#i posted to Facebook once and then Covid happened

[thenarwhalgal]

Also also I think I got it! You’ve just gotta follow everybody, I’m gonna follow every account I see. If an account passes me by I’m gonna follow it! This is gonna be great!

[sgiandubh]

Last minute Swifties

Contrary to what many thought and some posted, I do think the OL cast's Taylor Swift experience was a last minute promo idea, very much monitored by *** and Tall Ships. I was wrong about minder/security guy (still, eerie...) and I never have a problem publicly admitting it. But quite unlikely I am wrong about this one. And sorry for the length, but you know how I am when I am looking for something, right?

Let's unpack: cast thanked the 'organizers' (and minders, really) in very specific terms, leaving NO much doubt:

Louisa McCulloch. Remember this name, we shall meet her in one hot minute. So thank you Louisa and Maril for organizing this: ask yourselves why did Maril, who (as far as I know) is based in the US, have to come to Edinburgh just for the gig. Damage control, perhaps?

And Sophie S., with a remarkable choice of words:

'Thank you ***, TS and her team for making it happen'. In my book, this means a strong, common effort to secure the box last minute. Because 'making it happen' means exactly that: 'need to do everything you can to facilitate it'.

Clearly Skelton, who is a Swiftie in her own right, was particularly appreciative of the efforts it took to ensure everyone could attend the concert. If that were a long planned event, her enthusiasm would have been more temperate, I think. 'Adding more Swifties to the clan' - LOL, Sophie, you mean S and C had no idea of the lyrics and were unable to sing along with you, John Bell, Izzy and Co (I keep forgetting their names and I like them a lot, in the show)? People of my generation are already too damn old for Taylor S. And this different sort of music might be more of S's real preference: otherwise why post it in his stories, as if to say ' TS is a different thing altogether'?

James. A Manchester rock band, formed in 1982, popular in the Nineties. I see no lies: he was clear 'JAMMF is a Swiftie'. And we are, after all, Children of the Nineties, not TS's crowd. And yes, I knew S was into the same kind of music as I was, in the Nineties (he seems to have stayed put, right there, unlike me, LOL):

Anyways, back to the mysterious woman up and front on three pictures in a row, that got many speculating. Nope, that was not Wendy, the MUA and S's bestie:

Once...

... Twice...

... Three times a lady:

Her name is Louisa McCulloch, née Radcliffe and she is the one S thanked, along with Maril (see above). It was a bit hard finding her, because her IG account is private. But I found her alright on Facebook, and then LinkedIn (of course):

Based in Lockerbie, Scotland. 20 years experience as a media publicist:

Worked with *** and Tall Ships since Season 3, after a short stint as Head of Publicity at the Paramount Pictures London Office. Got promoted from Unit Publicist to Publicist during COVID, for Season 6. So yes, she is the one who made it happen, locally, on what I think was a quite short notice.

Attention successfully diverted. Impeccable timing and giving a younger crowd what it wants. Trying to capitalize on TS's huge Instagram fan base: 283 million followers (wow! I had no fucking idea she was so huge). A win-win situation for just about everyone and an elegant way out from sordid waters:

And it worked. Lost among the hundred of thousands of likes and comments, look who's jumping on the bandwagon:

Sharon Stone. With a Blue Check and her 3.9 million Instagram fanbase. A Nineties deity, need I remind you (this blogger spotted her during the Berlinale 2007, while I was going out for drinks, blissfully unaware we were all staying at The Adlon, LOL)?

They mutually follow each other on Insta, by the way. I wonder why *urv did not pounce on that one. I feel robbed, for once, of a wonderful fanfic.

[Later edit] Several comments take on this person without a proper justification. I am editing this post to remind you she is only responsible for the implementation (in Scotland) of decisions taken elsewhere (in the United States of America). She is NOT a decision maker and as Publicist, was probably responsible for the local implementation of a hasty decision to attend an event (secure VIP box at Murrayfield, sell content to the local press). The direct contact with TS's team was, very likely, Maril and upwards, in the hierarchy. In all fairness, she has nothing to do with a billboard spotted in Los Angeles, USA - nothing of the sort in Europe. I am all for taxing, but let's tax people who are really RESPONSIBLE: she is just a very well paid underling. Thank you all, I am sure you understand fairness can only add to our credibility as a group.

[dicapiito]

Since Black People share zero blame about what happened in the election and why Trump won again; let’s do a master post on who’s to blame as to why Trump won again:

1. White people. They are never to be trusted to actually pay attention to shit so they will believe anything anyone tells them to. If someone is promising to get rid of anyone who’s not white; white people will vote for that candidate. White men vote for violence and white women vote in hopes to be like white men. I mean, Roe V Wade SHOULDVE been important …until I remember those stories from nurses at Planned Parenthood mentioning how obnoxious white women are about the service. White people who are actual allies are very rare and they know if they admitted to being hateful; they’d be all alone watching Fox News.

2. The mainstream media. MSNBC, CNN, Bill Maher, John Oliver, Jon Stewart ( the biggest douchefuck), Chris Hayes, Anderson Cooper, Joy Reid, among others (who I can’t name because I refuse to hate-watch their media). They spent all their fucking time bashing Biden and the Democrats. They let the lunatic leftists have a platform and they treated Trump like he’s no threat until it was way too late. They figured it’s better for their audiences to not take what Trump did in 2016-2020 seriously and just be mean towards Biden, Harris and the Democrats who actually work towards better.

Any one of these jokers could’ve taken an actual stand and report actual news about Biden but once Covid got calmer thanks to Biden and the White House became boring again because the Biden Administration was busy ACTUALLY WORKING; it just wasn’t enough for them. Once they knew leftists also found another cause they could hijack for themselves to “ stick it to the Dems” they also let these fuckers on their show to help spread more lies about the Democrats. But nope! They latched onto the “ Free Palestine” movement and sold that shit, knowing full fuckin well that it’s not America’s problem about the conflict and Biden and Harris were making sure to get a two state solution.

Their buyers remorse media is not cute and they are only doing this because they know they are a major reason why Trump won again. They’re also scared of retaliation so they’re going to act like they “ regretted it” and that Biden “ wasn’t so bad” while not ever really apologetic but their audiences will eat it up.

3. Nonblack PoC. Latino, Asian/ Pacific Islander community ( I’m not even shocked. I’m apart of this group and they love antiblackness), Arab Americans ( Rashida Tlaib is antiblack but because leftists are stupid; they couldn’t see something so obvious). The desperation to be accepted by white people and also the xenophobia in all these communities had them voting for Trump. They have the “ I’m one of the good ones” mentality and well they’re about to see that antiblackness and xenophobia has screwed themselves .

4. Social media websites letting misinformation spread, and I include tumblr since yet again this happened. I appreciate that X has a community note and people tried to fight it but it was just way too great. Too many bots were getting through. Facebook, tumblr, Twitter, TikTok, likely Instagram as well. And once the elections are over; it’s like they treat the election interference shit like it didn’t happen.

5. Leftists. As usual, since they’re bored and rich, they do this protesting “ the establishment” every four years because they don’t want to pay their fair share of taxes. They went right along with the Free Palestine bullshit because it has worked for them before. Susan Sarandon , remember her? She helped fuck over 2000 as well as 2016 and let the GOP into the White House. Since leftist includes being racist/antiblack and antisemitic; it’s a great way to get more stupid white people to not vote or “ protest vote” and help the GOP win. Now that they have; we won’t see the likes of Jill Stein or any third party candidates. They are only around to help fuck over the Democrats and yet this lesson seems to have to keep being repeated and holy fuck it’s fucking annoying.

