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iwriteshakespeareanninsults · 3 years ago

Note

I just got accepted to Mount Holyoke and I’m trying to get an honest review. How has the pandemic affected college classes and activities? Are dining halls open for use?

Oh boy okay u asked the correct person because i have my silly little hands in a lot of stuff on campus.

Under the cut bcs this is going to be long, but tl;dr: it has a lot of strengths and it has also has a lot of issues - like any college. Main good is community main bad is administration. Activities are okay, classes are ehh/bad (sorta), and the dining hall is open.

Classes:

So currently, classes are a hot mess. This is very dependent on your major but it's very difficult to get into certain classes that are major requirements. This will hopefully ease off next year for two reasons;

1. the senior class is graduating which is really big, and also had a lot of their pre-req stuff fucked up because they got sent home as sophomores

2. the incoming class will be relatively small because they cannot over-enroll again. there is literally not enough beds for them to do so, so less rabid first years going for all the intro classes at once.

If you're like, a comp-sci major or a language major, you shouldn't have an issue. If you DM me/reply underneath this and let me know what majors you're interested in/subjects I can give you a better idea of if that will be a big issue for you. I would note though this isn't super an issue caused by the pandemic, it's due to the administration.

This is not a concern that will impact you that much for your first year, but may in future years depending on admin choices. There are spots in every class reserved for first years.

Classes in the pandemic are good now that we're back on person, and as someone pretty high up in the SGA it is very very very unlikely we will go back online - we would have to go into an early 2020 level lockdown for that to happen. We still have mask mandates, everyone wears KN95s for the most part and follows the mandate. I haven't had any issues with my classes since we moved back to in-person, and haven't heard of anyone else with real complaints about the quality of in-person teaching.

So, classes are bad because there's issues getting into them, but the classes themselves are not bad.

Activities:

MHC is definitely not a party school. And that is part of the reason I came here - there's not to say you can't have fun, it's just that people generally don't throw really big parties, people mostly have little parties just with their friend group.

With regards to like activities, I have honestly realized it's really what you make of it. First year I did absolutely nothing, but this year I am doing like basically everything. There isn't like 2,000 clubs but there's like an okay, at least for my tastes. Some of the fun ones:

Film club, video game club, poetry club, tea club, dnd/ttrpg club.

There's also stuff like the newspaper, the literary magazine, the animal rights and environmental justice groups, etc. There's stuff to do, you have to go out and find it a little bit.

The LLC's are also a good place for activity - specifically the Outdoor Club does a LOT of stuff. I know the language floors also hang out a lot.

If you do sports, the sports teams are super tight. There's also some club sports (rugby and hockey). Most of the teams are walk-on teams, from my friends that are in sports they generally seem to really like it but it's a small sample size.

The pandemic hasn't impacted activities that much? or at least the ones I do. Not this year, but a like athlete may have a different opinion.

Dining hall:

The dining hall is open, we have one in the center of campus. Everyone kinda winces at that but campus is really not big so like. it's really not as bad as it sounds.

You can eat in blanch (dining hall). It's a really great place to socialize, generally has a very good vibe. Lots of different areas to sit in depending on the level of talking you want to do.

I will also go ahead and give my review of the food: It is generally really good depending on what you like. They do some dishes REALLY well and some dishes really poorly, but most of their dishes are at least a base-level okay. Which, sounds bad. until you consider most college dining hall food in the US is inedible. The food is edible!! high praise I know.

The food gets old after a while but I think that is true at any place. Generally I give the food a solid like 8/10.

General stuff:

Community/Social life:

So, I really love the community at mount holyoke. I've found some really good friends here, and I know so many people at the school. The small school is really something I enjoy because now as a junior I know so many people on campus and feel connected.

A lot of people complain about being really lonely. To some extent - yeah, I get it. I have had times here where I've been really lonely too. But I think that's moreso the transient nature of college than a community thing, because we really do have a strong community. I can post on my IG story or twitter asking if anyone has ibuprofen and a random person I have never met before will come bring it to me at work, because we're both mhc students and have been following each other for a while. I think through little stuff like that it shows the community's strength, and that's something I really love.

Joining activities is a great way to make friends - doing SGA stuff like committees or senate is another great way to connect.

Campus is as gay as everyone says it is - there are a lot of lgbtq people on campus and campus is very lgbtq friendly. Some of my straight friends have had a lot of issues finding men to date, some have found it really easy, so if you wanted to date a dude that's a mixed bag.

If you are a person of color, I would absolutely reach out to a person of color at mount holyoke. I'm white and that has absolutely colored my experience of MHC. I'm happy to put you in contact with someone if you would like.

Administration:

Going directly against that is the administration. the administration suuuuuucks. they suck ass. but this isn't something unique to mhc - the administration at every school pm sucks ass, and it's just a question of who is willing to say it. A lot of people don't have a concept of how the college actually operates - they equate the president of the college to the principal of a high school. The president is front-facing and collects money from alums and carries out what the board of trustees tells her to do, but doesn't really make day-to-day/big decisions at the college.

The people who make those decisions are the heads of departments around campus - some are pretty cool and trying their best, but a lot of them suck ass. Or, even if they don't suck ass make choices that are in the best interest of the institution versus the students.

This is true at any college - remember this regardless of where you go. Administration does not actually care about you. You are a resource for them - you are providing some amount of money now, and will most likely donate some amount of money after graduating. Do not be afraid to campaign for yourself, do not take what the administration of what any college says at face value.

MHC's admin isn't any worse than any other colleges, we just really like to complain. (That isn't to say they don't suck - they do, it's just that every college's administration does).

Location:

So this is very dependent on where you are from but you will most likely go some modicum of stir crazy on campus. South Hadley is very sleepy and rural. There are a few cute places in SH but realistically you won't hang out there regularly because they're fairly expensive.

It is approximately a 20 minute drive to anything. If you have a car I would absolutely recommend bringing it. I am from the DC area and I would literally go crazy if i didn't have my car because I am still so unused to being able to go nowhere and do nothing. There's stuff to do in the area, you just have to be willing to go look for it.

Regarding actual campus, it is fucking GORGEOUS. It is really pretty honestly year round. There's so many places to walk and sit and vibe and the views from the dorms are really nice. I just generally really love it.

Other stuff:

This is all the stuff I can think of like right now, but if you have additional questions feel free to dm me or whatever, I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have or go more in-depth about anything i said.

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couldbeasong · 4 years ago

Note

1-60 for the ask meme

Ope sorry I did not see this until today. I think I know the one? If it’s not the one you meant just lmk lol

1. Selfie?

You can have this picrew but I wish to be unperceived.

2. What would you name your future kids?

For female names I like: Harmony, Slyvia, Edelweiss, Bethany, and Opal

For male names I like: Uriah, Aiden, Kai, Levi, and Luke

3. Do you miss anyone?

My grandpa and Midnight (old dog)

4. What are you looking forward to?

Going on vacation in a few weeks, the end of the semester, and seeing @calligraphywitch tomorrow

5. Is there anyone who can always make you smile?

@calligraphywitch and my other girlfriend. They’re hilarious lmao

6. Is it hard for you to get over someone?

Romantically? Not really. You kinda gotta just accept it and move on. In the past, always being like: this will never work because of reason xyz helps.

Friendship wise? Absolutely. It depends a lot on the emotional investment I put into the relationship, but I find myself still missing people I haven’t talked to since High School or Middle School.

7. What was your life like last year?

It was weird being a freshman in college and trying to survive. I had a lot of family problems going on along with one of my best friends from High School being on her death bed for a while. A bit of a crisis of faith as well. But we survived, God willing! I miss pre-pandemic times tho

8. Have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?

Ask my brother. I’m sure there’s been an instance.

9. Who did you last see in person?

My grandma across the room from me!

10. Are you good at hiding your feelings?

I hide them so well I can’t even find them!

I like to pretend they aren’t there and repress them a lot but idk if I’m good at hiding them from others per say.

11. Are you listening to music right now?

I’m in a zoom meeting for class, so I guess my professor's voice?

12. What is something you want right now?

Freedom

13. How do you feel right now?

Kinda tired, kinda nauseous, kinda bored. Idk I probably need to drink some water.

14. When was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?

Uhhhh idk about a week ago? My last hug was probably a week ago too XD

15. Personality description

I like to think I’m funny

16. Have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?

I work in customer service- everyday (:

17. Opinion on insecurities.

Everyone is insecure about something. It’s kinda fascinating how even though all of humanity is exactly the same (in terms of our struggles and insecurities, we don’t vary) we still judge others for having them. Confidence is seen as a virtue and the most attainable goal. Society profits off of your insecurities tho so be aware of what they are and don’t let yourself be scammed.

18. Do you miss how things were a year ago?

Certain aspects perhaps. But 2019 is gone. It performed and then it left. It can’t hurt us or help us anymore. There’s little use in dwelling on that and wishing for 2020 to be 2019.

19. Have you ever been to New York?

No, but I swear Ima go one day and see a show on Broadway.

20. What is your favorite song at the moment?

I have like three I’m cycling between rn

When You’re Home from In the Heights

Wake Up by Jenny Owen Youngs

Together by For King and Country

21. Age and birthday?

Old enough to know better and October

22. Description of crush.

He’s super great and super intelligent, not to mention super in love with God. Frankly, he deserves better than me. I gotta lot of self-improvement that needs to happen, but we’ll see what happens XD

23. Fear(s)

Heights, drowning, spiders, super dark streets and rooms, not being good enough

24. Height

5′5″ respectfully

25. Role model

It’s changed through the various stages of my life. Rn tho a few of my Christian online friends

26. Idol(s)

I mean I stan Brian David Gilbert, but I don’t idolize him lol

27. Things I hate

Cheesecake, sickly sweet stuff, when someone grabs the receipt out of the printer even though it’s way more effort for them to do so than for me just to hand it to them and it throws me off of my rhythm, fudge

28. I’ll love you if…

You exist (and even not then because fictional characters just hit different lol)

29. Favorite film(s)

Tangled, Ella Enchanted, Enchanted, Howls Moving Castle, Princess, and the Pauper

30. Favorite tv show(s)

Brooklynn 99, Parks and Recreation, Ouran High School Host Club, My Hero Academia, and Bojack Horseman (I’m going through a phase with it rn lol)

31. 3 random facts

Blue is my favorite color, I own almost nothing in blue, people are better at identifying members of their own race better than members of other races.

