#i post a lot about jeff but apo

[live-from-flaturn]

It was very intelligent of BOC to have Apo open the Valentine's Day tape messages cause by the time it hit Mile and Tong I was a pile of melted butter.

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Metal type; Eddie Munson x reader

*Author's note*

Well this came at a funny moment, plus after seeing some posts of how Eddie Munson and Patrick Verona from 10 things I hate about you are similar, I figured why not do this fic with a fun little twist at the ending. Unlike my Halloween fic there's not much warnings here but I'll still list them as followed:

Warnings: parental death, grief, drugs (not hardcore just cigarettes and joints mentioned), some angst but ends with fluff at the end.

Enjoy the fic my darlings :)

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queen-paladin

_________________________________________________________

There’s been a lot of rumors going around lately.  Now me I typically stay out of that gossiping chain because it’s just a bunch of hens clucking up the coop where they don’t need to be sticking their beaks into.  But when the rumor’s involve (Y/n), that starts perking up my ears like a deer.

Now lately my girl’s (well at least in my head she’s my girl, I haven’t gotten the balls to ask her out yet but I have my reasons! Like this for example) been going through a rough patch.  Her mom just passed away from breast cancer and it’s been hard on her not only having to go through the whole funeral process and trying to figure out how to keep the house, and trying to deal with all of that whilst still going to school and trying to finish off senior year.

She shouldn’t need all this stress.  She deserves to have fun her last year of school, not be dealing with house mortgage, trying to sell her mom’s stuff or put it in storage, keep paying off the funeral and hospital bills, Jesus Christ she shouldn’t deal with this.  Now I have tried to at least help her but she’s been pushing me away telling me and the guys that she’s fine and that she doesn’t want to burden us with all this family drama.

Now I may have been young when I lost my mom, but I remember the stress that Wayne felt having to go through mom’s stuff since my old man sure as hell wasn’t going to do any of it.  But that’s not even the worst part of the rumors.

Hawkins is a small town where everyone knows everyone blah blah blah blah, but there is a new face that’s been around Hawkins since the start of the new year.  Some guy from Seattle named Patrick Verona.  Now if I’m honest, he seems like a descent guy.  Good taste in music, pretty metal looking, not into sports or anything like most guys are.  But he’s been hanging around (Y/n) far too much and he doesn’t even go to our school and yet people are saying they’re dating.

Again I’ve tried not to believe the rumors but I have seen how Patrick seems to be there whenever (Y/n) is too depressed to be around anyone else.  Always having an arm around her, allowing her a shoulder to cry on, and even kissing her tears away.  I can do all of that, hell we’ve been friends since middle school! Why can’t she allow me to do any of that stuff for her!? I want to be there for her so why isn’t she letting me help her out!?

It was lunchtime and once again (Y/n) hadn’t shown up for lunch.  I silently munched on my pretzels.

“(Y/n) not joining us again?” I heard Henderson say.

“Nope.” Said Jeff.

“I think I heard she went off with that Patrick guy again. Saw his bike coming up during third block just before the lunch bell rang.” Said Gareth.

“And my best guess is she’s gonna miss Hellfire again.” Whined Wheeler.

“Back off Wheeler!” I snapped throwing a pretzel at his head.  “She has a very good excuse to miss so many meetings. Grief isn’t something that can just be put on hold like a stupid laundry basket game or a dentist appointment.”

“Ow! Jesus…..” Wheeler whined.

“He didn’t mean it Eddie.” Henderson tried to lighten up Wheeler’s insensitive comment.

“Really cause I think he was making a statement on how I should run my club. Am I wrong Wheeler?” I sneered lowly.

“No Eddie I swear I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” Even for his weak-ass apology, I dropped it and went back to my snacked lunch.

“To be fair though Eddie, normally this many missed Hellfire meetings results in automatic banishment from the club. You sure you ain’t just going easy on her because you love her?” Gareth said bluntly.  I smacked him upside the head.

“Continue to say stupid shit like that and I’ll think about the banishment for another member of this group.” I threatened which got him to shut up and look back down at his tray.  When I looked up I soon spotted (Y/n) heading for the back doors.

Quickly I grabbed my lunchbox and chased after her.  I at least wanted to check up on her and see how she’s been doing since last I saw her a week or so ago.

“(N/n) wait! Wait!” I charged out the main doors of the school and she turned to face me.

“Oh Eddie, it’s you.”

“Yeah, sorry bout that didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You didn’t.” she looked extremely exhausted.  Bags upon bags were under her eyes and the poor thing looked exhausted.  The usual bubbly girl that I loved was nothing more than a shell of her former self.  Hell this girl would even sleep in class, the one thing she’s never done for as long as I’ve known her.

“So—so listen I uhh—I know it’s been hard lately for you. But I-uhh…I was wondering if you’d like to uhh…..have a movie night after Hellfire at my place? I’ll let you pick out any of your favorites, even if it’s that cheesy rom-com shit that I don’t like.”

“Eddie, that’s sweet of you but I—”

“Hey girlie, everything alright here?” that Australian accent (which I think is fake) came up and soon Patrick came up wrapping an arm around (Y/n)’s shoulders and in his other hand a bag of McDonalds, all the while holding a toothpick between his teeth.

“Everything’s fine Patrick.” My jaw ticked as (Y/n) introduced us, “I don’t think you both have been properly introduced. Eddie this is Patrick, Pat this is Eddie Munson.”

“Ohh Eddie? The Eddie Munson? Well nice to meet you mate.” Being the gentleman, we both shook hands and I said trying not to sound condescending.

“You too man. Nice ride.”

“What that old thing? A hand me down by my dad. Trying to save up for a real sweet ride. May even take this little lady for a joy ride. God knows she needs it.” He lightly jostled her which made her smile what almost resembled her real, sunshine smile (the smile that I always got out of her, the smile that rivals all the stars in the sky, the smile that I wish I could make her do again, but they all seem to be reserved for Patrick Verona now).

“So uhh about……” I started back up the conversation between (Y/n) and I but she said.

“Eddie I’m sorry but Patrick and I have some plans tonight. Maybe some other time?”

“Yeah, yeah sure no uhh—no problem. Just figure I’d offer.” I said nonchalantly as I stuffed my hands in my pockets and kicked a couple of pebbles at my feet.

“And Eddie, about Hellfire I……”

“No need. Your temporary leave is still accepted. Just come to me whenever you’re ready to return.”

“Thanks for understanding Eddie.”

“C’mon sugar glider, better get going before someone sees us.” Patrick said as he took them over to his bike.

“See yah around Eddie.” She said to me.

“Yeah, yeah see yah.” She got behind Patrick and wrapped her arms around him as he placed a second helmet on her head before revving his bike and pulled on out of the parking lot driving off down the road. “That manipulative son of a bitch.” I walked back inside and prepared for the remaining day of hell.

The day came and went and I found myself over at Family video just to browse but also to return some of the movies that needed to be returned (they may also have been late I honestly can’t remember).

“And he just waltz up and has her pinned up to his side like an ornament.” I ranted.  “And seriously I cannot take that accent seriously, don’t you think it’s fake?”

“Eddie, you’ve gotta stop obsessing over this Patrick guy, it’s not healthy.” Robin told me. 

“I can’t Robin! The guy’s completely taking advantage of her! I can’t just sit idly by anymore as some metal-head biker punk comes into town, and swoops down at her like a hawk.”

“You know it is kinda scary how he almost resembles you. Same wild hair, same eyes, you sure you don’t gotta brother or something?” Steve asked as he was stacking some videos.

“Not helping here Harrington.” I grumbled.

“Eddie, how do you know this is like a romantic thing? I mean, take me and Steve. We hang out all the time and we’re not together.”

“Oh absolutely not. Yet I’ll always have Robin’s back if she needs it.”

“Strictly platonic. With a capital PLAH. Have you seen them kiss on the lips?”

“No. But that doesn’t mean they probably don’t do it behind closed doors. Plus couples don’t always make lip to lip contact in public.”

“You can kiss platonically too. I see the cheerleaders doing it all the time, course it’s that fake Barbie air-cheek kiss but still they do it. You’re letting your imagination run wild, again.”

“Plus man if you had told her how you felt in the first place, maybe this wouldn’t be happening.” Steve added.

“I told you man, I was going to tell her but then she got the call from the hospital about her mom’s diagnosis. It—didn’t feel right to tell her. She needed her best friend, not a confession to think over while her mom’s dealing with sudden stage 4 breast cancer.”

“I agree with him on that Steve.” Robin said.

“Okay, okay but still you just…..gotta relax, okay? Look maybe he’ll move on after a while and forget about (Y/n).”

“It’s impossible to forget about her, that girl can make anyone fall in love with her.” I grumbled.  The bell rang and speak of the devil himself, Patrick came strolling in and he said.

“I’m told this is where you can get some good films.”

“Yeah, yeah what can we help you with?” Steve spoke up.

“Something upbeat and funny. Sugar glider needs it for tonight.” Sugar glider? Wait that’s what he had called (Y/n) yesterday, she isn’t…..after rejecting our daily movie night she goes off and has a movie night with this asshole? I swear if he weren’t so relatable, I’d beat his ass right now.

“Okay well comedies are just over there man.”

“Thanks mate, say you two wouldn’t happen to be Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley would you?”

“We are, how do you know our names?” Robin said.

“(Y/n) has told me a lot about you two. Especially how you two have been helping her out with sorting through her mum’s belongings. My thanks to you both.” So she goes off and tells this guy about all of us but she doesn’t say a word about you?

“Yeah, yeah it was no problem. She’s helped us out so it was only fitting we’d help her out.” Robin said as she was stacking some tapes along the shelf.  As Patrick picked out some of (Y/n)’s favorite comedies like Beverly Hills Cop, Ferris Buller’s Day off, Back to the Future, and the Princess Bride. As Robin rang them up for him, he turned to me and asked, “Now (Y/n) told me you’re the one to go to with some good deals on weed. You got anything in stock?”

Weed? Doesn’t he know that (Y/n) hates the smell of weed? Hell the girl’s allergic to cigarette smoke! Which is why I always make it appoint to never, ever under any circumstances wear the same clothes I smoke in around her let alone smoke around her.  Hell I’ll have the trailer burning multiple scented candles just to rid of the smell, yeah it gives me and Wayne headaches but it’s worth it so that she’s comfortable.

“What’s the occasion?” I demanded.

“Nothing special, just need a refill. Ran out of my own stuff and of course (Y/n) don’t have anything.” Jesus this guy is really gonna smoke around her?

“Regretfully I’m out of stock at the moment.”

“Damn, oh well. Gas station always has some smokes.” Jesus this guy is a grade A asshole.  And not in the popular jock standard, I mean just straight up insensitive asshole.  “Later.” He then walked out after paying for the videos.

“You see what I mean?!” I snapped lowly.