6. Nancy Pelosi. I know I haven’t said much but she wanted Biden to step down. She wanted an open Democratic primary to get a new candidate and to go right past Kamala Harris. Her bullshit has been known for awhile, especially if you live in the Bay Area. People forgot because of Covid and because of the whack job who attacked her husband. But remember; she’s also Gavin Newsom’s aunt and well…do with that what you will. If Democrats have any chance at getting their base back; Pelosi needs to step aside and let Hakeem Jeffries be Speaker. Pelosi knew damn well if it was not Kamala Harris; Black People would not show up but she is a white woman first so of course she did what she did. And for her to act like Biden was too old when she’s in the same age group was even more moronic since he won against Trump the first fuckin time

7. antisemitism also played a huge part. Remember Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is Jewish so if it wasn’t antiblackness; antisemitism was also at play here. Even though people won’t say it just like they won’t say their true reasons why they didn’t vote for Kamala Harris. Jewish People were the only allies along with the lgbt community who overwhelmingly voted for Kamala Harris. Every group has knuckleheads but the knuckleheads were extremely smaller than everyone else.

8. The Squad members. AOC, Rashida Tlaib, Jayapal, Cori Bush, Summer Lee and Jamaal Bowman. It’s time to get rid of these idiot DSA morons and the fact that Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman are out is awesome. They always wanted to fuck over the Democrats because they want to appear like they’re activists while they really just sell “ someday it’ll be better” while making $176K a year. They need the GOP in charge so they can coast in the House. Too bad leftists don’t get that.

So now that we all know who’s to blame; maybe now take some fuckin responsibility and hope to fucking heaven that Trump won’t have SCOTUS overturn shit but who are we kidding? With Elon Musk around; a lot of things will be rolled back but let’s see if people learn anything from it. Oh who am I kidding ?

Oh and thinking of moving to Canada? Lmao Justin Trudeau already went “ AHT AHT”. Best believe other countries are already following suit so y’all are going to be owning up to who you voted for lol.

But ya know, Biden was “ too old” and Harris was “ too joyful”

[tinystepsforward]

so i have notifications turned on for my mother on facebook mostly to keep an eye on what the fuck she's up to. bc she and my father are like, "broke the law to start an underground fundie home church during covid lockdown and still aren't vaccinated and are incredibly gullible but also potentially dangerous" levels of Whatever That Is, right?

and she's been relatively normal for a while — photos of sunsets and flowers she saw and food my siblings make and whatever. except she's just shared a post from a like. "hope for hurting parents of wayward children" type fb page that she follows that's all like "remember... [list of bad things in the bible that lasted 40 days]. your day 41 as a parent will come :)))) your child will return"

and i cannot overstate enough how much that fb page and its associated website links out to multiple counselors, orgs, and websites which practice conversion therapy. like mom, sorry to break it to you but your church/the school you sent me to/etc actually put me through it three times already and it didn't take. and also you didn't notice it was happening, fucking somehow. and ALSO i've been with my wife for TEN YEARS like

anyway this just means that once i get my next t shot on wednesday i double extra need to get back into powerlifting bc i wanna be as jacked as possible before the family trip back home for her 60th. if she thinks she's enduring a trial god's sending her way then i better make it an extra virtuous one

[vtuberconfessions]

Froot has now lost over thousands of her loyal twitter followers after she posted these fake screen shot edited posts, compare it to the badly edited screenshot of Froot saying the racist N word and you notice both of them are blurry and poorly edited like her 90 google page documentary screenshots. Froot's ex husband has a captured facebook image page where the screenshot shows a drawing from Froot portraying her self insert self hugging her Ex arriving from home. If you look at AntHimeCh's youtube video she has an interview with Froot's cheated to ex boyfriend. I will not mention his name out of respect for his privacy. You will know of his name once you watch AntHimeCh's Froot Mistakes documentary video upload where it shows AntHimeCh having a Skype Call interview with that cheated to ex boyfriend. I no longer see Froot as tolerable anymore to overlook since I did not want to damage VShojo's standing. But since Ironmouse, Matarakan, HimeHajime were willing to ignore how this will badly affect truly good soul vtubers like HarukaKaribu, Ksonchou, HenyatheGenius formerly Pikamee, MichiMochivee. Ksonchou and MichiMochivee have psychological health problems with Ksonchou admitting she suffers severe depression in one of her streams and MichiMochivee receiving mental health counseling from VShojo. HenyatheGenius currently sick from covid and uses VShojo and other Vtubers as a comfort since she still gets bullied to this very day by JK Rowling haters even under her new alias to this day, just for playing Hogwarts Legacy previously as Pikamee. HarukaKaribu has been an outcast who has been bullied for her autism and seeks Vtubers she can relate to for the sake of their friendship. They were all sacrificed so Froot in her hubris point of view believes she can get away selling off her remaining merchandise if she appeals to the far left crowd like The British Broadcast Channel and Modern Day Disney Company would. I want to tell you all that phones back around 2012 to 2016 do not take blurry screenshots. Those dated phones can capture screenshots clean as day. Froot is making it look like her cellphone was primitive back in the day it took blurry screenshots.

I'm not done for Mythic Talent got caught in the crossfire of hate when they defended Froot including with the innocent maiden Camila, she got threatened by one of the 4channers from the POLitically incorrect group who deeply hate Froot's guts. POLitically incorrect 4chan members took down one of Ironmouse's youtube channel in response to her defending Froot. Froot did not give an absolute shit she got her Vshojo friends and Mythic Talent friends caught in this tornado wind of a situation she started and does not feel bad about it at all. Froot is rather casual about it like nothing disastrous happened about it after. She thinks it was a triumphant yes queen moment on her part. MommaOcco has information about the Froot situation on her underthetea podcast youtube channel. On MommaOcco's twitter account she has shown one of Asmongold's livestreams about Froot where Asmongold shows how bad the situation has gotten. Since Asmongold is one of Vshojo's bigger endorsers, Froot will be put into even bigger lengths of pressure where they will eventually have to fire her. MommaOcco reveals Froot was acting like a saleswoman trying to pitch in her nsfw sexualized merchandise after she did the whole google 90 page document fiasco. Do not forget this. Owners of vtuberconfessions blog can you please screenshot this for preservation purposes?

.

[nickgerlich]

Pump It Up

Quick. Name a social media platform that has been outlawed in numerous states. Now name a social media platform that is doing everything it can to promote its ubiquity. If you answered “TikTok” to both challenges, you would be right.



Never before in the short history of social media has one platform been so singled out as TikTok. As of April, 34 out of 50 states have banned its use among state employees. Montana has gone so far as to ban it completely for anyone and everyone, so please don’t think of visiting the Treasure State and posting your reels. You may just be fined.

Of course, Montana is going to face huge legal challenges on this one. And never mind that you could probably dodge their bullet by using a VPN on your phone. It’s little different from dealing with the Chinese firewall.

ICYMI, the controversy is over the fact that TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company with rumored ties to the Communist Party there. That’s code for saying TikTok may be a national security risk, even if you’re just posting reels of your dog doing tricks.

To combat this, ByteDance will more than gladly take on legal challenges, as well as bolster its presence everywhere, like at the gas pump. Remember when we were told not to use our phones while fueling because we night cause an explosion? Yeah. Apparently that’s a non-starter these days, because TikTok has partnered with GSTV (Gas Station TV) to launch new videos we can watch during the five minutes we’re left checking our email and socials anyway. QR codes and a call to action seek to bring viewers into not just TikTok, but the brands paying to advertise there.

And it is pure genius, security risks or not. I bet the other social media platforms are kicking themselves for not jumping on this one. Think about it. When else do we all have a short amount of dead time that could otherwise be used for marketing purposes? This is the kind of thinking from the old days (meaning before COVID) that airlines followed with their in-flight magazines, as well as SKyMall catalogs. Those days were even better, because they had captive audiences locked into their seats for sometimes hours at a time.

