#i got a free donut for national donut day today

[microwavepopcorn]

[pbandjesse]

My manager, Jessica, just texted me that all the schools canceled tomorrow. Which sucks but a free, mostly, day off for me. I hope to do lots of quilting and knitting. And I still am working tomorrow night unless something changes. So I'm pretty happy. And honestly I hope the weather is interesting. That would make me happy.

Today was pretty good though. I wasn't feeling great for a lot of it honestly. I was stressed about my meeting with Jessica with the national guard. I spoke to so many Jessica's today. Honestly it's hilarious.

But besides my fears about that meeting, mostly about not knowing where to park, I had a good day.

I woke up at 7. James was sitting in bed with me. It's nice seeing them without their sling. And while they are hurting they are trying very hard to stretch and start building up some muscles.

I got washed and dressed and felt very cozy. I should have worn a coat today, as it was much colder, but I did not. But it was fine. We left and James drove us.

They are having trouble getting their arm to move upwards, apparently it feels like rubber bands, super tensioned. But I'm very proud of them for trying. They got me breakfast and we went to work.

I was an hour early. So I would eat and chill in the back. Jim came and we talked about Christmas stuff. He says all he really wants are printed photos of his grandkids and kids all framed. I thought that was very sweet.

And it was a fun day. We had a Christian private school and the kids were so cute in their uniforms. The saddle shoes and the cardigans and little ties. Just so sweet.

And it was such small classes. I had the 4th graders and there were only 7 of them. We love a low ratio.

They were also so super sweet. They had notebooks and took notes the whole time. Their teacher was an older man and he was great, they obviously respected him a ton. And he had great points to add throughout the tour. I think I gave a pretty good tour and tried to really focus on dates and numbers and spelled words I thought would be useful for their projects. They are going to write reports on things that made them interested. And so when they seemed excited I would expand on things. We were supposed to hit 5 galleries because they came early but we didn't even need that in the end. I was able to end my tour at the ring of fire, where John's older kids joined me, and then they were off to lunch.

After lunch O'Malley and my groups came together for a scavenger hunt. And I worked on my glove. Which I realized was slightly longer the the first glove. Thankfully not by a ton but annoying. I have to finish the edges but I'm excited anyway.

And at the end of the scavenger hunt a 3rd and a 4th grade group got 8 of the 11 questions correct and got to pick prizes. Erasers and buttons and marbles. I love how excited they get about my silly little prize box.

I took my group to the restoration classroom and we did the roller coaster project. Their teacher required that they draw out and label their rollercoaster in their notebook first. Which is fine by me. It was fun. And they did such a good job. I built my example and they loved trying that and then building their own. Though it was very funny when the teacher was like yeah that looks nice but it won't work!! And then it did and he was like. What!!!! Amazing!!

Once we were done and cleaned up they got to sit in the car. We had to wait for O'Malley's group to be done but that was alright. And then to the gift shop.

I made sure I said goodbye to everyone. The kids told me they had so much fun and that I was the best. What sweethearts.

I went to clean up the classroom and put things away. And soon I would join James in the back office. They brought me a donut. And the I went to take over the front desk.

Which was mostly good except someone came to buy something in the case and I could not figure out how to scan it in and James had to leave their meeting to come save me and I felt very dumb. But the lady was really nice and I suggested she check out Avam's giftshop since she was in the area. I hope she does cause her vibe made me think she would like it.

I finished up my glove. And no one else came in and soon I was able to leave. To go to the armory and meet with Jessica.

I was nervous. I took the long way. But was still early. Not a huge deal. The security guard was nice. And Jessica met me at the door.

The meeting went well. I am getting paid more then my regular workshop rate. I bought all the materials while I was there. We discussed what they had and what I might need. And I told them about my teddy bear workshop and they may be interested in running on as well!! So that's really cool. I felt like a real professional artist.

I was excited to go home. I was a little confused about how to get out of the parking lot but that was fine in the end. And I got home and changed into a different sweatshirt. And laid on the couch to wait for James to come home.

They would get back here and make dinner. And after dinner they ride their stationary bike and I worked in my studio. Half way down my large quilt squares.

I would go lay down after an hour or so. And James took a shower. I heard them go "oh no oh no!" And I'm like what?? Thinking something was wrong with their arm. But actually their new earrings was missing. They are pretty disappointed. But I gave them the other gold hoop I have so now we can match and I think it looks so cute on them. And who knows, maybe the other one will show up. It's a low change but not none.

Now we are in bed. James painted their nails. I took a bubble bath. And now I don't have to wake up early. I hope I have a productive art day. And have a fun event tomorrow evening.

I hope you all sleep great tonight. Stay safe if you are affected by the storm! Goodnight!!

[whirlwindflux]

Flux: Today is National Free Donut Day. I got one with sprinkles!

[nadiineross]

so this is spiderbyte wip which i cannot be bothered to finish but i thought it would be cute n funny if sombra makes them go on a legal vacay together like they go on tripadvisor and dress up like tourists and theyre using their sick days or smth not that i think talon would give either of them sick days since its a terrorist organization.. lol ANYWAY hv fun :)

Widow has no idea how Sombra pulled it off, but she’s hardly surprised since doing unthinkable, and unthinkably stupid, things is sort of Sombra’s schtick. So, here she is, standing in a commercial airport with a neck pillow wedged around her peach-painted elbow and two 4-wheel suitcases at her hip, waiting for her girlfriend to finish taking a piss.

She is, on some level, excited for this actually legal, Talon-cleared weekend-long vacation. It’s not that she thinks she’ll get bored or hate it—after all, Sombra had organized everything and Sombra is one among maybe three people who give a fuck about what Widow thinks about things—but she wonders, sometimes, about the genuineness of her own emotions. She experiences them shallowly. Like they’re dialed down. On occasion, experiences them like a choice; a matter of whether or not she wants to expend energy on reacting to something.

Because of this, she wonders if she fakes them and does it so well, she’s fooled herself. But then what difference would that make?

Yes, she’s happy to spend time with Sombra. Always. It just doesn’t matter to her at all the how and when of it. Doesn’t feel like there’s anything significant about going to a different country with Sombra, partake in new activities with her.

To Sombra, it’s different. She’s been giddy about this for a week, constantly nudging Widow so she’ll lean over and look at whatever part of the travel plan Sombra’s putting together. Sombra feels the urge to see new places and do new things with people she likes to spend time with.

Widow’s okay with sitting in Sombra’s room, with the hip LED strip lights she sees in the “tick tocks” Sombra shows her, doing nothing in between messing around on the bed. Widow’s okay with flying to ass nowhere, Europe, to watch Sombra’s back and shoot people. That’s going somewhere new; that’s doing something new. It’s all the same to her.

But then again, Sombra wants this, so it’s automatically different.

And that’s the extent of Widow’s feelings about this.

Sombra comes bounding out the airport bathroom just as Widow considers going in to check. As soon as she spots Widow, she scowls and moves the pillow from Widow’s arm to her neck. Again.

“You promised,” she reminds Widow.

Widow looks at her impassively. Considers it.

She promised she would “get in the holiday spirit,” but that was before she had known about Sombra’s ridiculous definition of holiday spirit. Still, a promise is a promise. Besides, this was Widow’s gift to Sombra. Specifically, Widow had told Sombra that she gets one do-stupid-things free pass, happy anniversary, chérie, come back to bed.

One occasion where Sombra can drag Widow into something and Widow will comply without complaint, all within reason, of course. And Sombra picks a vacation.

Sombra, who has become a master at staring contests with Widow, having dated her for a year and a handful of weeks now, waits her out. Finally, Widow sighs and reaches up to button the donut pillow at her throat.

“Looks great, babe,” Sombra says brightly, and begins to wheel her suitcase towards the departure hall proper.

Widow sighs again and follows after her.

“Does this even count as a legal vacation if we are using fake documents?”

“Say it louder,” Sombra grumbles, “I don’t think airport security got that.”

Widow tries not to smile. She takes in a deep breath and, indeed, louder, says: “Does this even c—”

“I hate that you think you’re funny now,” Sombra huffs. “Dating me is such an ego boost for people.”

“People?” Widow muses. Sombra ignores that. Whatever. She changes tracks to something she’s actually curious about. “What’s the name on your passport?”

“Sombra,” says Sombra.

Widow squints at her. “Sombra what? You don’t have a last name.”

