#i haven’t been to the dentist since third grade.

[moonysfavoritetoast]

i hate doctor appointments

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Dangerous Minds

Those of my readers who haven’t known me long may not know that I was once a corps member of Teach for America. I taught 10th and 11th grade English for about 5 weeks, then I was told on a Friday about my “involuntary transfer” to another school in the district, where I’d be teaching 7th and 8th grade English instead. I went from having about 110 students to about 190. My classroom had no books (textbook or otherwise), no pencils, no paper, no markers or chalk, but it DID have one of those folding lamps that come out of the ceiling at the dentist’s office. The kids had been in there for 5 weeks with a rotating roster of subs; they’d done no schoolwork of any kind. I was teaching in a very poor area of the city, and my students were predominantly Black and Hispanic. One of my 10th graders wrote his first personal essay about getting shot the previous year. I say all this to tell you that when Chad asked that I review Dangerous Minds, the 1995 adaptation starring Michelle Pfeiffer of the true story of Louanne Johnson’s experience teaching in inner city schools in California, I was prepared to laugh it off as a cringey, Lifetime-movie representation of my experience. Is that what I got? Well...

For the most part, what I got was a ball of anxiety in my chest. It’s well-worn territory, obviously. A teacher bonds with their students from the wrong side of the tracks, and ends up learning just as much from them as they learn from him/her. Usually poetry or music features heavily as a tool that can set the students free from the depressing circumstances of their lives. Depending on the rating, usually a student dies, and the teacher learns just how Important their job is, so they commit to it even harder even though it pays no money and garners no respect from the administration who just doesn’t “get it.” But these cliches and stereotypes and broad strokes exist because at their core, they’re true, and they make me anxious and uncomfortable and I can’t laugh at them or Michelle Pfeiffer being a Nice White Lady because I’m too busy being angry about the systems we put in place that straight up abandon so many kids, all in the name of white supremacy.

Some thoughts:

Oh we’re starting right off the BAT with “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Fantastic news. Two things I associate so strongly with this song is skating around the skating rink in 2nd grade and buying the Weird Al cassingle of “Amish Paradise” and wearing it out. 

Ooh, the score was composed and performed by Wendy & Lisa! Love that, you don’t see nearly as many film scores as you should composed by women.

God, the salary is $24,700 a year and Louanne acts as though that is appealing - I can’t tell if that’s because it was 1995 or because teacher salaries are so dismally low that this feels like a good salary?

This scene in which Louanne goes into her classroom for the first time and the kids are all shouting at her and getting in her face and sexually harassing her and throwing paper balls at her is giving me stress hives. 

Also her friend Griffith (George Dzundza) saying, “You wanna teach, so teach! All you gotta do is get their attention” is rather disingenuous. Trust me, you can have their attention, and still not be able to teach. 

I’m excited to see Sally-Can’t-Dance from Con Air as Raul (Renoly Santiago). He’s honestly fantastic in this, with a tough exterior but a sensitive and gooey inner sweet boy. All of the teens give pretty solid performances, but he’s a real standout.

I recognize this is based on a true story and Louanne Johnson’s lived experience, but I am not sure it’s wise for any teacher, regardless of grade or subject, to be teaching her students how to fight each other. Or taking them to dinner on what looks to outsiders like a date. I know some people have a problem with the bribery (giving her students candy for speaking up in class) but I have no problem with it - you get paid to do all the dumb stuff you don’t want to do at work, why shouldn’t kids be compensated for going to school if they don’t want to be there? External motivation goes a long way to building up internal motivation.

Mm I do love me some Courtney B. Vance, but he’s such a quiet, condescending ass in this. It’s a different vibe than I’m used to seeing in a principal in a movie like this. 

Ooh, Griffith grading papers and saying “What a fuckin’ idiot” is a real mood. 

“Since when has the Board of Education done anything for us? We barely get fuckin lunch” is legit. The lunches my students were served in summer school were some of the most horrifying things I’ve ever seen. One day it was spoiled milk, white bread, and pickles. And one of my students put his in a microwave that was hidden in the back of my classroom behind some dividers and left it for a week. And just so you know, as stomach-churningly awful as that sounds, the day I found “pickle man” as my student called him, isn’t even in my top 5 worst days teaching list. 

I like Griffith, and I’m glad Louanne has a friend, but frankly I’m not that interested in these interludes between them - they really feel like they slow down the momentum from the scenes of her in the classroom slowly earning the kids’ trust. The pacing is kind of a mess, because the most dynamic sections all revolve around the kids in the classroom, and I feel like that only makes up about a third of the movie. 

One thing I know for sure is you do not get in the middle of a fight between students. I have a friend who worked in the same district I did who interrupted a fight and got punched in the face because of it. And her principal blamed her. 

Oh wow the way the soundtrack picks up when Emilio finally engages in the class is some kinda cheesy. And it continues through the rest of the scene to a distracting degree. Oh Wendy and Lisa, I hoped for better. 

Can I just emphasize that to reach these kids, Louanne uses her experience as a LITERAL MARINE by demonstrating she can kick all their asses, and then she bribes them by paying for 25 kids to go to an amusement park for the entire day with her?

Also, even if they like and respect her now, I call bullshit at any scene in which ALL of  the kids are A) sitting in their seats or B) silent, and especially C) both. 

Um suddenly feeling some weird vibes with Louanne and Raul having a dinner date at this fancy restaurant by themselves. Also, the double standard here is pretty telling - there’s no way this scene makes the movie if Louanne had been a male teacher and Raul was a female student.

Wait wait wait, she’s also loaning Raul $200? Like, is this why I didn’t make it as a teacher? Because I wasn’t a former Marine taking students to amusement parks and fancy dinners and lending them money? I was 25 and could barely afford rent. Maybe teachers who have enough money to take care of themselves are better equipped to take care of others. Idk, I’m just spitballin here.

Oh “Gangsta’s Paradise” is happening again! We already heard the whole song over the opening credits but now it’s happening again about 3/4 way through. I mean this song is definitely the best thing about the film, so I get it, but it feels weird that they think we wouldn’t notice it playing to completion twice.

Michelle Pfeiffer is doing everything she can to make this movie feel less cheesy and more real. Like, you can tell she’s really trying with her performance. Of course, it’s not like the character is a huge challenge acting-wise, but she is definitely committed to the part and can walk the line of both accessible and tough. 

This scene where Louanne tells her class she is not going to be there next year, that what happened to Durell and Lionel and Callie and Emilio made her too sad to stay has not aged well at all. And it’s certainly true to life, and I say that as someone who did the same thing. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s a reality - the fact that I’m a nice white lady is exactly the reason that I can choose to leave when things get too hard. Just because the kids convince her to stay at the end in this very rushed “all’s well that ends well” way doesn’t sweep this scene under the rug, and it shouldn’t. 

Ope, “Gangsta’s Paradise” shows up one last time in the credits for good measure. 

Side note: after the film, I researched Louanne, and she’s still teaching, which honestly made me emotional (in a good way). And I’d like to point out the racist ass bullshit the studio and screenwriter Ronald Bass pulled by changing the poems the students read to Bob Dylan lyrics when Louanne originally used rap lyrics from popular artists in ‘89-’90 to teach the kids about poetry. 

Did I Cry? No, but I did get heartburn from anxiety flashbacks.

This genre of film is easy to mock and parody because it tells the same story and hits the same beats to the point that they’ve become cliche. Ultimately, the truth at the heart of the movie (which is the un-nuanced and candy-coated depiction of Johnson’s real memoir, My Posse Don’t Do Homework) is that high schoolers crave someone who will see them and validate them, someone who is willing to put in the effort. The quality of the package that truth is wrapped in varies, and this one certainly leans in hard on stereotypes that feel like cheat codes rather than any real illuminating depictions of living teenagers. But as cringey as it is to watch, maybe it’s not a bad thing to remember that all people - including those who are trapped in poverty and all the cruel injustices that entails - want to be seen and valued for who they really are. 

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

[sammysreelreviews]

5 More Of My Favorite On Screen Mean Girls

Before I start I will say that I started writing this in June/July but now it’s September and since then I have moved out of my house so it’s been hard to write with all the new changes happening! I’m glad I can FINALLY bring you the third part of this series. My two most liked posts on here are about my favorite movie and tv mean girls and someone messaged me and say they wanted more so I dug to the bottom of my brain and came up with some girlies I might have missed. If you wanted to read my other mean girl posts the film one is here and the tv one is here. Enjoy the list y’all I thoroughly enjoyed making it. 

1. Santana Lopez (played by Naya Rivera)

Show: Glee

Ugh. I first started writing this in June and writing about Santana now in July is honestly bringing tears to my eyes. Naya’s tragic death was so god damn heartbreaking. Santana was one of the best TV characters. She was my favorite on Glee and one of the best performers. She was also an out and proud Latina which I know meant so much to so many people. Her character was not only multi layered but made tv history. I don’t know if you can classify Santana as a mean girl or as someone who just kept it VERY fucking real. I mean no one else was giving Rachel the reality checks she so desperately fucking needed! One of my favorite Santana moments is when she auditions with the song Rain On My Parade, that Rachel so infamously crushed in a previous season, right in front of Rachel I mean... iconic? Santana Lopez is, was, and will always be that bitch and Naya Riviera will always be known as a superstar with uncontainable talent.

Best Quote:  “I just heard the news that Trouty Mouth was back in town. I’ve been keeping a notebook just in case this day ever came. Welcome back, Lisa Rinna. I’ve missed you so much since your family packed their bags, loaded them in your mouth, and skipped town. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to enjoy a crisp pickle, but couldn’t find anyone to suck the lid off the jar. I assume you’ve been working as a baby polisher where young mothers place their infants’ heads in your mouth to get back that newborn shine. So glad you’re back. I haven’t seen a smile that big since the acclamation abominable snowman got his teeth pulled by that little gay elf dentist. Love, Santana.”

2.  Lu aka Lucrecia Montesinos Hendrich (played by Danna Paola)

Show: Elite

What can I say about the Latin Barbie... let’s start with the hair. I mean who just looks so on point every single day!? Looking your best is always a queen bee necessity. Besides always being camera ready I think my favorite part about Lu is when she switches to english just to really hit the point home. When Carla noticeably avoided her and she said “You bitch!” Ugh, iconic! Lu is the closet we’ve gotten to Blair Waldorf because they have the same amount in their bank account, good grades, love scheming, and can really rock a headband. Lu is down right mean as hell season one but as the seasons go on her tough girl facade starts to fade well, sort of. If you love top tier dramas watch Elite! I dare you to not fall in love with Lu. That’s my bitch!

Best quote: “Narco Barbie.”

3. Katherine Pierce (played by Nina Dobrev)

Show: The Vampire Diaries

Katherine. Fucking. Pierce. The woman the myth the absolute legend. She is the best villain on Vampire Diaries cause she’s literally the most selfish bitch on the planet! Katherine invented the phrase I want it I got it. Katherine doesn’t have a lot of redeeming qualities but one of them is the way she hates Elena and can we fucking blame her!?! Elena is the worst!!! Imagine the two loves of your life falling for a girl who looks EXACTLY like you but has absolutely no personality!? EW!!! Katherine did like ONE nice thing ever and it was being nice to her daughter before she died. When Katherine died in season 5 a part of me died too but thank god for Kai Parker.