The GSTV ads are 20 seconds, even shorter than the reels we see on TikTok. GSTV claims 116 million unique viewers each month, which speaks to the appeal of their platform. The ability to share these adverts makes them worth even more, because they can now reach even more eyeballs.

The strategy is nothing new for TikTok, which has also inked deals with Reach TV for airports, and Screenvision inside movie theatres. The goal is to be even more ubiquitous than Facebook, Google, or any of the other major ad-supported platforms.

Now let’s think about some applications. While virtually anything could be promoted at the pump, including simply planting seeds for products that might be purchased much later, I see great potential for items that could be sold in the next few minutes. Imagine the fast food joint next door promoting a meal deal, or a nearby bar advertising its Happy Hour.

Think about it. You’re already out in your car, and you use it to convey a quick and easy purchase, which may or may not have been planned. In some cases, it could divert you; in others, it could be a speed bump that interrupts whatever it is you are doing.

The major limitation to this method—which is good but not perfect—is that we do not purchase gasoline on a daily basis, unless you happen to drive 300-400 miles a day. Travelers along the freeway are one thing, but locals are probably not going to hit the gas station more than once a week, and maybe even less, depending upon the daily commute.

Still, I commend TikTok for finding new ways to spread its wings, because given the current state of affairs at the state and federal level, they should be nervous—and they are. While I hate the notion of a US firewall blocking selected sites, it is a possibility. It would be unprecedented—and I promised never to use that word after the pandemic and all its unprecedentedness—but stranger things have happened.

Meanwhile, fill ‘er up and look for these screens at the pump. They’re calling your name.

Dr “Sell Me Something Good” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[corrodedcoughin]

hi anna i hope you're doing well <3 i wanted to share a bit about my experience with burn out from your recent post. last year I was attending school and a lot of big moments were happening in my personal life. all of that plus the workload, commute, etc. left me feeling burnt out to the point of severe depression :/ your body is constantly tired and you just feel empty regardless of how your try to surround yourself with good things. could be people or food or music or a show but once you feel utterly wrung out, it's hard to feel much of anything else. i know for me it kind of manifested in unhealthy habits to just kind of quickly get through the day, a shot sleep schedule, and for me to start obsessing over little crap that really wasn't all that important. all my time was being used to work or overthink myself into a panic and it just made me feel completely isolated from family, friends, peers, and i left that term feeling stupid and useless.

the best way i try to go around my burnout is for one, to not push myself through it. yeah it all seems hopeless now but is my problem today gonna be the same in a month? a year? i try to think outside the present moment because sometims you might not even realize you have tunnel vision until you actually get out of the tunnel.

my hobbies are still gonna be there when i want to enjoy them but my body and health are what need to be my first priority. a lot of my hobbies were related to tumblr/ao3 or just being online in general so I decided to quit. for around three months I stayed off my socials and deleted apps like tiktok and instagram and decided to stick to the least attention grabbing apps i like. even then i made an effort to stay off my phone as long as i could. it may sound kinda dumb but lowering screentime actually really does help reduce anxiety and i find i don't miss those apps at all.

and for me my burnout was largely being caused from school and I realized that this wasn't the right path for me at all. so i quit because nothing, no matter how seemingly important, should make me feel so horrible. I mean it's not even sadness or exhaustion it's emptiness. you feel nothing and everything and it aches and you just end up ruining all the good things you have by trying to ignore it and push through.

another thing that helped was finding stuff for me to do in my personal life whether that was getting a new job, cleaning the house, cooking a meal, or finding a new love for movies. I prioritized myself and i feel good. It took me about 6 months but I got there and it's worth it. I don't feel isolated or as exhuasted as before and life feels good again, my hobbies feel good again.

I hope you know you're not alone when it comes to feeling this way and i hope you take care 💌 happy easter or just have a happy april

Hello! I’m going to put a bunch of stuff under a read more but before I do that I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for taking the time to even notice/read the things i posted and then writing this. I’m so, so glad that you are feeling better now and that you were able to do that for yourself. It sounds like you really figured out what you needed and it worked and knowing that it does work is so reassuring. So just thank you. For being kind to me and to yourself and sharing. I’m so glad you are here and if you ever want to talk be it silly or serious, my dms are always open.

You are so completely right about social media. I’ve had Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat deleted for a couple of years now. Covid pushed me over the edge with them and the relief of not having them there anymore is incredible. I have tiktok but go on it maybe for a week straight then don’t touch it for a few months. Idk it’s not great at holding my interest.

But yeah tumblr has been a bit of a difficulty for me, hence the dropping out for days at a time. Keeping up with things/engaging and needing to do it ‘right’ is so much more mentally straining than you realise until it’s just one more thing to push you over the edge. Even when I wasn’t replying to messages/asks I would be online trying to keep at track of things so I could ‘do my reblogging duty right’ when I eventually did feel good enough mentally to come back and it’s so STUPID. like!!! Nobody cares if I interact with their posts!! Nobody!!! I just internalised and spiralled a bunch of things from other parts of my life into here too!

Work has been really bad for at least six months now and it’s so hard. Then self doubt over looking into Autism and other mental health stuff as well as gender and trying to keep up with the gym and step targets and feeling bad for not being social every single hour of my day like my very extroverted brother has just really pushed me down into a hole. You don’t realise how many things are going on until they smack you over like a wave and then it’s like ‘oh boy, I can’t get up. And I don’t want to because I’ll just be pushed down again’

Eventually I started just taking my car down to the sea and reading a physical book instead of being online. It’s helped. It’s not sorted things but it’s helped.

My hobbies are primarily online too so I have an idea of where you are coming from, won’t say I understand because everyone is different but I get it. The temptation really IS to push through. I actually said to my only coworker ‘I just need to make it to the end of April. Then I can think about getting signed off if I /really/ need to but I won’t. It’ll be fine’ I don’t know why!! The job doesn’t care back!

I won’t bore you with all the details but it’s been Wild and knowing that you got through the other side is genuinely a light at the end of the tunnel. So thank you for sharing your experience. School is so hard, the first time I went I had to leave for mental health reasons or face hospital admission. I mean it when I say I’m so proud of you for making that decision. Truly. I wish you nothing but ease for the next section of your life, you deserve it. I hope you’ve found a new favourite movie or genre or just general joy in the new hobby! Would love to hear more about that or absolutely anything you have to say, your words are very easy to read and hold a lot of happiness in them. Thank you again and good luck with your new job if you have one or the search if you are looking!

[astrologycharts242]

A brief introduction about me.

I learnt about astrology on Tumblr recently due to a viral post on twitter. I've been studying astrology for years now. I came across a birthday post in 2014 on Facebook and I was like I'm not a Libra. I always looked at astrology as something bogus until about late 2018 October or November. I stumbled across this YouTube channel called 13signsastrology and he explained a Virgo and I was like that's me for sure. I was deeply into spirituality, things like aliens, summerians at the time which was how I stumbled into his videos since he talked about it.

I would watch videos on astrology like planets through the houses for fun. Mainly in 2019 and 2020 because August 2019 I had joined a vocational institute that taught construction trades. It's like a trade school here in the Bahamas even for trades related to cosmetology. It's called The Bahamas technical and Vocational Institute. I was great in that school but I never got to start the construction trades. I had to do certain classes like maths and language. We had an entrepreneurship class for the final exam before COVID botched things we had to a business plan presentation to the class. I still have a copy of it

Long story short I used to watch astrology videos on a daily. Then in 2020 COVID happened. I was in school debt. I was like I'm gonna get this summer job and pay it off. With COVID in 2020 starting right as I finished that spring semester nobody could've even left their houses. We even had to do classes through zoom online. Safe to say my time in trade school was done.