32. Are your friends mainly girls or guys?

Girls- they’re easier to talk to and approach. Tho I stan and love my guy friends. They are kings.

33. Something you want to learn

Everything? Idk I have an insatiable desire to learn and it switches. Consistently, I want to learn how to make my own clothes, play either piano, guitar, or violin, and detail cars.

34. Most embarrassing moment

Uggg I’m not talking about it and neither is @calligraphywitch

35. Favorite subject

I really enjoyed Statistics as much as I have hated it. My all-time favorite class I have ever taken tho was AP US Literature

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?

Graduate grad school, get married, travel overseas

37. Favorite actor/actress

uhhh probably Chris Pratt or anyone who was on Parks and Recreation. Tho Broadway actors, I love Christian Borle

38. Favorite comedian(s)

John Mulaney

39. Favorite sport(s)

I miss playing softball and volleyball so prolly those

40. Favorite memory

There are too many to count. But usually, involve good conversations under the stars after 2 AM.

41. Relationship status

Have a picrew of my sister and me. Keep scrolling and mind ya business (jk ily anon)

42. Favorite book(s)

The Bible lol but fictional book wise, I will always love the Warrior Cats series. Red Queen was pretty lit. The Hourglass Door gave me a love for time travel aus lol. And Library Wars is near and dear to my heart.

43. Favorite song ever

You can’t ask me thisssss

Idk Hope is what we crave by For King and Country

44. Age you get mistaken for

24-30 it depends on the context

45. How you found out about your idol

@calligraphywitch

46. What my last text message says

No xD not disney

47. Turn-ons

When you have a musical playing and the end of one song is the start of another so they bleed into each other. CHILLS or when a line of poetry just expresses how someone feels. OR when different parts harmonize just right

48. Turn-offs

When my computer deletes my homework right before it’s done

49. Where I want to be right now

In a little cabin in the woods

50. Favorite picture of your idol

51. Starsign

Scorpio

52. Something I’m talented at

Reading peoples emotions

53. 5 things that make me happy

Music, Friends, Deep Conversations, Hugs, and God

54. Something that's worrying me at the moment

So much to do so much to see

55. Tumblr friends

Friends and mutuals include:

@calligraphywitch @an-assortment-of-forks @repentance-brings-healing @synthetic-blanket-hairs @loneallegiance @boywiththewand @knightof-cups @a-lil-strawberry @linkedwolf @indygo @obnoxioushair

There’s plenty more than that and I love you all ^^

56. Favorite food(s)

Tacos, Crab Ragoons, Salty Foods, RICE

57. Favorite animal(s)

Wolves and cats

58. Description of my best friend

Artistic, beautiful, supportive, hardworking. She is hilarious and an amazing person. There’s so much to the many reasons I love her I just can’t do it in words

59. Why I joined tumblr

Back in the 7th grade, my friends all had one and helped set me up with one. And that’s that.

60. Ask me anything you want

You want nothing ig lol if you want to submit one I can answer it still

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praphit · 4 years ago

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Happy New Year! (hopefully, cuz... whew!)

Ugh! Let's get this year over with; what do you say?? I don't even want to rehash the year like I normally would around this time of year.

Pre-COVID seems like so long ago: We were out at bars, games, concerts, and parties of strangers. We were dancing all up on each other, we were passing the bottle around, we were grabbing all kinds of doorknobs with no concerns. Kids were planning to soon graduate and step into their hopeful, bright futures. Adults were planning vacations around the world to escape a once hopeful present.

Times were good! Look at this groundhog eating pizza.

Not a care in the world.

And then, Thanos snapped his fingers, the world turned into shit, and we all realized how much we cared about Tom Hanks.

Can you imagine if that were literal? I think someone should get another gauntlet and turn planets into literal piles of crap. A new villain - "Poopfingers"

Ew... I know. I'm sorry.

Like I said, I don't want to talk about that stuff. I'd rather focus on entertainment instead. Join me for a few awards that I like to call "The Praphies"

MOVIE OF THE YEAR -

"WAP"

I know what you're thinking - "That's not a movie." Meh, it's movie-ish.

It's got two protagonists, whom are trapped in a mansion. It kinda reminds me of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, but instead of chocolate being manufactured, we'd got... pleasure. Who doesn't want more pleasure after the year we've had??

There's a lot of weird things happening in the mansion, so that’s good for the plot. Plus, these ladies are all about... empowerment? - I guess?

Sure.

Kylie Jenner shows up for some reason, so I'm sure she's up to something; maybe she's the villain. And according to the lyrics "there's some whores in this house". Will they get rid of the "whores"? Will they embrace the whores? Perhaps this word will be taken back, and used as a term of endearment.

As mama looks at her daughter, walking bravely back into schools some day "That's my lil whore." Maybe we're all whores - what a twist.

It's a good picture. One of Scorsese's best. He did direct it right? I think so.

BEST ACTOR -

This one was a close race for me:

Jeanise Jones (Borat 2 - on the right)

This woman, who was not in on the joke, deserves a medal. She's the star.

Joe Exotic (The Tiger King)

Anyone standing behind Trump during those Rona briefings, who can hold a straight face.

Technically, Joe and Jeanise aren't actors, and Trump's people are... you know, TRUMP'S people, so I give the award to Mario Lopez for his role as Sexy Colonel Sanders.

Did y'all watch "A Recipe for Seduction?" It's entertaining. It was my runner-up for MOY.

SHOW OF THE YEAR -

Easy - "The Tiger King" for keeping us all together in the beginning of this 2020 corona mess.

Which leads me to MY person of the year (cuz let's be honest, Uncle Joe and Kamala... no)

The POY is -

Carole Baskin -

We all know that she murdered her husband, and yet she took over Joe's zoo property, continues her animal rights activism while being openly weird as hell, and was last seen being applauded on "Dancing with the Stars".

Only in America.

Animated action of the year - “Soul” for bringing us this negro,

played by Tina Fey :)

I’m just joking ( I love Tina Fey)... well, she does play him, but it’s not like that; still makes me laugh though. At least she didn’t have to worry about blackface.

I like my action flicks. They all can't be tear-jerkers like "WAP".

Which leads us to ACTION HERO OF THE YEAR --- Kiera Allen

If you saw the movie "Run" then you know this actress. She is the acrobatic, wheelchair-bound star of the movie. She is in a wheelchair in real life. In this movie she breaks through one window, climbs across a rooftop, breaks through another window, all with water in her mouth for a special finishing trick to end the scene. And she throws herself down a couple of flights of stairs. Let's see Liam Neeson try to do that!

I'm serious when I say - I expect to see her in the next "Fast & Furious" film.

Award for LEAST FUX GIVEN - Ricky Gervais, for lighting Hollywood on fire.

Athlete - TEAM JLo and Shakira

--- sidelined me (I attempted to dance like Shakira at work) and sent souls to hell

(that's some powerful booty shaking... and or just another example of white people being mad at brown people for existing)

SONG OF THE YEAR -

Vin Diesel’s "Feels like I do" - not up for debate.

Name another action star in 2020 with a single.

Album of the Year - "The Lion King: The Gift / Black is King" - by Beyonce

We didn't feel much like royalty, but at least we were being heard... well, for a lil bit; a lot more than I ever remember us being heard.

Remember when white people in Hollywood felt so much shame that they did this?

We had corporations like the NFL tryna pretend to be woke. Aunt Jemima and that Native American woman on the butter were freed

(though they did keep the land).

White people were afraid, and thought that perhaps this album was going to spark the second coming of Black Jesus.

It's interesting - black people protested (mostly peacefully); wanting justice, and white people got anxious. People started rioting and looting because of injustices rooted to this country's original sin, and white people, who's ancestors committed this sin, shook their heads at us in shame. Black people and anyone (of any color) standing with them were treated as hostiles, while white people with guns, shooting at black people were hailed as heroes.

What a time.

I wish Black Jesus really did come back to these Beyonce tunes.

Oh, and this stuff happened too

Toobin (Ha! This guy )

ASSHOLE OF THE YEAR (4 years straight)-

Trump

It's not even close. I was going to suggest that the dude from "The Vow" being a strong runner up, but even that would be disrespectful to Trump's assholery.

The world was on fire (metaphorically and literally), and Trump as our leader, threw gasoline on it. "BLM" came along to be heard and get justice for George Floyd, and Trump convinced his worshippers that BLM is a terrorist group. He shot away protesters, so he could pose awkwardly with a bible (doing God's work - this “work” included telling us to do the opposite of what physicians around the world plead with us to do during a pandemic, pushing drugs on us that these same physicians say no to, and telling us to inject ourselves with bleach. Hallelujah!). He accused Biden of corruption (pot calling kettle black). He loses to Biden, but fights the results with zero evidence, and at the sore loser rallies, there were stabbings and arrests, to which Trump praises their efforts.

A round of applause for the Michael Jordan of Assholes.

Donald J. Trump!

RESPECT!

Lastly, The Praphie (most coveted of awards)

The nominees are -

Kaylen Ward - raised over one million dollars for the Australia fires relief, by passing out nude photos of herself... yep. Seriously, look it up. Well, maybe don’t do that:)

Michael Jordan - "The Last Dance" was the only sports content for a sports addict like myself. MJ was the drug we needed.

Dr. Fauci - Really for putting up with us.

Dave Chappelle - a hell of a year for him. Plus, he was dropping N-Bombs and smoking on SNL

The Fly on Mike Pence's head.

Kamala Harris

Cardi B - just because

The winner is - Dave Chappelle

Not only for his great year in comedy (in this bleeped up year), but he has evolved into a modern day prophet. Who would have thought that the guy who made "Half Baked"

would be the one we'd seek out when racial tensions got to the highest levels this year??

Kaylen Ward would have won it, if she had continued her efforts. She could have raised some funds for Greta Thunberg. She could have used her nudity along-side protesters, or even joined doctors around the world, raising money for a vaccine. Smh. That's a shame.

In thinking about Chappelle's evolution, I'm reminded that we're all processing and changing as a result of this year. Some will change for the better, and others for the worse. Some will go to the depths only to rise up again. Regardless, of how you handle it, it's important to know who your true peeps are. Who loves you? Who’s got your back? Who do you love? We're all going to need true peeps to help us endure. Which leads me to my slogan for next year.