“The guy’s just asking for some smokes Eddie. You do it all the time.” Said Steve.

“Yeah but not around (Y/n)! Jesus I don’t even know why I’m still talking to you guys.” I rubbed my face into my hands in annoyance.

“Eddie, why don’t you just go home? Relax, have a drink, and just get your mind off of Patrick and (Y/n). I’m telling you you’re getting too involved in this and your imagination is running away with you.” Suggested Robin.  I stuffed my hand into the twizzlers jar taking a handful of them, bit into one and stormed out of the store.

As I lay across my bed twirling a twizzler in my hand I couldn’t help but think about (Y/n) and Patrick.  The more I thought about them together, the more my blood boiled and my other hand kept fidgeting with my rings.

“Screw it!” I sneered lowly before getting up, grabbing my keys and racing off toward her house.  I parked a bit off from her house and slowly walked up towards her hedges and hid behind them.  I slowly peeked over her window and saw (Y/n) sitting on the couch talking on the phone with someone while her TV was paused on Beverly Hills Cop.

Patrick soon came in with two beers and plopped down right next to her.  He set the beers down and had an arm wrapped around her and he looked at her concerningly.  His ringed hand stroking the top of her shoulder.  She then hung the phone up and I saw her lower her face into her hands in defeat.  Patrick stroked his hand through her hair and the two of them briefly exchanged words.

I then watched as (Y/n) got up from the couch but Patrick suddenly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her over his lap and he gave her a peck to her forehead.  She gave him a gently slap to the chest before he allowed her to get up off his lap.  But again, just as she walked two steps, he sat up, grabbed her by the waist again and pulled her back across his lap and pecked her twice this time on both her cheeks.  She shoved at his face playfully and told him something that I couldn’t understand but he allowed her to get up a third time.

As she got up, he then grabbed her and they playfully went down to the ground as he wrestled on top of her tickling her, I could hear the faint sounds of her laughter coming out from the window.

So it is true, she really did find someone better than me.  Well if that’s her decision then—I can’t stop her.  But this guy should at least have the decency in knowing of what she likes.  I walked over to the door and knocked on it rapidly.  I heard the laughter stop and footsteps coming to the door and opening it was (Y/n)m her hair a bit disheveled from their wrestling I had just seen.

“Eddie, what are you—”

“I need to talk to Patrick.”

“Uhh okay.” I didn’t wait for her to open the door as I just stormed in.  When I saw him getting up from the floor, he looked up at me and said.

“Well this is a surprise. Did you end up finding some smokes left over?” that smug-eating grin came across his face.

“Even if I did have any smokes or left over joints, I would tell you one thing. Don’t you ever smoke it around (Y/n), okay? She can’t stand the smell of it, not to mention she’s allergic to cigarette smoke. And that’s no joke, okay? Her breathing becomes so tight she can barely breathe, it’s like she’s going into anaphylactic shock if she even smells a whiff of it. So if you’re gonna date her, don’t you ever do that in front of her.”

“What?” he said confused with a head tilt.

“No, no you pay attention because you don’t know just how lucky you are man!” I snapped.  I jostled his shoulders and emphasized each point I made with a firm poke to his chest.  “You better treat this lady like a Queen, okay? Because if I had someone like (Y/n) (L/n) I would bring her her favorite flowers every chance I got. And they aren’t roses because she says roses are too cliché, you understand? Her favorite flowers are blue orchids, you got that blue orchids. Because they bring out her bright, beautiful eyes. And when she’s sick, she gets chicken ramen just like how her mom used to make for her with a side of saltine crackers. I would be her shoulder to cry on and her best friend. And I would spend every second of every day trying to get her to smile because she—she has the most beautiful smile that I’ve missed so much. And that I would do anything to see that smile again.”

I turned to look at (Y/n) who was staring at me with this wide-eyed look of awe.  Even though my heart was aching at the fact I had now spilled my feelings for her even though she’d never be mine, I—I had to at least let her know that I’ll always be there for her.

“But she chose you. So……you better do just that. And much more to make her happy, especially now. Because that’s what I would do.” I released Patrick’s shoulders and went to walk out the door but (Y/n) quickly got to the door before me and shut it, staring up at me with soft but sad eyes.

We both stared at each other until she slowly walked towards me.  I looked down shamefully but I soon felt her take my face in between her hands and her lips soon met mine.  Her arms slid around my neck and I wrapped mine around her waist bringing her closer to me as I kissed her back.

“See what’d I tell yah? He’s your penguin.” Patrick’s voice said.  We separated and saw he was leaning up against the wall, toothpick in mouth with a wide grin.

“What?”

“Eddie, I’d like for you to formally meet Patrick Verona. My cousin.” She told me.  I looked to Patrick in shock who grinned at us again and gave me a two-finger salute.

“Your—your cousin……”

“Well when we call each other cousins its more loosely. I treat my little sugar glider like she’s my little sister.” Patrick told me. 

“He’s been a real familial support system that I haven’t been getting with the rest of the family ever since mom got sick. After the funeral he just—showed up and he’s been staying here ever since helping me out with all this stuff.”

“Aunt (M/n) was the glue that kept the family together and ever since her death, the family’s been divided and (Y/n) has been stuck in the middle while still trying to finish school. I couldn’t let her go through all that drama and stress alone. One of us has to at least be successful, right sis?” He gave her a wink which made (Y/n) shake her head.

“They were right, I’m a complete dumbass.” I muttered.

“Look mate, any man whose willing to allow me to take this girl as my own, is a real man in my books. Even though if we did hook up we’d have some ugly-ass kids.” The three of us softly laughed.  Patrick came up to me and placed a strong hand to my shoulder softly jostling it around, “You know, I haven’t heard my little sugar glider talk about a boy the way she talks about you Eddie Munson. Now I see that you are truly something special to my little cousin.” I turned over to (Y/n) and said.

“More than anything in this whole world.” (Y/n) softly smiled as she placed her hand over her heart.

“Then you have my permission to date her, but just know this. If you ever break her heart or mistreat her,” the sound of a switchblade came out and I froze as the gleam of the blade came below my chin.

“Patrick!” (Y/n) exclaimed. As quick as he had brought it out, he sheathed it back and put it back into his pocket.

“Just for a word of warning.” He gave me a hard pat on the back and walked out ruffling (Y/n) hair before saying.  “Be back in a few hours, don’t have too much fun you two lovebirds.” Patrick then left the house leaving the two of us alone.

“I am so sorry about that, I swear that man acts like the fucking Joker sometimes.”

“He’s more metal than I ever could be.” (Y/n) came up and wrapped her arms around me.

“I think you are just the right amount of metal for me Eddie.”

“Really?”

“Really, really.” We both smiled and kissed each other again when a bang at the window spooked us apart and there stood Patrick giving us a warning glare (well mainly at me).  (Y/n) flipped him off and tossed a pillow at the window.  He stuck his tongue mockingly before disappearing from the window.

So the rest of the night was spent cuddling up on the couch watching her favorite movies until we both ended up falling asleep together.  By morning I noticed a blanket had been put around us both and I knew I wasn’t the one to have done it and neither had (Y/n).  There I saw a note on the table and it read:

Take care of my little sugar glider. And if you’re ever interested in some embarrassing stories she hasn’t told you from when we were kids, meet me for some smokes later this evening at the Hideout.

Patrick

I smiled and looked down at my best girl and kissed the top of her head.  At least we both had something in common besides physical appearances and our outlook on the world, we both care deeply for this girl that’s in my arms and want nothing but the best for her as she tries to move on from her grief.

[chalkrevelations]

if you don't want to talk about this further, just ignore this of course, but have you seen pond's fucking instagram post about build? (without saying his name of course) i know automatic translations can be wonky, but overall, he is making it all about himself and his feelings, STILL "both sides" the whole thing, and throws in a "watch the new ep of our show" (you know... the one they took away from build) at the end. the audacity that man has is just beyond comprehension. i truly hope karma will do its thing and ruin the company and that man's life.

Hi, Anon. I. Hm.

I went back and forth a couple of times on whether I actually did want to respond to this. I have a lot of feelings and opinions about Pond and about BOC under his direction that I’ve rarely spoken about so publicly (although I have some suspicions, for Reasons, that some things I’ve said in semi-private spaces have been spread further than those spaces). I'm very aware that I'm at a cultural and linguistic disadvantage when I try to evaluate anything about Pond or BOC and that I'm therefore working with limited information. But I don’t think it’s a big secret I’m not a fan of Pond’s. From what I’ve seen, I think his behavior has been deeply problematic and unethical, and not just in relationship to Build’s situation - although the way he’s tried to portray himself as peacemaker during this whole debacle with Poi has certainly only exacerbated my negative impression. The best I can give him is that maybe he’s unaware of his own unctuous self-centeredness? So, while it would be gross and skeevy that he would 1) make something as serious as this all about himself and his own feelings, and 2) use it as a mercenary chance to flog his latest BOC property despite the fact that property no longer has anything to do with Build, I wouldn't be surprised by it.

Personally, I'm sorry that I gave him and his company the benefit of the doubt for as long as I did. Like many other people, I bought into the “big happy family” fan service for a while, before eventually accepting that it was just as much fan service as any branded pair, so, mea culpa on that front, right? But I think too many people didn’t and haven’t realized or accepted that, and that Build in particular has paid an out-sized price for it - including when people have put the blame on him for the cracks in the facade, especially in misplaced anger and outrage over the “leaked” DMs that threatened the happy found-family narrative BOC was selling and that fans want(ed) to believe.

I think Pond and BOC have been very good at manipulating fan sentiment into believing their self-imposed Hero Edit and self-promotion as industry disrupter, despite evidence to the contrary that goes back as far as the filming of KPTS, when Poi and Yok got away with sexually and otherwise harassing multiple cast members, including a teenaged Barcode. It extends through leveraging Barcode’s and other cast members' emotional response to Jeff’s departure to provide a show for a live concert audience, and forward to a reality show in which a bunch of young wannabe actors were pressured into exposing their worst moments, on television, for prurient viewer interest. Setting up Apo, of all people, to hawk skin lightener was a terrible thing to do and makes everyone involved a worse human being.

So, no, I wouldn't find this latest skeevy behavior surprising. I don’t know what Build’s hopes and plans are, as far as regaining a domestic career, and he's always seemed, publicly at least, to be far more forgiving of Pond than I would be in his position. I don't know if that's personal, cultural, or professionally rooted. But I personally hope Build has enough resources to allow him to avoid getting involved with Pond again, given the way Pond and BOC have treated him – from folding to a ginned-up harassment campaign so that Build was kept out of the public eye precisely when VP was airing/trending (funny, that), through leaving him to twist in the wind from the time of Poi’s first salvo of plagiarism accusations - which BOC apparently couldn’t be bothered to respond to, even though it was one of their properties at issue - to Pond standing around for a year and a half with his hands in the air like a bystander while Nong Poi publicly curbstomped someone who Pond claimed was a friend and part of his work "family," before sad-facing for the press about how hurtful it was that Build decided to leave the “family” that had publicly damnatio memoriae’d him.