Around this time I would watch krs astrology videos I loved his sun in the 4th house video. It resonated with me for a reason. Then I came across joni patry videos. I used to watch tons of astrologers on YouTube but once I ran into krs videos. This was how I got introduced to vedic astrology specifically. Then I was like all of this square, trines and Lilith stuff I'm about to learn doesn't make sense.

I can't remember when or how. It had to have been at least around August 2020 I ended up on Reddit. I don't even remember how or what made me signed up. I barely knew what reddit was you would think I was drunk when I had signed up, because to this day I can't remember what specifically made me signed up. Out of curiosity with vedic astrology I would google and seeing a Reddit post is probably what intrigued me.

I ended up in the vedic astrology community spamming posts until I somehow got in contact with a vedic astrologer (self proclaimed,) through inbox. The question was about career. We had conversations about life not just with astrology. Unfortunately he couldn't read my chart due to a lack of not having a birth time. The only time I really used was 12:00am. Which was awful because I did that for everybody I didn't even care if someone had a birth time. I would read people's charts with a 12:00am time and act like it was their actual birth time. You can tell I was an amateur. I was like man but this krs video of sun in the 4th house resonated with me. I even used the wrong software people in the vedic astrology subreddit pointed out to me. Remember I was following this guy on YouTube about 13zodiacsigns so I used a software relating to that. This was when I realized something isn't right about that 13 stuff.

I live in the Bahamas where people are heavily christian indoctrinated. I went to the public hospital and it was a hassle trying to get my birth time. I honestly thought I was never gonna get it but when this guy said he needs my birth time to look at my chart. I was motivated than ever. At the hospital I went through hurdles. People asking what I need my birth time for??? Shoots the people that worked there and the patients asked lol I even got into an argument with an old man about religions. He had asked me quietly I told him astrology big mistake I went into a debate and he started getting all loud about witchcraft. I didn't got the time that day they only made me sign a paper for a request. Then they were like they would call about a week later. Before I even went to the hospital I was like should I get a new birth certificate but talking to the lady on the phone. She worked at the place that did the birth certificates and I was like you know what forget this I'll go to the hospital.

A week and a half came I was like no call. I know where this is going so I called. The person that worked in the department where I had to sign the paper or registration form. The same woman that gave me the papers answered. She was like the receptionist. She put me on the phone with her supervisor. The supervisor had answered it was beautiful her energy was on point, very calm as well. The supervisor (a female,) told me she wasn't busy and isn't doing anything. She looked it up I guess on a computer she gave me the time I asked her to repeat it again because the time was just crazy. I was happy as ever as well. My birth time is 12:06am.

[blossom-skies]

Life Update

It’s been forever since I’ve posted since life has been crazy. It’s been soo long since I’ve posted that I’ve even forgotten how to edit my titles of my posts and make them bold 😂. I’m so very sorry for my absence to my tumblr friends. Life as I’ve said has just been crazy and between juggling Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, it’s hard to keep track. Like I really don’t use my Twitter anymore and the sites I do use more actively are Instagram and Facebook if I’m truly being honest. But, you guys definitely deserve an update on my life since the Pandemic hit and so here goes and bare with me on my life story for the past couple of years.

Ok so right around the Pandemic I was a hostess at a restaurant. We all went on lockdown naturally because of the pandemic so I was out of a job for a bit. But before that I was having some severe back issues so I was already on LOA for a while like a year and going between different practices to try and figure out the problem with my severe back pain. I waisted a whole year on one practice in which they really had no idea what was going on and thought a rib was causing the issue and was planning surgery to remove one. One comment that was said and that stuck with me to this day and still has me fuming was when the doctor whom we were referred to legitimately said “ I don’t care if she gets the surgery or not I’m still going to get paid.”

I was so so angry I was crying which I don’t normally do but he mistook it as pain and he tried to back track his comment and tried to be all sympathetic. Not only that I failed to mention that that specific appointment we had to wait 3 hours in the waiting room before we were even sent back. Anyway we left that practice shortly after for a more competent team. They figured out that the two rods I had in my spine since I had scoliosis correction surgery were doing the opposite of what we wanted them to do since I am now years old and grew out of them.

Long story short I’m fused from the base of my neck all the way down to the last two joints of my spine which are unfused. Because of this the rods are resting on top of one joint and rubbing up against it and risking a degenerative disc. There’s not much we can do now except pain blocks every three months until my body gets used to the medication. Once we get to that point then the doctor will talk about a big surgery.

The surgery if I recall correctly would be to take out the rods and do it over since I’ve grown out of the old ones and put new ones in. So for right now I’m just sticking with the pain block procedure’s every three months because my doctor doesn’t want to risk paralyzing me since I’m only 31.

Oh yeah and during the pandemic when everyone was trying to keep the amount of people in a room small and social distancing, my second grandfather died of Parkinson’s disease. Almost a year later my brother got a divorce from his wife as well and went to Chicago for finishing school at NorthWestern University to study Prosthetics. He was able to come home within a year and finish the rest of his studies online. Apparently I was his inspiration for his choice of career in Disability and Prosthetics ( long story short and could be another post entirely if you truly want to know my life’s story. I’ve kinda been hiding it from you guys but I do in fact have a disability. It’s called DiGeorge Syndrome. It’s relatively new in regards of a field of study but if you want to know more I can either make a post about it or tell you directly in the Ask Box. I’m just so used to people going Huh? Whenever I mention my disability. I kinda have to follow up with an short explanation of it.)

Anyway back to my update. As I said Lockdown happened I was out of a job, grandpa died, brother divorced and went to Chicago but is now back. I’m now not a hostess as I had quit the job because I felt like I was being taken advantage of. Plus they had people working the grill line who had Covid and that’s just ew. I was also at that point becoming my grandmother’s caregiver on my moms side because she was starting to fall down a lot. My uncle is paying me a whole lot more than I was working as a hostess and my grandmother who is now 99 and will be 100 this year doesn’t fall as often or hardly ever since I’ve been working for her. Although she is developing a small bit of Sundowners Syndrome and im usually getting the brunt of it such as life but I still love her deeply and would rather do this than be a hostess. It’s not like I can stand on my feet for 5 hours straight anymore. I can barely even sit through a 2 hour movie at the theater without my back being upset at me and needing two days to recover. Not so sure how I’m gonna be able to fly to my brothers graduation in March. Oh! Now that all the negative news is over, it’s definitely time for some good news. This Christmas my dad finally got his big dog he’s been wanting which is a Chocolate Lab puppy named Kate. She’s a handful let me tell you.

That mouth never stays closed. Always teething on me, her toys, her leashes, etc. She’s a cutie tho. I’ll include photos of the teething monster in the post. Her adult teeth are already coming in.

That’s not all the good news. My bestie for 18 years is getting married this year (ironically to my ex boyfriend who were still on good terms) and she asked me to be apart of the wedding as one of her bridesmaids. I’m super stoked! Of course I said yes to that. Even better she and her fiancé will be moving into the same apartment complex that my grandma lives in so that’s just super exciting 😁.

@aurora-the-kunoichi

@fyreball66

@the-four-terrapins

@thelostandforgottenangel

@southernblossoms

[memoirs-of-learning-dad]

Ok here goes..

Hello Tumblr! This is the first time ever that I'm posting something on the internet! Haha! I mean not entirely true tbh, I have posted some photos on Facebook and shared some stuff on WhatsApp status, but the last time I have ever posted something was about my move to my current city and that was 5 years ago. A lot has happened since then - I married my lovely gf, became a father, got diagnosed with bipolar and ADHD. But I have never expressed my opinions or thoughts or typed anything more than 20 words on the internet ever! I have very few friends, COVID has made it incredibly difficult to find new friends and where I am at in my life, I don't have the courage or the time to make new friends.