"If you love something let it go, if it doesn't return to you. Hunt it down and kill it." Idk about you, but that touches my heart.

Enjoy yourselves as much as you can tonight, and by that I mean safely :) Some of you might want to consider going to bed early, just to end this year faster.

Happy New Year, everyone!

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lindsayrises · 4 years ago

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Good Questions!

Running/Cardio Questions

i was tagged by @snapthistiger for the questions below:

If you like to run or incorporate cardio into your day, I'd like to hear from you on these! I'm interested in different routines. Don't have to answer all of them if you don't want, feel free to skip as needed 😊

1. What's your secret weapon that gets you ready to go? Coffee? Particular songs? Splash of cold water? Hard slap in the face?

Lately I’ve followed a very particular pattern to get ready: 45 minutes before OrangeTheory starts I begin to get ready. First I fix my hair and reapply deoderant. Then I get dressed (always in the same order - compression shorts, capri-length pants [not leggings], socks, shoes, sports bra, tshirt). Then I put my heartrate monitor on my arm and my RoadID band on my wrist. I transfer my ID and debit card into my little card holder thing, grab my phone & a towel, put on my sunglasses, grab my keys & a mask (in case I stop somewhere) and I’m out the door & on my way 30 minutes before class starts.

2. People with long hair, how do you keep it out of your face and under control? People with short hair, do you use product when you're exercising?

I got bangs the last time I got my hair cut (about a month ago). She did what I asked, but I’m not a fan. I clip my bangs back with a basic clippy barrette and then pull my hair back into a ponytail. I tried wearing a sparkly sweatyband to hold my hair back my first class back on July 1, but it didn’t stay in place and I had to keep messing with it. So barrette it is.

3. What's your get-to-the-finish song that never lets you down?

It will forever and always be “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark” by Fallout Boy

4. Would you recommend the shoes you're currently using? If not, what's your dream pair?

For over a year I’ve been wearing Brooks Launch (I think I was in 5s and now am using the 6s?) for OrangeTheory. I like them. They’re comfy for me. When I run (which hasn’t happened in a LONG time) I wear....Asics Gel Nimbus I think? Yeah, I think that’s right

5. Runners only! Do you ever see animals while you're out? City slickers, do you pass any cool shops or businesses?

When I used to run I’d see dogs on the trail and birds. Twice I saw a guy on skateboard with a parrot on his shoulder.

6. Non-runners only! Do you prefer to work out at home or at the gym?

Gym/Studio! The environment! The community! The coaches! The playlists! It’s all so motivating and encouraging.

7. What are your thoughts on nodding/waving/smiling while passing other runners? Do you do it? Should everyone do it? Non-runners, what's your etiquette for saying hi to others at the gym?

Pre-pandemic, we would gather around the coach in the lobby and listen to the announcements (like, what kind of class it was, maybe a preview of each block). Then we’d give the coach a high five or fist bump as we entered the studio. I used to get to the class wayyyyyyy early (I liked to get the last station spot - #12! - with the reservation cards we had been using) and I would chat with people (friends I had made) in the lobby as we waited for class to start. During class - lots of high fives.

Now? We line up on orange dots spaced out on the sidewalk outside of the studio. We enter the studio 5 minutes before class starts. If I make eyecontact with someone I’ll do the little smile/nod thing. They ask if we’ve had symptoms or if we’ve been around someone who’s been diagnosed with COVID and then they take our temperature. I hang up my keys on the key rack (lockers are closed right now). Then the next person tells us what station we are staring on. I always say hi to the coaches! They’re the best! Just air high fives during class.

8. Podcasts, yes or no?

Nope. I’ve never listened to a podcast while working out. Wait, I take that back...maybe a handful of times when I was on the treadmill at Planet Fitness. I have no music or podcasts on my phone when I used to run, but I would always use my old iPod Shuffle to listen to music.

I love the playlists at OrangeTheory!

9. What's your favorite post-cardio meal? (Bonus points if you post a picture!)

Lately it’s been a sandwich from a local sub place. SO.GOOD! Or a cookies & cream Premier Protein drink. Or pasta.

10. Tag 5 (or more) runner friends or workout buddies!

anyone who wants to play!

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tristancreed · 4 years ago

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My Relationship With Tattoos

Art as we know it comes in any medium. It could be a portrait, a scuplture, a dish, a film or even a fighting style. The canvas and the medium may change, but one thing remains constant. It represents something. One's feelings, identity, code, maybe even culture. Tattoos are not far from this. They are pieces of art etched on a living canvas. Just like any piece of art can be viewed differently by the artist, the wearer as well as the mere spectator. The same perception could also be rooted from a personal interpretation/bias, cultural influence, and etc.

The Philippines, while still attempting to develop have yet to change its view on tattooing. To some, it is in fact seen at an artistic light whereas most view them with negative connotations. Some even view tattooed individuals as nothing but bottom dwellers, drug addicts, criminals, anything synonymous with the word undesirable. We even have a senator that says exactly these words about tattooed individuals, as do most conservative folks. Which is ironic considering that tattoos once played a significant role in the pre-colonial history. It often dsiplayed one's role, accomplishments, clan, and even social status. One of our most well-reputed national artists happen to be Whang-Od. To the uninitiated, she is currently the last living traditional tattoo artist around these parts. She is well sought out by visitors both domestic and foreign. In all sincerity, I'd like to see that senator try and publicly call her a drug addict to her face. Like I said, The Philippines has yet to be anywhere near ready to adapt to a modern society. And with it, more progressive views.

(Image is courtesy of La Blouse Roumaine ©)

I for one had a neutral stance on them. I should know, I have four of them and have gone through five sessions all in all. But before that, I remember wanting to get one as far as when I was in college and even intending to get two particular pieces. One being WWE Superstar Edge's Rise Above wrist piece and Toryn Green's sinner and saint ambigram. This what happens when you grow up being a fan of hard rock music, professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Although what kept me from getting tattooed was the fear of being an ineligible blood donor, as well as the fear of being unemployable in the future.

That however changed after I graduated. Turns out, most corporate environments won't even bat an eye at an upper management figure sporting full sleeves and stretched earlobes. Others may not be as lenient. But it hardly impacted how they're received in the company. I even had a chance to get a session done in 2013 but it kept falling apart.

It didn't cross my mind until 2017 and that's that I finally decided to go for it. I remembered seeing a simple but perfectly symmetrical geometric arrow design. The design was perfect. I also happen to love archery. So I literally had no other issue with it. I later ended up getting referred by my cousin to her artist who did her wrist piece months prior. The three weeks leading up to that session, I let my folks know in advance that I am getting a tattoo. I didn't wait for their approval or anything. I made it clear that I’m getting inked. Furthermore, I’d like to point out that I am a regular subscriber to Aaron Marino’s YouTube Channel (you may know him as Alpha M). I then took some crucial tips regarding tattoos. I had the certainty down as long as I follow one crucial tip. You have a whole sea of skin all over you. So out of all that, just avoid having one on your hands, neck, and face. If you can hide it with a dress shirt, it’s completely fine.

On the day of my appointment, I literally just slapped on a sleeveless Avenged Sevenfold cut-off top, some shorts, with only my phone and wallet in hand before heading out for my session. It happened in a small studio just next to a small school in Pacita. Fortunately, I got there in time and I happened to be his only scheduled client for the day. What happened next was pivotal. I literally watched as the needle first touched my skin and slowly covered my birthmark. The session itself took over five hours. And what turned out to be the final product was an entirely different design. One which was inspired by the concept I sent, but also deviated from it. My parents despite having already been warned in advance were still initially shocked by it. They didn’t think I was actually going ahead with it. So this is the part where I retroactively followed what Jaiden Dittfach (of Jaiden Animations) said when she got her bird Ari. If you want really want something and your parents said no, get it anyway and trick them into loving it. Now that it’s on my skin, there really wasn’t much they could do about it. But at least they know its meaning and that it isn’t anything negative. I did have some issues with the product though and it took three more years before I finally got it fixed. For good this time. At least before the pandemic happened and it was done by a trusted friend. In her defense, she made the best of what she could work with then and even remarked how deep the first needle went. Fortunately, she managed to even out some places that needed to be polished.

The intended design (Image is courtesy of The Style Up ©)

The (first) finished product.

Finally fixed.

In between all of this, I also managed to get three more pieces. It was November 12, 2018, a news shocked Marvel fans the world over. Stan Lee tragically passed away just six weeks shy of what would have been his 96th birthday. It was such a devastating loss of a figure who helped mold the childhoods of many. I wrote about it and posted it here shortly after. During those events, I remembered having come across the Wakandan alphabet before it hit me. But first, I had to consult a few friends in order to make sure that I wouldn’t be committing any act of cultural appropriation. After finally clearing that up, I sent my own design to a friend of mine (Who went on to do all of my ink from that point on) and booked the session. Thanksgiving day later came and I realized that we had no work that day. So I later called her up to see if she was free. Fortunately, she was and I finally had it etched on my right forearm. It was the Latin word “Excelsior” that literally translates to ever upward. It was also Stan’s catchphrase. The feeling of getting that piece was a lot more different than the previous one. This came with a wave of emotion. Because the significance could even be traced from my childhood and I grew up around this fandom and it meant more to me than just entertainment. It helped shape part of my identity. It’s literally the one piece I wish I could have flashed on a camera next to Stan himself. One thing’s for sure both Stan Lee and Chadwick Boseman would have thought it was a wise choice for a piece of ink on one’s skin.