Best quote: “Hello, the cute one’s here!”

4. Rebekah Mikaelson (played by Claire Holt)

Show: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

To be honest I couldn’t get that into The Originals but I loved Rebekah on The Vampire Diaries. If you wanted to see how a Leo woman moves and operates there is no need to look further than Rebekah Mikaelson. Rebekah was a bad bitch but she had feelings! All she wanted was a guy to love her and it’s veryn understandable when the guys in Mystic Falls look like that! I like Rebekah cause she always had the best outfits and was the only one besides Katherine who realized Matt was hot as hell.

Best Quote: “If you don’t shut your mouth the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth.”

5. Rei Hino/Sailor Mars (Voiced by: Michie Tomazawa, Cristina Valenzuela, Katie Griffin, Emilie Barlow, and Rina Sato)

Show/Movies: Sailor Moon franchise

I know she’s a hero but let’s be honest, Rei was a massive bitch! She was always making fun of Usagi for literally no reason and she even tried to steal Mamo from her! Like sis READ THE ROOM. One thing I admire about Rei is her sense of style. She really was serving lewks all day everyday I mean that pink overall fit is still iconic in 2020! I think one of the reasons she’s so mean is because she’s fighting the forces of evil in a stiletto! I mean they’re cute but not practical for fighting the bad guys! Although Rei is the literal definition of an Aries she cares for the people she loves and that is why we tolerate her.

[aheroic]

Some Highlights From Harry's YouTube Video Titles:

"This one weird trick made me immortal!"

"Love Potions and why they should be more illegal than unforgivable curses"

"The knight bus is creepy: the story of my first ride (sorry, Neville)"

"why you shouldn't leave your hair or blood where people can collect it"

"If you ask me for an autograph, I'll give you one but it won't be mine: what happened at the grocery store this morning"

"The government hates me but they can't do anything about it because I saved all of their lives twice and gave them back control of the country"

"Fun loophole for the laws against underage magic--study runes"

"How to lay protective wards against your cat ruining everything"

"If I joined an advocacy group at 14 with basically no information am I still obligated to support it? My friend is trying to instigate a house elf revolution"

"How to Protect Your Home from Ghosts in Three Easy Steps"

"Half the people I went to school with still read at a third grade level"

"Some weird guy at the Ministry suggested my old headmaster might have been fae. Did I have a fairy godmother?"

"My teacher predicted my horrible death about once a week for three years--did that lead to my suicidal tendencies?"

"My Godson Has Finally Stopped Changing His Hair Color Every Few Seconds So Maybe If He Decides on a Nose I Can Send Him To Primary School"

"Please don't go cashless I'm banned from every bank in the world--that's what happens when you make bad money decisions as a teenager"

"My mother was murdered in front of me--the first thing my best friend ever asked me was whether I remembered it"

"Flying: Sure there's safety to consider, but what way's the coolest? A blind dragon is pretty exciting."

"The Story of How I Helped My Dogfather Escape Their Execution"

"My Godfather's Partner Was a Werewolf: Best Teacher I Ever Had, But He Quit After He Accidentally Tried To Eat Me"

"I think Dracula tried to adopt me"

"Pretending I Didn't Exist: A Childhood With My Magic-Hating Aunt and Uncle"

"Two of the guys I shared a room with for 6 years were dating for 4 of them and I didn't notice"

"The One Benefit to Fame--I've never once thought to take a photo but my whole life is thoroughly documented anyways"

"My school taught me how to turn a mouse into a pincushion but not how to pay taxes or do math"

"My Birthday Was a National Holiday for Three Years"

"My Ten Least Favorite Magical Creatures and Why"

"My Teacher Once Tried to Wipe My Memories, It Didn't Go Great For Him But I Still Visit Sometimes"

"I Found a Magic Sword in a Hat When I Was 12 and I Haven't Been the Same Since"

"This tiny toy dragon is the only one who's really been there for me through everything"

"I've never been to a dentist and at this point I don't believe they're real"

"I genuinely don't know if my birth certificate is real because I think I was born in a magical hospital and wizards like to forge documents"

"My best friend slept with a grown-ass terrorist beside him in bed for years and no one said anything"

"What I wouldn't give to just be famous for being the grandson of the guy who spent his whole life dedicated to trying to control our family hair and failed"

"I Stopped Willingly Wearing Trousers at Eleven And I Will Not Change My Mind"

"My Teacher Wanted to Fuck My Dead Mom and Handled It By Giving Me Detention: A True Story."

"My Secondary School Rival Was Really My Secondary School Crush and No One Even Told Me."

"One Time I Cursed This Guy In A Girls' Bathroom: Now We're Snogging in Mine."

"I ate a spoonful of sugar and I think my boyfriend had a heart attack"

"The Real Wizards are Optometrists--I had no idea that I'd been living with a wrong prescription for fifteen years. I was blind why did people let me handle poisons and delicate explosives?"

"My Year-Long Camping Adventure--Sorry to All the Farmers I Stole Eggs From I Was a Feral Child With No Manners"

"I already assassinated a dictator twice. what more does the world want from me? Rent??"

"I was the chosen one but now I can't even choose cereal without having an internal crisis"

"I saved the world at 17- Now what?"

"A magical coming out story--I really did live in a closet."

"How I Feel About Pixies: the Real Story Behind my Lifelong Grudge"

"Befriending Death Omens for Health and Relaxation"

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Minneapolis Braces for Verdict in Floyd’s Death (NYT) MINNEAPOLIS—Around midday last Monday, Samir Patel received a phone call from his friend, a dentist: Gunshots had rung out, his friend told him, and the contractors who were rebuilding the office he lost in last year’s unrest had fled. He was boarding up, and he told Mr. Patel he should move quickly to protect his own business, a dry cleaning shop. Elite Cleaners, Mr. Patel’s shop, is on a side street, not far from the shell of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct station house, which burned last year in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. The surrounding community of Lake Street, a corridor of immigrant-owned businesses—taquerias, furniture shops, liquor stores and cafes—was devastated by looting in the days of protests and the riots that followed. The city has said that the unrest led to $350 million in losses, with more than a thousand buildings either destroyed or damaged. As the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer charged with murder in the death of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, draws to a close, the city is on edge, fearing that a not-guilty verdict would bring anger, chaos and destruction once again.

New migrant facilities crop up to ease crowding, again (AP) For the third time in seven years, U.S. officials are scrambling to handle a dramatic spike in children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border alone, leading to a massive expansion in emergency facilities to house them as more kids arrive than are being released to close relatives in the United States. More than 22,000 migrant children were in government custody as of Thursday, with 10,500 sleeping on cots at convention centers, military bases and other large venues likened to hurricane evacuation shelters with little space to play and no privacy. More than 2,500 are being held by border authorities in substandard facilities. So many children are coming that there’s little room in long-term care facilities, where capacity shrank significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, minors are packed into Border Patrol facilities not meant to hold them longer than three days or they’re staying for weeks in the mass housing sites that often lack the services they need. Lawyers say some have not seen social workers who can reunite them with family in the U.S. Both Donald Trump and Barack Obama faced similar upticks in Central American children crossing the border alone in 2019 and 2014. The numbers have now reached historic highs amid economic fallout from the pandemic, storms in Central America and the feeling among migrants that Biden is more welcoming than his predecessor.

Students’ struggles pushed Peru teacher to run for president (AP) As schools across Peru closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pedro Castillo tried to find a way to keep classes going for his 20 fifth- and sixth-grade students. But in his impoverished rural community deep in the Andes, his efforts were futile. Seventeen of the students didn’t even have access to a cellphone. Tablets promised by the government never arrived. “Where is the state?” Castillo, 51, told The Associated Press after a day of planting sweet potatoes on his own land. It was the last straw for Castillo, who over 25 years had seen his students struggle in crumbling schools where teachers also cook, sweep floors and file paperwork. He’d already dabbled in activism with the local teachers’ union and helped lead a national strike in 2017. But now he went further, tossing his name into a crowd of 18 candidates in Peru’s presidential election. Defying the polls, the elementary school teacher came first in the April 11 voting, albeit with less than 20% of the overall vote. The stunning result gave him a place in June’s presidential runoff against Keiko Fujimori, one of Peru’s most established political figures and the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori. It is her third attempt to become president. Castillo’s unlikely campaign comes at a turbulent time for the South American nation that has suffered like few others from the COVID-19 pandemic. It recently ran through three presidents in a week after one was removed by congress over corruption allegations. Every president of the past 36 years has been ensnared in corruption allegations, some imprisoned. One died by suicide before police could arrest him.

New direction needed: EU launches website for citizens to discuss its future (Reuters) The European Union launched on Monday a website for citizens to debate the future of the 27-nation bloc as the exit of Britain, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of nationalism force the EU to reflect on how it wants to develop. The website, available for contributions in the EU’s 24 official languages, is part of what EU institutions call the Conference on the Future of Europe—a forum for debate to help identify issues the EU needs to address in the changing global context. “The conclusions of the conference could be the backbone for reforms in the Union in the future,” one of the leaders of the initiative, member of European Parliament and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told a news conference. The website prompts debates on subjects including climate change, the environment, health, the economy, social justice and jobs, the role of the EU in the world, values and rights, the rule of law, security, digital transformation, democracy and migration. Citizens can also launch their own topics.

Cheating at Greek universities (Foreign Policy) Greek universities are experiencing a crisis of confidence in their students as remote learning takes the place of traditional education. Professors have noted surprisingly high marks from previously poor students, raising suspicions that the students may be using underhanded tactics. “Result averages are up, and people we haven’t seen in years are showing up for exams because the system makes it easy to cheat,” Kostas Kosmatos, an assistant professor of criminology at Thrace’s Democritus University told AFP. Sofia, a psychology student, admitted to have taken two exams “on behalf of two of my friends and nobody realized.” Resourceful students have created technological workarounds to boost their chances during exams, crowdsourcing answers in live chats with students at the University of Crete even enlisting a linguistic expert to help them during exams. “But even he got a verse wrong,” Angela Kastrinaki, dean of the University of Crete’s literature department, told AFP. “So I got 50 papers with the same mistake. It was funny.”

Russia Expels 20 Czech Diplomats as Tensions Escalate (NYT) A day after the government of the Czech Republic blamed operatives from Russia’s military intelligence agency for a series of mysterious explosions at an ammunition depot in 2014 and expelled 18 Russian diplomats, the Russian government announced on Sunday that 20 Czech diplomats would be ejected in response. The expulsions signal further escalation of tensions between the Kremlin and western governments, reaching an intensity not seen since the Cold War. The spat between the Czech Republic and Russia comes just days after the United States imposed heavy sanctions on Russian government officials and businesses in response to a large-scale hacking of American government computer systems. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the Czech accusations “absurd” and accused the government of being an American puppet. “In an effort to please the U.S.A. following recent American sanctions against Russia, the Czech government in this instance even exceeded its overseas masters,” the Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.