I mean it's easy for some people to just share stuff, you know? be expressive just put your feelings and thoughts and opinions into words and hit post! And there it is for everybody else to see! Strangers on the internet, friends, family and everybody you know knows what you're feeling. No fear of being judged, honest to yourself and people around you. Is it liberating? Is there anybody out there who's 100% true inside and outside?

I'm different. I don't have the courage to express who I am and open myself to the internet and to not care about being judged. I'm sensitive, I hate being judged. It affects me. Nobody other than my wife, my brother and his wife and my best friend know about my mental illnesses. If my parents or friends or extended relatives find out, they'll judge me and expect me to behave a certain way maybe even try to push me away. It's not common in my culture and circle to live a normal life with mental illnesses. I'm working on getting better, I take my medication regularly but the only thing people will care about is the illness. Everybody who knows us thinks I'm a good father (I like to think I'm doing ok), but I am 100% confident those same people will not feel the same way once they learn about my illnesses. I'm not gonna sit here and lie saying it doesn't affect me. Will my daughter be able to make friends in my community when her friends parents learn I'm bipolar? Why should she pay? I cannot show my true self to the world other than a few trusted people. So here I am on an anonymous platform just typing what I'm thinking without worrying about what people who know me might think!

I've spent 33 years on this earth, learning, adapting - seeking that sense of mental peace and satisfaction. Enjoying the small things. I am blessed, like genuinely blessed - God himself chose me to be the father of this beautiful person - my daughter - my life! Words cannot express what I feel for her. And this new desire to post stuff, to have a memoir of my life is for her.

I want her to have somewhere to go to learn what I was like - how I have grown over the years. How my ideals and my perspectives change with time. Who I will grow up to be. Who I will be remembered as after I die. A legacy? Something to remember this insignificant human being, one among billions trying hard every day to be a better father, to be a better husband, a loyal son, a supportive brother, a good friend.

So here goes - I'm committing to write my thoughts on here moving forward. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep up with it? But I'm going to try. I have to start somewhere. My father used to tell me when I was young to write a diary. My wife used to tell me when we got married that I need to note down my thoughts somewhere, maybe in a journal. My therapist thinks it's really healthy for me to write my thoughts. Yes, I'm taking a leap of faith - putting my faith and trust in strangers on the internet. Hear my story - it's as ordinary as it gets. Maybe that's what is going to make it special? A memoir about a regular guy, living an ordinary life, trying to be a good person - not changing the world or anything but just a cog in the machine we call a functioning society.

So my sweet little princess, this is for you. Over the first of the next few years I will post here how much I love you, how lovely and caring your mother is and how she's making me a better person everyday. You are turning 2 years old today and it's a journey for both of us. I hope to guide you on the right path and give you everything you need to make the most of your life. And this right here will hopefully be my narration of that journey!

Happy Birthday Paapu! Here's a (worthless?) gift for you - a diary to tell you my perspective of the parenting journey!

[sllhouettedreams]

Hi, I just read Forehead kisses and wanted to re-read Chasing Tomorrow. My simple question is do you have a backup of what you delete? More importantly why deprive the world of AFTG of such well written fics? Please bring them back 🙏😭

Yes, I have kept what I had written for chasing tomorrow and the two part I had planned afterward. I appreciate you so much for coming to ask about it and show your support. I honestly didn't think people would notice or care enough. While there is a tiny sliver of myself that believed the story just didn't matter to anyone else... the 'why' is really, really complicated.

The official answer is that... Objectively, it's not a very well-written story and I should have spent more time than I did to edit and piece each chapter together. Unfortunately, as I usually do with things I write (with very few exceptions) I began to hate it? Usually, even when I hate things, I don't delete them. But that combined with what little feedback received and a few weird bookmark notes a few people added, I felt uncomfortable leaving it up even as an orphaned story. I also deleted the other AFTG fics I had posted on AO3.

Every few weeks I consider going back to it, to fix it up and finish what I started because I still like the direction I went with it and the interpretation of canon I had planned, but something something seasonal depression. something something long personal story under the cut.

To summarize what's under the cut: I wrote Chasing Tomorrow to deal with a time in my life that was highly emotional and I'm not, currently, in the headspace to revisit or continue with Trusting Tomorrow and Tomorrow, After All (which would be the third post-canon continuation). I really, really do want to, though. Eventually, I will.

This is the sad bit so stop reading if you don't want to read about death, abuse (including sexual), and suicide mention in a long emotional ramble.

So I read AFTG for the first time in May of last year when I got COVID. It was a great distraction from being sick enough I couldn't move. I immediately was obsessed, actually.

Here's the thing, my family is kind of a fractured mess. I lived through poverty, homelessness, and abuse, physical, verbal, emotional, and even sexual. So I related to every single character (particularly andrew and neil, which is common, I think), on some level.

So this outrageous, messed up fucking story, meant a lot to me? As stupid as it sounds, I guess.

Anyways, here comes the sad part.

Literally the next week after I finished reading AFTG, my sister died. At the time, we didn't know what had happened to her and why she died so young-- she struggled with mental health and her disabilities a lot so everyone, even people I didn't know speculated it was suicide as she had attempted it before, more than once. I very nearly deleted my facebook because of the people who contacted me and things they said.

Less than two months later, my dad passed away, too. It was around this time that we finally learned how my sister had died as well. I wasn't on good terms with either my sister or father. I always put off making things right for many reasons. Pride, not enough time, exhaustion, the amount of emotional labor they both had always required, "if they wanted to fix things they would try" blahblahblah. I thought I had more time, see?

I became kind of obsessed with AFTG because well, outside of connecting with the characters, there's the whole motif of death and dying and meeting an inevitable end- not knowing if you have the power to change anything but trying your damnedest anyway, but accepting the worst outcome should it happen. It all seemed very profound to me at the time. And it was a distraction from all the emotions I was dealing with.

But, eventually emotions demand to be felt.

So in between those deaths, I began to write Chasing Tomorrow. It began as an exploration of grief and the burning desire to have changed something, anything, to prevent loss. It was a story that, I felt, was about love and the destruction it leaves behind when the person embodying it dies. About second, third, fourth chances to make things right. If there was a magical moment that could have fixed everything, about going back and not missing it that time.

When it was finished, I had no better understanding of what actually happened, of what I could have done, and what life will be like now without her. It was an outlet, but in the end I didn't get any satisfaction from it.

Writing it out now, and opening up about why I wrote it and what I thought it would do for me, I'm understanding exactly why I resent it now. It feels stupid, actually.

[qnewsau]

Wonder Mama wants to take you on a rainbow history tour

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/wonder-mama-wants-to-take-you-on-a-rainbow-history-tour/

Wonder Mama wants to take you on a rainbow history tour

Today, LGBTQIA+ visibility is all over Oxford Street in Darlinghurst. But drag queen Wonder Mama wants to share the hidden history of Sydney’s gaybourhood that you probably don’t know.

The drag queen hosts her fun and fascinating walking tours along Oxford Street (above) twice a week, showing locals and tourists around the gay mecca.

Back in 2019, Wonder Mama travelled to New York City with Mardi Gras. She joined Sydney’s contingent as the city successfully bid to host the mega-festival WorldPride last year.

“In the downtime, I joined a fascinating walking tour of New York City, particularly through the West Village area,” Wonder Mama told us.

“To my knowledge, Sydney didn’t have a walking tour like it, explaining the people and places of Oxford Street.

“I’ve always been interested in Sydney’s history, as well as the history of LGBTQIA+ community. It was even more interesting once I took a deep dive into the research.”

Wonder Mama now takes groups on her two-hour Oxford Street walking tours most Tuesdays and Saturdays. The performer also accepts private tour bookings.

“I started the tour in 2020, just as COVID was hitting. It turned out to be a bit of a rollercoaster because of the pandemic,” she recalled.