“Spider,” Sombra deadpans, “Obviously, it doesn’t say Sombra. Why the hell would I put that on my passport? That’s dumb. I’m very good at being a criminal, you know?”

“Yes, baby,” says Widow, “the best.”

Sombra rolls her eyes but the edges of her mouth twitch up before she can control it. Widow can’t help but smile herself. “It’s Jane Smith.”

“That… is so boring.” She wrinkles her nose. “And so American.”

“What? You don’t think I look exactly like a Jane Smith?” Sombra asks.

Widow stares at her.

“Whatever.” Sombra sniffs, snootily, and rubs a hand over the buzzed side of her head. It’s grown out a bit—Widow will shave it for her soon.

“You are terrible with aliases.”

Sombra had given her a fake passport earlier today, back at base. Widow’s now May Parker, a Canadian national since Sombra didn’t have faith in Widow’s fake accent skills and told her, quite condescendingly, to stick to French. The name was a reference to something, Widow’s not sure what, just thankful that Sombra hadn’t ended up printing the name of the first French historical figure that came to mind. Napoleon Bonaparte probably wouldn’t have gone over too well with airport authorities.

At check-in, the woman barely bats an eye at their too-nondescript names. It’s likely not that rare for people to come through airports with fake names in this day and age anyway. Probably, it’s quite rare to have terrorists doing it for vacation, but Widow has to admit their outfits don’t quite match up with that image.

Sombra picks their seats as Widow hauls their suitcases onto the belt. When all’s said and done, Sombra loops their arms together and pulls them towards security.

Sombra keeps glancing up at Widow’s face while they wait in line. It’s her only tell that she’s nervous and Widow can guess why. The sunscreen-like balm they’d smeared all over her, to make her look normal, should hold up for the duration of their flight. Though, she didn’t trust Talon scientists, she could trust their science, so she’s not worried about it.

Anyway, it wasn’t the 20th century. Most body mods were socially acceptable now. Sombra, in all her cyborg glory, shuffles past security with no problem.

It’s another half hour wait at their gate before they finally board. Sombra takes the middle seat, leaving Widow with the window. The aisle seat is, thankfully, empty. She’s not sure if Sombra did that on purpose, but she doesn’t particularly care either way, so she doesn’t ask.

Sombra reaches over and taps both of their mini-TV screens at the same time. A moment later, The Room (2003) begins playing on their screens simultaneously. Sombra makes a triumphant little sound and cuddles into Widow’s side.

Widow drapes her arm around Sombra and sighs.

//

A brief shitty movie marathon later, they’re touching down in Hokkaido, Japan, and Sombra’s tugging her gangly girlfriend out her seat. Widow’s vaguely tired and has already made Sombra promise they’re calling in a favour from Akande for a Talon plane back home after this. It takes a lot of brain power for her to keep up with Sombra sometimes, especially when it comes to silly things like enjoying bad movies.

(Sombra tells her it isn’t brain power that she is expending; rather, it’s called the emotional labour of loving someone.)

By the time they get to their lodging, Widow’s just about ready to pass out.

She pushes the first door she sees and falls into bed. Outside, she hears the rapid padding of Sombra’s footsteps as she explores every nook and cranny in the cabin.

She’s not sure how long she’s been lying down, but next she opens her eyes, the sky is dark blue and Sombra’s face is alarmingly close to hers.

Sombra grins and touches her cheeks. “Hey, you should get up.”

Widow blinks lazily at her. Then: “No.” She rolls around and closes her eyes again. “We’re on vacation.”

“We have to wipe that shit off you,” Sombra says, a note of affection colouring her tone.

She allows herself a few more seconds before she sits up with a huff and follows Sombra into the en suite. It’s a nice bathroom: a big tub, classy tiling, and there’s a big window facing a snowy mountainside, framed by gnarly trees.

note: and like i had this idea that sombra had her own agenda picking japan like mayb to hack into some mountain base but mostly i wanted to write widows skiing skin:) and they do stupid shit in the snow and eat good food and roll around in the sheets in their cozy lil cabin during a snowstorm and at the end these two who hv j been like. a pair of random tourists roll outta there in a bigass talon plane, guns equipped on the outside and everything, everyone else is alarmed, shitting themselves, but sombras j chilling in widows lap as they head back to base, blissfully unaware

[that-macedonia-life]

It’s national esspesso day and DD had a special that if you buy one today, you get a free one next time. I need to pick up my walking so away I went. It was pouring 🌧 but with coat, boots and umbrella I got there and back! And yes... maybe the donut isn’t such a good thing but YUM!

[shijiujun]

got tagged by @bahoreal who said they’re gonna name a boss bee after me once they manage to lure a queen (boss) bee and her colony in or something

Rules: Answer 20 questions, then tag 20 bloggers you want to get to know better. (or don’t follow the rules bc you’ve been on tungle for too long and don’t care)

Name: Not giving this out because I complain a lot about people here XD

Nickname: Min (it’s a part of MY Chinese name tho so it counts, on my certs and everything XD gosh i forgot to write MY when i first posted this like a dumbass)

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Height: 157cm (I am short af)

Language(s): English and Chinese, reading/writing and speaking | Korean, speaking only, but more listening LMAO | I’ve got O Level certification for German, a lot of good that did me but it looks pretty on the resume since it’s official 

Nationality: I’d hide this but COVID-19 measures have exposed me, I’m in Singapore, and this Friday we get to GO OUT AND HAVE FOOD WITH PEOPLE IN GROUPS OF NO MORE THAN 5 PEOPLE - Time to eliminate your least fave friends, not intentionally

Favorite Season: Autumn!

Favorite Flower: I like the way peonies look, and daisies! I’ve got a bucket hat that has daisies printed on it, it’s my latest Taobao purchase obssession

Favorite Scent: This ginger and orange lotion mix I got from Bath & Body Works I think...

Favorite colour(s): PINK, lilac, a pretty amber, forest green on occasion

Favorite animal: Ermmm I like looking at Galagos recently - A bush baby it’s called

Favorite fictional character(s): Wow this one is hard - Shao Fei & Tang Yi from Trapped, Bai Jin Tang from SCI, oh my god Fei Du from Silent Reading/Mo Du, and my recent lasting obsession with Qiao Chusheng & Lu Yao from MRIAD

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: i do it all, but hot chocolate is reserved for winter in cold-ass countries and when I duck into a Dunkin Donuts or an equivalent

Average hours of sleep: OOOH I SLEEP A LOT, i love to sleep, i do get 8 hours on average, 2-4 hours during peak periods and by peak periods i mean when I’m chasing a show and feel an irrational need to rush out GIFs for it on the day an episode airs - Now that I’m show- and gif-free i’m clocking those 8 hours in

Number Of Blankets You Sleep with: One over me, one under me as like i don’t know, some picnic mat

Dream trip: China and hanfu adventures, maybe Taobao everyday 

Blog established: Hmmm I’ve been here since 2010 i think, and I only started GIF-ing and Tumblr-ing regularly last April with Trapped 

Followers: Enough to keep me warm and cozy for a long time drowning in shipping hell together, hit another milestone recently XD

Random fact: You can, in fact, lure bee colonies and boss bees to your beehive box with bee luring water made in China, as I found out today when Jay asked me to translate the instructions for the product.

Tagging: ALL OF YOU who’d like to do this and please do this and then tag me so I can find out how many blankets you sleep with <333

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Pluralist, your daily link-dose: 22 Feb 2020

Today’s links

Tax Justice Network publishes a new global Financial Secrecy Index: US and UK, neck-and-neck

What Marc Davis lifted from the Addams Family while designing the Haunted Mansion: Amateurs plagiarize, artists steal

ICANN should demand to see the secret financial docs in the .ORG selloff: at least it’s an Ethos

Wells Fargo will pay $3b for 2 million acts of fraud: they shoulda got the corporate death penalty

This day in history: 2019, 2015, 2010

Colophon: Recent publications, current writing projects, upcoming appearances, current reading

Tax Justice Network publishes a new global Financial Secrecy Index (permalink)

The Tax Justice Network just published its latest Financial Secrecy Index, the leading empirical index of global financial secrecy policies. The US continues to make a dismal showing, as does the UK (factoring in overseas territories).

https://fsi.taxjustice.net/en/

Both Holland and Switzerland backslid this year.