Montenegro’s billion-dollar dilemma (NYT) Few Europeans thought it was a good idea for Montenegro to take a mammoth loan from China to build a highway. Now the tiny, mountainous country is asking the European Union for help to repay the debt—and the answer, so far, has been no. The situation in Montenegro is the latest skirmish in an escalating global push for influence by China, which has made inroads in economically weak countries by offering loans that demand loyalty to Beijing but otherwise have few strings attached. Montenegro’s first debt payments are due this summer. The $1 billion loan is nearly a fifth the size of the country’s entire economy. Montenegrin leaders say they won’t miss their loan payment this summer even if no E.U. aid is forthcoming. European officials said they wanted to help Montenegro but were searching for a palatable way to do so. Linking the aid to the loan too directly could be politically difficult, since many E.U. officials do not want to be in the position of effectively paying down a Chinese loan that E.U. leaders warned against in the first place. “China has been filling any opening it felt it could,” said Vuk Vuksanovic, a researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, a Serbian think tank. “Local capitals were hungry for cash, particularly on big development issues like infrastructure. And the Chinese were willing to go places where Western institutions were not.”

Afghan Women Fear the Worst, Whether War or Peace Lies Ahead (NYT) Farzana Ahmadi watched as a neighbor in her village in northern Afghanistan was flogged by Taliban fighters last month. The crime: Her face was uncovered. People silently watched as the beating dragged on. Fear—even more potent than in years past—is gripping Afghans now that U.S. and NATO forces will depart the country in the coming months. They will leave behind a publicly triumphant Taliban, who many expect will seize more territory and reinstitute many of the same oppressive rules they enforced under their regime in the 1990s. The New York Times spoke to many Afghan women about what comes next in their country, and they all said the same thing: Whatever happens will not bode well for them. Whether the Taliban take back power by force or through a political agreement with the Afghan government, their influence will almost inevitably grow. In a country in which an end to nearly 40 years of conflict is nowhere in sight, many Afghans talk of an approaching civil war. “All the time, women are the victims of men’s wars,” said Raihana Azad, a member of Afghanistan’s Parliament. “But they will be the victims of their peace, too.”

Hard-line Islamists take 6 Pakistani security personnel hostage amid deadly clashes (Washington Post) A hard-line Islamist group on Sunday took six Pakistani security personnel hostage after days of deadly clashes in the northeastern city of Lahore over a French satirical newspaper’s publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad and the arrest of the group’s leader by Pakistani authorities. A senior police officer and two paramilitary fighters were among those taken after protesters surrounded a police station and stormed the compound, according to Lahore police spokesman Arif Rana. A week of violence across the country has left at least four dead, according to the protesters. Police officials say thousands have been arrested. The tensions driving the protests, led by the Islamist party Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan, have been simmering for months after French President Emmanuel Macron honored a teacher who was beheaded last year in France after he showed a class the cartoons depicting Muhammad. For many Muslims, depictions of the prophet are blasphemous and deeply insulting. Macron’s comments sparked protests across the Muslim world last year.

India’s capital to lock down as nation’s virus cases top 15M (AP) New Delhi was being put under a weeklong lockdown Monday night as an explosive surge in coronavirus cases pushed the India’s capital’s health system to its limit. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a news conference the national capital was facing shortages of oxygen and some medicine. “I do not say that the system has collapsed, but it has reached its limits,” Kejriwal said, adding that harsh measures were necessary to “prevent a collapse of the health system.” Similar virus curbs already have been imposed in the worst-hit state of Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital, Mumbai. The closure of most industries, businesses and public places Wednesday night is to last 15 days.

Pacific Ocean storm intensifies into year’s first super typhoon (Reuters) Strong winds and high waves lashed the eastern Philippines on Monday as the strongest typhoon ever recorded in April barrelled past in the Pacific Ocean, killing one man and triggering flooding in lower-lying communities, disaster officials said. More than 100,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas, according to provincial disaster agencies. The core of Surigae, or Bising as the storm is known locally, is not expected to hit land. But with a diameter of 500 km and winds reaching 195 km per hour, parts of the eastern islands of Samar experienced flooding, while several communities lost power. The first super typhoon of 2021 foreshadows a busy storm season for the region in the year ahead, experts say.

Lebanon’s crumbling capital (AFP) Beirut’s roads are riddled with potholes, many walls are covered in anti-government graffiti and countless street lamps have long since gone dark. At night, car drivers creep cautiously past broken traffic lights and strain their eyes for missing manhole covers, stolen for the value of their metal. Many parking metres have been disabled in protest over an alleged corruption scandal, while cars are parked randomly on sidewalks. To many, the dysfunctional capital has become emblematic of a country mired in its worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war after decades of mismanagement and corruption. Much of Beirut’s infrastructure started falling apart long before last August’s massive portside explosion killed more than 200 people, levelled the waterfront and damaged countless buildings. Amid the crisis, the Lebanese currency has collapsed and continues its downward slide at a sickening rate that in itself is deepening the problem. As the currency has dived by more than 85 percent on the black market, wary contractors are steering clear of any municipal repairs that are paid for in Lebanese pounds.

Eleven dead, 98 injured after train derails in Egypt (Reuters) Eleven people were killed and 98 injured on Sunday in a train accident in Egypt’s Qalioubia province north of Cairo, the health ministry said in a statement. The train was heading from Cairo to the Nile Delta city of Mansoura when four carriages derailed at 1:54 p.m. (1154 GMT), about 40 kms (25 miles) north of Cairo. More than 50 ambulances took the injured to three hospitals in the province, the health ministry said. The derailing is the latest of several recent railway crashes in Egypt. At least 20 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured in March when two trains collided near Tahta, about 440 kms (275 miles) south of Cairo.

South Africa wildfire (Washington Post) Cape Town ordered precautionary evacuations of communities living along the edges of city landmark Table Mountain on Monday as firefighters struggled to contain a fire that gutted historical landmarks, including the oldest working windmill in South Africa and a library housing African antiquities at the University of Cape Town. The fire started Sunday morning near the memorial to colonial leader Cecil Rhodes and quickly spread uncontrolled beneath Devil’s Peak in Table Mountain National Park in an area popular with weekend hikers and cyclists. By Monday morning, strong southeasterly winds, which were expected to reach more than 30 miles per hour (50 km/h) later in the day, had pushed the fire toward densely-populated areas above Cape Town city. Well-known tourist sites, such as the Table Mountain aerial cableway, were temporarily closed. Heavy smoke engulfed the city forcing the closure of a major highway and other nearby roads. Hikers, park visitors, visitors to the nearby Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and hundreds of students from the university campus were evacuated on Sunday.

NASA’s Ingenuity Makes First Powered Flight On Mars (NPR) “Orville and Wilbur would be proud. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has made the first-ever powered flight on another planet, 117 years after the Wright Brothers’ historic flight on this planet. The flight itself was modest. The 4-pound helicopter rose 10 feet in the air, hovered briefly, and returned to the Martian surface.

[slytherinknowitall]

Potion Fumes and Cauldron Leaks

Chapter 15: Where Your Priorities Lie

(Click here for chapter 14!)

(Click here to start from the beginning!)

Disclaimer: I don’t own the “Harry Potter” book series. The story of “Harry Potter” is the property of J. K. Rowling, it is not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

“All I am saying is that I really don’t think you should be too hard on her, sir. She’s still struggling with being so far away from her family for the majority of the year,” Granger said as the pair made their way up one of the narrow staircases connecting the remote dungeons to the rest of the castle. “She’s very sensitive, you know.”

Severus snorted at her defence of the Hufflepuff student; she certainly took her job as Head Girl just too seriously sometimes.

“I do believe that this is Miss Zeller’s third year at this school now. Sensitive or not,” he spat the word out with some disgust. “It is about time that she gets a hold of herself. I already expect nothing from her, and yet she still somehow manages to disappoint me every single time that she enters my classroom.”

The witch shook her head in disagreement as she gave him a disapproving look, but Severus thought that he could see the corners of her mouth lift a little.

Reaching the Grand Staircase, their conversation shifted to something more academic: an interesting Potions Weekly article they’d both read. It really seemed as though the ice between the teacher and his student had broken even more ever since their little nighttime encounter in front of the Hospital Wing. Over the past two weeks, Granger had ventured into the dark depths of the dungeons on a daily basis; once or twice, she had even gone two times in a single day. Splitting their time between Snape’s office and the Potions classroom, the two masterminds had prepared assignments, maintained Poppy’s ever-dwindling medicine stock and even discussed the wizarding world’s newest scientific achievements here and there. Whenever there’d been time, Severus had tried to quench his apprentice’s thirst for knowledge by teaching her about exotic potions that were way too complex to even be mentioned on the regular Hogwarts syllabus. And while he had been trying hard to keep up his guard in front of his inamorata, Granger had slowly started to share more and more personal details of her life during each exchange – like the time she had opened up about the pressure put on her from a very young age by her dentist parents to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. “Can you believe that I never had a bite of chocolate before my very first ride on the Hogwarts Express? That was the first time that I’d ever been without their supervision. I felt like I had committed a criminal act!”

Deeply engaged in their discussion about a particularly fascinating part of the article, the both of them startled in unison when the large, old door leading to the Great Hall suddenly swung open just a few feet ahead of them. Out came three familiar figures: A tall and lanky freckled ginger and another slightly smaller boy with untidy jet-black hair who had his arm slung loosely around the shoulders of a thin redhead.

“Oh!” Granger let out a small gasp as she recognised her peers. “I’m sorry, Professor, but I need to go now. I think that I’ll spent the evening studying since I have the feeling that there is going to be a surprise quiz tomorrow in Charms; but I’ll try to stop by in the morning before breakfast to drop off those essays I corrected last week, if that would be all right?”

All Severus could do was to give her a curt nod before he watched her run off after her idiotic friends.

*************** *************** ***************

“Hey, you guys! Wait up!”

Hermione greeted her fellow Gryffindors with a big smile when they finally turned around to face her. With a few more bounding strides, she caught up to them.

“Where are you going? I thought that we were having lunch together today.” It took her a moment to catch her breath. “You know, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Instead of a response, all she was met with were three blank stares. After several excruciatingly long seconds of awkward silence, it was Harry who spoke up first.

“Hermione, lunch ended ten minutes ago. We waited over an hour for you,” he said softly.

“What?!” It only took the brunette one quick look at her trusty wristwatch to realise that he was right. “Merlin, I am so sorry! I didn’t notice that it’s already this late …” she muttered perplexed.

“This is the fourth time you have stood us up now!” snapped Ron, his ears turning red. “What were you even doing that’s more important than your own friends?”

“Professor Snape and I were just finishing up some potions to use in a demonstration for the second-years on Friday. I’m really so sorry, I didn’t think it would take this long!”

“Hermione, you’ve been spending an awful lot of time down there with that git lately,” Ginny said with a slight pout on her face. “We barely get to see you anymore.”

“Well, I guess it’s true that the apprenticeship is taking up a lot of my time and energy at the moment. Together with my duties as Head Girl, I –“

“It just feels like you care a lot more about Snape and his stupid potions than you do about us,” Ron interrupted her, his lips nothing but a thin line.