“But in the last year or so, even the last six months, a lot more travellers have returned to Sydney.”

Activists, entrepreneurs and drag icons

On each of the tours, Wonder Mama teaches walkers about the colourful characters of the area, including icons, activists, entrepreneurs and some of the drag legends.

As well as touring venues like The Stonewall Hotel, The Oxford, and Darlinghurst Bookshop, Wonder Mama also explores the history behind them.

“There was so much that was happening in Sydney while homosexuality was still illegal,” she says.

Wonder Mama name-checks Sydney lesbian businesswoman Dawn O’Donnell, who died in 2007 at age 79.

Dawn is widely recognised for her efforts in turning Sydney’s Oxford Street into one of the southern hemisphere’s gayest cities.

“Dawn O’Donnell and others founded a lot of Oxford Street venues at a time when being gay was against the law,” Wonder Mama said.

“People kept living their lives even as they fought for equal rights and changing the laws, after the first Mardi Gras.”

This year is the 40th anniversary of New South Wales decriminalising homosexuality in 1984. Sydney’s first Mardi Gras parade was a few years earlier in 1978.

Each of the Oxford Street tours ends with a photo op at the rainbow crossing near Taylor Square.

“Sometimes I get a bit of a skepticism from locals because they think, there’s not much to Oxford Street,” Wonder Mama says.

“But there’s so much history here. When I’ve had locals and Sydneysiders do the tour, they say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this happened, or I didn’t know this was here.’

“It’s a great thing to offer both locals and tourists from all over the place. It’s been so much fun.”

Wonder Mama’s 10 years in drag

Wonder Mama’s alter ego Renny Roccon created the drag persona for Sydney’s Mardi Gras Parade back in 2014.

Since then, Wonder Mama has toured Australia and internationally as a proud Aussie drag glambassador.

She’s hosted numerous events, marched in Pride Parades, swum with crocodiles, written children’s books and lots more.

In Sydney, Wonder Mama also hosts her regular Drink and Draw with a Drag Queen workshops.

The art workshops are coming up at Surry Hill’s Hollywood Hotel and the Shakespeare Hotel.

Find out more about Wonder Mama’s Oxford Street walking tours and Drink and Draw workshops at her website.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[emergingmediaculture]

Graphic created by Kiersten W. on Canva.

Readings: Q&A: How to combat the infodemic with digital solutions to reduce health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Digital media and misinformation: An outlook on multidisciplinary strategies against manipulation by Danielle Caled & Mário J. Silva

How To Fight Vaccine Misinformation by Andrew Thurston

Misinformation and Mass Audiences by Brian G. Southwell, Emily A. Thorson, and Laura Sheble

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic feels both ages away and like it just happened yesterday. The pandemic itself feels as though it has disrupted our concept and flow of time. While we can constitute a large part of that to the shutdown itself, a time that seemed to last both forever and pass rather quickly, I believe it would not be incorrect to say the wave of both information and misinformation hitting us at a speed we were not used to processing at once has a part to play as well. This is what the World Health Organization has called an “infodemic” or information epidemic.

The WHO defines this as “an overabundance of information, including false or misleading information, in digital and physical environments during an emergency”. Think back to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic before what we know now about the virus was known. There was a time when it was said the virus would be like the flu and be gone by summer. Mind you, lockdown in many states did not end until August 2020 and that was definitely not because the virus was gone. COVID-19 cases, in fact, rose (CDC) during the summer months. I am sure no one has forgotten about the myth that the use of Ivermectin, the horse medicine, is a cure for COVID-19. Let us not forget the back and forth about how the virus came to be and false claims that were spread once the vaccine came about like how it can “alter human DNA” or how it “allows the government to track you”. It can't and does not.

No matter what you believe or do not believe, false and misleading information was abundant during the pandemic and, a lot of the time, was dangerous information. During a time when social media is one of the main forms of media where anyone can post anything with no concrete facts or sources to back it up, it is no wonder this was such an issue. It has also been proven by research (research provided in the link) that “fake news spreads faster and further than real news on Twitter” so this is not surprising. Not to mention, when it comes to the social media sites that had the biggest part to play in the spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitter and Facebook sit on the throne. Even more than that, “misinformation is more impactful than the correction”, meaning the truth that comes out after fake news does not spread nearly as far as the original news did. In response to this infodemic, the WHO has “launched a variety of initiatives at global and regional levels” that include AI-based innovations for rumor tracking, multi-language fact-checking, partnerships with social media & web companies, and more.

Misinformation has existed far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, however. There has always been misinformation regarding things such as vaccines, politics, science in general, and much more. Science, a field with concrete evidence and credible sources, is the last place, next to mathematics, that you would expect misinformation to live but it has unfortunately found a way with those with extreme views who have gone far enough to question real evidence that is backed by sources that can prove it. This has further spread to arenas like politics where political ideology and beliefs affect what someone identifies as the one truth.

Simple fact-checking across all these readings seems to be what everyone agrees to be the most effective choice throughout history. The problem, though, is that fact-checking has lost its appeal to the public. So many people are taking things at face value despite the tools being available to verify any information you may come across. I feel as though this then goes back to our previous topic of media literacy and its importance. What role does media literacy play in helping to counter misinformation? Could it really be that easy?

[beingstalked]

November 2019 -

Removed Stacey on Facebook, we had previously been round them on 2 occasions where both Liam & Stacey had a shitty attitude towards us (April 2019 & September 2019). I blocked both Liam & Stacey on Facebook a day later. Phil spoke to Liam about it and they seemed to have sorted any issues out.

January 2020 -

Twitter account with username now, whoknowsbitch1 was created. This account followed 10 people, including my friend at the time Leona, who Liam & Stacey had never interacted with. I was unaware of this account but this twitter account was created to make repeated tweets about me and saying Phil had no friends. It tweeted a total of 23 times, the final time being November 8th 2020, a day where I had replied to Liam on Reddit to leave me alone. This account also tweeted 7th August stating "Wow.. she really is a evil person. Glad she has pushed away every friend he had and now you are left with no one" on this day I was in hospital in labour, still unaware of this twitter account but I had not communicated with either of them because I was in labour.

March 2020 - Phil confronted Liam about Jess being funny with me on Facebook, after we told Jess I was pregnant before publicly announcing it, where Liam admitted to talking shit to Jess, this was when Phil blocked Liam on Facebook and cut all communication. Prior to this communication Phil had invited Liam to our Gender Reveal, which couldn't happen due to COVID restrictions. Liam never mentioned anything and said he was happy to attend. Final communication with Liam was in a group chat where Liam got mad about Phil seeing me after having chicken pox and stated none of his friends like me, something that was later spoken with his friends who Phil directly messaged and they said they have no idea about any of this and don't want to get involved.

March 2020 - After Phil had blocked Liam, 2 accounts in my name was created (TLOU_KirstyW & KirstyW_TLOU) both tweeting the same tweets (total of 15 tweets) calling me names and saying I had no job, when at the time I was on furlough due to a pandemic, something Liam Russell doesn't seem to be aware of. Tweets were made on the account 6th June 2020 - 22nd June 2020.

23rd June 2020 - after someone asked for my twitter username to follow me they made me aware of the 2 fake accounts, because i didn't want to unblock Liam, I had a friend called Joanne, have ago at Liam, this also includes her telling him to leave me alone. I have kept all of Liam & Stacey's accounts blocked whenever I found an account linked to them (Minty_the_bear, Liam_rw_r, TheRedScaledMan, S_Louse_P07, Simmer___92 this account originally called herself Izzy Darke, posted about her birthday and her boyfriend giving it away it was her. This account came up in People you may know on twitter because she had not blocked me, as soon as I saw the account, I blocked it and Liam on his Minty_The_Bear account said "thanks for keeping an eye on me" which was viewed through my block list. I kept an eye on my block list incase any if the fake accounts I had reported was deleted. But Liam doing this in his bio meant he was using the Izzy Darke account to view my account and realised it was blocked after trying to view it. There was also account under his sisters business name (Corneydesigns)

July 2020 - I had deleted my main twitter account that I'd had for 10+ years due to Liam and Stacey and created 2 new accounts. I made one, deleted it and then made a new one and never put my name on there or profile pic.