Anyway, that's really more time and emotional spoons than I want to spend on Pond or his company - tbqh, they're one reason I'm semi-hiatusing at this point - so I'm likely done talking about them after this. But as usual, once I start, I talk forever, so here this is.

[discluded]

I was wondering if you'd have any opinions on why MileApo haven't done any fan-meetings yet (just purely them in a hall/arena with fans only doing a qna, playing games etc.)? I know we've seen them do promotional lives, the world tour, they did the FanStar event in Vietnam, ManSuang promo, Dior etc. But I would have hoped they would've done one by now. I might be projecting since I follow a lot of kpop etc. but I was thinking about it and wondered why, could a duo fan-meet not be worth planning?

Hi! they actually did do a fan meet last year.

It was in November and in collaboration with a Line Friends promotional event.

if you remember these outfits.

I can't find the announcement press release, which was in Thai anyway, but it was at Central Pattana mall (what I tagged it as) and called Embracing Happiness 2023 (what @nattaphum tagged it as) if you want to look through our tags for it. It should turn up quickly with a search.

This fan meet didn't require tickets and the turnout was genuinely huge... so I'm guessing you mean something else? I looked up some variations on what a fan meet vs. fan sign vs. concert is for kpop just to try to get an idea of the nuance you're looking for I'm missing... if you're talking ticketed event where they play games and take audience questions, the Woody interview was fairly close to that. Mile had a fan sign to make up for missing the KPWT send off (it's tagged under mile send off on my blog) but those were from random raffle winners and not available through buying tickets. The Planet of Stars event in Vietnam had more of the concert element and I think they were supposed to interact more with fans who bought certain levels of tickets but that was, um, kind of a mess.

maybe you can clarify what specifically you qualify as a fan meet? I'll answer based on what I'm thinking right now anyway:

1) financially, I think doing events with sponsors makes more sense for them. it's not as intimate for fans, but it does allow more people to attend events, which is better for sponsors. additionally opening it up to a larger audience avoids the element of fan scalping / reselling tickets at absurd prices for fan meets (which was an issue with some of the man suang showings with actors in attendance).

2) for foreign fan meets, the logistics are challenging and BOC isn't really sized to scale to handle that.. for various reasons. working with a third party to coordinate is risky: see Planet of Friends concert and the JeffGameplay fanmeet in France that didn't include Jeff in the end, and the sponsors made off without even hosting the meet.

3) The air is poisonous right now. there's already been instances of fan photos or fan engagement where the person invited up was openly nasty to Mile or Apo (see: Woody interview when Apo invited up a greeny rose, or a recent fan photo event where an apc was openly hostile to Mile). why open the door to more of that?

I mean, look at Bible's fan meet today... I really sympathize for him right now. He doesn't deserve this for his first fan meet and no one deserves to be treated like an accessory to someone else's career. (I'm not posting it but check @blramblingx2's blog. they posted it because I sent it their way...)

but we'll see! I wouldn't mind seeing a large scale fan meet like embracing happiness again. that was fun... for me... mile and apo were going through it in those 3 layers of sweaters and jackets 😂

[motherofpolyamory]

Roleplay Request. ꕥ

Hi there!

I’m looking for a literate roleplay partner (long term or not, I’ll let the chemistry between us decide that).

First thing you should know about my writing preference is that my face claims are mostly k-pop idols or korean/japanese/thai actors and I am kind of attracted to the same taste in characters. BUT! I’m also pretty accepting and welcoming to new faces with interesting backgrounds if we manage to establish a nice way of communication between us. I’m interested in bxb interactions and connections, since I don’t do straight couples.

I’m here to explore a lot of captivating ideas and work on many, many plots; I’m attracted to drama, dark romance/forbidden romance, slice of life, real life plots, I can do fluff, I can do smut as well and I can definitely work with angst. I’m not good with supernatural elements, werewolves, zombies, etc.

I can come up with ideas for the both of us, or we can work on the plot together and contribute with tons of ideas and theories for our characters. I’d love to have my characters fall in love with yours, honestly, so... let’s make it possible together! ♥

If this caught your interest enough, like this post and I’ll slide into your DM’s and we can discuss each other’s rules and wishes. <3

Here’s the list with my muses (for now):

HONG JOSHUA (seventeen)

YOON JEONGHAN (seventeen)

XU MINGHAO (seventeen)

CHOI YEONJUN (txt)

LEE MINHO (stray kids)

LIM SEJUN (victon)

KIM HONGJOONG (ateez)

KANG YEOSANG (ateez)

APO NATTAWIN (porsche from kinnporsche)

JEFF SATUR (kim from kinnporsche)

NET SIRAPHOP (king from bed friend)

BOSS CHAIKAMON (payu from love in the air)

KENTO YAMAZAKI (arisu from alice in borderland)

HAKKEN RYOU (_hakkencoser_)

[kinnsporsche]

✨ a comprehensive guide on why daemi is literally the worst ✨

if y’all missed whats currently happening with daemi on twitter here we go.

context: daemi are the writers of the kp novels made up of two people. poi (a cishet female) and yok (a cis gay man)

1. barcode

poi admitted to essentially grooming barcode whilst they filmed the series. she claimed she “taught barcode how to be a good actor” by teaching him how to give her and yok massages. barcode was 16 at the time of kp filming. jeff calls them out for abusing and misusing their privileges as authors. jeff also emphasises that they’re not joking, he’s the second actor with mile to confrm that the harassment from the actors isn’t something they joke around with. (source x)

a couple people started digging through their old interactions with barcode and found him looking super uncomfortable around them to the point that jeff comes and intervenes, even perth looks uncomfortable with their interaction in the background. barcode also, whether jokingly or not, says that he’s scared of yok. (sources x and x)

2. apo

a video from what i assume is a live came out recently where yok and poi basically get apo to do some fanservice which he does pretty playfully in his usual apo style. poi seemed to think it wasn’t enough and got up and started trying to unbutton his shirt to make him take it off whilst he’s literally trying to fight her off and saying “don't do this to me, enough poi, please bring back the old poi.” she then slaps him on the arm and apo playfully starts pretending to hit her back for it but you can clearly see how uncomfortable and distressed he is when he leaves the room (sources x and x)

a few months back daemi decided to republish the novel with a picture of the cast as the book cover. they only booked bible, build, and mile, because they said apo was busy on a retreat and didn’t bother rescheduling the shoot despite the fact that he’s one of the, if not the, mains. fans started a campaign on twitter in support of apo and apo liked some of the tweets and yok started arguing with him on twitter. the conversations and screenshots are all buried and deleted so i dont have many sources for this but (source: x)

someone associated with the two of them (wannggjinn852 on twitter) accused apo of sexually harassing mile because he was teasing and joke-flirting with him the way he does in a live. a few days later daemi did a twitter space and invited the person who accused him into their audio call with them (sources x and x)

basically daemi really dislike apo and bully him a lot because of it. my guess is that they’re jealous of the friendship he has with mile because they both have a creepy obsession and infatuation with him which brings me onto

3. mile

he has openly come out and said that they sexually harass him, and he’s made it clear that it’s not a joke, that when he talks about what they do to him he’s not messing around, and they just laugh it off because they think they can get away with it all. (source x)

he’s also genuinley uncomfortable around them and they just don’t care and keep touching him and harassing him. when mile sees yok recording his exist post episode 7 underwater kiss he literally tries to hide himself and looks so uncomfortable. (source x and x)

yok is, by his own words, a digital content creator for be on cloud. today a pretty sensitive and jarring picture was posted on be on cloud’s instagram story that doesn’t fit with the rest of the content that they’ve posted over the last few days. it’s from an awkward and weird angle, has nothing to do with the tour, so there’s been speculation that yok was the one who took and posted it because of his obsession with mile. tw, the source includes the picture. (source: x)

4. bible

more harassment towards bible from yok. he asks bible to call him ‘mom’ or ‘mommy’ or something and bible refuses and says he already has a mom and keeps touching him and holding him when he tries to get up and leave. (source x and x)

5. pond

a video has surfaced that poi seems to have taken of her at a gathering with some other people. she pans the camera to pond (the screenwriter and director of kinnporsche the series) who smiles at it and then she leans in and kisses him without his consent. the discomfort is pretty clear in his eyes (source: x)

6. misc

made, and fully intended to sell, merch of vegas’ don’t worry i’m not gonna hurt you line before he assaults porsche in the show and only got rid of it when they faced backlash for proffiting off of sa (source x)

be on cloud had to tell them to stop hosting events around content for kinnporsche the series because they kept giving things away and people were getting mad at pond, mile, and apo, when it didn’t happen or when things were spoiled. (source x)

they’ve always been super disrespectful and rude to fans when they’re criticised and recently yok told international fans to fuck off in an instagram live (source: x and x)

tldr: everybody listen to bas

[insomniacpreacher]

KinnPorsche World Tour Day 1 Feels

After watching all these breathtaking performances, I'm just sitting here thinking about the amount of effort it must have taken to set this up. When you are carrying a team on your shoulders there are chances someone or the other may feel neglected but the way these 16 of them got a chance to show case their talent has left me in awe. Maybe it was just a hobby of theirs like TA DJing but they were given a chance to amplify it by working on it and believing in themselves.

Not only that, other actors playing the role of Kan, Korn and Nampheung were also a part of the tour. It is never easy carrying everyone forward but KinnPorscheTheSeries is doing such an outstanding job in this area. I don't know who is the great mind behind these actions but since a lot of them have mentioned P'Pond, a HUGE SHOUTOUT to him for showing the world that you need to build things from scratch to produce GOLD like this.

I really really want to go home and GIF these outstanding moments but I cannot as of now..I experienced an array of emotions an ended up shedding happy and sad tears both...Went absolutely FERAL when the minor family dropped their bomb performance with all 3 of them blazing the stage and then major family made it all soft.

The leads foreshadowing their emotions of the show was a clever move all while sticking to their situation post the series..Like we know its a happy ending for KinnPorsche so some of their key moments and recreation of Porsche's dream about owning a beach bar was so darn wholesome. VegasPete began all angsty and they still have a lot of things to resolve so watching them go through those emotions again in those SEXY costumes..*HYPERVENTILATING*

Build and US killed it with their duet performance..OH AND when Build Twerked HOLY COW, that was it..He had 2 moods today, either he was shaking his arse off or crying happy tears about all the love and support that has been showered on him..Welcome Back Build Jakkapan Puttha, we missed you..

Bible, Tong, Build, and Apo's individual gigs..What do these studs even eat..Absolute Greek Gods..