Important to remember that “bad governance” scandals in poor countries (like the multibillion-dollar Angolaleaks scandal) involve rich financial secrecy havens as laundries for looted national treasure.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/19/isabel-dos-santos-revealed-africa-richest-woman-2bn-empire-luanda-leaks-angola

As Tax Justice breaks it down: “The secrecy world creates a criminogenic hothouse for multiple evils including fraud, tax cheating, escape from financial regulations, embezzlement, insider dealing, bribery, money laundering, and plenty more. It provides multiple ways for insiders to extract wealth at the expense of societies, creating political impunity and undermining the healthy ‘no taxation without representation��� bargain that has underpinned the growth of accountable modern nation states. Many poorer countries, deprived of tax and haemorrhaging capital into secrecy jurisdictions, rely on foreign aid handouts.”

Talk about getting you coming and going! First we make bank helping your corrupt leaders rob you blind, then we loan you money so you can keep the lights on and get fat on the interest (and force you to sell off your looted, ailing state industries as “economic reforms”).

The Taxcast, which is the Network’s podcast, has a great special edition in which the index’s key researchers explain their work. It’s always a good day when a new Taxcast drops.

https://www.taxjustice.net/2020/02/20/financial-secrecy-index-who-are-the-worlds-worst-offenders-the-tax-justice-network-podcast-special-february-2020/

What Marc Davis lifted from the Addams Family while designing the Haunted Mansion (permalink)

It’s always a good day — a GREAT day — when the Long Forgotten Haunted Mansion blog does a new post, but today’s post, on the influence of the Addams Family TV show on Mansion co-designer Mark Davis? ::Chef’s Kiss::

https://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-addams-family-and-marc-davis.html

It’s clear that Davis was using Addams’s comics as reference, but, as Long Forgotten shows, the Davis sketches and concepts are straight up lifted from the TV show: “Amateurs plagiarize, artists steal.”

Some of these lifts are indisputable.

“Finally, it’s possible that Davis took a further cue from the insanely long sweater Morticia is knitting in ‘Fester’s Punctured Romance’ (Oct 2, 1964), but in this case I wouldn’t insist upon it.”

Likewise, from the TV show, “Bruno” the white bear rug that periodically bites people was obviously the inspiration for this Davis sketch for the Mansion. Long Forgotten is less certain about “Ophelia,” but I think it’s pretty clear where Davis was getting his ideas from here.

Davis was an unabashed plunderer and we are all better for it! “We’ve seen many other examples of Marc Davis taking ideas from here, there, and anywhere he could find them, but not many other examples of multiple inspiration from a single source.”

ICANN should demand to see the secret financial docs in the .ORG selloff (permalink)

ISOC — the nonprofit set up to oversee the .ORG registry — decided to sell off this asset (which they were given for free, along with $5M to cover setup expenses) to a mysterious private equity fund called Ethos Capital.

Some of Ethos’s backers are known (Republican billionaire families like the Romneys and the Perots) but much of its financing remains in the shadows. We do know that ICANN employees who help tee up the sale now work for Ethos, in a corrupt bit of self-dealing.

The deal was quietly announced and looked like a lock, but then public interest groups rose up to demand an explanation. Not only could Ethos expose nonprofits to unlimited rate-hikes (thanks to ICANN’s changes to its rules), they could do much, much worse.

If a .ORG registrant dropped its domain, Ethos could sell access to misdirected emails and domain lookups – so if you watchdog private equity funds and get destroyed by vexation litigation, Ethos could sell your bouncing email to the billionaires who crushed you.

More simply, Ethos could sell the kind of censorship-as-a-service it currently sells through its other registry, Donuts, which charges “processing fees” to corrupt governments and bullying corporations who want to censor the web by claiming libel or copyright infringement.

Ethos offered ISOC $1.135b for the sale, but $360m of that will come from a loan that .ORG will have to pay back, a millstone around its neck, dragging it down. Debt-loading healthy business as a means of bleeding them dry is a tried-and-true PE tactic – it’s what did in Toys R Us, Sears, and many other firms. The PE barons get a fortune, everyone else gets screwed.

The interest on .ORG’s loan will suck up $24m/year — TWO THIRDS of the free money that .ORG generates. .ORG is a crazily profitable nonprofit – it charges dollars to provide a service that costs fractional pennies, after all. In response to getting slapped around by some Members of Congress, the Pennsylvania AG, and millions of netizens, Ethos has made a promise to limit prices increases…for a while. And they say that they’ll be kept honest by the nonbinding recommendations of an “advisory council” whose members Ethos will appoint and who will serve at Ethos’s pleasure.

In a letter to ICANN, EFF and Americans for Financial Reform have called for transparency on the financing behind the sale: “hidden costs, loan servicing fees, and inducements to insiders.”

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-seeks-disclosure-secret-financing-details-behind-11-billion-org-sale-asks-ftc

Wells Fargo will pay $3b for 2 million acts of fraud (permalink)

Wells Fargo stole from at least two million of its customers, pressuring its low-level employees to open fake accounts in their names, firing employees who refused (refuseniks were also added to industry-wide blacklists created to track crooked bankers). These fake accounts ran up fees for bank customers, including penalties, etc. In some cases, the damage to the victims’ credit ratings was so severe that they were turned down for jobs, unable to get house loans or leases, etc.

The execs who oversaw these frauds had plenty of red flags, including their own board members asking why the fuck their spouses had been sent mysterious Wells Fargo credit cards they’d never signed up for. Though these execs paid fines, they got to keep MILLIONS from this fraud (which was only one of dozens of grifts Wells Fargo engaged in this century, including stealing from small businesses, homeowners, military personnel, car borrowers, etc). Some of them may never work in banking again, but they’re all millionaires for life.

Now, Wells Fargo has settled with the DoJ for $3b, admitting wrongdoing and submitting to several years of oversight. That’s a good start, but it’s a bad finish.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51594117

The largest bank in America was, for DECADES, a criminal enterprise, preying on Americans of every description. It should no longer exist. It should be broken into constituent pieces, under new management. There would be enormous collateral damage from this (just as the family of a murderer suffers when he is made to face the consequences of his crimes). But what about the collateral damage to everyone who is savaged by a similarly criminal bank in the future, emboldened by Wells Fargo’s impunity?

Wells Fargo is paying a fine, but will have NO criminal charges filed against it.

https://newsroom.wf.com/press-release/corporate-and-financial/wells-fargo-reaches-settlements-resolve-outstanding-doj-and

If you or I stole from TWO MILLION people, we would not be permitted to pay a fine and walk away.

“I’ll believe corporations are people when the government gives one the death penalty.”

This day in history (permalink)

#15yrsago: Kottke goes full-time https://kottke.org/05/02/kottke-micropatron

#15yrsago: New Zealand’s regulator publishes occupational safety guide for sex workers: https://web.archive.org/web/20050909001954/http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz/order/catalogue/pdf/sexindustry.pdf

#10yrsago: Principal who spied on child through webcam mistook a Mike n Ike candy for drugs: https://reason.com/2010/02/20/lower-pervian-school-district/

#10yrsago: School where principal spied on students through their webcams had mandatory laptop policies, treated jailbreaking as an expellable offense https://web.archive.org/web/20100726204521/https://strydehax.blogspot.com/2010/02/spy-at-harrington-high.html

#10yrsago: Parents file lawsuit against principal who spied on students through webcams: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/pennsylvania-school-webcam-students-spying/story?id=9905488

#1yrago: Cybermercenary firm with ties to the UAE want the capability to break Firefox encryption https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/02/cyber-mercenary-groups-shouldnt-be-trusted-your-browser-or-anywhere-else

#1yrago: Fraudulent anti-Net Neutrality comments to the FCC traced back to elite DC lobbying firm https://gizmodo.com/how-an-investigation-of-fake-fcc-comments-snared-a-prom-1832788658

Colophon (permalink)

Today’s top sources: Naked Capitalism (https://nakedcapitalism.com/).