August 2020 - I came across Liams Reddit account (Minty_the_bear) where he was repeatedly bad mouthing me and Phil and I confronted him about his behaviour and told him to Leave us alone.

September 2020 - on Liams account he followed my friend Leona who blocked him because she knew who he was. This prompted Liam to put his Bio as "psycho bitches want me" once he was blocked and she did not communicate with him. For around 6 months Liam actively stalked my reddit, this involved him making comments how he wished me and Phil dead, until I deleted my account and then later made my new account (PersonaRyujiFan2022 on January 5th 2022, I had blocked all accounts of Liam which at the time was 2 Minty_the_bear & Theredscaledman, I had no intention to communicate with him)

November 2020 - Using my gaming fan (TLOUEllie if I remember correctly) account which was purely for gaming, I had ago at Liam who was using the account (whoknowsbitch1) for making comments about how I was controlling Phil in our relationship, talking shit about a newborn baby. I called out his behaviour and ended it with telling him to leave us alone, like I always have. Liams new account on Reddit was created (TheRedScaledMan) I didn't have my new Reddit account at the time so didn't know.

December 2020 - due to a mutual friend I found out Liam had a second twitter account (Liam_rw_r created December 2020, who had stalked my new twitter account and blocked it to then repeatedly stalk my account, I blocked the account)

January 2021 - Unknown to us until 2022 but an account under his sisters small business account (CorneyDesigns) was created. I found this account 19th November 2022 so nearly 2 years after it was created and blocked it, never interacted. A couple hours later the account was deleted.

Feb 2021 - due to ongoing trouble I phoned West Midlands Police on the 7th February at 4.39pm to report Liam & Stacey. On the 11th February I was assigned a case officer, who we discussed what was going on, send evidence and she put a warning next to their names incase they physically came near me.

March 2021 - Phil had made a twitter streaming account for his Twitch (DantessGames) and started streaming because he saw his friend James enjoying streaming. Same month Liam did the same. Phil didn't have his name on his twitter account, but his first stream (3rd March 2021 at 8.35pm) which was Final Fantasy 15, we looked at the viewers to see Liam was in Phils stream under his first twitch account (Minty_the_bear) which he later made a new one called MintyTheRedScaledMan. When we saw Liams name we commented I the chat "Stalker alert" and Liams name disappeared. As soon as any account we have come across is Liams, we have blocked them and not unblocked them. We wanted to stop contact immediately.

11th April 2021 - Liam followed a friend of ours on Twitch (LieutenantBlythe) who later blocked him after realising who he was. He also followed my friend DarkWringer & DigitalHazard whilst they was both in a stream where I First met both, meaning Liam was in that stream following people.

Late August 2021 - The account SimOlogy__00 later renamed to Simmer__92 called Izzy Darke then just ❤️ was recommended on Twitter. We didn't interact with it at all, simply blocked which is where Liam promoted the bio "thanks for still keeping an eye on me" which was in result to us blocking the Izzy Darke account, we watched our blocked accounts incase this twitter was deleted but then noticed the Bio, which I screenshot it and posted "you'd only know if I blocked you if you was actively using the account to stalk us" and called him a dumb bitch.

October 2021 - Liam called my daughter a poisonous snake (she was a year old) so I reported Liam to his workplace for his stalking behaviour and also uploading sensitive documents which for a school environment breaches safe guarding. I made my twitter account private, which I never unprivated when I left the social media platform in November 2022. During October 2021 I had an account on Instagram recommended to me (pic__perfect__29) which I didn't realise at first was Stacey's account until I saw the initials S L P. She had took photos outside her front door at the time revealing her locations of where she lived, which was round the corner from Phils parents.

From then on because I made my account private on Twitter not much could be said or done by Liam & Stacey because they couldn't see any of my information. It was 2022 that we discussed with Phil and Liams mutual friends to not discuss anything to do with our home or daughter to tell them where we lived, they was very understanding and never had a problem.

October 2022 - I had blocked a few accounts I was suspicious of at the time, as always I keep an eye on my block list to see if they disappear because if they do, I was most likely right about my suspicions, to then see Stacey making comments publicly saying "oh hey there" which indicated to me the one profile was to do with them and they was once again calling themselves out, so on my twitter banner profile I called out their behaviour again and repeatedly told Liam and Stacey to leave us alone. I got rid of the social media platform and as of September 2023 I do not have a twitter account. I also made my gaming Instagram account private just incase Liam tried to cause trouble on that, even though I had blocked all of their associated accounts ( pic__perfect__29, redscaledmangaming, Stacey_Russell321, Stacey_Louise_P, Liam_r.exe) these accounts were listed through viewing my block list, I've never unblocked their accounts Once their accounts have been blocked.

27th November 2022 - I opened my Reddit to see a post on a Persona 5 Subreddit, this account made the same spelling mistakes as Liam, he can't spell Off, he says Of and he did it under a fake account called ASimpleManInADress where he called his partners name (Stacey) the most unattractive. Said she was pregnant and due in March and also talked about being unable to clean his arse properly after being to the toilet. He also made posts blaming me for an influx of spam emails (which I don't have any information regarding Liams email address) and saying I was causing problems in their relationship, the only things I have pointed out is Liams infidelity on Instagram during their early parts of the relationship, if it was never a problem to them, that wouldn't cause the problems they had.

18th December 2022 - Liam made a post about buying his partner a sex toy because he has a low sex drive and has no interest when she's not on her period. I blocked this account and never interacted with it. Phil also made all his twitter accounts and Instagram accounts private to try stop their behaviour.

January 4th 2023 - another account by Liam on Reddit was made (MrsNervous) which he managed to find my account, on this account he posted about his fear of dying, he once again playing victim to being stalked and harassed, which this timeline proves he started all of this and I've repeatedly blocked his accounts and told him to leave us alone (screenshots can be provided). He was using this account to block and then unblock me, I noticed one day it said deleted user to then being MrsNervous, I knew that was the result of being blocked and then unblocked and so I blocked the account Feb 2023, hours later the account was deleted.

February 2023 - Fed up with this going on for 3 years I messaged Stacey from an old Facebook account, called her out on their behaviour and told her of Liams infidelity and told them to leave me and my family alone and threatened if they carried on to send screenshots of liams infidelity to her family.

I have not had any social media for Liam to interact with since the last interaction from me on the 22nd February. I've made it clear plenty of times their behaviour and telling them to leave me and my family alone, I've never gone out to follow their friends like Liam and Stacey did to mine. I've created 1 account on Reddit under WonkyEyeLiam to tell him again to leave us alone back in 2020, but a few days later I deleted it and that was it.

September 2023 - being active in a subreddit r/Stalking where I talk about my experience I saw a post called "Just made a post about stalking" where I read the post and was reading the comments out of curiosity. At the bottom I saw an account called Littleredguardian who said "same here. I just avoid posting about my experience because of this, it only angers them" and because I wasn't blocked I didn't think anything of it, I looked to see if this person had posted previously in the subreddit to read their experience to then find out it was Liams new account. He made comments a month ago about reporting me to the police for stalking and harassing him, even though my last form of contact was Feb 2023 and it was calling out their behaviour for 3 years and asking them to leave us alone, the same sort of thing I've been saying to them for 3 years. This timeline will prove the fake accounts started first because of them being blocked as well and data on my social media profiles will show they are blocked and have been blocked since coming across the accounts, I've never had any interest in unblocking them.

