slowly receding from her face returning in full force as she clearly realized what Rebekah wanted her to say. “Tell me more about what you and Klaus would do with me,” she whispered. “Please.”

“Very well, since you asked so nicely...”

Caroline looked like she might punch her, clearly frustrated with her teasing, yet hanging on every word she spoke.

“Would you like to ride Nik’s cock while he tonguefucks me, Caroline?” Rebekah asked softly, tenderly tucking a curl behind Caroline’s ear as she watched her eyes glaze over again. “Would you like to watch the way he moans at my taste?”

“Yeah,” Caroline breathed, her eyelids fluttering.

“Hmm...Perhaps you’d tire of being a voyeur after time. Would you like it more if you rode him while I was on my hands and knees? He could sit up just a tad to wrap his lips around my clit while you bent to flick your tongue between the cheeks of my arse. I’ve seen you stare, Caroline. I know you’ve always wondered what it would feel like to touch. Perhaps you could watch him fuck me first, clean his come from my skin while I ride his face.”

She hadn’t expected Caroline to moan at that, was faintly amused by how enticed she seemed to be by the pictures Rebekah painted, and she wondered how far she could go, how filthy the stories could become before Caroline looked at her in horror.

“Do you like that idea, then?”

Caroline seemed to have given up her embarrassment at this point, just nodding eagerly, all curious eyes and worried lips.

“Would you like to drink from me, Caroline?” she asked quietly, bringing the hand that Caroline wasn’t desperately riding to cup her cheek, brushing her thumb along her lips. “Do you want to taste my blood as I come on my brother’s tongue? His cock? Or perhaps you’d like to taste his? Or both? All of us could drink from each other, our fangs pricking so pleasurably against that pretty neck of yours...Would you like that?”

She whimpered, nodding, and Rebekah smiled. Watching Caroline desperately seeking friction, so close to falling apart, was an image she found she liked, and she would be damned if this were the last time she’d get to see it.

“Just a bit longer,” she crooned, curling her fingers against Caroline’s walls, just shy of where the other girl’s g-spot was, and Caroline moaned in frustration, her forehead tipping against Rebekah’s shoulder. She wound her fingers in Caroline’s hair, pulling her back, her nails scraping lightly against her walls. “Now, none of that. I want to watch you.”

Caroline’s breathing was ragged now, and Rebekah knew that her own underthings were probably soaked from watching, but she wasn’t in a rush, and she wanted to take her time teaching Caroline how to use her tongue on a woman. It was a skill she’d need in the future, after all.

“Rebekah...”

“Are you close?”

Caroline nodded. “Tell me more, please,” she gasped, the couch creaking underneath them as Caroline rolled her hips faster, a soft whine escaping her lips as she chased her release, and Rebekah suspected that a simple brush of her clit would tip the other girl over the edge.

She was having too much fun for that, though.

“There’s very little we haven’t tried over the years, you know. Have you ever thought about what it might feel like to submit? To allow us to be your masters if only for a night?”

“Klaus and I...we...I like it,” she gasped out her head tipping back.

“Hmm, but have you ever wondered what it might be like to have two? To lick my pussy on your knees with your hands behind your back as my brother spanks you until you make me come? I happen to know that he does love the way red marks look on skin.”

“Jesus,” Caroline muttered, her eyelids fluttering, veins descending across her cheeks, fangs sinking into her lower lips hard enough to draw blood.

“I know he’d love to watch you squirm with a plug in that pretty little arse of yours, perhaps a toy in your pussy as well. Perhaps we’d tie your hands and watch you writhe in the sheets until you got just the right angle. There’s always the option of spreading your legs open instead. I’d love to watch your arousal wet the sheets with your pussy spread wide as Nik and I have our fun in front of you. Would you like to watch him fuck me? Watch me claw at his back and scream his name as I come around his cock again and again? To watch his mark stain my thighs when we’re done? Perhaps I could let you lick it from my pussy afterwards before you suck my come off of his cock, still desperate for just a little touch...”

She smirked as Caroline came. Hard. Her walls spasming around Rebekah’s fingers as she moaned so sweetly, her nails making bloody scraped in Rebekah’s shoulders, tearing her designer blouse to shreds.

“Not a nice way to treat your lover’s clothes,” she said softly as Caroline came down from her high, her eyes still glazed over. “Perhaps you’ll make it up to me, hmm? Tell me, have you ever pleasured a woman with your tongue?”

“No,” she breathed.

“Well I’ll just have to teach you, won’t I?” Rebekah said airily, having expected that answer. “Perhaps we should move to the bedroom then. I don’t want your legs to ache from kneeling, no matter how quickly they’d heal.”

Caroline was a surprisingly quick learner, eager for praise and soaking in every detail of Rebekah’s reactions until she had her technique down perfectly, moaning as she lapped Rebekah’s arousal once she came.

She couldn’t wait for Nik to return, and she had a feeling that Caroline couldn’t either.

[phancystuff]

Trying to Remember How it Feels (To Have a Heartbeat) 3/7

Pairing: Dan/ Phil (Phan) Summary: Dan moves into a new apartment in London and, though it’s a step up from his old apartment, his landlord gives him strange warnings while he’s touring the place– something about the last renters leaving because of ghost sightings. But, Dan doesn’t believe in the supernatural. He quickly changes his tune when he meets Phil Lester, the ghost haunting his apartment. Well, if haunting means quickly becoming the best friend he’s ever had. (Title from Harry Styles’ song Two Ghosts) Notes: Part 3 of my Spooky Week Special! This fic is almost 100% already written and I plan on updating it every day until Halloween. Please note that, although this fic has the warning of major character death, it is not in any way graphic. Tags/ Warnings: ghost au, Halloween, major character death (obv. it’s a ghost au lol), depictions of panic attacks, angst, fluff, HAPPY ENDING, mentions of suicide (it happens in a movie they watch)

Read it on A03 Part One Part Two

Dan and Phil got even closer after their argument. They continued to play video games and watch movies and shows. Dan made YouTube videos and Phil helped with the whole process, itching to edit something again. They fell into a downright psychic rhythm. Phil cooked for Dan. Dan bought Phil things off Amazon, just to see Phil’s eyes shine with delight when Dan shoved Amazon boxes at him. Dan bought him video games, stuffed animals, DVDs, an iPad. Dan tried to convince Phil to make a Twitter account, just to interact with the world again. Phil couldn’t do it; it felt wrong, somehow. Like he was lying to people. His moral compass was much stronger than Dan’s.

Dan, meanwhile, became obsessed ghost research, wanting so much for Phil. Dan wanted to find out why Phil was stuck in one place, unable to float past the entryway of their flat. He wanted to find out why Phil was stuck as a ghost in this life, anyway. Wasn’t there some ‘great beyond’ that Phil was missing out on?

The problem with ‘ghost research’ was that there were so many crazy people out there who hadn’t even interacted with a single ghost, trying to convince the world that there were experts. There was a lot of information to sift through. A lot of suggestions to try that sounded ridiculous. Dan really couldn’t find much information about the questions that he really had, so he had to resort to testing out things that were interesting, but largely unimportant.

The first ‘fact’ that the two boys decided to test out, was whether or not Phil could change his appearance. They were sitting on the couch; Phil was playing online Mario Kart on the switch (“What happened to lying to people?” “Mario Kart doesn’t count, Dan! Who cares if you’re playing against a ghost?”) Dan was on his macbook, reading a dodgy-looking page called “The Laws of the Poltergeist,” when one of the supposed ‘laws’ peaked his interest. Ghosts are in complete control of their physical manifestation. Most simply choose to continue to look like what they did when they died.

“Phil?” Dan lowered the screen of his laptop, watching Phil’s mii drive around on the Rainbow Road map.

Distracted, Phil yelped when a red shell hit his car in a direct hit. “Huh? What?” He was in fourth place now.

“Have you ever tried to look different?”

“How do you mean?” Phil jerked his head and shoulders, almost as if he was trying to turn his car faster with the help of his body.

“I mean, this site says that ghosts can look like whatever they want to look like. You could look like Sarah Michelle Gellar if you wanted to!” Phil’s character raced toward the finish line, crossing it and locking in fifth place. Phil groaned.