Hugo nominators! My story “Unauthorized Bread” is eligible in the Novella category and you can read it free on Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/unauthorized-bread-a-near-future-tale-of-refugees-and-sinister-iot-appliances/

Upcoming appearances:

The Future of the Future: The Ethics and Implications of AI, UC Irvine, Feb 22: https://www.humanities.uci.edu/SOH/calendar/event_details.php?eid=8263

Canada Reads Kelowna: March 5, 6PM, Kelowna Library, 1380 Ellis Street, with CBC’s Sarah Penton https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cbc-radio-presents-in-conversation-with-cory-doctorow-tickets-96154415445

Currently writing: I just finished a short story, “The Canadian Miracle,” for MIT Tech Review. It’s a story set in the world of my next novel, “The Lost Cause,” a post-GND novel about truth and reconciliation. I’m getting geared up to start work on the novel now, though the timing is going to depend on another pending commission (I’ve been solicited by an NGO) to write a short story set in the world’s prehistory.

Currently reading: I finished Andrea Bernstein’s “American Oligarchs” this week; it’s a magnificent history of the Kushner and Trump families, showing how they cheated, stole and lied their way into power. I’m getting really into Anna Weiner’s memoir about tech, “Uncanny Valley.” I just loaded Matt Stoller’s “Goliath” onto my underwater MP3 player and I’m listening to it as I swim laps.

Latest podcast: Persuasion, Adaptation, and the Arms Race for Your Attention: https://craphound.com/podcast/2020/02/10/persuasion-adaptation-and-the-arms-race-for-your-attention/

Upcoming books: “Poesy the Monster Slayer” (Jul 2020), a picture book about monsters, bedtime, gender, and kicking ass. Pre-order here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627?utm_source=socialmedia&utm_medium=socialpost&utm_term=na-poesycorypreorder&utm_content=na-preorder-buynow&utm_campaign=9781626723627

(we’re having a launch for it in Burbank on July 11 at Dark Delicacies and you can get me AND Poesy to sign it and Dark Del will ship it to the monster kids in your life in time for the release date).

“Attack Surface”: The third Little Brother book, Oct 20, 2020.

“Little Brother/Homeland”: A reissue omnibus edition with a very special, s00per s33kr1t intro.

[bombtimer]

Day 13: On excitement

There have been many excitements in my lifetime. They range from (as one of my friends think of me) superficial things to perhaps philosophical ones. Here we go.

1. Entering the bookstore

While one of my earliest excitement going to the bookstore was in Gramedia Sudirman, Yogyakarta, there is no less joy when I have to spend money in a bookstore. I remembered my aunt bought me an illustrative book of volcanoes while my cousin got the earthquake one, and we ate Dunkin’ Donuts afterwards. There was also a new bookstore opening, called Social Agency Bookstore, when upon its opening, they have many discounts, particularly on manga. I prefer Gramedia to Gunung Agung, as I think the latter’s collection is less. But the favourite retail bookstore in Indonesia has to be Togamas. Not only does it give you discounts, they also provide free plastic cover for the books you’ve just bought. I developed admiration for mas mbak penyampul since they work so fast and neatly. I tried to cover my books several times but they don’t come as perfect as ones done by mas mbak Togamas.

During my undergrad, I might have not immersed myself with books. I can only remember reading Murakami’s Norwegian Woods and 1Q84 (which is arguably one of the best romantic novels ever). And, of course, Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google. These books might motivate me to read books again after high school, and sure, I tried several Goodreads Challenges every year.

In the UK, I have Waterstones just in the corner of my campus. It is a four-storey building. All floors are carpeted so you will hear people trying not to stomp and walk quietly. Books related to my field are located on the third floor, where there is no lift. But there is a small spot when you could read there and even work on assignments. It is a quiet corner where you can see people taking a smoke outside the Faculty of Engineering. There is also a cafe with delicious cinnamon rolls on the first floor.

Second bookstore that captivates me is Cambridge University Press Bookshop. I was roaming on the streets when it started raining and accidentally I was just on the outside of this gem. The building is three-storey, and it is quite small for what is one of the prominent press bookshops in the world. It is also no wonder to not see a rack dedicated to urban planning, though surely it contains the geography section.

I was definitely left in awe when I visited Blackwell’s in Oxford. Another friend told me that I should go there since the collection is humongous. And when finally I went there, I thought it’s the biggest bookshop that I ever visited and it contains a specific floor for social science. The Oxford University Press Bookshop is even smaller than that of Cambridge, and I remember I was questioning how come this university does not have what I am looking for. Yet in Blackwell’s, even two bookshelves are dedicated to urban planning and Southeast Asia. I also found Pisani’s Indonesia Etc., along with workpieces of Sir Batty. I spent almost £120 along with a tote bag that shouts for “Yes, I’ve been to Oxford but no I’m not a student at Oxford Uni”. Maria and I spent a solid 2.5 hours wandering in silence looking for what we like; she even spent £200 on five books which cover all the possible materials for her dissertation. All hails Blackwell’s.

2. Going places with close friends

The memory started in 2014, when my undergrad friends went to my hometown and tried Dieng for the first time. It was in January, so we didn’t catch the sunrise at Sikunir. Though Wonosobo has a scenic view, it’s not much to do around here except eating and talking. 

I also consider the trip going back to Bandung with Bohokism after failing to say goodbye to Mira before she embarked for Stuttgart back in 2017. We had a really deep conversation where I finally did acknowledge my darkest times. It was also a start of something great because thanks to them, I also got motivated to be where I am today.

In the UK, I’m blessed to be surrounded by kind people. The one of trip memories started with a Bristol-Bath trip during the reading week in the first term. I happened to get acquainted with Hana and Aska, with Maria and Gineng also joined in. I remember the Cornish pasty that was so good I brought one to go. We wandered around Bristol and noticed the unicorn lightning rod on top of a building, and bought some Indomie and eggs to eat at our oh-so-comfy AirBnB. Afterwards we strolled on the dock and enjoyed the night breeze. The following day we went to an all-you-can-eat restaurant that gives a student discount so we could eat only for £10. We also had a photo session down in Bath Spa, as Hana is good with her camera. I also remember the bus going back to London when we sat by ourselves and did some Netflix and reading (clearly not me).

The next trip would be the Scotland trip. Some said that enjoying the highlands is better in winter (as in going to Morocco), and indeed it was true. We arrived in Edinburgh and climbed the hills and stopped by the Department of Theology of Edinburgh University and realised that every university in London doesn’t have a similar ambience. We also checked in to every Christmas market or Winter Wonderland in every city we’ve been to, as Marwa really loves mulled wine. Our mandatory photo was taken at a photobooth but we just didn’t print it.

We then proceeded to Glasgow and headed to the highlands. Like whoa. I have been seeing the mountainous scenery as I always live in the highlands but that doesn’t compare to what Scotsman see everyday. I also lived my childhood dream as finally I saw the mighty Loch Ness. It’s a sad thing that I couldn’t go to Isle of Skye, but that's alright since I remember having a really deep talk with Agita, Marwa, and Punyu at a hostel near Dundee city square. I couldn’t find Indomie so I had to eat local instant noodles which tasted horrible. We basically just read the Book of Questions and yeah I think that is what is making us closer afterwards. 

There were a lot of trips in between, but I have to emphasise my Cornwall trip with Albert, Maria, and Hana in September 2019. We were dying to enjoy the beach in the southwestern part of England. We rented a car with no insurance, where only Hana and Maria were able to drive the car smoothly. We packed lots of snacks and cooked in our small but comfy AirBnB. We went to St. Ives and enjoyed the beach and the drizzle. And the famous fish and chips. I always asked to stop for a chocolate twist and Maria and Hana would just sighed. Albert is always that curious guy who would end up falling but he didn’t. We also hung out at a beach bar where it was a family night, where the three of us had cider or beer while I stuck on soda and lime. We cooked every time and had only all-you-can-eat when we stopped by Portsmouth on the way back to London. We realised that we were so lavish that during the 3 days trip we spent almost 200 quids each.

In the end, I agree that it’s not about the destinations as they will be just them. It’s always about the journey, the talk, the snack, the “e e awas awas!”, the “pake duit lo dulu dong”, and the memories, particularly with these chaps.

3. Getting called upon the stage

One thing I just realised that I will have to lower my expectations if I want to get an award or something alike. I remember seeing my seniors getting called and put in front of all students and their parents during the national exam results in junior high. Ten students were called along with their parents. I thought, at that time, like whoa they are smart. In high schools, only the top three students from natural science and social science class got called to the stage. Along with opening the result of SNMPTN and Chevening. I was thinking that I’d just be having a real good time along with my friends during the graduation when suddenly I heard my test number getting declared. I remembered that I couldn’t believe that fact and saw Eriska just congratulate me. I thought I was done after delivering a speech as I was an ex-OSIS guy, but I have to say that that day was quite specially wrapped.