From 24th Feb 2023 - present day I've been focused on my second pregnancy, I have not reached out to them at all because I am busy preparing for the birth of my second baby. I do not have Twitter as of September 2023, I do not have Tiktok, My Instagram is private and they are blocked. I have no interest in them and wish for them to leave us alone and move on like they should've back in November 2019.

[jeileeze]

High School but it's not a musical

Let’s start off how my life went in Manila. Truth be told, there is a huge difference between provincial life and city life. If I were to choose which one wins, Ramon, Isabela has my vote. All I really do remember is being stuck in a new school building since Global Gleam Montessori School was expanding. It was clean, quiet, and I prefer the bigger space alongside the Grade 6 students we also share the whole floor with. This was probably the time wherein I had the worst sleeping habits. I would watch K-Dramas and read online books throughout the night and sleep my way in during classes.

The classroom was shared by us, the Grade 7 students and the Grade 8 ones since our head count isn’t that big and we basically share the same subjects. I would snooze my day away whenever the Grade 8 classes start or during a vacant period. This continued to the point wherein my adviser, Sir Leinard Satera would notice the pattern and even advised me to fix my sleeping schedule. With a matching handwritten letter and a dolphin keychain. It was pink! I still keep it inside my old sling bag.

That was a gift he gave us once the school year ended, the gesture alone is still something I look forward to. Anothing thing about the start of my high school life is me trying my best to balance my academics and me having crushes towards boys. That is an era I don’t like reminiscing about.

Also, I miss going to small convenience stores just to buy ice cream. We were surrounded by places where we can access food since Manila has a lot to offer. I would also see myself in a spot that wants to eat Mcdonalds but couldn’t due to the lack of money. The simple and quick boat rides too just to pass a river in order to reach my classmate’s house were fun too! It made transportation even more convenient but also, I found it unique since it was a water ride rather than a land ride.

Since I’ve mentioned something regarding boys, all I can say is that someone tried courting me within my class. He was tall and could fit the boy ‘’standard’’ but I already have my eyes on someone else. Nothing happened, just small random crushes and puppy love (if that’s a thing).

Nothing spectacular happened as my school was still new and is currently on further development. All I can say is that Manila was really a place that filled my tummy but emptied my pockets. The food stalls were left and right. Nothing could stop your sudden cravings if you’re already at the top.

Now, let us proceed to special highlights that my school included in their curriculum! Starting off with the United Nations and me dressing up as a country I do not remember. Something embarrassing also happened while I was introducing myself. I ended up saying a different country than following my sash’s country. Anyways…

To continue one of the best experiences Manila schools could offer- we also had fieldtrips! Gladly COVID-19 wasn’t a thing before or else I wouldn’t get to visit Clark Land or get myself my first Starbucks drink with my pocket money. The curiosity of a Grade 7 overpowered me and I ended up buying myself a strawberry frappe for some reason during our bus stop. I have no other memories nor pictures of the trip but I do have some posted in my Facebook account.

Aside from that, Grade 7 was really a coming of age hazy dream. I wouldn’t see myself wishing that this year would be repeated but I would love to see myself in Manila once more, even just for a visit. There were a lot of life lessons as my life was starting to change. A city girl in Ramon, Isabela will surely become a different story to tell. 

I’ll be coming back for you, Manila (traffic).

[nickgerlich]

Shoot And Leave

In the rush to return to some semblance of normalcy in the post-COVID era, we have resumed traveling. And I mean traveling with reckless abandon. Forget about high gas prices and air fares, we’re just doing it anyway.

The big trend this summer was a European vacation—not the movie, but your own vacation. Personally, I drove 14,000 miles on three long trips, and went to Costa Rica. Pent-up demand was certainly driving all of us.

But a new problem has emerged in this digital era: overtourism. Essentially, the problem is this: People are flocking to tourist hotspots, taking and posting selfies, leaving without spending any money (or very little), and then, thanks to social media, inspiring others to visit also. It’s a cycle that some cities are now trying to combat by imposing tourism taxes.

And it is not much unlike the congestion tax we see in places like London, whereby drivers pay £15 per day to drive into the congestion zone. Some cities are charging $5-$10 per day for the privilege of day tripping. I doubt they will deter people though, especially once you factor in the cost of getting there in the first place. What’s another $10?

Overtourism is also happening locally. The Cadillac Ranch opened in 1974 as an art installation that the Ant Farm creative team developed and then sold in concept to Stanley Marsh 3. A few years ago, I interviewed the two surviving members for a feature that appeared in ROUTE Magazine. They never intended for the cars to be spray painted; that just happened organically. Located along I-40 a couple of miles west of Amarillo, it is reported to have more than two million visitors each year. It was even moved in 1997 from its original location a few feet west of the new Sam’s Club, to allow room for the city to grow.

So popular is the place that TxDOT had to install concrete jersey barriers to separate the Frontage Road from the freeway (to keep people from just driving through the grassy median to get there). I always scratched my head over why Marsh (who died in 2014) never monetized the place. That all changed two years ago when his family trust (to whom he had bequeathed the ranch in 2013) put a merch trailer onsite. The trailer sells t-shirts, caps, and the usual trinkets, as well as spray paint.

Duh. That was an easy one, because, as rumor has it, until then, the Home Depot at Soncy and I-40 was reputed to have the highest spray paint sales of any store in the chain.

Alas, people have taken to painting anything and everything, including the dirt, the road, the fence, and even the jersey barriers. On weekends, there is a traffic snarl along that stretch, with dozens and dozens of cars parked helter skelter. Tourists do their thing, take selfies, and post them.Then the cycle continues.

Good on the Marsh family trust to finally figure out how to separate people from a little bit of their money, but not all places are as lucky. When selfies in unique places become a prize unto themselves, a trophy for having been so cool as to seek out those places, there is always the risk that visitors will shoot and leave.

Wouldn’t it be nice if even just 10% of those Cadillac Ranch visitors stopped long enough for fuel or a meal? Better yet, how about lodging? I bet most people just keep going, though.

I am particularly guilty of this. Heck, my Facebook profile pic is of me standing by—wait for it—that familiar row of painted Cadillacs. And I have done this in many other places. It was no different from when we went to Carhenge in western Nebraska a few years ago. Snap snap snap…and off we went.

My passion is photographing roadside America, specializing in vintage neon signage, but also including the 1960s-era fiberglass Muffler Men and other oddities. Often I will shoot a selfie after I have finished doing my usual photo documentation. I seldom stay long enough anywhere to spend money, though. Some of the most common questions I am asked are “Did you eat there?” and “Did you spend the night there?”

If I did that, I would never be able to photograph as many things as I do.

As for cities and states that are tourism magnets, it is often a love-hate relationship. You hope people linger long enough to spend lots of money, but at the same time, you begin to loathe the traffic problems tourism can create. Just try to drive through Orlando Florida any time of the year. Or, to pick on a city closer to home, Albuquerque during Balloon Fiesta.

Then there is the case of China, the second biggest economy in the world. When I took my Chinese-born daughters there in 2019, we shot and posted tons of photos. While the notorious “Chinese Firewall” keeps residents from accessing western media, all it took was a VPN pointed at Hong Kong for us to dodge that bullet. And I suspect that the Chinese are good with this, because we basically became their pro bono advertising agency.

Ah, but China just lives with congestion. Bring it, baby, and bring lots of US dollars.

If anything, we can thank smartphones, social media, and always-on internet for putting a lot of this into hyper-drive. I don’t see things getting any better, short of another pandemic (please, no). Just don’t hog the space. Take your selfie and get out of the way. We’ve all got influencing to do.

Dr “Among The Worst Offenders” Gerlich

Audio Blog