“Oh, um. That would be weird! You couldn’t get me to stop looking in the mirror if I looked like Sarah Michelle Gellar.”

“You get my point, though. Have you ever tried?”

Phil put down the controller on the couch next to him, gripping his own chin and looking thoughtful. “Ah, no, I guess I haven’t. I never considered trying to look different. I don’t even know where I’d start.” Dan looked down at the same blue shirt and sweatpants that Phil was wearing the day they met. The outfit still confused Dan; in his old videos, Phil usually wore dark jeans and nerdy t-shirts.

“You could start small? Try changing your shirt? I mean, you’ve been wearing nothing but pjs this whole time, how rude.”

Phil smiled, looking down at his worn outfit. “Oh, hmm. I have no idea what I would change it to.”

“Do you want some inspiration?” Dan clicked away on his keyboard, pulling up the Topman site and picking a red flannel shirt. He spun the laptop toward Phil, showing him the shirt. “Try that?” Phil stared at the image, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration.

“I don’t even know what I’m focusing my energy on,” Phil mumbled. Minutes of silence went by and Dan was starting to think that this ‘poltergeist fact’ was crap. Suddenly, he watched with wide eyes as Phil’s blue shirt slowly morphed colors. It turned purple, first. Then red.

“Phil! You’re doing it!”

The ghost looked down and saw the red t-shirt. “Hey, wow! Look at that! I mean, it’s not long-sleeved or plaid, but it’s definitely not blue anymore! Do I suit it?” Phil twisted his torso around, proudly showing off the color. Dan looked at Phil in the new shirt, smiling. Dan hadn’t seen the ghost in anything but blue and the sudden change brought out all the wonderful things about Phil’s appearance. His blue eyes and clear, pale skin seemed to glow brighter.

“It looks good, Phil! Damn!” Dan tried to hide the truth of his comments in overexaggerated banter, but Phil still blushed in response.

“I’ll work on that one. I think with a bit of practice, I could make it so I can change my clothes every day. Like I’m dressing myself again! What was that website you used?”

Dan showed Phil the Topman website and asked his followers to send him some outfit suggestions, ‘for a friend just getting into the world of fashion.’ Dan’s heart glowed with the realization that, slowly, Dan was giving Phil little bits of his humanity back.

Phil practiced his new found power obsessively. Dan often found Phil in front of a mirror, staring hard at his face with a familiar look of concentration. Often, Dan’s computer would be next to him, propped up on the bathroom sink. Phil quickly gained the ability to easily change his clothes and he loved it. He wore flannel, nerdy tees, button-ups with zany patterns. He tried every suggestion that Dan’s twitter followers sent in, including some utterly ridiculous ones like camouflage dungarees and a shirt with obnoxious tassels. Dan liked when Phil insisted on Dan watching him ‘try on’ outfits. Phil would ask Dan’s opinion and spin around, walking across the lounge like he was on a catwalk. Dan would watch him fondly, showering him with compliments and slowly realizing that he was falling every so slightly in love with a ghost.

Sooner or later, Phil discovered that he could also change his hair. After one memorable afternoon with bright teal hair, Phil stuck to simply changing the length. He wasn’t as experimental with his hair as he was with his clothes. When Dan had asked why, Phil had just replied that, although his haircut was a little out of style, he couldn’t help but feel that he wouldn’t be him without the emo fringe. Dan couldn’t disagree. Phil decided to shorten his hair a little bit, trying the shaved sides look that everyone had in the year 2017. Phil came out of the bathroom one morning after making this particular change and Dan’s mouth actually dropped open. “What, does it not look good? I swear I tried. Maybe I should just stick with the long, emo fringe.”

“No, no, it looks really good. You look older! Like how 30 year-old Phil might look.” Dan stared at his friend, openly gawking. Phil looked really attractive. Dan wondered what their life would be like if things had gone differently. If Dan and Phil had met when they both had heartbeats. He reached out to Phil, wanting to touch his new hair. Phil jerked back, but didn’t do so in time and they made skin-to-ghostly-skin contact.

Dan called out, pain searing through his fingers. They felt like he had stuck them in the snow for hours. “Fuck, oh, ow!” He breathed on his hand, frantically trying to warm his digits.

“Crap, sorry!” Without thinking, Phil stuck out his hands as if to grab Dan’s, but Dan jerked them away just in time.

“No! That’s not gonna help, you idiot.” Warmth started to return to Dan’s hand and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah.” Phil’s voice broke and Dan looked up from his hands, alarmed. He watched a tear escape the corner of Phil’s eye. “I was always a touchy person. I cuddled every person that ever showed me an ounce of affection. Out of all the things that I can’t do anymore, not being able to touch people is the worst.” Dan watched in horror as the tears came faster and spilled down Phil’s cheeks. The ghost wiped them away roughly.

“Oh, Phil.” Dan didn’t know what to say-- or do, for that matter. How could he comfort someone he couldn’t touch?

“Sorry for getting emotional. Your hand made mine feel so… warm. I forgot what that felt like.” Phil looked at his hand in wonder. Dan distracted Phil with another outfit suggestion and they didn’t talk about the occurrence.

***

After a week of practice, Phil found that he could also morph his face and body. This really made him nervous. He couldn’t shift his appearance drastically (“Dan, the Sarah Michelle Geller dream will have to remain a dream”), but he could age himself up or down. It was like his body knew what to do; Phil just had to think about doing it. Phil didn’t really want to age himself at first, but he slowly grew used to the squarer jaw and the new wrinkles around his eyes that appeared when he concentrated on his true age. He found that he liked being taller, even though he was always still shorter than Dan. He also enjoyed occasionally scaring Dan by appearing seven years old and asking him to “come play with me!”

Dan continued on his quest for ghost facts, but ones that proved to be true weren’t really forthcoming. The two boys tried new experiments with electricity, but gave up after Phil blew out one too many lightbulbs. Phil tried to ‘possess’ objects, but that one was just a complete failure that ended in Phil running into Dan’s wardrobe and knocking a pile of books off the top (“Who puts books on a wardrobe?” “Who tries to possess a wardrobe?”) Phil was too nervous about trying to possess a person. It seemed risky. Dan on the other hand, bothered Phil about it on a regular basis.

One morning in September, Dan was eating a bowl of Crunchy Nut at the dining room table when the subject came up again. “I’m just saying, Phil, if you possess me, you might be able to leave the apartment! Can you imagine that? You could see London! We could fly out to Japan.”

Phil snorted. “You’re way too eager for me to possess you. Is it a secret kink?”

Dan choked on his cereal, swallowing milk down his windpipe. He coughed. “Phil!”

“I’m just saying.” Dan cleared his throat. Phil always acted so innocent, then pulled these innuendoes from nowhere, completely throwing Dan off.  

After recovering, Dan spooned another mouthful of cereal past his lips. “Hmm… secret kink, eh? I mean, it is the ultimate loss of control. Enter me, dad!”

Phil grinned. Banter between them was like a perpetual tennis match; they were always on the same wavelength, playing off each other’s sense of humor perfectly. Dan often wondered what making a video with Phil would be like. Their chemistry would probably be viral. “I’ll never get used to everyone ironically saying dad in 2017. How does it even make sense?” They sat in companionable silence until Dan was finished with his cereal. He got up and rinsed out the bowl, running a hand through his curly hair, trying to determine if a shower would be necessary. He sat on the kitchen counter.

“I am serious about trying out the possession thing, Phil. If there’s even a little bit of life I can give back to you, I want to.” Dan turned around, leaning against the sink and staring at Phil.

“Dan,” Phil warned quietly. “I’m dead. My life is over and that’s ok. You can’t stop living your life on account of me.”

“I haven’t stopped living my life!” Dan was annoyed. They constantly had this conversation ever since Dan became obsessed with his ghost research; Phil warned Dan not to get too close and lose out on his own life. Dan argued that he wasn’t doing anything different with his life. This is how it always had been; he had an internet job and not many friends. He was an introvert and slight agoraphobe. If anything, Phil had made his life better. “I’m allowed to do what I want with it. I’m allowed to decide that I want to help my ghost friend have a little fun. Why is it any different to be friends with you than it is to be friends with another living person?”