Hermione looked absolutely baffled. “But that’s not true! I love you guys, and you know that! I admit that perhaps I’ve been spending a little bit too much time with Professor Snape as part of my studies, but I have just been … I guess I didn’t realise that –“

“Yeah, you didn’t realise, just like you never do. With you, it’s always just books and grades.” The youngest Weasley boy snorted. “Let’s go!” he then gestured to the other two to follow him as he stormed off in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

Ginny did not even say a single word before turning to follow her older brother, her gaze pinned to the floor. Harry, however, gave his best friend a quick shoulder squeeze paired with an empathetic look before running off as well.

Before she knew it, Hermione was all alone. Still somewhat in a state of shock, her bottom lip began to quiver, and it looked like she was holding back tears as she too wandered off, most likely to seclude herself in the library, entirely unaware that a pair of dark eyes was following her.

(Click here for chapter 16!)

[inwintersolitude]

- September 26th 2020 -

How old were you when you learned how to drive? I started learning when I was 16, and I got my license when I was 17.

Have you ever been to a baby shower? What was the baby's name? Yes, my nephew's baby shower. His name is Oliver.

What mode of transport did you take to high school? Before I got my driver's license, I always rode the school bus. Once I had my license, I still sometimes rode the bus, and I sometimes drove one of my parent's cars to school if they didn't need it that day.

Name a personality trait of yours that you like. I have a very self-assured and individualistic spirit. I'm always true to myself and I go through life on my own terms, regardless of what's considered "normal" or "conventional."

Name something about your physical attraction that you dislike. My frizzy hair.

What's in your purse right now? My wallet, a cloth face mask, some pens, my migraine meds, the garage door opener... I can't remember what else.

Do you vote in your country's elections? Yes, always.

What was your first kiss like? It was absolutely wonderful.

Shuffle your music and skip twice. What song is playing? The first movement of Beethoven's 5th symphony.

Have you ever been a freelancer? I guess you could say my work is technically freelancing, since I'm self-employed. But I usually think of a freelancer as someone who has clients, which I don't have since I'm an independent stock trader.

What mood were you in when you woke up today? I was mood-less. Haha. Too groggy to have a mood.

What storey is your bedroom on? The third. It's a townhouse with the garage, foyer, and laundry room on the ground floor, kitchen/living areas on the second floor, and bedrooms on the third floor.

What gifts do you usually receive at Easter? I don't give/receive any gifts for Easter.

Do you use a planner to keep track of your life? Kind of. I have a dot grid journal that I was using for bullet journaling and making my own planner layouts and habit trackers, but it was kind of tedious to keep making the layouts on every new page. Now I just use it for jotting down random notes, completely freestyle. It's kind of organized chaos.

Who was the last person you sent an email to? My husband.

Are there any posters in your bedroom? No.

What was your favourite fairytale as a kid? I don't remember if I had a favorite.

Is there anything in your freezer that you really need to get rid of? No.

Have you ever played Second Life? No.

What do you like about the town or city you live in? It has an interesting history, it's not too large of a city but still has plenty of amenities, and the sunsets here are always gorgeous because of the mountains.

What do you dislike about the town or city you live in? Eh, I just don't particularly like the D.C. area in general. I also wish there were more large parks in/around this city. But I grew up right next to a beautiful national park, so my standards are high.

Do you own any designer label items? Just a few things.

Are your parents good cooks? My mom is an excellent cook. And my dad doesn't cook much, but he's great at grilling.

What's the first thing you notice about a person? Their appearance, and how they treat others.

Have you ever been to a chiropractor? Did you like it? Nooope. Chiropractic “medicine” is pseudoscience, and I've heard plenty of horror stories of people ending up with chronic back/neck pain after a chiropractor fucked up their spine.

What is your favourite museum? The Museum of London, or the National Air and Space Museum.

Do you know anyone who is an actor? One of my cousins has had a few minor roles. I also used to know Emma Stone when we were kids because our mothers have been close friends since they were in 7th grade together, but I haven't seen her since before she became super famous.

Have your wisdom teeth come through yet? My top ones have, but my bottom ones are still deep in there. My dentist doesn't see the need to take them out.

How many weddings have you been to? Hmm... eight, I think?

Do you watch Youtube? What channels do you like? Yep. Some of my favorite channels are The History Guy, Psychology in Seattle, Alex The Honking Bird, DW Documentary, Linus Tech Tips, Rick Steves' Europe... yes, I looked through my subscriptions list to answer this, haha.

What's your alcohol of choice? Gin and tonic.

Have you ever used a public pay phone? Plenty of times, when I was growing up and they were still very common.

Which one item would you save from your burning house? Aaah, what a stressful question haha. Assuming that means only inanimate objects and that I already saved my pet birds... probably my occlusal splint, since I'd have awful jaw/ear pain without it. Plus it took weeks to be custom-made in a lab, so it's not like I could just go to the store and replace it.  But I also have a ton of sentimental items and some family heirlooms, so honestly I have no idea how I could choose only one thing to save.

Do you have a Twitter account? Yep.

What is your hair like right now? It's in a messy ponytail and it needs to be washed, but it's super late so I'll do it tomorrow.

How do you like your eggs cooked? Scrambled with cheddar and Cholula hot sauce, scrambled with cheddar and sautéed veggies, or over-easy.

What's the longest you've been without showering? I'm pretty certain it was after my surgery when I couldn't get my stitches wet, but I don't remember exactly how long it was.

Name one of your guilty pleasure songs. The Picard Song, from that old YTMND meme site from like 2004, hahahah. I actually just listened to it earlier today. My husband and I were watching Star Trek: TNG and we happened to be on one of the episodes that they pulled dialogue from to make that song. So, being the massive dork I am, I found it in my iTunes and played it.

Have you ever made an item of clothing? No.

What was the most expensive bill you paid within the last month? Rent.

[phoenixwithahoardoflibraries]

I read this book for the first time back in elementary school - probably around 3rd or 4th grade, because that was the period I was utterly fascinated with all things about Colonial America/Revolutionary/Post-Revolution U.S -- and particularly this period’s medicine. (Yes, I am aware the book is for young adults. I was the third grader who thought the unabridged version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a good idea for a book report; I read this just fine.) I loved it as a brilliant work of fiction, and would recommend it for adults just as much as for kids.

I never imagined I would ever live it.

And now I am afraid that I will. That we all will.

Like many of us, I have been stuck inside for the most part in voluntary quarantine against the pandemic. I’ve done a lot of schoolwork and scheduled a lot of virtual meetings with classmates and project partners, checked my temperature with a thermometer and worried if I’ll start displaying symptoms despite not yet having come into contact with someone or somewhere that tested positive.

The rare times I have gone outside, it has been scary quiet, and yet not quiet enough. Inside, I am tempted to use headphones - not to block out the street as usual, but to interrupt the silence of the city. The construction work in the house next door which has been ongoing for months has gone silent today, as the Massachusetts state government orders it closed along with all other construction sites -- and though the noise has been as distracting as a dentist’s drill, the silence is eerie. Out the window, I don’t hear any ambulance alarms or fire truck sirens, or any honking cars.

In Ohio, one of my friends is trying to vote; in Vermont, another friend is recovering from a bout of symptoms that may or may not be the coronavirus. I try and distract myself and hope that no one gets sick in my house.

Perhaps that is why I remembered this book yesterday, a book I haven’t thought about in years.

When the story begins on August 16 1793, Philadelphia is the capital of the United States. People are living in luxury. The narrator is Matilda “Mattie” Cook, age 14, who helps her widowed mother and father-in-law run a coffeehouse - a bustling, successful business, two blocks away from President Washington’s house. Customers eat, drink, talk, play backgammon and cards. Outside, carriages and carts crowd the streets. It is a busy and successful city. Mattie’s biggest worries are the heat, the smells, and her mother’s ambitions - until her old friend Polly doesn’t show up to work. Because Polly is dead - collapsed with a fever, dead less than an hour later.

A week later, sixty-four people are dead.

By the start of September, the entire city is panicked, fever victims are buried every day, and Doctors are predicting that the death toll may rise to a thousand - which would be one person out of forty in Philadelphia’s population. Mattie’s mother is sick, and her Grandfather, who fought the British and fears nothing, decides enough is enough, and to try and get Mattie out of the city.

By the end of the epidemic in November, when the first frost kills the mosquitos, that will rise to a tenth of Philadelphia’s entire population. Mattie is one of the lucky people who got ill and recovered. But she has lost so much of her life. And so have so many others.

Perhaps it was because I was reading as a child, but I do not think I remember realizing why Anderson began the story where she did - I thought it was just an appropriate place to begin. Now, though it has been years since I opened the book, I suddenly remember that, in the first scene, a mosquito bites Mattie before she can slap it. Now I realize that the story begins with the morning Mattie is infected, though she does not know it.

Sadly, the coronavirus has no handy mosquito bite for us to search for. Only symptoms and testings. And there is no frost or change of weather that will deal with the cause of the disease, either.

When I read the book, it was historical fiction. But now, I look at the headlines of this past week’s papers, and I want to laugh at the way humans still behave despite the advances in medicine and understanding of how disease operates in general. The wealthy flee the city to the countryside and remote locations with supplies, hoping to avoid the fever. The poor and the stranded are unable to leave, and dwell in fear. The doctors work as the patients pile up faster than they can treat, and even become infected themselves, frantically seeking answers. The streets empty, hoping to avoid infection by isolation, but a need for supplies or contact or updates bring them outside; the few people who must stay out avoid each other. The economy plunges. The stores close or are bought out of their wares.

We have only one real advantage over the past, it seems - the advent of the digital age allows us to communicate at a distance without risking transmission so much. But the grief, the fear, the uncertainty - the worry that, even if you survive, someone you know will not - these things are not changed.

If you don’t mind gore or fear, it’s a good book. If it hits too close to home during this crisis, I understand. 

My best wishes to you all, in this time of crisis.

[samplays]

"Hey y’all, Sam here. Hope you’re all havin’ an awesome day. Today we’re gonna sit here so y’all can get to know me on a deeper level by learning 30 facts about myself. I’m surprised I could even come up with that many, so I hope it’s worth it. Okay, here we go!”

I’m named after my dad. Samuel Dwight Evans, my dad’s name is Dwight... yeah, you know how names work.

I’m totally a night owl. It takes me forever to get up in the morning. I have to set tons of alarms, I’m super cranky for a while... it’s a mess.

I’m really into space and have been since I was a kid. I love looking at the starts, finding the planets, all that stuff.

I love milkshakes. Chocolate milkshakes are literally my kryptonite.

I’m left handed.

I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was in third grade. Took ‘em a little while to figure out why I wasn’t anywhere near the same level as anybody else, I guess. A lot of the stuff that was hard for me as a kid is a lot easier as an adult so it doesn’t get in the way as much as it did then, so. Yeah.

I collect comic books, surprising absolutely no one.

Also surprising no one: Steve Rogers is my all time favorite character.

And in case you’ve been living under a rock, one more unsurprising fact: my husky Roger is, in fact, named after Steve Rogers. He’s also my best buddy.

My room can get a little messy but I’ve actually gotten way better at keeping stuff organized the older I’ve gotten. I guess when you actually have to be serious and work on stuff and know where things are, it sorta becomes a necessity.

I could probably live on the beach. I never get tired of it.

I try to be like fifteen minutes early to everything.