“Excelsior”

- Stan Lee

Upon having gone through a tattoo session, you can only describe the feel of a needle as a sting. But you wouldn’t exactly call it pain. That isn’t an opinion, that is a fact. Another thing one must know upon getting a tattoo is that you will later want additional pieces. Your skin will want the feel of that needle again. And while my parents said that would be my last piece, I simply couldn’t promise that. This time around, I’ve been looking to get a Cthulhu tattoo since December 2018. Of course, being busy as always, I couldn’t find a time to arrange it. I would only do so once I’m sure I’m completely free for that day. I live two lives. Both as a corporate guy and a public figure. Spare time and sleep are luxuries I can’t always afford. And after all the planning, I finally booked it. I literally went to my friend’s place right away to have it done. The session was of reasonable length and it felt different. Both of my previous tattoos were done on my right forearm. Both of which had uplifting personal meanings. A darker piece like that would be completely out of place in that part of my body. So I opted for my left bicep. It was surreal. I’m a man invested into multiple fandoms and H.P. Lovecraft’s universe is definitely in that list. There’s just something about the occult and the unknown horrors of the cosmos that piqued my interest since my formative years. This was me finally marking that on my skin. If there’s one of Lovecraft’s most iconic creations that deserved that spot, it was the famed Dreamer of R’lyeh himself. If the excelsior tattoo gave a rush of innocence that I hadn’t felt in ages, this was different. It had that enigmatic aura around it which made it all the more perfect. The piece came together so well and it was on an arm that a needle had yet to kiss. After the session, you could say I probably found out how the Sam Raimi Peter Parker felt when he first put on the black symbiote suit. Minus the dance when he exited that tailor shop. I also ended up getting a freehand bonus on my right wrist again. Just something Roxy threw in. It was the Latin phrase “Sic Parvis Magna.” which literally translates to “Thus great things come from small things.” or better yet, greatness from small beginnings. Which is another phrase I hold dear considering my humble origins.

“Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn”

“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”

“Thus great things come from small things.”

That certainly wouldn’t be the end of it. Again, while my folks insisted that I got my last pieces, I still can’t promise that. One thing’s for sure, I wouldn’t get any piece that either stands for something that abridges the rights of another human being, nor would any of my upcoming pieces ever wrongly appropriate a culture. Ultimately, I would always advise everyone to at least take Aaron Marino’s advise to heart. Don’t get one that you wouldn’t want to show your folks. You also have a whole sea of skin around you, so avoid having one on your hands, neck and face. I’m definitely not done stepping next to a needle. I still have plans on some pieces. But I always see to their significance. It’s always wise to do exactly that. Getting a tattoo isn’t a joke. It’s a commitment. One that can even outlive a marriage. So it pays to take every choice into consideration. Some of us choose to wear our hearts on our sleeve and some do so literally.

#tattoos #tattoostories #excelsior #cthulhu #lovecraft #inkedlife

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eeveevie · 5 years ago

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Get to know me

I took @its-sixxers open tag to distract me even though I should be writing. Also to distract from the zillies (Sunday weird feels)

Who were you named after? Nobody. Mom opened a baby book to a random name and went ‘why the fuck not’.

Last time you cried? *kermit face* we’re in the middle of a gad damn pandemic and you think I haven’t cried this morning over something trivial?

Do you like your handwriting? Most days, yes. It doesn’t look like anybody’s that I’ve ever seen. I write in half-cursive and “impatiently” so I can never decipher my own notes if I have to write quickly. There’s a reason I tend to type out everything.

What is your favorite lunch meat? Nothing. I don’t eat land animal anymore. Before I cut it out of my diet, I was partial to turkey.

Longest relationship? Just under two years; that was a long while ago. I guess I can’t make em’ stay. 👀

Do you still have your tonsils? Yes. I always thought that meant there was something wrong with me but I guess not.

What is your favorite kind of cereal? When I actually eat cereal (I cannot for the life of me eat carbs/bread in high quantities), I will eat Pops or Honey Nut Cheerios (HEART HEALTH YO)

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No, which defeats the purpose, I know.

Do you think you’re strong willed? I am stubborn. There’s a difference, but it gets the job done. So when I need to get something done, I’ll do it because I have something to prove to myself.

Favorite Ice Cream? Vanilla because I am a boring, boring person. I will put crushed in Oreos though. NOT PRE MIXED. My own crushed Oreos.

What is the first thing you notice about a person? Eyes. With that, a person’s ability to maintain eye contact during conversations. Also, their sense of humor.

Football or baseball? SPORTS BALL~ I don’t know what we’re screaming about!

Favorite donut? If you are going to force me to eat the carb filled donut, I will have a glazed donut with vanilla frosting and sprinkles.

Last thing you ate? A small bowl of Tortellini with red garlic sauce (because you can’t say no to pasta)

What are you listening to? Skyrim Ambience ironically as I write my Noir AU

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Robin Egg Blue

What is your favorite smell? Fresh Laundry, Rain

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My mommy ;___;

Hair color? Naturally, it’s light brown. But I dyed it dark pink recently.

Eye color? Brown

Favorite food to eat? Japanese food, thanks to my upbringing. Sushi, especially.

Scary movies or happy ending? Happy endings~

Last movie you watched in a theater?: Rise of Skywalker. Ugh

What color shirt are you wearing? Small black and white stripes

Favorite holiday?: Thanksgiving

Beer or wine?: Wine

Night owl or morning person? Morning person; but man this quarantine has fucked me up.

Favorite day of the week? Tuesday. I’m a strange person.

Favorite animal? Cats. All cats!

Do you have a pet? A 13 year old large meatloaf man of a cat who snores and hogs the bed, and who I really ought to charge for half the mortgage. Pretends to be flippant but follows me everywhere and eats all my food.

Tagging @ungenue @elfrooted @lechatrouge673 @rhetoricalrogue @alittlestarling @gingerbreton @glaiveulric

#it me #a good distraction

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aliemah · 4 years ago

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Aliemah’s Adventures:

In the past four days (including today):

- I had low tire pressure and tried to fill them up again as per usual. The stem broke on one tire and resulted in a flat tire. I changed the tire, scheduled an appointment to get the tire looked at the following day.

- My gaming chair that I’ve only had for a year has a screw that fell out somehow and now I can’t use my backrest otherwise I will fall backwards onto the floor. I contact customer service and they tell me they’ll get back to me in less than 24 hours on how to fix my issue.

-Following day it turns out another tire was flat. Had a tow truck take the car to the tire place for free (thanks insurance!) and the tire place had the issue fixed a solid hour before my actual appointment time.

- Guy at the tire place told me the tires were actually fine, just needed to be rotated and it was actually the pressure sensors in the tires that were bad and had to be replaced. Less expensive fix so that’s all good.

- Only they only replaced the two sensors in the flat tires that they refilled. They told me that the other two sensors would likely go bad in the next few days and to just come back if the tire pressure light comes on again.... weird, but alright...

- And then they had to jump the car to get it to start again. Only it wouldn’t start until the 50th try when we got an actual car to jump it. Had to go buy a brand new car battery.

- Haven’t heard back about my chair. Okay, with all the pandemic stuff, I’ll give them an extra day. It’s fine, I wanted to lay in bed today anyway.

- Yesterday: planning to hang out with the boyfriend. Everything’s going great. As I’m moving to walk towards the front door to leave I ROLL MY ANKLE. Walking on it is a little uncomfortable but I did just put it through some stress so I keep off it as best I can. I always make fun of my boyfriend for having poor balance (he’s sporting a walking boot for the next month because he rolled his ankle at work). Ankle is fine but fuck if the bruises on my knees don’t bother me.

- As I’m going home from hanging out at his place, the tire pressure light comes on. Alright, fine, I’ll just go to the tire place tomorrow, it’s all fine.

- Still no word from the chair people. Don’t care, wanna sleep.

- Today: Take the car in. Tell them it happened again. They look confused and ask me to wait while they look in their system for the car information. They come back and say “yeah, we’ll go ahead and replace them, please wait.”

- Half an hour later guy comes over. “So we fixed the sensors. But it looks like your tires aren’t sealed properly so you have like... three options. Option one: we put a special sealant on the tires and you pay a fuck ton of money. Option two: you buy new tires. (Mine are 2 years old so fuck no) Option three: it’s a slow leak so you’d lose maybe one or two PSI over the course of a day with heavy driving. You’d have to top off the air pressure about once a month.”

- Areyoufuckingkiddingme

- I pay for the service to replace the sensors, plus labor and tax. I leave. I come home.

- Why can’t this car fucking function like it’s supposed to. I’ve spent, in the past few days, well over $600 on the car. For *minor* issues. Issues that they keep telling me are just going to come back. If I hadn’t also spent about $1000 to build myself a new computer to replace the one that’s failing, I’d say fuck it and go look at getting a new car.

- Still no word on the chair. I send another email with the previous one attached. I just want to be able to not fall backwards in my chair again - and I checked about 5,000 times. No, I can’t just put the screw back in, it came out of a piece that was pre-assembled out of the box and unless I want to break parts of the chair and void a warranty, I’m not about to try fixing it myself.

I’m tired, y’all. I’m putting my ankle up with some ice, munching on some Doritos and watching some fucking anime.

#aliemah's adventures #personal #aliemah #car issues #chair issues #ankle issues #I promise I'm okay I'm just exhausted

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dibidibidismol · 6 years ago

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For the Anon who wanted me to answer all the questions: I hope you're happy.

— 1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

A Baby named orlo

2. Are you outgoing or shy?

Depends on the situation

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

My bestest friend and I have a shopping date soon!

4. Are you easy to get along with?

Probably not. I dunno.

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?

Yeah, probably.

6. What kind of people are you attracted to?

People who use she/her pronouns.

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

Probably not.

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?

Byun Baekhyun.

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

No.

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

A group of close friends.

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?

“Great!”

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

Expect by Girls Day

Eternity by VIXX

Tried to Walk by B1A4

Sorry by The Rose

Closer by Oh My Girl

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

So long as they don't tangle it.

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

I believe in chance.

15. What good thing happened this summer?

I got a scholarship to a programme I applied for! Met some new friends!

16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Hell yeah. A sweet baby gave me a smooch. Baby kisses are the best.

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

I think it's a possibility.

18. Do you still talk to your first crush?

They moved far far away.

19. Do you like bubble baths?

Not really.

20. Do you like your neighbors?

Yeah, I babysit for them sometimes.

21. What are your bad habits?

I'm a sucker for my dog. I give him too many treats.

22. Where would you like to travel?

I'm not much of a traveler but I hear Portland Oregon is nice this time of year.

23. Do you have trust issues?

Probably?

24. Favorite part of your daily routine?

Afternoon Tumblr, Spotify and Tea time.

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?

My nose.

26. What do you do when you wake up?

Do my daily language learning sessions and wash my face.

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

Lighter

28. Who are you most comfortable around?

My dog and/or friends.

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

Hahahahahahaha No.

30. Do you ever want to get married?

Yes.

31. If your hair long enough for a pony tail?

Yep.