“Because I can’t leave here. I can’t experience the world with you. I can’t make YouTube videos with you, we can’t get a dog together, I can’t steal your cereal, I can’t…” Phil’s words were lodged in his throat. “I can’t touch you, hug you, cuddle you. I can hug everything else in this flat all I want, but not the one thing that I actually want to hug. That’s not friendship, Dan, that’s… where are you going?”

Partway through Phil’s frustrated rant, Dan pushed off the kitchen counter, wondering how they had been so stupid. Phil could hug everything else in this apartment, but Dan! Of course! “Hold on, gotta go get something! Sorry, Phil, this is important!”

“We’re having a serious conversation here, you can’t just run off!” Phil got up and followed Dan to his bedroom, watching with annoyed confusion as Dan rifled through his wardrobe, pulling out a pair of jeans, hoodie, beanie, and gloves. “Is this really the time to get dressed? Are you going outside?”

Dan spun around to face Phil, arms filled with clothes. His eyes were shining with excitement. “You can hug everything in this apartment except me. Phil Lester! You’re a genius!”

“I still don’t understand? What are you on about?”

“Put these clothes on and I think you’ll be able to hug me.” Dan thrust the clothes at Phil who looked at them with wide eyes.

Phil’s frustration fell away. “Could that work?!” Phil grabbed the clothing quickly and stabbed his legs through Dan’s jeans, his legs refusing to go fast enough. He scrabbled at the fabric, dropping the waistband in his excitement. “What am I doing? I’m a ghost!” Phil phased through the clothing, letting it settle on his body. It didn’t feel any different than normal, but he was used to having no sense of touch. Completely suited up, Phil paused and stared at Dan. “What do you think it’s gonna feel like?”

“I don’t know,” Dan whispered. “I just hope it works.”

“Be careful not to touch my face, ok? I don’t want to hurt you.” Dan nodded and Phil tentatively reached out with his gloved hand, touching Dan’s cheek. Phil closed his eyes and smiled. Even through the glove, he could feel Dan’s human warmth. He could feel something! Seven years of nothing, of numbness, and he could feel something. Phil’s eyes opened and he met Dan’s stare. “Does it hurt? Should we stop?”

“It doesn’t hurt. It just feels like I’ve dressed an ice sculpture and now it’s touching me.” Dan smiled and stepped closer to the clothed ghost, holding his arms out.

Phil couldn’t prepare himself for the feeling of stepping into Dan’s arms. He pressed every inch of himself up against Dan, feeling the warmth of him seep through the clothes that separated them. Phil could feel Dan’s heartbeat echoing in his own body. Phil suddenly remembered one time when he was small and he decided to play outside in the snow, without his snowsuit. He stayed out for way too long, the snow melting and seeping through his clothes. When his mum yelled for him to come inside, he was a shivering, wet mess. His mum made him take off all his clothes right in the living room and she wrapped him up in an electric heated blanket and placed him on the sofa. Hugging Dan felt a little bit like that. Except if that warmth had also been the feeling of life and happiness and laughter and home. Phil felt that he might burst from the emotions and sensations crawling across his skin and filling his empty body.

“God, Dan. I can’t even tell you what this feels like.” Dan smiled against Phil’s shoulder, shivering. He couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the overwhelming wave of love that crashed over Dan. They parted and stared at each other. Dan’s hands gripped Phil’s back and Phil’s gloved hands lay on Dan’s shoulders. Dan wanted to tell Phil how he felt. How much he loved him. How much he wished for things to be different. But, he also didn’t want to interrupt this moment and, something in Phil’s blue-green eyes told Dan that Phil understood it all without it having to be said.

The ghost closed the space between the two boys once more, embracing Dan and getting as close as possible. “Thank you, Dan. Thank you for everything. Thank you.” Phil cried, repeating those two words until Dan couldn’t understand him through his sobs. Dan realized, with an intensity that he had never really experienced before, that he would do anything for Phil.

When they parted again and Dan rubbed his hands over his arms, trying to warm himself up again, he looked at Phil’s glowing face and said: “You are going to try to possess me.”

***

For days, Phil tried to convince Dan that they shouldn’t try possession. He came up with every possible excuse: it was dangerous, they couldn’t do any research before doing it, they didn’t know what would happen, Dan could get hurt or worse. Dan didn’t seem to care about his own well-being and Phil got more and more frustrated at Dan’s lack of self-preservation.

“You cannot tell me that you haven’t been itching to leave this apartment for the seven years that you’ve been trapped here!” Dan hadn’t been able to leave the argument alone; he couldn’t go five minutes without bringing it up. Phil groaned loudly. They were cuddling on the couch, both of them wrapped in many layers of Dan’s clothing. Phil’s layers allowed him to touch Dan and Dan’s layers kept him from feeling the life-sucking chill of Phil’s skin. They had been inseparable since discovering the clothing trick. They cuddled on the couch, cooked hip to hip, and hugged randomly and constantly.

Despite wanting to keep Dan safe, Phil couldn’t keep him at arm's-length; Phil was already addicted to the solid feel of the living boy. The whisper of life that he gave to Phil. And when Phil wasn’t touching Dan, he felt all the more sad, numb, and lifeless. This was the biggest reason why Phil didn’t want to possess Dan. What if he got addicted to Dan’s life? What if he didn’t want to go back to being a numb ghost?  What if he went too far and something happened to Dan? Phil would never forgive himself. Phil had been keeping these details to himself, not wanting to frighten Dan.

“I am curious! Of course I want to get out of this bloody apartment that’s been my literal prison for years.” Phil said, frustrated.

“Then I don’t get it. Let’s do this thing.”

“I’m scared.” Phil gripped Dan closer to his chest, thankful that he couldn’t see the boy’s brown, pleading eyes. It was make rejecting him even harder.

Almost as if reading his mind, Dan pried himself out of Phil’s grip and slipped down onto the floor, staring at Phil. “I’m going to be fine. What’s the worst that can happen?” Dan smiled reassuringly, “I trust you completely.”

“You shouldn’t. I don’t trust myself.” Phil stared past Dan, looking at the wall beyond his shoulder.

“Phil?” Wanting further explanation, Dan reached out a gloved hand and lightly gripped Phil’s chin, silently asking for Phil’s full attention. Since there was nothing covering that piece of Phil’s body, the chill in Dan’s hand was harsher. He held back a wince.

Blue eyes met brown. Phil whispered: “You’re addicting. Your presence, your warmth, the life inside of you. I feel--” Phil paused. “I feel like if I got ahold of all of you, I may not want to let go. I may not be able to.”

Dan sat, stunned. Their gazes were locked for a little moment of infinite. Dan searched Phil’s eyes for what he was describing-- selfishness, addiction, a lack of control. Dan shook his head, only finding joy and kindness. He thought back to Phil’s videos on the internet; they showed a boy only interested in bringing joy into other people’s lives. He thought back on their very first interaction when Phil had calmed Dan down during a panic attack, caused by his very presence. A thousand little memories darted and danced through Dan’s brain, all reminding him that Phil was the best person that Dan had ever met. “No. I trust you.”

Phil let out a cry of frustration and disbelief. “I don’t get how you can have so much faith in me!” Dan let out a little surprised gasp as, suddenly, Dan was left with just a pile of his own clothes as Phil’s physical form ceased to exist. Dan could still feel the phantom touch in his cold fingers. He buried his head into his own clothing, wondering what smell Phil would have left behind in them if he was still living.

Phil didn’t re-manifest himself again that day. Dan knew he wasn’t that far away. He didn’t really understand what kind of form Phil took when he didn’t have a body-- Phil had try to explain it before, using several broken metaphors. But Dan really couldn’t understand, having never personally experienced it. From what he understood, without his physical body, Phil was more of a presence in the apartment, which meant that he was still watching Dan. He was just choosing not to interact.

Despite this, Dan didn’t stop talking to Phil all day. Mostly, he told the ghost boy how immature he was being. “You’re supposed to be my elder, Philip!” Dan called out to the kitchen as he stirred a pot of soup. “You can’t run from arguments.” Dan grumbled as he watched their abandoned episode of Rick and Morty. “My mum always said you’re not supposed to go to sleep angry.” Dan whispered as he crawled under his sheets and drifted into a fitful sleep.