Ahhh they are gatekeeping KimChay moments so bad, we were expecting a side story but ruthless ughh..*fingers crossed* that we may get it tomorrow..Jeff singing WHY DON'T YOU STAY Eng Version was exactly when my adrenaline rush went over the moon..Absolutely surreal y'all..

They have planned everything and will keep us waiting for more..Mile Apo's Period Movie teaser..eeeekkss.

I don't think any show has this kind of power over me even after it ended and there is a reason for it. Their consistency in delivering towards all the expectations of present and the future..I feel like I'm living this journey with them, even without being there physically. When almost all of them were in tears watching the kind of support they got, I was screaming internally you guys deserve it BBs..stop crying we are not the strongest soldiers here..I love love how things are never taken for granted..They work hard and then it is so natural for them to get emotional because this is all they expect and then when they receive it the emotions just overflow..Special shout out to Tong and Mile for being the caretakers of the fam..Tong was distributing tissues, water and hands of comfort every time someone broke down and Mile cracking his dad jokes was so heartwarming..

They helped me go through a very very tough phase this week and I'll forever be grateful to them about this..The last picture is me giving a tight hug of love and appreciation to each member who made this happen..

What are we expecting from them tomorrow?

1. Cumulus performance

2. KimChay Side Story

3. Season 2 Official announcement

4. VegasPete on a Curry Date

5. MileApo Movie Teaser

6. Tankhun's skit finding out about VegasPete dating

7. Macau Chay becoming besties (They were roommates for a reason right?)

[rainbowcolored7]

I posted 7,268 times in 2022

That's 6,285 more posts than 2021!

432 posts created (6%)

6,836 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@omarandjohnny

@nattaphum

@smittenskitten

@maleficent-cannoli

@negrowhat

I tagged 6,763 of my posts in 2022

Only 7% of my posts had no tags

#kinnporsche - 2,099 posts

#kinnporsche the series - 1,241 posts

#vegaspete - 521 posts

#beyond evil - 328 posts

#mile phakphum - 297 posts

#😂😂😂 - 288 posts

#apo nattawin - 267 posts

#kinnporsche art - 249 posts

#kinnporsche cast - 237 posts

#jeff satur - 210 posts

Longest Tag: 121 characters

#baby chay comes out to porsche and then years(?) later porsche gets to come out to chay and that's soooo💗😭😭🌼🌸🌈❤🌸💕

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Kim is the most terrifying brother and nobody can convince me otherwise. The way Jeff's eyes emote such violence and vicious danger??? I'm obsessed.

297 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

#4

Okay, now that I've had some time to rewatch and mull over all the information we have so far, I'm going to try and lay out my thoughts. It's gonna get long, I'd meant to do a strictly novel analysis of the scene before it aired, but life got in the way as usual. But I'm kind of glad, 'cause now I can compare the two.

There will be discussion of both the show and the novel below the cut, so if you're not interested in the novel or spoilers please pass this post by.

I'm going to start this off by saying that I am truly happy with the changes they've made in the show when it comes to the consensual aspect of the story between Kinn and Porsche. Also, as a warning, I'm going to be pulling personal experiences out to try and get my thoughts across properly. And, I don't do posts like this, like ever, so sorry if I make zero sense or talk way too much. I just have a lot of thoughts, and on the rare occasion my brain allows me to comprehensively share those thoughts, I need to take advantage.

Let's start this off from the beginning of episode 4. Porsche wakes up in Pete's bed, knows he kissed someone, can't remember, and spends the rest of the first half of the episode trying to piece things together. I know we like to joke about Porsche having a single braincell (and honestly sometimes boy... lol) but he's not an idiot and he does know how to read people. You can't be a good bartender or survive taking care of your family, young and alone, without having a decent grasp on human nature.

I think when Kinn called him up to the balcony and started asking him questions he left that conversation with a flickering of oh, I remember something happened and now Kinn is acting strangely (a theme he vocalizes later in the sauna). I think he's thinking, what did I do this time to make Kinn act so strangely (soft and flirtatious and joking around) towards me?

After he sees Kinn with his escort, realizes Kinn is gay, remembers what happened on the pier, and that what happened wasn't something he did but Kinn kissing him, he asks Pete if you should kiss someone you don't like (and the subtitles changed so don't at me...) , or aren't in a relationship with (or perhaps intentionally pursuing because you like them). Now, obviously, you can kiss people you don't like, but perhaps are just physically attracted to, and I'm sure something is lost in the translation. That or I'm just reading too much into it and Pete saying you only kiss people you like, 'cause baby boy, that ain't true. Side note, I have a feeling Pete might come to realize it isn't true when we get to the point of him with Vegas, but that's an entirely different egg to crack open. (I have also not read that far.)

Now, here, is where I want to point out just how differently Porsche reacts to what happened and how fucking ecstatic I am that they changed it completely. In the novel, Porsche struggles with a lot of internalized homophobia, though he's okay with Yok, who is trans, he mentions it took him some time to be okay with her, but he still recoils at people he thinks might be gay or someone of the same gender expressing interest in him. He frequently compliments men's looks, not just in a friendly way, and thinks about how attractive some men are, Kinn especially. In the novel, once he really realizes he's physically and sexually attracted to Kinn, Porsche has a fucking meltdown of an internal crisis over it. He even goes as far as hitting on all his guy friends trying to reason out why Kinn would be behaving the way he is towards him, and why he kind of likes it (but doesn't, but does, but doesn't etc.). The boy is a mess and in complete denial.

I'm assuming a lot here, and reading between the lines, but how I interpreted it was, Porsche had, at some point in his youth, like a lot of queer youth, gotten a lot of negative feedback about same sex attraction that really dug into his bones, and so whenever he feels anything more than friendship towards another man he freaks out and tries to bury it, all the while wanting it so badly he can't stop himself. i.e. kissing Kinn back and allowing Kinn to essentially do whatever he pleases while being vocally grumpy about it. In the novel, he doesn't know who he is when it comes to his sexuality, he's deep in denial about being bi, and actively fights against it.

The show ripped that all away and gave us the true chaotic bi king we love and adore, and who he should have been in the novel imo. Show Porsche is open, honest to a fault, accepting, understanding. Now, we haven't gotten verbal confirmation that Porsche is bi in the show, but from everything I've witnessed so far I feel safe in saying he's bi, pan, or just plainly doesn't give a fuck as long as he's getting pleasure from his encounters. He seems open to Kinn's attraction as well as his own, though to say for certain we will have to wait until episode 5, where I'm hoping they touch on this subject some more, and I hope it's on the good side in line with the changes from novel Porsche we've gotten so far. (I'm down for some turmoil about him having sex with his boss, but please keep the biphobia out please please).

As much as I'd like to get more into the lead up to the real juicy stuff, I just don't have the energy. So, let's get into the gritty of it, shall we? The drugging scene. We finally made it here. A lot faster than I was expecting? Absolutely. Does it still feel organic after the previous three episodes? If Kinn hadn't said Porsche had been at the compound for a month, yes, but since he did, no.

Porsche has been with Kinn, Khun, the other bodyguards, for a whole month. He's been learning, adjusting, actively trying to become a better bodyguard. The reasons behind his change of heart seem to be him finally coming to the realization of what a serious situation he's landed himself in. It's life or death, his life isn't the only one on the line here, it's everyone around him as well. He's clearly beginning to really care about the well-being of his fellow bodyguards (mainly Pete, Arm, Pol) and Khun and Kinn.

Also, after episode 3, it was clear to me that Porsche finds Kinn physically attractive, and I do believe wanting some kind of approval from Kinn was another motivator. He's curious about Kinn, he's attracted to him, he's leaning into it.

Kinn, poor baby, is having a beautiful emotional crisis, and a lot of that I think is thanks to Mile really pouring his entire being into fleshing Kinn out and turning him into a "well" rounded person rather than the power hungry, totally domineering, bastard asshole, very surface, no depth, Kinn we have in the novel. The changes they've made to Kinn are fucking delightful, and I'm adoring the added depth and emotional vulnerability they've given him.

In the novel, Vegas sexually assaults Porsche. Without penetration, but Kinn does find him in his underwear with marks all over his body. This was one of the parts I was most worried about them adapting in the show. (I will note here, I have not read past the official translation of 1/4 of the novel--which ends with my favorite spicy scene so far and god I hope they give it to us!--the rest I have sought out from fans so it's not a complete picture). The change they made was nice (as nice as beginning to assault someone can be...), and I'm glad we didn't have to go that far. They've clearly changed Vegas a bit, though how much is yet to be seen. I'm holding my judgment for now.

Kinn's internal monologue during the drugging scene is, well, rough to say the least. But that can be said for the novel as a whole. Reading it felt like reading a fic written by a teenager from the early 00's, and not in the good way. Kinn seems like a consent King, but after telling Porsche he'd stop if Porsche told him to, he doesn't. He fucks Porsche all night long, to the point of needing to take him to the hospital the next day because he's bleeding heavily and in a lot of pain. It has its hot moments, but it's rough and gross, and I'm so glad it's been changed in the show.

What the show gave us is stunning in comparison. What the show gave us is fucking beautiful imo. Porsche, after remembering Kinn kissed him, after witnessing him with his escort, after listening to Pete, Porsche takes all of that information and once again, leans into it. He goads Kinn, he flirts with him, he asks him questions not any normal bodyguard would ask. "If your brother didn't give me up, would you even think to take me back?" Any other guard wouldn't give a shit, but Porsche needs to know. There are so many reasons this could be, but I think the main factors are a need for approval, his newfound desire to protect this family, his attraction and curiosity for Kinn, and a need to prove himself as a competent man, which he is in all rights when he puts his mind to something.

There's also something to be said about an unspoken and underlying desire to be cared for, something Porsche has never really had for most of his life. He's always been the caretaker, for Che, for his uncle even. I know y'all noticed how good he is at taking care of Tankhun? It's because he's in a familiar roll, he knows how to do this with ease. Kinn on the other hand? Someone who doesn't need coddling and caring for? He doesn't know how to handle that, but after his initial rebellion, after seeing some different sides of Kinn, he wants back in. I think, subconsciously at this point, he sees how Kinn would take care of him and he wants it.

Yes, Porsche is drugged. Yes, being under the influence makes consent iffy, but it does not mean Porsche did not give his consent or wasn't able to. Porsche may not have given verbal consent, what he did do is give consent in every other possible way, and that is what Kinn responded to. Porsche joked with Kinn about wanting to see him naked, playfully slapped his hands away, and each time Kinn respectfully pulled back. Those examples are a clear lack of consent, and Kinn responded appropriately to them. But as soon as Porsche changed gears so did Kinn, still yet with reluctance because of Porsche's state and also his brewing feelings. It wasn't one-sided, it was a push and pull on both ends.