I make a pretty mean cocktail. If you’re ever lookin’ for a good Old Fashioned, I’m your guy.

I’m 6 feet tall, which...I guess this is technically not a fun fact about me, but means I’m the same height as my younger brother. Still my little brother though.

I was the quarterback in high school. I still like football a lot but haven’t had a chance to play since back then.

We did a lot of outdoorsy stuff as a family. Like camping and hiking and all that. I’m still really into that stuff and like doing it with other people, so I think that definitely had a huge impact on me.

I want to learn how to play piano. I think it’d be fun.

I can speak...at least a little bit of two fictional languages. Na’vi and Klingon. And they said I didn’t make good use of my time when I was in school. Psh.

I really want kids someday. Like, not right now or anything, but the way my family’s always been made me want that for myself, for sure.

I grew up in Nashville and it was the best. I think about going back there a lot.

I actually like going to the dentist, which I know sounds super weird, but it’s never really been unpleasant for me and I get super pumped about getting a free toothbrush.

I used to be a boy scout. I kind of hated it.

I had a phase when I was younger where I wanted to be a vet when I grew up ‘cause I’ve always loved animals so much. I think I wanted to be one of those ones who does like house calls so I could tend to farm animals and all that too. Then I realized that takes a lot more school than I originally thought, so that was outta the question.

If we don’t count any Marvel or Star Wars, I’d say some of my favorite movies are probably The Shining, Shawshank Redemption, Back to the Future... also a big fan of Grease, and obviously Shrek 2 is an undying classic.

I kind of want to release like, a whole comedy album or just an EP of the songs I come up with, ‘cause I have a lot of fun with those and think it could do pretty well. I haven’t really sat down and planned any of that out yet though.

If I can’t get a milkshake for some reason, my second go-to dessert is cheesecake. Especially the kind with strawberries on top.

I never actually thought about my lips until people started bringing it up. High school and the internet are both funny places.

Summer is hands down my favorite season, but I’m also a sucker for a day well spent during winter. Like going ice skating or whatever, then doing the whole hot chocolate, Christmas movies by the fireplace in sweaters thing? I love that stuff.

My birthday’s May 5th so I’m a Taurus, and for the most part I think Taurus traits are pretty accurate to me. The May 5th birthday has also given me awesome Star Wars reference material, even if I just missed May the Fourth. ‘Cause, y’know, Revenge of the Fifth and all that.

I’ve definitely run out of stuff to say by now, so I’ll go with something everybody knows about me which is that my family’s everything to me. I love my parents and I’d literally do anything for my little brother and sister.

[mill3nniumforc3]

200: My crush’s name is: Russell :) 199: I was born in: April 1994 198: I am really: energetic 197: My cellphone company is: Verizon 196: My eye color is: hazel 195: My shoe size is: 7.5-8.5, depending on the shoe 194: My ring size is: 7.5 193: My height is: 5′5″ 192: I am allergic to: penicillin, cats, pollen, and strong scents 191: My 1st car was: I’ve never owned my own car. 190: My 1st job was: babysitting. First real job was a desk job at my university 189: Last book you read: I don’t remember. I don’t have time to read for leisure. 188: My bed is: comfy 187: My pet: Seamus the miniature schnauzer and Sugar the Aussie-mo 186: My best friend: Ashlyn 185: My favorite shampoo is: Dove 184: Xbox or ps3: neither 183: Piggy banks are: for kids and rainy days 182: In my pockets: nothing 181: On my calendar: going river tubing on Saturday, party next Saturday, trip for T’s birthday weekend, and possibly going to Kennywood and Kings Island sometime in August. 180: Marriage is: something for my future self 179: Spongebob can: do anything 178: My mom: is the bestest 177: The last three songs I bought were?: who buys music anymore? 176: Last YouTube video watched: probably an ASMR video 175: How many cousins do you have?: too many to count 174: Do you have any siblings?: three sisters 173: Are your parents divorced?: no 172: Are you taller than your mom?: yep 171: Do you play an instrument?: piano, drums, bells, and I know three chords of the guitar 170: What did you do yesterday?: sleep [ I Believe In ] 169: Love at first sight: sure 168: Luck: yes 167: Fate: maybe? 166: Yourself: depends on the day 165: Aliens: not really... 164: Heaven: yes 163: Hell: Do I believe in it? Yes, because God is just. Do I believe people are damned there? No, because God is loving. 162: God: yes 161: Horoscopes: no. It’s funny to see “horoscope” posts and see if they apply to me, but it’s a bunch of b.s. A bunch of Aries aren’t going to have the same day/month/year. That’s ridiculous. 160: Soul mates: I’m not sure if I do or don’t, but I do believe in love. 159: Ghosts: no 158: Gay Marriage: of course! 157: War: it’s an unfortunate and unnecessary part of life 156: Orbs: no 155: Magic: yes [ This or That ] 154: Hugs or Kisses: both 153: Drunk or High: drunk 152: Phone or Online: online 151: Red heads or Black haired: no comment 150: Blondes or Brunettes: brunettes 149: Hot or cold: hot 148: Summer or winter: summer 147: Autumn or Spring: spring 146: Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate 145: Night or Day: night 144: Oranges or Apples: apples 143: Curly or Straight hair: straight 142: McDonalds or Burger King: McD’s (though I’m probably biased because I work there) 141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: both 140: Mac or PC: PC 139: Flip flops or high heals: flip flops 138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: sweet and poor 137: Coke or Pepsi: neither 136: Hillary or Obama: Obama 135: Burried or cremated: I want to be cremated and have my ashes buried with a seed and grow into a tree 134: Singing or Dancing: dancing 133: Coach or Chanel: neither 132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: Kat 131: Small town or Big city: small town 130: Wal-Mart or Target: Target 129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: Ben 128: Manicure or Pedicure: mani 127: East Coast or West Coast: east coast 126: Your Birthday or Christmas: Christmas. My birthday stopped being special after I turned 19. I get good food every year on Christmas. 125: Chocolate or Flowers: chocolate 124: Disney or Six Flags: Six Flags 123: Yankees or Red Sox: Indians [ Here’s What I Think About ] 122: War: What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. 121: George Bush: he had some good policies. Better than Trump, that’s for damn sure. 120: Gay Marriage: should never be illegal again. 119: The presidential election: #FuckTrump #VoteBlueNoMatterWho #ImpeachTheMF 118: Abortion: all my life, I was told to be pro-life. These days, I don’t know anymore, but I think my beliefs are closer to pro-choice than pro-life. 117: MySpace: it’s not 2008 anymore. 116: Reality TV: glad it’s not my life 115: Parents: they’re doing their best. I’m not looking to be one anytime soon though. 114: Back stabbers: bye! 113: Ebay: Amazon is better. 112: Facebook: these days, I use it to get laughs and memes. I don’t interact with people I know IRL much. 111: Work: good for the money. Not good for my mental health. 110: My Neighbors: they’re ok. 109: Gas Prices: #ThanksTrump 108: Designer Clothes: I can get good clothes at Target. The only “splurge” I do for clothes is at Spencer’s or Kohl’s. 107: College: I plan to go back soon. 106: Sports: entertaining. 105: My family: family is life. 104: The future: anything can happen [ Last time I ] 103: Hugged someone: Tuesday. 102: Last time you ate: a couple hours ago (chik’n patties and cheese) 101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: last week. I saw a manager I hadn’t worked with in like a month. 100: Cried in front of someone: Monday 99: Went to a movie theater: July 2nd 98: Took a vacation: June 97: Swam in a pool: back in February 96: Changed a diaper: I don’t remember 95: Got my nails done: way too long ago 94: Went to a wedding: in April 93: Broke a bone: 2017 (broke my toe) 92: Got a piercing: 2006 91: Broke the law: never. I’m a good person. 90: Texted: three hours ago [ MISC ] 89: Who makes you laugh the most: Russell 88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: my dog 87: The last movie I saw: in theatres, Toy Story 4. At home, Adventures in Babysitting. 86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: being off on Saturday 85: The thing im not looking forward to: working tomorrow 84: People call me: Vonnie, Vonn, Bonbon, Sophia, and “the girl” 83: The most difficult thing to do is: not cry while watching Grey’s Anatomy 82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: never 81: My zodiac sign is: Aries 80: The first person i talked to today was: my sister 79: First time you had a crush: kindergarten. His name was Wally, and we were “boyfriend and girlfriend” til about third grade, and we remained friends til we graduated 8th grade. Haven’t talked to him much since. 78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: Russell 77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: Sunday 76: Right now I am talking to: nobody because it’s 3:30am 75: What are you going to do when you grow up: I hope to be teaching English education 74: I have/will get a job: I currently work at McDonald’s, but within the next 6-12 months, I’ll be moving out of state, so who knows where I’ll work.  73: Tomorrow: work 72: Today: work 71: Next Summer: I’ll be in a whole new state, so that means new amusement parks to visit and rollies to ride. 70: Next Weekend: party. Oh, and next Saturday makes officially 18 months with me and Russell, so go us! 69: I have these pets: two dogs 68: The worst sound in the world: the beeping in the headset when I work back cash. It haunts my nightmares 67: The person that makes me cry the most is: Heather because she sends me to back cash all the time 66: People that make you happy: Russell, my mom, my dogs, Ashlyn, and Aunt Dolly because she sends me lives on Candy Crush 65: Last time I cried: Monday 64: My friends are: Ashlyn, Mikayla, Jon, Rilee, Lamar, Tae, Alexus, Clare, Katie, Mario, and Kel 63: My computer is: all mine because I bought it with my own money 62: My School: not in school  61: My Car: don’t have one 60: I lose all respect for people who: lie 59: The movie I cried at was: Avengers: Endgame 58: Your hair color is: natural 57: TV shows you watch: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon a Time, House, The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and... I don’t really watch TV because I don’t have cable. 56: Favorite web site: YouTube 55: Your dream vacation: Just a big coaster trip 54: The worst pain I was ever in was: my period this month. I had cramps for days leading up to my period that were so bad that, the day my period actually came, I couldn’t stand straight. 53: How do you like your steak cooked: I don’t eat steak 52: My room is: a mess, like my life 51: My favorite celebrity is: NPH 50: Where would you like to be: with my boyfriend 49: Do you want children: someday, but not today 48: Ever been in love: ohhh yes. 47: Who’s your best friend: not answering again 46: More guy friends or girl friends: i think i have a fair amount of both 45: One thing that makes you feel great is: this is tmi, but sex with my bf. 44: One person that you wish you could see right now: Russell 43: Do you have a 5 year plan: no 42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: yes 41: Have you pre-named your children: I don’t have any definitive names, but I’m thinking MaryGrace Linda for a girl, and James Sebastian for a boy 40: Last person I got mad at: Anna because she put me on back cash 39: I would like to move to: someplace south 38: I wish I was a professional: dancer.... no, writer.... no, why not both? [ My Favorites ] 37: Candy: peanut butter cups 36: Vehicle: Jeep 35: President: FDR 34: State visited: North Carolina (not just saying that because I lived there for two months) 33: Cellphone provider: Verizon 32: Athlete: Trevor Bauer 31: Actor: Justin Chambers 30: Actress: Amy Poehler 29: Singer: Chester Bennington 28: Band: Linkin Park 27: Clothing store: Kohl’s 26: Grocery store: Marc’s 25: TV show: Grey’s Anatomy 24: Movie: 13 Going on 30 23: Website: Pogo 22: Animal: seal 21: Theme park: Cedar Point 20: Holiday: Christmas 19: Sport to watch: baseball 18: Sport to play: softball 17: Magazine: I only read magazines at the dentist office, and I’ll read whichever has an interesting cover story 16: Book: A Series of Unfortunate Events 15: Day of the week: Saturday, as long as I’m not at work. If I’m working, then Mondays, I guess... 14: Beach: Huntington 13: Concert attended: Winter Jam, because I got to see Skillet play, and I met Matthew West. 12: Thing to cook: desserts 11: Food: eggplant parm 10: Restaurant: Olive Garden 9: Radio station: Star 102 8: Yankee candle scent: vanilla 7: Perfume: I don’t wear perfume 6: Flower: Daisies 5: Color: pink 4: Talk show host: Ellen DeGeneres 3: Comedian: Steve Rannazzisi 2: Dog breed: I really like terriers lol 1: did you answer all these truthfully ?: For me to know and you to find out :)