“You’re never going to drop this.” Phil said the next morning, sitting on the right side of Dan’s bed, purposefully not wearing any of Dan’s clothes. Dan opened his eyes, waking at Phil’s words. He said them seriously and evenly. Dan rubbed his eyes, and pushed himself up into a sitting position, his blanket slipping down his bare chest.

“Um, no probably not.” Dan had enough sense to be a little sheepish. He had always been stubborn. “I just want to give this to you. Let me give this to you.”

Phil stared at his fingers, wishing he had some inanimate object to spin. “But why?”

Dan’s stomach dropped; he wasn’t anticipating the question, even though it was a very valid one to ask. Dan had only known Phil for a couple months. Not quite a half year. And yet, here he was, offering the ghost his body. And, if things went wrong, his life. Dan knew the reason why he was willing to do this for Phil. Anyone could figure it out if they just thought about it. “I think you know why.” Dan said tentatively, wishing that Phil was at least wearing a pair of gloves so he could grab the ghost’s hand. He considered reaching out anyway and just ignoring the bite of cold against his skin. Dan decided not to at the last minute, guessing that Phil had his reasons for talking to him without the protective layer of clothing. Phil was silent for a long minute, still refusing to look at Dan.

“Ok. But why?” Although almost identical in phrasing, this was a completely different question. Dan closed his eyes at words left unsaid. Why did Dan love Phil? It was easy to answer, a thousand responses springing up in Dan’s mind all at once. But, was Dan going to be the one to break the silence and bring those words out into the open? There was a moment of sudden clarity and confidence, but the silence stretched on for too long and the moment was gone as quickly as it came. Phil pressed his hands into his eyes. “Ok, this is too heavy so early in the morning.” A watery, shaky smile greeted Dan’s eyes as Phil turned to look at him for the first time that morning. “Do you wanna watch some YouTube in bed?”

Dan felt like a coward for agreeing to the plan. They spent most of the day in bed together, Dan eating snacks and both of them giggling over YouTube poop. They pressed against each other through Dan’s duvet and the words that Dan yearned to say burned just under the surface of his skin. He swore that Phil could feel them through the thin material of pajamas and blanket.

Chapter four

[scp-230]

Ok so how that works is not "vocaloid saved my life" but a lot of my anxiety was caused over not knowing what I wanted to do for my future, or the year 12 blues.

Anyway a uni where I lived does a Japanese course where they teach you about Japan, its culture, language etc and my friend told me how her friend took that course and became an English teacher in Japan, and I thought to myself"shit I'm good at English I can teach that shit." Problem is I was a depressed boy with no motivation to even finish high school let alone university.

Then my little brother downloaded a demo of future tone and watched unboxings of it. I already liked rhythm games but wasn't interested in future tone as it was expensive. Then I went to the Australian game stop and what did I find on sale? None other than project diva DX for 3ds. It was cheap and I got it because I thought maybe my brother could play it.

Well I ended up loving that fucking game so much when I accidentally broke it I scrambled to buy a new game and restarted the whole thing. Then I got future song of future tone, then colorful tone. Then Project Diva X for PS4.

Then I was googling the translations for the songs. Then I was branching into new songs and vocaloids. I started saving videos with translations to my iPad (I have almost 800 vocaloid songs saved now). Then I found the bane of my life. Untranslated songs.

By this time my anti depressants and mood stabilizers started to kick in, I was attending school more and I was determined to graduate so I could attend uni, learn Japanese and translate those songs my fucking self. Now I'm like 19 days away from graduating and ive finished my work.

Anyway in a summary my brother by introducing me to vocaloid gave me a reason to love and helped me graduate high school.

There he is playing his fave vocaloid song now

My 10 yr old brother was the one who got me into vocaloid, this makes I’m inadvertently responsible for helping me to deal with my anxiety and bpd

[vsplusonline]

Tata Open | Jiri Vesely claws back from the brink for a spot in the finals

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/tata-open-jiri-vesely-claws-back-from-the-brink-for-a-spot-in-the-finals/

Tata Open | Jiri Vesely claws back from the brink for a spot in the finals

Jiri Vesely rose from the dead for the second day running, as he beat second seed Ricardas Berankis 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 7-6(7) to enter the final of the Tata Open Maharashtra at the Balewadi Stadium on Saturday.

In what will be his first tour-level summit clash in nearly five years (since Bucharest in April 2015), Vesely will play Belarus’ Egor Gerasimov who beat James Duckworth 7-6(2), 6-4. For Gerasimov it will be first-ever appearance in a final.

Vesely battled from a set and a break down but seemed down and out in the third set tie-break when Berankis had three match points at 6-3. But the Czech wiped off two by forcing his opponent into forehand errors before Berankis, so clincial at the net until then, was smitten by anxiety and met an easy volley a fraction early to put it into the net.

The Lithuanian did have a fourth opportunity to close out the contest at 7-6 but sent an inside-out forehand just wide. Vesely brought up his first matchpoint with a thunderous ace — one of 28 he pumped — and converted it when a Berankis backhand sailed wide.

Fighting spirit

“I am very happy with my fighting spirit,” Vesely said after the win. “I didn’t give up until the end and it paid off. He [Berankis] is a great baseliner, hits fast and flat. But I had a bit more luck today.”

From the outset, the match never settled into a proper rhythm. Berankis, sporting solid backhand, went up 3-1 only to let Vesely back. At 5-5 Vesely had a look at the Berankis serve at 0-30 but the latter raked up four points in a row, the last of which was a fine down-the-line backhand.

In the tie-break Vesely fluffed four set points, including two on his serve. Berankis’s backhand broke down at important moments but Vesely’s forehand fared worse including at 6-4, when he crashed an easy ball into the net with both his opponent and the court at his mercy. It was only apt that the set settled in Berankis’s hands following a Vesely double-fault.

In command

In the second set, Vesely’s serve was top-notch in five out of six holds as he lost just a single point. But when it wobbled, like it did in the fifth game, Berankis capitalised to break to 3-2. But the World No. 73 handed it right back, including a double fault on breakpoint, one of eight he served on the day. Vesely took the tie-break for the loss of just three points.

Like in the first two sets, the duo traded breaks early in the third before Vesely moved for the kill in the ninth game. But on breakpoint at 30-40, Berankis botched a half-volley pick up only to come up with a stunning reflex forehand at the net to clinch the point. Two forehand shanks from Vesely helped Berankis hold on and then drag the tie to another tie-break. Once there he nearly left Vesely ruing that missed opportunity but it was not meant to be his day.

The results: Singles (semifinals): Jiri Vesely (Cze) bt Ricardas Berankis 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 7-6(7); Egor Gerasimov (Blr) bt James Duckworth (Aus) 7-6(2), 6-4.

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

Register to The Hindu for free and get unlimited access for 30 days.

Subscription Benefits Include

Today’s Paper

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day’s newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Unlimited Access

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

Personalised recommendations

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Faster pages

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

Dashboard

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

Briefing

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

Not convinced? Know why you should pay for news.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

Source link

[ulyssessklein]

Brotherhood of the Guitar: Jacob Reese Thornton

Interview by: Rick Landers

Jacob Thornton Reese: Image courtesy of Robert M. Knight.

With hot young talent waiting in the wings, like Jacob Reese Thornton, it won’t be long before a new generation of guitarists will rearrange the musical landscape from theatrics and synthetic musical hype, and take it back to gut level guitar work grounded in traditional roots, but with a willingness and a drive to explore more than the pentatonic scale.

With a nod to tradition and a bent toward split second riffs, Thornton reworked some Chuck Berry terraforms into a heavy fueled Christmas romp of his own making, “Run, Rudolph, Run” (Marks & Brodie).  And even that’s a grab at tradition that was explored by the likes of The Beach Boys, The Beatles and others who couldn’t resist Chuck’s foundational licks.

Jacob Reese Thornton is a 15 year old songwriter and guitar prodigy based in South Florida. Jacob writes and plays rock and blues with precision, depth and a passion that belies his age. Jacob first picked up the guitar at age 9, and has hardly put it down since. Check out Thornton’s track, “Bombs Away” to get a fix on the lad’s guitar skills and talents, as well as his ability to capture center stage as well as many well-known front men.