I know there will be some who disagree with me, and that's fine. I'm pulling from my own experiences here, and what I saw in episode 4 was consensual and not rape in the slightest. I've done a lot of things in my 30+ years that I'm not proud of, certainly, but even fall-over drunk, even sky-high on drugs, I was able to give and deny consent. Was it a good idea? Of course not. Do I have regrets? Some. But being young and reckless, well, me and Porsche seem to have that in common. I mean, Porsche is in his early twenties, and my early twenties were quite literally a blur of alcohol, drugs, parties, and bad (but fun) decisions.

Porsche was high as a kite, but he was also coherent. Porsche was the one pulling Kinn in. Porsche was the one verbally and non-verbally saying yes, please, I know you want this, I want it too can't you see? Let me show you. Not to mention, no sugarcoating, having sex when you're high is fucking awesome and, frankly, I don't think this is a first for Porsche. Also, I want to mention, and this is really important, if you throw up while you're high it does sober you up a bit. It dampens the experience and brings you back into your mind. I can say this with absolute certainty, I've done it several times.

Another thing I want to point out in regard to consent is Porsche never once told Kinn no. Never once did he tell him to stop. Porsche was smiling constantly, he was taking initiative, he was undressing Kinn himself, he wanted all of what happened. Will he regret it the next day? Probably. We will have to wait and see. But bottom line, the show changed this scene for the better, a lot better.

Anyway, this was less of an analysis and more of a thought word vomit 'cause I've been wanting to talk about this scene for weeks now, and I'm also sick and tired of people saying it was rape in the tags. Kinn did not rape Porsche. Porsche gave non-verbal consent, and yes it is possible to give consent when under the influence, even if it's not a good idea. This is not the hill we need to be dying on. Let's wait for VegasPete for that, shall we?

Please, do not fucking come for me. I'm down to discuss, but I will not respond to bullshit. Thanks. ❤️

305 notes - Posted May 2, 2022

#3

So, how long was Pete in Vegas' torture dungeon before they moved to the safehouse? How long was Pete tied to that pillar? When was the last time Pete took a shower? Mans has been sweating profusely for a day or two at least and Vegas just... licks him? Sir, ya nasty. Good for you.

346 notes - Posted June 24, 2022

#2

I have watched this an unhealthy amount I 🥵🥵🥵

366 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I just can't get this particular moment out of my head. It just keeps replaying again and again, and I lose my mind a little bit more each time because Pete is taller than Vegas but that moment after he first kisses him and Vegas kisses him back he drops down like his knees gave out on him. He kissed Vegas and it made him weak in the knees. He kissed Vegas and his knees gave out. He kissed Vegas and his knees gave out. He kissed he he knees he kissed Vegas and knees he gave out he

1,031 notes - Posted June 27, 2022

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[geekgirlsmanifesto]

I posted 1,433 times in 2022

That's 696 more posts than 2021!

57 posts created (4%)

1,376 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@chordassinationtechnique

@myhalloweendreams

@thatnanda

@danyok

@absolutebl

I tagged 118 of my posts in 2022

#thai bl - 27 posts

#not me the series - 26 posts

#not me - 21 posts

#first kanaphan - 21 posts

#thai drama - 17 posts

#gawin caskey - 15 posts

#off jumpol - 14 posts

#just drama things - 14 posts

#gun atthaphan - 13 posts

#fluke gawin - 12 posts

Longest Tag: 134 characters

#i also loved the philosophy talk from the 18th century since most of the discussed philosophers influenced the mid-century revolutions

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I have a couple of thoughts regarding the Kim action scene in the last episode of KinnPorsche. Of course, I find Chay's complete oblivion just as funny as the next person but I was struck but a couple of other things while watching the scene. The first is that Jeff has done surprisingly well in the action scenes for the series for an actor who has no action experience. Like, Apo does amazingly well in his scenes but he's done a lot of action series in the past. For Jeff to do as well as he has is actually pretty impressive. But then he has been such a pleasant surprise throughout. I had enjoyed him in Ingredients but that series wasn't exactly one that you had to really get your teeth into as an actor.

The other thing that I noticed was about Kim's character. He is the sibling who wants the least to do with the mafia life but he also seems to be the one best equipped for it. I just find that interesting.

57 notes - Posted July 10, 2022

#4

We've all talked a lot about how amazing characters like Jao, Sky, Daisy, Touch, and Nuea are in SCOY but I really feel like the unsung hero of the show is Som. She is so fiercely protective of her people. And what she said to Daisy in episode 11 tore me apart because it was so beautifully put.

But yeah, don't sleep on Som.

85 notes - Posted April 22, 2022

#3

It cracks me up how many people are suddenly thirsting over Seng as if he hadn’t just starred in another BL where his looks were never mentioned. It’s like the Clark Kent and Superman of BL. Apparently glasses and a button down really are enough to hide someone’s true identity.

87 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

#2

I’ve been thinking about something for the last week regarding Gram and Nuch. First off, I have to acknowledge how huge it is that a main character in a drama dated a trans woman. This should not be overlooked in our excitement over a possible Gram/Black ship.

But I want to actually acknowledge something else that Gram’s relationship with Nuch does. It place a male lead - an actor with a large fan base who is widely considered to be one of the best looking actors at GMMTV - in a relationship with a plus sized woman. This is a different kind of representation. One I never expected but one that warmed my heart nevertheless.

138 notes - Posted January 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The use of physical things to illustrate internal feelings in Not Me episode 8 was brilliant.

Dan stripping naked literally and figuratively.

White being bound by his secrets literally and figuratively.

Both Sean and White falling for each other literally and figuratively.

245 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

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[cosmicraysandstuff]

I posted 975 times in 2022

That's 384 more posts than 2021!

4 posts created (0%)

971 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@outrunningthedark

@iamdeltas

@lilacblossoms

@lovecolibri

@kinnsporsche

I tagged 975 of my posts in 2022

#kinnporsche cast - 92 posts

#kinnporsche - 86 posts

#kinnporsche the series - 69 posts

#jeff satur - 51 posts

#ofmd - 40 posts

#apo nattawin - 38 posts

#🥰😍🥰😍 - 38 posts

#porsche kittisawasd - 33 posts

#stranger things - 32 posts

#🥰😍 - 30 posts

Longest Tag: 118 characters

#the fact that the tax write-off means that those movies and shows are gonna be locked away forever is fucking bullshit

My Top Posts in 2022:

#4

*sigh* So, I started up my Louis Tomlinson blog again, after several years, cuz I finally have the mental/emotional energy to maintain it, and it looks like my blog might've been shadowbanned. The name of the blog was "let go" at one point, because I was inactive, but when I went to rename my blog, the original name was still available. So, I saved it again.

I sent a ticket to Tumblr support, but I'm wondering if I should just change the name all together. But I'm not sure if that would help? It's just frustrating, cuz a lot is happening with Louis's new song/album and I want to be able to interact with fellow fans/reblog/etc. 😢

Any suggestions are welcomed.

0 notes - Posted September 2, 2022

#3

This song is helping to cheer me up, when everything gets to be too much.

Plus? I'm always down for a fun song about my city. 🥰😍🗽🌞

0 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

#2

Music Recs

1. Louis Tomlinson has a new single out today - "Bigger than Me" - and it just showcases how much his songwriting and vocals have grown. I'm so happy that he got to tour this year, (after the personal and professional obstacles he had to contend with the past few years), and I'm thrilled that he'll be able to release his 2nd album in November.

His songs have gotten me through some pretty bad times and I'm so proud to be his fan. 🥰😍

2. Blackpink - "Pink Venom" - my girls are back and I couldn't be happier. 😍 They're still really the only Kpop group I follow at the moment, (though I'm starting to look into other groups), and their music just energizes me so much. I know that there are some fans who don't like the new single, but I appreciate how it's different from their previous songs, without going too far in another direction. Their talent still kills me, I swear. 😘

3. Rina Sawayama - she has a new EP out and I adore every song on it. Her vocals in "Phantoms" and "Catch Me in the Air" are breathtaking and I continue to adore her lyrics. I'm so glad that I followed up on that Tumblr post I found a few months ago about Rina, cuz I've become such a huge fan of her music, and I hadn't heard of her before that. I HIGHLY recommend checking her out. 🥰😍

See the full post

1 note - Posted September 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Happy 10th anniversary to Gravity Falls today!

Happy 10th anniversary to Night Vale today!

And Happy 12th anniversary to me officially moving to NYC today!

I never remember to acknowledge the day, so I'm glad I remembered this year.

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

2 notes - Posted June 15, 2022

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[telomeke-kinnporsche]

KINNPORSCHE – SEND OFF EVENT FOR KINNPORSCHE THE SERIES WORLD TOUR

To kick off the international leg of the World Tour, Be On Cloud organized a charity concert called the Send Off Event at Paragon Hall 1 on 11 September 2022. The Behind-the-Scenes video on YouTube is linked here. The overall atmosphere was one of controlled chaos, and as with the World Tour concert, everyone seemed to be upbeat and having fun (even if their makeup was a bit thick 😊).

The following are some takeaways from the video.

Mile tested positive for COVID on 9 September 2022 and wasn't present in person at the concert – but he attended in effigy (Apo carried his standee around) and also via video link for a performance (27.53 and 19.50):

Apo's stride had a confident swagger throughout – not a bad thing – in addition to his usual hyperkinetic energy (6.29 and elsewhere):

The fandom in attendance was overwhelmingly female (1.53):

Fans got creative with their tributes – the following is my favorite (2.13):

Foodwise backstage, Barcode was rummaging for cookies and coconut water (4.19) while Bas, Bible and Build were hyperfixated on the roast suckling pig (4.34):

The child model on the Thailand Post standee looked exactly like a kiddie version of Perth (8.38). Am I wrong to think maybe it is him and it's really an old photo of Perth during his childhood modeling days?

Barcode can draw monkeys about as well as Porsche could draw Tawan (9.08):

Jeff got things rolling with his own rocking version of the KinnPorsche theme Freefall (14.08):

Kinnporsche merchandise and memorabilia were auctioned off during the concert, with proceeds going to the IHRI Institute of HIV Research (11.55, 14.45, 16.20, 17.22 and elsewhere): 💖

Farmhouse Bread of course put in an appearance (7.05):

There was a lot of singing. This time around fans also got to watch and hear song performances from Ex Peeya, Annita Sarucha (Porsche and Chay's mom) and Sprite Patteerat as well (17.15, 17.18 and ­19.08 respectively):

The cast actually wrote out handwritten notes to go with the memorabilia (9.49 and 9.53):

Pong's a sweetie (8.35) while Ping's quite a goofball (10.07):

There was also a face-to-face autograph session (25.11):

Nodt got an opportunity to show off his prowess in Mandarin (27.35):

But I think my favorite moment of all was when Apo very sweetly took time out to wave to the audience pre-show, so buzzed that he was actually hopping and skipping while grinning from ear to ear (7.42): 😍

If the guys can keep the same energy up, the rest of the World Tour is going to be one helluva ride! 💖

[momentsofbllove]

I watched The Untamed on Netflix and fell in love. Much to my delight I found out that there’s an entire genre of BL shows and series that I never knew existed!