[cosmosogler]

got to the dentist on time just fine. they said my teeth are beautiful except that i’m grinding them constantly and it’s hurting my jaw a lot. the dentist actually, like, raised her eyebrows when i said i had chewed holes through my night guard some time ago. gotta talk to mom about replacing it; it would cost about twice as much as the actual appointment did. went to class, did my homework and turned it in. i think i need new reading glasses, or maybe i need computer glasses, but i just had to foot the bill for my dentist appointment, and i don’t think i can afford paying in full for the optometrist straight after. grad insurance doesn’t cover teeth or eyes. figures, since grad students are always grinding their teeth and straining their eyes.

i did my work and then went to club. i read the first half of the third chapter of my comic to them, and then they wanted me to read the other half, so i did that. they seemed to like it a lot. got a few compliments- one person said you really get a feel for what makes the characters tick. so that’s good. reading it out loud is so awkward though, god, i hate it. but the only thing worse than reading it out myself is letting cristian read it out again. 

one girl said it reminded her of homestuck. i joked that i’ll never grow out of it. i wonder what exactly made her think of it- she said she didn’t know, when i asked.

i went to dinner with the president, ian, afterward. we just hopped across the street to chipotle since i was too depressed to cook and i had a gift card. he told me about his music class project and it sounds very ambitious. but he’s super into it. one of raul’s dogs is very sick. it’s one of those things where it could easily go fine or very badly and there’s no way to tell. he brought red to visit with us in club for a bit and then had to take off halfway through. red is a very good girl. i hope the other dog will be ok.

i came home and did some laundry and cleaned my desk and took out the trash. and i wrote a few paragraphs for a short story for the comic. it’s not quite as much work as i wanted to get done this evening... i’ll try to do some ta work before i go to bed. i need to prep for grading.

tomorrow morning i wanna try to scan in the comic at the library. it shouldn’t take too long, now that i’ve got a handle on the settings and stuff. i kind of hate it though because sometimes the scanner doesn’t “see” patches of the page and i end up with a weird blank square in the middle of a panel. it’s good! it’s really good and i hate it!

i haven’t even started drawing the second half of this scene... and i had wanted to post it sunday night. i might finish a page, but i highly doubt i’ll get to the second one this weekend. and the short story will take time to write and then edit, too. it’s been rough trying to scrape together something to post every three days. i might chill on that a bit while i try to think of something simple and quick i could do. more gift art sketches i guess. i am overexerting... but i am so tired of being stuck in this part of the story for months and months. i wanted to be on to arc 5 by now. if i could update with a scene once a week i would have been done by now. but it just feels too... difficult.

been playing mario odyssey a bit, here and there, for a couple hours every few days. i’ve got about 400 moons, now... i kind of want to 100% it but i don’t know where i’d find the time to hunt down every single thing. at least there’s ways to get hints within the game, i don’t think i could handle running back and forth between my desk and the couch trying to track down the last couple moons haha.

[one0fthoseghosts]

1- No. my birth parents are trash. I have a wonderful relationship with my adoptive parents though.

2- I last told my friend Sage that I love them.

3- i regret many things. But don’t we all.

4- I don’t think I’m insecure. Not much at least.

5- i am single.

6- I want to die tragically. Gunshot or car accident.

7- I last ate a vanilla milkshake with apple pie mixed in.

8- Yes! I played softball, basketball, soccer, track and field, volleyball and swimming.

9- I’ve been biting my nails since I had teeth lol

10- my last physical fight was a few years back. It wasn’t an intended fight.

11- do i like someone? What is this? Third grade?

12- I actually have stayed up 48 hours. Serequol withdrawals are a bitch.

13- No i don’t hate anyone. That takes a lot of energy.

14- I miss many people. Some people that are dead. Some that are alive.

15- I don’t have any pets. But my roommates have two dogs and i love them.

16- I am currently content.

17- Bathrooms are amazing places to make out. I’ve done so many times.

18- I’m not scared of spiders.

19- I think i would go back in time. I just don’t know to when or where.

20- Snogged lmao. Okay Harry Potter. Um. My bedroom?

21- This weekend i plan to hang out with my roommates and friend and get some overtime in.

22- No kids.

23- I currently only have my ears stretched. Used to have my lip pierced.

24- History and English are my best subject.

25- I do miss someone. A couple someone’s.

26- Sex. Food. And hookah.

27- I’ve broken too many hearts. I’m sorry.

28- I have been cheated on.

29- I’ve made too many girlfriends cry. Every girlfriend.

30- Nothing is irritating me.

31- Id like to think somebody loves me.

32- My favorite color changes. It’s currently yellow.

33- Who doesn’t have trust issues?

34- I can’t remember my last dream.

35-I haven’t cried in front of someone in years. It was probably my dentist to be honest cuz that shit hurt.

36- I give out 17 chances too easily.

37- It’s much easier to forgive. I’ll never forget.

38- The year I burned my legs off on a treadmill was better than this year.

39- Probably 4. Can’t remember how old I was or who I kissed.

40- I have gone outside completely naked if you count skinny dipping.

41-50 was apparently skipped.

51- I love lasagna

52- everything happens for a reason is my saying

53- Last night before bed i was doing homework.

54- cheating is never okay. Sometimes it makes sense but it’s still not okay.

55- I can be mean but no I’m not mean in general.

56- I’ve fist fought three people.

57- “true love” seems so cliche

58- perfect weather is 75 degrees out, blue skies, light breeze.

59- i don’t know the snow to know if i like it.

60- i do wanna get married

61- it’s amazingly adorable when I’m called baby

62- fresh cup of coffee, food made just for me, cuddles, hookah, a good book, baths, guac, meaningful texts, short list of things that make me happy.

63- I actually have changed my name. In the process of doing so legally.

64- No it wouldn’t be hard to kiss the last person i kissed.

65- My current best friend is elvira so that would be strange if she liked me. I wouldn’t know what to do. We’ve been friends since we were 11.

66- all my friends are the opposite sex and I’m a complete fool around them

67- last person of opposite sex i talked to... um prob gyps.

68- Gyps was the last person i had a deep conversation with

69- i do believe in soulmates. But they aren’t always lovers.

70- there’s a list of people I’d die for.

70 horrible questions ... Fuck it

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? 02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? 03: Do you regret anything? 04: Are you insecure? 05: What is your relationship status? 06: How do you want to die? 07: What did you last eat? 08: Played any sports? 09: Do you bite your nails? 10: When was your last physical fight? 11: Do you like someone? 12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? 13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? 14: Do you miss someone? 15: Have any pets? 16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? 17: Ever made out in the bathroom? 18: Are you scared of spiders? 19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? 20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? 21: What are your plans for this weekend? 22: Do you want to have kids? How many? 23: Do you have piercings? How many? 24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? 25: Do you miss anyone from your past? 26: What are you craving right now? 27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? 28: Have you ever been cheated on? 29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? 30: What’s irritating you right now? 31: Does somebody love you? 32: What is your favourite color? 33: Do you have trust issues? 34: Who/what was your last dream about? 35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? 36: Do you give out second chances too easily? 37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? 38: Is this year the best year of your life? 39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? 40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? 51: Favourite food? 52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? 53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? 54: Is cheating ever okay? 55: Are you mean? 56: How many people have you fist fought? 57: Do you believe in true love? 58: Favourite weather? 59: Do you like the snow? 60: Do you wanna get married? 61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? 62: What makes you happy? 63: Would you change your name? 64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? 65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? 66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? 67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? 68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? 69: Do you believe in soulmates? 70: Is there anyone you would die for?

[pirate-queen-randomness]

Prompt List of  Solangelo One Shots:

This list of 32 prompts can be used by anyone wanting to create work on A03, send me a link if you are going to use it so I can see them as well if you want!

- Where one person is famous and sets up a dating account with their real picture and the other sees it and is like, oh dude you are not fooling anyone with that picture and when they actually meet the other is pissed because DUDE YOU’RE THAT FAMOUS PERSON and the other is like, yeah, I mean, I thought you knew…

- I’m egging a random person’s house to relieve stress and you join me and as it is your ex’s and now they are chasing us as well as the police and now we’re both in jail waiting to be bailed so um you want to talk about it?

- Supernatural High School AU Vampire!Nico/Witch!Will. We meet because I need a vile of vampire venom for a potion and my demon best friend said you’re the person to talk to.

- We’re both in the brass section of the marching band and you never stop making ‘horny’ puns.

- You think I always forget pencils in this class, but I just want to talk to you and now have a little over 200 pencils at home.

- I’m a single parent bringing my kid to school and you run the overpriced ice cream cart and keep guilt tripping me into buying your expensive shit for my kid but I swear I didn’t see you walking beside us and I just wanted to make my daughter happy by driving through the biggest puddle in the road later on.

- Solangelo as thieves who accidentally try to rob a bank at the same time and team up. Nico complimenting how sexy Will looks while weaving their way through an intricate network of deadly lasers. Nico then as soon as Will makes it across, turns off the lasers and just walks through.

- I was walking by the roller coasters and SOMEONE’S SHOE FLEW OFF AND HIT ME IN THE HEAD.

- We are panicked yelling in unison because of lost baggage in between connecting flights and now we’re stuck-in-an-airport-because-the-flights-were-SO-VERY-delayed-and-it’s-like-two-am. When the plane does come; we’re sitting next to each other on this plane and I was eating gummies, but I left all the red ones cause they’re absolute shit and now you’re asking if you can have them.

- It’s the middle of the night and I’m walking home alone in the dark and there’s this guy following me and he’s starting to gain on me and I found this phone booth with a lock on the door and I tried to call my best friend, but my hands were shaking so badly I accidentally dialled the wrong number and I don’t even know you but help me.

- I was super pissed, so I went to the gym even though it’s late at night, so I was the only one there and I was at the punching bag listening to music and you surprised me by tapping me on the shoulder, holy shit I didn’t mean to punch you, I’m so sorry, but seriously why the hell would you surprise SOMEONE WHO IS ANGRY AND PUNCHING THINGS. It turns out you always come to this gym to work out because holy god you can’t stop watching me training because it’s so hot.