Another case is when I went to Shah Alam by myself, presenting the research findings back in November 2017. I was the only Indonesian presenter there. The faculty members of the university holding the conference said that they knew some of my lecturers. As the conference was about research methods, I wondered why several presenters didn’t emphasise the novelty of their methods. But among six key tracks of the conference, I was awarded The Best Paper in Urban Planning and Development track, where I also just couldn’t believe it yet I couldn’t contain my excitement of getting my work noticed. I remember Maria putting it simply “Gue tau lo pengen karya lo yang diliat orang, bukan nama lo. Like let your works speak for yourself”. And yes, she was obviously right.

[rayofsunshinc]

Good morning!  It’s National Donut Day!!!  I got a free donut w/ my coffee at Dunkin’.  so if you’ve got a Dunkin’ around you DO THAT!

Also,  it’s Friday and Friday by the Glee Cast came on my shuffle while I was driving

And NOW I’m listening to the Jonas Brother’s new album while I work.

I ain’t letting a damn thing bother me today.  Hope ya’ll have a lovely day too. 💖

[the-archetype-of-civilization]

I saw a Kingdom Hearts concert today.  It’s funny, because I wasn’t expecting to go to it at all.  My friends had asked me many months back if I could, but I didn’t have money at the time because I was low in funds and I refused to let them buy it for me so I could pay them back later (which wasn’t foreseeable to me).  Apparently my friend’s brother couldn’t make it, so he asked me last minute today if I wanted to see it.  I did.  And so I went into the city and watched it with my good friends.

It was breathtaking.  Yoko never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful music and KH is truly her tour de force.  I was spoiled on KH3, but I didn’t have enough investment to really care all that much anymore.  The series burned me out a long time ago when they refused to make the third game for all of these damn spin-offs that you HAVE to play.  Either way, I enjoyed it and loved the whole symphony.

I hated when it was over.  Because then I returned to the real world.  My reality.  My awful and garbage rock bottom that I’ve found myself in these past few months.  Actually, that’s not true.  I’ve felt worse now than I have months before.  I’m just...there.  I feel so hollow and emotionless now.  I’m like a zombie.  The concert was enough to make me feel again, but after that I just flat-lined.

My friend asked me what I’ve been up to, since I haven’t been in contact with them all that much and haven’t seen them in a while.  He’s really one of the few friends that actually cares and asks if people are all right.  He truly is my best friend and I wouldn’t change him for anything else.  I don’t talk to them because I didn’t want them knowing about my situations these past few months.  Although, I did tell them that my relationship is gone now and they were (more or less) supportive...marginally (understandably so considering how I treated her, though).  I did tell him that these last few months were pretty shit, especially after the break-up.  He said that if I needed to talk to him, I could.  His Uber, as if right on time after he said that, came by and picked him up.  We parted ways and I walked to the subway.

Waiting for the A train was hell...three trains came by going uptown, the exact opposite of where I needed to go.  I think I waited about 15-20 minutes for my downtown train to come, listening to some Led Zeppelin on the way with my Turtle Beach headphones because I need something to drown out my inner thoughts and think about anything else but her and how awful I was to her.

Needless to say, it didn’t help.

After a long train ride, I made it to Times Square hoping that the shuttles were still active.  They weren’t.  So, I walked out to Times Square and decided to walk back to Grand Central.  I walked out and saw a family doing the Orange Justice dance.  A part of me felt disgusted (I hate Fortnite), but my hollow nature simply acknowledged it and walked off.  I saw a bunch of posters for the show “Euphoria” starring Zendaya.  I remember seeing a bunch of commercials for it and it looked depressing but real as hell.  Considering that the posters showed Zendaya looking off in the distance, with a purple hue over her face, and a sparkled trail of a tear going down the side of her cheek, I assumed it was about wanting to feel something, to be loved.  I couldn’t help but understand that all too well, considering the present circumstances.

The tag line?  “Feel something.”

On my way down to Grand Central, blasting “I Want To Break Free” by Queen, I saw a huge group of girls (I mean like school field trip huge, like two whole classrooms worth) walking down the street cheering at anything and everything.  High school age, most of them appeared to be.  I couldn’t tell because I was behind the band of them, and I didn’t care.  I figured that since I had time to kill, I decided to stop by McDonald’s and have some food.

I didn’t get to eat anything for most of the day leading from the time I left the house and to where I was now (about 7 hours).  Two homeless men were standing outside the McDonald’s, one on each side of the double doors.  One of them opened the door for me.  I was feeling depressed and I thought that maybe by trying to make myself feel better or less of a shitty person, I gave some loose change that was in my pocket to the man that opened the door for me.  It was a bunch of pennies and a dime, I think.  After I went in, though, I felt bad for the other guy that was standing opposite to him (though I wasn’t sure if maybe he was talking to the guy as a normal person or he really was homeless, but looking at his Dunkin’ Donuts cup, he most likely was to me at that point).  I looked back at him and pointed at my wallet and then at him.  He nods.  I go back outside and give him the rest of my loose change.  I gave him a few pennies and several quarters.  It was imbalanced charity and I felt worse that I gave one guy more money than the other, the one that was nice enough to hold the door open for me.  But, I didn’t care anymore.  The damage was done.

As I was standing on the line, mistakenly blasting “Lovers Rock” by Sade and trying so hard not to think, I saw a group of people being drunk as shit talking and laughing loudly with each other.  That’s what the headphones were for, as far as I’m concerned.  Besides, I had my own problems going on.  They took a while to get their orders in, but I managed to get mine and waited as the drunk people left and it was just the other people that were quietly waiting on line or at the food pickup like me, and my music.  I picked up my food and walked back to Grand Central.

Once I got inside, I was walking through to the center (where the giant star map is on the roof) and saw a few people calling to a guy named “Francisco” and (most likely) wanted him to come with them to get tickets at the ticket machine.  He turns and looks at them, having glasses, long black hair, and I believe a Filipino look to him (I’m not good with physical looks by nationality) and points up to the star map.  Didn’t even say a word and they said “Oh, okay.”  I guess he liked looking at the star map?  I don’t know.  I walked past the information booth smack dab in the center of the terminal, a group of black women asking for information on their tickets I assumed.  I walked past a couple of MTA workers hanging outside the entrances to the Metro North platforms, one of them saying to the other “keep that shit out of” something.  I assumed the work place, I wasn’t sure.

After taking my seat, I thought about writing this.  I thought why I should, what the point of it was.  Was it supposed to have some great meaning to it?  Was it trying to paint myself as this tortured soul that couldn’t find emotion or “feel something?”  Was I just people watching and realizing just how kooky this city can be?  I wasn’t sure, but I felt like writing it anyway because I felt like it.  Maybe it was all of it.  

As I started to eat my McDonald’s, two men (who I had assumed were a bit drunk or at least were mildly obnoxious like my friends are) took a few seats nearby and were chatting.  One of them said “[blank], welcome to the Metro North.” First time going on, surprisingly.  He asked the other what he should text to his friend, whom I assumed was trying to check in on them.  The other said “I ain’t no bitch walking,” his friend repeating the line and sending it on his phone.

The man that sent the text pulls something out of his bag, looking like a bagel or something (I wasn’t spying, I just caught them doing stuff every time that I looked up).  He said that he was afraid that the bagel or baked thing was “upselled” to him, like he was cheated with a cheap piece of food.  It did look cheap, honestly.  He takes a bite and it takes him a moment and he says it “tastes exactly like what he ordered.”

After I finished eating, I pulled out my Switch and started playing Smash to avoid wasting battery life on my phone.  I played until I got off the train.  The two men were pretty passed out, but one of them woke up as I made my way down the car and to the train door.  He asked if I dropped some sunglasses, where I turned and looked to see a pair of sunglasses on the floor near where I was sitting.  I didn’t bring any, so I said “No.  Thanks.”  I got off, drove home, and ended up here.

I don’t know why I wrote this.  I’m not trying to put meaning behind this.  Maybe I’m writing it to show how empty I felt the whole time, how emotionless I’ve become.  Maybe I’m writing it because, in some ways, I do love this city.  It can be crazy and with its quirks, but it’s enjoyable.  And I might not see it again if I land a job in California.  Or, like I said, maybe it’s both.  Maybe I just enjoy writing and describing the lives of others, lives that seem much more interesting and worth while than mine.