Now I'm neck deep into BL dramas and I can't contain it any more. The people who follow my main blog have forgiven me for the 147 The Untamed posts that I stuck in my queue, but I doubt they'd stick around for the 500 posts about all the other dramas I've watched recently.

So... I’ve made a side blog, yay!

(My personal ratings: loved it 💜, liked it 💚, won't watch it again 💔

Shows I'm currently watching:

Noblemen Ryu's Wedding - 1/6 I love literally every second of this show already... but. I feel like we're only getting half the seconds! Every scene just jumps from one to the next without any transitions or explanations in between. It's like the writer's had a whole bunch of little scenes they wanted to create, but no actual way of tying them together. It's a bit discombobulating. Now don't get me wrong, this is a historical fake relationship story, with two great actors, comedy and a touch of sensuality that was done *chef's kiss* so beautifully! I love it... but it's definitely missing a lot. 💜

Fish Upon The Sky - 2/12 I'm liking this one so far. It's silly, and there have been more than a few cringey moments, but it stays in the 'cute' side of that more often than not so it's okay. I like the three main characters (the side ones are there for comedic effect only, so I'm trying to judge them only on that, they're where most of the cringe is coming from) and the story is moving along at a good pace. This is true University BL at its finest. I'd put it squarely on the lower end of 'loving it'. 💜

Lovely Writer - 8/12 Well, Aoey is back to being a boring, one dimensional antagonist with no actual story of his own. And I finally realized what frustrated me so much about Sib. He always makes sure to get consent and be respectful of Gene PHYSCIALLY, like asking for kisses, telling people not to take his picture without permission, etc. But he doesn't respect his agency in any other way. Refusing to leave the apartment when Gene asked him to, following him to his house despite being told Gene wanted space, MOVING IN NEXT DOOR after Gene asked for him to leave so they could start over and Sib could earn his trust back... none of that is respecting Gene's choices or personal agency and it bothers me so much! Also that comment Sib's brother made about Gene not being able to escape Sib was disturbing. 💚

History 4: Close To You - 5/? I love literally every second of Muren and Licheng and Xingsi... and every time the brother comes on the screen I want to start throwing things. It is such a dampener to the rest of what is actually a really good show. I'm disgusted that Xingsi forgave him and that the show is referring to r*pe as 'taking advantage*. Uhg. But I'm loving Licheng more and more and his pursuit of Muren is adorable and sweet and very sexy. So I'll keep watching. And thinking about the perfect poly triad that my boys could have been if the writers hadn't been awful. Think about, no one has done a three way friends to lovers story before! That would have been way more intriguing that r*pe apology. (Despite the fact that I love and adore 3 of the 4 main characters and one half of the couples I still can't give this a higher rating than the broken heart. What the brother did was unforgivable and it's so gross that they're portraying it in a romantic light. Most BLs keep their consent issues in the realm of 'dubious'. This one crossed a line I just can't forgive.) 💔

Y Destiny - 3/15 Okay, definitely liked this couple better than the first one. Although, despite the fact that this is supposed to be comedy, Nuea breaks my heart a little because he is obviously desperate for attention and it seems like the only way he knows how to get it is with his money or his sexuality. But the fact that Sun went from 'this kid is an arrogant brat and I can't stand him' to COMPLETLEY ENAMOURED with him in all of like 20 minutes was cute as f*ck, so I'm looking forward to the next episode. 💚

Hidden Love - 4/? This show is so fucking awful why am I still watching it?!! 💔💔

Manner of Death - 12/14 If I never watch the last two episodes, then I never have to admit that Tul and Max are probably never going to work together again, right? 💜💜

Shows I've watched so far:

(ones with links will take you to my personal in-depth reviews, this link will take you to a general review of all the shows I watched in 2020)

The Untamed 💜💜

Until We Meet Again 💜💜

Love By Chance 💚

Tharntype 💚

Why R U 💚

Together With Me 💚

Where Your Eyes Linger 💜

Because of You 2020 💜

HIStory 1: Obsessed/Stay Away from Me/My Hero 💔

HIStory 2: Crossing the Line 💜

HIStory 3: Trapped 💜

My Engineer 💚

Mr. Heart 💚

YYY 💔

Tien Bromance 💔

Roommates The Series 💚

En of Love 💔

#MyDay 💔

Quaranthings 💔

The Effect 💚

Dark Blue Kiss 💚

Theory of Love 💜

3 Will Be Free 💜

Craving You 💔💔

My Gear and Your Gown 💔

Like In the Movies 💜💜

He’s Coming To Me  💜

Oxygen 💔

Wish You 💚

Cherry Magic 💜

Life - Love On the Line 💜

Ingredients 💜💜

Color Rush 💚

Follow My Sunshine 💔💔

We Best Love: No. 1 For You 💜💜

To My Star 💜

Sotus 💜

Nation’s Brother 💔💔

You Make Me Dance 💜

A Tale of Thousand Stars 💜💜

We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd 💜

Shows I want to watch:

2gether/Still 2gether

Sotus S

Bad Romance/Together With Me: TNC (maybe. i've heard things about these ones that are 😖 but also MaxTul have such amazing chemistry so I'm like 🤷‍♀️)

Long Time No See

A million more that I can't think of right now

Shows I need to come out immediately:

Between Us (WinTeam was the beginning of my intense love of side couples, so getting a whole series focused on them is a dream come true!)

KinnPorsche (I am so freaking excited about Jeff and Gameplay being together again! And Mile and Apo have incredible chemistry together. If they don't go too camp with this show, it's going to be amazing!)

Not Me (OffGun reuniting for a series that's not set in uni? Sign me the f*ck up!)

Bite Me (this looks really cute and I'm excited to see Mark in a role that doesn't make me hate him 😆)

Golden Blood (I've been intrigued by this one for a while, but that trailer... oh man, this looks right up my alley! Please give us a released date!)

Any way! Come into my message/ask box if you want to talk about literally anything BL related!

[chalkrevelations]

There’s ... something I can’t quite put my finger on yet with Kim, but I think it has something to do with Ep 5′s scene with Kim and Tankhun, which doesn’t give us a lot on its face, but has a ton of potential undercurrents that could play out and is super interesting placed in an ep that also has Kim talking to Chay about Porsche. I mean, Kim’s still a fk’n creepster preying on a kid who just wants to go to music school - and relatedly, I’ve seen some dithering about how young Barcode is to be playing romantically opposite Jeff (even though Jeff is playing younger, and I think Barcode may be playing slightly older?), and there’s also this kind of dreadfully awkward vibe between them that could maybe be an acting and directing choice, because Barcode seems much more comfortable and natural in his scenes with Apo, at least so far. I hope it’s not an actor chemistry issue, because I gotta say I think it really works at this initial part of the relationship, because it plays up Kim’s creepsterhood, but it might be an issue if it continues too far into the show. But, yes, I see what you did there, show, putting Kim manipulating his target practically back-to-back with the scenes of Vegas manipulating his target, don’t think I missed it. With Porsche, it’s the motorcycle and with Chay it’s the music, but either way it’s bait, so what are we saying about all of the Theerapanyakul men, here, hmm? But Vegas in this ep is his own post, I think.

ANYWAY, I have to wonder what they’re saying putting Kim’s scene with his own big brother in the same ep when he’s going to drill Chay for info about his big brother, because obviously Kim’s got his own little agenda, but then he also has to listen to Chay wax rhapsodic about Porsche in this kind of starry-eyed hero-worship way that sees Porsche as perfect in a way that Kim absolutely cannot have with his own big brother(s) (at least at this point, if he ever did in the past). And I have to wonder if that’s part of why Chay catches him with that song at the end. The lyrics that get emphasized by showing us the written version are “Because of you, no matter what obstacles are coming, I will continue to move forward / As long as there is a hug, even if it is uncomfortable.” So who was that kind of support for Kim in the past? Maybe more importantly who is Kim being that kind of support for now, in the present? Because I look at the scene between Kim and Tankhun, and I have to ask myself what kind of undercover shenanigans these two have going on right now, under everyone else’s noses? I mean, Tankhun accuses Kim of spying and asks him “Aren’t you dead, yet?” and Kim’s not the least bit offended by it, and while it could just be that he’s making allowances for his eccentric older brother, there’s points here where Tankhun is maintaining - for him, at least - much more tightly than we may have seen him maintain anywhere else up until now (ETA: other than when he whacks Vegas upside the head for being mean to his other little brother), and this includes when he asks Kim, “Did you get anything,” which Kim won’t answer, but they then spend an awfully long time side-eyeing each other, but not in a particularly antagonistic way, just like they’re maybe feeling each other out. I think significantly, they “run into” each other at night, showing that Kim’s been skulking around the mansion all afternoon, while Big Daddy has been dressing down Kinn, and this happens out at the fish pond. Yes, there’ll be security footage - we know this from Porsche peeing in the pond - but there’s no indication that there’s any kind of sound monitoring, so no one will be able to hear what they’re talking about out here, which you can’t guarantee in the living quarters. There’s a distinct lack of actual antagonism anywhere here, and Kim is very wry about the whole thing, at the same time that he’s not getting exercised at all about Thankhun’s various quirks.

Seriously, y’all. What is going on between these two, what kind of understanding do they have, and why is Kinn significantly not a part of it? We get no indication that Kim even sees, let alone speaks to Kinn despite skulking around the house all afternoon - or maybe coming back later that night just to “run into” Tankhun. I’m also wondering how much Tankhun is playing up his eccentricities at other times, and how much this is his escape hatch from having to play the mafia heir role that Kinn has now inherited, if Tankhun is too crazy to do it properly. Meanwhile, Kim has supposedly peaced out entirely and isn’t available for that role. It’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for Kinn and his sob story about how he’s been forced from the cradle to beat up old guys and do murders. (Cool motive, still murder.)

At any rate, I’m wondering what it must be like for Kim, to hear this breathless description of Chay’s amazing older brother, at the same time that he not only can’t look to his own older brother for protection (or can he? I’m telling you, I want to know what Tankhun has going on) but has kind of taken on the protector role, himself, if he sees what he’s doing as beneficial.

Anyway, last thought on this is wth, Porsche? Chay may think you’re the perfect big bother, but you have clearly neglected any kind of Stranger Danger discussion with him. You know better than to give your phone to Kinn in Ep 1 when you’re standing there looking right at him, but Chay doesn’t know any better than to let some rando from the internet walk out of the room with his phone?