32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with?

I'm Demi, and don't know any celebrities.

33. Spell your name with your chin.

Done.

34. Do you play sports? What sports?

I've done a lot of basketball and a bit of track and field.

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

I don't watch much T.V anyways.

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?

Story of my life.

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

When in doubt talk about the weather.

38. Describe your dream girl/guy?

She/her pronouns, actually reciprocates my affections, ace/demi friendly, not allergic to dogs, fluent in English, mildly intelligent, has a compatible sense of humor, not abusive.

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in?

Target, H-mart, Costco,

40. What do you want to do after high school?

College and Law school

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

Not everyone, but most people.

42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?

I’m tired, thinking, or listening to music.

43. Do you smile at strangers?

Unless they're giving off bad vibes.

44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?

Outer space. I have a fear of the deep ocean.

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

Devotion to my dog.

46. What are you paranoid about?

Germs, skin cancer, the deep ocean, my friends not loving themselves enough, everyone I know secretly disliking me, etc.

47. Have you ever been high?

On caffeine.

48. Have you ever been drunk?

On life.

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?

Yes. But I'm telling y'all anyways. (My dog was giving me sad eyes so I gave him a treat. And then another. And another. And another. So he ended up having like half the bag.)

50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?

Black

51. Ever wished you were someone else?

Oh yeah. I've been jealous of many of my friends. They're all so attractive and funny and smart and I'm just kinda there.

52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself?

I wish I was more intelligent.

53. Favourite makeup brand?

I don't wear enough makeup to be able to differentiate between the brands.

54. Favourite store?

I like Eastern Asian grocery stores and Target.

55. Favourite blog?

My absolute favorite recently deleted, but my current favourites are @homosexo-l @ot-nine and @queerfictionwriter

56. Favourite colour?

Black, Crimson, and shades of purple.

57. Favourite food?

Right now I'm a big fan of carrots.

58. Last thing you ate?

An egg and roasted mushroom on a hamburger bun.

59. First thing you ate this morning?

Fruit and protein smoothie with whole grain toast.

60. Ever won a competition? For what?

I’ve won a couple basketball related things, a handful of academic awards, speech tournaments, and a few other things I'm forgetting.

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what?

When I was really young (7 or 8) I was suspended for taking the cookie sprinkles from the class cabinet and distributing them amongst our classmates.

62. Been arrested? For what?

Nope.

63. Ever been in love?

Yeah. It sucks.

64. Tell us the story of your first kiss?

We both leaned in. *smooch*

65. Are you hungry right now?

I'm hungry for Love and Affection.

66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?

Nah. I love my real friends a lot.

67. Facebook or Twitter?

I don't have either.

68. Twitter or Tumblr.

Tumblr.

69. Are you watching tv right now?

I don't really watch TV.

70. Name of your bestfriend?

Mira

71. Craving something? What?

Craving love and affection. Also garlic eggplant.

72. What colour are your towels?

White.

72. How many pillows do you sleep with?

Four big ones plus eightish throw pillows plus five pillow pets.

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

They have their own corner of my room.

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have?

60? I have a ton of tiny ones.

75. Favourite animal?

My dog.

76. What colour is your underwear?

Black and Pink.

77. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate.

78. Favourite ice cream flavour?

Banana.

79. What colour shirt are you wearing?

Black.

80. What colour pants?

Black.

81. Favourite tv show?

I don't really watch TV but I like Ask us Anything/Knowing Bros and I liked Weekly Idol pre-current MC line up. I also like the Great British Baking show.

82. Favourite movie?

Tangled

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?

Mean girls? I haven't seen pt2.

84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?

Mean girls? I haven't seen 21 jump street.

85. Favourite character from Mean Girls?

I don't really remember the characters, but I think I liked the teacher.

86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo?

Dory!

87. First person you talked to today?

My dog.

88. Last person you talked to today?

See above. :)

89. Name a person you hate?

Donald J. Trump

90. Name a person you love?

Amber Liu!

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now?

Donald J. Trump

92. In a fight with someone?

My mother.

93. How many sweatpants do you have?

94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have?

95. Last movie you watched?

The Lorax

96. Favourite actress?

I dunno. I don't watch a lot of TV.

97. Favourite actor?

See above.

98. Do you tan a lot?

I would if I didn't stay inside so much or if I were to lay off the sunscreen.

99. Have any pets?

I have a dog. He’s the bestest. I could go on about him for hours...

100. How are you feeling?

I'm a little tired but my dog is here next to me so I'm good.

101. Do you type fast?

I'm alright on an actual keyboard, but touch screens slow me down a lot.

102. Do you regret anything from your past?

I regret having picked the wrong Duolingo chest and only getting one Lingot instead of five.

103. Can you spell well?

My initial guess tends to be correct, but I tend to doubt my spelling capabilities and confuse myself over wether or not I was correct.

104. Do you miss anyone from your past?

I miss the group of people who I went to school with for seven plus years. We were used to each other and it's hard to replicate that camaraderie.

105. Ever been to a bonfire party?

Nah.

106. Ever broken someone’s heart?

Hahahahahahaha No.

107. Have you ever been on a horse?

I took riding lessons when i was younger.

108. What should you be doing?

Baking a pie. I want pie.

109. Is something irritating you right now?

America’s President.

110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?

Yes.

111. Do you have trust issues?

See #23

112. Who was the last person you cried in front of?

My friend/ theripast @squish-io

113. What was your childhood nickname?

Dictionary.

114. Have you ever been out of your province/state?

Yes.

115. Do you play the Wii?

No.

116. Are you listening to music right now?

Yes.

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup?

I'm Vegetarian.

118. Do you like Chinese food?

Half of my family is Chinese so I only like the good stuff.

119. Favourite book?

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

120. Are you afraid of the dark?

No.

121. Are you mean?

Maybe?

122. Is cheating ever okay?

Once I cheated at Pandemic. The rules of the game were too complicated and I was playing against an expert.

123. Can you keep white shoes clean?

Probably, I don't have any though.

124. Do you believe in love at first sight?

I believe in attraction at first sight but not love.

125. Do you believe in true love?

No.

126. Are you currently bored?

Nah, I'm answering these, it's pretty fun.

127. What makes you happy?

My dog! Kpop crack! Tumblr(sometimes)!

128. Would you change your name?

Maybe.

129. What your zodiac sign?

It starts with a “P”

130. Do you like subway?

Not particularly.

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

First of all, that would never happen. Either way as my best friend they would know that I'm gay and so if their pronouns are not she/her it wouldn't be an issue. If their pronouns were she/her then... I dunno. Depends on what would make them happy.

132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

See #10

133. Favourite lyrics right now?

Shawty imma party till the sundown (so I can make it back in time for curfew) 134. Can you count to one million?

Yes. For efficiency I'd count by 500,000s.

135. Dumbest lie you ever told?

“I'm straight”

136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?

I can't sleep with the doors open.

137. How tall are you?

Smol.

138. Curly or Straight hair?

Wavy.

139. Brunette or Blonde?

The former.

140. Summer or Winter?

Winter.

141. Night or Day?

Night.

142. Favourite month?

November.

143. Are you a vegetarian?

Yes.

144. Dark, milk or white chocolate?

Dark.

145. Tea or Coffee?

Tea.

146. Was today a good day?

Sure.

147. Mars or Snickers?

I don't eat either.

148. What’s your favourite quote?

“Love is like a fart. If you have to force it it's probably shit.”

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

No. 150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?

“Well,” Miss Morgan said, her voice losing conviction, “what do you mean, talking about people dressed like me? Blue hats, and so on?”

#that's a wrap #ask game #reblogging #with edits

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fakestatus · 3 years ago

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Release Dates, Price, Consoles, New Features & Pre-Order Details | Game Hunt Live

When is FIFA 22 released? FIFA 2022 are going to be released on October 1, 2021, following the trend of each FIFA edition since FIFA Football 2003 was released either within the last week of September or the primary week of October. Fifa world cup 2022 tickets For most of the past few years, FIFA has been released in late September, but this was pushed back to early October for FIFA 21 thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. There are not any major delays expected this year, so FIFA 2022 are going to be released on October 1, with the sport available on September 27 to those that pre-order the last word Edition The trailer for the sport was launched on July 11, showing the new features and graphics also as revealing this year’s cover star. What is the worth of FIFA 22? Console Standard Ultimate PS4 & PS5 £59.99 / $59.99 £89.99 / $99.99 Xbox One & Xbox Series-X £59.99 / $59.99 £89.99 / $99.99 PC £54.99 / $59.99 £79.99 / $99.99 Google Stadia TBC TBC Nintendo Switch £44.99 / $49.99 – This year, the quality edition of FIFA 22 will cost £59.99 within the UK and $59.99 within the US. Prices have remained an equivalent as last year, while EA Play subscribers can save 10 per cent if they pre-order. As well because the standard edition, EA Sports releases special versions of the sport which have additional content like extra packs, kits, items and players for FIFA Ultimate Team and Volta. The special versions are costlier than the quality edition and are available in both physical copy and download versions fifa world cup 2022. This year, there's only an Ultimate Edition of the sport with the Champions Edition being discontinued for FIFA 22. FIFA 22 Ultimate Edition is priced at £89.99 and $99.99 on the Xbox and Playstation official stores. When am i able to pre-order FIFA 22? Fans of FIFA are ready to pre-order FIFA 2022 from now until the sport ’s release date in October and can be ready to play the game from September 27 as a result. Pre-ordering has additional benefits, like lower prices also as extra game content, like free players and loan players in Ultimate Team, also as additional FUT packs and Volta content. The Ultimate Edition is out there for pre-order on all consoles. The France and Paris Saint-Germain star was the face of FIFA 21 and can continue within the remake after it had been confirmed by EA Sports on July 9. In previous years, Eden Hazard, Virgil van Dijk, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne and Paulo Dybala have also appeared on the sport cover. Konami’s affect Juventus means Ronaldo won't return to the duvet of FIFA for the foreseeable future. Who are the FIFA 22 top rated players? Lionel Messi is probably going to be the highest-rated player in FIFA 22 again as he's currently the sole 93-rated player within the live database. Two players currently have a 92 rating: Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski. Jan Oblak, Kevin De Bruyne and Neymar are all rated 91 overall, while Kylian Mbappe has the very best potential of any player within the game at the instant with a current rating of 90 and a possible rating of 95. What new features will FIFA 22 have? Next Gen FIFA 22 released The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of FIFA 22 include “groundbreaking new HyperMotion gameplay technology.” This uses advanced 11 vs 11 match capture, a primary for FIFA, which suggests player and ball movement are going to be far more dynamic than ever before and better replicate real-life situations. FIFA 22 includes over 4,000 new animations “to raise the footballing intensity, responsiveness, and physicality of each player within the game.” Gameplay FIFA 22 released Each year, EA Sports adds new gameplay improvements on top of the graphic changes. FIFA 22 will see HyperMotion technology added to the PS5 and Xbox Series X editions, with ‘Tactical AI’ improvements future also . Other gameplay improvements include Kinetic Air Battles, Composed Ball Control and increased humanisation. Career Mode improvements Career Mode is one among the most parts of the sport which gamers want to ascertain updated. FIFA 21 added the ‘Quick Sim’ option where you'll jump in and out of matches, while the Active Training System made player development far more dynamic. Improved AI and transfer options also made the sport more lifelike, but there are still demands for further improvements in FIFA 22. Fans have speculated about the addition of a web Career Mode, but there has been no official confirmation of this yet. Ultimate Team FIFA 22 released The previous couple of months of FIFA 21 Ultimate Team saw the addition of preview packs which allowed gamers to ascertain the contents of packs before buying them on the shop . This is thought to require away the gambling aspect of Ultimate Team and make Store purchases more like downloadable in-game purchases than a game of chance fifa world cup 2022 qualifiers, and thus avoid gambling legislation in certain countries. As a result, there's an honest chance these preview packs are going to be kept as a gameplay element in FIFA 22 Ultimate Team. For more details please visit our website: https://gamehuntlive.com/