Thanks to a number of outstanding musical mentors, Jacob quickly developed a reputation as a gifted up and coming young artist. Jacob has traded licks onstage with blues legend Buddy Guy, and his remarkable live videos have collectively received nearly 1 million views on social media.

Jacob’s varied influences include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elmore James, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Chuck Berry, Dire Straits, Neil Young, Foo Fighters, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett, the Ramones, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, the Allman Brothers Band, the Clash and Miles Davis, among many others.

******

Rick Landers: Well, here comes Christmas and I see you’ve covered those snowy tracks with a Chuck Berry laden romp, “Run, Rudolph, Run”.  I dug the spirit of your song and your break crunched along with great angst, but really mostly a fun romp. What brought that on and were you able to pull that lead In during the session or did you have it in your hip pocket already?

Jacob Reese Thornton: Thanks! I’m a big Chuck Berry fan and Rudolph is a fun song I used to throw into my live set around the holidays.  It was a blast to make. My friend Bryce Kretz did an amazing job on the drums, and I pretty much did everything else.  The solo was mapped on the fly. I just went with what felt right. What I like most about the track are the rhythm parts. The main riff is two guitars blended and panned, one of which is in an open tuning.  It gives it a chainsaw sound, which I love. I’m stoked it’s gotten a good reception and even some radio airplay.

Rick: Learning guitar has come a long way from dropping the needle on a 45 over and over again until you figured out the licks to today, where there’s Youtube, in-person lessons, figuring out licks with friends and more. What and who were you able you able to draw from to figured out how to run up and down the neck?

Jacob Reese Thornton: Yeah, there are lots of options for learning.  When I started, I would play along with my favorite songs and first try to figure it out myself. It was a challenge.  If I couldn’t, then I would go to YouTube. I listened to lot of different stuff like Green Day, Lindsey Buckingham, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, etcetera.  

Billie Joe Armstrong is a great place to start with guitar because a lot of his songs are just three power chords and the truth! I also began playing live at a young age, with older musicians who taught me a lot.  I learned that what not to play is just as important, and to seek tone before speed. I see a lot of young players hide behind distortion or expression pedals. My teacher, Fritz Dorigo, always emphasized tone and precision. If the note sounds great let it hang a little longer, you know?

Jason Reese Thornton – Image courtesy of Robert M. Knight.

Rick: Were any members of your family inspirational or helping you follow your dream to make a hobby a profession?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  My parents have a massive music collection. I went deep into that at a young age. My great grandmother owned a recording studio and small indie label in Nashville in the late ’60s, and my great aunt was a Nashville based musician in her day.  So, I guess it’s running around in my DNA somewhere. My family are all extremely supportive.

Rick: There’s a whole world of music out there to draw from, as well as music from the past hundred years. African, Ukraine, Navajo…all kinds of music, and then there’s classic rock. Have you explored or considered where you might find inspiration, in places that are culturally different from your own roots?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  I like accessible classic jazz, like Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and John Coltrane’s stuff.  I’m not a big fan of experimental jazz or fusion. Basically, I love rock and roll music. Big drums, guitars, and sweeping melodies. That’s what appeals to me. I’m into open tunings these days and discovering those possibilities.

I’m also a blues fan.  I am always searching for a song that grabs me right away and makes the hair on my arms stand up. Noel Gallagher does that for me. He is my favorite songwriter right now, especially his recent High Flying Birds stuff. Lindsey Buckingham does that for me too with his guitar playing. He’s from another planet.

Rick: How did “Bombs Away” come about and how did you meet Bob Kulick and Bobby Ferrari – What have they been like to work with? And how’s the song doing – getting a good reception and good air play?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  “Bombs Away” is the oldest song on the record, and one of the first tunes I ever wrote. Stylistically, it is kind of a nod to Joan Jett, who I also love. That’s the “in your face” cut on the record. It’s about being brave enough to suffer the consequences of sharing hard truths. Sometimes things need to be said.  

I met Bob and Bobby through rock photographer Robert M. Knight. They were both so supportive of my writing and took off the kid gloves. It was hard work but I learned a ton from them. Even though I’m a lead player, one big take away from my time with Bob was rhythm guitar dynamics. He taught me a lot about that, and it changed the way I approach things. I will always be grateful for that experience.  

Rick: Let’s talk a little about gear. What’s your “go to” guitar at home and what are you using on stage? Amps? Effects? Cowbell?

Jacob Reese Thornton: Cowbell is obviously my go to instrument! [Laughs].  My main guitar for writing is a 2012 Martin EC28 acoustic, which I modified with a Fishman pickup.  I do all my writing with that guitar, and use it live and in the studio. That guitar is rarely out of reach and will be with me for life.  Almost lost it recently though. Someone broke into our car on the way to a Nashville gig. They stole an iPad, but overlooked the Martin, thank God!  

In terms of electric, I have several main ones set up for different songs. Most of the Different Times LP was cut with an Ernie Ball Music Man Cutlass HSS.  I am also a big fan of P90 pickups and have a few Les Paul, Jr.’s. I’ll reach for those when I want something that roars, and sometimes will use those for slide.  I like the Telecasters for open tunings or a bit of twang.

As far as amps, it depends. I actually love the Kemper Profiling Amp. My live set requires a number of different tones, which I profiled through the Kemper.  It makes it easy to quickly shift between them. If I am pushing air, I’ll use either a Marshall Jubilee reissue or an old Fender Deluxe blackface. As for pedals, I mostly get by with a Boss Blues Driver overdrive, a Boss delay and an MXR flanger. Acoustically, I am a big fan of the Fishman TonedEQ.

Rick: How did you wind up working with rock photographer and co-founder of the Brotherhood of the Guitar, Robert M. Knight?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  Robert is the dude.  He reached out to my Dad when I was 13, after he put up a video of me playing a Stevie Ray Vaughan instrumental. The clip got some attention from the social media rock magazines, which is how he found us.  Robert is an amazing person and, of course, a legendary rock photographer. And the stories! He has had a front row seat to so much music history. He continues to help so many young musicians like me.

Robert recently introduced me to Slash and Steve Lukather, and it was obvious how much both of those guys like and respect him. He has opened doors for so many players.  If you have not yet read it, get Robert’s latest photography book, Rock Gods, Vol. 2, which just came out. It’s incredible.

Rick: The music business is a lot about connections and Robert has those, but I found if you don’t have the talent, you need to up your game to become a “Brother”, or “Sister” of The Brotherhood. How did you prove yourself to Robert to get on board?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  I guess you would have to ask him that. I keep trying to do what I do to the best of my ability.  The level of talent in the Brotherhood roster is humbling, to say the least. I’m just grateful to be a part of it. It provides a way for younger more players around the world to find each other and even collaborate, which is really important.

  Jason Reese Thornton – Image courtesy of Robert M. Knight.

Rick: Did he pull you out of oblivion or were you already working on some kind of heavy fueled ambition and strategy that was working for you?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  Well, Robert has obviously opened some doors.  He also introduced me to my amazing manager, Michelle Bakker, who is super connected herself.  I’m super grateful for both of them, and for all of the mentors I was blessed to have an early age who helped and encouraged me.  I knew early that playing guitar and writing songs inspired me more than anything else. I do this first because it’s what I love to do.  As long as it comes across as honest and authentic – even if it’s not for them – then I’ve succeeded.

Rick: Your career seems to be moving at a solid fast pace, have you been surprised at anything about the industry that you’ve found very surprising or interesting?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  Well, I think everyone knows there is a tidal wave of B.S. to navigate, even at a local level.  I saw that early on. There are people with agendas who tell you what you want to hear, then twist a knife when you aren’t looking.  So many people are struggling to be seen and heard in this business; to be recognized. I’m not always comfortable with the self-promotional stuff you have to do either.

But, musicians live and die by social media these days. The most disappointing thing is that the industry doesn’t seem to invest in developing new talent. And it abandoned guitar based music in favor of music made by computers. I never understood how a DJ could make 10,000 people scream with a laptop. I believe art must be made by human hands. Its okay if it is not perfect, because people aren’t perfect.