[discluded]

Why do you think Mike didn’t go to Taipei? Also I’m overthinking that dinner post right before but Apo wasn’t with him but what if he was? 👀

who's Mike ? 🤣 jk... the curse of Mild's name... I mean Mile 😛

a few reasons, all of which are business driven and not emotionally driven:

1) the number one being that Mile is CEO of another company 🤷🏻‍♀️ they left on a Thursday morning and were there all day Friday, two business days. he probably did the cost-benefit analysis of opportunity and going did not come out on top. KPWT was planned far in advance and there's actually multiple fan photos of Mile taking calls even at the airport

2) obviously Dior had him at the pop up so it's not like Dior didn't want him. NextGen Fashion Awards (Harper's Bazaar SG) is a fan theory but Mile had GNR tickets. He and Apo also had a run of like 4 events in that week and I think he popped up at the Tattoo Colour concert during that time period with a backstage pass so probably there was work that was BOC new year event related. Finally it was off handedly revealed to fans that Bvlgari invited Mile first but BOC claimed he was busy and Build went. a lot of reporters thought Mile was there 😅

three data points is a pattern... I'd say he's fine doing fashion things like the Dior event with Apo but sitting for a fashion show or standing in front of a storefront and having his photos taken might not be what he values for his entertainment career, especially if it takes a lot of time (involving travel)

it's not that Mile doesn't value fashion or his modelling career, but remember he booked the Maserati sponsorship for KPTS on his own before KPTS was even off the ground. He knows what his modelling contract is worth but it just might not be his main focus

3) in terms of making contacts and networking, he probably considered the cost/benefit trade off, but also if the goal is to have a contact with Dior/the Taiwan magazines, then Apo (or Pond because Pond went too) can do that kind of introduction.

tbh I'm not sure if Pond went for a specific reason but his presence felt a lot like event manager behavior where you're on the ground for the event. Mile delegating and prioritizing how to use his (and Apo's) time most efficiently seems like executive-level behavior. (which is ironic because Pond is supposed to be BOC's CEO so... 🤷🏻‍♀️)

4) now that I take a step back and think about it, I'm wondering if it's more lucrative (aka makes more financial sense) for Mile and Apo to have different sponsorship. there's a pretty large overlap of the fan base which these brands with more sophisticated marketing teams may have noticed too. so a thought exercise this way: LVMH (owns Dior and also owns Marc Jacobs, which Jeff was at in Thailand) owns a number of brands. if Mile and Apo have a 50% fan base share and 25% individually, bringing them on for one brand might mean 100% efficiency.. but bringing Apo on one brand with 75% efficiency and Mile on a different LVMH brand (which includes Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Céline, Kenzo, and Loewe... and Bvlgari ) with 75% efficiency is then 150% market efficiency... you know? Dior took until 2023 to materialize but was likely in the works for a while. Just because we don't see anything doesn't mean work isn't happening.

5) finally yes it does allow Apo the opportunity to shine and get more entrenched in the fashion world which is also his passion. And Apo would have more time to network and chat without Mile being there. Mile and Apo having access to the exact same contacts believe it or not is actually less efficient from a business perspective 💁🏻‍♀️ and they both know that too. the reason KPTS got funded was because of both of their connections with different people/companies

all of which makes Mile's cringe social media sobfest even funnier. the heart wants what it wants (to see Apo)

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, May 2 2020

Welcome to my latest summary of recent ecommerce news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & Etsy! This covers articles I came across since the late April report, although some may be older than that. I will do my best to keep posting these at least once every 10 days if not sooner. 

Have any topics you would like to see me cover in more detail? Drop me a line here on Tumblr, or email me through my website. I’m also on Twitter and YouTube if you prefer social.  

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

If you sell on Etsy, this is your reminder that the Offsite Ads program kicks in on May 4, and people who make under $10K a year on Etsy can opt out if they want to avoid the additional fees. I have a summary here. 

Issues with mail delivery during the pandemic continue. Canada Post has suspended on time delivery guarantees and warns of December level volume.  USPS is not shipping to 113 countries, including many APO addresses. 

I am still interested in posting articles and lists of resources for small businesses and artists during the pandemic, so please pass on any good resources you know about. HubSpot did a page for Australia, and one for the United States.  See my previous edition for a longer list. 

ETSY NEWS 

Mask sales have created a huge boom for Etsy, but also some busts. “Suddenly millions of people were logging on to Etsy, searching for masks nine times every second, the company calculated.The site was not ready for the rush….There are now 50,000 sellers on Etsy who have each sold at least one mask; 10,000 have sold at least 100. Etsy staff spent time calling the most popular sellers to weed out scams, but also to ensure well-meaning sellers were not over-promising.” There have been many threads from sellers whose shops were de-indexed due to both bots and to Etsy wanting to limit their sales until they catch up on open orders, creating a lot of complaints at a time when their customer service response is hugely delayed. 

Some sellers report receiving listing credits for masks, although several who received money did not sell masks, and many others who did sell masks got nothing. 

Another Seller Handbook post on what people are looking for while they are under lockdown (TL;DR: home decor, activities, bath & beauty) , as well as suggestions for how you can pivot your shop. They include the top search terms for each area; some examples: washable paper towel, garden, birthday gift,  printable wall art, puzzle, board game, puzzle adult. “As shoppers transform their living spaces for multifunctional uses like working, exercising, and homeschooling, they’re looking for cozy comfort as well as fresh, on-season style updates that offer mood-boosting appeal….113% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for “home office...127% YoY increase in searches on Etsy for “indoor garden...“Face mask” was the top searched term for the last five weeks (as of April 23, 2020)” Finally, “In recent Etsy buyer research, one third of shoppers who anticipated purchasing on Etsy in the next three months reported planning to buy gifts.” [Although the article doesn’t mention this, I strongly recommend emphasizing somewhere in your shop that you can send the order directly to the gift recipient, if you sell giftable items but sales are down right now. I am getting a lot more requests for gift notes than usual, and more people are paying for tracking so they know when the gift arrives.]

A study says that 30% of Etsy sellers do not save for emergencies, and 74% want Etsy to help them when emergencies arise. 

Two new features for users of Etsy’s USPS labels: free pick up requests, and easy customer return labels. 

Etsy launched an exclusive collection with Joseph Altuzarra. 

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

Moz just came out with an excellent guide to keyword research that you all should at least bookmark to come back to later, even if you don’t do keyword research now. The introduction contains a good definition of long tail with a graph; “Only about 20% of the keywords people search for will be popular "head" terms. The majority of keyword phrases will be less-frequent, long-tail keywords.” There’s even a downloadable 2-page cheat sheet on the basics at the end. 

There may have been a Google search update around April 16, but I am mostly posting this article for the graphs showing search volatility in the past 1-2 months; those changes in the second half of March into early April seem to be mostly user-driven due to the pandemic, rather than algorithm changes. 

Backlinks are not all created equal, and time is sometimes one of the factors in weighting them. [text and video] 

This analysis of near 12 million Google search results turned up some interesting correlations with ranking. Not surprisingly, sites in first place have many more backlinks on average than the other sites on the same page. It was a bit surprising to learn that page loading speed didn’t correlate with ranking at all (that may change once everyone goes to mobile first indexing in the fall), nor did using the keyword in your title tag. “Pages in Google’s top 10 results contain 65% to 85% of the keywords that they’re ranking for in their title tag. However, we found very little (if any) correlation between keyword-optimized title tags and higher rankings on the first page.”

Google may delay its move to complete mobile-first indexing by September, depending on how sites are managing due to the recent disruptions.

Some businesses are moving the money they spent on advertising over to SEO, because there is a longer-term payoff vs. a short term impact from someone seeing an ad on a given day. Good SEO can get you ranking on many search engines for years, if you are lucky. 

(CONTENT) MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails) 

Not surprisingly, the top times for social media traffic have changed during the pandemic; here’s an updated list. 

Thinking of starting a YouTube channel? Here’s a beginner’s manual including screenshots on how to set it up, as well as tips on YouTube SEO & other marketing tactics. 

Don’t know what to put in your email newsletters? HubSpot picked 17 examples they think are awesome. 

Facebook rapidly revamped & expanded its video chat option to compete with Zoom & Houseparty, called Messenger Rooms. Note that “Room calls are not end-to-end encrypted, but Facebook says it does not view or listen to calls.” The are also working on the ability to charge people to watch live streams. 

Twitter had a good first quarter but the stock still fell because it does not look like they are recovering from the pandemic effects very quickly. 

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS) 

As mentioned in my last edition, Google Shopping is now offering free listings on its US platform, and rolled out a bit early for some even though the start date was given as April 27. Your Etsy listings will not be shown in the free ads if you opt out of Etsy’s Offsite Ads program, and you are not allowed to add marketplace listings to GS yourself, but this may be something you are interested in for your website, if you sell to the US. Some tips on setting up Merchant accounts correctly for this here and here, and optimizing your listings here. If your standalone is on Shopify, they have instructions here. 

As ad prices are dropping for some items on some platforms, it has become easier for small businesses to start campaigns, especially experienced online sellers who can now take advantage of the ecommerce boom. [I agree with this for the right types of items or service, but I don’t think it is going to work for everything.]

New to online advertising, and don’t know where to start? HubSpot has a good introductory overview here, with details on the main options available. 

Google is offering ad credits to small & medium sized businesses as pandemic relief, starting in late May. Note that you need to have been running ads last year with Google to be eligible. . 

Google Ad users will soon need to submit proof of identity & location, starting with US users. The move is to help prevent scammers and increase transparency. Early response to the announcement is mixed. 

Facebook is no longer forcing advertisers to use its Campaign Budget Optimization, meaning businesses will continue to be able to set different budgets across all of their campaigns. 

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING 

If you have an ecommerce site built with Wordpress, here’s how to track your email newsletter clicks through Google Analytics. 

And for your ecommerce site, the best alerts to set up in GA. 

Bing Webmaster Tools has a great feature that tracks traffic to connected accounts other than your website or blog - but Twitter has been removed from this list. 

There are far more Instagram analytics apps than I thought. 

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS 

Many ecommerce platforms/website providers are being pressured to reduce the fake COVID-19 disinfectants on their sites, including eBay, Facebook, Shopify & Alibaba.

There is a new app that lets buyers shop with multiple businesses who run their sites through Shopify, called Shop. Among other things, it will feature businesses local to the user: “A recent survey of global consumers by Ernst & Young found that 34% of respondents are willing to pay more for local products amid the pandemic.”

Shopify’s stock is flying high right now, and it has become the second-most valuable company in Canada, in part due to the surge of sign ups after the start of the pandemic. 

Since page loading speed is important to buyer conversions as well as SEO, if you have a Shopify site, you will want to read about which themes are the fastest & slowest to load. A few are ridiculously slow, & you will want to consider your goals if you are thinking of using them. 