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travelcenter-uk · 4 years ago

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Best places to visit with your family after the pandemic

I know the feeling you’re going through right now and to be honest, I feel the same too! This pandemic situation has confined us to our homes, restricting us from travel. Just like many of us, you and your loved ones are aching to travel again. To get you out of the travel blues, I have compiled a list of places to visit with your family after COVID-19.

As a result of the global pandemic and the travel restrictions that have closed borders in many countries, it might seem inconceivable to think of travelling right now. The good news is, things are looking up in 2021 though currently many countries around the world remain off-limits, some are opening up their doors with health and safety protocols in place. In times like these, we’re here to offer you the most current advice, whether it’s about how destinations around the world are reopening, advice for travelling with kids, or even about flight cancellations. That’s not all; Travel Center UK has the best prices for flights and holidays to the places to visit with your family after COVID-19.

Travelling with kids after the pandemic? Here are the best places to visit with your family

Gradually many countries around the globe have begun to reopen their doors to travellers. So, what will travel look like when travelling with kids or family? Let’s take a deep dive into the new normalcy of travel and the best places to visit with your family post-COVID-19 world.

When travelling with kids to these places, you don’t have to face large crowds, busy roads. It will be just pure nature and beautiful surroundings. So, without further ado, let’s get on with the list of Popular family holiday destinations, activities, and other features everyone will love during travels post-pandemic!

ICELAND

Iceland is a place; unlike any other you have ever seen or been to. The terrain here is astonishing with cascading waterfalls, powder-blue lagoons, soothing, natural thermal baths, volcanic craters and the phenomenal sights of the Northern lights that dance in the skies. Kids and adults alike will find plenty to see and do, such as whale watching, encounters of penguins, dog sledging, ice fishing and more! The most family-friendly activities are located in Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.

COSTA RICA

Costa Rica is one of the famous places to visit with your family. The place is bestowed with top-class beaches, many national parks with exotic animals in abundance, street markets, excursions for the entire family and a children’s museum, Museo de Los Ninos. The kids will have a fun-filled adventure on a visit to the Bosque Eternall de Los Ninos AKA “Children’s Eternal Forest”. The place is a park with many activities on offer such as zip-lining, horseback riding, hiking, canopy tours, camping and more! Costa Rica is a country that’s very inviting, warm and friendly.

JAPAN

Over the years, Japan has become one of the most famous places to visit with your family. It is a great place to explore as it’s full of vibrancy. Families flock to the region where they can visit the famous Himeji Castle in a 17th-century castle in Himeji. It features enormous towers, a labyrinth of alleyways, and hidden rooms. Or pay a visit to Disneyland in Tokyo a magical place that sparks your imagination! You’ll find this site next to another amazing park, the Tokyo DisneySea. This park looks like the underwater world and offers a range of thrilling rides and activities for kids as well as adults.

THAILAND

Thailand is a welcoming country and is popularly known as the “The Land of Smiles”. Families come here from all around the world to enjoy the blissful beaches, abundant wildlife, and more appealing attractions. There are plenty of activities to do as a family when travelling with kids, such as water sports, wakeboarding karting, wildlife tours and more! There are several more attractions in its capital Bangkok. You will learn about the regions remarkable culture and history at the temples and incredible buildings.

TURKEY

If you are looking for popular family holiday destinations when travelling with kids, consider a trip to Turkey. You’ll find plenty of things to see and do in this country that will keep the whole family entertained. Visiting Cappadocia, here you can take a hot air balloon tour above valleys and view the “fairy chimney” landscape. Or visit Antalya’s most famous Antalya Aquarium, the Wildpark, dedicated to insects and reptiles. You can also take the kids to the Toy Museum located in the harbour.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is one of the best places to visit with your family. It features impressive landscapes and is a popular destination for filming movies. Block-busters such as Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, and more! And the best part is you can take the kids to these sites, a trip to Hobbiton is a must-visit for families. This is an excellent location for all outdoor activities, with plenty of places to hike, beautiful spots to relax and superb beaches. You can also go to Rotorua and watch a traditional Maori Haka performance!

Advice for travelling with kids pre/post-pandemic

It is possible to travel during the pandemic, as long as you are cautious enough to stay intact with the health guidelines. Read below some tips on how you can stay safe when travelling with kids.

Talk to your kids about the ongoing pandemic situation.

Pack a travel thermometer.

Choose your method of travel wisely.

Wash your hands.

Wipe everything down.

Frequently use hand sanitizer.

Drink plenty of water.

Eat immune-boosting food.

Instruct your kids to wear face masks.

Social distance as much as possible.

Stay up-to-date on travel warning restrictions and requirements.

If you’re planning on going on a family holiday, consider visiting these amazing destinations when travelling with kids. To make things better, Travel Center UK offers some mind-blowing deals matching in flights and hotels. So, don’t wait too long, call or email us and we’ll get started on an unforgettable getaway.

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Read More:- Best places to visit with your family after the pandemic

This Article, Information & Images Source (copyright):- Travel Center UK Blog

#travel #travelling #travelcenteruk #travelblog #travelblogger #travelvibes #holidaymakers #destinations #cities #travelgoals #travellife #traveller

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daleisgreat · 4 years ago

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WrestleMania 36

Welcome to my annual WrestleMania-week entry where I recap the previous year’s WrestleMania (WM). Please indulge me for a bit, because the 2020 show had so many unprecedented circumstances going into it that it will require a bit of a prologue before I evaluate the card. For those that remember 2020’s installment of WWE’s biggest PPV of the year, it will be remembered as a WM like no other (hopefully!). For the better part of the latter half of WM history, the event has transpired in mammoth outdoor stadiums and/or sports arenas, oftentimes with inflated attendance numbers of well over 50,000. WWE would spare no expense with elaborate entrance stage sets, live band/artist performances, major celebrity/sports guests, etc. That all changed with 2020’s WrestleMania 36. WWE was set to roll forward with a pirate-themed WM, with countless pirate-themed ads, signage and a meticulous CG montage of WWE wrestlers decked out in pirate gear, and animated waves splashing against them while doing heroic sword-slashing poses to open the show. However, as we all know by now plans drastically altered, when with under a month before WM36’s original date of April 5th, the worldwide Co-Vid pandemic was declared on March 11th. This promptly shutdown a majority of travel and businesses internationally for the better part of the next two months before businesses and travel restrictions started to ease up, at least here in the United States. No one knew how long the shutdown was going to last, so WWE hastily taped the matches at their Performance Center training facilities, while rumored the tapings lasted up until the final hours before the lockdown went into effect in Florida.

This would mean for the first time in WM history, the even would be taped, and not on a short several hour delay ala Summerslam ‘92, but taped a couple weeks in advance! WWE officials allegedly were warning of severe consequences if spoilers leaked. Upon re-watching this WM36, it is still jaw-dropping to see the show associated with said large sports arenas and near six figures of fans was now emanating in front of ZERO fans in a small black-curtained off area of a training facility. Since the Network-era of WM PPVs in 2014, most of the events have went notoriously long around the six-to-seven hour mark when factoring in a two hour pre-show. While WWE was marketing yet another loaded 16-match card that would likely last that long, it seemed highly undesirable to force fans to watch that long of a show with zero fan atmosphere so WWE for the first time split WM into two nights on April 4th and 5th. On previous WM recaps here I advocated for two-night WMs because those one night marathons pushed alert limits to new levels, so I was relieved to hear WWE announce the two-night event. Keep in mind this was a few weeks into the pandemic, well before WWE started experimenting with NXT talent as fans for a couple months before eventually settling on the ubiquitous video walls of virtual fans at the Thunderdome that major WWE telecasts currently transpire in.