Rick: I suspect it’s easy to let one’s ego get ahead of you when others are telling you you’re phenomenal. Do you believe them straight away or are you cautious to keep things grounded, and real? Tough to do?

Jacob Reese Thornton: I definitely wouldn’t believe anything like that at all.  It’s easy for me to stay grounded, because I know what my strengths and weaknesses are.  I have a solid team, a great family and friends who keep me smart and push me to strive for the next level.  

Rick: From what I can tell you’re getting some experience-based mentoring from top performers, producers, and a solid management team. Do they ever suggest you take a breather or go slow sometimes to let some things grow organically or are you wanting to be on a fast track?

Jacob Reese Thornton:  I’ve been lucky that way and am thankful for them.  I’m just doing what makes me happy and inspires me. We are not trying to chase anything too much.  What’s meant to happen will happen in its own time. Of course, I would love nothing more than a life of creating music that people relate to.  To make a decent living doing that would be such a blessing. That’s a dream that I share with a million other young musicians [Laughs]. It’s pretty crowded down here!

Rick: Okay, you’ve gotta tell us what it was like hanging with the legendary Buddy Guy, assuming you two had the chance to trade licks or just chat and chew a bit.

Jacob Reese Thornton: When I was 12, I went to a concert of his.  During a quiet moment from the front row I asked if I could play.  He stared at me for a second and said “Come on up here young man.” A crew member handed me a spare Strat. The next thing I knew I was on stage trading licks with him. It was a intimidating because I had only been playing for a few years at that point. But, it was an awesome moment I will never forget.  

Buddy split pretty quickly after the show, but he chatted with us briefly and was very kind and encouraging. I wish I could do it again now!

[netunleashed-blog]