- The mailman constantly mixes up your home address and mine together and keeps on sending me your letters and packages and I’m sorry I look through them, but I read some letters from your ex and oh my god do you want me to go with you to police or something?

- What do you mean I didn’t try to pick-pocket you your butt is just amazing?

- We’re neighbours who don’t really talk but your cat might have gotten my cat pregnant, so we must raise this little kitty family together.

- I decided to take a shortcut home that involves crawling through a tight hole in a fence and I end up getting stuck and you just happen to past by and after poking fun at me for a million years you finally decide to try and help me.

- It’s 2am and I was just trying to get home, but I left my sunroof open all day and now there’s a squirrel in my car and it scared me and I drove into a pole – would you please stop laughing you’re a cop. you’re supposed to be helping.

- I went out to throw the garbage in the most unflattering clothes and there was a flash from a camera and for a good five minutes I was trying to fight you because I thought you were going to make fun of me/perving, but it turns out you found a pretty butterfly near where I was.

- I’m in the library researching for this giant assignment that’s 90% of my grade I haven’t slept or gotten anything besides coffee in two days I am going to explode in rage if you don’t shut the fuck up this SECOND. Turns out you and your friends have been playing the penis game in the library for the last five minutes and none of you have gotten above a quiet yell and I’m really just trying to study over here so I’m going to put an end to this by winning the game

- You’re so attractive but every time you open your mouth I want to strangle you how did you end up in my apartment exactly how many tequila shots did I have last night. Also, why are you sitting in my living room with a goat in a poncho, and how did you get the goat in here since I live on the 12th floor?

- Its 4 am and I’m drunk as fuck in a McDonalds and you have been watching my trying to eat this burger for 30 minutes; want to help me?

- Were at a club and although you’re a shitty dancer your also really fucking adorable so I decide to say hi and you end up accidentally hitting me in the face and fucking hell I think you broke my nose.

- A toddler broke your nose and I may or may not have snapped my thumb during a very intense game of Mario Kart and now we’re both sitting next to each other in the hospital waiting room watching my best friend try to fight your best friend for the next appointment.

- I’m scared of the dentist, so I brought my best friend along for support, but they’ve been flirting with the dentist for the past fifteen minutes and now I’m third wheeling at my own dentist appointment and hallucinating on the drugs.

- Army man & nurse/therapist I’m supposed to see but man fuck off. shit you’re cute

- It’s exam week and I run a coffee shop near the campus and you walked right into my glass door I’m laughing so hard oh my god. You start coming in regular and a friend says the only reason the cafe is popular now is because people enjoy eating while watching our relentless flirting with each other, but I swear to God we’re not flirting because you never talk much, but now these two assholes are harassing me and you step in and defend me. I really like you and I thought you liked me back until you walked in here with a date later on and whoops would you look at that I keep spilling stuff on them.

- Black Friday/black coffee: you’re sitting in front of the only plug in this entire coffee shop and not using it. I don’t care how attractive you are, I’m sitting at your table because I need that plug au.

- I work at a public market and some viral advertising campaign is filming videos across from my stall. And therefore, blocking my stall. Listen, buddy, I know you’re just doing your job, but this is getting ridiculous- oh shit you’re cute and its turns out you actually only work in the new stall next to mine and neither of us can get any work done because of the film crew so…hey?

- We both work at the same company and I kind of had a crush on you until I found out that you were the thieving asshole that kept stealing my lunch from the office refrigerator so now we’re in a meeting where there’s a semi-formal dress code and I’m slaying in my outfit, but you showed up in jeans and a sweatshirt and I’m really trying not to go over and get on to you for it and your actions. So, I just vent a little to my friend and you heard us I’m so sorry I didn’t want to be rude or anything- but seriously dude? / I forgot about the dress code at this meeting and can tell you’re bothered by it and now I’m torn between feeling bad about my clothes and being amused at your indignant reaction and I’m the sarcastic techie who got dragged into running your stupid presentation before suddenly we’ve been taken hostage Die Hard style.

- We take the same elevator every day and due to a misunderstanding, I assumed you didn’t speak English and I’ve been talking to my friend about how hot you are for three weeks and apparently my friend has known from the start, but you agreed not to tell me because you both think it’s hilarious what the fuck.

- Guest/Talk show host who flirt, do you do this with everyone? it’s been a week and oh my god, our fans are shipping us

- I understand that you’re my bodyguard but that was a freaking FRISBEE not a nuclear bomb Jesus Christ - Hey why are you still on top of me and why have I not noticed how beautiful you are?

- We somehow got stuck overnight in an ikea and I just want to go to sleep in one of the display beds but you’re slowly convincing me that it’d be fun to see how much shit we can get into before the morning staff come to open up the store.

[raisingsupergirl]

Pre-K, Go Away

I think I might have a problem. I mean, I know I have a problem. It's just that I always claim to be a laid-back dude, all calm and collected. But ever since my wife gave me my first daughter, there's been this thing. It's not fear, exactly. And dread is too strong. It's more like reverse nostalgia—like my heart aches for the memories that I'm creating currently, and even for the ones that I haven't even experienced yet. I look at my three year old and my 8 month old, and I wish I could get back the time I'm spending with them right now. And as if that's not confusing enough, time got away from me somewhere. I spend every day cherishing the little things—the milestones and the giggles—but I blinked one day and missed something. So what did I miss, exactly? Well, at some point, my beautiful first-born went from being a toddler to a preschooler.

You'd think I would have noticed. I mean, her pre-K screening last month should have tipped me off. She counted to fifteen, named shapes, and said most of her alphabet (for the record, she can count to twenty and say her whole alphabet, but she gets a little distracted sometimes… wait, what was I saying?). She didn't do perfect, but the standardized assessment of her abilities, performing for a judge and receiving a score, it was all so surreal. It got me thinking, which is never a good thing, and suddenly I was seeing the writing on the wall everywhere I looked (not literally, thank the Lord. She hasn't reached that stage yet).

The second thing I noticed was her eating.  I've said in the past how Avery is a terrible eater. Not that she's picky, exactly. My lovely wife has made sure her palate is about a mature as a middle-aged Californian. Seriously, she loves everything from avocado toast to zucchini noodles. BUT, she takes somewhere around twelve hours to eat a single meal. At least, she used to. But as of a couple of weeks ago, she routinely "beats" my wife and I, meaning she finishes everything on her plate before we do. Which is something she did maybe once her entire life before this new change.

And as if the improved eating wasn't enough, we had to deal with the consequences of this change when we went to the dentist and were told she had not one, not two, but three cavities. Even though she—with the help of Mommy—brushes her teeth twice a day and eats less candy than any child I've ever seen, she still inherited horrible teeth with "deep grooves" from said Mommy. Two of the cavities can be filled, but the third is so bad that it's going to need a crown. A crown! Even I don't have any crowns. But what's a $600 bill when it comes to the health of a bunch of disposable baby teeth, right? Especially if they use laughing gas. Getting that on video would be worth the price on its own.

And then came the big one. A couple of months ago, we moved our youngest daughter from her cradle to a convertible crib (yes, the top comes off), which our oldest was previously using as a toddler bed. But with the baby now occupying it, where did that leave our oldest? On a mattress on the floor next to our bed, that's where. And because it was so temporary, it didn't really impact me much. But no child can survive on her parents' floor forever (at least, the parents can't survive it forever), so the day came when we had to get her an actual big-girl bed. And that day was this Sunday.

After Mommy and daughter picked out the PERFECT day bed, I tore open the package, unwrapped all 1,425 parts, and got to work. Even after doing our taxes and getting pinched all day for not wearing green (I’m like half Irish. I shouldn’t have to wear green on St. Paddy’s day!), product assembly actually took less than an hour, and I only stripped one bolt, but it wasn't the assembly that had me worried. It wasn't even the level 99 Tetris game of trying to fit the bed into the same tiny room as our baby's crib. What really had me nervous was waking my precious angels up in the morning and seeing one of them roll out of bed to greet me.

But all of this doesn't nearly do the situation justice. Her personality, her habits, phrases, and mannerisms—they surprise me daily. She has conversations with Alexa (yes, my wife allowed the devil Amazon Echo into our home, thus giving up our final thread of privacy, but happy wife, happy… never mind, I think they're listening) that astound me, and her moments of child-wisdom are matched only by her creative whimsy. It's all just too much.

Meanwhile, my wife is freaking out about our second daughter. "She's almost a year old!" she exclaims. The little monster's eating solid food, propping up on hands-and-knees, pulling up on every piece of furniture she can find, and saying, "Mama," and "Dada," like a champ. Her first tooth has popped up on the bottom, and she's trying it out on everything (let's hope it doesn't have a cavity yet). My wife's premature detachment anxiety even had her rethinking her, "I'm good with two kids," verbal contract, though only briefly. And yet, I can't help thinking I've been through all of that before. I'm not the one breastfeeding her (you're welcome for that mental image). I'm usually not the one putting her down for naps (though she's passed out on my chest as I write this, which is pretty awesome). I'm not the one who grew her in my belly.

For me, I'm not scared about our baby becoming a toddler because I already have one of those. I'm actually excited about it because our first is so awesome that I can't wait to do it all again. What I'm worried about is our first child growing PAST that awesome stage. I'm worried that what comes afterward is a bratty, know-it-all teenager who doesn't need Daddy anymore. I just want to keep her snuggled up beside me watching Clifford and Voltron forever.

Of course, I know I can't slow down time. I know change is the spice of life, and it's cyclical and all of that dumb stuff. But I think this has been the hardest stage of all for me because it's the beginning of the end. She'll likely be in pre-K this fall, in kindergarten the year after that, and then grade school. Up until now, she's been growing with us. She's learned from Mommy and Daddy, changing in our presence, depending on us. But a time is coming very soon when she's going to get her first taste of independence.  There will be other people in her life who will teach her, and feed her, and take her to prom, and steal her away from me. Okay, yeah, dramatic, but it's how I feel, so get over it.

But there's still time. I'm still my oldest's "boyfriend," and she still gets excited when she makes me proud. And, hey, even when she gets older and thinks she knows everything, I still have a few years before my second daughter's flies the coop, right? Okay, fine. I give up. Looks like the only option is to have a few more kids and keep the party going. In fact, I think I'll bring that one up at the next family meeting. And if I go missing, you'll know why. But until then, I guess I'll keep on cherishing every moment. I mean, in the end, what else is there?