Jeff Bezos has moved back to managing Amazon operations due to the pandemic. “Bezos was also personally involved in Amazon’s decision to suspend third-party vendors from shipping non-essential items to Amazon’s warehouses, helping ease the load on workers so that they could more efficiently ship goods like baby products, groceries, pet supplies and personal care products.  He also signed off on Amazon’s move to halt tactics it normally uses “to encourage customers to put more items in their shopping carts”.

Meanwhile, Amazon VP states that Amazon has done a lot for sellers during the pandemic, including suspending “repayment of all Amazon Lending loans for sellers in the United States and the United Kingdom until April 30.” I guess that is why their profit fell to only $2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2020 despite their gross sales being up 29% due to the pandemic buying. 

Amazon’s pilot program for verifying new sellers by video calls is continuing; contrary to previous reports, they say they are not using facial-recognition technology, but they are checking photo ID against the video call. 

eBay has extended its suspension of most seller performance standard rules until June 19 for sellers in the UK. They are also extending their free listing offers, and after banning mask sales are now apparently envying Etsy’s sales and are encouraging sellers to make fabric masks.They are also planning a way to confirm sales that involve local pickups [podcast & transcript]. 

eBay had lower 1st quarter results than they & others had predicted, so the stock went down. Here is the call transcript for those interested. 

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

The pandemic sales trends have switched from hoarding essentials to food & home comfort items. “As spring eased toward summer, cooking at home also began to include gardening. "We see continued growth in gardening," said Ventry. ... Growing herbs, he said, played well with the home cooking trend, too. "We saw similar trends from 2008 to 2010, during the recession."

Ecommerce sales are way up, perhaps 50% up in the US right now, and some of these people will continue their increased online shopping, so it is a good time to launch many types of new campaigns. (warnings - some “not safe for work” language) 

HubSpot has been producing a weekly pandemic report on its customers core business stats, such as website traffic & sales rates. They speculate that we might be seeing a bit of an overall recovery as of last week. 

MISCELLANEOUS

There are still more good work-from-home articles coming out that can also be relevant for those of us who have been doing this for a while now. Using a schedule to be more productive is a common topic. As is managing to be productive with kids around. 

[junker-town]

A history of outlier recruiting classes (and what happens next)

Usually, things snap back to reality soon. But not always. Let’s run through a decade of notable outlier classes.

Most teams recruit at similar levels year over year. Huge outlier classes only come about every so often.

But what happens when a team that usually recruits stars doesn’t, or a team used to signing three-stars suddenly lands tons of blue-chips? I looked over years of 247Sports Composite class rankings to get a sense.

Let’s mostly ignore transitional classes signed right after a new coach took over. Does each year’s big outlier class on this list hint at a trajectory change, or is it a one-off?

2019: No. 17 USC

The eight blue chip-recruits in this class means this is USC’s only class besides Steve Sarkisian’s transitional 2014 class to sign fewer than 12 blue-chips in the last decade. This wasn’t officially a transitional class, but with six new assistant coaches (and a Kliff Kingsbury entrance and departure), it might as well have been. Seeing USC out of the top 10 is one thing, but the Trojans being this far down is jarring.

It’s a class that reflects the program’s state of decline and dysfunction.

Honorable mention: Purdue (25th, 40-some spots above its traditional ranking).

2018: No. 5 Alabama (lol)

The Tide had signed the No. 1 class seven years running. Not only did Alabama not finish No. 1, it finished outside of the top three for only the second time since Saban’s first full-cycle class in 2008.

And then what happened?

This may surprise you, but the Tide resumed their No. 1 role for 2019.

If you go by per-player Composite average, this is the most efficient group in Saban history, ranking No. 5 all time on the second list in this post. The class composition is heavy on the trenches, shoring up for some upcoming NFL losses.

Oh, it gets worse. The only three-star in 2019’s Bama group is No. 1 kicker Will Reichard, the latest man tasked with fixing almost literally the Tide’s only weakness. He’s the highest rated kicker since 2017, so I think we can call him the equivalent of a five-star kicker.

Honorable mentions: Penn State (6th, up from 14th-20th the previous three years) and Purdue (51st, up from between 62nd and 80th the previous five years).

2017: No. 25 Texas

Transitional recruiting classes are rough, and that’s why we’re mostly skipping them here, but Tom Herman’s was way below even conservative expectations. It was Texas’ lowest-ranked class ever. Sam Ehlinger was the best player they signed from the state, and he ranked 19th in Texas. Obviously, he’s turned out to be pretty effective. But it was disappointing in the moment when LSU missed out on targets like DE K’Lavon Chaisson (LSU) and DT Marvin Wilson (FSU).

And then what happened?

Texas got it rolling in a big way. Herman finished with the No. 3 classes in 2018 and 2019. The 2017 unit can still serve as the foundation for Herman’s Texas turnaround — particularly the DBs and WRs. The 2018 class was the most loaded DBs class in rankings history.

Honorable mentions: Clemson (16th, based on the defending champs signing a small class), Maryland (18th, its first top-20 class in a decade), UTSA (75th (it wasn’t a joke that former LSU assistant Frank Wilson could quickly upgrade recruiting).

2016: No. 36 Houston

So, I know that you’re thinking, something along the lines of “this is all about Ed Oliver.” He’s one of six five-stars ever to sign with a non-power team.

I did an experiment. To gauge his impact on the class’ Signing Day ranking, I took Oliver out of Houston’s 2016 class and replaced him with a normally talented Houston DT signee (mid-level in-state three-star). The mythical non-Oliver Houston class would have ranked 43rd in the team rankings. That’s still comfortably the best Houston class ever and one of the best non-Power 5 classes ever.

The Cougars’ five-year recruiting ranking heading into 2018 was 71st. That should tell you something about this class besides the best recruit in school history.

And then what happened? Herman left for Texas, and the Cougars weren’t able to stay this hot on the trail. But Oliver had a great career, and UH was at least competitive.

Honorable mention: Ole Miss (5th, and we’ll come back to them).

2015: No. 27 Miami

Since we’re (mostly) steering away from transitional classes, Miami’s 2015 takes the cake, though Al Golden’s first class in 2011 was worse by ranking alone.

No school recruits itself, but Miami being outside of the to 20 in any year is hard to justify given that, well, it’s Miami. After that class flopped, this was the state of the program:

Clemson recruiting coordinator Jeff Scott said 58-0 win was "huge" for recruiting. Miami hosted "a lot" of players Clemson is also after.

— Gene Sapakoff (@Sapakoff) October 24, 2015

And then what happened? Mark Richt got the Canes back to nabbing good classes — two-straight top-15 classes. Manny Diaz took over after Richt retired, and will look to keep the momentum going as the Canes try to claw back to their early-2000s heyday. Their 2019 class ranked 28th, but this was a weird transition, and Miami’s added many transfers.

Honorable mention: Tennessee (4th, as Butch Jones built things brick by brick, remember?).

2014: No. 5 Texas A&M

It was a simpler time when the Aggies signed a future No. 1 NFL pick (Myles Garrett), the best QB in that year’s class (Kyle Allen), an elite athlete (five-star WR Speedy Noil) and a JUCO player who’d start in the Super Bowl as a rookie (Josh Reynolds).

The Aggies have been a staple in the top 20, but this was the peak. They were supposed to take the next step, to prove they could hang with the SEC’s elite and continue the ascendency.

And then what happened?

2014: 8-5

2015: 8-5

2016: 8-5

2017: 7-5

No classes in those years were better than 12th.

Honorable mention: Old Dominion (77th, a massive upgrade for a program typically around dead-last in FBS).

2013: No. 8 Ole Miss

Well, well, well, look who we have here. The class that came out of nowhere to shock the world. It was Ole Miss’ second top-15 class in a decade, but the quality at the top is what set it apart. You remember the five-star names: Tony Conner, Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil, Laquon Treadwell. The last three were (in order) the best three recruits Ole Miss has ever signed.

Only USC and Alabama had as many or more five-stars that year. It was supposed to be the start of a rags-to-riches SEC tale. In a way, it was.

And then what happened?

Honorable mentions: Vanderbilt (26th; hello, James Franklin), and Georgia Tech (70th; recruiting the triple option is hard, but yikes).

2012: No. 7 Stanford

Distilling Stanford’s ethos, the best three players in the class were offensive linemen. The Cardinal actually signed two of the top four tackles in the country (Kyle Murphy, Andrus Peat) and the second-best guard (Joshua Garnett).

And then what happened?

Ho-hum, they’ve only played for the conference title four times (winning three) since this class. They’ve only cracked the top 15 in the rankings twice since, however. And they’ve yet to crack the top 10.

Honorable mentions: Wisconsin (65th, bad even for a team that doesn’t recruit like an elite), UCF (96th, which makes that future 0-12 team make more sense).

2011: No. 34 Texas A&M

The Aggies are again on the list thanks to a class that didn’t include a top-30 player in the state of Texas. Its average rating was six points (about half a star on average) away from the next year’s. And that 2012 class was Kevin Sumlin’s transitional class.

But what we didn’t know was the impact of a three-star dual-threat QB from Kerrville. His name: Johnny Manziel.

And then what happened?

Honorable mention: Texas Tech (19th, via signing four of the 10 highest-rated recruits in school history, a year after ranking 44th).

2010: No. 33 BYU

Anchored by three of the 10 highest-rated recruits in Cougars history, this was supposed to be the bedrock of something great for would-be BCS-busters. BYU was plenty good under Bronco Mendenhall, but this class punched above BYU’s weight.

And then what happened? Two of those three (QB Jake Heaps, WR Ross Apo) didn’t pan out. But Bronson Kaufusi did, eventually selected by the Ravens in the third round. The Cougars were a mainstay in the eight- and nine-win club for the next five seasons.

Honorable mention: Ohio State (18, well below its usual range).

2009: No. 36 Clemson

Twelve players signed. It was the fewest recruits Clemson had ever signed since the school tracked signings. It was the fewest signees among BCS schools that year. But Clemson will take quality over quantity.

A young assistant named Dabo Swinney had just been promoted to the head job. Around Clemson, they call this group the Dandy Dozen. And Swinney will credit them as the start of all the great things that followed.

“I’m very thankful for those guys for choosing to stick with us,” Swinney said of the class that built his dynasty. “Tajh Boyd, I’ll never forget sitting up there in his house. [Mike] Belotti goes out one day, [Jim] Tressel is coming in next. And here comes coach Swinney. I’m like, ‘listen, man, I need a quarterback at Clemson. I don’t have anything to offer you. I’ve got no resume. I’ve never coached. I’ve coached just a few games as an interim guy here, but man I think we can do some great things.”

And then what happened?

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Honorable mention: South Carolina (14, which played a huge role in establishing one Gamecock team’s future success).

Don’t get too high or too low about one year.

Your team will likely regress to its mean, whether it’s doing well or poorly right now. But in the rare instance, a great class can start a dynasty.

Because of the multiple factors that go into a team’s success and even an individual player’s success, most of the time, an outlying class is just that.