Roger Federer's Wimbledon reign ended by Kevin Anderson | Tennis News

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=2888 Roger Federer's Wimbledon reign ended by Kevin Anderson | Tennis News - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=2888 Anderson completes remarkable comeback to defeat eight-time champion Roger Federer in five thrilling sets By Raz Mirza at Wimbledon Last Updated: 11/07/18 5:48pm Roger Federer was stunned by Kevin Anderson in the Wimbledon quarter-finals Kevin Anderson dethroned Roger Federer to reach his maiden Wimbledon semi-final after sealing a dramatic 13-11 deciding-set victory on Wednesday. Federer was on the ropes after dropping a comfortable two-set lead, and he even failed to take a match point chance in the third set, but the South African held his nerve to win a captivating contest 2-6 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-4 13-11.US Open finalist Anderson, who became the first South African man to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon since Kevin Curren in 1983, said: "Down two sets to love I tried my best to keep fighting. Beating Roger Federer here at Wimbledon will be one I remember, especially in such a close match. "I kept telling myself to keep believing. I said today is going to be my day. You need that mindset against Roger."I'm ecstatic. That's what you work so hard for. Matches likes that are very special." Federer, playing in the unfamiliar surroundings of Court One for the first time in three years, oozed confidence as early as the opening game when he broke Anderson's huge serve with ease and then again in the ninth game before serving out the set in 26 minutes.But the 32-year-old Anderson refocused in the second set to end the Swiss star's streak of consecutive games won on serve at 85 as he raced into a 3-0 lead before Federer quickly hit back to win the next three. The longest streak of service games won at the All England Club was Pete Sampras's 118, set between the third round in 2000 and the second round in 2001. Federer, aiming for a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title, settled for a tie-break which he took 7-5 - his 300th set overall at the Championships.The 20-time Grand Slam champion had not dropped a set against the tall South African in their four previous meetings, but after Anderson saved a match point in the 10th game, a couple of errant forehands from Federer enabled the eighth seed to serve for the third set.Anderson took his opportunity, despite having to save three break points, to seal it in majestic fashion with an ace.That ended Federer's streak of consecutive sets won at the All England Club at 34, with the former world No 1 unable to break his own record. Federer previously won 34 straight sets between the third round in 2005 and the final in 2006 but records were the last thing on Federer's mind as he just thinking of making it through to the last four unscathed.Federer was looking fragile and when he netted on the forehand side to hand Anderson a 4-3 lead in the fourth set, the errors were becoming more problematic.Anderson held his nerve with his relentless and powerful serve win the fourth and send the rip-roaring contest into an unlikely fifth and deciding set. Federer, who had won his previous six five-set matches, looked a lot more focused on serve although Anderson's rhythm remained unperturbed during a marathon contest.Neither man looked like faltering until Federer double-faulted for the first time in the match and just the fourth time in the tournament in the 23rd game before Anderson held his nerve to snatch a remarkable victory in four hours and 14 minutes.Anderson will take on the winner of the quarter-final clash between former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and ninth-ranked John Isner.We have Wimbledon covered from all angles via our website skysports.com/tennis then click through to our dedicated section skysports.com/tennis/wimbledon. On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Keep up to date with the latest on skysports.com/tennis We will have news, previews, live blogs, reports and expert analysis from Wimbledon. On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Our next tennis action comes from the German Open in Hamburg. Watch the action live on Sky Sports Arena from Monday, July 23 from 10am.Never miss the big kick-off or have to deal with interrupted games or low-quality streams with a NOW TV Sky Sports Pass this summer. You'll get exclusive coverage of the 147th Open from Carnoustie, The Ryder Cup, ATP Tour, World Darts Matchplay, and loads more starting from just £7.99. No contract. Tennis updates straight to your phone How to receive all the latest tennis news straight to your mobile require.config({"shim":{"facebook-sdk":{"exports":"FB"}},"baseUrl":"/","paths":{"skysports_com":"static/skysports_com-6b425f9532a60","skysports_digrev":"static/skysports_digrev-70eab6bbe56af","skysports_legacy":"static/skysports_legacy-2e75bf68d851d","skysports_ipad_components":"static/skysports_ipad_components-4798d45d25479","skysports_sap":"core/js/../static/js/skysports_sap","requireLib":"static/require-2.1.0-15f03d8ff7a4b","class":"static/class-55bbf080a62c3","countdown":"static/countdown-3c7569426f127","energize":"static/energize-bac53226fb-9795bcfacb255","hammer":"static/hammer-a592776ebb-6ef576c89b645","marker-clusterer":"static/marker-clusterer-8a934d664ede6","moment":"static/moment-1.7.2-890a00fd0d48d","reqwest":"static/reqwest-a845dfd832-dea6ebed2de7d","scroll-pane":"static/ftscroller-280c6900bc-b7f1d4e711788","underscore":"static/lodash.custom-951110b5e7717","adaptive-content":"static/adaptive-content-1fc383fae518a","article-widget-betting":"static/article-widget-betting-7a9641160b027","app-bridge":"static/app-bridge-e643b944f3cf2","article-advert":"static/article-advert-fa40febcc7b0f","autocomplete":"static/autocomplete-62886d6993248","autocomplete-lite":"static/autocomplete-lite-c397d58384aeb","accordian":"static/accordian-87ec71ccbfdd1","betting-lines":"static/betting-lines-31e5cdbecf2bc","bskyb-omniture":"static/bskyb-omniture-0dc4e5014ef10","bskyb-omniture-1-2":"static/bskyb-omniture-1.2-ef8627d226d42","calendar-url-builder":"static/calendar-url-builder-863fca999d8c8","carousel":"static/carousel-cfdab6400e999","carousel-lite":"static/carousel-lite-520eccc372b67","close-me":"static/close-me-1dd5bf41462eb","content-stream":"static/content-stream-4ceef3bbd096b","content-swap":"static/content-swap-bdbe29a70d8f9","countdown-widget":"static/countdown-widget-459a93f477481","comments-reply":"static/comments-reply-81d5853bdd03b","cookie":"static/cookie-072824b3a5047","cookie-notice":"static/cookie-notice-794a2071f8085","android-notice":"static/android-notice-58d95f174579a","create-audio":"static/create-audio-f77436036a203","create-video":"static/create-video-f8559f8827720","create-video2":"static/create-video2-bb132ac918d30","dataset":"static/dataset-487d6875fe94d","datepicker":"static/datepicker-a476700341f35","datepicker2":"static/datepicker2-b1c15840589e2","dom":"static/dom-5001a80a95807","dropdown":"static/dropdown-de4729ed67884","dropdown-select":"static/dropdown-select-bbaa962ff8888","edigital-survey":"static/edigital-survey-6.0.6.0-7c16aa7d44965","element-listener":"static/element-listener-39391d1341a3c","environment":"static/environment-d24a016d1c736","events":"static/events-e6bde13ac56dc","facebook-sdk":"//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all","fastclick":"static/fastclick-ea596eafa5-1c2edee75a004","form":"static/form-6554792a350ec","form-chart":"static/form-chart-8e3b2b92c7e77","form-validation":"static/form-validation-76d631ee9c0fb","html-poller":"static/html-poller-db12e18d06d04","implicit-personalisation-display":"static/implicit-personalisation-display-2bc93246729e4","implicit-personalisation-storage":"static/implicit-personalisation-storage-a4eb341b47077","implicit-personalisation-removal":"static/implicit-personalisation-removal-7556598e29ff5","inverted-listener":"static/inverted-listener-07a7ace73331d","iscroll-lite":"static/iscroll-lite-f3aedc536c4fe","keyboard-listener":"static/keyboard-listener-f6b30a391df5b","keyboard-view":"static/keyboard-view-5a68be0e6dc00","lazy-images":"static/lazy-images-f5238f2864a52","live-article":"static/live-article-95ba706f060b3","live-cricket":"static/live-cricket-98d8debeb2633","live-sport":"static/live-sport-77265bd8792ec","live-update":"static/live-update-945d95543ad61","live-refresh":"static/live-refresh-5ebefb5206c82","live-refresh-darts-table-controller":"static/live-refresh-darts-table-controller-d6c7bb8af0efe","live-refresh-darts-table-view":"static/live-refresh-darts-table-view-5c4f5e87a3cb2","live-refresh-football-controller":"static/live-refresh-football-controller-461aca93a03fe","live-refresh-football-view":"static/live-refresh-football-view-e722175c6f5eb","live-refresh-fixture-update-controller":"static/live-refresh-fixture-update-controller-1234617fddd04","live-refresh-fixture-update-view":"static/live-refresh-fixture-update-view-aae190ead42d7","live-refresh-live-golf-leaderboard-controller":"static/live-refresh-live-golf-leaderboard-controller-c78264eefa25c","live-refresh-golf-matchplay-controller":"static/live-refresh-golf-matchplay-controller-141ff1ce16821","live-refresh-golf-matchplay-view":"static/live-refresh-golf-matchplay-view-562c7eea1e08b","live-refresh-match-header-controller":"static/live-refresh-match-header-controller-db2b9bbacac74","live-refresh-match-header-football-view":"static/live-refresh-match-header-football-view-f9ce5b3e5bde3","live-refresh-match-header-rugby-league-view":"static/live-refresh-match-header-rugby-league-view-34aa9cc8d67be","live-refresh-match-header-rugby-union-view":"static/live-refresh-match-header-rugby-union-view-a6b7dda93027f","live-refresh-match-stats-controller":"static/live-refresh-match-stats-controller-db8736f4b3e01","live-refresh-match-stats-view":"static/live-refresh-match-stats-view-62f02d64e4cd2","live-refresh-gp-standings-controller":"static/live-refresh-gp-standings-controller-aa40463310354","live-refresh-gp-standings-view":"static/live-refresh-gp-standings-view-b820cc96d1d26","live-refresh-tennis-controller":"static/live-refresh-tennis-controller-5681743439cec","live-refresh-tennis-view":"static/live-refresh-tennis-view-28ddbf0727027","live-refresh-news-list-controller":"static/live-refresh-news-list-controller-ee45762f7dbe7","live-refresh-news-list-view":"static/live-refresh-news-list-view-9c47d574e49d4","live-refresh-livefyre-pinned-controller":"static/live-refresh-livefyre-pinned-controller-44287b34c8506","live-refresh-livefyre-pinned-view":"static/live-refresh-livefyre-pinned-view-a78229a5d01c4","live-refresh-live-table-controller":"static/live-refresh-live-table-controller-053e53c72d2a5","live-refresh-live-table-view":"static/live-refresh-live-table-view-acc034f23d117","live-refresh-live-table-static-view":"static/live-refresh-live-table-static-view-bbff46626848e","live-refresh-masters-live-panel-controller":"static/live-refresh-masters-live-panel-controller-b237958f07549","live-refresh-matchplay-table-controller":"static/live-refresh-matchplay-table-controller-c8d653e8ec9e1","live-refresh-matchplay-table-view":"static/live-refresh-matchplay-table-view-aafd4fb26b14f","live-refresh-ryder-cup-controller":"static/live-refresh-ryder-cup-controller-737295aac3b2e","live-refresh-ryder-cup-view":"static/live-refresh-ryder-cup-view-52d7d477e293a","live-refresh-status-lookup":"static/live-refresh-status-lookup-385df3ceefde3","live-refresh-switch":"static/live-refresh-switch-122a55d025f32","live-refresh-team-events-controller":"static/live-refresh-team-events-controller-4cb3d870d779b","live-refresh-team-events-view":"static/live-refresh-team-events-view-705c641b015af","live-text":"static/live-text-e2661b31e81df","live-refresh-swingometer-controller":"static/live-refresh-swingometer-controller-b7ade1b72e79a","live-refresh-swingometer-view":"static/live-refresh-swingometer-view-425bcd02cb919","livefyre-auth":"static/livefyre-auth-d30ce39d9f031","livefyre-social":"static/livefyre-social-2ef6165825d8a","load-into":"static/load-into-6af455f20f3bd","load-more":"static/load-more-765d8e57df5c0","load-more2":"static/load-more-05a9bb0171a4e","match-head-switch":"static/match-head-switch-b85e40ff913e7","load-more-inline":"static/load-more-inline-6ee576a87aef2","load-more-once":"static/load-more-once-b9144ab829181","map":"static/map-94fcb75a28607","media-query":"static/media-query-237b4f6ff2f9f","now-tv":"static/now-tv-8700a2f7d2f1e","most-popular":"static/most-popular-c1147764fe234","observable":"static/observable-6a091c15b9a4a","open-top":"static/open-top-3eff6bd9d5565","overlay":"static/overlay-b444bdc049b12","overlay-widget":"static/overlay-widget-56d2dc14d6d21","page-nav":"static/page-nav-479fc6b85357e","parse-date":"static/parse-date-6463ce015eee7","page-filters":"static/page-filters-5f38de0bf6eeb","persistent-autocomplete":"static/persistent-autocomplete-8459865f00a4f","polaris-glint":"static/polaris-glint-90f846e5378ec","pikaday":"static/pikaday-f7f2c50b59b9a","pl-clip-promo":"static/pl-clip-promo-1bbc9f6f7fcec","poller":"static/poller-b0ddbff69a6a9","polls":"static/polls-2ef656ad8404e","poll-ig":"static/poll-ig-e17180cbcc564","media-playlist":"static/media-playlist-ebc8d2abe3e18","postpone-load":"static/postpone-load-2ae208049e0f1","postpone-load2":"static/postpone-load2-6ad484e51343f","postscribe":"static/postscribe-3737e3c2f9-f3bc808a8b738","pub-sub":"static/pub-sub-9323318c11e08","roadblock":"static/roadblock-83b8ebd15cd4b","update-content":"static/update-content-b6fc0cfd94862","script":"static/script-27238830c957e","scroll-to":"static/scroll-to-97ec63ad7135c","scribble-article":"core/js/modules/scribble-article","section-nav":"static/section-nav-3aff450804b4f","selectable":"static/selectable-f199bca8d8e16","selectable-list-view":"static/selectable-list-view-3330035b870a5","share-button":"static/share-button-606792a8e7289","site-layout-primary":"static/site-layout-primary-d66ac28011c25","site-nav-desktop":"static/site-nav-desktop-9b1b26877d782","sky-go":"static/sky-go-a6fba47493d8e","skyid-login":"static/skyid-login-9f5140a550d32","is-loggedin":"static/is-loggedin-69dfe40b9565f","sky-sports-date":"static/sky-sports-date-e985472a648e9","squad-selector":"static/squad-selector-45e17c533f3a2","social-map":"static/social-map-8bc134219358b","sp-player":"static/sp-player-5ef6b052166d3","sticky-scroll":"static/sticky-scroll-4ccc7640bda1f","string":"static/string-19008c0fbd461","swipe-nav":"static/swipe-nav-18987ddd0e3ed","subscriber-video":"static/subscriber-video-c25a58ac6e173","table-sorter":"static/table-sorter-7d5988301396e","table-sorter-lite":"static/table-sorter-3d24f6a403740","tabs":"static/tabs-b20fcf8e1c825","tabs-lite":"static/tabs-lite-cb10daad481bf","tabs-filter":"static/tabs-filter-1ef8b2a921435","tab-navigation":"static/tab-navigation-68b7c289a7569","team-formations":"static/team-formations-a90922defa046","thumbs":"static/thumbs-0cf143fb65daa","toggle-class":"static/toggle-class-dd3a8c4ce2c14","toggle-switch":"static/toggle-switch-4b14c9522febe","trending":"static/trending-e0bb96dbc6ece","trigger-event":"static/trigger-event-580cd06dcede1","tv-guide":"static/tv-guide-495271c3f333e","update-html":"static/update-html-7913f53b11d6f","update-text":"static/update-text-82964c420cfb8","user":"core/js/modules/user","util":"static/util-b69470ac564b1","validator":"static/validator-f3b00bc96d618","vidiprinter":"static/vidiprinter-23dac5333d6b8","web-notifications":"static/web-notifications-a91a27e944caf","widget":"static/widget-e29945f3a184a","widget-lite":"static/widget-lite-a450505656ea9","widget-loader":"static/widget-loader-a0232be50e094","window-observer":"static/window-observer-b10f792cfb582","your-say":"static/your-say-3b2bbc5fcf119"}}); require(['skysports_digrev', 'sdc-site-pub-sub'], function (appController, pubsub) { window.sdc = window.sdc || {}; pubsub.init(window.sdc); appController.init(); }); Source link