I don’t know.

I don’t know anymore.

[yarnhasmyheart-blog]

Happy National Donut Day! How perfect is it that I got to test this adorable duck donut pattern by @oodlesofcrochet today? Keep an eye out for the release of this cutie soon! What’s your favorite kind of donut? I love chocolate sprinkle ones 🍩💖 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ PS: have you been following along with the Hello Summer Blog Hop? My pattern will be released on the 9th, but if you want to score a sweet deal and get all the ad free PDFs now you can purchase the bundle at the link in my bio! Just send me your proof of purchase and you’ll get a coupon for an extra free pattern 😊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #yarnhasmyheart #crochetersofig #humansthatyarn #amigurumi #boyeyarncrafts #yarnlover #craftastherapy #instayarn #crochetaddict #ourmakerlife #crochetcrew #crochetlife #makersgonnamake #bhooked #crocheteveryday #crochetcroptop #yarnist #yarnartist #crochetisfun #craftsposure #crochetersofinstagram #crochetersofinsta #crochetgirlgang #yarnpunk #thehooknookers #crochetallday #stitchandhustle #crochetisbae #crochetdesigner #crochetpattern https://www.instagram.com/p/BybHVcOhmEv/?igshid=1dsgskue77dmy

[stonegirl77]

Central Perk

(yes, it’s a Friends reference. No, it has nothing to do with a coffee shop....)

So, at this point I feel like I should explain. 

I suck at writing endings. No. Really. The number of fics I've written only to not finish, or to have real problems writing the ending…. It's very annoying. Well, short fiction allows me to practice writing endings. Lots of endings. And so, last year, there was the prompt list running around, I saved it, because someone actually prompted me from it (thanks, @dresupi!), and now I'm writing a Drabble a day, or most days, until I'm done with the list. 

Thus the FlashFiction DrabbleThon 2k18 was born. 

So, for today’s offering: “We’re both sitting on this park bench, I’m reading and… oh my gosh are you sketching me?  Let me see!”  Steve/Darcy, because, of course.

Darcy didn't know when hanging out on park benches with national heroes had become something she did. However, every Sunday during the spring had found her on a park bench in Central Park, reading a book with Steve Rogers. Now it was late June, and spring had turned into summer, sweaters and jeans morphing into skirts and sundresses and sunscreen as the weather grew warm. 

Darcy glanced over at her companion as she finished a chapter and flipped the page. The glancing was easily done, as Steve had pulled her feet into his lap about five minutes into their trip, resting his sketchbook on top of her sandals. It wasn't that the action was too unusual - Darcy was usually leaning on Steve while they watched TV. Or Jane. Or Thor. She was a cuddly person, ok? And Steve didn't seem to mind. Not if the bashful smile he'd thrown her as he picked up her feet was anything to go by.

And of course, there lay the problem. The difference between Steve and Thor, even Steve and Clint or Steve and any of the other Avengers, was that Darcy had the oogly-booglies for everyone’s favourite American. Her heart skipped a beat every time he slung a massive arm around her shoulders, her breath caught in her throat when he smiled only at her - it was a problem. Because apart from anything else, Steve was a friend. One who dragged her to art museums as enthusiastically as she dragged him to comic stores. And Darcy knew Steve didn't have many friends. 

So you will not take that away by making things awkward, Darcy reminded herself. Besides. With people like Maria, Shannon, and Natasha around, why would Steve even look at me?

All of that, however, didn't mean she couldn't sneak a look at her favourite person every now and again. 

Darcy let her eyes wander, briefly, from his ridiculously blue eyes, transfixed by whatever he was drawing, down his nose, to the Patriotic Jaw of Freedom - and ok, maybe she spent too much time looking at Steve. Darcy returned her attention to her book, and made sure it stayed there until they were ready to leave.

“Coffee?” Steve asked as they were making their way back to the Tower. “And a donut?”

“You know the way to my heart,” Darcy replied glibly. “Caffeine and baked goods.”

She wanted to sneak a look at him, even as she kept here eyes fixed firmly forwards. 

They stood shoulder to shoulder in the line, Steve’s arm barely brushing hers.  

“You get some good drawing done?” Darcy asked.

Steve ducked his head. “Yeah,” he said. “Think so, anyway.”

“Well, as you've never let me see any of it,” Darcy said, “I'm going to continue thinking of you as Van Gogh with charcoals.” She frowned. “Not that I'm exactly sure what that looks like, but I'm sure it's amazing.”

“You have too much faith in me,” Steve said. 

Darcy just shoved him. Well, she tried. He outmassed her by too much for her to shift him anyway. She just ended up leaning into him. 

“You're ridiculous,” she said. 

“It's our turn,” Steve said, ignoring her with a small smile on his face. “Hi,” he said, stepping forward to the cart. “Two coffees, a croissant and a donut, please.”

Darcy let him order - any trying to pay on her part has long since been squashed, when Steve had shown her exactly how much he earned. And that it was something he genuinely wanted to do. Nothing she should feel beholden to do. 

That's why she noticed a scrap of paper fall out of Steve's sketchbook as he put his wallet away. She dipped, picking it up, and was opening her mouth to tell Steve he'd dropped something when she saw what was drawn on it. 

“Oh,” she said instead, staring at a drawing of her. She was on a couch, on the couch in the common room at the Tower, drawn from what must be Steve's perspective as she had her feet on his lap. Except that - her legs weren't that long, were they? And her face - that smile - she didn't recognise it. Was that really how Steve saw her?

“Your coffee,” Steve said, startling Darcy into dropping the slip of paper again. She dove for it, catching it before it hit the ground. 

“What's that?” Steve asked, moving behind her to look over her shoulder. She felt him still as he recognised his drawing. 

“It fell,” Darcy said, “I picked it up.” She turned, holding it out to Steve. 

He put her coffee in her hand, taking the drawing. 

“Let’s….” Steve began. 

“Let’s start walking back?” Darcy suggested, and Steve nodded. 

“Yeah. That.”

They walked in silence for a minute or two, leaving the cart behind and heading back into the woods of the park. 

“You know, you really are a good artist,” Darcy said finally, the silence getting to be too much. She was getting over her surprise, reasoning away her appearance in Steve's sketches. After all, if he liked to draw people, why wouldn't he draw her? She was around a lot. All the Avengers were probably in his sketchbook. It didn't mean anything. “Although I think you were a little generous.”

“What?” Steve sounded surprised. “I don't…” 

Darcy shrugged. “Perspective is one thing, but my legs aren't that long.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steve swallow. “Um, Darce, they kinda are.”

Darcy turned her head to look at him, and found Steve's face growing red. 

“What?” she asked, copying him.

Steve looked at her, then to the ground, then at her. “You know you're beautiful, right?”

“Darcy’s jaw dropped. “I …. I don't?” She said. Steve Rogers thinks I'm beautiful?? The mind boggled. 

Steve shook his head, a soft smile appearing on his face. It reminded her of the smile she'd been wearing in Steve's drawing. 

"Darcy, if you'd been around when Bucky and I were growing up," he said, the Brooklyn coming back into his voice as he spoke about his past, "all the fellas would have been lining up at your door. You look like a pinup," he said. 

"Really?" Darcy didn't usually need this much reassurance. Her self-esteem could use work, sure, but she could take a compliment. Just not, apparently, with Steve Rogers looking at her like she was candy in a candy store.

"Look." Steve juggled coffee and his sketchbook for a second, opening the book so Darcy could see. 

There she was, laughing at the table with Jane.

Snuggled under Thor's arm.

Sleeping on a beanbag.

Smiling, dancing. She was there, with the others, on every page.

Darcy leafed through, speechless.

"That's why I didn't show you the book," Steve said, and she glanced up at him. He met her eyes squarely. "I know, I shouldn't have drawn you without permission. I'm sorry."

"Stop it," Darcy said, continuing to leaf through. "We don't mind." She looked up at Steve again, which was totally why her last sentence came out breathier than she meant it to. "Or at least, I don't mind."

How could I mind? 

"I just…" Steve started, and Darcy looked up from the book again. "It's not that looks are all-important - you're smart, you're funny, you're interested in everything, you make a mean Pop-Tart - I just… you're beautiful to me, and I thought you should know."