[ssoheartbreak]

.

my mum is getting annoyed that I dont want to join in on the streets’ whatsapp quiz and bingo this week, like of course I’m not going to join in on it I’m annoyed as fuck like just yesterday I had to fish out several of my clothes from the fucking bin because she decided they were “done”, she complains all the time that I’m eating her out the house, and a whole load of other shit that you could look through my tags for. Yet she expects me to just be all cool with it now and go back to “normal” like no, that’s not how this works, she’ll yell at me for pointless shit and then the next day or even later that night she’ll be fine and try to act normal and internally I’m just like “yeah no, I’m still annoyed, fuck off and leave me alone, everything isn’t all better just because you cooled off or some shit” 

Nothing ever gets fucking processed in this house, like I haven’t trusted her with my mh ever, and I haven’t trusted her with anything serious since before I was 14, she doesn’t know shit about the stuff I’ve gone through like;

The depression causing me to miss school coupled with the anxiety of returning and having to explain and catch up on work, which turned into her yelling and hitting disciplining me instead of yknow getting me help so that became anger issues when I was 13-14, but then she would stop hitting me when it turned out I could hit back, and yet she didn’t think to get me professional help So she get my uncle a couple houses down to “help” her out but that never worked, so she got my now brother in law to “help” and when it turned out that she took me to his and my sisters house and left me so I would stay there and they would take me to school but I left my shoes in my mums car I decided to walk miles barefooted to go back to my house because that’s so normal and yet she didn’t think to get me professional help

That was when I knew I could never trust her with anything, In my 3rd year of highschool I had 30% attendence. And then I found a coping mechanism in self harm and that rose to 70% in my 4th year, she never knew about it because I would keep my arms hidden all the time and I still do to this day. She just thought I was “behaving” more now. and so she didn’t think to get me professional help.

Then in february 2012 I tried to kill myself, I failed and no one outside of my tumblr knew about it. I couldn’t tell my mum or ask for help because well, I couldn’t trust her and all the yelling and screaming had done nothing to change that over the years.

Ever since then it’s just been self harm for periods of time then stopping and thinking i’m doing better only to get worse and go back to it. My family would make comments on everytime I ate or made food and it got so bad for years that I would “eat my feelings” and I just got fatter and fatter, and now here I am the heaviest I’ve been and I have a fucking eating disorder. But that doesn’t stop my mum from constantly making me feel bad for eating

I got better with my long term girlfriend A, I was happier than normal and depression was less of a constant thing, but my anxiety was still super bad. We got together and it was great, I was in school more, I was happier, I had regular friends. And I had someone/where to escape to when I wanted away from my mum. But my anxiety never lessened and things fell apart and she broke up with me because she thought I was using her as a safety net and didn’t need to try. Now I think she’s dating the dude she kissed at the party we went to just before we broke up, nice. All our friends obviously stuck with her, one was her childhood friend fair, one was my best friend but he was in love with her sucks but understandable, and the others stayed with the group. nice

So now I’m in my 20′s,but in the years before I tried going to college for engineering bc I was pushed into in by my mum, did a year and didn’t wanna continue. So I did a year of computer science, dropped out halfway through but made a connection that became a good friend a couple years later. then I went to electrical engineering which I was forced to do, and I dropped that instantly. A year later, gf breaks up with me, and I’m starting my frist year in accountancy, still depressed, still anxious, still kinda decent weight but now i’m getting fatter and fatter since my teenage motabilism is slowing and I’m becoming an alcoholic to deal, self harm has been on and off, I’ve been threatened with homelessness more times than I can count,

This one is quick, after the split with A I became super alcoholic-y and eventually this girl I used to know from my pokemon days hit me up on twitter we got together for a little over a year, I even spent a month in vegas living with her during the summer, and a few days before new year I broke up with her. There was so much fighting in our relationship and she would emotionally manipulate me, and she’d say things like if we broke up she would never date again and all this other shit.But then my friend got me into playing siege which is how I met my current friend group of 2years now, but early on there was this discord server for all of us who played and met on the game to hang out on, there was a girl I started to like, and I brought a friend into the discord so we could all play together. She and I get super flirty and a couple months go by and we start dating, all is good but about a month goes by and my gf at the time and my current bestfriend plan to roadtrip from texas to arkansas to visit the friend I brought into the server for his birthday for a couple days, fair enough, I can’t visit but I hope they have fun, seems all good until a month later on my birthday a good friend of mine tells me that my gf and the friend I brought into the group fucked while she visited, the other friend knew nothing and was blackout for most of the partying, but it took a month to get to me. So I confront them, she admits it but is more concerned about how I found out. I confront my “friend” and he starts being apologetic until I lay into him for being a shitty friend, then he says that I should’ve expected it since it was long distance, and that he wasn’t the only one she cheated with, so that was a whole fun chapter. oh yeah, I figured she was acting sus when she hung out with guys irl so I developed paranoia for the first time and that shit sucked!!!!

I did 2 years of accountancy and I struggled at the end of the second, depresso and anxiety hit hard and I was missing classes and almost got kicked out, I stayed behind to make up work and finished a few days later than everyone with an A grade. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do a 3rd year, not that I even wanted to I was forced into this, so I tried telling my mum that I was gonna look for work and not do the third year yet, she didn’t like that and threatened to make me homeless or send to down to fucking england to livfe with the dad I text once a year. So I ssigned up to the course and got accepted, I went for a decent amount of time, but then I’d miss days, and it would get hard to catch up, so I missed more, then in december I stopped going and eventually was removed from the course. I pretended I was still going while I would just leave for hours and sit in a car park because I couldn;t take the abuse from her finding out. Eventually she did and it was a shit show, I went on benifits and then the summer I started working as a night porter.

Work was okay for the most part, except when I would set up continental breakfast buffet how the previous manager instructed me but then the morning manager would come in and I would get told off, this happened a few times before I learn to just do it for the person coming in and how they like it. Then I would deal with shitty customers who don’t know I can’t serve them booze or anything, or dealing with drunk customers pissing on the chair in the reception, or dealing with customer who get aggro when I can’t help them. Then I went on a fire safety course that taught me almost nothing about proper procedure and order of events that I should follow. Then one morning a steamy shower set off the fire alarm, I was in the restaurant which is seperate from the lodge and I couldn’t hear the alarm nor did my little buzzer go off even though it should’ve good fucking system huh and the manager evacuated the lodge, I panicked and did what I could to help. Then the GM came downstairs and said that’s why I went on the course so I could know what to do and made me feel like shit. A couple weeks later I quit becasue I couldn’[t handle that responsibility. I had some savings that I was gonna use to visit friends in america so I lived off that, but not before my family all asking me why I quit and as we know I can’t trust them because it’ll get back to my mum and I especially can’t trust her. Then my brother in law tries asking and I can’t tell him bc it will get back to my sister then to my mum, couldn’t tell my boss bc it would go from him to my other sister to my mum.

Then in january my savings are almost done, december 31st and my tooth is aching, I hopped it was rotten so I could get an infection straight to my brain to kill me, but 3 days pass and I’m in so much pain that meds don’t work, I’m over safe doses, I can’t sleep and I get super headaches that I almost pass out from. I cry in pain and eventually tell my mum who after some convincing realises how serious it is, she stays up the night, helping me phone emergency dental places or the NHS to try and get it removed. It was bad but it wasn’t infected and had no chance to kill me that way if any. She gets me a cold press and some ice to help with it and although I couldn’t get a dentist appointment until the morning she helped with it until then. I was finally feeling like this is how a mother should be, her kid crying and writhing in pain and her helping out, and I was starting to feel some trust for her for helping me when I needed her but she couldn’t help herself she had to make a snide comment that it’s because of all the fizzy juice and energy drinks that I drink. Just when I was hopeful she tears it all back. My back right top and bottom teeth get pulled, dentist was a great guy, and life went back to the same shit. I went to my benifits appointment and got signed up, I asked for an advance payment bc my mum was hounding me for money, so now my benifits are a bit lower than they should.

Then she argues with me about being late with payments even though I show her when I get paid and how much. and now we’re here, during this pandemic where the top part of this post was today. This is a good grasp of all the shit I’ve went through, it’s not everything but it’s the big stuff that I remember.......minus the whole ///R/// situation which I will likely never talk about, and now a quote from my mother which sparked me ranting instead of just about today but about my whole life

“All you do is cost me money”

[crazybunchfamily]

Teeth

This story is a HUGE clusterfuck of cause and effect bullshit to celebrate 50 62 followers. Contributed to by @deceitofstars and @crazybunchwriter. @deceitofstars for the idea of a story and @crazybunchwriter for the contents of it.

There is one big important thing you need to know about this story. 

It does this: Cause -> Effect -> Effect -> Effect

I had to get my mom to help me with my timeline because of how long ago it was. I told her it’s for an English paper, which I will also be using this for 2 birds with one stone I guess.

It was Memorial day at the end of my 1st-grade year (7yrs old) and here is where we find our Cause. My Aunt and Uncle owned a mean and grumpy old bulldog named Guinness, and he had a previous bite history so he was always kept downstairs when we came over. Uncle had taken him into the backyard (leashed) and we had gone outside to play. We were allowed to pet him if he was in a good mood and had supervision, and since it was a good day we were petting him and having a rather good time. No sooner had Uncle said that he looked to be getting antsy and he should be taken in, did he turn and snap at me. Guinness didn’t actually “bite” me what happened was his mouth connected with mine and broke my front left tooth. Aunt called her dentist, as Dad carried me in bleeding and crying, and I was given a temporary filling that was set to last about a year (ended up lasting 8). Because of the trauma to the tooth, the nerve endings started dying. 

As for Guinness, he didn’t live for long after that incident, which is arguably good cause they were going to have a kid that I wouldn’t want that him around.

Jump to that Thanksgiving our first Effect in the chain. I had been having some tooth pain I was taken to an Endodontist and he couldn’t find anything wrong. a week later I was feeling really sick like hospital worthy sick. So I was taken to Vanderbilt since we were at my grandparent's house. They said I was really dehydrated pumped me full of fluids and sent me on my way. The next morning my mom says that I came to wake her and dad up saying I didn't feel good and that my face had gone “poof” basically that the left side of my face had swollen up like 3x it’s size (think from the bridge of my nose to the center of my eye down to my mouth area). My parents didn't take me back to Vanderbilt instead they drove us (sisters and I) home, and on the way called Dr. Glover our pediatrician and he said: “Take her straight to the hospital.” We get there and I'm admitted and a specialist comes in and tells us it’s an infection of Strep B in my tooth, and they’d have to go in and drain the infection. I’m admitted to the hospital for a week in which they perform the surgery to drain the infection.

side note: I'm a Strep magnet and I have never gone a winter EVER without getting Strep at least twice so the fact that Strep B caused the infection is ironic

So now it’s our second major time jump which is our second Effect this is the part where we actually get around to fixing the tooth. It’s now the spring of second grade and I’m 8, almost an entire year since this started. Mom takes me to an Endodontist ( a different one than previously mentioned) and he spent many months trying to get the root of my tooth to grow so we could avoid a root canal. The beginning of 3rd grade I got a root canal. Then I was taken to my future pediatric dentist to get the back of my tooth filled.

Then there was peace. For awhile, cause we still haven’t gotten to the third Effect which actually only happened within the past year, and I’m 16 now. In November of last year (2016) I had a pain in my tooth, and that is like not good at all because as I said all of the nerve endings are dead I can’t feel anything in that tooth. I have feeling in the gum above it, but not the tooth itself. Besides the pain, my original filling that wasn’t supposed to last was starting to move when I touched it. So we head over to the Dentist and I get antibiotics for the pain which we were told was because of an infection building in the gums. We had to schedule an appointment we an Oral surgeon because they needed to fix the filling part, plus remove the infection. So in January, after my birthday, I went in and had my tooth fixed properly.

Now that is everything that’s happened up to now and it’s all because of one stupid dog.

Yeah that’s the tooth story it isn’t a happy story I guess, but I mean it’s all true so take what you will.