[seekerandthewizard88-blog]

Taking it back to the 90's... the unplugging of my life.

By Ash Anderson

Two and a half years ago, when my brief marriage fell apart, I decided I needed to take some time and disconnect from the world. My initial reasoning for this was purely because I didn’t want to answer unsolicited questions from my Facebook acquaintances about the dissolution of my marriage. I did it because I wanted to take the time to heal myself before I felt bombarded with and obligated to, the curiousity. It was extremely eye-opening to say the least. Let me back up a bit. You see, technology and social media have been sort of insidious over the years. I am a child of the 80’s but my misspent youth was during the 90’s. My generation is the first and only generation to know what it was like to have zero social media and technology and to also fully understand and feel the immersion into the aforementioned things. I remember what it was like to go to school and see my friends, and then to come home to my family and to leave the pressure of the world behind, to fall into the safety of my home space. I was able to leave any conflict, judgement, reservations, fears, and all of the other stress that comes with middle school at school everyday. Over the years that changed with the introduction of the internet in the home. First it was AOL and we could all of a sudden talk to each other without our parents overhearing, we were careless and told complete strangers way too much information. I remember talking to a stranger in a chat room with my best friend one night when I was 13 and giving him my mom’s address. We shut off all of the lights and he and his friends actually drove by my mom’s house. I had no idea that was unsafe, it was new and we were naive. That is how is started, little by little, walls were removed and we waded into the pool of digital connection. Sometimes I feel like I woke up one day with a smartwatch on and realized it’s the fucking future. We are in the future. We never saw it happen, it’s just here now. We were desensitized to it little by little and we never even knew. I read some horrific statistic once a couple of years back that said the average american spends something like more than six hours a day recreationally on the internet. SIX HOURS A DAY?! Are you fucking kidding me? I have at one point, been one of those people.

When I stepped away from Facebook two plus years ago, I realized something, I waste so much time with nothing. What do we get from social media? Sure there is a laundry list of excuses that we tell ourselves such as, “Well Ash, this is how I stay in touch with my friends that live far away”, “Ash, this is how I keep up with my family”, or “But Ash, how will I know when my friend’s tiny person drools?”. I am guilty of telling myself these things as well so let’s just cut the shit for a minute okay? Social media is a way to numb out. You pick up your phone and the next thing you know, it’s two hours later and you’ve done nothing but watch 17 episodes of carpool karaoke and now it’s time for bed. You can’t actually sleep because the blue light has tricked your brain into thinking it’s still daytime so you lay awake and your solution is to turn on Netflix until you can fall asleep. This is also keeping you awake longer, interrupting your sleep cycle and inadvertently resetting your circadian rhythm. Then we wake up in the morning, exhausted, depressed and wondering why we can barely make it through our day just to come home, fall onto the couch and repeat the entire pattern again. We get lazy, our creativity goes by the wayside, and we don’t self-care.

This is only part of the reason I want to disconnect. I miss the fact that I used to have to pick up the phone and call my friends to speak to them. Have you noticed that you text someone before you call them now? If someone calls you and you don’t answer, you feel obligated to send an explanation text. When did this happen? We used to be independent souls that reached out to connect with each other and now we just scroll, scroll, scroll, and sleep. I don’t know about you but it’s making me a zombie and that is a version of myself I don’t like.

When I broke up with Facebook last time, it was hard in the beginning but it also allowed me the space to see how often I pick up my phone in moments when it’s so unnecessary. I decided in these moments, I would either sit with myself or find something self-caring or creative to do and you know what? It was fucking uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable not being able to utilize my phone to distract myself. That speaks volumes. It took two plus weeks for me to stop reaching for my phone all of the time and another week or so to figure out how to fill that space, space I used to know how to fill effortlessly. The following months were so creatively fulfilling for me, I am not actually sure why I went back to it, but I did and it still makes me feel yucky.

I am heartbroken when I see small children glued to the screens of electronics in stores or at restaurants. I am simultaneously grateful that I grew up in a time when that wasn’t available because as an only child, I can’t imagine how horrible that would have been. I fear for the social development of the generations that follow mine, I fear that the meaning of social development is changing on a radical level. What’s worse, is that kids no longer have a way to decompress. They can’t leave all of the pubescent, anxiety inducing, “end of the world” bullshit at school anymore. They are constantly connected to their friends thoughts and feelings about everything. They use seven different apps to connect with their peers constantly and most of those involve putting themselves out into the world thus facing judgement on a minute by minute basis. Social media is essentially the wrecking ball that is destroying the save haven of disconnection. We need time with ourselves, with our people, without the world weighing in on everything we do, see, feel, smell, taste, wear, think, and like. We need time to ground ourselves in the love and creativity we have as humans.

I do believe that good things come from social media as well. I am grateful that I have a platform to share my writing with the world in an easier way than I would have before it’s existence. I am grateful that people can share their art and find support for things that are important to them as well. There are many pluses here but there is also a line that I think we have lost sight of, I know I have. This is the reason I have decided to spend the next year as unplugged as possible. I have been fortunate enough to have a few people in my life that currently do this and watching the freedom they have in the way they walk through the world is something I want to check out for myself. I got rid of my second laptop and my ipad. I just listed my PS4 and my television for sale a couple of days ago. Putting my playstation up for sale was really hard to do because I love video games but they are another thing that I can disappear into instead of myself and because it felt hard, I know it’s the right thing to do. I am scared and excited to see how this feels for the first time since before all of this technology existed. I am always on the bandwagon to buy the latest iphone, and I am in a deep love affair with my Apple Watch. I have had a television in my room since I was eight.  All of this must go. I am going back to a flip phone as soon as my most recent iphone is paid off at the first of the year. I will only keep my Macbook because it is how I run my blog and I want to be able to continue to share my writing with the world because it’s the thing that sets my soul on fire. My goal is to use my computer for my creative endeavors. I will not leave social media but I will not have access to it in a mobile capacity anymore and this thing promises to be very freeing.

We’re losing each other, we’re losing our creativity, our ability to look one another in the eyes, to go for a walk together, to have a meal of food together, to play a sport together, to enjoy the fresh air together and we’re doing it in the name of distraction. It’s not too late, we don’t have to let this happen, we can find this space of organic connection again and I for one, can’t wait.

 Love and Light,

Ash

 *The opinions shared in here are mine and don’t have to reflect anyone else's. This is just how it feels for me.