"Steve," Darcy breathed. She closed the sketchbook, pulled it towards her, and went up on her toes.

She meant to kiss him on the cheek, she really did. 

But when Steve realised what she was doing, he threaded a hand into her hair and dipped his head, connecting their lips. 

Darcy could only stand there, kissing Steve - kissing Steve - and wondering how the hell her lazy Sunday with her unattainable crush had turned into her kissing the man of her dreams.

Steve pulled away, just far enough to rest his forehead on hers.

"Darcy," he began.

"If you try and take that back," Darcy cut over him, and he began to laugh, using his free hand to bring her even closer. 

"Not going to," he promised, and kissed her again, briefly. "Been wanting to do that for months now."

He offered his elbow, and Darcy threaded her arm through it as they strolled through Central Park. 

"Well that was an interesting trip to the park," she said, resting her head briefly on Steve's shoulder. 

Steve chuckled. "We just gotta avoid Tasha on the way in - she's got the pool for this weekend."

"There was a pool?!"

[sapphicscholar]

June 1, 2012, 6:13pm

Dear Alex,

I hope the move goes well today! I’m so happy for you—getting into a new place and getting a new start in a job that sounds like a great fit for you! I’m really proud of how far you’ve come since the beginning of the year when you weren’t totally sure what path you wanted to be taking career-wise. Now look at you. My big bad almost-double-doctor-federal-agent Danvers. I gotta catch up!

Can you believe that I’ll be flying out of here in 4 days and getting to California in 5? That’s crazy. I don’t quite believe it yet. I’m also not quite willing to dwell on it because I’m not a huge fan of flying… I adore traveling, but it would be so much better if I could simply be there without all the stress of getting there.

Also, wrapping things up really is more emotional than one would expect. I know I’ve only been here a year—and not even a full 12 months—but it’s been hard saying goodbye to everyone. The last day with my students was bittersweet. They all gave me cards, and I may or may not have cried a little bit reading them. I still don’t want to be a teacher long-term, but it was a really nice experience to have for this year.

But I’m trying not to dwell in the negative. I’m more excited about new beginnings! We’re going to both be in a new city together for the first time. We’ll both be going through training and starting new jobs in the careers we’re excited about having for the foreseeable future. I can’t wait to see everything you do and accomplish. Knowing you, it’s going to be brilliant. And, I don’t know, I’m getting excited about my own program too. I’m excited to try to work in systems I want to change and learn new things and get to try something that makes me nervous. And I’m excited to be doing all of it with you at my side too, Alex. I really, really can’t wait to see what life brings us.

Love, Maggie

---

June 2, 2012, 5:12pm

Hi Maggie,

Amazingly, we managed to survive the journey to NC! We got in a bit late, so once we got everything in the door (Kara insisted on doing most of the heavy lifting while Mom and I kept a lookout for neighbors), we crashed and ate take-out on the floor surrounded by boxes, and Kara bogarted pretty much all of the potstickers. I won’t have wifi until the technician comes over in a day or two, so we couldn’t hide behind our phones or anything (at least not without paying for data – thank god for free Starbucks wifi all day today!). It was actually nice. It felt…not like old times because, well, you know, but like we were a family again. They’re both sticking around this weekend to help me get settled.

Oh that reminds me, they got you a housewarming present for when you arrive…IN FOUR DAYS!! I'm so excited. I have a list of restaurants and coffee shops we can check out. Also you know how certain cities have different food rivalries? Like in New York they compete for best pizza, Philly has rival cheesesteak stands, and DC has cupcakes? Well apparently in NC, the weird hipster dessert trend is designer donuts, which…I don’t want to say it’s the only reason Kara is so set on being in National City, but I’m also not convinced that it’s not. I sort of don’t understand why regular old donuts weren’t enough, though Kara insists I’ll be a convert once I try some of the “big names” in the “boutique donut industry.” I am skeptical but intrigued.

Saying goodbye must have been hard. You had some really sweet kids in that class, and from the snippets I heard about you from my kids’ penpal letters, they really loved having you as their teacher. Also, even the tiniest stretch of Italy that I saw when I was with you has me convinced that if I stayed for longer than a few months, I would never be able to live anywhere else. As exciting as it is to start new things, it’s sad letting go.

The wifi is supposedly going to be set up on Monday morning, so would you want to Skype on Monday night (your time…I should be ready to go by, like, noon my time, since they say they’ll have people out by 9)? I can show you the new place!

Love, Alex

[lotsofdogs]

Dinosaurs, Doughnuts and Lake Nights

Hey, hey, hey! How are things going with all of you today!? I hope you had a great weekend.

With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s both Saturday and Sunday, it felt like the first official weekend of summer in Charlotte!

Saturday

Early Friday morning I wasn’t sure what the weekend would look like for us since Chase was sick on Thursday but by late Friday morning he was fever-free, energetic and back to acting like his normal self. I’m not sure what was up last week but the 24-hour fever that kicked in on Thursday seemed to pass quickly and our two days of rest at home seemed to do the trick. When Chase woke up on Saturday morning (at 5:45 a.m. – phew!), he seemed 100 percent normal and after double checking his temperature, we figured we were in the clear to commence with weekend fun!

We really wanted to take Chase  to see the new Tyrannosaurus exhibition that opened last weekend at Discovery Place Uptown and after reserving tickets for the 9:15 a.m. slot, we drove into the city to begin our dinosaur adventure.

I am one of the biggest fans of Discovery Place and Discovery Place Kids (we’ve been members of both since Chase was a baby and plan to be for years to come) but this exhibition was unfortunately a bit disappointing. I admittedly think a lot of this had to do with Chase’s age, but the exhibit wasn’t very extensive and we were in and out in about 15 minutes. Chase is SUPER into dinosaurs and the T-Rex is by far his favorite so we had really high hopes but I think the dark lights and growling dinosaur noises put him on edge from the beginning.

Chase thought the excavation station was pretty neat and we spent some time using tools to look for dinosaur bones but all in all, Chase was waaay more into the usual Discovery Place museum attractions than this exhibit.

One thing that did impress us was the way Discovery Place included dinosaur fun throughout the museum to go along with the temporary exhibition. Chase loved flipping through dinosaur books and playing with the giant dinosaur toys in the children’s area!

We spent a solid two hours at Discovery Place before breaking away and driving to NoDa, Charlotte’s historic arts and entertainment district, to walk around and grab doughnuts at Reigning Donuts, one of our local favorites.

Ryan and I were both victims of social media jealousy and felt left out when we realized we missed National Donut Day on Friday so we celebrated a day late with half a dozen doughnuts. Since doughnuts are one of Chase’s favorite foods, he was more than excited to join in our sugarfest!

We arrived home just before 1 p.m. and while Ryan settled Chase down for his nap, I immediately headed back out and drove up to Epic Chophouse in Mooresville for my friend Jess’ baby sprinkle. Jess is due with a baby girl at the end of July and it was so much fun to celebrate her little one on the way, dig into delicious food and chat with some of my friends. It was quite dark in the restaurant so I didn’t snap any pictures that turned out well but it was a beautiful sprinkle!

By the time I made it back home, Chase was up from his nap and Ryan, Chase and I did a little dinner prep for the birthday dinner we were hosting for our friend Ben. We made a big spread that included marinated flank steak with chimichurri (both recipes are go-tos for us when we host friends and come from Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook), roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli, pico de gallo salad and berries with coconut cream. Plus ice cream for dessert because that’s a nightly necessity for me right now. It was great to catch up with Ben and celebrate his special day!

Sunday

Sunday morning began bright and early and I kicked things off with a little meal planning while a batch of peanut butter baked steel cut oatmeal baked away in the oven. Once everyone was up and fed, we headed out on a family walk before church. I made sure to bring my favorite basketball along on the trek!

Sunday was one of those random days of pregnancy where I just felt really GOOD. It was so nice and a welcomed reprieve from how I’ve been feeling lately! I wasn’t too tired, no nausea kicked in and I wasn’t overly uncomfortable until I tried to go to sleep at night. It was awesome! (That is NOT a hint for our baby to stay in there for too much longer. I definitely don’t envy late deliveries at all and can totally see myself looking back at this post at 41 weeks pregnant wanting to smack myself! Sunday was just one of those surprisingly good pregnancy days where I didn’t feel as much physical discomfort as usual so it was pretty sweet.)