Usually the yearly WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is included with the BluRay as a bonus feature, but the 2020 ceremony that was slated to happen on WM36 weekend was postponed a year, and transpired earlier this week the same night with the 2021 inductees. Out of sheer habit and self-imposed obligation, I will give a quick breakdown of the 2020 half of the ceremony. It took place at the Thunderdome with Jerry Lawler back hosting, and in order to breeze through so many inductions there was no inductors, and some inductees like the Bellas were told they had a five minute time limit for their speeches. The 2020 Hall of Fame class is the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman), British Bulldog, Jushin Thunder Liger, Nickie & Brie Bella, Justin Bradshaw Layfield, Warrior Award winner Titus ‘O Neil and representing the celebrity wing: William Shatner. Dave Batista was supposed to be inducted too, but he postponed his induction because of a scheduling conflict and wanted to accept in person. It was kind of odd seeing the Hall of Fame done with virtual fans, but WWE did their best with piping in artificial fan noise at appropriately timed references and jokes, and even fake chants when the hall of famers hit their catchphrases. A nice video recap aired for each inductee, and then most inductees gave roughly five minute speeches. JBL kicked off, and for a five minute speech he hit as many key highlights as he could in that short time allocated, and had a nice closing where he teased a heartfelt apology to locker room rivals. Some inductees like Shatner and Liger could not attend, but sent in brief, pre-recorded acceptance speeches. One inadvertent positive side effect was Liger’s speech was translated through subtitles, and there was no pauses to wait for the translator that would happen if it was done live. Shatner’s breezy speech took a fun jab at Lawler, and was to the point. Between each induction, brief backstage interviews were done with current WWE stars acknowledging how big a night this was for the legends and shared past stories and memories. Davey Boy Smith’s son, Harry, alongside Bulldog’s widow, Diana and Matilda’s granddaughter, Huffy, gave an affectionate induction to his father.

The “Legacy Wing” of the Hall of Fame occurred next, and the 2020 class was represented by Ray Stevens, Brickhouse Brown, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, Baron Michele Leone and Gary Hart. A very deserving Titus ‘O Neil was recognized with the annual Warrior Award for his countless philanthropic efforts, and Titus gave an inspirational and heartwarming acceptance. The Bellas were expectedly on brand with their speeches, and each of the four nWo members shared some fun Monday Night Wars tales, except for Scott Hall who said only about 20 words. Hogan teased he never lost the nWo Title and that he would make a return to defend it. All told the 2020 portion of the ceremony was about an hour and a half, making it the shortest WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in quite some time! 2020 was undoubtedly a tough year on everyone. Come that WM36 weekend I, like many others, was in a rough place. Being a few weeks into the pandemic I had no idea what to make sense of on the news. I originally had a vacation planned for a week starting a few days before WM where I was going to be travelling out of town for a retro videogame convention I try and hit up most years, and it would have conveniently wrapped up shortly before WM started. As anticipated, the convention was cancelled, and in a crazy coincidence the day before I originally was planning to leave a water pipe burst in my home and my place had all kinds of water damage and furniture moved around for several days before it was all put back into place and cleaned up. Adding to the coincidental timing, night one of WM happened to be on my birthday, and this was early in the pandemic before masks were widely available and a lot of adherence to the lockdown and social distancing was being recommended and I felt gutted when family members wanted to celebrate and all I told them I felt safe doing was briefly visiting a few of them on my driveway. Needless to say, with all that going on my headspace had seen better days, and having WM36 to selfishly fall back on that weekend was a modicum of respite I desperately needed.

Thank you for indulging me with all that prefacing. With that all out of the way, it is time to move onward to looking at night one of WM36. Both nights of WM36 had a half hour kickoff show, with one match on each kickoff show that are included as BluRay bonuses. Night one saw Cesaro and Drew Gulak tear it up in a hard-hitting, five minute technical showcase with Cesaro getting the win with a momentous Airplane Spin. Stephanie McMahon gave a special introduction to the unique circumstances that were forced upon WM36 once the show officially began. I will give props to WWE for their contingency plan when their planned special artist to sing “America the Beautiful” could not make the event, and instead WWE went with a medley/montage of all past WM artists and bands like Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Boyz 2 Men, Ray Charles and many more singing the anthem that traditionally kicks off WM. From there, four-time Super Bowl winner and host of WM36, Rob Gronkowski welcomed everyone, and his real-life friend and WWE star, Mojo Rawley, joined him in the hosting balcony. The first official WM36 match was for the Women’s Tag Titles with Asuka & Kari Sayne defending against Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross. I miss Kari Sayne, and am still in disbelief how WWE wrote her off TV a few months later via implied murder! Kari & Asuka’s foreign taunting and screaming helped fill the void of no crowd noise to an extent, but was not enough for them to retain after Alexa pinned Kari with her Twisted Bliss to win the gold for her and Nikki. Baron Corbin faced Elias who Baron thought would be unable to compete after recently tossing him off a balcony, but Elias made it in time to whack Baron with a guitar, and eventually Corbin’s jawjacking with the ref got the best of him as Elias capitalized with a roll-up for the win in this brief fan favorite arc of his character. Becky Lynch defended the RAW Women’s Title against Shayna Baszler next. Becky was near the end of her red-hot year+ long reign as champ here, but this bout had a peculiar build highlighted by Shayna bloodily biting Becky’s ear. This also-peculiar match saw Becky mostly taking a ground attack beating from Shayna until Becky pulled off a reverse pinning combination for the sudden win.

Sami Zayn defended his Intercontinental Title next against Daniel Bryan. Zayn was accompanied by Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura while Bryan was seconded by Drew Gulak. Interference from all three played a factor throughout this intense battle, with a distracted Bryan falling victim to Sami’s Haluva Kick for the victory. The Smackdown Tag Titles were on the line next in a triple threat ladder match, but with only one member from each team due to Miz being quarantined for Co-Vid symptoms. So that meant John Morrison defended the tag titles solo against Kofi Kingston of the New Day and Jimmy Uso. The three did not disappoint with many creative highspots and sequences, with a unique finish that saw all three unhook the tag titles at the same time and Morrison collapsing off the ladder with the titles after a tug-of-war battle with them to successfully retain the titles. Seth Rollins faced Kevin Owens next, and Owens continued his awesome tradition of paying homage to vintage WM posters, with a nod to WMIV’s poster design on his shirt. Rollins DQ’d himself early in the match after using the ring bell, but Owens goads Rollins into restarting the match with No DQ. This time Owens repeatedly hits Rollins with the bell to lay him out long enough for Owens to climb on top of the WM sign to deliver a Cannonball Splash through the announcer’s table in an eye-opening spot. Owens then dragged a lifeless Seth to the ring to execute a Stunner for the win. A WM host check-in with Mojo and Gronk was interrupted by Hardcore 24/7 champion, R-Truth, who was seeking refuge from all comers up in the host balcony, but instead fell to a gut-punch from Gronk, only to see Mojo sneak in a quick pin and run off from his hosting duties as the new 24/7 champ.

The Universal Title match was up next that was scheduled to have Bill Goldberg defend against Roman Reigns. Several days before the WM tapings however, Roman Reigns shocked everyone by legitimately pulling out of the match due to understandable Co-Vid concerns from having underlying health issues from being a two-time Leukemia survivor. With such short notice, WWE did not have time to build a storyline replacement for last minute substitute, Braun Strowman, and only briefly publicly declared the substitution during a rundown of all the matches the day before on Smackdown. The match was a quick smashmouth flurry of finishers, with Goldberg unable to pin Braun after four straight spears, and instead Braun achieving the pin and Universal title after unleashing four straight powerslams.

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The main event for night one of WM36 was the cinematic “Boneyard Match” between AJ Styles and The Undertaker. For those not keeping up with pandemic-era WWE, the first few PPVs of the pandemic saw the inclusion of one or two matches on each PPV shot in the form of a movie, often without commentary and instead ambient music in the background. I embedded the match above (or click or press here to check it out) for those who have not seen it, because if you are a lapsed fan and have not witnessed it yet, the match garnered surprise acclaim from both wrestling and non-wrestling fans. It saw AJ and ‘Taker duke it out in a dilapidated graveyard, complete with Eastwood-esque trash talk, mystical druids, old-school ‘Taker dark magic, Good Brothers, motorcyles and Metallica. It was freaking great, and a much needed distraction from the empty arena. The finish saw ‘Taker big boot AJ into an empty grave, and dump a truckload of dirt on him to gracefully exit the “Boneyard” on his motorcycle with Metallica singing him out. As of this writing, this was Undertaker’s last match, and going by his latest interviews it sounds like he is indeed hanging it up for good this time, especially after WWE threw him a “final farewell” retirement-esque ceremony on the character’s 30th anniversary several months later at Survivor Series. Still with me for night two coverage of WM36? Take a break, grab a Steve-weiser, and relax for my night two coverage! The kickoff match saw Liv Morgan usurp Natalya with a reverse roll-up after a solid back-and-forth match. Night two officially started with Rhea Ripley defending the NXT Women’s Title against Charlotte Flair. Sorry to report that I am not a big fan of either of these two, and this match did not sit well with me either as it was mostly Flair working over Rhea’s leg until she locked in the Figure-Eight for the tapout win. Charlotte’s NXT title run wound up being a disaster, and she did not put over anyone while she was champ there. Onto better things as Aleister Black and Bobby Lashley squared off next. I completely forgot Lashley was married to Lana at this point in his character, but that would change soon after this as Lana urged Lashley to switch up finishing moves on Black, which backfired and saw Aleister connect with his Black Mass finisher for the pin. Next up saw Dolph Ziggler face Otis in the apex of a meticulous storyline where Otis fell victim to Dolph’s treachery when trying to win the heart of Mandy Rose. Mandy’s former friend Sonya Deville was assisting Dolph throughout the match until Mandy ran out to take care of her, which set up Otis to hit his outrageous Caterpillar finish for the win, and the happy uniting with Rose which tried its darnd-est to be on the same level with Randy Savage and Elizabeth from WMVII.

The next match was Edge’s big return singles match against Randy Orton after coming back at the Royal Rumble a couple months earlier. The buildup to this bout was impressive too, with Edge, Orton and Beth Phoenix all having emotional and investing promos leading up to this. This was a Last Man Standing match that saw the two battle all over the Performance Center throughout the backstage area, offices, training facilities and parking areas before reaching its final act on top of a semi where the two traded finishing moves until Edge hit a con-chair-toe for the 10-count win. The match held up much better on second viewing, and is best to watch it on its own as it lasted nearly 40 minutes. Shortly after this, Mojo Rawley re-emerged into the ringside area fending off 24/7 Title pursuers. Gronk took this moment upon himself to leap onto the pile of wrestlers from the host balcony and pin Mojo to win the 24/7 Title, a belt he would hold for a couple months until shortly after un-retiring from football where a sneaky R-Truth would roll-up Gronk for the title in his yard while filming a Tik-Toc video….seriously. Titus ‘O Neil would shortly arrive later to wrap-up hosting duties for Gronk for the remainder of the show. The RAW Tag Titles were on the line next with the Street Profits defending against Angel Garza and Austin Theory, who was a last minute sub for an injured Andrade. This was a quick five minute recharge bout, with the four competitors all staying in third gear throughout it for a non-stop action affair. Angelo Dawkins pinned Theory after a surprise splash from Montez Ford. The Smackdown Women’s Title 5-Way Elimination match followed with Bayley defending against Lacey Evans, Sasha Banks, Tamina and Naomi. Sasha and Bayley team up for a lot of early success, until their teamwork fails and Sasha falls victim to Lacey’s Women’s Right leaving it down to Lacey and Bayley. Right when it looks like Lacey has Bayley’s number, Sasha returned with a Backstabber on Lacey, which allowed Bayley to follow that up by driving Lacey down to the mat for the win.