We made it to the early morning church service and of course I cried when we sang “Reckless Love” because that’s what I do whenever I hear that song. Phew!

(I think the above not-so-great pic was the first pic Ryan, Chase and I have together with my belly. Yeesh!)

After church, I dropped Ryan off at Ben’s house because they had plans to work out together and then Chase and I drove to ALDI to pick up groceries for the week ahead. Meal planning made the trip a breeze and we arrived back home with a bunch of goodies!

Here’s a glimpse at our meal plan for the week:

Monday: Chicken Taco Skillet (served with tortillas, diced tomatoes and guacamole)

Tuesday: Perfect Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Onions (and possibly creamy mashed cauliflower if I’m feelin’ it)

Wednesday: Winter Chopped Salad

Thursday: Frittata and Blueberry Banana Protein Pancakes (Breakfast for dinner!)

Friday: Wing it!

Ryan made it home from the gym right before Chase went down for his nap and while he read him some books, I got a jump start on typing up this blog post and responded to a few work-related emails that were nagging me in the back of my mind.

Once Chase was awake, we took advantage of the gorgeous sunny weather and made our way onto the lake for some early evening swimming and boating.

The lake water is slowly warming up and it felt so good to splash around and swim with my crew!

We docked briefly at Hello, Sailor where we filled our boat up with gas and ordered burgers, fries and watermelon to go to eat on the boat as we made our way to a little beach to drop anchor for a swim.

(Can you tell I was on a mission for a better family photo after realizing the church pic from earlier in the day was the only one I have of us with my bump? Ha!)

This was actually the first time Ryan got to witness the glory that is Chase’s new puddle jumper and he was just as psyched as I was the first time I saw Chase have a ball in that thing!

I swear Chase could swim for hours and hours in his puddle jumper and would have had we not needed to get him home to unwind a bit before bed.

Chase ended up going to bed on the later side of the evening so Ryan and I followed suit and climbed into our bed right after we put him down for the night. I continued reading The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand which I’m 99 percent sure is my first novel by the incredibly popular author. I was in the market for a quintessential summer beach read and based on the Amazon reviews, this one seemed to check all the boxes. So far it’s light and easy and entertaining but some parts make me want to say, “Okay, get on with it already…” I’m about a third of the way through it and am enjoying it enough that I find myself looking forward to reading it at the end of the day, so I’ll keep on keepin’ on.

I hope  you all had a great weekend and enjoy an even better week ahead! Thanks for stopping by PBF today!

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/dinosaurs-doughnuts-and-lake-nights/

[365day2015]

Day 272

Woke up at 730 and picked up the twins @ 10. We got to campus at 1030 and split up. I went to Webb and chatted with Lily for a bit and then went to class. We learned about the minor scale and then got our test back. I got a 100 so fuck yeah. We went over it and then got out. I went to Webb and literally stayed there until 340. John came today so we got a good sesh in. But yeah the twins were ready by 340, so we met up and then left. Today was National Coffee Day so Dunkin Donuts was giving away free medium coffee. We went to the one by campus and I got a pumpkin spice which was hella good. After that, we made the trip to Krispy Kreme where we got a donut and hot coffee free (I only really wanted the donut). After that, I dropped Faith off and then drove Gennie to higher ed. We had extra credit stuff today because a guest speaker was coming in @ 620 to talk about down syndrome and she brought her sister along who actually has it. It was pretty interesting, kinda a refresher for what I already knew about it. That lasted until 7 and then I drove Gennie home. I went home after dropping her off and then relaxed for awhile. Ended up finishing up my exam finally and starting my exc. child hw. It’s 211am and I got like 2 ½ questions left so i’ll just finish it in the morn

[woohooligancomics]

Artist Spotlight: John Wilker, donut novelist to the stars

Welcome to the Laugh It Forward Kickstarter Artist Spotlight! Every day you'll meet new cool artists doing amazing things, so check them out!

Today I'd like to introduce you to John Wilker!

John Wilker is the author of science fiction novel series Space Rogues. The second book in the series is scheduled for release in early Spring. He took the plunge into self-publishing after years of writing lead to winning NaNoWriMo in 2016 (for my English-speaking readers, that's National Novel Writing Month).

While he's not yet cast of the shackles of corporate life, he works a second job running a conference and events company (which to be fair, he thoroughly enjoys). In a previous job he has the distinction of operating a mailing list which served the practical function of announcing donuts, but for which most subscribers came instead for a short story about the donuts. Sadly, donut story emails are lost to antiquity.

Sam: I used to make the mistake most artists make when asked about my work, and get into the details like characters, plot and story elements. Those are important in telling stories, but I learned they don't really draw people in. So I'm going to ask you to tell us a short story about the more important question:

why do you create your art?

John: I've always been drawn to sci-fi. Spaceships, robots, other worlds, are all so exciting to think about, especially when life on earth is currently less exciting (that's the polite way of putting it). I've always been an optimistic dreamer, looking at the night sky and thinking about the worlds that are orbiting each star I can see.

Sam: I don't know... there are a lot of problems right now, certainly but I think it's still exciting. It's just not exciting the way you generally want your excitement. Like, spear-catching is probably quite exciting! :P

My second question is who or what has most inspired your work? If I compared you to someone, what names would you be most flattered to hear?

John: For a long time, I wasn't a reader. I read for book reports, etc. but never for pleasure. My parents even had to bribe me with GI Joes to read a book and write a report.

That changed in high school when a friend loaned me a copy of "The Elfstones of Shannara." That book changed the course of my life. I read it over the course of a weekend. I rushed out and bought my own copy that I still own 20 odd years later and have re-read many times. Terry Brooks showed me how amazing a world other than our own could be.

Jumping ahead a bit, I LOVED the Wild Card series, because it was such a clever mix of the spaceships, robots, etc. thing, with more realistic settings. Just stoked my imagination like no one's business. I think that's what got me interested in writing, seeing that the stories didn't have to be so fantastical and over the top. Just a good story with characters people like.

Sam: Wait... didn't G.I. Joe tell you reading was half the battle? You didn't take advice from Joe?!

I think I'm thinking of a different Wild Cards -- an anthology series of superhero novels edited by George R.R. Martin. You know, before he was a hack.

But you did remind me of the first novel I managed to finish... not my favorite by a long shot, but I still remember, Ties of Blood and Silver, a sci-fi by Joel Rosenberg. I never did get around to reading Guardians of the Flame or the Prisoner of Zenda. I think I wanted to read, but when I was young it was really difficult for me -- it took me a while to train my eyes to do it with any competence, so I read slowly. Thankfully my reading speed is a lot better now in my early 40s. ;)

Last question. What have you learned from your work, and what's your advice for younger creators?

John: That it's a business. I knew it was to a degree, but it is mostly business, with creating mixed in. I'd love to spend every free minute I have writing (and I try to), but there's so much that goes into it, that isn't writing; at least if you want actually to make any money at all. I've met a few writers who write, to write. They don't sell, but they seem happy. As much as I love writing, I want people to enjoy my labors, so I spend a lot of time trying to let people know I've made a thing.

That said though; it's worth it. Seeing someone write a review, or reply to a newsletter email and comment on how much they enjoyed the writing, makes my day every time.

Sam: Yeah, marketing is definitely something that most of us artists struggle to learn... and I don't think we're alone in that at all, I think it's a challenging thing to learn in general. Part of that is because most marketing books or blogs are so horrible, you have to wade through a lot of useless crap to find the advice that's useful. But that's also part of why I'm publishing these artist spotlights, because I want to help people with that.

And you're right, it is very worthwhile when you get your message out and people enjoy it or are helped by it. :D

Any final thoughts?

John: Support creators. Buy their stuff, support them on Patreon, whatever you can afford to do. We need more makers in the world, especially now.

Sam: Thanks for taking the time for this interview, John, it's been a pleasure.

To see more of John's awesome work, check out his website. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and most importantly, if you enjoy his work, share this interview, and sign-up for his email newsletter!

p.s. If you are also an artist and are planning a Kickstarter, you might find my Six Tips to Kickstarter Success helpful, plus links to other helpful resources. Also thanks to Andrea Demonakos who's handling the bulk of our rewards fulfillment to help our Laugh It Forward project go smoothly!