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The cinematic match of the second night was a “Firefly Funhouse” bout between “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and John Cena. I have no idea where to begin describing this one. Essentially, Bray Wyatt suffers from multiple-personality disorder, and in this match Cena journeys to Wyatt’s multi-dimensional funhouse. It is filled with decades of pro-wrestling references that sees Cena and Wyatt cut Saturday Night’s Main Event-era promos on each other, join the nWo and relive Cena’s debut against Kurt Angle. I swear I am up not making any of this up! Just check out the embed above or click or press here to see for yourself! This cinematic match did not quite measure up to the Boneyard match, but was still an entertaining spectacle to experience with the deluge of references and callbacks to wrestling history. Eventually “The Fiend” pinned Cena with his Mandible Claw (while Bray Wyatt counted the pin, just roll with it), and the live feed then cut to a confused Titus ‘O Neil proclaiming what we all were thinking “I have no idea what we just saw.” The main event of night two saw Brock Lesnar defending the WWE Title against Drew McIntyre. This was built up as Drew’s big redemption story after being fired from WWE several years earlier, and it taking him 16 years to win his first major championship. It was too bad it all played out in the empty performance center, but the duo made the best of it with another instant hard hitting affair similar to the Braun/Goldberg match. After a little bit of early brawling, Brock hit three F5s which Drew all kicked out of, and then Drew countered with three straight Claymore kicks to be crowned the WWE champion for the feel-good closing of the show. What aired on RAW the next night, but actually transpired about 20 minutes after the Brock match and is on here as a BluRay bonus feature is Drew coming back to the ring for a victory interview only to be interrupted and challenged for the title by Big Show. Drew accepts the challenge, and after taking a pounding from Big Show for several minutes, Drew recovers and fires back with a Claymore for his first successful title defense. Drew has went on to be “the guy” for RAW for the better part of the next year, and while it feels he has been fulfilling that role, it is impossible to tell without a live, paying, audience, and I am curious to see how Drew is received at WM37 this weekend against Lashley.

The WM35 BluRay had the 2019 Hall of Fame as a digital bonus feature, and on the disc it had the entirety of the next night’s RAW, and a couple segments from the next Smackdown. The WM36 BluRay went down a different road with its bonus features, and aside from the two bonus kickoff matches and the post-WM Drew/Big Show match, there is about two hours of accumulated interviews, promos and segments from the previous two months of RAW, Smackdown and NXT. I watched them all, and it was a nice refresher of all the rivalries, although awkward at the same time, because about half of the segments still have fans in the arena which felt weird to see again after so long with empty/virtual arenas. Some highlights include a couple vintage Paul Heyman hype promos, AJ Styles and the Goodbrothers messing with Undertaker, the awful Rhea Ripley/Charlotte Flair interactions from NXT and Randy Orton’s epic must-see promo on Beth Phoenix for why he attacked Edge. It would be unfair of me to give a traditional yay/nay grade to WrestleMania 36 due to how the event barely came together at the final hour in the early stages of the pandemic. Seeing a lot of these matches in the empty Performance Center simply feels weird, and proved constantly difficult to suspend disbelief and get into the pro-wrestling fan mindset during viewing. The two cinematic matches are what essentially helped get me back into “fan mode” and get invested in the unique nature of those two bouts, and if you have to watch two matches from this show, then those two are the way to go. The two “slobberknocker” world title brawls are also quick, intense matches that are worth checking out. Once again, I love the two-night concept as it serves as a perfect break point for watching at home, and I am thankful WWE is doing that again for this year’s WM. All things told, this will go down as a historical achievement that WWE managed to put this together, and probably worth one day going back to watching to see how far we have come from those early dark days of the pandemic before we knew what the next eventful year had in store for everyone.

Past Wrestling Blogs Best of WCW Clash of Champions Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2 Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 3 Biggest Knuckleheads Bobby The Brain Heenan Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes DDP: Positively Living Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials ECW Unreleased: Vol 1 ECW Unreleased: Vol 2 ECW Unreleased: Vol 3 Eric Bishoff: Wrestlings Most Controversial Figure Fight Owens Fight: The Kevin Owens Story For All Mankind Getting Rowdy: The Unreleased Matches of Roddy Piper Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection Hulk Hogans Unreleased Collectors Series Impact Wresting Presents: Best of Hulk Hogan Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story The Kliq Rules Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman Legends of Mid South Wrestling Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story Memphis Heat NXT: From Secret to Sensation NXT Greatest Matches Vol 1 OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History Owen: Hart of Gold Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of the Macho Man RoH Supercard of Honor 2010-Present ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Hall: Living on a Razors Edge Shawn Michaels: My Journey Shawn Michaels: The Showstopper Unreleased Sting: Into the Light Straight Outta Dudley-ville: Legacy of the Dudley Boyz Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Anthology Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder Then Now Forever – The Evolution of WWEs Womens Division TLC 2017 TNA Lockdown 2005-2016 Top 50 Superstars of All Time Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season True Giants Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches Warrior Week on WWE Network Wrestlemania III: Championship Edition Wrestlemania 28-Present The Wrestler (2008) Wrestling Road Diaries Too Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money Wrestlings Greatest Factions WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017

#Wrestling #Wrestlemania #WWE #john cena #drew mcintyre #Brock Lesnar #daniel bryan #rob gronkowski #goldberg #braun strowman #drew gulak #cesaro #becky lynch #shayna baszler

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newtonwildsmith · 4 years ago

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I suppose there were many things in my childhood that nourished my imagination and influenced the birth of this project, but my mind always presents a particular chapter of my life: My formative, later years at secondary school and Sixth Form.

In those less-than-halcyon days, I would often be found during breaktimes hiding in the school library with my two geeky friends, to escape the wind, rain, and cold, as well as the playground bullies. We would also use the library while evading our physical education lessons; our PE teacher had all but given up on us, and we had been promoted to the status of “sick, lame and lazy”, a deserved title bestowed on all pupils who had somehow contrived a valid excuse not to participate in team sports.

We were permitted to sit out physical education in a blissful haven, tucked into the corner of the library like a trio of convalescing old fogies. It was a silent santuary of books and sketching and quiet discussion of our ideas. The atmosphere around our table at the back of that tiny library was always charged with potent creativity, borne of a love for fantasy and science fiction; we each dreamed of writing epic sagas or gripping screenplays.

There was Mark, who hoped to one day create a sci-fi series that would rival shows like Babylon 5 and SeaQuest DSV in its scope and imagination.

There was Jamie, who adored all things Star Trek-related, as well as any debate that featured Area 51 and the X-Files.

And then there was mousey me, an underdeveloped, elfin, wide-eyed boy who still spent his free time building dens in the wild woods around his home, and whose imagination was fired by the faeries of Brian Froud, ancient mythology, prehistoric animals, and the heroes of Middle Earth.

Our fellowship was united by our fascination with these other worlds, times, creatures and peoples. We spent many long afternoons in that space, embracing our passion for world-building and story-telling. We continued to meet as a trio of writers who shared ideas and ambitions right up until we left Sixth Form.

By the time I left school, I had completely flunked my A Levels and had waved away any notion of trying to get into university. It seemed like such a scary thought back then, studying for a degree and moving into the real world. It involved growing up, and that was something that terrified me. Besides, my attention had been consumed by another thing entirely: The novel I had finished writing during those years of ‘failed’ education.

I’m convinced that the speed at which I produced the story was driven by my seven-years-younger brother, who had badgered me to finish each chapter because I had been reading the tale to him as it was being written. His impatience and eagerness to know what happened next was what had spurred me into action.

It was a fantasy epic, inspired by the scale of Tolkien’s works and the jovial drama in Brian Jacques’ stories of anthropomorphised animals, as well as the imagination found in Pratchett’s works and C.S. Lewis’ allegorical chronicles. I had wanted to create my own landscape, language, culture and history just like these literary greats, and at the expense of my A-level education I felt like I had succeeded.

I edited the finished manuscript, researched how to get my book into print, and posted reams of chapters and synopses to agents and publishers.

Oh the chimerical ambitions of our youth.

I received rejection after rejection, and as I finally ‘grew up’ into a still somewhat underdeveloped twenty-something, bound to the real world of work, a mortgage and a relationship, I gave up on the cherished story. It was boxed up and tucked away, stored in the attic of my parents’ house to gather dust for almost twenty years.

And when it was rediscovered, lifted from its plastic tomb to be peeled open and examined like a mummy being exhumed by nervous archaeologists, there came a realisation. The novel was finished, but with the hindsight of maturity I could see its flaws and follies. I could see how no one would have ever published it.

But the pure idea was still at its core. There was a diamond in that rough, and I was determined to dig it out and have it turned into a gem.

And so for the last three years, the writing has resumed, along with the creation of illustrations and maps and charts, not to mention an undertaking of the kind of research a PhD student would be proud of.

This second blossoming of productivity bursts into a very different era to that of my 90s youth. Social media, globalisation and the technology of self-publishing (not to mention a very recent pandemic) have changed the landscape of the literary world.

The revival of the work is also different because I too have changed. Rather than focusing on the end product, or on fame through its publication, I’m simply enjoying the process of crafting it. It has been a source of solace even in pre-pandemic times, a place I can escape to and explore when the ordinary world feels a bit too much to bear.

Perhaps none of these journal entries, nor the pictures I post online will ever get seen. Maybe my books will never be read. Or it’s possible that the finished works will be once again consigned to a box in a loft and only unearthed after my death.

Whatever happens to my creation, I feel privileged to have the means to finally share it – The hills of my imagination are alive with music, and it’s time to sing it out into the word.

#my writing #writers #biography #inspiration #writer #writers on tumblr #journal

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